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THE

Revolutionary Soldiers I

J :i.!ii!!»fj

Redding, Conned:icut

W. E. GRUMMAN

Class r \^jjX-

Book Lfi^^ikjS-

CopyrightN'

THE

Revolutionary Soldiers

REDDING,

Connefticut,

And The

Record of their Services;

WITH

Mention of Others who Rendered Service or
Suffered Loss at the hands of the Enemy during

the Struggle for S^ntJcpenticnce, 1775-1783;

together with some Account of the Loyalists
of the Town and Vicinity; their Organiza-
tion, their Efforts and Sacrifices in Behalf of
the Cause of their King, and their Ultimate Fate.

By
WILLIAM EDGAR GRUMMAN.

HJRTFORD PRESS:

The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company,

1904.

LIBRAKYof congress]

Two Copresi

Haceivcu

DEC 21

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. Copyritm entry (

Jhof 2<J

19^^

CUSS a

XXc. Nui

COPY B. 1

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Age Jollozving age Jh all these events relate.
Till Timers old empire yield to dejHned Jate ;
Hijioric truth our guardian chiejs proclaim
Their xoorth, their actions, and their deathlejs fame.

Joel Barlow: The Prospeit of Peace.

CONTENTS.

Alarm, Fairfield,

" New Haven,

" Norwalk,

American Union Lodge,

" " " Banquets,

88,89

Brandywine, Battle of the, .

British Orders, Reports, &c.,

Regts in Danbury Raid,

Burgoyne's Expedition,

Camp, Departure from,

Company Rolls,

20,

36, 72

Compo, Fighting at. .

Danbury, Burning of,

Raid, . .

Declaration of Colonial Rights,

Independence,

Evacuation of Long Island,

Fourth Conn. Militia, Service of.

47,

71, 95

Ft. Washington, Capture of.

Gallows Hill, Executions on.

Germantown, Battle of.

Hanging Rock, Fight at.

Horseneck,

Long Island Campaign,

Longlots, The,

Loyalists Disarmed;

Treatment of.

Ludlow, Roger,

Monmouth, Battle of,

Patriot Soldiers at Danbury,

Quebec, Assault on.

Redding, Committee of Observation

Encampment at.

" Loyalist Association,

Petition of,

Settlement of.

Retreat from New York,

Returns, Killed and Wounded,

56,57

Stores Destroyed,

Ridgefield, Fight at.

Saratoga, Battle of.

69,72

Second Conn. Brigade, Mutiny of.

Stamp Act,

St. Johns, Siege of.

Sugar House, The,

Tories, Exile of.

104

Town Votes, 27, 36, 50, 68, 75, 76,

80, 92,

35, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, I

03, 104

Valley Forge,

White Plains, Battle of.

" " Flag of Truce,

Wooster, Death of,

Yorktown, Siege of.

lOI

TO THE READER.

This volume is presented to the public with diffidence and the fear
that its contents may not withstand the test of literary criticism. But
the fear of criticism is not unknown to writers of greater ability, and
the compiler is satisfied that his work must prove interesting to those
for whom it was written.

Had such a work been undertaken a half century ago, far more
interesting and satisfactory results could have been obtained. The
Revolutionary soldiers had passed to rest, but the generation which
succeeded them was still largely represented among men. Vast stores
of Revolutionary anecdote were known to the immediate descendants
of our patriot sires, but these people and their traditions are alike rap-
idly passing away. In their day, also, much historical material in manu-
script or other documentary form is known to have existed, great part
of which found its way through the hands of thrifty housewives to the
sacks of the peddler's wagon, and as we contemplate this melancholy
fact, it is impossible to repress a feeling of resentment toward that
economical generation which bartered history for tinware. In this
and other ways many valuable records have passed out of existence.
Flame and the careless hand and uncertain memory of man have lost
us much that would now be treasured with reverent care. But we must
be content with what we have, thankful that so much has been rescued
from oblivion, and hopeful that patient research or fortunate discovery
may yet add something more to our knowledge of that interesting
period of our country's history.

In the preparation of this work, the writer has availed himself of all
tlie material within reach, and offers the result of his labors with the
hope that its perusal may lead his readers to a better knowledge of
some of the men and events of the Revolutionary period, and instil
into their minds a more earnest desire to preserve and perpetuate that
liberty which was proclaimed " throughout all the land, to all the
inhabitants thereof."

An enumeration of the sources from which the material contained
in this book has been derived would form a very considerable addition
to a task which the writer is glad to regard as completed ; he therefore
does not attempt it. It seems proper, however, to express here his
obligations to certain individuals whose kind assistance, through the
medium of suggestion, advice, or other means, has led to the discovery
of valuable material ; notably, to the librarians of the Lenox Library of
New York and of the Connecticut State and Historical Libraries ; to

8 TO THE READER.

Mr. John N. Nickerson, town clerk of Redding, for free access to the
town records; to Mr. Charles Burr Todd for permission to quote from
his works, and to numerous friends, not less valued because unnamed
whose contributions have enabled the author to more fully complete
records which add much to the interest of the volume.

A brief index has been added to the historical section. From the
arrangement of the biographical portion of the work, an index is there
considered unnecessary.

The illustrations in this work have been procured with considerable
difficulty. The cut of Putnam's headquarters, taken from Barber's
Connecticut Historical Collection," was obtained through the courtesy
of Mr. Albert C. Bates, librarian of the Historical Society; the photo-
graphs of Rev. Mr. Bartlett, the guardhouse, and Gallows Hill were
secured by Mr. F. E. Readman, photographer, of Norwalk, Conn., and
SIX halftones are the work of the Hartford Engraving Company.
Ihe Illustrations of the entrance and monument at Putnam Memorial
Camp were kindly loaned by Mr. George A. Parker, of the Camp
Commission.

For the British orders, reports, returns, and correspondence the
author ,s principally indebted to Messrs. B. F. Stevens and Brown of
London, England.

MiLITARY HISTORY.

Almighty Freedom ! give my venturous song
Tile force, tlie charm that to thy voice belong.
'Tis thine to shape my course, to light my way,
To nerve my country with the patriot lay.
To teach all men where all their interest lies ;
How rulers may be just and nations wise.
Strong in thy strength I bend no suppliant knee;
Invoke no miracle, no muse but thee.

Joel Barlow — The Coluinbiad, Book I.

EARLY HISTORY — EVENTS PRECEDING THE REVOLU-
TION—BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES — THE NORTH-
ERN CAMPAIGN.

The history of New England is the story of the growth of
independence. The desire for hberty was the motive which
led to its permanent colonization. " To enjoy religious liberty
was the known end of the first comers' great adventure into
this wilderness." The courage with which these early settlers
braved the dangers of their wilderness home shows the value
they set upon this freedom, since neither peril nor misfortune
could force them to return to a land where independent opinion
was denied them. The forms of government which they in-
stituted among themselves, the vigor and determination with
which they resisted foreign aggression and monarchical despot-
ism, exhibit their devotion to the cause of civil liberty. Among
all classes in this new land grew the desire for the enjoyment
of freedom in larger measure than they had ever known before.
The contentions which arose for the absolute ownership of
the soil, for the privilege of self-government, for representation
in the national councils, and the increasing desire for social
privileges, educational advantages, and opportunities for ad-
vancement, were contributory to the causes of the great strug-
gle which taught " rulers to be jttst and nations wise." What
part was borne in this conflict by the men who dwelt among
our rugged hills, these pages may reveal.

It is to Roger Ludlow, among the leaders who planted the

lO EARLY HISTORY.

seed of independence in New England's rock-bound soil, that
we are indebted for the particular effort at colonization which
finally resulted in the settlement of Redding and the develop-
ment of its history. A gentleman by birth, a lawyer by pro-
fession, he came early to New England, and soon made his
influence felt in the shaping of public afifairs. Removing from
]\'Iassachusetts Bay, he became prominent in the public service
of the colony of Connecticut, was one of the leaders in the set-
tlement at Windsor, and in 1639 we find him a spectator of
the struggle that ensued when the troops under Capt. John
Mason drove the Pequots into their last stronghold in the
recesses of the Sasqua swamp. In the following year, com-
missioned to plant a settlement at Pequonnock, he passed
beyond his appointed destination, and on the fertile plains of
Uncoway, near the scene of the " swamp fight," he founded
the town of Fairfield. Here he made his home for fifteen
years, standing high in the councils of town and colony, and
aiding the growth of the community of which he was the
fovmder. At the end of this period, with political ambitions
disappointed, embroiled in dissensions which grew out of the
delusion of witchcraft, and sufifering financial reverses, he
turned his steps away from the fair town he had founded, and
disappeared into the mists of history. But, under other able
leaders, the settlement grew in power, numbers, and influence,
pressed back the boundaries of the red man's domain, and ex-
tended its territory, its commerce, and its importance. Jealous
of their hard-won freedom, and desirous that neither king nor
peer should establish overlordship among them, the settlers
hastened to acquire the best title they could to the lands they
occupied, and to parcel out among themselves all new lands
to which they could obtain access. Individual grants, large
and small, were matters of frequent record, one of the most
remarkable of these being that curious division of territory
known as " the Longlots " — strips of land less than one hun-
dred rods in width, but running back twelve or fifteen miles
into the country. By degrees the settlement expanded till,
meeting the confines of other comn:iunities on either hand, it
began slowly to reach out toward the higher grounds to the
northward. As it moved on, the wigwam of the savage was
displaced by the solitary log-house of the settler, which in

EARLY HISTORY. II

time was surrounded by other dwellings, and hamlets appeared
where pathless forests had grown. The church and the school-
house took their places as factors in the moral and material
advancement of the people as, step by step, civilization ad-
vanced along the highlands, and the spirit of liberty kept pace
beside it.

The first indication of settlement in that section which at
length became the town of Redding is found in the record of
a large grant of land to a single individual, follov/ed by other
grants or sales to eager speculators. Then we have a glimpse
of its tiny settlement of three widely-separated habitations,
their only highway a forest path. Later, a rude church ap-
pears, which, during the Revolution, was the scene of other
than devotional exercises, serving the purpose of a town hall
as well. By the middle of the eighteenth century Redding
had become a parish numbering upward of one thousand souls,
and an agitation for township privileges resulted, in 1767, in
its erection into a separate town.

Before the separation from the parent town took place,
trouble between the colonies and the royal government had
developed and had already assumed serious proportions.
These difficulties had long been accumulating. For years the
colonists had warily guarded their rights and privileges against
attempted encroachments and aggressions, resorting to dip-
lomacy and conciliatory measures when such could be success-
fully employed, and to open opposition only when all other
means had failed. At various periods of their history they
had been compelled to resist the efforts of royal despots for
the subversion of their liberties, and from the days of Cromwell
such attempts were a constant menace to them. Yet through
all, they remained steadfast in their allegiance to the crown,
rendering at all times such aid as lay in their power. During
the several wars witli France, which extended to the American
continent, the colonies contributed both men and means to
aid the armies of England. The effort to lay upon the colonies
the burden of wars which they had not provoked was regarded
by them as a flagrant injustice, and after the conclusion of the
last French war the attempt to tax the Americans to pay the
expenses of the conflict roused the mdignation of the people.
Blood they had spilled and treasure they had spent to main-

12 BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES.

tain the honor and supremacy of the mother country, and they
had reaped ingratitude. The passage of the Stamp Act in
1765 roused public feeling to fever Heat. Public officials
charged with the enforcement of the act were forced to resign.
Its repeal but temporarily delayed the gathering storm. The
imposition, in 1767, of a tax on tea and other imports, and
the attempt to collect revenue thereon, caused the anger of
the people to break out afresh. But this time the British
ministry was determined to enforce its authority, and the
Americans were as firmly resolved on resistance. Seizures
of property and other acts of British officials led to open hos-
tility ; collisions occurred between the English soldiery which
had been sent to America and the joeople of the towns where
they were quartered ; blood was shed, and an implacable hatred
aroused in the breasts of the colonists. The partial repeal of
the duties failed to allay the excitement. The nocturnal ex-
cursion of the " Boston Tea Party " exasperated the ministry,
which, in reprisal, closed the port of Boston through the agency
of the Port Bill, thus cutting off all supplies for that city by
water. Immediately the colonists took up the cause of their
Boston brethren, and resolutions of sympathy and approval
of their conduct were voted, and supplies were forwarded
from all sections. Words of encouragement, and aid of a
more substantial nature, were the contributions of many of the
Connecticut towns.

From this time forward the hOvStility engendered by the
acts of the home government became more pronounced and
active, involving not only the military representatives of the
crown, but also the civil authorities acting under royal com-
mission and the large minority whose interests inclined them
to the support of the royal cause, to which they were resolved
to adhere, while regretting the policy which brought about
such a critical state of affairs. To these was opposed an ele-
ment bent on governmental reform, in a mood to defy all
authority, and to visit its displeasure by violent methods upon
those who opposed the popular will.. Intermingled with these
classes was a considerable number of citizens whose opinions
were not yet definitely formed, and whom circumstances might
sway to either side. As the crisis approached, the rage of the
populace was specially visited upon those who upheld the

EVENTS OF 1775- 1 3

course of the royal government. Resort was had to acts of
violence. The tories were mobbed, plundered, intimidated,
tarred and feathered, carted about the public streets as a public
spectacle. Such acts, though indefensible, are inseparable
from the conditions accompanying a great popular upheaval,
and have had their counterparts in more recent history. Pri-
vate malice and a spirit of mischief, as well as patriotic fervor
and popular indignation, furnished pretexts for these unlawful
proceedings. To prevent such outrages Congress had com-
mitted the care of tories and suspected persons to the various
committees of inspection and observation, but these were not
alvvavs efficient in the performance of their duties.

Redding was not free from this species of disorder. Here,
as elsewhere, were the elements necessary for its production :
the firm loyalist, the inflexible patriot, the lawless character.
To what extent the animosities bred by the political discords
of previous }ears had been carried is not shown, but the begin-
ning of the year 1775 inaugurated a miniature reign of terror
for the tories of this vicinity. The proceedings of the Con-
tinental Congress of September 5, 1774, furnished the occasion
for a m.ovement on the part of the tories which led to the most
unhappy results. The Congress adopted a declaration of rights,
claiming the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property as natural
rights, and the common law of England as the heritage of the
colonists; declared the people bound by no law to which they
had not consented through their own representatives ; asserted
the right of local government by colonial assemblies, and the
right to trial by juries selected from the people; denied to
Parliament all power of taxation; protested against the quar-
tering of standing armies upon the colonies without tlieir con-
sent ; denounced eleven recent parliamentary acts ; and formed
an " American Association," pledging its members to entire
commercial non-intercourse with Great Britain and its de-
pendencies, or with any American colony which failed to up-
hold the association, until all obnoxious legislation should be
repealed. Committees were to be appointed in every locality
throughout the colonies to detect violators of the association,
with whom all dealings were to be broken off. The " Declara-
tion of Colonial Rights " came very near being a declaration
of independence.

14 READING LOYALIST ASSOCIATION.

These proceedings were looked upon with anxiety and
alarm by loyahsts everywhere, who saw the peace and security
of the country, as well as their own personal interests, jeopard-
ized thereby. They at once formed loyalist associations, pro-
testing against the resolves of the patriot Congress. A con-
siderable number of the tories of Fairfield County organized
under the name of the " Reading Loyalist Association," and
in February, 1775, caused a series of resolutions to be pub-
lished in James Rivington's Gazetteer at New York, publicly
declaring their sentiments relative to the proceedings of Con-
gress and the acts of the American Association. Their story
can be most fitly and fully presented by the republication of
the original documents, as given in Force's " American Ar-
chives " :

READING (CONN.) ASSOCIATION.

Mr. Rivington : In the present critical situation of publick affairs,
we the subscribers, Freeholders and Inhabitants of the town of Reading,
and the adjoining parts, in the County of Fairfield, and Colony of
Connecticut, think it necessary, (through the columns of your Paper)
to assure the publick that we are open enemies to any change in the
present happy Constitution ; and highly disapprove of all measures in
any degree calculated to promote confusion and disorder ; for which
purpose, and in order to avoid the general censure incurred by a great
part of this Colony from the mode of conduct here adopted for the
purpose of opposing the British Government, we have entered into the
following Resolves and Agreements, viz :

First. Resolved, That while we enjoy the privileges and immuni-
ties of the English Constitution, we will render all due obedience to his
most gracious Majesty King George the Third, and that a firm depend-
ence on the mother country is essential to our political safety and
happiness.

Second. Resolved, That the privileges and immunities of this Con-
stitution are yet (in a good degree) continued to all his Majesty's
American subjects, except those who, we conceive, have justly for-
feited their title thereto.

Third. Resolved, That we suppose the Continental Congress was
constituted for the purpose of restoring harmony between Great
Britain and her Colonies, and removing the displeasure of his Majesty
towards his American subjects, whereas, on the contrary, some of their
Resolutions appear to us immediately calculated to widen the present
unhappy breach, counteract the first principles of civil society, and in
a great degree abridge the privileges of their constituents.

Fourth. Resolved, That notwithstanding we will in all circum-
stances, conduct with prudence and moderation, we consider it an indis-
pensable duty we owe to our King and Constitution, our country and

READING LOYALIST ASSOCIATION.

posterity, to defend, maintain, and preserve, at the risk of our lives and
properties, the prerogative of the crown, and the privileges of the sub-
ject from all attacks by any rebellious body of men, any Committees of
Inspection, Correspondence, &c.

[Signed by one hundred and forty one Inhabitants, whose names are
to be seen at the Printer's.]

Immediately upon the publication of this document the
patriots of Redding set themselves to work to discover the
signers of the instrument. This does not seem to have been
a matter of great difficulty, for presently a list of the Redding
subscribers was made public.

READING (CONN.) COMMITTEE.

Whereas, there was a certain number of Resolves published in James
Rivington's Gazetteer, of the 22,^ of February, 1775, and said by said
Rivington to be signed by one hundred and forty one Freeholders and
Inhabitants of the Town of Reading, and the adjacent parts, in the
County of Fairfield, and Colony of Connecticut; and whereas said
Resolves are injurious to the rights of this. Colonj-, and breathe a spirit
of enmity and opposition to the rights and liberties of all America, and
are in direct opposition to the Association of the Continental Congress ;
and notwithstanding said Resolutions were come into with a (seeming)
view to secure the said signers some extraordinary privileges and
immunities, yet either through negligence in the Printer, or upon
design of the subscribers, said signed names are not made publick :
And now, if there be any advantage in adopting those principles, we are
willing they should be entitled thereto; and for which end, and for
the more effectual carrying into execution said Association we have
taken some pains, and by the assistance of him who carried said
Resolves to said Printer, we have obtained the whole of said names.
But as we mean not to publish the names of any except those that
belong to said Reading, their names are as follows, viz :

David Knap
Andrev/ Knap
Daniel Lyon
Nehemiah Seely, Jun.
Stephen Lacy
James Adams
Zaccheus Morehouse
Ephraim Whitlock
Jabez Lyon
Prince Hawse
Andrew Patchen
Ezekiel Hill
David Manrow

Daniel Morehouse
Ephraim Deforest
Lazarus Beach
Seth Hull
Hezekiah Piatt
Zebulon Piatt
Timothy Piatt
Lazarus Wheeler
Joshua Hall
Jonathan Knap
James Gray
Peter Lyon
John Drew

Jonathan Meeker
Samuel Hawley
Jonathan Mallery, Jr.
John Seymour
Jesse Bearslee
Darling Gyer
Ebenezer Williams
Paul Bartram
John Gyer
Abel Burr
Shubael Bennet
John Picket
John Picket, Jun.

READING LOYALIST ASSOCIATION.

John Lyon James Morgan

John Mallery Nathaniel Gyer

John Raymond Asa Norton

Eli Lyon Eleazur Olmsted

Enos Wheeler Isaac Bimnell

David Crowfoot Thaddeus Gyer

Thomas Munson William Manrow

Nehemiah Seely Joseph Gyer

Charles McNeil John Sherwood

Stephen Betts Simeon Munger

Ephraim Meeker Joseph Burr
John Layne

N. B. There are only forty-two Freeholders in the above number :
there are several minors, &c., to make the above number of seventy-
four, that belong to said Reading, and we hereby hold them up to
publick view, as opposers to the Association of said Congress.

Signed by order of the Committee of Observation for said Town of
Reading.

Ebenezer Couch, Chairman.

Obed Hendrix
Isaac Piatt
Enos Lee
John Lee
Nathaniel Barlow
Asael Patchen
Benjamin Sturgis
Ebenezer Sturgis
William Lee
Seth Banks
David Turney
John Sandford

Something like taunt and sarcasm is apparent in this cir-
cular of the Redding committee. Whether such was its intent,
such was evidently its effect. After consultation, the loyalists
resolved to make a stand, and, through the medium they had
previously employed, boldly declared their entire membership.
The answer to the committee appeared in Rivington's paper:

Mr. Rivington : You are desired by many staunch friends of the

King and the Constitution, in this Colony, to insert the names of the

subscribers to the Reading Association, as published in the Gazetteer,

on the 23"^ of February. ■

John Lyon.

Capt. Joshua Hall
Capt. James Morgan
Lieut. Daniel Lyon
Lieut. Peter Lyon
Ensign Sam Hawley
David Knap
Stephen Betts
Timothy Piatt
Joseph Lyon
Lazarus Beach
Seth Hull
John San ford
James Gray, Jun.
John Lyon

John Drew
John Mallery
John Mallery, Jun.
Ephraim Meeker
Ephraim Deforest
James Adams
Joseph Burr
Hezekiah Piatt
Zebulon Piatt
Jesse Bardslee
Jonathan Knap
Simeon Munger
Prince Hawes
John Seymour

John Hall
Moses Knap
Neil McNeil
Barnard Kane
C. McNeil
Jabez Lyon
Calvin Wheeler
Lazarus Wheeler
Enos Wheeler
Stephen Lacy
Dr. Asa Norton
Jonathan Meaker
John Lane
Neh. Seely, Jun.

READING LOYALIST ASSOCIATION.

Zaccheus Morehouse
Ephraim Whitlock
Andrew Patchen
Ezekiel Hill
Daniel Morehouse
William Caldwell
Ebenezer Lyon
Peter Thorn
Peter Jackson
David Munro
Jabez Adams
John Bartram
Andrew Knap
David Turny
Gersham Bulkley
John Raymond
Eli Lyon
Nathaniel Guyer
Ephraim Robbins
Isaac Bunnell
Darling Guyer
David Crofut
Thomas Munson
Jonathan Lyon
Gersham Lyon, Jun
Jesse Lyon
Thomas Lyon
Stephen Couch
Ebenezer Williams
Paul Bartram
John Guyer
Abel Burr
Abel Burr, Jun.
Shubael Bennet

Eleazer Olmsted
Obed Hendrix
Abner Gilbert
Isaac Piatt
Jonathan Burr
William Manrow
Enos Lee
Silas Lee
John Lee
Nathaniel Lee
Joseph Fairchild
Nathaniel Barlow
Thaddeus Guyer
Joseph Guyer
Asael Patchen
Ben. Sturges
John Sherwood
Ebenezer Sturges
William Lee
Seth Banks
John Byington Jun.
John Pickwit
John Pickwit, Jun.
Abel Piatt
Joseph Piatt
Neb. St. John
Israel Rowland
Silas Griffin
William Bradley
William Hambleton
James Rowell,
Joseph Edwards, Jun.
C. Fairchild
J. Morehouse

Isaac Drew
Peter Drew
Benjamin Williams
Samuel Judd Jun.
James Gray
Nehemiah Whitlock
Samuel Judd
Ezra Kellogg
Jabez Taylor Jun.
Silas Taylor
Jonathan Judd
Benjamin Bailey
William Judd
Hezekiah Whitlock
Samuel Hoyt, Jun.
James Hoyt
Samuel Bailey
Michael Benedict
Comfort Barnum
Ezra Percy
Nathaniel Picket
Elijah Barnum
Ebenezer Whitlock
James Davis
Solomon Cutis
Daniel Cascis
Nehemiah Seely
Peter Bulkley
Ebenezer Mills
John Drew
Nathan Mallery Jun.
Josiah Piatt

N. B. Obadiah Piatt having been proscribed in Mr. Gaines Paper,
on a suspicion of subscribing the Association, the publick may be
assured the above is the very list delivered to the Printers and that
Obadiah Piatt's name was not inserted in it.

There are no signers to this piece under twenty-one years of age.

Then the storm broke. The members of the association
being- piibhcly known, were now committed to the support of
the royal government or to the necessity of submitting to the
demands of the dominant party. Men of various shades of
opinion were among the signers of the resolves : ardent loyal-
ists, conservative citizens, timid individuals seeking the safe

l8 TREATMENT OF LOYALISTS.

side, for absolute unanimity is not to be found in any com-
bination of men. Each had placed his own interpretation on
the document he signed, and affixed his name with whatever
mental reservations he chose to make.

Many of the loyalist associators were induced, by means
more readily guessed than known, to refrain from active oppo-
sition to the patriots ; the course of events soon brought some
of them into complete accord with the opponents of the home
government; but upon the heads of those who persisted in
upholding the royal authority the wrath of the people fell with
unmitigated severity. Just what was done with these unfor-
tunate persons may be inferred from statements made in a
preceding paragraph, or learned from personal records in
another part of this volume. The severity of their treatment
exceeded their powers of endurance. The harassed tories
fled to the forest, and, hidden in caves and thickets, watched
and waited for an opportunity to place themselves under royal
protection. No other refuge could they find, for the British
army was far away, soon to be besieged in Boston, and finally
to be forced out of the country altogether, and it was many
months before the arrival of royal troops at New York brought
the prospect of deliverance. Even then, escape to the British
lines was an undertaking of extreme difficulty and peril, for
the vigilant patriots guarded every avenue of retreat. The
lines of the American army barred passage by land to New
York, and the patriots seem early to have secured all the water
craft on the northern coast of Long Island Sound, so that
flight by water was only rendered possible by the aid of ex-
peditions from the opposite shore. Nevertheless, many of the
Redding loyalists got away during the course of the \var, took
refuge within the British lines, and even bore arms against
their former neighbors.

