#52 Ancestors Heirlooms: The Earring

Amy Johnson Crow’s writing challenge this week is heirlooms so I’m going to tell you the story of a very old earring.

The earring was made into a necklace and passed down to me by the women in my mother’s line. Of course, it used to be paired with another and belonged to my 2^nd Great Grandmother Harriet (Ogden) Clark.

When my Grandaunt Ella died in 1975, she left a sealed envelope for my mother. On the outside of the envelope Aunt Ella wrote:

  

   Grandpa Clark gave them to her before they were married. I don’t know where the other earring is—maybe Laura or Clara has it.

Shirley Keep this

   This is your Great Grandmother’s Earring—made into a necklace way over a hundred years old. You can see it on her ears in her picture—my bottom drawer.

Harriet married Jeremiah B. Clark July 3, 1861at Westtown, NY meaning the earring is at least 156 years old. As you can see from the photo above, it’s looking a little worn but still treasured.

Harriet C. (Ogden) Clark

Wearing earrings given to her by

Future husband Jeremiah B. Clark

Fallen Heroes Come Home 43 Years after the Battle of Minisink

5^th Great Grandfather Benjamin Bennett was one of the Orange County, New York men who died at the Battle of Minisink July 22, 1779. See my last blog post Abraham and Benjamin Bennet: July 20, 1779 Minisink, NY for more information.

After the battle, thirty-three newly widowed women attempted to travel to the battle-ground to bring their husbands home. They met hardships on the trail and were forced to turn back. The ladies then hired a guide to retrieve their dead. Unfortunately, he was never heard from again.

In 1820, Dr. David R. Arnell published a sketch about Col. Benjamin Tustin who died July 22, 1779 with Great Grandfather Benjamin Bennet. The account roused public interest and a committee was organized to bring the heroes’ bones home to Orange County.

Goshen, New York’s newspaper, Independent Republican, April 29, 1822 issue, updated the committee’s progress:

   “All the bones that could be found of the brave men who fell in the battle of Minisink were collected from the battle-ground on Wednesday last, and brought to the village on the day following. They are now in the possession of the committee, with whom they will remain until the anniversary of the day upon which the battle was fought.

   “In securing the bones neither pains nor expense were spared. The party traveled about forty miles the first day, and half of that distance was a complete wilderness. They put up for the night at Mrs. Watkins’, who lived about six miles from the battle-ground, to which they proceeded the next morning. Some left their horses behind, it being very difficult to get along with a horse. The country around was a complete wilderness, scarcely exhibiting a trace of human footsteps. The battle was commenced on the banks of the Delaware, opposite the mouth of the Lackawack, and terminated about three-quarters of a mile from the river. It was a matter of astonishment to many of the party when they were shown the course taken by our troops. Some of the descents are really frightful. Most of the bones were found on the ground where the battle was fought; but some were found some distance away, which undoubtedly belonged to the wounded who had died with hunger and fatigue.”

     Source E. M. Ruttenber & L. H. Clark’s History of Orange County, New York, page 547

           

Courtesy Wikipedia

Monument at the Minisink Battleground County Park in Sullivan County, NY

The committee members planned a funeral procession to coincide with the 43^rd anniversary of the battle. An estimated 15,000 people gathered in the village of Goshen, New York for the event.

The Goshen Patriot covered the day in their July 22, 1822 edition. I’ll share a few excerpts with you.

   “On Monday morning, the 22^nd, the people began to assemble in crowds, at an early hour, to witness the public solemnities which were announced to take place on that day. At ten o’clock the preparations commenced. The cavalry, the infantry, the cadets, the mourners, the clergy, survivors of the Minisink battle, officers and soldiers of the revolution, military officers in uniform, civil and judicial officers, gentlemen of the bar, medical society, masonic brethren, &c. &c. all collected and moving from different points, at the same time to join the procession, formed a most sublime, interesting, and solemn scene.”

   “The procession was formed immediately after 12 o’clock. The bones of the brave men, who fell a prey to the merciless savages and painted tories, at the battle of the Minisink, having been deposited in two plain mahogany coffins, at the house of James W. Carpenter, were brought out, shrouded in black, surrounded by 16 grey-headed officers and soldiers of the revolution, as pall bearers, and placed each upon a separate hearse drawn by two white horses.”

    “Thirteen of the sons of those who fell on that disastrous day—major Tusten, capt. Barker, H. G. Wisner, esq., Moses Thomas, esq., Michael A. Jones, Jonathan Bennett, Samuel Bennett, John Little, Alsop Vail, Samuel Vail, Jared Mesher, Wm. Baker, and John Knap, followed as chief mourners, and beside them there were a long train of remote connexions.”

Jonathan and Samuel Bennett represented their father Benjamin in the procession. No doubt other members of the Bennett family were in attendance.

