Gray of Liberty Hill

Placed: 7-27-02

Placed By: Chuck and Molly

Location: Lebanon Connecticut, New London County

Rated: Easy

Capt. S.L. Gray of the whaling ship James Murray sailed out of New London
harbor with his crew, wife Sarah, and 16 year old daughter Katie and into
legend and folklore. As the story goes, the whaling ship James Murray was
engaged by the Confederate ship Shenandoah off the coast of Guam in the
Pacific. Captain Gray was mortally wounded in the action but the James
Murray was able to flee and escape further wrath from the enemy vessel.
(Some say the Captain died not of battle wounds but of diphtheria) Sarah
Gray would not hear of the traditional method of a burial at sea for her
husband. Sarah had a different idea. She had the crew open a barrel of rum,
place the body of Captain Gray in the rum filled barrel and resealed it.
When the ship returned to New London, the cask with the body still inside
was shipped to Lebanon Connecticut. With Captain S.L. Gray still in the
barrel, rum and all, he was buried as is, in the Liberty Hill Cemetery.
There is also a mystery concerning Mrs. Gray. Five sons and daughters all
died before or around their second birthdays under mysterious circumstances.
The belief was that Sarah had some sort of responsibility for their deaths.
The eldest daughter Katie was always on the ship with her father at sea
which would have kept her safe. Katie died only 4 years after her fathers
death. The widow Gray lived for another 20 years after her husbands death.
All are buried on the family plot in Liberty Hill. The inscription on Capt.
Grays headstone reads Capt. S.L. Gray died on board ship James Murray
near the island of Guam March 24, 1865 Age 51 years, 4 mo.