Such was the state of affairs in the town of Redding when
the fateful 19th of April, 1775, dawned upon the American
colonies, and the country was electrified by the news of the
affair at Lexington. The legislature was immediately con-
vened, and authorized the embodiment of one-fourth of the
militia, to be formed into six regiments of about one thousand
men each. Soon the war-drums were calling the people to
arms, and, while they were preparing for the field, news came

BUNKER HILL.

of the bloodless capture of Ticonderoga, with its immense
stores of war material, including nearly two hvmdred cannon
of various kinds and calibres, one hundred stand of arms, and
large quantities of ammunition and commissary stores. This
exploit, planned, organized, led and executed by Connecticut
men, and paid for out of the Connecticut treasury, stood out
in strong contrast to the expedition against Concord, where
the king's troops had spilled so much of their blood to disable
a few cannon and destroy sixty barrels of flour. Then, while
public excitement was at its highest pitch, came the terrific
climax of Bunker Hill, where the martial pride and power of
Great Britain were humbled by a few hundred undisciplined
and toil-weary farmers, and a profitless victory secured to
the royal arms only after an unparalleled slaughter.

No Redding man, so far as known, received his baptism of
fire in that blaze of battle, which strewed the slopes of Bunker
Hill with the forms of gallant men. But they heard the story
— our soldiers and our people — of the midnight assembly
of troops and the march to the hill ; of the hours of toil in the
darkness, unsuspected by the enemy in town or fleet till day-
light revealed their work, when the roar of cannon, the tramp
of assembling battalions, the sight of housetops and hillsides
crowded with eager, anxious spectators, nerved the tired pat-
riots for the coming ordeal of battle, toiling on, weary, thirsty,
hungry, while the British soldiery crossed the river, formed in
splendid array, ate their noonday meal at leisure — the last
for so many of them — as shot and shell flew incessantly over
their heads, then rose to their places in line, and advanced upon
that weak defense, only to fall by hundreds before a withering
blast of musketry, or be hurled in headlong haste back upon
the river; and how, at last, they won the hill, not by superior
numbers, or courage, or discipline, or leadership, but solely
because the ammunition of the defenders was exhausted, and
more could not be had. But the encounter intensified the spirit
of resistance, bred contempt of the military prestige of Britain,
and inspired the soldiers of the colonies with the hope of bril-
liant achievement. In this spirit, doubtless, the soldiers of
our town went forward to the task assigned them. An invasion
of Canada had been projected, with the intention of gaining
the British posts in that region, and of bringing over its in-

THE NORTHERN CAMPAIGN.

habitants to the support of the colonies. For this purpose
some three thousand troops were mobiUzed, consisting of one
reg-iment from New York and two from Connecticut. The
Fifth Connecticut, commanded by Col. David Waterbury, con-
tained a company recruited from Redding and vicinity, and
led by a Redding officer, Captain Zalmon Read. The roll of
this company carries nearly one hundred names, about one-
third of which are easily recognizable as those of Redding men.

TENTH COMPANY, FIFTH REGIMENT CONNECTICUT LINE.

Capt. Zalmon Read
Lieut. Ezekiel Sanford
Lieut. David Peet
Ensign Benj. Nichols
Aaron Hull
Gideon Peet
Aaron Barlow
Daniel Silliman
Daniel Couch
Aaron Sanford
Samuel Barlow
Jabez Burr
Reuben Peet
Abijah Gregory
Stephen Hurlbut
Ebenezer Burr
Daniel Robinson
Abraham Adams
Andrew Patchen
Charles White
Daniel Gorhani
Daniel Bartlet
David Sturges
Daniel Read
Daniel Blackman
David Hubble
David Minot
David Pembleton
Daniel Piatt
Elijah Sears
Eliphalet Hubbard

Francis Hutenac
Gershom Salmon
George Perry
Henry Hopkins
Jeremiah Batterson
John Parsons
Jesse Rowland
Jos. Dickson
Jery Jarsbon
Jery Riand
John Blackman
Jonathan Ford
Joshua Jackson
Jedediah Wells
Israel Clifford
Enoch Towner
Stephen Hall
Israel Barnum
Jasper Jones
Joseph Merrit
Martin Patchen
Matthew Hall
Nathan Rumsay
Phineas Squier
Ruben Nichols
Samuel Gilbert
Sturges Lines
Solomon Green
William Bunet
Zibe Westcote
Jack Sherwood

John Squier
David Fairchild
Daniel Osborn
Ephraim Butler
Elias Brisby
Ezbun Hubble
John Byington
Jos. Whitlock
John Jones
John Blackman Jr.
Jos. Jackson
Isaac Fairchild
James Judson
John Fairchild
Nathan Coley
Samuel Gould
Stephen Meeker
Asael Turrell
David Bennet
Elijah Elmore
Ebenezer Gilbert
Ebenezer French
Jediah Rigs
Morris Griffin
Nathan Blackman
Ruben Chapman
Samuel French
Seth Bulkly
Eliphalet Russell
John Alabin
Benjamin Seeley
[Rec. Ct. Men in Rev.]

The Fifth was a large regiment, over one thousand strong,
and in the latter part of June marched to New York. On the

SIEGE OF ST. JOHNS.

26th it embarked on transport vessels, and proceeded up the
Hudson, arriving at Albany on the 28th, after a run of about
twenty-eight hours. On the 29th the troops began their north-
ward march. Their immediate destination was St. Johns,
a fortified post on the Sorel River, the outlet of Lake Cham-
plain. Until the nth of August they were journeying toward
Skeensboro, on the headwaters of the lake. On this march
the men had their first experience of the discomforts of soldier
life ; the road to Skeensboro was wet and slippery, the night
of August loth was extremely wet, and the troops sheltered
themselves as best they could under hemlock boughs. About
10 A. M. of the following day they reached Skeensboro, where
boats were found in readiness to carry them to Ticonderoga
and, immediately embarking, arrived at the fort the same day.
Here they found temporary shelter till the 13th, when the
tents and baggage, which had been sent by way of Lake
George, arrived, and the men went into camp and enjoyed a
season of repose.

The troops composing the expedition consisted, at this time,
of the 1st and 5th Connecticut regiments. Lamb's artillery, and
some New York battalions, Connecticut furnishing much the
larger proportion of men. Li its material, the army included
many of the sturdy, free-spirited sons of New England ; a
willing, but not well-disciplined body, neither showy nor or-
derly. There was probably little attempt at uniformity in dress
and equipment ; men and muskets were the chief requirements
of the campaign. The army early manifested the military
vices. The Rev. Benjamin Trumbull, who accompanied the
expedition as chaplain, later wrote of it : " Perhaps there
never was a more ill-governed, profane, and wicked army,
among a people of such advantages, on earth."

At six o'clock in the morning of Monday, August 28th,
the whole army embarked for St. Johns. After a halt of three
or four days at Crown Point, the expedition was again on its
way. At noon on September 4th Gen. Schuyler, who com-
manded the Northern Department, gave final orders for the
forward movement, and at seven o'clock in the evening the
troops reached Isle Aux Noix, and a reconnoitering party was
sent out toward St. Johns. September 6th a body of about
one thousand men (of whom two hundred were New York

22 SIEGE OF ST. JOHNS.

troops, and the remainder were from Col. Waterbury's regi-
ment) was sent forward to commence the investment of St.
Johns. This detachment arrived before the fort at 2 p. m.,
drew the enemy's fire, and adroitly landed in such a manner
as to avoid an ambuscade which had been prepared for it.
Having- made good their landing, the froops were formed for
battle and advanced toward the fort, wdien their left flank was
suddenly assailed by a body of Canadians and Indians, placed
in ambush at that point. Wheeling to the left, the Americans
charged the enemy wath great spirit and firmness, driving their
opponents from the field. After this action the troops fell back
to the water's edge and threw up a light breastwork within
range of the enemy's shells, which were plentifully thrown
among them.

Gen. Schuyler, having now developed the enemy's strength,
satisfied that the place could not be carried by assault, and
having no artillery at hand, fell back the next day to Isle Aux
Noix, to make preparations for a siege. On the loth he re-
embarked his army, three days later ordered his cannon on
board, and appointed the 15th as the date for moving down
the river. Then occurred a breach between the commander and
his troops. Schuyler asked for volunteers to undertake the
capture of the enemy's naval force, which was regarded as
the chief impediment to success, particularly a large schooner,
well manned, and well provided with cannon. This proposition
was regarded with disfavor and suspicion by the New England
troops, who had no love for the New Yorkers, manifested a
strong dislike for Schuyler, arid showed an extreme partiality
for their own leaders. They believed that Schuyler feared
the enemy's strength on land and water, and that he sought
in this way to fix the responsibility of failure on them, either
through their refusal to undertake the enterprise, or their de-
feat in the attempt. To his request, therefore, the troops made
answer that they w^ere all volunteers, ready and willing to
undertake any practicable and reasonable enterprise.

A council of war was held on the 15th, at which it appeared
to be the general opinion that the enemy were too strong to be
successfully engaged. Despondency prevailed, and the expedi-
tion seemed doomed to failure, when a letter wa^ received from
Major Livingston, announcing his success in another quarter

SIEGE OF ST. JOHNS. 23

and promising the cooperation of three thousand Canadians.
This put some heart into the leaders, and it was resolved to
prosecute the siege. Col. Waterbury and Major Douglas, with
a detail of three hundred and twenty men, were to undertake
the capture of the enemy's schooner. Sunday, September 17th,
the whole army, numbering now about fourteen hundred men,
again set out for St. Johns, and encamped behind breastworks
in front of the forts on the evening of the same day. On the
following morning Major John Brown had a skirmish with
the enemy. Col. Bedel was sent to his assistance with five
hundred men, who, as they passed the forts, were fired upon
by a body of the enemy, which issued from the works, but
quickly retreated to cover. The American forces now took
their positions, and maintained them throughout the siege.
Clearing ground, erecting breastworks and batteries, recon-
noitering, skirmishing, recruiting, kept the patriots fully occu-
pied from this time forward. St. Johns was invested on all
sides. Four hundred men, detailed for siege duty, were en-
camped south of the forts, three hundred and thirty were
assigned to the water craft, and six hundred were posted at
points on the north. The siege was now fully under way, but
the inclemency of the season and the unhealthful location of
the camps added greatly to the difficulties of the task. The
ground on which the troops were encamped was low, wet, and
miry ; the company streets were muddy, the tents flooded ;
bushes, barks, and swamp-flags were used by the soldiers to
serve as bedding and flooring for the tents.

On the 25th of September (the day on which Col. Ethan
Allen and his party were captured in their ill-starred attempt
upon Montreal) the American batteries opened fire upon St.
Johns, and a heavy bombardment was kept up all day, the
forts returning the fire with vigor. From this time till October
3d the weather was cold, wet. and stormy ; the troops suffered
greatly from exposure; the ground of the encampment was
exceedingly muddy and wet; the men, chilled and miserable,
were succumbing to disease ; discouraging news of reverses
in other quarters added to the gloom ; the ardor of the Cana-
dian allies began to cool ; their Indian auxiliaries were seen
to pass within the enemy's lines; and, to crown all, the stock
of provisions began to fail. Deeper grew the gloom in the

24 SIEGE OF ST. JOHNS.

patriot camp, as their hopes seemed about to be extinguislied
by the total faihire of the expedition.

Nevertheless, the siege continued. October 4th some Cana-
dians were erecting a breastwork on the east side of the lake
when they were attacked by a body of regulars from the fort,
whom they defeated. The next day there arrived from Ticon-
deroga a gun known* as " the Old Sow," which, being placed
in position, threw seven shells into the fort, which replied
promptly by throwing twenty-four in return. About the
middle of the month another council of war was called, at
which it was resolved to erect another battery on the east side
of the lake, to annoy the forts and destroy the enemy's ship-
ping. Montgomery (now in command) did not approve of
the proposed battery, but the decision of his officers proved to
be a wise one, for the guns of this work eventually destroyed
the enemy's schooner and crippled their naval power beyond
repair.

Schuyler, meantime, had returned to Albany for troops
and supplies, and further encouragement was derived from
the news of the surrender of Cham.bly, a post on the Sorel
north of St. Johns. Three days later (21st) the prisoners
taken there were marched past the forts ; on the 26th Gen.
Wooster arrived ; another battery was established northwest
of the fort ; the watercraft, carrying cannon and heavy bag-
gage, dropped down the river to the north of the fort during
the night. Several days were spent in mounting cannon and
preparing for action, the Connecticut troops being detailed
for artillery service. When all preparations had been made,
the east and west batteries opened fire between 9 and 10 a. m.
of Wednesday, November ist, and a terrific bombardment
closed the siege. An incessant and terrible fire was kept up
for six hours, during which time one thousand cannon-balls
and more than one hundred shells were thrown into the
enemy's works. In the evening a flag of truce was sent into
the fort, with proposals for its surrender. The British com-
mander sought to delay his decision, and on the next day
another flag was sent in, with some French prisoners taken
at Chambly. After compelling these men to swear upon the
Holy Evangels to the truth of their statements. Major Preston
became convinced of the futility of further resistance, and

SIEGE OF ST. JOHNS. 2$

decided to enter into negotiations for tlie surrender of the
post and garrison under his command.

By the terms of the surrender the garrison were to lay
down their arms with the honors of war, and to remain pris-
oners till the close of hostilities or until exchanged. The
total number of troops surrendered was 528 ; all the vessels of
the enemy, with war material, stores, and thirty-nine brass
and iron cannon, were also made trophies of war. The dis-
tressing siege of fifty days was at an end, and the first opera-
tion in the proposed conquest of Canada was completed. The
soldiers suft'ered more from fatigue and inclement weather
than from the casualties of battle. Although the cannon of
the forts had thrown 2,500 shell and an equal quantity of ball,
only twenty men had been killed on the American side during
the entire siege ; upwards of two hundred, however, were now
on the sick list.

Immediately after the surrender, preparations for an ad-
vance on Montreal were begun. November 5th the Con-
necticut regiments turned in a quantity of damaged arms, and
about four hundred of the captured muskets, good, serviceable
weapons, with bayonets and cartridge boxes, were issued to
them. On the 6th marching orders were published, and
Waterbury's regiment moved out of camp at 11 a. m., and
v/as soon facing the discomforts of bad weather and heavy
roads. The other troops followed. The day was cloudy and
heavy ; toward night it rained hard : the roads were muddy,
and the level country about them flooded with water. The 9th
was a " weather-breeder," and on and after the following day
snow, rain, and the blustering November wind were the con-
stant accompaniments of the march. On Alonday, November
13th, the troops marched into IMontreal, suft'ering greatly
from the hardships and exposures of the journey. Their term
of service was soon to expire, and as the great object of the
expedition was by no means yet attained, reenlistments were
solicited by the commanding generals. But the soldiers were
mostly sick of war — for the time, at least — as well as
physically exhausted, and the prospect of returning to their
distant firesides and anxious friends was too alluring to be
resisted. A few of the hardiest undertook further service,
however, and as Redding was represented among them, we
3

26 ASSAULT ON QUEBEC.

shall follow their fortunes further. The greater part of the
Connecticut troops were discharged on the 28th of Novemhcr,
and made their way back at last to their distant homes.

This detailed account of the military operations around
St. Johns is given for the reason that this was the first move-
ment in which Redding soldiers participated. The general
historian, because of the fruitless results of the Canadian cam-
paign, makes very brief mention of it.

Meantime Arnold had been making his terrible wilderness
march through the wilds of Maine, and on November 9th had
appeared before Quebec. On the ist of December Montgom-
ery joined him with about three hundred men. The combined
forces numbered less than one thousand. With these the
American commanders undertook the reduction of Quebec.
Their artillery being too light for siege operations, an assault
was resolved vipon. It was attempted on the last day of the
year, in the midst of a furious snowstorm. The attack was
made in four divisions. Montgomery, with the New York
militia and part of the New England troops, moved northeast
from Wolfe's Cove, passing between Cape Diamond and the
river, in the face of a strong wind which blew snow and hail
into the faces of his men, and along a narrow and slippery
path, where a false step might precipitate a man into the abyss
below. The faces of the men were covered with ice; they
could see but a few feet ahead ; commands could not be heard
in the howling blast. Montgomery advanced with a small
body of men, most of his command struggling through the
drifts with scaling ladders, a half mile in the rear. The first
barrier was found unguarded ; from the second they received
a discharge of grapeshot which killed Montgomery and twelve
others. Repeated volleys of bullets and grape drove back the
besiegers, who presently abandoned the attack. Arnold ad-
vanced promptly, under equal risks, to a similar experience.
The storm beat furiously upon his column, whirling great
drifts of snow into the path, and at the first barrier the general
received a wound in the leg which incapacitated him for fur-
ther efifort. After four hours of stubborn fighting, Arnold's
command was surrendered by its leader. Captain Daniel Mor-
gan. The other columns accomplished nothing of value, and
were captured after slight resistance. One-half of Arnold's

ASSAULT ON QUEBEC. 27

force became prisoners of war, and, retreating from this field
of misfortune, he took refuge behind breastworks of snow
in the vicinity of Quebec, and there passed the remainder of
the winter. The arrival of British reinforcements compelled
the evacuation of Canada by the American forces in the follow-
ing spring, and the disheartened remnant of the army of the
Northern Campaign made its final retreat. Soldiers of Red-
ding were among those wdio endured the bitterest privations
of this ill-starred expedition, and it is noticeable that few of
them ever re-entered the Continental service, though many
afterward fought manfully in defense of their native soil.

During this campaign, while so many patriot soldiers were
absent from the town, the tories seem to have entertained
thoughts of resistance. They armed themselves, and had,
perhaps, some secret organization, but the patriots, alert and
active, marched through the countryside under the command
of Lt.-Col. Ichabod Lewis, disarmed the loyalists, and exacted
from them a promise to remain strictly neutral during the con-
flict. Reference to this affair is found in the town records,
under date of December 13, 1775:

" Voted, that this Town pay by way of Town Rate to Peter Fair-
child Thirteen Pounds LawfuU money for victuals, drink and Horse
Keeping, when Col. Ichabod Lewis &c &c &c came to Redding and
Disarm'd the Tories."

II.

THE LONG ISLAND CAMPAIGN.

If the failure of the Canadian expedition brought sadness
to the people of Redding, as it did to the other towns of the
colony, the events of the year 1776 were destined to intensify-
that feeling. Washington had taken command of the Ameri-
can army at Cambridge in July, 1775, and under his masterly
management military operations had been conducted with such
vigor and success that by the middle of March, 1776, the
British w^ere literally squeezed out of Boston. Before this
event Washington had foreseen the necessity for protecting
New York, and as early as January, 1776, had called for troops
to go to the defense of that city. Accordingly, two Connecti-
cut regiments, under Colonels David Waterbury and Andrew
Ward, were embodied, and Waterbury's marched into New
York before the end of the month. In its ranks was Capt.
Zalmon Read, again leading a company under his old com-
mander. The regiment remained in service about two months,
mainly engaged in the labor of erecting fortifications under
the direction of Gen. Putnam. March i8th, as the British
were leaving Boston, Washington made a second requisition
for troops, under which two more regiments were to be raised
in Connecticut for the defense of New York, eighteen hundred
men being drafted from the militia for this purpose. The
regiments were to consist of ten companies each, with ninety
men to a company. Fairfield County contributed the troops
for a regiment to be commanded by Col. Gold Selleck Silli-
man, three hundred and sixty men being taken from the Fourth
Connecticut militia, whose territorial district comprised the
towns of Fairfield, Stratford, and Redding. No roster of
this regiment has been found, but Redding men undoubtedly
served in it. In May another battalion, raised for the general
defense of the state, was placed under the command of Col.
Philip Burr Bradley — of it we shall hear further.

On leaving Boston, Howe, the British commander, had
sailed away to Halifax, where he remained long enough to
recuperate his exhausted troops, and to obtain reinforcements

THE LONG ISLAND CAMPAIGN. 29

from England antl the continent. In Jnnc it became known
that he was coming back after his revenge, and renewed efforts
were made to raise troops to oppose him. Six battahons were
ordered to be recruited in Connecticut for this purpose. These,
with Bradley's Battalion, were brigaded together during the
Long Island campaign under Gen. James Wadsworth. Silli-
man's was designated the First, and Capt. Read was one of
its company officers.

On the loth of June, 1776, Howe left Halifax, and on the
2d of July his sails whitened the waters of the lower bay of
New York. Taking possession of Staten Island he leisurely
prepared for an attack. Meanwhile, the Declaration of Inde-
pendence was published to the country, and was received with
joyous acclamations by the patriots throughout the colonies.
With public speeches, bell-ringing, and bonfires the people
hailed the event, and, no doubt. Redding bore its part in the
general rejoicing.

The army of Howe consisted of about twenty-four thousand
of the best troops of Europe. In addition to the seasoned
veterans of the E'oston campaign, there were many other of
the finest regiments in the British army and a large contingent
of Elessians — those new allies whose services the king of
Great Britain had purchased to assist in the subjugation of
his rebellious colonies. Having perfected his plans and prepa-
rations, Howe decided to attack the American position on
Long Island. On the 22d of August he sent over an advance
guard, which landed without opposition, and was followed by
other forces, till fifteen thousand infantry, forty pieces of ar-
tillery, and a regiment of dragoons were safely established
on the island. Leaving one division under Maj.-Gen. Grant
encamped at Gravesend, near the point of debarkation, he
posted another, under Cornwallis, at Flatbush. before the
center of the x\merican lines, and a third, luider Clinton, at
Flatlands in rear of Cornwallis ; and, by a series of skirmishes,
in which infantry and artillery participated, developed the
American positions along the Brooklyn hills.

The campaign, from the very outset, progressed unfavor-
ably for the patriots. Washington's poorly-equipped and
mostly undisciplined army was ill-fitted for the task it was to
undertake. Out of the twentv-eight thousand men comnosine

30 THE LONG ISLAND CAMPAIGN.

it at the outset of the campaign, so many were sick that less
than twenty thousand remained fit for duty. New York island
was well fortified, but the works at Brooklyn were still un-
completed. The weather was extremely sultry — thunder-
storms of exceptional violence raged ; several men were killed
by lightning in Washington's camps.

When at last it was known that the British had landed in
force on Long Island, Washington advanced his troops and
strengthened his defenses to resist them. On the morning of
the 23d he sent over to Brooklyn a reinforcement of six regi-
ments, Silliman's battalion, upwards of four hundred strong,
being one of the first to cross. It was ordered down into a
wooded hill near Red Hook, to prevent any further landing
at that point ; but on the 25th it is found posted a half mile in
front of Flatbush, within range of the enemy's cannon, which
were playing vigorously on some parts of the American line ;
this regiment, however, does not appear to have suflrered seri-
ously from the enemy's fire.

Maj.-Gen. John Sullivan commanded on the Brooklyn front
at this time, but before the opening of the battle was super-
seded in the chief command by Gen. Putnam. The works
under his charge extended from northeast to southwest out-
side the little village of Brooklyn, while farther out a range
of wooded hills stretched in the same direction, for a distance
of five or six miles, between the Narrows and Jamaica. Two
roads crossed these hills, a third passed round their western
base, while a fourth, curving from east to north, led to Jamaica.
Before this range lay the British encampment, and along its
crest and in the passes commanding the roads the American
troops were posted. Along this line Washington determined
to oppose the enemy's advance, and gave orders that the passes
should be defended to the uttermost. Several skirmishes oc-
curred druing the five days that the British lay in front of
the hills, but no decisive movement was made till the 27th.
On the 25th two brigades of Hessians, under the veteran Gen-
eral De Heister, were brought over and stationed at Flatbush.
On the 26th the troops of Cornwallis were secretly withdrawn
to Flatlands, and at 9 p. m. the combined forces of Clinton and
Cornwallis took up their march along the Jamaica road. At
2 A. M. of the 27th Grant's column advanced along the western

BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 31

road, attacked and routed the x\merican detachment at the
pass, and pressed on to engage the troops of Sterhng, who
commanded on that part of the field. The battle now began
in earnest, and the American forces made a gallant resistance.
De Heister attacked the position in front of Flatbush, which
was defended by an inferior force under Gen. Sullivan, while
the British flanking column, pushing forward on the Jamaica
road, captured a patrol which was looking the other way,
gained Sullivan's rear, and interposed between his troops and
the Brooklxn lines. Attacked in front and rear, Sullivan's
men resisted bravely, but ineffectually ; a portion succeeded
in escaping to the lines, while the remainder were cut to pieces
or captured. The Hessians, having been told that their an-
tagonists were a savage 'race of beings, who would give no
quarter, used their bayonets on many of the unfortunate sol-
diers whom they overtook, in many instances pinning the
hapless riflemen to the trees — :i deed described as a "fine
sight " by a British lieutenant v. ho witnessed it. Sullivan
himself was taken prisoner after resistance had ceased, and
the enemy moved westward to intercept the retreat of Sterling,
who had successfully contended against Grant's column till
the sounds of battle in his rear warned him that he must fall
back. Hemmed in by his victorious enemy, the American
general made a desperate eft'ort to escape, but was finally over-
powered and captured with more than a thousand of his men.
Col. Silliman's regiment somehow extricated itself from the
conflict, and is next heard of in position somewhere on the left
of the Brooklyn lines. About five thousand of the nine thou-
sand provincial troops on the island were engaged in the
battle.

The remnant of the forces which defended the exterior lines
having fallen back upon the main body, Washington, who had
come upon the ground during the battle, made dispositions
for defense. The British advanced close up to the American
lines and began to throw up intrenchmcnts under cover of a
feint of attack, cannon and musketry again coming into play.
In this work Silliman's men must have come into reasonably
close quarters with the enemy, though no general engagement
took place. The patriot soldiers stood in the trenches during
the 28th and 29th under storms of rain, accompanied by

RETREAT FROM NEW YORK.

thunder and lig-htning ; worn out with the fatigue and excite-
ment of battle, their arms and ammunition rendered unserv-
iceable by the rain. The American commander-in-chief, at
first inclined to risk a decisive engagement, was finally con-
vinced of the danger of his situation, and the evacuation of
the island was agreed on in a council of war. During the
night of the 29tli the retreat began, and. in the face of many
difficulties, all the troops were at last transported to New
York in safety. A heavy fog providentially screened from
the view of the enemy the embarkation of the rearguard, which
pushed off from the shore just as the fog was rising, George
Washington being the last man to set foot in the last boat.
Quite as much by good generalship as by good fortune, he had
saved both a good cause and a poor army.

