Individual Details
Bethia Doolittle
(17 Aug 1746 - )
She was a woman of great strength of character, strong and keenintellect, a firm patriot, hopeful when others were discouraged, - aconscientious loving wife and mother, kind and sympathetic with the poorand sorrowful, - industrious and energetic - a model Christian woman."
Soon after marriage they went to the town of Northfield, then awilderness, to make a home. Bears and panthers were frequent visitors andhelped themselves to the young cattle whenever they had a chance. Thenightly sereade of wolves were also common. But Bethia was so happy inthe love of her husband and the care of her family that privations andhardships were never mentioned.
They lived so far from mill that it required two or three days tomake the trip and her husband always took a load of grain so as to beobliged to go but once a year. One morning he started for mill as usualleaving the family alone. Early that eveing Bethia was sitting near anopen Window busy with her knitting work, the dog lying under a table onthe oppositte side of the room, the children asleep in thier trundle bed,and everthing was unusually still. Suddenly the dog began to actstrangely, whining and looking through the window. She peeped out tolearn the cause of his uneasiness, and there on a large log near by sat apanther gnawing a bone and watching the dog. She stepped back, took downa musket which was kept loaded, aimed through a hole in the ghinking atthe white spot on the panther's breast and fired. At that instant thoughfatally wounded, it sprang through the window for the dog, which gotbadly scratched in the commotion that ensued and would have been killed,had the panther not weakened by the loss of blood. Bethia kept theaniaml's skin as a memento ot the occasion.
Her husband was one of the first to volunteer in the Revolution, andthe last time he was at home, they sat up all night and molded bulletsfrom pewter dishes, as there was no lead to be had. His furlow statedthat he could remain at home until sent for, and he had been with thefamily nearly a month getting crops in and doing all he could for theircomfort, when a courier brought the order to return to his regiment nextday. Jis wife had made him a new suit of clothes and now cooked him aquantity of provisions, as army rations in those times were not dainties,then bade him an affectionate farewell, giving her dearest earthly friendto her country. He was killed soon after in one of the early battles ofthe Revolution, and she was left with six children to provide for,surrounded by Tories who were seeking opportunities to destroy the livesand property of those whose protectors were in the army fighting for homeand country. When the sad news of her husband's death was brought to her,one of her brother's said, "You are now reaping the fruit of yourrebellion," and she replied with spirit. If there are not men enough todrive the British out of the country, I will go." He said, "If theAmerican Army is made up of such spirits it will win."
When the British passed through that section, they turned theirhorses into her wheat field, where the grain was from six to nine incheshigh, and they ate it down to the ground. When they left next day, theydrove off her eight cows, and a fine span of horses besides taking allthe provisions they could find in the house, - potatoes, meat, flour andfruit. She now felt desolate indeed. Before the enemy came she had takenthe bell from the old cow and put it on a heifer that would stay out.This seemed providential, for the morning after the British left sheheard the low of the old cow and there she was standing at the bars.Bethia was so glad that she ran out, put her arms around the old cow'sneck and cried for joy. If the bell had not been taken off, she could nothave left the camp without discovery.
although the enemy had searched the house and taken away everything theycould make use of, Bethia was in better circumstances than some of herneighbors who lost all they had, and with whom she shared in her goodfortune. The fall before, their crops were so abundant that they had notenough storage room, and Mr Smith built an out - door cellar to storewhat could not be kept in the house, - meat, potatoes, turnips, flour andfruit, - partitioning off a room in which to keep her butter. To make itfrost proof, he built the walls and roof of the thick plank and sodded itover. The army marched over it, and the roof sankin over the potatoes,but the store of provisions was not discovered.
She thought her field of the wheat was ruined by the soldiers'horses, but when harvest came there was a splendid crop which she and herchildren reaped and threshed out. She sent a grist to mill, but the Torymiller, refused to grind it and it was brought back. She put the grist onthe old cow's back and went herself to mill. The Tory miller could not befound, so she opened the mill door, put the wheat in the hopper, hoistedthe gate and ground her wheat, took her flour and returned home leavingno toll. On the way she saw in the yard of a Tory neighbor one of hercolts which had been gone along time, and, calling it by name, it came tothe bars which she let down allowing it to go home. The neighbor forbadeher, but she replied that there was no law to prevent her taking her ownwherever found, and she tooh it without hindrance.
One evening in the early part of the following winter after thechildren were in bed, she was in the sitting room, when she heard a noiseas if some one was at work at one of the windows. She looked out into thekitchen and saw a man climbing in at the window. With great selfpossession she took the trusty old musket from its rack near thefireplace and, taking good aim, fired. the man came down sprawling on thekitchen floor, with the one word "Waugh." She ran to the door, called forhelp and discovered that her house was set on fire in three places. Theneighbors came, put out the flames and found Bethia had killed a largeIndian who lay on the Kitchen floor with tomahawk in hand and knife inbelt. He intended to scalp the family and burn the house, but she by herwatchfulness and self possession saved the home with the lives of herselfand children. The neighbors buried the Indian and saw that all was rightbefore leaving.
Soon after marriage they went to the town of Northfield, then awilderness, to make a home. Bears and panthers were frequent visitors andhelped themselves to the young cattle whenever they had a chance. Thenightly sereade of wolves were also common. But Bethia was so happy inthe love of her husband and the care of her family that privations andhardships were never mentioned.