   “All things being ready, the mournful music struck up and the line moved off with a slow and solemn step. Both sides of the street were lined with spectators, from one end to the other, nearly a mile—every house was full and every sloop was crowded. The whole procession, which was something like a half mile in length, moved with great regularity and precision, and minute guns were fired, and the bell tolled during the march.”

   “When the procession arrived at the place of interment, the battalion of cadets first encircled the vault, which had been hewn out of a rock on the south side of the church—next to them were drawn up, in succession, the different societies and the military; and then the citizens, who had only been spectators. A stage was erected near the vault, where the solemn services were performed. Here we beheld an interesting spectacle—gen. Hathorn, who commanded that unfortunate expedition, as a colonel, forty-three years before, now verging upon eighty—on his left major Poppino, who was an officer under him in the same battle, now 96 years of age, and Thomas Waters, about 60, also in the same battle. Although 96 years of age, major Poppino walked with the procession, and was one of the pall-bearers.”

I located the Goshen Patriot article in Niles’ Weekly Register, Volume XXIII including Supplement to Volume XXII, pages 75-76. Hezekiah Niles became an influential journalist and was the editor of the Weekly Register magazine published in Baltimore. I’ve included a link to the complete article if you care to read it here on Google Books.

Abraham and Benjamin Bennet: July 20, 1779 Minisink, NY

The last I wrote about Abraham Bennett, I promised a story from his childhood.  When Great Grandfather was 15 years old, he played a small role in what would lead to suffering for the Bennett family and Orange County, New York residents.

So what happened? American colonists were fighting the English army to gain their independence from the King of England. The British enlisted local Native American tribes to their cause. Thayendanegea, also known as Joseph Brant, a Mohawk war chief, became one of their captains.

July 19, 1779 Joseph Brant led a combined force of Indians and Tories and attacked the Minisink settlement (Port Jervis and town of Deerpark) in Orange County, New York while people slept in their beds. They burned buildings, killed people, stole cattle and took prisoners to Brant’s headquarters on the Delaware.

News spread; the next day two militia groups led by Lt. Col. Benjamin Tusten from Goshen and Maj. Samuel Meeker of Sussex Co., New Jersey met in Port Jervis. After debate and discussions, they decided to pursue Brant up the Delaware River to recover what he had plundered from the Minisink residents.

This is where we find Abraham Bennett. Abraham accompanied his father Benjamin Bennett to the rendezvous. Horace E. Twichell describes Abraham’s participation in the day’s events in his book History of the Minisink Country, page 70:

   “Abraham Bennett was a boy at the time of the battle of Minisink; but when Tusten was leaving Goshen he became very anxious to join the expedition against Brant; and having had some experience in the fife and drum corps, he begged his father, *Benjamin Bennett, who was one of the militia to let him go as drummer boy. The drum corps did not go any farther than Minisink. There they were advised by Capt. Tyler and his men, who had come down the Delaware valley from Cochecton, to return home, as the march of the army would be through a vast wilderness and the hardships would be too great for their endurance.”

Capt. Tyler sent young Abraham home. Lt. Col. Tusten and Major Meeker were joined by Col. John Hathorn’s Regiment marching to Minisink Ford, New York for battle. Forty-eight militia men were killed; 5^th Great Grandfather Benjamin Bennett among them.

Horace E. Twichell provides a rare account of Benjamin’s last moments footnoted on page 70:

   “*Benjamin Bennett was severely wounded in the thigh, and when the retreat began, after the battle, he besought one of his companions to aid him in making his escape. The wounded man clung to his friend, thinking that if he could reach water and slake his thirst he would have strength sufficient to get away into the forest and hide for the night and proceed toward home the next morning. They succeeded in getting as far as a spring (supposed to be the large one east of the plateau on the Twichell farm) when they heard the enemy coming close upon them.

    Mr. Bennett, being very much exhausted and knowing what his fate would be, drew his pocketbook from his pocket and handing it to his friend, said, “Flee for your life and, if you reach Goshen, give this to my wife.” His companion, reluctantly, took it from his hand and fled, but before he was out of hearing, the death yell reached his ears and he knew Benjamin Bennett was dispatched by the cruel tomahawk. His friend reached home after great suffering to deliver the pocketbook and bring the sorrowful news to Mrs. Bennett that she was a widow and her children orphans.”

My post only gives you a glimpse of the history that took place those few days in July 1779. I encourage you to learn more about the heros who protected their families and neighbors.  Google “Battle of Minisink” and step back in time.

I’ve shared Prof. Twichell’s writings with you and would like to close with his words:

   “There was no glory in the Battle of Minisink. For the Colonists there was naught but defeat and disaster, and for their foe a partially satisfied thirst for human blood. Although the Colonists fought in a just cause and with unparalleled heroism to drive a plundering foe from their homes and recover their stolen stock, there was no glory in the battle for them. For they felt their army was destroyed and many of their comrades slain.”

Illustration from

History of Minisink Country

Page 59