After reaching New York the troops were stationed at the
various defensive points, and preparations were made for
another grapple with the enemy, Silliman's battalion was
posted near the East River, probably in its original position
in the earthworks near the southern end of the island. The
British fleet now cooperated with the army for the investment
of the city and the capture of Washington's forces. First,
several vessels passed the obstructions in the North River,
under fire of the forts and batteries,' took soundings, and re-
turned unharmed. Then troops were transported up the I'^ast
River, also under fire, without injury. By September 15th
the British were once more prepared for an aggressive move-
ment. Before noon of that day five ships of war were drawn
up before Kip's Bay, and, under cover of a terrific cannonade,
a landing party reached the shore. The bombardment from
the vessels so demoralized the American troops stationed at
that point that they were seized with panic and fled in the
utmost confusion, despite the efforts of Washington and other
officers to rally them. They were Connecticut men, but re-
flected no credit on their state that day. The enemy landed
in force, and Washington was compelled to withdraw his
troops to Harlem. Putnam's division, at the lower end of
the city, was in great danger of being cut off and captured,
but under the fortunate guidance of Aaron Burr, and by a
combination of speed and secrecy in its movements, was
enabled to evade the British and reach the main bodv at

BATTLE OF WHITE PLAINS.

Harlcin in safety. Near Bloomingdale the retreating troops
encountered a detachment of the enemy, hut SilHman's bat-
talion, which covered the retreat of the division, formed in
line and drove the assailants away.

A temporary check, given to the enemy on Harlem Heights
the next day, in some degree restored the spirits of the army,
but before a month had passed Washington's position became
untenable. British vessels passed up the North River on
October 9th, beyond the right flank of the American army,
and three days later the greater part of Howe's troops were
carried by water to Throgg's Neck, on the Westchester shore
of the Sound. Washington concentrated his army at White
Plains, entrenched, and waited for the British advance. On
the 28th the royal army arrived, and before noon had engaged
some advance parties of the Americans, among whom was a
portion of Silliman's battalion. The principal part of the
engagement was fought at Chatterton Hill, on the American
left. Four thousand British and Hessians advanced up the
steep face of the hill, and were driven back in confusion by a
shower of bullets. The action bid fair to become a repetition
of that at Bunker Hill, but the enemy changed their point of
attack, the ever-unreliable militia gave way, and the British
carried the position.

And now, as the opposing forces rested on their arms after
the action, there occurred an incident of singular and pathetic
interest. A flag of truce passes between the lines and, under
its protection, two ofiicers meet in the open field and engage
in earnest conversation, and, could we hear the words they
speak, we need not marvel if the name of a woman, tenderly
spoken, passes often between them, for the sturdy young-
loyalist, who has sacrificed home and happiness for the cause
of his king, is her husband, and the grim-visaged patriot cap-
tain — her father.

Howe, fearing the strength of Washington's new position,
remained inactive during the following day, waiting for rein-
forcements. The next day it rained, and Howe, for this reason
prevented from advancing, delayed the attack. When day
again dawned he prepared to advance, but his antagonist was
gone. Washington had once more wisely decided not to risk
an engagement, and, leaving a few pickets to repjenish his

CAPTURE OF FORT WASHINGTON.

watchfires, had quietly withdrawn to the heights of North
Castle, two miles farther back, whither Howe did not think it
advisable to follow him. He accordingly abandoned the pur-
suit, and turned his attention to the task of gaining complete
possession of New York island.

Fort Washington was now the only post on the island in the
possession of the Americans. It was a strong work, occupying,
with its outworks, an elevation of considerable height and
length near the north end of the island and along the shore
of the Hudson. Col. Robert Magaw, the commander of the
fort, a brave and capable officer, was of the opinion that the
work could be held against the enemy; Greene and other
officers were of the same opinion. Washington, though ques-
tioning the advisability of maintaining the position, and doubt-
ful of the ability of his men to hold it, deferred their with-
drawal till the near approach of the British rendered retreat
impracticable. The fort was garrisoned principally by Penn-
sylvania troops, but in addition to these were a hundred artil-
lerymen, Rawlings' Maryland Rifle Battalion, Knowlton's
Rangers, and several companies of Bradley's Battalion, Wads-
worth's Brigade, about two hundred and fifty strong. One
of these companies was commanded by Capt. Elijah Abel of
Fairfield, and there were several Redding men in its ranks._
The entire garrison numbered about three thousand men.
Howe invested the works, and on the 15th of November sent
a summons to surrender. Col. Magaw refused, declaring his
intention to defend the post to the last extremity. On the i6th
the British moved to the attack in four columns. The Hes-
sians, under Rail and Knyphausen, attacked on the north,
where Rawlings' riflemen were posted ; Matthews and Corn-
wallis, with the light infantry and grenadiers, approached
from the east ; Col. Sterling, with the 42d Highlanders, made
a diversion on the south ; and a strong corps under Lord Percy
assaulted from the west. The Hessians faced a destructive
fire, as they forced their way through thickets and abatis, and,
stung by the determined resistance they encountered, plied their
favorite weapon freely, while, on the opposite heights at Fort
Lee, surrounded by the anxious faces of Greene, Putnam,
Knox, and other officers, George Washington stood and cried
like a child as he saw his soldiers fall beneath the bavonets of

CAPTURE OF FORT WASHINGTON. 35

the Hessian grenadiers. The British forces gracluall_\- closed
in on their opponents, driving them into the interior of the
works, where they were so crowded together that further re-
sistance hecame impossible. Colonel Magaw, realizing the
hopelessness of his situation, surrendered the fort, with about
twenty-eight hundred men. The American loss in killed and
wounded was about one hundred and fifty, that of the British
forces four hundred and fifty, two-thirds of the casualties
being among the Hessians, who evidently bore the brunt of
the fighting.

At the end of the campaign the Americans had lost every
post for which they had contended, while the British were
firmly established in New York, not to leave it till the flag of
England was lowered at the peace of 1783. Washington with-
drew his rapidly diminishing forces to New Jersey, and the
darkness of despair fell upon the hopes of the patriots, through
which no ray of light penetrated till the twin stars of Trenton
and Princeton lit the gloom. Then the patriots again took
courage, and came forward to renew the struggle for freedom.
Again Washington appealed to Congress for the establishment
of a regular army, and this time his entreaties did not pass
unheeded.

III.

THE DANBURY RAID.

CoN\'iNCED at last, by bitter experience, that success was
impossible with raw levies under short-term enlistments. Con-
gress finally authorized the establishment of a regular army,
of which Connecticut was to furnish eight regiments of in-
fantry, enlisted generally for the term of three years or the war.
Recruiting immediately began throughout the state, and Red-
ding cheerfully undertook her share of patriotic duty :

"April 2, 1777. — Voted that Whereas this meeting has Appointed
Mefsrs W'" Hawley Zalmon Read, Thadeus Benedict David Jackson,
Gershom Morehouse Stephen Betts Jr. W™ Heron and Dani Mallery
a Comtee iQ iiire a Number of Soldiers to Serve in the Continental
Army that the Sum or Sums the said Comi^ss promise to or do pay to
those Soldiers that do Inlist themselves as Soldiers to serve in said
Army a bounty Over and above what the Governments bounty is shall
be paid by way of Town Rate and the Selectmen are Ordered and
Desired to make a Rate to Collect the Money by said Com^ee paid or
promised to Soldiers by them Inlisted for the Service afore said Also
vote that Mefsrs Hezekiah Sanford Seth Sanford Dan" Mallery Sam"
Smith W"" Hawley Stephen Betts Jur Jonathan Couch Stephen Gold
and Hezekiah Read be a Com^f^ to take Care of the famalies of those
Soldiers that are in the Service of their Country Agreeable to the Gov-
enor and Council of Safety their Resolve."

Again Redding soldiers were enrolled in defense of their
country, and most of them were assigned to the Fifth regi-
ment of the new establishment. One company of this regiment
was commanded by Capt. Ezekiel Sanford of Redding, who
had served as lieutenant under Capt. Read in previous cam-
paigns. About a dozen Redding men appear on the company
roll :

Capt. Ezekiel Sanford Holmes, Samuel Burrett, Israel

SERGE.\NTS. Starr, William Butler, John

Fowler, Elisha musician. Burns, James

Mann, Samuel ', French, Trueman Burlock, David

Street, John pkiv.\tes. Bidwell, Ashbell

coRi'OKALS. Adams, Abraham Ben, Solomon

Baker, Bartholomew Bixby, Elias Barnes, Jonathan

Gilbert, Joel Butler, Ephraim Brown, Patrick

Hopkins, Henry Burrett, Abijah Brown, Luke

THE DANBURY RAID.

Bronson, Asa
Condrick, John
Chilman, Thomas
Cornelius, Toto
Coley, Nathan
Canfield, Daniel
Collins, Dennis
Clark, Walter
Downs, Benjamin
Fleet, William
Fisher, Christopher
Freeman, David
Green, James
Gorham, Ned
Goodwin, Jonathan
Hughes, Thomas
Hawley, Joseph
Hayes, John
Hendricks, Nathan
Hale, Joseph
Hitchcock, John
Jones, John
June, Justice

Jacklin, Ebenezer
Knap, Aaron
Kellis, Peter
Kelly (or Kellsce) John
Keeler, Henry
Mitchell, William
Meeker, Stephen
Mead, Jeremiah
McGregory, John
Nickerson, Eliphas
Newton, William
Nash, Ebenezer
Patchin, Ebenezer
Parsons, Bartholomew
Phelps, Elijah
Perwiggin, Solomon
Peters, Thomas (or

Solomon)
Piatt, Joseph
Roberts, John
Robinson, Nathaniel
Rowland, Jack
Remington, Stephen

Renn, Solomon
Rockwell, John
Sears, Joseph
Sturges, Augustus
Starr, John
Sprout, John
Scott, Moses
Soomer, Shubal
Scott, Peter
Tuttle, Peter
Trueman, David
Thomas, Gregory
Williams, Jabez ''
Williams, John
Whitney, Ezekiel
Weeks, Micajah
Wood, Simeon
Wawson, Thomas
Williams, Henry
Whitney, Thomas
Wheeler, Ephraim
Whitney, Josiah A.

[Rec. Ct. Men in Rev.]

The recruits for the Second and Fifth regiments of the
Continental Line were ordered to rendezvous at Danbiu'v. At
this place a large magazine of military stores was also estab-
lished, with smaller ones in the immediate vicinity. British
spies, circulating through the country, reported this fact to
the British commander at New York, and a movement was at
once projected to effect the destruction of these stores, and
thereby add another discouraging reverse to the list of disas-
ters already suffered by the patriot cause. The first indication
of activity in this direction is found in the following order:

" Head Quarters, New York. April 2qP^, 1777.

Governor Tryon having been pleased to offer his Services to Com-
mand the Provincial Troops in this Province, is appointed to that Com-
mand, with the Rank of Major Gen^ of Provincial Forces, and is to be
obey'd as such.

Capt° Wemyss of the 40''^ Reg^ is appointed Aide de Camp to Major
Geni Tryon, and is to be observed as such.

Lieut Bird i6t'i Reg*^ is appointed Supernumerary Aide de Camp,
to Major Gen' Tryon, and is to be observed as such."

Soon after, all was in readiness, and the embarkation of the

38 THE DAN BURY RAID.

forces began. The commander-in-chief then issued an order
placing' Gen. Tryon in command of the expedition :

" Head Quarters, 22^ April, 1777.
Major Gen' Tryon is appointed to Command the Troops, embarked
this day upon an Expedition; All reports to be made to him, and all
Troops ordered to join that Armament, will put themselves under
his Command."

Admiral Howe's report to the Secretary of the Admiralty
shows how the force was transported, and indicates the meas-
ures that were taken to deceive the patriots regarding the ob-
jective point of the expedition :

'■ Number 28.

V Eagle Off New York

April the 23'i 1777.
Sir

The General determining on an Attempt to destroy a very con-
siderable magazine said to be formed by the Rebels in the Province of
Connecticut, several Regimeirts were embarked in twelve Transports
the 2ist Instant to be landed on the Coast of that Province, as Gov-
ernor Tryon, who commands the Detachment, should require.

I have committed the Conduct of the Naval Department to Captain
Duncan of the Eagle. He is embarked in the Senegal, and has the
Swan also under his Command: Those Sloops being deemed of suf-
licient Force, and most proper for the intended Operation.

A Diversion was thought fit to be made at the same time, up the
North River. Twelve Transports in which a small Corps of Troops
are embarked, attended by the Ambuscade, Mermaid, Daphne, Rose
and Dependance Galley, have been appointed for that Service.

The two Detachments sailed to proceed according to their respective
Destinations yesterday.

I am, with great Consideration,
Sir,

Your most obedient

humble servant,

Howe.
Philip Stephens Esq'

Secretary of the Admiralty."

"And to Lord George Germain Gen. Howe gives further
details of the number and object of the expeditionary forces:

'■■ No. 51 Duplicate

New York, 24*1^ April, 1777.
My Lord,

A detached Corps of Troops consisting of 1800 Rank and File,
having embarked in Transports, proceeded from home yesterday, with

THE DAN BURY RAID.

six Field Pieces, under the Command of Governor Tryon, who has
accepted of the Rank of Major General of Provincials. The Design is
to destroy a large Magazine of Provisions and Military Stores formed
by the Enemy at Danbury in Connecticut. Brigadier General Agnew
and Sir William Erskine are upon this service, the Naval Part of which
is under the Conduct of Captain Duncan, Commander of His Majesty's
Ship Eagle. It is proposed that the Debarkation should be made at or
near Norwalk, which is Twenty Miles to the southward of Danbury,
and I hope to have the Honor of reporting to your Lordship the Success
of this Expedition in my next Dispatch."

Meantime the fleet of two sloops-of-war and twelve flat-
boats, bearing- eighteen hundred troops, six pieces of artillery,
and the necessary complement of horses, besides general
ofificers, seamen, etc., had weighed anchor and proceeded up
the Sound. The people of the Connecticut shore towns appear
to have had no knowledge of the approach of an enem}^ and
were evidently taken by surprise. Rumors of hostile move-
ments had been rife for some time, but do not seem to have
aroused anxiety. Bad weather may have obscured the passage
of the fleet ; anyway, there is no indication that the patriots
were on their guard.

On the evening of the 25th the point selected for landing
was reached, and the passage to the shore was immediately
commenced. Gen. Tryon's orders, here inserted, show how
the landing was to be performed :

" Senegal, April 23'', 1777.

Major Gen' Tryon's Orders.

Capt. Wemyss of the 40*'^ Reg*^ is appointed to Act as Adjut* (ien'
to the Corps under his Command.

The Troops to land in three divisions. —

The first, consisting of the 4*1' & 15th Reg's under the Command of
Lieu*^ Col° Bird, who is to occupy the most advantageous Ground to
cover the landing.

The 2^ consisting of the 22,'^ & 27^1 Reg'^ under the Command of
Lieut Col" Maxwell.

The 3'i consisting of the 44"^ & 64"! Regts under the Command of
Major Hope.

General Agnew will be pleased to disembark, any time after the ist
division has made good their landing, & give the other divisions such
directions in regard to their forming as he may think necessary.

Two Pieces of Artillery to be landed with the i^t division, & the
Remainder to follow afterwards as soon as possible.

As soon as the i^' Division has made good their landing, the Dra-
goons & Artillery to dissembark.

THE DANBURV RAID.

It is recommended to the Officers, to keep their Men, as silent as
possible.

The Troops to carry on Shore with them. One Days Provision
dressed, four days bread, a proportionable quantity of Salt (which the
Men are to be carefull off,) and two days allowance of Rum, which the
Conis Officers of Regt^ will take care, to have mixed with Water.

So soon as the whole is landed, the Corps to form two Brigades.
The 1st consisting of the 4tf', 15"' & 23'^ Reg*^ to be Commanded by Gen'
Agnew.

The 2<J consisting of the 27th 44tii & 64"^ to be Connnanded by Lieu'
Colo Maxwell.

As the Com'' in Chief was pleased in his Order of the 21st inst,
expressly to forbid Plundering; It would make Gen' Tryon very
unhappy, should the Troops give him any occasion, to carry them into
execution, which the nature & importance of the present Service will
require him to do : He therefore places his full confidence that the
Spirit of Honor which has so eminently distinguished the respective
Corps now under his Comm<i ^-ii|_ ^jth the known Attention of the
Officers, sufficiently incite them to a strict obedience to the said Order.

No Boat is to be suffered to go on Shore, till the Troops land, with-
out leave from Gen' Tryon or Capfi Duncan.

All Horses that can be procured at landing, to be brought imme-
diately to Gen' Tryon."

As thev disembark, it will be interesting to take note of
the leaders and organizations composing the expedition.

William Tryon, royal governor of New York, major-gen-
eral of loyalist provincials, and commander of this expedition,
was a soldier by profession, and an officer in the regular estab-
lishment of the British army. He was at this time about fifty-
two years of age. He had been lieutenant-governor and
governor of the province of North Carolina, where he had
shown much ability in the management of affairs, having
suppressed with great severity the uprising of the " Regula-
tors " in 1 77 1. His military operations in the vicinity of New-
York were conducted with judgment and skill. Opinions vary
as to his personal character. ]\v some he is represented as
honorable, courageous, and humane ; these qualities do not
always appear in his actions, as recorded in the accounts of
his military expeditions. We shall meet him on several other
occasions on the Connecticut coast.

Major-General Sir William Erskine, quartermaster-general
of the British army, was an officer who had fought at Fontenoy
in his earlier years, and had commanded a brigade at the battle
of Long Island. He accompanied Tryon's expedition in the

THE DAN BURY RAID. 41

double capacity of quartermaster-general and second in com-
mand.

Brigadier-General James Agnew came to America as a
lieutenant-colonel in 1775, and led a brigade in the fighting on
Long Island. He superintended the disembarkation of troops
at Compo, and commanded the first brigade of Tryon's ex-
pedition. We shall hear of him once more.

Of the regimental organizations composing the expedition,
the 4th, or King's Own Regiment of Foot, was the first to
disembark. This was one of the oldest regiments in the British
service, having been organized in 1680. When the troubles
between the colonies and the mother country began to develop
into open hostility, the 4th was selected for service in North
America, and sailed for Boston April 17, 1774. A portion of
the regiment was at Concord and Lexington ; it lost about
fifty men at Bunker Hill, and participated in the battles around
New York.

The 15th Foot, later designated the Yorkshire East Riding
Regiment, was formed in 1685. It came to America early in
1776, and served through the Long Island campaign.

The 23d Foot, or Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was recruited in
1689 in Wales and the adjoining counties. It was sent to
America in 1773, and landed at New York, but in the following
year was ordered to Boston to strengthen the garrison under
General Gage.

Four companies of this regiment were in the afifair at Lex-
ington, where the British troops sufifered so severely, returning,
it is said, " having their tongues hanging out of their mouths
like dogs after a chase." The remaining companies formed
part of the rescuing column under Lord Percy. The regiment
sufifered heavily at Bunker Hill, the grenadier company having
but five men left out of a total of forty-nine who went into
action, and it is also stated that but one commissioned officer
of the battalion survived. In the actions of the campaign of
1776, on Long Island and around New York, the 23d bore a
part, and, at its close, went into winter quarters on New York
island. Its colonel was Major-General Sir William Howe,
commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America,
but the officer who led it in the Danbury Raid is not known.
The Fusiliers afterward fought at the Brandywine, German-
4

THE DAN BURY RAID.

town, Monmouth, New Haven, Fairfield, Norwalk, the siege
of Charleston, S. C, Camden, Guilford Court House, and
finally surrendered at Yorktown.

This regiment possessed a pet — or, as it would now be
called, a mascot — which was nothing less than that pug-
nacious creature a goat ; a goat with gilded horns, and a
battle record of its own, for tradition says that the animal
accompanied the regiment up the slopes of Bunker Hill, and
came down again unscathed. It is not known to have been
with the Tryon expedition, and was probably left behind at
New York with the impedimenta of the regiment. It is, at
least, pleasant to think that this wicked and dreadful goat
was not permitted to forage upon our terror-stricken towns-
people.

A detachment of the 17th Light Dragoons, twelve in num-
ber, next claims our attention. This small body of men was
probably employed mainly for scouting purposes. The country
was at that time more heavily wooded than now, the roads
poor, and the whole territory traversed by the expedition of
a rough and broken character, unsuited to the maneuvers of
cavalry, so that the movements of such troops were mainly
restricted to rapid advances upon*points where some temporary
advantage might be gained. The appearance of these men
was worthy of note, as in uniform, equipment, and discipline
they represented the flower of the British army. Information
gleaned from various sources indicates that the dress and
equipment of each horseman was as here described : Upon his
head a metallic cap, sword-proof, surmounted by a cone, from
which a long, chestnut-colored plume fell to his shoulders.
Upon the front of the cap was a' death's head, under which
was inscribed the words " Or Glory." A red coat, faced with
white, with an epaulette on each shoulder, buckskin breeches
of a bright yellow, black knee boots, and spurs completed the
costume. A long sword swung at his side, and a carbine was
carried, muzzle down, in a socket at his stirrup. These troops
were models of discipline and military splendor, and, mounted
on handsome chargers, sixteen hands high, presented a most
formidable appearance.

The 27th Foot, or Enniskillens, as it was called, was evi-
dentlv an Irish battalion.

THE DAN BURY RAID. 4^

The 44th was later known in England as the East Essex
Regiment.

The 64th Foot was a grenadier regiment, wearing high
grenadier caps and red coats faced with black.

Six pieces of the 4th Royal Artillery also accompanied the
expedition.

Another organization, of which no mention is made in
Tryon's orders, and which seems to have been in some degree
an independent body, acting mainly under the orders of its
colonel, also formed part of this expedition. This was the
Prince of Wales' American Volunteers, a recently-recruited
loyalist regiment, of especial interest to the readers of this
volume, as it contained a considerable number of Redding
tories, and, indeed, was largely, if not entirely, composed of
Fairfield County loyalists. Its commander was Montfort
Browne, of whom it is known that he had been the royal
governor of the Bahamas, had been taken prisoner at some
early period of the war, and was exchanged for Major-General
Lord Sterling, an American officer captured at the battle of
Long Island. Special inducements were offered to loyalists
to join this corps, as shown by an advertisement in one of the
royalist papers of New York, under date of March 3, 1777:

" The Royal and Hon. Brigade of the Prince of Wales Loyal Amer.
Volunteers quartered at the famous and plentiful town of Flushing.
Recruits taken also at W™ Betts, sign of the Gen. Amherst, Jamaica.
£$ bounty and 100 acres of land on the Mississippi, for 3 yrs. or during
the rebellion. Present pay and free quarters. Clothing, arms and
accouterments supplied."

This body was very popular with the loyalists, and, says
one writer, " twenty in a drove would come from New England
to enlist in Brown's corps."

By ten o'clock at night all were ashore, and the advance
immediately began. According to the British accounts, their
march was entirely unopposed from the beginning, but an
American authority states that soon after their landing a com-
pany of militia came over the crest of a hill in their front,
fired a single volley, and disappeared. But this volley evi-
dently did no damage, and the British march was practically
unopposed. Moving northward on the route to Danbury, they
continued the march into the parish of Weston, in the north-

44 THE DAN BURY RAID.

western part of the township of Fairfield, where a halt of
several hours appears to have been made, evidently for the
purpose of resting the troops.

A wave of terror preceded their advance. As the news
that a large British force was actually advancing through the
country was spread abroad by swift messengers, the house-
holders, panic-stricken, roused their families from slumber
and sought safety in flight. To right and left and far in ad-
vance of the British column, men loaded their household goods
upon carts and wagons, and removed them, with their wives
and children, to points of supposed security. The excitement
must have been intense, and the efforts of citizens to insure
the safety of their families and possessions doubtless added
greatly to the difficulty of rallying troops for defense. Many
of the inhabitants elected to remain where they were, trusting
to fortune and the good will of their loyalist friends to insure
them protection against violence.

Meantime, messengers had been sent in all directions, sum-
moning the militia of the district to take up arms in defense
of their homes. Generals Wooster and Arnold, at New Haven,
receiving intelligence of the invasion, gathered a small escort
and pushed westward, picking up various militia companies
as they advanced. To the northward, also, the militia began
to collect and close in upon the British line of march. Capt.
Zalmon Read's company, reconnoitering in the direction of the
enemy, ran unexpectedly upon the advancing British column
near Couch's Rock in Weston, and was obliged to beat a
hasty retreat, several members of the company falling into
the enemy's hands.

The British continued their march, arresting committee
men and other officials wherever found, and securing as pris-
oners all males capable of bearing arms, though unarmed,
some of them being youths of quite tender years. This added
a new fear to the terrors of invasion, and resulted in the re-
moval of a number of children, of about the age of twelve
years, to a place of refuge in the Den Woods, where they
were provisioned by their anxious friends till the invaders had
left our shores. Arrived at Redding Ridge, a halt of two
hours was made. The troops appear to have refrained from
jnllage and violence, but the loyalist soldiers, as they passed

THE DAN BURY RAID.

through the vicinity of their old homes, jeered their wliig
neighbors, and roundly abused them for not taking service in
the cause of their king. In this manner the expedition pro-
ceeded on its way, and about two o'clock in the afternoon of
the 26th arrived in sight of Danbury, and the long, red col-
umn, deploying into line of battle, swung forward upon the
doomed town.

The inhabitants of Danbury were evidently in the same
state of distraction and excitement as their neighbors of the
lower towns ; many were fleeing from their homes, and no
effective measures for resisting the enemy's progress appear
to have been undertaken. The military stores were guarded
by some of Col. Charles Burrell's regiment (14th militia);
the local militia took up arms ; the fifty Continentals who had
assembled at the rendezvous, though nominally regulars, were
no better than militia, and only valuable according to their
previous experience in war ; and the entire available force was
much too feeble to cope with the strong and well-disciplined
British column. Some show of resistance was made, however,
there was fighting in streets and houses, and a number of the
citizens of Danbury were killed or wounded. The resistance
was soon overcome, the American forces withdrew to the
adjacent hills, and the British were left in full possession of
the town and the military stores.

