Benjamin Hedges was one of the older victims of the cholera epidemic that struck the New Elizabeth (later Lizton) community in August and September of 1873.
from the article "Plague of New Elizabeth" by Don and Ruth Hall in the September 1974 issue of the Indiana Magazine of History:
"...Probably the next case was that of Benjamin Hedges, a hatter and veteran of the War of 1812 whose wife had helped care for some of the earlier victims. The Hedges' home was a small, squalid abode south of the state road opposite the junction of Middle Street. The house was assessed in 1872 at only $38, whereas most of the more prosperous homes - such as those built by the Sourwines - were appraised at from $300 to $400. Although a hardy man for his seventy-eight years, Hedges had not been in good health that summer. Still, he was considered the community's Methuselah because only three years before he had fathered a son. His daughters - Alice, five; Elizabeth, seven; and Laura, ten - were also rather young. The old man had obvious cholera symptons, but after he died, Lane attributed his death to 'mostly ... old age.' Oscar, Hedges' three year old son, contracted the disease and died within seven hours of the first noticeable symptoms. At least two reports say the child lasted only two hours. Although townspeople who saw him were horrified by the intense suffering which caused the little boy to curl in pain, two hours is proably an exaggeration. After Oscar died, one of the girls took the disease and was dead in a few hours.
With the death of the old man and the two young children there was a growing sense of alarm in New Elizabeth. ... As the bodies of the old soldier and his two children were boxed and taken to the cemetery, the Hedges house seemed to exude the malady that caused the deaths. Probably on the insistence of neighbors, Mrs. Hedges and her two remaining daughters moved into the then vacant house where Fannie Davis and her child had died. The sorry little Hedges home was then torched.
...Mrs. Hedges, who had moved herself and her daughters to permit the burning of her house, suffered yet another loss. Probably less than a week after moving into the Davis home, a second daughter, developed the disease and died. Alice, the remaining daughter, was stricken but survived."
Note: The 1870 Census shows the family consisting of Benjamin (age 75), Harriet (age 34), Laura (age 7), Elizabeth (age 4), Alice (age 2) and Milton B. (age 8 months) and a female Matilda Lewis (age 13) who was Harriet's daughter from her previous marriage to John P. Lewis. The ages of the three daughters agree with the above account. However, the son's name is Milton instead of Oscar indicating Oscar was born after the 1870 Census was taken. The 1880 Census shows Harriett Hedges (age 45) with daughters Elizabeth (age 16) and Alice (age 14) and son Milton (age 10). Thus it appears Elizabeth did not die in the cholera epidemic. Another possibility is that a fourth daughter was born after the 1870 Census and she was the second daughter who died in the epidemic.
Benjamin Hedges was first married to Elizabeth Hall on Jan. 16, 1817 in Berkeley County, Virginia. His second wife, according to his war of 1812 pension application, was Harriett Lewis who he married in Putnam County, Indiana on Aug. 24, 1862.
from Roscoe Leak's 1911 History of the Lizton Christian Church: "...Benjamin Hedges , husband of Mrs. (Hedges) Ross, died, also two children, in an old house south of the State road. A little boy two years old died in two hours after he took sick. He cramped and drew almost double and cried 'Mamma, I hurts!' But nothing could be done for him. All the victims suffered intensely. The people moved Mrs. Ross into the house that Wm. Davis had lived in and burned her house. Another daughter died there."
This account confirms the Hall article in that a son and two daughters of Benjamin Hedges were victims.
from the article "Plague of New Elizabeth" by Don and Ruth Hall in the September 1974 issue of the Indiana Magazine of History:
"...Probably the next case was that of Benjamin Hedges, a hatter and veteran of the War of 1812 whose wife had helped care for some of the earlier victims. The Hedges' home was a small, squalid abode south of the state road opposite the junction of Middle Street. The house was assessed in 1872 at only $38, whereas most of the more prosperous homes - such as those built by the Sourwines - were appraised at from $300 to $400. Although a hardy man for his seventy-eight years, Hedges had not been in good health that summer. Still, he was considered the community's Methuselah because only three years before he had fathered a son. His daughters - Alice, five; Elizabeth, seven; and Laura, ten - were also rather young. The old man had obvious cholera symptons, but after he died, Lane attributed his death to 'mostly ... old age.' Oscar, Hedges' three year old son, contracted the disease and died within seven hours of the first noticeable symptoms. At least two reports say the child lasted only two hours. Although townspeople who saw him were horrified by the intense suffering which caused the little boy to curl in pain, two hours is proably an exaggeration. After Oscar died, one of the girls took the disease and was dead in a few hours.