They lived so far from mill that it required two or three days tomake the trip and her husband always took a load of grain so as to beobliged to go but once a year. One morning he started for mill as usualleaving the family alone. Early that eveing Bethia was sitting near anopen Window busy with her knitting work, the dog lying under a table onthe oppositte side of the room, the children asleep in thier trundle bed,and everthing was unusually still. Suddenly the dog began to actstrangely, whining and looking through the window. She peeped out tolearn the cause of his uneasiness, and there on a large log near by sat apanther gnawing a bone and watching the dog. She stepped back, took downa musket which was kept loaded, aimed through a hole in the ghinking atthe white spot on the panther's breast and fired. At that instant thoughfatally wounded, it sprang through the window for the dog, which gotbadly scratched in the commotion that ensued and would have been killed,had the panther not weakened by the loss of blood. Bethia kept theaniaml's skin as a memento ot the occasion.
Her husband was one of the first to volunteer in the Revolution, andthe last time he was at home, they sat up all night and molded bulletsfrom pewter dishes, as there was no lead to be had. His furlow statedthat he could remain at home until sent for, and he had been with thefamily nearly a month getting crops in and doing all he could for theircomfort, when a courier brought the order to return to his regiment nextday. Jis wife had made him a new suit of clothes and now cooked him aquantity of provisions, as army rations in those times were not dainties,then bade him an affectionate farewell, giving her dearest earthly friendto her country. He was killed soon after in one of the early battles ofthe Revolution, and she was left with six children to provide for,surrounded by Tories who were seeking opportunities to destroy the livesand property of those whose protectors were in the army fighting for homeand country. When the sad news of her husband's death was brought to her,one of her brother's said, "You are now reaping the fruit of yourrebellion," and she replied with spirit. If there are not men enough todrive the British out of the country, I will go." He said, "If theAmerican Army is made up of such spirits it will win."
When the British passed through that section, they turned theirhorses into her wheat field, where the grain was from six to nine incheshigh, and they ate it down to the ground. When they left next day, theydrove off her eight cows, and a fine span of horses besides taking allthe provisions they could find in the house, - potatoes, meat, flour andfruit. She now felt desolate indeed. Before the enemy came she had takenthe bell from the old cow and put it on a heifer that would stay out.This seemed providential, for the morning after the British left sheheard the low of the old cow and there she was standing at the bars.Bethia was so glad that she ran out, put her arms around the old cow'sneck and cried for joy. If the bell had not been taken off, she could nothave left the camp without discovery.
although the enemy had searched the house and taken away everything theycould make use of, Bethia was in better circumstances than some of herneighbors who lost all they had, and with whom she shared in her goodfortune. The fall before, their crops were so abundant that they had notenough storage room, and Mr Smith built an out - door cellar to storewhat could not be kept in the house, - meat, potatoes, turnips, flour andfruit, - partitioning off a room in which to keep her butter. To make itfrost proof, he built the walls and roof of the thick plank and sodded itover. The army marched over it, and the roof sankin over the potatoes,but the store of provisions was not discovered.
She thought her field of the wheat was ruined by the soldiers'horses, but when harvest came there was a splendid crop which she and herchildren reaped and threshed out. She sent a grist to mill, but the Torymiller, refused to grind it and it was brought back. She put the grist onthe old cow's back and went herself to mill. The Tory miller could not befound, so she opened the mill door, put the wheat in the hopper, hoistedthe gate and ground her wheat, took her flour and returned home leavingno toll. On the way she saw in the yard of a Tory neighbor one of hercolts which had been gone along time, and, calling it by name, it came tothe bars which she let down allowing it to go home. The neighbor forbadeher, but she replied that there was no law to prevent her taking her ownwherever found, and she tooh it without hindrance.
One evening in the early part of the following winter after thechildren were in bed, she was in the sitting room, when she heard a noiseas if some one was at work at one of the windows. She looked out into thekitchen and saw a man climbing in at the window. With great selfpossession she took the trusty old musket from its rack near thefireplace and, taking good aim, fired. the man came down sprawling on thekitchen floor, with the one word "Waugh." She ran to the door, called forhelp and discovered that her house was set on fire in three places. Theneighbors came, put out the flames and found Bethia had killed a largeIndian who lay on the Kitchen floor with tomahawk in hand and knife inbelt. He intended to scalp the family and burn the house, but she by herwatchfulness and self possession saved the home with the lives of herselfand children. The neighbors buried the Indian and saw that all was rightbefore leaving.
Events
| Birth | 17 Aug 1746 | Wallingford Conn | |||
| Marriage | Cain |
Families
| Spouse | Cain ( - ) |
| Child | Abbie Cain ( - ) |
| Father | Hezekiah Doolittle (1711 - 1785) |
| Mother | Hephzibah Tyler (1714 - 1800) |
| Sibling | Barnabas Doolittle (1736 - 1760) |
| Sibling | Mehitabel Doolittle (1738 - 1768) |
| Sibling | Hepzibah Doolittle (1740 - 1740) |
| Sibling | Hezekiah Doolittle (1742 - ) |
| Sibling | Anthony Doolittle (1744 - ) |
| Sibling | William Doolittle (1748 - ) |
| Sibling | Mary Doolittle (1750 - ) |
| Sibling | Frederick Doolittle (1752 - 1820) |
| Sibling | Benjamin Doolittle (1754 - ) |
| Sibling | Phebe Doolittle (1756 - ) |