These stores, the primary object of the expedition, the
enemy proceeded without delay to destroy. No means of
transporting any portion of them to the shipping being avail-
able (for the inhabitants of Danbury had impressed all teams
and vehicles for the removal of their goods and families), their
destruction became a military necessity. First placing their
prisoners in one of the churches, under strong guard, the sol-
diers burst open the storehouses and scattered their contents
about the streets. Thousands of barrels of beef, pork, flour,
biscuits, sugar, molasses, and other food stuffs, together with
large quantities of camp equipage, clothing, etc.. were con-
signed to the flames. A large quantity of rum and wine was
also consumed, not all of it, however, by fire. The soldiers
indulged freely in liquor, and its effects soon became evident
in carousals, disorderly conduct, and, final!}', in the stupor
of intoxication.

THE DAN BURY RAID.

" The fat from the stores," said an eye witness, " was, in
some places, over shoe-deep in the streets." A quantity of tar
and tallow was included in this material, and when fire was
communicated to the mass a tremendous conflagration resulted.
Some buildings ignited, and others are said to. have been set
on fire, and soon a considerable portion of the town was in
flames. In this hapless condition, with rain falling, stores and
buildings burning, and drunken soldiers carousing in their
streets, the terrorized inhabitants of Danbury passed the night.

While these events were transpiring the forces of Wooster
and Arnold were assembling and pressing forward in pursuit.
A rainstorm had set in, causing considerable delay and diffi-
culty in rallying the ill-disciplined militia of the invaded region.
The American troops did not reach Redding Ridge till eight
o'clock in the evening, six hours after the British had reached
their destination. They numbered some five hundred men,
under Gen. Silliman, with a few pieces of artillery, and some
light horse accompanying Generals Wooster and Arnold. The
latter officer seems to have anticipated intercepting the British
advance somewhere in this vicinity, and was deeply chagrined
at the news of the enemy's success in reaching their objective
point ; the vehement and sulphurous language in which he
gave vent to his feelings smote painfully upon the ears of
his astonished listeners. The column presently moved toward
Bethel and, having reached that point, bivouacked as best it
might in the driving northeast storm, in sight of the confla-
gration at Danbury.

With the dawn of the Sabbath morning General Tryon,
having accomplished the main purpose of the expedition, made
immediate preparations for the evacuation of Danbury. His
troops fell into line and, with the prisoners under safe escort,
moved out over Ridgebury Hill on their return to the place
of embarkation, leaving the smouldering ruins of Danbury
behind them. Wooster, with two hundred men, followed
immediately upon the British rear, while Arnold and Silliman,
with five hundred more, moved by another route toward Ridge-
field. What road Arnold took is not known — his most feasi-
ble course was to push through the deep defile of the Sugar
Hollow, whence a rapid march would enable him to gain the
head of Ridgefield street, while the enemy were delayed by

THE DAN BURY RAID.

the work of destroying stores and by the menaces of Wooster's
corps.

As the British moved on, they discovered and destroyed
other stores, as stated, and presently found themselves coming
into close quarters with their opponents. Upon every eminence
they found a body of troops posted to contest their advance.
At nine o'clock they halted for breakfast, and this oppor-
tunity was evidently improved by Wooster for the purpose of
striking a blow. Leading his men forward, he struck the
British rear with such impetuosity as to throw it into confusion,
taking forty men prisoners. At eleven o'clock, as the enemy
were nearing Ridgefield, Wooster again led his troops to the
attack, but received a ball in his spine as he turned to encourage
his men, and fell mortally wounded. Unwinding his sash
from his body, the soldiers placed him upon it, and bore him
from the field. His men fell back in disorder, but were rallied
by the aid-de-camp, Capt. Stephen Rowe Bradley, and with-
drawn from further pursuit. The pressure upon the British
rear being relieved, Tryon's troops advanced to attack the
force under Arnold, now entrenched in their front.

Upon arriving at Ridgefield, xA.rnold's troops had con-
structed across the north end of the village street a barricade
composed of such materials as could be hastily gathered, behind
which about two hundred men were posted, the remainder
being stationed on the flanks, and in this position anxiously
awaited the British advance. It came at noon — a heavy
column of attack, protected by strong flank guards, with artil-
lery posted in front and rear. The artillery opened on the
American position, the barrier was soon forced, and the British
infantry poured through. Hand-to-hand fighting ensued. The
conflict was short and sanguinary, and marked by thrilling
personal encounters. Arnold's horse was killed by the fire
of a British platoon, but he escaped unharmed, after killing a
soldier who advanced to shoot or capture him. Lieut. -Col.
Abraham Gould, commanding the Fourth Connecticut Militia,
was killed on horseback, his sword wet with the blood of his
enemies. The action was soon over, the Americans were forced
back on all sides, the street was cleared by the British artillery,
and the king's troops were masters of the field.

Some mournful scenes are noted in connection with this

48 THE DAN BURY RAID.

field of carnage. The dying' Wooster was borne to Danbury,
where he hngered in agony till the 2d of Ma3\ A funeral party
moved southward from the battle field, escorting the lifeless
body of Lt.-Col. Gould, secured upon the back of the faithful
charger which had borne him to a soldier's death in the heat
of battle. Eight Americans and sixteen British soldiers were
buried in a small field on the right of the American position,
and there were other graves of fallen foemen at other points
where fighting took place.

The British encamped for the night near the scene of con-
flict, and both sides rested on their arms preparatory to a re-
newal of the struggle on the morrow. The situation of Tryon's
force was now becoming critical. From all sides the militia
of Fairfield, New Haven, Litchfield, and Westchester counties
was closing in upon him ; his losses had been considerable ; he
was encumbered with prisoners ; his troops were becoming
exhausted with the strain of conflict, and his ammunition was
running low. Absolute rest was not permitted to his men —
there was firing during the night. On the morning of the
28th the British resumed their march, constantly harassed by
a running fire as they moved doggedly onward toward the
landing-place. This was a medicine that the British soldier
never took kindly to. To pour heavy volleys in the direction
of the enemy and to receive the. same in return was the mode
of fighting to which he had been trained. But to be constantly
peppered by antagonists who took advantage of every rock,
tree, or other bit of cover, and whose bullets were aimed with
uncomfortable precision, was disconcerting even to Britain's
bravest defenders. The retreat to the shipping was a repetition
of that from Lexington two years before. The British were
constantly annoyed by skirmish fire, and several determined
efforts were made to stop their progress. Arnold stationed
some troops with artillery near Saugatuck Bridge, but the
enemy avoided the encounter by fording the river some dis-
tance above and passing the bridge on the double-quick before
the Americans could strike a blow. The columns of Arnold
and Silliman now placed themselves on each side of their foes,
and a running fight ensued, " lasting for about three hours."

Arnold next posted some troops at Compo Hill, throwing
up slight breastworks to impede the advance of the enemy,

THE DAN BURY RAID. 49

who, when they arrived, found themselves confronted, a Brit-
ish writer says, by more than three times their number. This
is probably an exaggeration, but the entire militia was now
evidently all up, and a last determined effort was made to
cut off the British retreat. The enemy, however, by a vigorous
charge, repulsed the American forces with great loss, and
commenced their embarkation. Arnold rallied his men and
made a furious onset upon the enemy's rearguard, which he
threw into confusion, but the regiment of Fusiliers faced
about, fired an effective volley, and, aided by the rearguard,
which rallied, again charged with the bayonet, inflicting such
painful loss upon the i\mericans that no further effort was
made to prevent the embarking of troops. A body of marines,
it is said, was landed from the vessels to cover the retreat,
and the British returned in safety to their fleet, carrying their
prisoners with them. Arrived on board, the soldiers flung
themselves upon the decks, where they lay, utterly exhausted,
as the vessels bore away for the opposite shore.

The raid was ended ! The wearied patriots buried their
dead, and dispersed ; the inhabitants who had sought safety in
flight returned to their homes ; the frightened children came
out of the tangled thickets of the Den, and returned to the
arms of their joyful mothers ; crowds, curious and eager,
visited the various fields of conflict, whose scenes and memories
remained a theme of wondering discussion for many a long
day. The results of the raid were most unfortunate for the
American cause ; the losses in military stores, property, and
life were very considerable and very dispiriting to the patriots.
On the other hand, the British soldiery had been sorely pressed,
and afterward admitted that they had been more severely
handled than at Concord and Lexington, and but for their
superior discipline and the military skill of their leaders would
probably have been captured. And it is much to be regretted
that on this occasion our troops were not commanded by a
general more renowned for strategical ability than for desper-
ate valor. Equally is it to be deplored that our troops did not
possess the staying power to successfully resist that charge at
Compo, " which had become absolutely necessary, from a want
of ammunition." The capture of this entire British column
would have gone far to compensate for the injury it had in-
flicted.

CO THE DAN BURY RAID.

Now that the tempest had passed the people set to work to
repair its ravages. Several prominent men had been carried
off by the British from the towns through which they passed,
and to make good their losses and provide for future exigen-
cies the citizens of Redding met and voted :

" May 5, 1777. — David Jackson, Seth Sanford, Thad"s Benedict and
John Gray Chosen Select Men in Addition to and to Supply the places
of Stephen Betts and James Rogers, that were taken Prifoners by the
Enemy in their Expedition to Danbury."

BRITISH CORRESPONDENCE AND RETURNS. — LIST OF
PATRIOT SOLDIERS, PRISONERS, ETC.— THE SUGAR
HOUSE.

Having returned from his expedition with a whole skin and
an accompHshed purpose, Gen. Tryon might now unbuckle his
sword-belt, call for pen and inkhorn, and due report make to
his superior officers. This last he proceeded to do, as did
others connected with the army and the home government, and
the whole correspondence is here presented in chronological
order, showing how the expedition and its results were re-
garded by the British authorities :

[Capt. Hutchinson to Lord Percy.]

" On board the Mercury Packet,
Long Island Sound, April 30, 1777.
My Lord,

Having on Monday evening last, on my way through the Sound,
fallen in with major-general Tryon's detachment, which he was then
re-embarking at Norwalk bay, I was induced to go on board the Sene-
gal to receive the general's commands, and if possible to learn, for
your lordship's information, the success of so important an expedition.
The fleet being under way by the time I got on board, the general had
just time to desire me to inform your lordship that he had succeeded
beyond his expectations, having completely destroyed two principal
magazines belonging to the rebels at Danbury and Ridgefield, consist-
ing of provisions and other military stores, such as rum, tents, wag-
gons, harness, made up ammunition, hospital medicines, and cloathing;
and that with the loss of very few rrten. That he had met with very
little opposition on his way to Danbury, but on his return was attacked
by Arnold at the head of a large body of rebels from Peek's Kill, who
harrassed his march exceedingly almost the whole way from Ridge-
field to near the water-side ; but that he at last made a successful
charge with his bayonets on their main body, by which he destroyed a
considerable number, and drove the rest into the utmost confusion,
which enabled him to resume his march, and to re-embark his troops,
horses, artillery and wounded men, without further molestation. That
he had not then been able to collect the dififerent returns, but from the
best 9,ccounts he could get, believed his loss did not exceed 50 men
killed and wounded, that he had no officers killed, and only a few
wounded. He added, that he was much indebted to the spirit and
bravery of his troops, and particularly so to major Stewart, who had

BRITISH CORRESPONDENCE.

distinguished himself in a most conspicuous manner on the occasion.
This too I had afterwards explained by general Agnew and his major
of brigade Lesslie, who informed me that Stewart, with about ten or
twelve men only, rushed forward into the enemy's line, and by his
example, animated the rest of our troops to make a general charge,
which by that time was become absolutely necessary from a want of
ammunition, &c.

The rebels, it seems, had contrived in the space of half an hour,
with their usual industry, to cover themselves with a kind of breast-
work, on the ground over which our troops must pass. Lesslie said
that there could not be less than 4000 barrels of beef and pork, 3000
barrels of flour, and above 50 puncheons of rum, destroyed in the whole,
besides the other articles of camp stores and cloathing above mentioned.
That a great part of these were found in the churches at Danbury and
Ridgefield, some in houses, and some in the woods ; but that the whole
was discovered, and either staved or burnt, together with the above
mentioned towns. Major Lesslie likewise said, that he thought there
were above 300 of the rebels destroyed ; which indeed seemed to be the
general opinion. General Woorster, he said, was certainly mortally
wounded; that Arnold escaped very narrowly with the loss of his horse,
which was killed. Everybody said, he behaved that day with uncom-
mon resolution, as to personal bravery, but did not give him much credit
for his judgment as a general. I heard that about 170 prisoners were
brought on board, but do not recollect at what place, or in what manner
they were taken, being only about ten minutes on board, I could not
possibly collect as many particulars as I wished.

General Agnew has got a slight wound in the shoulder, and I was
told that major Hope, capt. Thorne, and lieut. Hastings, were slightly
wounded, and a captain in Brown's corps, who was said to be the only
one in danger. I was told that general Tryon had returned that corps
public thanks for their gallant behaviour.

General Tryon's detachment consisted of about 2000 men from the
4th, 15th, 23d, 27th, 44th, and 64th regiments ; and brigadier-general
Brown's corps, with twelve of the 17th light dragoons, and six light
field pieces. They landed on Friday the 25th of April at Norwalk
Bay, and proceeded first to Danbury, from which they returned by way
of Ridgefield, and re-embarked on Monday afternoon, the 28th. And
it being general Tryon's orders to return as soon as this service was
performed, they sailed immediately for New York.

Captain Duncan, of the Eagle, had the command of the naval de-
partment, having with him the Senegal and Swan sloops of war. No
accident of any kind happened to any of the shipping.

This, my lord, is the substance of the information I had time to
collect.

G. Hutchinson, Aid de camp."

BRITISH CORRESPONDENCE. 53

(Gov. Tryon to Lord George Germain. [0"Callaghan: Doc. Hist. N. Y.])

" New York, 2 May, 1777.
My Lord,

The bearer, M"" Laight, is a good and faithful subject, which testi-
mony he desired, I would give your Lord?. The success of the Enter-
prize in Connecticut under my command, I must leave to General S""
W"' Moore [Howe?] to particularize. I shall only observe, that my
obligations to Sir W™ Erskine are beyond the measure of praise on the
occasion ; without him I should have been much embarrassed if nothing
worse, and with his aid I met with no difficulties, but what the spirit
and activity of both Officers and Soldiers honorably surmounted —
Submitting myself to your LordPs patronage I am very respectfully
Your LordP,s obed"^ humble serv'

W" Tryon "

[General Orders.]

" Head Quarters, New York, May 2, 1777.

The Commander in Chief returns his thanks to Maj"" General Tryon,
to the Gen' Officers, and to all the other Officers under his Command,
on the late Expedition ; the regularity of the Men, reflects credit upon
the discipline of the Army, and does them great honor.

The spirited charge of the Troops with their Bayonets upon the
Enemy, covered with Walls & Fences, previous to the embarkation,
sufficiently proves the evident superiority of His Majesty's Troops, and
afifords the greatest Satisfaction to his Excellency."

[Vice-.\dmiral Lord Howe to Philip Stephens, Esq. Sec'y Admiralty.]

'• Eagle Of¥ New York

May the iS*-'^ 1777-
Sir,

I informed you in my last of the 23'^ of April, that a Detachment of
the Army had been embarked by the General's Appointment, to be
landed on the Coast of Connecticut, for destroying a very considerable
Magazine formed by the Rebels at Danbury in that Province.

The Service being critical, and the Navigation intricate, I committed
the Conduct of it to Captain Duncan: The Captains MoUoy and Clay-
ton commanding the Flat-Boats under his Orders. And I have the
pleasure of being able to report that the several parts of the Service
were executed with much Skill and Judgment.

The Arrival of the Detachment being unexpected, no Opposition
was made to the Landing near Norwalk. When the Troops were
formed on their Return to the Shore, preparatory to their Re-embarka-
tion, after the most complete -Success in the intended purpose, the
Rebels advanced with an apparent Design to charge them. But being

BRITISH CORRESPONDENCE.

thereupon attacked and dispersed the Detachment was taken off with-
out further Interruption.

I am, with great Consideration,
Sir,

Your most obedient

humble Servant

Howe.
Philip Stephens, Esq.,

Secretary of the Admiralty."

[Sir \Vm Howe to Lord George Germain.]

" New York 22^ May 1777.
My Lord

In my Letter of 24'^ April No. 51, I mentioned an Embarkation of
Troops detached under the Command of Major Geri^ral Tryon, for the
Destruction of one of the Enemy's Magazines of Provisions and Stores
collected at Danbury in Connecticut. I have now the Honor of report-
ing to your Lordship the Success of that Expedition, and, to enclose a
Return of the Stores destroyed.

The Troops landed without Opposition in the Afternoon of the 2$^^
April, about four Miles to the Eastward of Norwalk, and twenty from
Danbury.

In the Afternoon of the 26^^ the Detachment reached Danbury,
meeting only small Parties of the Enemy on the march ; but General
Tryon having Intelligence that the whole Force of the Country was
collecting, to take every Advantage of the strong Ground he was to
pass on his Return to the shipping, and finding it impossible to procure
Carriages to bring off any Part of the Stores, they were effectually
destroyed, in the Execution of which the Village was unavoidably
burnt.

On the 27'^ in the morning the Troops quitted Danbury and met
with little Opposition until they came near to Ridgefield, which was
occupied by General Arnold, who had thrown up Entrenchments to
dispute the Passage, while General Wooster hung upon the Rear with
a separate Corps : The Village was forced and the Enemy drove back
on all Sides.

General Tryon lay that night at Ridgefield, and renewed his March
on the morning of the 28*^'. The Enemy having been reinforced with
Troops and Cannon, disputed every advantageous Situation, keeping
at the same Time smaller Parties to harrass the Rear, until the General
had formed his Detachment upon a Height within Cannon shot of the
Shipping, when the Enemy advancing, seemingly with an Intention to
attack him, he ordered the Troops to charge with their Bayonets, which
was executed with such Impetuosity that the Rebels were totally put
to Flight, and the Detachment embarked without further Molestation.

The enclosed Returns set forth the Loss sustained by the King's

RETURNS. ^c

Troops and that of the Eenemy from the best Information, but I have
the Satisfaction to inform your Lordship our wounded Officers are in
the fairest Way of Recovery.

I have the Honor to be

Your Lordships

most obedient
humble Servant

W. Howe.
Right Hon*''® Lord George Germain &ca &ca &ca "

Return of the Stores, Ordnance, Provisions &ca, as nearly as could
be ascertained, found at the Rebels Stores, and destroyed by the Kings
Troops at Danbury &ca, in Connecticut, April 27^^ ^777-

A quantity of Ordnance Stores, with Iron &ca
Four Thousand Barrels of Beef and Pork
One Thousand barrels of Flour
One hundred large Teirces of Biscuit
Eighty nine Barrels of Rice
One hundred and twenty Puncheons of Rum

Several large Stores of Wheat, Oats, and Indian Corn in bulk, the
quantity therefore could not possibly be ascertained.
Thirty Pipes of Wine
One hundred Hogsheads of Sugar
Fifty Ditt° of Molasses
Twenty Casks of Coffee

Fifteen large Casks filled with Medicines of all Kinds
Ten Barrels of Salt Petre.

One Thousand and Twenty Tents and Marquies.
A Number of Iron boilers,
A large quantity of Hospital Bedding &ca.
Engineer, Pioneer and Carpenters Tools
A Printing Press complete
Tar, Tallow &ca.
Five thousand pair of Shoes and Stockings

At a Mill between Ridgeberry and Ridgefield.
One hundred barrels Flour, and a quantity of Indian Corn.

At the Bridge over the West Branch of Norwalk River and in the
Woods contiguous.
One hundred Hogsheads of Rum
Several Chests of Arms
Paper Cartridges
Field Forges
Three hundred Tents.

RETURNS.

Return of the Kllled, Wounded, and Missing of the following
Corps on the 27"' & 28"' April upon the Expedition under the Command
of Major General Tryon.

Killed

Wounded

Missing

6
be

feO

c
■5

a
0

&,o

a
'5
a
0

c
1)

si
;-<

3
u
Q

4th .. .

15th . . .

23d ....

27th . . .

44th . . .

64th . . .

Prince of

Wales's
American

[■

••

Voluntiers

)

Total . .

Killed

Wounded

Missii

Royal'"Artiller

«1

•a
<

■a
<

t-l

•0

Tot£

il .

••

4'h Reg'
4*11 Reg* . . . Capt" Thorne Wounded

(^ \ Capt° Ditmas d°

' Lieut Hastings 12"' reg' acts as Volunteer d"
[ Major Conran d"

27* ■] Capt" Rutherford d"

• ( Ens" Minchin d°

^ ( 2^ Lieut Price d°

' Volunteer Vale d»

44*'> Major Hope d"

64th j Capf> Calder d"

( Ens" Mercer d»

Prince of Wales's i Col" Brown d"

American \ Capt° Lyman d»

Voluntiers ( Capt° Seon d"

Capt" Simon Eraser as Volunf D»

W Howe

BRITISH CORRESPONDENCE.

Return of the Rebels, Killed iS: Wounded, on the 27th & 28^'' April
1777 in Connecticut by tlie Detachment under the Command of Major

General Tryon.

Killed
General Wooster
Colonel Goold

Colonel Lamb of the Artillery
Colonel Henman

Doctor Atwater a Man of considerable Influence
Captain Cooe
Lieu* Thompson
100 Private

Wounded
Colonel Whiting
Captain Benjamin
Lieu* Cooe
250 Private

Taken
50 Private including several Committee Men.

[Gov. ]\Iontfort Browne to Lord [Geo. Germain?].]

" No. 4.

New York May the 3it 1777.
My Lord.

I have now the honor to transmit to your Lordship duplicate of my
last letter No. 3, dated April the i' 1777, which I hope has long since
reached your Lordships hands.

Scarce anything since that period has happened worth Communicat-
ing, except our Expedition to Danbury, which tho' a most fateiguing
one, has been successful beyond our most sanguine expectations ; —
The immense quantitys of Provisions, and Stores of all kinds, which
were destroy'd in that Town, and its Environs, have been astonishing;
The Magazines were in short filled with every necessary for the sup-
port of the Rebel Army, that could be thought of, and the loss and dis-
appointment it must be to them at the opening of their Campaign must
be irreparable, and not to be rated. As the Commander in Chief has
undoubtedly forwarded your Lordship by this opportunity, the par-
ticulars of the stores, ordnance and provision taken and destroy'd, it
will be useless to repeat them.

I Commanded my own Corps, and can truly say, upon the faith and
honor of a Governor, that their undaunted behaviour and resolution,
astonished every officer on the expedition, they could scarce be
restrained, often advancing musket shot before any other Corps; but
nothing was more pleasing, or could more evidently prove the purity
and uncorruptness of thier principles, than that of paying not the least
attention or partiallity to thier own Rebel Relations and Neighbours, who
they met in Numbers of Both Sexes, and to whom they express'd upon
all occasions, a resentment, for not joining in fighting for the best of

58 BRITISH CORRESPONDENCE.

Kings. — I had Two Captains wounded (one Mortally) and Sixteen
non Commission'd Officers and Privates Killed and Wounded. I had
the Misfortune of being amongst the number of the latter, having
receiv'd a ball in my left Thigh, of which, thank God, I am nearly
recovered.

The honor my Corps has gain'd on this Expedition has been Echoed
from the lowest rank to the highest : and Sir William Erskine and
Major General Tryon have been so good as to report thier Behaviour
to the Commander in Chief in such pathetic Terms, as induced his Ex-
cellency to return all the Officers, and Men thanks in the most Public
manner, for their iindaunted Courage, and Spirited Behavour ; And
has done me the honor to appoint me to the Rank of Brigadier General,
which, as I had the honor to inform your Lordship in my last, I con-
sider as a mere Bagatelle, as I am Commanded by Brigadier General
De Lancy and Skinner. I therefore once more take the Liberty to rec-
ommend to your Lordships Consideration my request in my Letter
No. 3 which will lay me under inexpressable obligation. —
June io"i

Since having wrote the foregoing, I have the honor to acquaint your
Lordship that I have just had it from undoubted authority from Con-
necticut, that the Rebells upon a supposition that our little Army, was
to march from Danbury to the White Plains, had actually destroy'd
several Magazines on that road, full of Provisions, Ammunition and
Stores Considered equal in Quantity with those demolished at Danbury.

My Corps are all encamped at Kingsbridge Ready at a moments
notice to follow the Commander in Chief, who tis said will take the
feild without delay.

I have the Honor to be with the Greatest Respect,

My Lord,
Your Lordships
most obedient and
most devoted Serv*^
MoNTFORT Browne "

[Col. Guy Johnson to Lord Geo. Germain.]
[O'Callaghan: Doc. Hist. N. Y.]

" No. 5.

New York June 8'^ 1777.
My Lord,

In my letter of April last (No. 4) I mentioned briefly the state of
matters at that time; a few days after a person whom I employed to
carry messages to the Indians and obtain an account of the rebel garri-
sons returned, with a full state of the strength and circumstances of
the Forts from Ticonderoga to Albany, which he obtained thro' his
address under an assumed character, & likewise gave a particular
account of a large magazine of military stores and provisions collected
at Danbury in Connecticut ; which I communicated to S"" W™ Howe,
who soon after sent a body of troops there, that effectually destroyed
the whole, as he has doubtless acquainted your Lordship. . . ."

BRITISH CORRESPONDENCE.

[Gov. Tryon to Lord Geo. Germain.]
[O'Callaghan: Doc. Hist. N. Y.]

" New York, 9, June 1777.
My Lord,

As the success of the late expedition to Connecticut to destroy the
rebel stores at Danbury has been transmitted by the Commander in
Chief, I only beg leave to assure your Lord?, every praise is due to the
persevering courage and spirited behaviour of both Officers and Men,
on that service S^" W™ Erskine was of important service in his double
capacity, as Brigadier and Quarter Master General. I hold him in
such honorable esteem and regard, and confess his Military abilities so
superior to my own, that were I allowed to make a request to his Maj^y
in his behalf, it should be that he might succeed to the command of a
Regiment before me, as much as I wish for that honour myself.

I am. My Lord, most respectfully

Your obedient servant

W^ Tryon M : G."

"(No. 14.)
Sir,

[l^ord Geo. Germain to Sir Wm. Howe.]

Whitehall June 2otii 1777.

I have had the Satisfaction to hear of the Success of the Expedi-
tion to Danbury, by means of Lord Percy, who communicated to me a
letter which he received from his Aid de Camp Captain Hutchinson
dated 28ti> April, and which has been inserted in the Gazette.

