Barnett Davenport: Revolutionary Soldier Turned Mass Murderer
On this day in 1780, rural Connecticut grist mill operator Caleb Mallory, his wife Jane, and the couple's three grandchildren, nine-year-old Charlotte, six-year-old John, and four-year-old Sherman were murdered by their border Barnett Davenport. This mass murder was one of the first major crimes in post-Revolution, and it would affect how criminals are perceived in the United States for centuries to come.
Barnett Davenport was born in the town of New Milford, Connecticut, in 1760. In his early teens, he was convicted of horse theft. At the age of 16, he joined the Continental Army and served under General George Washington at Valley Forge. He likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his military service. This trauma may be why he deserted the army and returned to Connecticut. After his desertion, Davenport took a job at Caleb Mallory's gristmill in what is now Washington, Connecticut. He also rented a room in the Mallory home.
On February 3, 1780, Davenport convinced Caleb and Jane Mallory's two daughters to go out of town. After the women departed from the home, Davenport beat Caleb, Jane, and their granddaughter Charlotte to death with the butt of a rifle. He then looted the Mallory home of its valuables and set it on fire. The Mallory's grandsons, John and Sherman, died in the fire. Davenport left the scene of his brutal crimes on foot and was in hiding for six days. After the authorities found him in a cave in Cornwall, Connecticut, he was taken to the town of Litchfield for arraignment.
It didn't take long for Davenport to make a full confession of his crimes to Reverend Judah Champion of Litchfield’s Congregational Church. His trial was presided over by Roger Sherman, who happens to be the only person to have signed all four documents that led to the founding of the United States: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. Sherman also served on the committee of authorship for the Declaration of Independence. Sherman sentenced Davenport to receive 40 lashes. After the lashing, he was to be hanged. On May 8, 1780, Davenport's execution by hanging was carried out on Gallows Hill in Litchfield.
After Davenport made his confession, the post-Revolution press made the crime a headline story in newspapers. Several books were written about Davenport, his motives, and his state of mind. Before the mass murder of the Mallory family, criminals were seen as ordinary human beings who had just lost their way in a life of sin, people to be pitied. However, Barnett Davenport was seen as evil, alien, "not one of us." Post-Revolutionary Americans did not want to believe that anyone they knew could commit such crimes. This view would persist until the era of modern psychology and criminology, sciences that have taught us how nurture, nature, and mental illness all play a role in criminal behavior.
Related Reading:
New Milford historian unearths account of America's first mass murder
Brutal Facts About Barnett Davenport, Connecticut's First Mass Murderer
Gallows Lane and the Execution of Barnett Davenport
Barnett Davenport was born in the town of New Milford, Connecticut, in 1760. In his early teens, he was convicted of horse theft. At the age of 16, he joined the Continental Army and served under General George Washington at Valley Forge. He likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his military service. This trauma may be why he deserted the army and returned to Connecticut. After his desertion, Davenport took a job at Caleb Mallory's gristmill in what is now Washington, Connecticut. He also rented a room in the Mallory home.
On February 3, 1780, Davenport convinced Caleb and Jane Mallory's two daughters to go out of town. After the women departed from the home, Davenport beat Caleb, Jane, and their granddaughter Charlotte to death with the butt of a rifle. He then looted the Mallory home of its valuables and set it on fire. The Mallory's grandsons, John and Sherman, died in the fire. Davenport left the scene of his brutal crimes on foot and was in hiding for six days. After the authorities found him in a cave in Cornwall, Connecticut, he was taken to the town of Litchfield for arraignment.
It didn't take long for Davenport to make a full confession of his crimes to Reverend Judah Champion of Litchfield’s Congregational Church. His trial was presided over by Roger Sherman, who happens to be the only person to have signed all four documents that led to the founding of the United States: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. Sherman also served on the committee of authorship for the Declaration of Independence. Sherman sentenced Davenport to receive 40 lashes. After the lashing, he was to be hanged. On May 8, 1780, Davenport's execution by hanging was carried out on Gallows Hill in Litchfield.
After Davenport made his confession, the post-Revolution press made the crime a headline story in newspapers. Several books were written about Davenport, his motives, and his state of mind. Before the mass murder of the Mallory family, criminals were seen as ordinary human beings who had just lost their way in a life of sin, people to be pitied. However, Barnett Davenport was seen as evil, alien, "not one of us." Post-Revolutionary Americans did not want to believe that anyone they knew could commit such crimes. This view would persist until the era of modern psychology and criminology, sciences that have taught us how nurture, nature, and mental illness all play a role in criminal behavior.
Related Reading:
New Milford historian unearths account of America's first mass murder
Brutal Facts About Barnett Davenport, Connecticut's First Mass Murderer
Gallows Lane and the Execution of Barnett Davenport
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