The Mallory Murders: The First Mass Killing in America

The Mallory Murders

The night of February 3, 1780 changed the lives of the Mallory family for the worse and rewrote the course of American history.  On this night, nineteen-year-old  soldier Barnett Davenport put into effect what would come to be known as the "first mass killing in America."  It would seem that with a title such as the "first mass killing in America" more people would have knowledge of what took place in the Mallory home that night in New Milford, Connecticut.  Unfortunately, this is not the case.   Most people have never heard of the Mallory murders, have never heard of how they were brutally murdered by a nineteen-year-old deserter from the Continental Army, have never heard of how the young Barnett Davenport had a terrible reputation and grew up to become a sociopath.  All of these facts make up what happened to the Mallorys and subsequently, what happened to Barnett Davenport as a result.

As a child, Barnett Davenport worked and lived on several different farms, each of which he was released from duty due to "stealing and swearing and cursing." (Cavallaro, p. 191)  While working on a farm in New York, Davenport even contemplated murdering his employer.  "When he turned 16 in 1776, having committed several crimes of theft and mischief, including several acts of horse thievery (a crime that could send you to prison for life, even at that age) Barnett Davenport enlisted in the Continental Army, somewhere in Massachusetts.  It was at this point that he changed his name from Barnett to Barnard and this may have been to disguise his identity from the army.  It is possible that he was on the run from a writ or warrant that was executed upon  him for the act of horse thievery.  He was immediately mustered into service and was at the siege of Boston and the fortification of Dorchester Heights when Henry Knox arrived with the cannons from Ticonderoga." ( Cavallaro, p. 191-192)  This serves as just one example of how involved Davenport was in the Revolution.  He was involved in both of the Saratoga battles, was present when Burgoyne's army surrendered, camped at Valley Forge with General Washington, trained with Baron Friedrich von Steuben, and fought at Monmouth, New Jersey.  After the battle of Monmouth, Davenport deserted the army only to end up reenlisting and deserting again.  During the time he returned to service, Davenport escalated from theft to arson when he burned down a house without orders.

It was after the second and final time Davenport deserted the army that he met the Mallory family.  Davenport was in search of work and a place to stay when Caleb Mallory took him in to work at the grist mill he owned.  While living and working with Mr. Mallory, Barnett Davenport met the rest of the Mallory family, which included Caleb's wife Jane, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a and three young granddaughters aged 7, 6, and 4.  The actual murder of the Mallorys would be classified as a pre-meditated murder since "Davenport began to plot the murder of the Mallorys as early as a week before the actual crime." (Cavallaro, p. 194)

On the night of February 3, 1780, Barnett Davenport started the process that would ultimately result in the deaths of the Mallory family. "It was that night that the unspeakable occurred. The Mallorys were upstairs asleep in their beds and the two youngest grand children were asleep in an adjacent room across the hall. The oldest granddaughter was in bed with her grandmother and Caleb slept alone in a separate bed closest to the bedroom door...Sometime around midnight Davenport lit a candle and began his slow ascent of the stairs that led to the Mallorys' bedroom. He had armed himself with a swingle, which was a club like wooden tool with a rounded handle and a flattened shaft, used as part of a tool known as a flax break." (Cavallaro, p. 194) The only light Davenport had was the thin flicker of light provided by the candle he was holding. Quietly, as not to be detected, he approached the bed where the unsuspecting Caleb and Jane Mallory were asleep with their oldest granddaughter. Davenport then forcefully struck Mr. Mallory with all his might in the head with the swingle. Upon Mallory's shriek of pain, Davenport struck him again, and again, then once more as Caleb tried to fend off his attacker. Mrs. Mallory was awake and screaming as she witnessed her husband being attacked. The granddaughter that was in bed was petrified with fear. The candle held by Davenport fell to the floor, extinguishing the little source of light that he had. To silence Mrs. Mallory, Davenport struck her with as much force as he did Caleb. With blood seeping from his eyes, Mr. Mallory screamed out in an attempt to piece together what exactly was going on. Davenport proceeded to repetitiously beat Caleb until the swingle split. He then grabbed a musket that was in the room and beat both Mr. and Mrs. Mallory. When the granddaughter queried about her grandmother, Davenport walloped the young girl in the head with the stock of the rifle. All three victims began to wail in unimaginable pain as Davenport made his way to a safe chest where the Mallorys' money was kept. Upon grabbing a stone pestle, Davenport broke open the lock. Leaving the chest, Davenport made his way back to the Mallorys who were whimpering in anguish. "He beat Caleb until he had 'mashed his head all to pieces.' He then turned the pestle on Jane and beat her until her head was... 'swoln (swollen) to twice its common bigness, disfigured with wounds and covered with gore and streaming blood. With the heart wrenching cries and agony of the dying family now reduced to the sounds of their last gurgling breaths, he then turned back to the chest of valuables. He took all of the paper money, some of the coin and then ransacked the bedroom for whatever he thought he could carry." (Cavallaro, p. 195) After leaving that room, Davenport entered the other bedroom where the remaining two granddaughters were trembling in fear. He told the girls to remain in their beds and then proceeded to loot that room. As he escaped the house, Davenport strategically set three fires that burned the two youngest granddaughters to death and finished off Caleb, Jane, and the oldest granddaughter.