I am &c^

Geo : Germain."
" The Honorable
Sir William Howe.

[Lord Geo. Germain to Sir Wm. Howe.]

"(No. 15.)

Whitehall 6^^ August 1777.
Sir

You will have learned from my Dispatch of the ao'^^ June that the
News of the Success of the detachment under the Command of Major
General Tryon, had reached England, before the Arrival of your Let-
ter of 22<i May.

Your Account of that Expedition nevertheless gave the King great
Satisfaction; as it was accompanied with Assurances that His Majesty's
Troops had sustained a comparatively small Loss and that the wounded
Officers were in a fair way of Recovery.

The King was pleased to repeat the Approbation which he formerly
expressed of your manifest Attention to the Service in setting on foot
an Expedition which was so well timed and so peculiarly calculated
for distressing the Enemy; and His Majesty highly approves of the
manner in which it has been executed. . . .

I have the honor to be &c^

Geo: Germain."

PATRIOT SOLDIERS.

A LIST OF REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS AND OTHERS WHO
PARTICIPATED IN THE DANBURY RAID, APRIL 25-28,
1777.

Nezi' Haven.

Maj. Gen. David Wooster,

Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold,

Dr. David Atwater,
Anan Bradley,
Timothy Gorham,
Philo Hodge,

Commanded the American troops in the
pursuit of Tryon. Mortally wounded
at Ridgefield, Apl. 27, died at Dan-
bury, May 2, 1777.

Took command of the American forces
after the fall of Wooster.

Killed.

Wounded.

(West Haven.) Wounded at Compo,
Apl. 28.

Brig. Gen. Gold Selleck
Silliman,

Lt. Col. Abraham Gould,

Lt. Col. David Dimon,
Lt. Lewis Goodsell,

Zachariah Lacey,
Benjamin Meeker,

Levi Bradley,

Fairfield.

Commanded the Conn. Militia in the

Tryon Raid.
Comd'g 4*^ Conn. Militia. Killed at

Ridgefield, Apl. 27.
6''*^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line.
Capt. Ebenezer Hill's Co., 4*^^ Conn.

Militia.
A private soldier.
A civilian. Taken prisoner. Carried to

New York, and spent eighteen months

in the Sugar House.
A soldier engaged at Ridgefield.

Capt. Ebenezer Coe,

Lt. Ephraim Middlebrook,

Lt. William Thompson,
Lt. Stephen Wells,

William Nichols,

Josiah Peck,

Ens. Judson Burton,

Stratford.

Seriously wounded at Ridgefield, Apl.

27. Right eye shot out, part of right

ear shot ofif, bayonet stab in right hand

and side. Recovered, and lived to old

age.
Comd'g Co. Killed at Ridgefield, Apl.

27.
Killed at Ridgefield, Apl. 27.
4^^ Co. of alarm list, 4*-^ Conn. Militia.

Wounded at Ridgefield, Apl. 27.
(Bridgeport.) Saw Gen. Wooster when

he fell.
Capt. Wheeler's co.. Col. Whiting's Regt.

(4ti> Conn. Militia).
13*'' Regt. Conn. Militia.

PATRIOT SOLDIERS.

Capt. Abraham Brinsniade.
Stiles Judson.
William Hall.
Lewis Fairchild.
Robert Hawley,

Capt. Nathan Seeley.

Sergt. Samuel Gold,
Stephen Fairchild,
Daniel Bartram,
Benjamin Lines,

Jacob Patchen,

Ebenezer Patchen.
Jeremiah Sanford,

Daniel Chapman,
Daniel Collins Bartlett.

Lt. Hezekiah Davenport,
David Stevens,
John Holmes,
David Waterbury,

Benjamin Weed,
Capt. Jesse Bell.
Thaddeus Bell,

Capt. Thomas Starr,
A negro,

Ens. Ozias Goodwin.
Oliver Dickinson.
Solomon Buell,

Capt. Ebenezer Coe's Co. ; 4*^^ Conn.
Militia. Wounded.

Redding.

Wounded at Ridgefield, Apl. 27.

Served with the militia in Tryon's Raid.

A non-combatant, 16 yrs. old. Taken
prisoner, but was released by Gov.
Tryon, on account of his youth.

Taken prisoner, but, says tradition, "be-
ing young, strong, and active, soon
made his escape."

A lad of 19. Taken prisoner, carried to
New York, and died in the Sugar
House.

Taken prisoner and died in the Sugar
House.

Stamford.

Killed at Ridgefield, Apl. 27.

Was in the Danbury fight.

Was in the pursuit of the British after
the burning of Danbury. Saw Woos-
ter shot, and saw Arnold leave his
fallen horse, taking his pistols with
him.

Wounded at Ridgefield, Apr. 27.

(Darien.)

Danbtiry.

Wounded.

Property of Sam Smith, Esq., of Red-
ding. Killed at Danbury, Apl. 26.

LitchHeld.

Wounded in both thighs.

PATRIOT SOLDIERS.

Ridgefield.

^th Regt. Conn. Continental Line.
Witnessed the fight at Ridgefield.

Woodbury.

Severely wounded.
Taken prisoner.
Taken prisoner.

Nezv Fairfield.

5th Regt. Conn. Light Horse.
In Col. J. P. Cooke's Regt. (16*1 Mili-
tia). Wounded.

A boy of 16. Son of Elias. Left home
against his father's command, and
blazed away at the British from behind
a stone wall. His father chastised him
for his disobedience.

PVallingford.
Col. Thaddeus Cook, lo^'i Regt. Conn. Militia.

Capt. Stephen Rowe Bradley, (Cheshire.) Aid to Gen. Wooster.
Aaron Ives, Wounded in the leg at Compo, and lost

his horse-equipments and rations.
Joash Hall, Fought at Compo, where his horse was

shot under him.
Stephen Parker, (Cheshire.)

Col. Philip Burr Bradley,
Jeremiah Keeler,

Thomas Torrance,
Simeon Minor,
Timothy Minor,

Capt. Thomas Bull,
Daniel Bull,

Elias Gray.
William Gray,

Paul Peck,
Levi Watson,

Jere Burwell.
Benjamin Piatt,

Torrington.
Hunter and scout. Volunteer. Killed

near Danbury.
Was at Danbury when it was burned.

Milford.

Severely wounded. ^

Lt. Peter Mills.
Nathan Skiff, 2^.

Lt. Col. Josiah Starr,
Isaac Baldwin,
Col. Charles Burrall, Canaan,
Col. Joseph Crane,
Maj. Thaddeus Crane, No.
Salem, N. Y.,

Kent.

Nezv Milford.

/'•iRegt. Conn. Continental Line.
Was in the fight at Danbury.
14"^ Regt. Conn. Militia.
N. Y. Militia.

2d Westchester Co. Regt. Wounded.

THE SUGAR HOUSE.

Lebbeus Mead,

Capt. Daniel Gillett,
Capt. Edward Rogers, Corn-
wall.
Nicholas Darrow, Middle-
town.
Daniel Sloper, Soutliington,
Abner Bradley, Watertown,
Theophilus Mead, Norwalk,
William Edmond, Newtown,
Joseph Parker,

Lt. Samuel Elmore, Sharon,
Lt. Col. Giles Russell, Ston-
ington.

Col. Jedidiah Huntington,
Norwich,

Lewis Fairchild, Guilford,

John Crane, Durham,

James Lockwood, New Ca-
naan.

Capt. Seeley's Co., Col. Cortland's Regt.
(N. Y.). Badly wounded at Compo,
Apl. 28.

Volunteer.

Sheldon's Regt. Light Horse.
Wounded at Compo, Apl. 28.
Wounded near Ridgefield.
Volunteer. Wounded in the thigh.
Suffered excessive fatigue at the burn-
ing of Danbury.
Killed at Compo, Apl. 28.

^th Regt. Conn. Continental Line.
Wounded at Danbury.

1st Regt. Conn. Continental Line.
Captured at Danbury; died in prison.
Wounded.

Besides the losses noted above, the British claimed to have
killed Col. Lamb, and placed Col. Whiting and Capt. Benjamin
among the wounded. This list, comprising about one-seventh
of the number supposed to have been with Wooster and Arnold,
gives a good idea of the casualties of battle. In addition, more
than forty Americans were taken prisoners, carried to New
York, and confined in the Sugar House. This building, which
adjoined the yard of Trinity Church, was used, throughout the
Revolution, for the confinement of military prisoners, and
within its walls many a hapless patriot endured imtold suffer-
ings during the period of his imprisonment. From this dread
prison-house, almost as soon as they reached it, these unfor-
tunate men sent back an appeal for assistance to their sorrow-
stricken friends :

" By a letter sent by Col. Hart, dated New York. May 2, 1777,
directed to Squire Sanford and signed by James Rogers, it appears that
the following persons, who were taken prisoners in the expedition at
Danbury, and carried to New York, were, Daniel Chapman, Jabez
Frost, Daniel Sanford, Timothy Parsons, David Fairchild, Daniel

THE SUGAR HOUSE.

Meeker, Russel Bartlet, James Rogers, Oliver Sanford, Nathaniel
Squire, Ezekiel Fairchild, Stephen Betts, Jonas Piatt and Thomas
Couch of Redding, John Bartram, Matthew Benedict, Benjamin Sperry,
John Porter, Jonathan Starr, William Roberts, Jacob Gray, Aaron Gray
Knap, of Danbury; Benjamin Meeker, John Olmsted, John Dimon,
Benjamin Banks, David Burr, Peter Blackman, Ephraim Burr, Nathan
Beers, Caleb Disbrow, Levi Disbrow, and Peter Williams, of the town
of Fairfield, Israel Chapman of Salem ; James Crawford and Newton
Crawford of Pound Ridge; Simeon Minor, of Woodbury; Benjamin
Keeler of Wilton, John Wright of Norwich; Job Slocum of Oblong;
James and Benjamin Northrup and John Smith of Ridgefield; in whose
behalf Mr. Rogers wrote the letter, in which they requested their
friends in Connecticut, to send to them by Col. Hart, all the hard money
they could collect, who had agreed to advertise when he should return
to New York, and where the money should be left for said prisoners;
each man's money to be put up by itself, with his name on it." [Hin-
man: War Am. Rev.]

It is doubtful whether this money ever benefited the pris-
oners, if, indeed, they ever received it. The British provost-
marshal, Capt. William Cunningham, was an inhuman monster,
who treated his miserable captives with the most revolting
cruelty. Under his charge, men of all ranks were confined to-
gether without distinction of character ; citizens of high stand-
ing and respectability were thrown, without cause, into the>
same loathsome dungeon with felons of the lowest grade ; the
friends of prisoners were forbidden all access to them ; corre-
spondence was prohibited, lest their condition become publicly
known ; the grossest insults were offered them ; sick soldiers,
and even officers, were beaten by this barbarous wretch, whose
power over them was unlimited. No hospital was provided
for the sick ; no physician was permitted to be in attendance,
and great numbers necessarily died of disease. The weekly
ration of the prisoners was two pounds of hard biscuit, and the
same quantity of raw pork, which had to be eaten uncooked.
Water was only obtainable from a polluted well. Cunningham
reduced the quantity of provisions, exchanged good food for
bad, and caused arsenic to be introduced into the bread of the
captives. At the bacchanalian feasts which he gave to his per-
sonal friends, the prisoners were paraded, to be pointed out and
abused by the drunken scoundrel at whose mercy they were
placed. Followed by a villainous negro armed with a coil of
rope, he made frequent tours of the prison, threatening death

THE SUGAR HOUSE.

by the noose to any who incurred his displeasure, and scrupled
not to carry out his threat, for scores of helpless victims were
strangled by Cunningham and his demoniac assistant in the
yard of the prison during the hours of night, without trial and
without the knowdedge of the too-negligent authorities. This
murder of helpless beings might have continued indefinitely had
not some wretched women who lived in that vicinity, moved
by the piteous cries for mercy which disturbed their midnight
hours, personally appealed to General Howe to prevent the
horrid practice. Some amelioration of the sufferings of pris-
oners was thereby secured, but throughout the war the memory
of the Sugar House was associated with never-to-be-forgotten
horrors.

From this inferno the citizens captured during the Raid
appear to have happily secured their release after a compara-
tively brief term of imprisonment. Of the fifteen inhabitants
of Redding who were carried to New York, six died in prison
and seven others are known to have returned before the close
of the Saratoga campaign. Probably all the survivors were
released at the same time, but by what means did they so for-
tunately escape the fate which awaited those who remained in
the Sugar House ? Were they exchanged for some of the pris-
oners taken by Gen. Wooster in his attack on the British rear-,
guard on Ridgebury Hill ? By no other supposition can the
writer explain their happy escape from a fate as horrible as
brave men ever met at any period of our country's history.

THE SARATOGA CAMPAIGN. — OPERATIONS IN PENNSYL-
VANIA. — GERMANTOWN, VALLEY FORGE, AND MON-
MOUTH.

The events of the succeeding months of the year 1777 fol-
lowed each other in bewildering succession: an effort wdll be
made to present them in the order in which they occurred.

The British government, whose army had obtained an al-
most unbroken series of successes in the campaign of the pre-
vious year, now conceived the idea of inaugurating a double
campaign, which, it was hoped, would result in the complete
overthrow of the American forces and the collapse of the re-
bellion. A force was to be sent to capture Philadelphia — an-
other, marching southward from Canada along the great water-
ways of the colony of New York, was to join the British army
at the mouth of the Hudson. The first movement would divide
and weaken the army of Washington and place the Jerseys
under British control ; the second would isolate rebellious New
England — hitherto the chief source of resistance — from the
other colonies. It was believed that should these operations
prove successful, armed opposition could not long endure.

Accordingly, Sir John Burgoyne, then in England, was
placed at the head of a new army of English and German troops
and sailed with them for America. Arriving at Montreal, he
organized his forces for active service, and on the morning of
the 8th of June set forth at the head of a splendid column of
soldiery, consisting of thirty-seven hundred English regulars,
three thousand German troops of the line, about five hundred
artillerymen with forty guns, and some two hundred and fifty
provincials, constituting, in efficiency and equipment for serv-
ice, one of the best armies ever seen in America. Across the
level prairie toward the banks of the Sorel, through the rugged
uplands beside the rapids which interrupt the course of that
river, and penetrating the tangled forest which lay beyond, the
army continued its march along the western boundary of Lake
Champlain, under increasing difficulties of transportation and
subsistence. Meantime the second part of the British plan of

CAMPAIGNS OF 1777. ^J

campaign was put into execution. On the 13th of June Howe
started across New Jersey from liis camp on Staten Island, in
an endeavor to bring Washington to battle under conditions
favorable to British success. Failing in this attempt (for
Washington proved too wary), Howe returned to his camp to
make preparations for approaching Philadelphia by water.
Jvme 1 8th Burgoyne was near Crown Point, engaging the serv-
ices of four hundred warriors of the Five Nations. He then
proceeded to Ticonderoga, appearing before that stronghold on
July I St, on which date Howe was embarking his troops for the
expedition against Philadelphia. The garrison of Ticonderoga,
thirty-five hundred strong, under Gen. St. Clair, was compelled
to evacuate the fortress and retired in haste, hotly pursued by
the British advance corps. At Hubbardton, on July 7th, three
regiments of St. Clair's force were overtaken, defeated, and
dispersed. Burgoyne pushed on, though under increasing dif-
ficulties, compelling the Americans to abandon all their ad-
vanced posts.

The plan of Burgoyne's expedition included a diversion into
the Mohawk valley ; for this purpose Col. St. Leger, with a
force of Tories and Indians, was detailed and appeared before
Fort Stanwix, the extreme left of the American defensive line,
on the 3d of August. He met with a gallant resistance, and,
being unable to make any impression on the works, sat down to
a siege. Meanwhile Burgoyne's slow progress was exhausting
his supplies, and his troops were becoming disheartened by the
unusual toils and fatigues of the march. Detachments under
Colonels Baum and Breyman, sent toward the American right
to obtain recruits, horses, forage, and supplies, were cut to
pieces at Bennington on the i6th by Green Mountain militia
under Stark and Warner. This disaster, the first serious re-
verse which Burgoyne had suffered, cost him the support of
his Indian allies, who now melted away. This w^as little to be
regretted, however, as they would not observe the rules of
civilized warfare, and the atrocities which they committed in-
censed the inhabitants of the region through which they passed.
Soon after the afifair at Bennington the approach of an Ameri-
can relief column under Arnold compelled St. Leger to raise
the siege of Fort Stanwix. and he retreated precipitately on
Aug. 22d with the loss of his stores and camp equipage. It was

68 CAMPAIGNS OF 1777.

on this day that the fleet of Howe entered the Chesapeake. The
British commander had at first attempted the passage bv way
of the Delaware, but, finding the river well protected and ob-
structed, made a detour into Chesapeake Bay and landed at
the Head of Elk on Aug. 27th. Here he disembarked and ad-
vanced cautiously toward Philadelphia, finding the armv of
Washington concentrated in his front. The hostile forces met
at Chadd's Ford, on the Brandywine, on the nth of Septem-
ber ; the Americans were defeated and fell back to Philadel-
phia, which they presently evacuated, and the British entered
the city in triumph, thus bringing one part of the British mili-
tary programme to a successful termination.

With Burgoyne, however, matters were taking a much less
favorable course. As previously stated, his progress through
the untrodden wilderness had been so slow that his supplies
gave out and were replenished with difficulty ; the unremitting
toils and fatigues of the march disheartened his troops ; disci-
pline relaxed, and desertions were numerous. Advancing for
short distances every day, and halting every night, Burgoyne
at last reached the Hudson River, and, crossing his army on
the 13th of September, encamped near Saratoga.

The disposition of the American forces at this time was :
Washington, with the main army, in Pennsylvania ; Putnam,
with a weak force, in charge of the defenses of the Highlands ;
Gates, with six thousand men, confronting Burgoyne at Sara-
toga. The region in which the two armies were about to en-
gage in deadly conflict was a hilly section, covered with forests
interspersed with cultivated clearings.

The Connecticut militia, soon to be ordered to the Hudson,
were at this time much in need of camp equipage and quarter-
master's supplies, and a requisition had been made upon the
towns for certain necessary articles. For the purpose of pro-
viding these, the townsmen of Redding met and voted :

" Sept. 18, 1777. — ... Also voted at said meeting that the In-
junction or Request from his Excellency the Governor and Council ol
Safety be Complied with and that David Sanford David Starr Dan'^
Mallery Nehemiah Hull Afahel Fitch, Nath" Barlow Theop"s Hull
John Hull Eben'' Andrews Zalmon Read Ephraim Robbins and Stephen
Betts be a Com'^e to procure and get Dubble the Articles (if they can)
mentioned in the Governor's said Request and that the said Com*^^^ be
paid by the Town the Extrodanary Charges the said Articles may Cost
more than they are set at in the said Request."

BATTLE OF SARATOGA.

After which, it may be safely assumed, they discussed with
interest and animation the state of miHtary affairs in New
York and Pennsylvania. More exciting was this day on the
banks of the Hudson, for the two armies had now arrived
within striking distance of each other, and a preliminary
skirmish took place. On the 19th Burgoyne left his camp and
advanced his troops to the front in three divisions. After a
march of some hours' duration he found himself confronted by
the Americans in force, and a desperate conflict ensued. The
British, supported by their artillery, occupied the crest of a
ridge thinly wooded with pines. The Americans were pro-
tected by a thick forest, in which the use of artillery was im-
practicable, but some of their riflemen took post in the trees
in the edge of the woods and harassed the enemy with a deadly
fire. Between the two armies lay an open field, across which
the opposing battalions charged repeatedly without decided ad-
vantage to either side. At every charge the British artillery
fell into the hands of the Americans, but before it could be
dragged oft' or turned upon the enemy the British troops rallied,
charged in their turn, and drove the American forces back to
the cover of the forest. From three o'clock till seven of that
September afternoon the conflict raged with unabated fury.
The approach of night put an end to the struggle, and the
British, in a much exhausted condition, were left in possession
of the field. The carnage had been fearful — 500 British and
300 American soldiers had fallen, and the field was strewn with
the wreck of battle — broken arms, scattered equipments, dis-
mounted cannon, damaged ammunition wagons, dead horses,
and slain men in heaps where the fight had been fiercest, while
in the tree-tops the bodies of several lifeless American marks-
men who had been killed by the sure aim of loyalist riflemen
hung from the limbs and swayed in the wind. At the field
hospitals in rear of the lines heart-rending scenes of sufifering
were occurring. Probably no important engagement of the
American Revolution was more fiercely contested than this
action on Bemis Heights on the 19th of September, 1777. Con-
necticut had two regiments engaged in this battle, commanded
by Colonels Cook and Latimer.

The British army entrenched on the field of battle, the
Americans, emboldened by their success in withstanding the

7© CAMPAIGNS OF 1777.

forces of Britain, prepared for still more aggressive operations.
The results of the battle were regarded as highly favorable to
the patriot arms, and the men of New England, elated with
success, and alive to the danger of failure, poured into the camp
of Gates, more than doubling the size of his army, and eager
to take part in the final overthrow of their enemies. Detach-
ments sent to the northward captured Burgoyne's outposts up
to the very walls of Ticonderoga, and the British commander,
hemmed in on all sides, encumbered with sick and wounded,
and cut off from further supplies, was reduced to the desperate
extremity of cutting his way, either forward or back, through
the ranks of an exultant and powerful enemy, flushed with
success and confident of victory, with an army reduced to
barely four thousand effective men. Entrenched on the field
of conflict, the British leader waited vainly for the arrival of a
relief force from New York, his army growing weaker, while
that of Gates daily increased in numbers.

After the battle of the Brandywine, Washington sent to
Putnam for a reinforcement of twelve hundred men, and four
Connecticut regiments were detached and sent to aid him,
among them the Fifth, Col. Bradley's regiment, with Capt.
Ezekiel Sanford and other Redding men in its ranks. After
the arrival of this force, Washington proceeded to carry out a
movement which, had it resulted favorably for the American
arms, would have added new laurels to the fame of the com-
mander-in-chief and might have hastened the termination of
the war. Having learned that a portion of the British army
was detached for special service along the Delaware below
Philadelphia, Washington determined to attack the main body
at Germantown while it was thus temporarily weakened. Di-
viding his forces into four columns — two of Continentals, who
were to attack in front, and two of militia, who were to gain the
enemy's flanks — Washington put them in motion on the 3d
of October, and after marching nearly all night came suddenly
upon the British encampment at sunrise of the 4th. The sur-
prise was complete, and the enemy were at first thrown into
disorder. Unfortunately, a heavy fog prevailed, which ren-
dered it difficult to locate the British positions or to keep the
attacking divisions in touch with each other. The enemy's
light infantry occupied a stone house in .the line of the Amer-

-.1^: ,.■ ,--^^

^'7^rcf.

^ l.lJ^'^ a^^L

CAMPAIGNS OF 1777.

ican advance and succeeded in delaying their opponents till the
British recovered from the shock of surprise and rallied for
effective defense. It was near or about the Chew house (as
it was called) that the Fifth Connecticut was principally en-
gaged. The British, rallying from their confusion, took the
offensive and drove the Americans in turn. After a sharp con-
test Washington's troops retreated to camp, hotly pursued by
the British for several miles. The losses on each side were
considerable, that of the British being about 600 [Gen. Agnew,
of Danbury fame, being among the killed], while the Ameri-
cans lost 1,000, of whom 400 were taken prisoners. Though
unsuccessful in its execution, this movement taught the British
to entertain greater respect for Washington's abilities as a
commander and to observe greater caution in guarding against
attacks.

On the very next day after the action at Germantown,
sounds of battle were again heard on the banks of the Hudson.
Clinton at last began a diversion for the relief of Burgoyne
and an expedition sent up into the Highlands succeeded in cap-
turing Forts Clinton and Montgomery after a sharp fight. The
river was now practically under the control of the British — it
only remained necessary to send forward a sufficient force to
relieve Burgoyne at Saratoga. Putnam's force was too small
to offer any serious resistance. Reinforcements, however,
were sent to his aid. The militia of western Connecticut was
ordered to his relief, and on the same day that the Highland
forts fell into the hands of the enemy some of these troops were
on the march to the North River. Among these forces w^as
the Fourth Connecticut militia, which has been previously re-
ferred to in these pages. The peculiarities of the militia or-
ganization of that period were well illustrated in the formation
of this regiment. No less than sixteen different company or-
ganizations reported for duty under one regimental com-
mander, these bodies ranging in number from squads of five to
respectable companies of thirty-five or forty men. Redding
had two companies in this regiment under Captains Gray and
Morehouse. The company rolls are given in full :

BATTLE OF SARATOGA.

CAPTAIN

Captain John Gray
Lieutenant Nehemiah Hull
Ensign Aaron Barlow
Sergt. Philip Burret
" George Perry
David Osborn
Corpl. Ezekiel Burr
" Francis Andress
" Sani'i Fairchild
" Justus Bates
Private Elijah Couch
Ezra Hull
Jesse Coley
David Sanford
Stephen Burr
Stephen Fairchild
David Sturges

GRAYS COMPANY.

Private Jonas Piatt
Zalmon Read
Jeremiah Batterson
Wil-^ Hait
Asahel Salmon
John Hull Jr
Ezra Sanford
John Hull
Elijah Morehouse
Dan" Mallery
Thomas Sherwood
Gershom Salmon
Joseph Griffen
Seth Meeker
Jonathan Andress
Stephen Adams
Zalmon Hull

CAPTAIN MOREHOUSE S COMPANY.

Captain Gershom Morehouse
Lieutenant W™ Hawley
Ensign Seth Sanford
Sargent Gershom Coley
Corpl Samuel Gold

Stephen Bets

James Hull

Aron Sanford

Ephreni Robins
Asal Peech (Fitch?)
Nathan Burr
Daniel Barlet
Jaby Grigery
Aron Morhous
Isaac Gorham

[Rec. Ct. Men in Rev.]

The regiment numbered about 360 men all told, and was
mainly employed in transporting stores from Peekskill to Fish-
kill, at which point Putnam concentrated his forces.