With the death of the old man and the two young children there was a growing sense of alarm in New Elizabeth. ... As the bodies of the old soldier and his two children were boxed and taken to the cemetery, the Hedges house seemed to exude the malady that caused the deaths. Probably on the insistence of neighbors, Mrs. Hedges and her two remaining daughters moved into the then vacant house where Fannie Davis and her child had died. The sorry little Hedges home was then torched.
...Mrs. Hedges, who had moved herself and her daughters to permit the burning of her house, suffered yet another loss. Probably less than a week after moving into the Davis home, a second daughter, developed the disease and died. Alice, the remaining daughter, was stricken but survived."
Note: The 1870 Census shows the family consisting of Benjamin (age 75), Harriet (age 34), Laura (age 7), Elizabeth (age 4), Alice (age 2) and Milton B. (age 8 months) and a female Matilda Lewis (age 13) who was Harriet's daughter from her previous marriage to John P. Lewis. The ages of the three daughters agree with the above account. However, the son's name is Milton instead of Oscar indicating Oscar was born after the 1870 Census was taken. The 1880 Census shows Harriett Hedges (age 45) with daughters Elizabeth (age 16) and Alice (age 14) and son Milton (age 10). Thus it appears Elizabeth did not die in the cholera epidemic. Another possibility is that a fourth daughter was born after the 1870 Census and she was the second daughter who died in the epidemic.
Benjamin Hedges was first married to Elizabeth Hall on Jan. 16, 1817 in Berkeley County, Virginia. His second wife, according to his war of 1812 pension application, was Harriett Lewis who he married in Putnam County, Indiana on Aug. 24, 1862.
from Roscoe Leak's 1911 History of the Lizton Christian Church: "...Benjamin Hedges , husband of Mrs. (Hedges) Ross, died, also two children, in an old house south of the State road. A little boy two years old died in two hours after he took sick. He cramped and drew almost double and cried 'Mamma, I hurts!' But nothing could be done for him. All the victims suffered intensely. The people moved Mrs. Ross into the house that Wm. Davis had lived in and burned her house. Another daughter died there."
This account confirms the Hall article in that a son and two daughters of Benjamin Hedges were victims.
Benjamin Hedges was one of the older victims of the cholera epidemic that struck the New Elizabeth (later Lizton) community in August and September of 1873.
from the article "Plague of New Elizabeth" by Don and Ruth Hall in the September 1974 issue of the Indiana Magazine of History:
"...Probably the next case was that of Benjamin Hedges, a hatter and veteran of the War of 1812 whose wife had helped care for some of the earlier victims. The Hedges' home was a small, squalid abode south of the state road opposite the junction of Middle Street. The house was assessed in 1872 at only $38, whereas most of the more prosperous homes - such as those built by the Sourwines - were appraised at from $300 to $400. Although a hardy man for his seventy-eight years, Hedges had not been in good health that summer. Still, he was considered the community's Methuselah because only three years before he had fathered a son. His daughters - Alice, five; Elizabeth, seven; and Laura, ten - were also rather young. The old man had obvious cholera symptons, but after he died, Lane attributed his death to 'mostly ... old age.' Oscar, Hedges' three year old son, contracted the disease and died within seven hours of the first noticeable symptoms. At least two reports say the child lasted only two hours. Although townspeople who saw him were horrified by the intense suffering which caused the little boy to curl in pain, two hours is proably an exaggeration. After Oscar died, one of the girls took the disease and was dead in a few hours.
With the death of the old man and the two young children there was a growing sense of alarm in New Elizabeth. ... As the bodies of the old soldier and his two children were boxed and taken to the cemetery, the Hedges house seemed to exude the malady that caused the deaths. Probably on the insistence of neighbors, Mrs. Hedges and her two remaining daughters moved into the then vacant house where Fannie Davis and her child had died. The sorry little Hedges home was then torched.
...Mrs. Hedges, who had moved herself and her daughters to permit the burning of her house, suffered yet another loss. Probably less than a week after moving into the Davis home, a second daughter, developed the disease and died. Alice, the remaining daughter, was stricken but survived."
