On August 17th, 1746, in Wallingford, Connecticut, a sixth child was born to Hezekiah and Hepzibah Doolittle. She was named Bethiah Doolittle, and would be raised on the edge of the wilderness in western Connecticut, in the town of Litchfield, to be a brave and resourceful woman, strong of character, who, more than fifty years after her death in 1832, would be recognized a true American Patriot.
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Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Marriage Records, pre-1870:
Bethiah, m. Jonathan Smith, Jr., April 25, 1765 by Rev. Judah Champion, minister of the Litchfield Congregational Church.
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In 1765, Bethiah married Jonathan Smith, Jr., and the young couple moved to the wilderness of Northfield to farm and raise a family.
Over the next ten years. The family was blessed with six children.
In 1775, Jonathan Smith was among the first to respond to his country's call. He joined the 1st Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers in response to the alarm at Lexington and Concord. His regiment marched through northern New York to attack Montreal. He was discharged in Montreal in the winter of 1776 with sickness.
He returned to his loving wife Bethia and his children. Then in May of 1777, he reenlisted in the 5th Regiment of the Connecticut Line.
During the summer of 1777, while he was on furlough, Bethia made Jonathan a new suit of clothes, and the couple spent several evenings melting down their pewter ware to make bullets. Jonathan said goodbye to his wife and children and went went off with General Washington's troops on the Pennsylvania Campaign. He was killed on October 4th, 1777, in a bloody engagement with British troops at Germantown Pennsylvania.
When the news of is death was brought to Bethiah, one of her brothers said, "You are now reaping the fruits of your rebellion", to which she spiritedly replied, "If there are not men enough to drive the British from the country, I will go." He responded, "If the American Army is made up of such spirits, it will surely win".
Bethia was left to raise six children in a wilderness region where many of her neighbors were loyalists to the Crown. She suffered much from the depredations and emnity of the surrounding Torries. British troops, on several occasions searched her home and destroyed her wheatfield. She managed to hide enough provisions to feed her family. When the local miller,who was a Tory, refused to grind her wheat, she visited the mill when he was not there, and ground her own flour.
One night in the winter following her husband's death, she was startled in her sitting room by a large indian climbing through her window. She grabbed a musket and killed him where he stood, tomahawk in hand. Her neigbors came running and found that her house had been set afire in three places.
Bethia remarried and raised her children. She lived to the age of 96. In 1917, Bethiah Doolittle, and her husband Jonathan were each officially recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution as Patriots. In 1999, the Sons of the American Revolution made that same honored recognition.
Descendant : Robert Howard Fickies, SAR 146184; Ancester : Serajah Comstock, CT
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Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Marriage Records, pre-1870:
Bethiah, m. Jonathan Smith, Jr., April 25, 1765 by Rev. Judah Champion, minister of the Litchfield Congregational Church.
----------
In 1765, Bethiah married Jonathan Smith, Jr., and the young couple moved to the wilderness of Northfield to farm and raise a family.
Over the next ten years. The family was blessed with six children.
In 1775, Jonathan Smith was among the first to respond to his country's call. He joined the 1st Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers in response to the alarm at Lexington and Concord. His regiment marched through northern New York to attack Montreal. He was discharged in Montreal in the winter of 1776 with sickness.
He returned to his loving wife Bethia and his children. Then in May of 1777, he reenlisted in the 5th Regiment of the Connecticut Line.
During the summer of 1777, while he was on furlough, Bethia made Jonathan a new suit of clothes, and the couple spent several evenings melting down their pewter ware to make bullets. Jonathan said goodbye to his wife and children and went went off with General Washington's troops on the Pennsylvania Campaign. He was killed on October 4th, 1777, in a bloody engagement with British troops at Germantown Pennsylvania.
When the news of is death was brought to Bethiah, one of her brothers said, "You are now reaping the fruits of your rebellion", to which she spiritedly replied, "If there are not men enough to drive the British from the country, I will go." He responded, "If the American Army is made up of such spirits, it will surely win".
Bethia was left to raise six children in a wilderness region where many of her neighbors were loyalists to the Crown. She suffered much from the depredations and emnity of the surrounding Torries. British troops, on several occasions searched her home and destroyed her wheatfield. She managed to hide enough provisions to feed her family. When the local miller,who was a Tory, refused to grind her wheat, she visited the mill when he was not there, and ground her own flour.
One night in the winter following her husband's death, she was startled in her sitting room by a large indian climbing through her window. She grabbed a musket and killed him where he stood, tomahawk in hand. Her neigbors came running and found that her house had been set afire in three places.
Bethia remarried and raised her children. She lived to the age of 96. In 1917, Bethiah Doolittle, and her husband Jonathan were each officially recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution as Patriots. In 1999, the Sons of the American Revolution made that same honored recognition.