We return now to Burgoyne, whose desperate situation
rendered immediate action necessary, and two days after the
fall of the Highland forts, when relief was preparing for him,
he attempted a reconnoissance in force, in the vain hope of
opening some avenue of escape. The effort was made on
October 7th, with fifteen hundred picked troops, but no sooner
had these appeared outside their works than they were furi-
ously attacked by the American forces. The conflict soon in-
volved the entire British line, and was fought out with the
utmost obstinacy, neither side giving way ; breaches in the
ranks were filled with fresh combatants, and the contest con-
tinued with unremitting vigor. Suddenly a general officer
appeared on the field, rode swiftly to the American front, and.

BATTLE OF SARATOGA.

placing himself in advance of the line, led the ])rovincials to
a decisive charge. It was Arnold — fiery, impetuous, un-
daunted as ever — the Arnold of Quebec, and Lake Champlain,
and Ridgefield. Riding from point to point, he encouraged
and animated the soldiers by voice and example, leading now
one brigade, now another, in a furious charge on the enemy's
line, which finally broke in disorder and retreated to the works.
Arnold, still fighting furiously, fell wounded at last, his horse
shot under him, before the intrenchments of the German
brigade. The British were driven to cover, and the Americans
gained and kept possession of a part of the works, in spite of
desperate efforts to dislodge them. Burgoyne could no longer
maintain his position, and secretly withdrew in the night to a
stronger post in the rear. But stronger grew the cordon of
his enemies, and more desperate his own situation. No news
could be obtained from New York, though relief was even
then on the way, and a council of war advised surrender. Un-
conditional surrender, at first demanded by Gates, was refused,
but, knowing that a British column was approaching, the Ameri-
can commander agreed that the defeated troops should march
out with the honors of war, lay down their arms, and be con-
ducted to Boston, there to embark for England, not to serve
further against the United States unless regularly exchanged.
On these terms 5,642 prisoners, with 42 pieces of ordnance,
7,000 muskets, clothing for the same number of men, camp
equipage and stores, fell into the hands of the victors, and on
October i6th the invasion of Burgoyne reached its unhappy
termination. Unhappy only to the vanquished host and its
sympathizers, for great was the rejoicing among the colonists
when the news came that an entire British army had suc-
cumbed to patriot valor. The conquered troops marched to
Boston, but the terms of surrender were not respected by Con-
gress, and the prisoners were finally sent to Virginia, remaining
there till the close of the war, many of them being afterward
absorbed into the citizenship of the new republic.

The forces of Gates returned to their homes amid general
rejoicing, bearing with them the spoils of the campaign. The
militia which had been sent to the aid of Putnam was also dis-
charged, and on the 30th of October the Fourth Regiment was
on its homeward march. A number of men from this regiment
6

74 VALLEY FORGE.

returned before that date, some having- absented themselves
without leave, a breach of discipHne quite too common among
tlie militia during the war. In consequence of this defection,
the last seven men on the roll of Captain Gray's company were
returned as " deserters." They did not go to the enemy, but
went back to their homes and families, and several of them
are known to have rendered further service to their countrv.

The army of Washington, unable to make any further
demonstration against the enemy, was now placed in winter
quarters at Valley Forge, twenty miles from Philadelphia.
Eleven thousand soldiers were quartered in huts in this en-
campment, and strong detachments were stationed at various
points around Philadelphia, confining the British pretty closely
to the vicinity of the city. As winter came on the condition of
the two armies appeared in marked contrast — the British,
comfortably housed in the city, were plentifully supplied by
the inhabitants of the surrounding country, paying for this
service in gold ; the Americans obtained provisions and supplies
only with the greatest difficulty, ofifering a depreciated cur-
rency in payment, and were finally reduced to the necessit}- of
taking cattle and corn wherever they could. In spite of their
utmost exertions, famine often prevailed in camp, and the
clothing of the troops became so completely worn out that they
were reduced to the severest straits for sufficient covering to
protect their chilled and famished bodies. Soldiers detailed
for guard were obliged to borrow the garments of their com-
rades before they could go on duty. Shoes were wanting;
many were barefoot, and tracked the snow with blood from
their frozen feet, and the need of clothing was so extreme that
an eyewitness declares that there was " many a good lad
with nothing to cover jiim from his hips to his toes but his
blanket." The winter was unusually severe, and many soldiers
were frostbitten, but they endured these privations with pa-
tience and fortitude. The Fifth Connecticut regiment was
among the troops who endured the rigors of that terrible
season, which wore away at last, though the suffering it caused
did not wholly pass with the bitterness of winter.

At home, the people were trying to do their duty toward
the helpless families whose bread-winners were shivering
around the comfortless campfires, as our records set forth :

THE PETITION.

"Dec. 22, 1777. — Micajali Starr Hezckiah Read David Jackson
Timothy Sanford David Sanford Nehemiah Hull Seth Meeker and
Joseph Banks were Appointed a Comtee to take care of Soldiers Fam-
alys in this Town.

Aaron Barlow Capt. Z. Read Stephen Betts Benjm Darling and
Gershom Morehouse were Chosen Comtee of Inspection."

In the spring came the joyful news of the alhance with
France, and the patriots found occasion for rejoicing amid
their privations, for the fleets and armies of the French king
were coming to their assistance. The ragged, famished, and
frostbitten army at Valley Forge fell into line, fired a volley,
and gave hearty cheers and heartfelt thanks when the welcome
announcement was made. The spirits of the people rallied
again ; renewed efforts were made to supply the troops with
clothing and provisions, and to obtain recruits. Requisitions
for the filling up of town quotas had been made — that of
Redding was set so high as to call forth a remonstrance to the
legislature, setting forth fully the reasons for noncompliance
with the demand.

PETITION OF THE TOWN OF REDDING.

" February, 1778.
To the Honorable Gen. Assembly, sitting in Feb. 1778, by adjournment,
at Hartford.

The petition of the civil authority and selectmen of the town of
Redding, in Fairfield Co., humbly sheweth — That the town of Red-
ding is laboring at present, under so many misfortunes and liabilities,
peculiar to ourselves, that are not common to the other towns of this
State, makes it almost, if not altogether impossible for us to raise the
proportion of men for the continental army as set to us by your
Honors : we hope that we are and have always been willing to do our
equal part in maintaining the common cause of America, and have ex-
erted ourselves therein, always to the utmost of our abilities ; yet we,
your petitioners, think it our indispensable duty, which we owe to our-
selves and our brethren of this town, to inform your Honors, that
since the commencement of the present war, that no less than 49 able-
bodied, effective men, all inhabitants of this town, have been so in-
humanly wicked and infatuated as to leave their friends, and most of
them their families, and join the ministerial army, enemies of this and
the other United States of America, where they still remain ; and also
out of those who were made prisoners by said enemy in their expedition
to Danbury, six persons, inhabitants as aforesaid, died ; and we your peti-
tioners, would farther inform your Honors, that we have now enlisted
and engaged in the service during the present war, nine men more as

•j^ THE PETITION.

artificers, which has greatly thinned the inhabitants of this, so small a
town, all which inconveniences and misfortunes we labor under, over
and above what we share in common with the other towns of this
State ; wherefore we flatter ourselves that had your Honors been duly
notified of our peculiar circumstances, your Honors would not, (con-
sidering the smallness of our town, and the many families we have to
support, whose estates are confiscated,) have set our proportion of men
to be raised so high, as at present it is set. We, your Honors' petition-
ers, therefore, pray your Honors to take our case and particular circum-
stances into your wise consideration, and in your great goodness, grant
us relief in the premises, and set our proportion of men to be raised,
according to the number of our present able-bodied, eflfective men ; and
your petitioners as in duty bound, shall ever pray.

49 gone to the enemy, 6 dead prisoners, 9 artificers — total, 64.
Redding, Feb. 13, 1778.
(Signed)

Lemuel Sanford, William Hawley, Justices of

the Peace.
Hezekiah Sanford, William Heron, John Gray,
Thaddeus Benedict, Selectmen.
These certify that that there are but 112 able-bodied, effective men,
in both our train-bands or companies, liable to do duty out of the State,
and that there has enlisted into the continental army out of Redding, 28
men.

Redding, Feb. 13, 1778.
Certified per

John Gray, captain of the alarm-list, and trainband."
[Hinman: War Am. Rev.]

Redding continued to show her willingness to provide for
the brave soldiers who were battling for Hberty, and to care
for the families of her defenders, as the records attest:

" March 23, 1778. — Mefsrs David Jackson Zalmon Read and Eph™
Robbins Chosen a Com^ee to provide Clothing for the Army &c."

"May 8, 1778. — Afahel Fitch Appointed to take Care and provide
as the Law directs of Nathan Coley's Famaly.

Dr A. Fitch and Capt. Z. Read Chosen a Com^ee to Provide Shirts
Shoes and Stockins &c for the Continental Soldiers.

Voted that the Selectmen tax a Bill to pay the Com^^e for Clothing
for their trouble in Procuring said Shirts &c."

On the 8th of June the fleet of D'Estaing appeared off the
American coast, and the British commanders, alarmed for the
safety of New York, their most important stronghold, with-
drew the fleet from the Delaware and the army from Phila-
delphia. Sir William Howe had been relieved at his own re-

BATTLE OF MONMOUTH. 77

quest, and the chief command devolved on Sir Henry Clinton.
He abandoned Philadelphia late in June, and, crossing into
New Jerse}', pushed toward New York, but, encumbered by a
heavy wagon train, his progress was slow. Washington left
camp with his whole army and started in swift pursuit. On
the 28th of June, a day of sweltering heat, he overtook the
British near Monmouth Court-House, and ordered an im-
mediate attack. Gen. Charles Lee, who commanded the Ameri-
can advance, professing to misunderstand Washington's orders,
failed to secure the advantage which presented itself, marched
and countermarched his troops in the hot sun till numbers fell
from exhaustion, and finally allowed his men to retreat in
disorder before the counter-attack of Clinton. Washington,
arriving upon the field at this juncture, checked the retreat,
reprimanded Lee, transferred the command of the right wing
to Greene, and the day was saved, though not with the ex-
pected results. Clinton made his escape to Staten Island, and
Philadelphia and the Jerseys were again in the hands of the
Americans. The battle losses were considerable: those of the
American forces were estimated at two hundred, those of the
British at three hundred. This by no means represents the
total loss of the enemy, for during the march across the Jerseys
upward of fifteen hundred British and Hessian soldiers decided
to return to the wives and sweethearts they had left in and
around Philadelphia, where they later reappeared as men of
family and citizens of the American nation. The extreme heat
of the day increased the fatalities of the action, some soldiers
dying from sunstroke ; others, suffering from the insupportable
heat, drank water to excess, from the effects of which they
perished.

ENCAMPMENT AT REDDING — THE MUTINY — THE EXE-
CUTIONS—AMERICAN UNION LODGE.

The British, having evacuated Philadelphia, were now re-
stricted to the cities of New York and Newport, leaving the
surrounding country practically clear of hostile forces. At
New York they were heavily reinforced, in anticipation of
attack. Washington moved h-is troops across the Hudson and
took post at White Plains, where he concentrated the largest
army he had ever commanded, consisting of fifteen brigades
of infantry, four battalions of artillery, four regiments of
cavalry, and several detachments of state troops, and spent
the remainder of the season in futile efforts to obtain sufficient
supplies and munitions of war to warrant an attempt on New
York. No doubt he would have been more than pleased to
drive the British out of the stronghold from which they had
expelled him two years before, but this satisfaction was denied
him. At no time was he sufficiently prepared or strong enough
to make an attack — Congress and the states but poorly sec-
onded his efforts. An abortive attempt to drive the British out
of Newport only added to his disappointment, and the season
wore away without advantage to the American arms. On the
approach of winter, Washington broke up his camp at White
Plains, and moved the various divisions to points in the ad-
joining states, where they could be more easily subsisted, and
more readily aid in suppressing the activities of the tories. The
Connecticut Division, under Putnam, with Poor's New Hamp-
shire Brigade, the infantry of Hazen, and Sheldon's Light
Dragoons were ordered to Redding, and at 7 a. m. of the 23d
of October part of these troops were on the march for New
Milford, under command of Maj.-Gen. McDougall. On the
25th the troops reached New Milford, where they encamped
till November 19th, probably awaiting the completion of their
new quarters in Redding. The sawmills of the town were
busily engaged in cutting the lumber from which the rude
huts were made, and the people waited in joyful anticipation
the coming of the soldiers, for now no British column would

PUTNAM'S HEADQUARTERS AT REDDING.

RESIDENCE OF MR. EPHRAIM BARLOW.
Said to have been used as a guardhouse in the Revolution.

THE ENCAMPMENT. 79

venture into their territory, no restless tory would dare to
desert his family and fly to the standard of King George. And
they came at last, — rough, hardy, war-seasoned veterans ;
heroes of Bunker Hill ; men who had learned lessons of ad-
versity in the Long Island campaign ; victors of Saratoga ;
soldiers who had fought at Germantown, had endured the
rigors of Valley Forge, and the heat of Monmouth ; men who
had made history, and were yet to make more. The canton-
ments were perhaps not quite ready for them. It is stated that
Huntington's brigade encamped near the center of the town;
Parsons' on the Ridge — evidently a temporary arrangement,
for presently the Connecticut Division was concentrated in
the wooded valley which lies between Lonetown and the Ridge ;
the New Hampshire brigade lay about a mile further west,
in a similar location, while farther away, in the deep, wide
valley of the headwaters of the Saugatuck, the light infantry
and cavalry were hutted for the winter, a mile in rear of Put-
nam's headquarters, which were located on a by-road on the
northern slope of Umpawaug Hill. Another house, near by,
on the Boston post-road, is said to have been used as a guard-
house. In this position Putnam was able to support the gar-
rison of the Highlands, guard the coast of the Sound, and
repress the activities of the tories, who were again becoming
troublesome, probably incited by British emissaries. One
means of stimulating their zeal is shown in a notice which ap-
peared in a New York newspaper under date of June 29, 1778:

"All gentlemen volunteers able and willing to serve his Majesty King
George III. in that respectable regiment called the Prince of Wales
Royal Amer. Vols., com'd by his Excellency Brig. Gen. Brown, will
hear of the particular advantages of that corps by repairing to Lt. Col.
Pattison at his camp on Lloyd's Neck, where they will receive a com-
plete suit of new clothes, arms, accoutrements, &c., and one guinea more
than his Majesty's most gracious bounty. 'Tis more than probable those
who enlist will for some months be able to earn 15s to 20=^ per day."

With this addition of several thousand men to its popula-
tion. Redding entered upon the liveliest and most interesting
period of its history. As the brown leaves whirled through
the forest, and the November winds sighed and whistled
through the bare branches, the soldiers settled down to the
life and work of the camp. There were drills, parades, reviews,

8o THE MUTINY.

outpost duty, and all the routine of soldier life, which drew
crowds of curious and admiring- onlookers. (3ff dutv the sol-
diers amused themselves in such ways as soldiers are wont to
do. Ima£2^ination easily conjures up a vision of the sports
and pastimes, the games at cards, the rough jokes and horse-
play, which contributed to the entertainment of that winter
of camp life. Many amusing incidents occurred, worthy of
permanent preservation. One such is here presented :

A resident of the vicinity, says tradition, had a contract for
supplying rum to the soldiers. He was well patronized, and,
as the liquor diminished in quantity, he supplied the deficiency
by the addition of water. Finally the much-diluted beverage
froze, and the cheat was discovered. The enraged soldiers
seized the ofifender, bound him securely astride of a field-piece,
and then — fired the field-piece. It may be safely assumed
that no further adulteration of spirits was attempted that
winter. More tragic was the ending of a^snow^balling frolic,
in which a negro soldier was struck in the head by an icy mis-
sile and killed. As the American negro was not then the man
and brother he has since become, it is likely that the affair was
dismissed with little consideration.

Those members of the Continental Line who had enlisted
from Redding were now reunited to their families, many of
whom were in need of aid. For the relief of these, our towns-
people (at a meeting adjourned from December 17th to the
following Wednesday at i p. m.) provided that:

"The Com*^^ to provide for Soldiers Fami[lies] Were Nehemiah
Hull for Nathan Coley's Elijah Burr for Stephen Meeker's Eben""
Couch for Elias Bixby Elnathan Sanford [for] Henry Hopkins Na-
than Burr for Nehemiah Sherwood Zal Read for Jeremiah Ryans and
W"" Hawley for Sam" Remong."

Meantime, trouble was brewing in the camp of the Con-
necticut Division. Winter had set in, cold and stern ; the troops
were poorly clothed, poorly fed, insufficiently covered and
sheltered ; the depreciated currency in which they were paid
was practically worthless; and many of them had needy fami-
lies at home. Promises made them had not been fulfilled, and
their privations naturally bred discontent. Four of the Con-
necticut regiments — Durkee's and Russell's (late Chandler's)

THE MUTINY. 8 1

of the First Brigade, and Bradley's and^Swift's of the Second —
had spent the previous winter at Valley Forge, and had little
inclination to repeat the experience. Dissatisfaction increased
as the rigors of the season grew more severe, and murmurs
of discontent at last gave place to the clamorous voice of open
mutiny. On the morning of December 30th the troops of the
Second Brigade, defying the authority of their officers, left
their quarters, paraded under command of the company ser-
geants, and avowed their intention of marching to Hartford
(over fifty miles away), where the legislature was then in
session, there to demand redress of grievances at the point of
the bayonet, if need be. When this news was hurriedly con-
veyed to headquarters there was a hasty mounting of steeds,
and Putnam and his staff flew down into the valley and over
the rugged hills to the encampment. As the general rode
across the hills, he must have been earnestly thinking. The
situation was not one which admitted of coercive measures —
the whole division was disaffected and ripe for revolt, and the
trouble might readily extend to the remainder of his command.
It was an occasion for the use of diplomacy and a test of per-
sonal influence. Arrived at the camp-ground, he found all
in a state of excitement, but the mutinous brigade was still
in line, the order to march not yet given. As the general rode
along the line he was received with the honors due his rank:
the drums ruffled ; at the sharp word of command every musket
was brought to a present ; then, as " Order-Hr clock " was
heard, the butts of the muskets dropped to earth, and the sol-
diers listened with attention and respect to the voice of their
commander. Demanding to know by whose orders the troops
were paraded, he was informed that the soldiers, suffering
from the inclemency of the season, deficient in clothing and
blankets, paid in a worthless currency or scarcely paid at all,
and exasperated by the non-fulfillment of promises made them,
were about to seek redress at the hands of the state authorities.
Putnam, facing the line, thus earnestly addressed them :

"My brave lads, whither are you going? Do you intend to desert
your officers, and to invite the enemy to follow you into the country?
Whose cause have you been fighting and suffering so long in — is it not
your own? Have you no property, no parents, wives or children? You
have behaved like men so far — all the world is full of your' praises —

g > THE MUTINY.

.nd posterity will stand astonished at your deeds: but not if you spoil
lat last. Don't you consider how much the country is distressed by

the war and that /our officers have not been any better paxd than your-
e V sT' But we all expect better times, and that the country w,U do us

ample justice. Let us all stand by one another, then, and fight it ou

likfbrive soldiers. Think what a shame it would be for Connecticut

men to run away from their officers."

Then, turning to the acting major of brigade, Putnam di-
rected him to march the troops to their respective parades and
lodge their arms. The magnetism of the general s presence
and manner, the regard of the soldiers for a popular com-
mander, and the habit of discipline, produced the desired effect.
The men shouldered their firelocks and marched to their quar-
ters with promptitude and apparent good humor, and the im-
mediate danger was past. The principal ringleader in_ the
affair was confined in the quarterguard, from whence, at night,
he attempted to escape, but was shot dead by the sentry on
duty, who had himself been one of the mutineers.

Although the mutiny was thus easily suppressed, the sol-
diers do not appear to have fared much better, and though they
refrained from further insubordination, the embers of discon-
tent glowed fitfully. A tragedy was impending and soon it
was at hand. Among the annoyances with which Putnam
had to contend during this eventful winter was the facility with
which tory spies penetrated his lines and made themselves
familiar with the state of affairs in the American camp. A o
desertions depleted his ranks, and the general determined that
an example s'hould be made of the first spy or deserter who
fell into his hands. Early in February ^^g-^^-- ^"^^J
the outposts brought to headquarters one Edward Jones >^ho
was claimed, had been a resident of the vicinity, had gone
over to the enemy, and come out as a spy. A court-ma tia
was convened on the 4th, before which J-es testified tlu.t he
was a Welshman by birth, ever loyal to his ^-^ ^ ^ f J^ ^^^^^
been a resident of Ridgefield till the beginmng of he war
whence he had fled to the British for protection; that he had
been appointed a butcher for the British camp -d had b n
sent into Westchester County to purchase beef cattle fo the
US of the king's troops. Upon trial, the court-martial de-
c red him guiltv on all the charges preferred against him, and

^^'*"f

THE COURT-MARTIAL. 83

he was sentenced to sufifer death. Two days after, another
court-martial was held to consider the case of John Smith, a
young soldier of the First Connecticut Regiment, who had been
captured in the attempt to desert and had boldly declared his
intention of going to the enemy at the first opportunity. Him
the court-martial also condemned to death, and both pris-
oners were confined in the guardhouse at headquarters to
await their doom. When that would come they knew not;
they only knew that before the hour of noon on some fateful
day they would cease to be. During this interim the curious
people of the countryside thronged to the guardhouse, eager
to see the doomed men ; some of them, to their disgrace be it
said, to revile and taunt and jeer the miserable wretches who
lay there under the shadow of death. So great was the an-
noyance to the prisoners from this cause that Putnam was
obliged to issue an order forbidding the inhuman practice.

Public sentiment was, perhaps, not altogether adverse to
these unfortunates: the Rev. Mr. Bartlett interceded with
Putnam in behalf of Smith, requesting that the prisoner be
remanded till his case could be laid before Washington, but
to no purpose — the general was inexorable, and the awful
tragedy proceeded to its close. On the morning of February
i6th the last scene was enacted on the slope of that eminence
which was thenceforth to bear the name of Gallows Hill. The
camps were astir that day, and the Connecticut troops marched
from their cantonments to the place of execution, accompanied
by the New Hampshire brigade. The spot where the two un-
fortunates expiated their fault is indicated as a tiny plateau
on the western slope of the hill, at a point where three roads
meet, making a Y-shaped junction. Along the northern road
the three brigades marched to their positions at the execution
ground, where the people of the vicinity were gathered ; and
those who looked to the westward must have seen the prisoners
and their escort moving down the slope of Umpawaug, and
from the valley-camp below caught the glint of Hazen's bayo-
nets and the flashing sabers of Sheldon's dragoons. When the
columns had united, the troops were drawn up in line flanking
the fatal spot, in full view of the condemned men a.nd the in-
struments of death. A gallows twenty feet high had been
erected, and a firing party waited to perform its dreadful duty.

84 THE EXECUTIONS.

The execution was in all its phases a painful one, the memory
of which was probably never effaced from the minds of those
who witnessed it. A pra^'er was offered by the Rev. Mr.
Bartlett, and the boy Smith was led forw'ard to his doom.
Placed with his back to the steep slope of the hill, he received
the volley of the firing party from muskets held so near that
his clothing was set on fire by the discharge. Three bullets
penetrated his breast; he fell forward upon his face, and im-
mediately turned convulsively upon his back. Signs of life still
remaining, another soldier was ordered forward, and, pointing
his musket at the lad's head, sent a bullet through his brain.
The lifeless body was lifted into a rude coffin, an officer with
a drawn sword took his place beside it, and then, set in motion
by the stern word of command, a long line of soldiery filed
past, each man gazing down upon the mangled, bleeding form,
its clothing still smouldering as the line moved on.

The unfortunate loyalist next met his fate. Sadly protest-
ing his innocence, he bade farewell to earth and man, and
ascended the ladder. At this moment it was made known that
the man upon whom the duty of hangman devolved, disliking
his gruesome task, had disappeared, and was nowhere to be
found. Enraged at this interruption of the course of justice,
Putnam ordered Jones to jump from the ladder. This he
declined to do, protesting with earnestness and even with dig-
nity against the execution of his terrible sentence ; but Putnam,
refusing to hear him further, ordered the ladder to be turned
over, and the unhappy loyalist was launched into eternity.
Stern, terrible, awe-inspiring was the spectacle presented on
that bleak hillside : one lifeless form dangling from the gibbet,
another lying, shattered and bloodstained, upon the cold and
barren earth. What emotions of fear and pity and horror,
excited by the events of that awful day, haunted the recollec-
tions of the witnesses, after the shades of night fell upon the
tragedy, and the stars shone down upon the new-made graves !
Whether these men merited their fate, whether the exhibition
of mercy might not have added luster to an honored name,
may long be questioned, but the immediate and needed lesson
was taught, that across the pathway of spy and traitor lay the
shadow of doom. Quiet reigned in the camps for the remain-
der of the season, as the soldiers settled down to the routine

THE HORSENECK FIGHT.

of duty, no more to rebel against the stern decrees of justice
and military discipline.

Lest an imputation of inhumanity should rest on the char-
acter of Putnam because of his active participation in this
affair, let it be remembered that military necessity is always
stern, often demanding the sacrifice of life for the good of a
cause. These men had been condemned to death by a military
tribunal ; honestly believing them guilty, Putnam was resolved
that their sentence should be carried into effect, that the evils
which menaced his army might be checked. That he should
personally have compelled the execution of that sentence was
characteristic of the energy and decision of the man, who was
ever ready to go forward though others faltered.

Ten days after this event Putnam was himself in peril of
his life. He had gone to Horseneck to inspect the outpost
there, when Gov. Tryon, with six regiments, numbering fif-
teen hundred men (almost as heavy a column as he led at Dan-
bury), advanced from New York with the intention of sur-
prising the post and destroying the salt works there. His
presence was detected by a small guard at New Rochelle, which
skirmished with the advance, retiring toward its main body.
On the approach of the British, Putnam drew up his force (one
hundred and fifty men, with two iron field-pieces) on high
ground near the Greenwich church, but realizing the tre-
mendous odds against him, and seeing the enemy advancing
for a charge, he ordered his troops to retire through a swamp
to another eminence in its rear, turned his own horse as the
British dragoons charged toward him, and dashed down a
steep declivity at full speed. No trooper of the British dra-
goons was horseman enough to follow him, and he avoided
further pursuit, as well as the enemy's bullets, one of which
pierced his hat. Escaping to Stamford, he rallied his troops,
received reinforcements, and pursued Tryon on his return to
New York, capturing fifty of the enemy, an ammunition
vv^agon, etc. It was Putnam's last battle — he was never under
fire again. The camps and the town were enlivened by the
story of this exploit, and the minds of men turned from the
gloomy and depressing recollections of the preceding months
to thoughts of active service and a renewal of the struggle
for libertv.