Davenport eluded police for six days only to be captured on February 10 while he was asleep in a cave. After being in prison for three months, He was arraigned on April 25, 1780 and faced what would be considered five counts of capital murder and one count of arson. (Cavallaro, p. 201) On May 27, he was to receive thirty-nine lashes while being strapped to a cart that was being paraded around town and then hung on the Litchfield Gallows. The whipping never occurred as Davenport was hung on May 8 at noon and taken down at three p.m. 

There exists a manuscript that many debate whether or not is a confession written by Barnett Davenport. The main reason behind the discrepancy is the date that the document was signed. Davenport was hung on May 8, but the text was not published until May 25, meaning that Davenport could not have signed the document. It stands to reason that either the confession was legitimate, but the signature was forged, or the document was published in another location before Davenport was hung, meaning that he actually was the individual that signed the paper. Regardless, this manuscript gives a look into the events that transpired that night. "After putting some things into my knapsack, with the candle in one hand and the swingle in the other, I went into the room where Mr. Mallery, his wife and grand child lay asleep. First I smote him with my might once or twice on his head; upon this Mrs. Mallery awaking attempted to rise up; I turned and struck her one or two blows. Mr. Mallery then sprung up; I struck immediately at him but he party warded off the blow with his arm and then struck the candle out of my hand; I then pushed him back, and down upon the bed, belaying him with the club. He asked me who was I? What I meant? And said, tell me what you do it for? Then called his wife to come and help him repeatedly. Who can abstain from tears while relating these things. Mrs. Mallery made no answer, only shrieks, cries, and doleful lamentations. Having for some time smote Mr. Mallery and pounded him, the swingle split. Upon this, I catched a gun which stood behind the door, and with this instrument of death, proceeded still to smite him; I then turned again, and did the same to Mrs. Mallery, and continued striking her till she lay still as well as he." (Cavallaro, p. 213)

The Mallory murders changed how people perceived crime and criminals in the 1700s. Most people perceived criminals simply as sinners who had lost their way. "But Davenport's crime and its portrayal to the public caused people to perceive criminals as evil and alien to the rest of society" (History.com Staff, p. 1) This still holds true today. Many people tend to view criminals, specifically murderers, in a negative light. The Mallory murders could be considered the start of that mentality.

On February 3, 1780, the events that would be considered the "first mass murder in America" transpired. Nineteen-year-old Barnett Davenport brutally murdered the Mallory family and then ignited their house in flames. Unfortunately, not many people have heard of the Mallory murders. These murders changed the way that most people in the 1700s viewed criminals and would lead to the modern perception of crime. In a time where criminals were seen as lost sinners, the murder of the Mallory family caused for a polar switch in views. People now saw criminals as being inherently evil and alienated them from society, much like we do today.