Descendant : Robert Howard Fickies, SAR 146184; Ancester : Serajah Comstock, CT
On August 17th, 1746, in Wallingford, Connecticut, a sixth child was born to Hezekiah and Hepzibah Doolittle. She was named Bethiah Doolittle, and would be raised on the edge of the wilderness in western Connecticut, in the town of Litchfield, to be a brave and resourceful woman, strong of character, who, more than fifty years after her death in 1832, would be recognized a true American Patriot.
--------
Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Marriage Records, pre-1870:
Bethiah, m. Jonathan Smith, Jr., April 25, 1765 by Rev. Judah Champion, minister of the Litchfield Congregational Church.
----------
In 1765, Bethiah married Jonathan Smith, Jr., and the young couple moved to the wilderness of Northfield to farm and raise a family.
Over the next ten years. The family was blessed with six children.
In 1775, Jonathan Smith was among the first to respond to his country's call. He joined the 1st Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers in response to the alarm at Lexington and Concord. His regiment marched through northern New York to attack Montreal. He was discharged in Montreal in the winter of 1776 with sickness.
He returned to his loving wife Bethia and his children. Then in May of 1777, he reenlisted in the 5th Regiment of the Connecticut Line.
During the summer of 1777, while he was on furlough, Bethia made Jonathan a new suit of clothes, and the couple spent several evenings melting down their pewter ware to make bullets. Jonathan said goodbye to his wife and children and went went off with General Washington's troops on the Pennsylvania Campaign. He was killed on October 4th, 1777, in a bloody engagement with British troops at Germantown Pennsylvania.
When the news of is death was brought to Bethiah, one of her brothers said, "You are now reaping the fruits of your rebellion", to which she spiritedly replied, "If there are not men enough to drive the British from the country, I will go." He responded, "If the American Army is made up of such spirits, it will surely win".
Bethia was left to raise six children in a wilderness region where many of her neighbors were loyalists to the Crown. She suffered much from the depredations and emnity of the surrounding Torries. British troops, on several occasions searched her home and destroyed her wheatfield. She managed to hide enough provisions to feed her family. When the local miller,who was a Tory, refused to grind her wheat, she visited the mill when he was not there, and ground her own flour.
One night in the winter following her husband's death, she was startled in her sitting room by a large indian climbing through her window. She grabbed a musket and killed him where he stood, tomahawk in hand. Her neigbors came running and found that her house had been set afire in three places.
Bethia remarried and raised her children. She lived to the age of 96. In 1917, Bethiah Doolittle, and her husband Jonathan were each officially recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution as Patriots. In 1999, the Sons of the American Revolution made that same honored recognition.
Descendant : Robert Howard Fickies, SAR 146184; Ancester : Serajah Comstock, CT
--------
Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Marriage Records, pre-1870:
Bethiah, m. Jonathan Smith, Jr., April 25, 1765 by Rev. Judah Champion, minister of the Litchfield Congregational Church.
----------
In 1765, Bethiah married Jonathan Smith, Jr., and the young couple moved to the wilderness of Northfield to farm and raise a family.
Over the next ten years. The family was blessed with six children.
In 1775, Jonathan Smith was among the first to respond to his country's call. He joined the 1st Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers in response to the alarm at Lexington and Concord. His regiment marched through northern New York to attack Montreal. He was discharged in Montreal in the winter of 1776 with sickness.
He returned to his loving wife Bethia and his children. Then in May of 1777, he reenlisted in the 5th Regiment of the Connecticut Line.
During the summer of 1777, while he was on furlough, Bethia made Jonathan a new suit of clothes, and the couple spent several evenings melting down their pewter ware to make bullets. Jonathan said goodbye to his wife and children and went went off with General Washington's troops on the Pennsylvania Campaign. He was killed on October 4th, 1777, in a bloody engagement with British troops at Germantown Pennsylvania.
When the news of is death was brought to Bethiah, one of her brothers said, "You are now reaping the fruits of your rebellion", to which she spiritedly replied, "If there are not men enough to drive the British from the country, I will go." He responded, "If the American Army is made up of such spirits, it will surely win".
Bethia was left to raise six children in a wilderness region where many of her neighbors were loyalists to the Crown. She suffered much from the depredations and emnity of the surrounding Torries. British troops, on several occasions searched her home and destroyed her wheatfield. She managed to hide enough provisions to feed her family. When the local miller,who was a Tory, refused to grind her wheat, she visited the mill when he was not there, and ground her own flour.
One night in the winter following her husband's death, she was startled in her sitting room by a large indian climbing through her window. She grabbed a musket and killed him where he stood, tomahawk in hand. Her neigbors came running and found that her house had been set afire in three places.
Bethia remarried and raised her children. She lived to the age of 96. In 1917, Bethiah Doolittle, and her husband Jonathan were each officially recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution as Patriots. In 1999, the Sons of the American Revolution made that same honored recognition.
Descendant : Robert Howard Fickies, SAR 146184; Ancester : Serajah Comstock, CT
Gravesite Details
DAR Ancestor #A104818