86 AMERICAN UNION LODGE.

More cheerfully, too, ran the course of affairs in the town
as the winter passed away. An event which added greatly to
the social pleasures of the period, and drew public attention
from unpleasant retrospect, was the organization of a Masonic
Lodge among the officers of the line, and some interesting
ceremonies in connection therewith. The lodge originated
in this wise :

During the siege of Boston the meetings of the Grand
Lodge of the Masonic fraternity were suspended, and a com-
mission was granted by John Rowe (the successor of Gen.
Joseph Warren as Grand Master) to Col. Joel Clark of the
Connecticut troops to establish a lodge within the army, which
was to hold its meetings wherever convenient, as the army
moved from place to place. This lodge was to be designated
" The American Union Lodge." It was accordingly organized,
but the change of base to New York, and the stirring events
which followed, seem to have prevented further meetings. Its
master, Colonel Clark, died after the Long Island campaign,
and the lodge appears to have lapsed until the encampment at
Redding brought the Connecticut officers together, with leisure
to renew their fraternal relations. For this purpose, and
perhaps with a view to distract public attention from the pain-
ful and depressing experiences of the winter, the lodge was
convened early in February, in conformity to the following
notice :

State of Connecticut, viz :
- Reading, February 7^^, 1779.

On the application of a number of gentlemen, brethren of the Ancient
and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Mafons, to the members
of American Union Lodge, held by authority, under the Right Wor-
fhipful John Rowe, Efq., Grand Mafter of all Mafons in North America,
where no Special Grand Mafter is appointed, requefting that the laid
American Union Lodge may be convened, for the purpose of re-eftab-
lishing the Ancient Craft in the same. Agreeable to which a fummons
was iffued, defiring the members of the American Union Lodge to meet
at Widow Sanford's, near Reading Old Meeting Houfe, on Mondaj',
the is'ii of inft, February, at 4 o'clock, Past M., and an invitation lent
to the others, the brethren of the Ancient and Honorable Society of
Free and Accepted Mafons, to attend at 5 o'clock, Past M.

Jonathan Heart,
Secretary American Union Lodge.

Feb. 10*'', Anno Mundi, 5779.

AMERICAN UNION LODGE. g;

According-ly, the first meeting was held at Mrs. Sanford's
on February 15th, four members of the lodge being present,
and four candidates were received into membership. Gen.
Samuel Holden Parsons of the First Connecticut Brigade was
elected master to succeed the late Col. Clark, and the lodge
proceeded to a consideration of the by-laws. At the third
meeting, February 24th, a committee was appointed to amend
these by-laws, which reported back on March loth, presenting
their revision in twenty-eight articles, several of which have
special interest:

"Art. 3. Every brother proposing a candidate . . . shall de-
posit as advance four dollars tovi^ard his making. . . .

Art. 6. Every brother made in this Lodge shall pay ten dollars for
his making. . . .

Art. 9. Every member shall pay into the hands of the Secretary
one shilling . . . for every night's attendance, to be paid quarterly.

Art. 10. Every brother visiting this Lodge shall pay one shilling
every night he visits, except the first. . . .

Art. II. Any visiting brother who shall desire to become a mem-
ber of this Lodge . . . .shall pay nine shillings.

Art. 26. That every brother (being a member of this Lodge, who
shall be passed a Fellow Craft, shall pay twelve shillings, and fifteen
for being raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason; and that
any brother (not a member), shall, for being passed, pay twenty- four
shillings, and thirty-six for being raised to the sublime degree of a
Master Mason."

• Art. 28. . . . And whereas, from the present depreciation of our
money, it will be impossible to maintain the dignity of the Lodge by the
premiums arising from the By-Laws, it is ordered by a unanimous vote
of this Lodge that the fees for a new-made brother be thirty doflars ;
passing a brother (being a member), six dollars, and raising, seven
dollars and one-half; and all other perquisites, so far as relates to
gentlemen of the army, be raised three fold to what is prescribed in the
By-Laws. . . .

Further propositions, initiations, and conferring of degrees
closed the work of the evening.

March 17th the lodge, now grown to sixteen members, held
its fifth meeting, and, after further increasing its membership,
appointed a committee " to prepare a feast on Wednesday,
the 7th of April next."

Another meeting was held at 4 p. m. March 22d, when

" Some particular business requiring it, voted, that an Entered Ap-
prentice Lodge be held on Thursday, the 25'^ of inst. March, at 2 o'clock

88 AMERICAN UNION LODGE.

p. M. : that Bro. Belding Sill and Little prepare a dinner, and invite the
brethren of the Ancient Society, who are not members of this Lodge,
to dine with us : that Bro. Redfield wait on the Hon. Bro. Putnam with
the desire of the Lodge to attend : that Mrs. Sanford, her daughter and
niece ; Mrs. Marshall and Heart be also invited to dine with us on
Thursday.

Lodge closed without day."

So. on the appointed day, the lodge convened, and, after
admitting several candidates as entered apprentices, it " closed
for a space," and the special program of the day was carried
out:

" Procession began at half-past four o'clock in the following order :

1. Bro. Whitney to clear the way.

2. The Wardens, with their wands.

3. The youngest brother, with the bag.

4. Brethren by Juniority.

5. The Worshipful Master, with the Treasurer on his right hand,
supporting the sword of justice, and the Secretary on his left hand, sup-
porting the bible, square and compasses.

6. Music, playing the " Entered Apprentice March."

Proceeded to Esq. Hawley's, where Br. Little delivered a few senti-
ments on Friendship — the Rev. Dr. Evans and a number of gentlemen
and ladies being present. After dinner the following songs and toasts
were given, interspersed with music, for the entertainment of the com-
pany.

Songs. Toasts. Mtisic.

Hail America. General Washington. Grand March.

HT iThe memory of Warren.) ^ , ..^ ,

Montgomery. Iat ^ o iir . )- Dead March.

/ Montgomery & Wooster. )

French Ladies Lament. Relief of the Widows Country Jig.

and Orphans.
Mason's Daughter. Ladies of America. Mason's Daughter.

On, on, my dear Union, Harmony &

Brethren. Peace.

Huntsmen. Social Enjoyment.

My Dog and Gun. Contentment.

The festivities of the occasion were concluded with a speech by Br.
Waldo.

At half past 7 o'clock the procession began in returning to the Lodge
room, in reverse order from the afternoon procession. Music playing
" The Mason's Daughter."

The Lodge being opened, the W. Master returned his thanks to the
officers and brethren for their faithful attendance in labor, and in trans-
acting the business of the day with the greatest decorum and harmony.
Voted. That the Lodge have a grateful sense of the honor paid

AMERICAN UNION LODGE.

them by the Rev. Dr. Evans, and other gentlemen and ladies in attend-
ing the exercises of the day.

Voted. That the thanks of the Lodge be presented to Bro. Little
and Waldo for the honor conferred on the Lodge by their addresses.

Lodge closed in good time, without date."

Note the early hour.s at which our Revohitionary fathers
opened and closed their social and public ftnictions. No late
banquets or small-hour festivities for them. At the next
meeting of the lodge, held at 4 p. m., March 31st, it was

"Voted. That Bro. Little, Belding and Sill, as heretofore voted, pro-
ceed in preparing a feast on Wednesday, the 7"^ of April : that Bro.
Redfield wait on Bro. Putnam and his two Aids-de-Camp with the de-
sire of this Body that they dine with us : that Bro. Heart wait on the
Rev. Dr. Evans with the desire of the Lodge that he dine with us, and
also that he favor the assembly with a discourse on such subject as he
shall think proper. Also voted, that the Rev. Mr. Bartlett, his wife,
Mrs. Sanford, her daughter and niece, Esq. Hawley, his wife and
daughter, the widow Fairchild, widow Sanford, Mrs. Marshall, Mrs.
Heart, Miss Curtis and Col. Meigs be invited to dine with us : that
Bro. Belding present them with notice in the name of the Lodge.
Voted, that dinner be served at 2 o'clock."

In accordance with the above vote, one of Redding's most
remarkable social occasions was ttshered in on the following
Wednesday. The proceedings of the whole day are given, and
the reader is invited to share in the festivities and witness the
workings of the lodge :

"April 7th, 1779. 10 o'clock a. m.

Master's Lodge, per adjournment. Present — The Hon. Bro. Par-
sons, W. M. : Heart, S. W. ; Marshall, T. W. : Belding, Treas. : Grosve-
nor, Sec'ry : Whitney and Peck, Tylers. Members — Bros. Hoit, Red-
field, Lawrence, Champion, Mix, Watrous, Waldo, Little, Sill, Judson,
Clark. Visitors — Bros. Dearborn, Hosmer, Monson, Fogg.

Entered Apprentice Lodge opened, when Lieut. Samuel Richards,
Paymaster of the Third Connecticut Battalion, having been proposed,
balloted for and accepted to be made a Mason, was made an Entered
Apprentice.

It having been voted to dine at three o'clock, at half-past one the
procession began, as follovi'S.

1. Br. Whitney, Outside Tyler.

2. The Wardens, with White Rods.

3. The Youngest Brother, with the Bag.

4. The Brethren, by Juniority.

go AMERICAN UNION LODGE.

5. The W. Master, with his Rod : the Treasurer on his right hand,
supporting the Sword of Justice: the Secretary on his left, supporting
the Bible, Square and Compasses.

6. Br. Peck, the Inside Tyler.

Music advanced, playing the " Entered Apprentice March."

The W. Master and Brethren having seated themselves, together
with a number of respectable inhabitants, gentlemen and ladies, the
Rev. Doct. Evans delivered a discourse suitable to the occasion.

After dinner, the W. Master called on Bro. Monson and others for
songs and sentiments, when the company were favored with the follow-
ing, each song and toast being enlivened with appropriate music :
Song by Br. Munson — Watery Gods. Toast — Health of Congress.

Music — Grenadier's March.
Song by Br. Munson — Elegy on General Wolfe. Toast — Warren,

Montgomery and Wooster. Music — Dead March.
Mason's Song by Br. Redfield. Toast — The Good and Just. Music —

Prince Eugene.
Song by Br. Munson — Colin and Phebe. Toast — The Ladies of

America. Music — Country Jig.
Song on Masonry, by Br. Marshall. Toast — Arts and Sciences. Music

— Splendor of the morning.
Song by Brs. Munson and Marshall — The Tempest. With Jack the
Seaman, to conclude.

At six o'clock the procession returned to the Lodge room, and the
Lodge being open, it was

Voted, that the thanks of the Lodge be presented in writing to the
Rev. Doct. Evans, for his polite address and sentiments delivered this
day, and that Bro. Waldo wait on him with the same: also, that Bro.
Waldo present our thanks to the Rev. Mr. Bartlet, and to the other
gentlemen and ladies who favored the Lodge with their company at
dinner.

Voted. That Bro. Whitney and Peck act as inside and outside
Tylers, and share equally the profits of tyling this Lodge.

Ensign W™ Higgins, Qr. Master to the Third Connecticut Battalion,
and Doct. John Simpson, Surgeon to the Fifth Battalion, were proposed
by Brs. Watrous and Redfield to be made Masons."

Here ends the record of the day and of a social occasion
which enhvened the spirits of our townspeople. At the next
meeting of the lodge a bill for the two feasts was rendered,
amounting in all to £152 i6s. 2d., probably reckoned in a de-
preciated currency.

Four days after the banquet, orders were received to pro-
pare for the field, and from this time attention was concen-
trated on the expected movement of the troops. It was several
weeks later, however, that they took their departure. Mean-

DEPARTURE OF TROOPS.

while, the lodge held five sessions, the last three on May 3d,
5th, and 7th, resulting- in very considerable additions to the
fraternity.

How the inhabitants had passed the winter may be con-
sidered, before taking final leave of our soldier friends. The
townspeople had received the troops, on their arrival in camp,
with enthusiastic welcome, anticipating protection from hostile
incursions, immunity from annoyance by restless tories, and
pleasure from the exhibition of military display ; but the gloom
and discontent which so rapidly overspread the camps, the
excitement occasioned by the mutiny, and the horrors of the
military executions, dispelled to a great extent their cherished
hopes and illusions. Added to this was the fact that the sol-
diers, suffering from want of food, and driven to the necessity
of foraging for a supply, went out on marauding expeditions,
and indiscriminately appropriated the property of both Whig
and Tory, driving off and butchering live stock, and com-
mitting other depredations under conditions which made it
almost impossible to detect the perpetrators or secure their
conviction when known. To such straits were the farmers of
the region driven, to insure the safety of their possessions,
that many were obliged to resort to the expedient of housing
their live stock in the cellars of their own dwellings. Under
these circumstances we may easily imagine and appreciate the
earnestness with which our people prayed to be delivered from
their friends, and, as final marching orders arrived in the
latter part of May, we can understand the intense satisfaction
with which the people sped their parting guests, and almost
hear the sigh of relief that went up as the last glittering bayo-
net disappeared behind the western hills. Yet, though human
friendship may have cooled, nature gave kindly recognition
of this soldiers' farewell. Leafless trees and gray skies had
witnessed and shrill winds heralded their advent, but they
marched out of camp and off for the Hudson through the
beauty and freshness of May.

The troops did not all leave camp at the same time. Ha-
zen's regiment, on the 21st of March, received orders to go
to Springfield ; the New Hampshire brigade, which arrived in
Redding December 2d, left on April loth ; the Connecticut
division went out between the 24th and 30th of May, probably
accompanied by the dragoons.

VII.

THE ALARMS OF 1779 — TOWN MEETINGS — YORKTOWN —
END OF TFIE WAR.

After the departure of the troops pubhc attention turned
to other affairs. One question which engaged the thoughts
of our people related to the depreciation of the currency. This
depreciation was one of the chief hindrances to a successful
prosecution of the war; it had been one of the causes of the
mutiny; the officers of the army had been inconvenienced by
it in camp and in lodge; the people were equally distressed by
it. An effort was made to devise means for a restoration of
its value, and accordingly

"At a Town Meeting held in Redding On the 28 Day of June Anno
D. 1779 Mr. Abraham Fairchild Moderator Voted that this Meeting
will exert themselves in every proper Method to restore Our Depre-
ciated paper Currency to its Original value And that it is the Oppinion
of this Meeting that a County Convention be Called as soon as may be
to Consider and Resolve what Methods had best be taken to eflfect a
Restoration of said Currency And that Mefsrs Lem" Sanford Ju""
Stephen Betts and W™ Heron be a Comt'^^ to represent this Town at
said Convention when Called.

A true Copy of Record

Test John Couch Town Clerk."

The removal of Putnam's troops left the country once
more exposed to the incursions of the enemy, and it was not
long before the British availed themselves of an opportunity
to harass the colony. American privateers, fitted out at New
Haven, had done considerable damage to the British naval
armament, and in July an expedition was sent, under the chief
command of Gen. Tryon, to reduce the place. On the 5th a
fleet of forty-eight vessels, under command of Sir George
Collier, anchored off West Haven. They had on board three
thousand troops, of which about fifteen hundred, under Gen.
Garth, landed on West Haven point and advanced upon the
town. The alarm was given, and, as at Danbury, the people
were thrown into great confusion and distress, many families
retiring from the town in haste. Preparations for defense
were not neglected, however, and Garth's division met with a

THE NEW HAVEN ALARM.

very determined and effective resistance, wliicli c^reatl}- im-
peded his progress. Tryon, landing- with the remainder of his
force on the opposite side of the harbor, found himself as
stontly opposed. Both detachments were bravely resisted
throughout the day, but finally gained the town. Expresses
were sent out, and for miles around the militia rallied and
commenced its march to\vard New Haven. By the next morn-
ing it became evident to the enemy tliat they would soon ]".e
attacked by overwhelming odds, and Garth v/ithdrew from
the west side of the town, joined Tryon. and the combined
forces retired to the shipping. The American troops came
pouring into the town, but their quarry had flown, and the
militia gained no glory that day. In the fighting of the pre-
vious day the British lost seventy-five in killed, wounded, and
missing; the American loss was forty-six, of whom one-half
were killed. Capt. Gray's company marched in this alarm, Init
is not known to have engaged the enemy.

On the 7th Tryon's fleet weighed anchor and sailed to
Fairfield, where the troops disembarked on the morning of the
8th. The militia of the vicinit3^ though ill-prepared to oppose
Tryon's force, kept up a constant skirmish fire throughout
the da}', and the British, to punish the troops which harassed
them and to cover their own retreat, set fire to the town. The
courthouse, with five hundred barrels of rice, two churches,
two hundred dwelling houses, fifty-five barns, fifteen stores,
and fifteen shops were consumed by the flames. A tremendous
thunderstorm, rising just as night came on, added to the lior-
rors of the conflagration.

On the morning of the 9th the royal troops reembarked,
proceeded to Green's Farms, and, landing there. Ijurned the
church, fifteen houses, eleven barns, and several stores, appar-
ently meeting with little opposition, and reembarking in safety.

Crossing to Huntington Bay, Tryon rested till the nth,
when he recrossed the Sound, and, landing his division at the
Cow Pasture, on the east side of Norwalk Flarbor, between the
hours of 8 and 9 p. m., waited for Garth's division (which was
put ashore at Old Well, on the opposite side of the harbor) to
advance to the upper end of the town and form a junction ^^'ith
his own command. Reinforced by a body of loyalists about
3 A. M., Tryon moved onward into the town, from which the

THE NORIVALK ALARM.

inhabitants had fled during the night. Near Grumman's Hill,
at the south end of the village, he attacked an American out-
post, consisting of fifty Continentals and about twice as many
militia, under Capt. Stephen Betts. These troops were forced
to retire before superior numbers, with a loss of four men
killed. It was now 4 a. m., and Tryon, halting his column,
made his temporary headquarters on Grumman's Hill, from
which he witnessed the movements of the troops and the de-
struction of the town.

Garth, on the opposite side of the harbor, made slower
progress, being more successfully resisted. The American
militia (among whom were Capt. John Gray's men) threw
themselves into the houses and kept up a constant and harass-'
ing fire upon the enemy's advance guards, maintaining their
resistance for five hours. Garth crossed the bridge at 9 a. m.
and forced his way to the northern end of the village, driving
the Americans from the heights at that point, and capturing a
cannon. Meanwhile, the town was set on fire : both churches
and all the houses, except six, were burned. [Eighty houses,
eighty-seven barns, seventeen shops, four mills, five vessels,
and the churches, value $116,000, is the loss estimated.] The
British commenced their retreat about noon, evidently desirous
of getting out of the way, for their losses had been considerable
— 20 killed, 96 wounded, 32 missing, a total of 148. nearly
double the casualties at New Haven, and barely twenty-five less
than the loss in the Danbury Raid. The Americans are said
to have suffered severely ; to what extent has not been ascer-
tained. In this afifair the Royal Welsh Fusiliers were again
introduced to their old antagonists of two years before. Ac-
companied by a considerable body of loyalist refugees, Tryon
reembarked his troops and sailed away, to revisit the shores
of Connecticut no more.

Capt. Gray's company had turned out in all these alarms ;
had marched through the heat and dust to the defense of New
Haven ; had immediately returned for the relief of Fairfield,
and had been engaged with the enemy at Norwalk ; being
under arms and in active service for nearly a week.

After quiet had been in some degree restored to the com-
munity, attention was turned to the condition of soldiers in the
field, and an effort was made to ])rovide suitable clothing for
them:

TOWN VOTES. 95

"July 30, 1779. — Micajah Starr Thad Benedict and Stephen Betts
Chosen a Comtee to provide Clothing for the Continental Soldiers now
in the Army. Voted a Rate of two Shillings on the pound to pay for
said Clothing the above Comt^^ to Collect said Rate and to be Collected
by the first day of August next.

Adjd to Aug. 9, and Chose Eleaz'" Smith Rufsel Bartlett Simon
Couch and Isaac Hillard a Com*ee to Provide Winter Clothing for said
Soldiers."

In Augtist another alarm drew the entire Fourth Militia
under arms, and the regiment marched to Gregory's Parish,
Putnam County, New York, where it remained on duty three
weeks. The cause of this movement is unknown.

Later in the season a British fleet passed up the Sound,
and, when opposite Black Rock, fired several shots at the coast-
guard, but no landing was attempted, and this appears to
have been the last warlike demonstration on this part of the
Connecticut coast.

Later in the year the people again addressed themselves -to
the solution of monetary diffict^lties and to the work of pro-
viding for soldiers and their families:

"Sept. 2, 1779. — .*\.djd to next Tuesday. Voted that this meeting
do desire and impower the Com"^^^ of Inspection in this Town to Cor-
respond with the Several Towns in this County respecting any matters
that may have a tendency to appreciate the money."

"Dec. 21, 1779. — Adjd meeting. David Starr Ju"", Ezekiel Burr,
NeheJi Hull, Eleazer Smith, Step" Jackson, & Dan'i Lyon a Comt^e to
lake care of Soldiers Families Voted that the Comtee foj- the winter
clothing shall receive the money that the Com'*'*' for the summer
clothing have received of the State and account to the Selectmen for
the same."

The state also gave some aid toward putting the town in
a condition for defense. The legislature, in session during
November of this year :

"Resolved, That the Selectmen of Redding receive 150 lb. musquet-
powder belonging to this State in the care of Eben'" Blackman of Rip-
ton, they to be accountable."

[Rec. St. Ct. 1—439-]

iVlso, at the session of January, 1780, the legislature de-
cided that

" Upon the memorial of the civil authority, selectmen and committee
of inspection of the town of Reading, shewing to the Assembly that in

TOWN VOTES.

the year 1776, in obedience to the requisition of the committee of the
General Assembly specially appointed to examine persons in said Read-
ing &c., inimical to the State, &c., large accounts of cost and expendi-
ture arose in apprehending and guarding such inimical persons, &c., to
the amount of £159 Q 5., L. money, for allowance and payment thereof,
as per memorial on lile : Resolved by this Assembly that the said sum
of £159 9 5. L. money, be allowed and paid to the memorialists in satis-
faction of the said costs and charges ; and the Treasurer is hereby
ordered to pay the same accordingly."

[Rec. St. Ct.. 2 — 497.]

The remaining- years of the war were notable, in the his-
tory of the town, for the large number of town meetings that
were held, and votes that were passed, relating to military
affairs. The records of these forni a sufficient local history of
the period, and are presented without comment:

" Jan. 28, 1780. — Capt. Ezekiel Sanford is chosen one of the Com^ee
to take care of the Soldiers families.

Voted that the town will pay to Capt. Ezekiel Sanford all that he
shall suffer more than any of the Comt«e (appointed last year to provide
for Soldiers families belonging to this town) has or shall do on account
of his providing for the family of Bartholomew Baker the sum allowed
to a private soldier as the sd Baker is a Soldier counted for this town
and his family has not been provided for as the famalies of the other
Soldiers has.

Att sd meeting Nath" Barlow is chosen a Com^ee i,i the room of
Nehh Hull to provide for Nathan Coley's family a Soldier belonging to
this town.

Att sd meeting Oliver Sanford is chosen a Com'^^ in the room of
Dan'i Lyon to provide for Ep"" Wheeler Ju"" family a Soldier belonging
to this town."

"Feb. 3, 1780 — Adjd meeting. Deacon Joseph Banks appointed to
provide for Ep"^ Wheeler Ju'" family in the roof [room?] of Oliver
Sanford."

"March 13. 1780 — Micajah Starr, Aaron Hull, Nath" J3urr, David
Sanford, Gers^ Coley, Phillip Burrit, John Gray, Tim^ Hull, Step"
Gould, John Byinton, Ep°i Robbins, Simon Couch, And^ Hill, W"
Heron, Francis Andrefs, Elijah Burr & Ezekiel Fairchild were chosen
Inspectors of Provisions."

" June 23, 1780. — Voted by this meeting that they will appoint a
Comtee of nine to procure and hire nine Soldiers to inlist into the Con-
necticut line in the Continental army for the town of Redding. Com'^''^
appntd are Step" Betts Ezi Sanford, Davjd Jackson, Nath" Barlow,
Asahel Fitch, Hez'^ Read, Elijah Burr, Ep"" Robbins & Hez^ Sanford.

Voted that this meeting do desire the afores'd Com^ee to use their
utmost diligence to hire nine al)1e-bodied effective men to inlist, as

FIGHT AT HANGING ROCK. 97

aforesd — during the war, or three years or six months, and that they
engage them such sum or sums of money in any specie or such quantity
of provisions of any kind as they shall judge reasonahle and just and
that the town do hereby obligate and bind themselves to save the sd
Com^^e or either of them harmless on account of the engagement or en-
gagements they or either of them shall make for the purpose aforesd."

"June 26,' 1780. Mon. — Adjd meeting. — Voted that this meeting
do instruct their Com^ee to give to each Soldier they inlist for six
months ten bushels of wheat pr month, or the value thereof in hard
money when paid, besides they shall receive the bounty tiie State offers,
but the town shall receive their wages.

Voted this meeting will give the same encouragement to those who
shall be draughted for the purpose aforesd that they have already
ofifered to those who do enlist, provided those draughted do inlist soon
after they are draughted."

The tide of war had drifted away to the southward this
year, and from tliat quarter came the famihar reports of defeat
and disaster, to which our people had grown so much accus-
tomed. Nevertheless, news of occasional successes cheered
them, and intelligence of this sort, which may have, reached
them in July, must have caused considerable sensation in
Redding. Col. Thomas Sumter, the famous partisan leader,
in one of his swift descents upon the British garrisons in South
Carolina, fell suddenly upon the post at Hanging Rock, occu-
pied by a body of troops previously introduced to us under
the high-sounding title of " the Royal and Honorable Brigade
of the Prince of Wales' Loyal American Volunteers." " The
gamecock of the Catawba " fully sustained his reputation in
this affair — when the fight w^as over, the Prince of Wales'
American regiment was practically annihilated, a forlorn squad
of nine being all that remained of a battalion which had gone
into action two hundred and seventy-eight strong. Although
this news may have been received 'with jubilation by the
patriots of Redding, it doubtless caused mourning in many
loyalist families, who grieved for friends who would return
no more.