Note: The 1870 Census shows the family consisting of Benjamin (age 75), Harriet (age 34), Laura (age 7), Elizabeth (age 4), Alice (age 2) and Milton B. (age 8 months) and a female Matilda Lewis (age 13) who was Harriet's daughter from her previous marriage to John P. Lewis. The ages of the three daughters agree with the above account. However, the son's name is Milton instead of Oscar indicating Oscar was born after the 1870 Census was taken. The 1880 Census shows Harriett Hedges (age 45) with daughters Elizabeth (age 16) and Alice (age 14) and son Milton (age 10). Thus it appears Elizabeth did not die in the cholera epidemic. Another possibility is that a fourth daughter was born after the 1870 Census and she was the second daughter who died in the epidemic.
Benjamin Hedges was first married to Elizabeth Hall on Jan. 16, 1817 in Berkeley County, Virginia. His second wife, according to his war of 1812 pension application, was Harriett Lewis who he married in Putnam County, Indiana on Aug. 24, 1862.
from Roscoe Leak's 1911 History of the Lizton Christian Church: "...Benjamin Hedges , husband of Mrs. (Hedges) Ross, died, also two children, in an old house south of the State road. A little boy two years old died in two hours after he took sick. He cramped and drew almost double and cried 'Mamma, I hurts!' But nothing could be done for him. All the victims suffered intensely. The people moved Mrs. Ross into the house that Wm. Davis had lived in and burned her house. Another daughter died there."
This account confirms the Hall article in that a son and two daughters of Benjamin Hedges were victims.
from the article "Plague of New Elizabeth" by Don and Ruth Hall in the September 1974 issue of the Indiana Magazine of History:
"...Probably the next case was that of Benjamin Hedges, a hatter and veteran of the War of 1812 whose wife had helped care for some of the earlier victims. The Hedges' home was a small, squalid abode south of the state road opposite the junction of Middle Street. The house was assessed in 1872 at only $38, whereas most of the more prosperous homes - such as those built by the Sourwines - were appraised at from $300 to $400. Although a hardy man for his seventy-eight years, Hedges had not been in good health that summer. Still, he was considered the community's Methuselah because only three years before he had fathered a son. His daughters - Alice, five; Elizabeth, seven; and Laura, ten - were also rather young. The old man had obvious cholera symptons, but after he died, Lane attributed his death to 'mostly ... old age.' Oscar, Hedges' three year old son, contracted the disease and died within seven hours of the first noticeable symptoms. At least two reports say the child lasted only two hours. Although townspeople who saw him were horrified by the intense suffering which caused the little boy to curl in pain, two hours is proably an exaggeration. After Oscar died, one of the girls took the disease and was dead in a few hours.
With the death of the old man and the two young children there was a growing sense of alarm in New Elizabeth. ... As the bodies of the old soldier and his two children were boxed and taken to the cemetery, the Hedges house seemed to exude the malady that caused the deaths. Probably on the insistence of neighbors, Mrs. Hedges and her two remaining daughters moved into the then vacant house where Fannie Davis and her child had died. The sorry little Hedges home was then torched.
...Mrs. Hedges, who had moved herself and her daughters to permit the burning of her house, suffered yet another loss. Probably less than a week after moving into the Davis home, a second daughter, developed the disease and died. Alice, the remaining daughter, was stricken but survived."
Note: The 1870 Census shows the family consisting of Benjamin (age 75), Harriet (age 34), Laura (age 7), Elizabeth (age 4), Alice (age 2) and Milton B. (age 8 months) and a female Matilda Lewis (age 13) who was Harriet's daughter from her previous marriage to John P. Lewis. The ages of the three daughters agree with the above account. However, the son's name is Milton instead of Oscar indicating Oscar was born after the 1870 Census was taken. The 1880 Census shows Harriett Hedges (age 45) with daughters Elizabeth (age 16) and Alice (age 14) and son Milton (age 10). Thus it appears Elizabeth did not die in the cholera epidemic. Another possibility is that a fourth daughter was born after the 1870 Census and she was the second daughter who died in the epidemic.
Benjamin Hedges was first married to Elizabeth Hall on Jan. 16, 1817 in Berkeley County, Virginia. His second wife, according to his war of 1812 pension application, was Harriett Lewis who he married in Putnam County, Indiana on Aug. 24, 1862.
from Roscoe Leak's 1911 History of the Lizton Christian Church: "...Benjamin Hedges , husband of Mrs. (Hedges) Ross, died, also two children, in an old house south of the State road. A little boy two years old died in two hours after he took sick. He cramped and drew almost double and cried 'Mamma, I hurts!' But nothing could be done for him. All the victims suffered intensely. The people moved Mrs. Ross into the house that Wm. Davis had lived in and burned her house. Another daughter died there."
This account confirms the Hall article in that a son and two daughters of Benjamin Hedges were victims.
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