Another startling sensation came to our people in Septem-
ber, when news of the treachery of Arnold was received, and
men who had fought beside him at Ridgefield execrated the
name of him who had so bravely led them there ■ — no longer
Arnold the hero, but forevermore Arnold the traitor. But our
people lost no faith in their cause, evincing, as our records

98 TOIVN VOTES.

attest, a steadfast determination to prosecute the war till in-
dependence should he achieved.

" Nov. 20, 1780. — -Voted that the town will raise a tax on provisions
to supply their quota of provisions for the Connecticut line in the Con-
tinental army and that a rate bill be made apportioning to each indi-
vidual his proportion of each kind of provisions to be raised (viz.)
flour, beef and pork according to his list for the year 1779 and that
Mefrs David Jackson, John Couch & Asahel Fitch be a Com^*^^ to make
sd rate bill.

At sd meeting Capts W"" Hawley, John Gray, Gershom Morehouse,
& Ezekiel Sanford were appointed to be a Com'^e to ascertain the num-
ber of men this town has now in the Continental army."

" Nov. 28, 1780. — Geo. Perry was apptd to receive the flour collected
by .the town for the use of the army &c and sworn to a faithful dis-
charge of his trust. At sd meeting Russell Bartlett apptd to receive the
beef and pork as aforesd and sworn as aforesd Voted that one of the
Comt^<^ appointed to ascertain the num.ber of Soldiers this town now
has in the Continental army do repair to Camp for that purpose and
that he shall receive a reasonable reward from the town therefor.

At sd meeting Capt. John Gray, Step^ Betts Esq Thad Benedict
David Jackson & Lem'i Sanford Esq. w^re appointed a Com*^®^ to class
the Inhabitants according to a Statute law in that case provided, and
that they make twelve classes unless they think fit to alter that number
by receiving farther Information about the number of Soldiers this
[town] must raise."

" Mon. Dec 25, 1780. — Isaac Gorham, and Simon Couch appointed
a Com'"^" to provide for Soldiers Families."

"Wed. Dec. 27. 1780. — E5enj'- Hambleton appointed one of the
Comt«=<^ to take care of Soldiers Families — Voted that John Gray,
Will"' Heron, and Will™ Hawley be a Com'^e to examine and inquire
how much time the Soldiers that were raised for the laft six Months
for y^ Continental Army, served, and report make to y'' next T
Meeting."

"Jan. 8, 1781. — Voted that David King, Henry Lyon, Ezekiel Hill,
James Barlow, and Will"' Manrow, be allowed (for the men that they
procured to inlift into the Connecticut Line of the Continental Army,
the six months preceding the firft of Inft January) the encouragement
Voted at a Town Meeting in June laft for thofe who should inlift into
sd service — Voted that it is the oppinion of this Meeting that Eben""
Sturges did not comply with the Vote of the Town Respecting The Six
Months Men."

"Jan. 29, 1781.. — Voted that Sam'' Hawley be a Com'^*' to provide
for the Family of Rufsel Chapel a Soldier in the Connecticut Line of
the Continental Army for y^ present year.

Voted that Nehemiah Hull be a Com'<'<' to provide for y« Family of
Nathan Coley a Soldier in the Connecticut Line of y® Continental Army
for ye Present Year, in the Room of Benj" Hambleton."

TOIFN VOTES.

" Mon. Feb. 5, 1781. — Adj'd meeting. — Voted that the meeting will
not abate y^ Afsefsments as Afsefs'd by the Civil Authority and Select
Men (for the purpose of hiring men to serve in the Connecticut Line
of the Continental Army during the War) on Enos Lee, James Mor-
gan, Hezekiah Piatt, Dan^' Lyon, Abigail Lyon, widow of Peter Lyon
DeC^ Sarah Phinney David Knap, Jas Gray, Abigail Morehoufe Wid^^
of Zacheus Morehoufe DeC^, Ezekiel Hill, And^' Fairchild, Sarah
Widow of Abel Burr Dec'\ Who have each of them a Son or Sons, or
a Son or Sons in Law gone over to the Enemy of the LTnited States —
Each of y^ above named Perfons had a separate Vote."

"Feb. 19, 1781. — Voted that the following Perfons in y*" gt'* Clafs
(viz) — James Morgan, Jeise Banks, Hezekiah Piatt, & Zebulon Piatt,
who have refufed to pay their equal proportion according to their Lifts
towards hiring a man to serve in y*5 Connecticut Line of the Continental
Army for three Years shall each be afsefsed double their proportion to
Mr Isaac Gorliam for the ufe of sd Class And that Mr John Byinton
be a Collector to Collect the same."

"March 28, 1781. — Voted that Captain Gershom Morehoufe and
Lieut Nehemiah Hull, be a Comt*"*" to Collect the Tents belonging to
this Town, by the next meeting.

Voted that Mefs''s Lemll Sanford, Ezekiel Sanford, & Jn^ Gray, be a
Comt^e to vindicate our claims to y^ Continental Soldiers — "

" Fri. April 6, 1781. — Voted that Peter Sanford and Ezekiel Burr be
a Com*''^ to supply Henry Hopkins family, who is a Soldier in the Con-
tinental Army & Ezekiel Sanford, Jno Gray & Eben"" Andrews, appointed
to supply Jno. Lines family for the prefent Year — Voted a Tax of two
Pence on the Pound on the Lift of A.D. 1780 to purchase Soldiers Cloth-
ing, and that Elijah Burr, Eben"" Andrews, and Ephraim Robbins be
Collectors to Collect the Same — "

"April 16, 1781. — Voted that Mefs'^ Seth Sanford, John Gray, James
Rogers, Stephen Betts, and Micajah Starr, be a Com^<^<^ to put the In-
habitants of this Town in eight Clafses according to their several Lists
in order to raife seven Soldiers, and one light Florfeman to serve for one
year as Coaft Guards —

Voted that Mef'^ Will'" Heron, Micajah Starr, James Rogers, Aaron
Barlow & Sam" Mallery be a Comi^^^ to correfpond with the several
Towns in Fairfield County to know whether they will unite with this
town in prefenting a Petition that was red in this meeting refpecting
our money, and some other Public affairs, and make Report to the next
meeting."

"April 30, 1781. — Voted that y'^ 6"^ Clafs (for procuring men to serve
in the Guards at Horfe Neck till y® firft day of March next) shall pro-
cure a light Florfeman and Horfe, and that the Town shall pay said
Clafs all it shall coft them more to procure a man and Horfe than it
shall coft the other seven Clafses on a medium.''

" May 28, T781. — Voted that the firft Clafs in this Town for procur-
ing Recruits for the Connecticut Line of the Continental Army for their

LofC,

lOo THE FINAL CAMPAIGN.

neglecting to procure a Recrnit — (within the time limited by Law) for
said service shall pay into the Treafury of this Town double what it
has Coft y^ other Clafses in this Town on an average to hire their Re-
cruits. — ■"

" June 25, 1781. — i\Iefs'"=5 Jno Gray, and Aaron Barlow appointed a
Com'^'=^ to enquire in such ways as they shall think proper to know how
many Soldiers we have in the Continental Army and Report make to
the next Meeting."

It was also decided at this meeting that the tax on the list of 1780
was " to be paid in Silver, or Gold, or Beef as stated by Law."

" June 29, 1781. — Seth Sanford, Eben'' Andrews, and Stephen Betts,
appointed a Com^ee ^q i^jj-e three Soldiers for the Continental Army till
y^ last day of December next."

■'July 4, 1781. — Voted a Rate of three pence on y^ Pound on the
Lift 1781 to pay the laft Years six Months men : to be paid in Silver or
Gold or Wheat at six Shillings P Bushel to be collected and paid to the
Select Men by the lo'^'^ day of July Inft. — Ebenezer Andrews chosen
collector."

Meantime, affairs in the field were progressing toward the
cuhnination of the struggle. Washington's army was still
in the vicinity of New York, while Greene and other leaders
were meeting with varying fortunes in Virginia and the Caro-
linas. A corps of light infantry, made up chiefly of light com-
panies from the New England regiments, had been organized
and placed under the command of Lafayette, who was charged
with the defense of Virginia. This corps was armed, uni-
formed, and equipped by Lafayette himself. His opponent was
Cornwallis, recently reinforced and sanguine of victory over
his youthful antagonist. In the operations conducted by these
two armies they traversed fields which, eighty years later,
were trodden by hosts greater than any the Revolutionary sol-
dier ever saw, and reddened by a carnage more dreadful than
any he dreamed of. Meantime, news had arrived of the ap-
proach of a fleet and army from France, and Clinton, fearing
for the safety of New York, ordered a portion of Cornwallis'
command to return to that city. This order he soon after
countermanded, instructing Cornwallis to retain all his troops
and to take up a fortified position at some point which would
afford hiin, in case of necessity, a secure retreat. Cornwallis
decided upon Yorktown as the proper position for this pur-
pose, and here, by the 22d of August, he had strongly in-
trenched himself. Lafayette, seeing his antagonist now in a

SIEGE OF YORKTOWN. loi

position where a blow might he struck at him with a prospect
of success, chily reported the fact to the American commander-
in-chief, and Washington, reahzing that a long-desired oppor-
tunity was at hand, prepared his troops for a march, while
ostensibly continuing operations for an attack on New York,
and, before Clinton could penetrate his design, was far on his
way to tlie southward. A French army under Rochambeau.
a French fleet under De Grasse, cooperated in the movement.
When Clinton realized that Washington was really on his
way to Virginia he sent Arnold to make a counter-demon-
stration against New London, and presently the country was
horrified by the news of the slaughter at Fort Griswold. But
the main design was not affected by this diversion, and on the
2Qth of September an army of sixteen thousand men encircled
Yorktown. and a French fleet blocked the river. On the 6th
of October the heavy guns arrived, and the siege was pushed
with vigor. The same night the first parallel was dug within
six hundred yards of the enemy's line. On the 9th the bat-
teries opened, and fired without intermission, causing constant
and heavy loss within the British works. On the nth a second
parallel was established at the distance of three hundred yards,
and on the evening of the 14th two advanced redoubts of the
British line of defense were carried, one by American light
troops under Lafayette, the other by French grenadiers. On
the i6th the British made a sortie upon the French lines, spik-
ing eleven guns and inflicting a loss of about one hundred
men on their adversaries. The cannon were soon rendered
fit for service again, and the situation of Cornwallis grew more
desperate than before. Flis w^orks were hammered down by
an incessant fire, his guns knocked out of action, and his am-
munition nearly expended ; the houses of the town were honey-
combed by flying projectiles, and the streets w^ere strewed
with dead men and horses half-buried under mounds of dirt
thrown up by plunging shot or bursting shell. The British
commander's last hope lay in a possible escape from the town
by cutting his way through the French lines at Gloucester, on
the opposite side of the river. The attempt was made on the
night of the i6th ; a portion of the army was embarked in
boats, but a violent storm arose, compelling the return of the
troops and frustrating the design. On the following morning

102 SIEGE OF YORKTOWN.

the American batteries opened with renewed vigor, and the
British general sent a flag to Washington, requesting a sus-
pension of hostilities for the purpose of arranging terms of
surrender. A cessation of fire for two hours was granted,
commissioners were appointed to arrange terms of submission,
and articles of capitulation were signed by Cornwallis on the
morning of the 19th. The allied troops, having removed from
their persons the grime and stain of battle, paraded in two
lines, the Americans on the right, the French on the left of
the road along which, at two o'clock that afternoon, the British
garrison of Yorktown marched out to pile its arms upon the
field of surrender. A great concourse of people, inhabitants
of the surrounding country, also witnessed the submission of
the British troops. The scene was a memorable one. The
army of Cornwallis marched out in full dress, but with ir-
regular step, and ranks imperfectly aligned. At the place of
surrender many of them threw their weapons sullenly upon
the ground, and, after casting off their equipments, all were
marched back into Yorktown. After this had taken place,
swift couriers were seen galloping from the battle field, bearing
the news of the great victory, spreading from town to town a
jubilant cry which rolled northward across the broad Potomac
and the tranquil Delaware, the plains of the Jerseys and the
camps on the Hudson, and onward through the towns and
hamlets of New England, re-echoing in its passage among our
own quiet hills, "Cornwallis is taken! Cornwallis is taken!"
The casualties among the allied troops amounted to "j
killed, 200 wounded. The British loss was 156 killed, 326
wounded, 70 missing ; 7,247 men laid down their arms ; 75
brass, 169 iron cannon, 7,794 muskets, and 28 standards be-
came trophies of war. From the British military chest was
obtained the sum of £2.113 6s. Many vessels of war, trans-
ports, etc., carrying 900 men, surrendered to the French ad-
miral. The vanquished troops marched into captivity. The
Americans returned to the camps on the Hudson, where a day
of rejoicing was observed in honor of the victory, and military
affairs relapsed into the condition in which they had been
before the movement upon Yorktown took place. Though
efforts were made toward an attempt on New York, the same
causes that had previously delayed action were operative still.

CLOSE OF THE WAR.

103

and the American army lay in comparative quiet along the
Hudson. Other influences than those of military activity, how-
ever, were bringing the great conflict to its close. The re-
sources of England were practically exhausted, and the end
was almost in view.

At home, our people were solicitous as ever for the welfare
of our soldiers and the good of the cause. There was little
more to be done, but to the very last that little was conscien-
tiously performed.

"Dec. 26, 1781. — Seth Hull chofen to take care of Jabez Williams
a Soldiers Family. David Sanford for Isaac Olmfteds Family. Isaac
Gorham to provide for James Thomfons Family. David Starr to pro-
vide for Henry Hopkins Family."

" Feb. 28, 1782. — Voted that this Town will raife their Quota of Sol-
diers to fill the Regi™*^ of State Troops by Clafsing the Inhabitants.
That Mefs''s David Jackson, Ja^ Rogers, and Will"^ Heron be a Com"^
for the above purpofe the abovesd Coni*'^ appointed to warn the Clafses
to come together according to Law. Capt. John Gray Capt Ezek' San-
ford and Ja^ Rogers appointed a Conitte to wait on the County Com"^
at Stephen Betts Esq"" the 4^^ Day of March next, in order to vindicate
our claims to the Continental Soldiers. The laft mentioned Com"^ to
vindicate the Towns Claims to the last Years State Troops, when y*'
County Com"^ shall attend for that purpofe.

And^ Fairchild appointed a Com"e to supply Sam" Raymond's
Family : a Soldier in the Continental Army —

Elijah Burr appointed a Com"^ to supply Henry Hopkins Family:
a Soldier &c."

April 19th, 1783, eight }ears after the battle of Lexington,
a cessation of hostilities was proclaimed to the army and the
country. It was evident there would be no more fighting, and
that independence would be established. This was a sad blow
to the loyalists who had taken up arms in the British service,
who now saw ruin, through the loss of their landed property,
staring them in the face. In the hope of making peace with
the victors, and of reclaiming their possessions, many of them
returned to their former abodes and sought to regain their
forfeited rights. Some former residents of Redding came
back to the town for this purpose — who they were is not
definitely known — and a portion of them were probably al-
lowed to remain ; to what agency they owed this favor is not
clear, though it was doubtless due in part to the intercession
of patriot relatives. Others, who had made themselves more

104

CLOSE OF THE WAR.

obnoxious, were forever exiled from their old homes. This
action is indicated, in the town records, by the last entry relat-
ing to Revolutionary affairs.

"Aug. II, 1783. — Put to Voute whether it is tlie minds of this
Meeting that y^ Select Men of this Town be defired to remove out of
this Town all thofe Perfons that have been over to and Joined the
Enemy, and returned into this Town, and that they pursue the bufinefs
as faft as they conveniently can, according to Law pafsed in the af-
firmative."

Melancholy was the fate of these men, who had risked and
lost all in the conflict, but sadder seems the lot of those women
— innocent and helpless victims of the strife — who, sacrificing
all the ties of home and kindred, loyally followed their hus-
bands into exile, and, in a harsher clime and a strange land,
took up the burdens and endured the hardships of pioneer life.
The British government granted lands in New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia to the loyalist exiles, and thither they betook
themselves after the peace, beginning a new life in the wilder-
ness, out of which in process of time they carved towns and
cities, and peopled the region with their descendants.

On the 3d of September, 1783, a definitive treaty of peace
was signed, and the war was at an end. The army which,
through eight long years, and under so many adverse condi-
tions, had steadfastly battled in the cause of freedom, was no
longer needed, and nothing remained but to disband it. There
was not much of it to disband. Various re-formations, con-
solidations, etc., and especially the near prospect of peace, had
largely reduced the military establishment. The Connecticut
regiments, for example, having become much reduced in
numbers before the expiration of their first enlistment, were
reorganized by consolidation toward the end of 1780, the eight
regiments being reduced to five. The officers of the last three
regiments were rendered supernumerary, and the men were
distributed among the remaining battalions. Under this ar-
rangement the Fifth and Seventh were consolidated and desig-
nated the Second, in which most of the Redding men afterward
served. After the return from Yorktov/n many furloughs
were granted, and on January i, 1783, the five regiments were
reduced to three, on which footing the Connecticut contingent
remained till Tune, when all soldiers enlisted for the war were

EVACUATION OF NEW YORK.

105

discharged, and the remainder were included in a single bat-
talion, which was retained in service till the general disband-
ment. On the i8th of October Congress ordered the dissolu-
tion of the forces, and the unpaid and discontented soldiers
of the republic, parading for the last time, turned sorrowfully
away from the last camp ground of the American Revolution.
A small force was detained at Newburgh, which probably
formed part of the column vsdiich entered New York upon its
evacuation by the armies of King George.

The 25th of November, 1783, was the date set for the
evacuation of the city by the liritish. Joy filled the hearts of
the populace as regiment after regiment paraded, and, wheeling
into column, took up their march for the Battery, wdiere they
embarked. Close upon their departure followed a column of
Americans, amid the acclamations of the people. Arriving at
the Battery, they found the British flag nailed to the flagstaff,
the halyards removed, and the pole slushed with grease, to
prevent the removal of the ensign. An American sailor at
last succeeded, though with great difficulty, in climbing the
staff, rove new halyards, and, ere the British shipping had
finished its parting salute, the banner of England fluttered to
the ground and the stars and stripes flew in its place.

Another incident of the evacuation must have afforded ex-
treme satisfaction to those who had partaken of the hospitali-
ties of the Sugar House : Before the British troops evacuated
the lower part of the town a patriotic innkeeper displayed the
American flag at his doorway. The emblem caught the eye
of Cunningham, the provost-marshal, who angrily ordered it
to be torn down, but as no one obeyed his command, advanced
to seize it himself. At this moment the tavern door opened
and Cunningham was confronted by the innkeeper's wife,
armed with a broom, with which she so vigorously belabored
him that he was glad to seek refuge in ignominious flight, amid
the jeers and laughter of the spectators. So, with his British
brethren, he sailed away, to meet at last the very fate to which
he had consigned so many others, for he was hung for forgery,
in the city of London, on the loth of August, 1791.

I06 THE END.

And now, the long strife ended, the Revolutionary soldiers
of Redding returned to their homes and to the arts of peace.
They saw their country emerge from the darkness and de-
spondency which closed the Revolutionary period into a newer,
better, stronger, and more prosperous condition, under the
great leader whom they had followed in the long contest with
Britain. They witnessed the unfolding of their country's
greatness, as, with the passing years, new men, new measures,
and new conditions rose into public view. To them came
changes, also, as the years rolled by. Some, severing the ties
of home and kindred, sought better fortune in newer lands.
To the green hills of Vermont, the valley of the Mohawk, and
the new lands beyond the Ohio, they wended their way, and
saw their native hills no more. Others, remaining in their
ancestral homes, lived active, prosperous lives amid the rising
generations till age and infirmity chained them to their fire-
sides, where the Death Angel found them and gathered them,
one by one, to their fathers. The memory of their deeds, and
even of their names, faded from human recollection, or was
traceable only in the uncertain light of public record or family
tradition. Here and there a long-roofed, weatherbeaten habi-
tation, its monumental stone chimney still defying the storms
of time, guards the hearthstone beside whose cheerful firelight
the Revolutionary soldier told to his wondering listeners tales
of great deeds and glorious days. These, and the graves upon
the hillsides, are the last visible memorials of the men who
bore well their humble part in the great work of securing, for
all men and for all time, a heritage of freedom. Much that is
herein recorded concerning them would, ere long, have been
wholly lost, had not the spirit of patriotism aroused the desire
to rescue, from the fast-closing darkness of oblivion, whatever
could be gleaned of their deeds and of their fate. Such labor
has been here attempted ; whether satisfactorily performed,
the reader may judge. Out of all that store of experience
which fell to the lot of our Revolutionary fathers, cmly this
slender chronicle remains to preserve for coming generations
some knowledge of what they accomplished and endured
during the struggle for liberty ; of the scenes they witnessed,
the fields on which they fought, and what they contributed to
that spirit of heroic self-sacrifice and patient endurance which
shone amid the strife and stress, the terror and the glory, of
" the times that tried men's souls."

SOLDIERS' ^[ONUMENT, PUTNAM PARK.

REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS AND
PATRIOTS OF REDDING.

["Posterity delights in details." — John Adams. \

Soldiers of Redding- fought on a dozen battle fields of the
American Revolution. Brief descriptions of the actions in
which they participated are given in the preceding pages. In
several of these a considerable number of Redding men stood
shoulder to shoulder in defense of their country. But one
is known to have been at Saratoga — tradition vaguely indi-
cates others — but it is hardly to be doubted that the town
was well represented there. While no remarkable instances of
personal heroism or great achievement enrich these pages,
there are many records of duty faithfully performed, in which
we may feel an honest pride.

The records following were compiled with care, and are
believed to be correct. Many are as complete as it is now pos-
sible to make them, containing details of the military career
and subsequent life of the individual never before collected.
Wherever possible, family lines have been traced back to the
emigrant progenitor, leaving to descendants the task of keeping
in touch with their ancestry. The name of the soldier's wife,
whenever ascertained, has also been included, partly as a
means of more ready identification by descendants, partly
because it seems fitting to preserve here the memory of those
women who shared in some degree the anxieties and perils of
the Revolutionary period.

The same course, as far as practicable, was pursued in the
compilation of the loyalist records.

Correspondence is solicited relative to corrections and additions, and those pos-
sessing additional facts are requested to note them on the blank pages of the book as
a means of preservation.

[Note. — A superior figure at the right of a regimental number indicates the
period of formation, as " sthl " means 5th regt. of the first formation, 1777-1781-;
" 5th2," 5th regt. of the second formation, 1781-1783; " 2(33," 2d regt. of the third
formation, Jan. -June, 1783. This distinction is rendered necessary because of the
renumbering of regiments in successive reorganizations of the Continental Line.]

io8

ADAMS, ABRAHAM. 1746-

Abraham Adams was a meml^er of Capt. Zalmon Read's com-
pany, in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, commanded by Col. David
Waterbury, which served around New York and in the Northern
Department in 1775, and took part in the operations at St. Johns
and Montreal: he was discharged from this service Nov. 28, 1775.
He next served as private in Capt. Ezekiel Sanford's company,
5th Regt. Conn Continental Line (formation of 1777-81), Col.
Philip B. Bradley commanding; enlisted Sept. 27, 1777, for 8
months; discharged Jan. 9, 1778. He was pensioned mider the
Act of June 7, 1832, for 13 months actual service in the Conn,
troops, and received an annual allowance of $43.33 from March
4, 183 1.

Lineage : Abraham^, ^, Abraham-, Edward Adams^ of

Fairfield, 1650.

ADAMS, HEZEKIAH. 1 764-1819.

Born Aug. 14, 1764.

This man was among the youngest of those who offered their
services in defense of their country. He was too young to go into
the ranks as a soldier, but joined the army as a teamster, " and on
one occasion drove a wagon loaded with Spanish milled dollars
to Baltimore." — [Todd's History of Redding.]

Married Betty Parsons, Sept. 11, 1788.

Died Dec. 25, 1819. Buried in Lonetown Cemetery.

Lineage: Joseph^ Abraham^. -, Abraham^, Edward

Adams^ of Fairfield, 1650.

ADAMS, STEPHEN. 1762-

Born July 15, 1762. Brother of Hezekiah.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Regt. Conn Militia,
Lt.-Col. Jonathan Dimon commanding, in the Fishkill Campaign,
Oct. 5-25,* 1777. Enlisted for the war in Capt. James Horton's
company, Lt.-Col. Jeduthan Baldwin's Regt. of Artificers, Mass.
Line ; never returned. The name " Stephen Adams " appears in
the list of prisoners who were confined on board the British prison-
ship " Jersey."

ANDREWS, EBENEZER.

Sept. 18, 1777, Ebenezer Andrews was appointed one of a com-
mittee to procure articles requested by the Governor and Council
of Safety for the use of the militia sent to reinforce Putnam on
the Hudson. April 6, 1781, he was one of a committee of three
appointed to supply the family of John Lines, a soldier, for that

109

year. April i6, 17S1, he was appointed collector of a tax levied
for the purchase of clothing for the soldiers in the field. June 29,
1781, he was one of a committee of three appointed to hire three
soldiers to serve till the end of the year. July 4, 1781, he was
made collector of a tax levied for the purpose of paying the six-
months soldiers of 1780.

It is not clear whether this was Ebenezer born 1720, or his son,
born 1752.

ANDREWS, FRANCIS. 1754-

Corporal, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn Militia, in the
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-24, 1777. Appointed an Inspector of
Provisions, March 13, 1780. The duty of inspectors was to pre-
vent supplies from being carried out of the town.

Lineage: Ebenezer'*, 1720, Ensign John^', John^, Francis An-
drews^ of Hartford and Fairfield, 1660.

[Name generally spelled "Andress " in the records.]

ANDREWS, JONATHAN. [Andress.]

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-15,* 1777-

ANDREWS, PETER. 1757-

Brother of Francis.

Private, Capt. Elijah Abel's company, Bradley's Battalion,
Wadsworth's Brigade, enlisted June 21, 1776; taken prisoner at
Ft. Washington Nov. 16, 1776.

ANDREWS, SETH.

Drafted by Capt. John Gray for one month to guard the shore
of Long Island Sound, serving under Capt. Thomas Nash in Oc-
tober, 1779, at the time of the skirmish when a cannon shot from
the British fleet passed near Capt. Nash.

BAKER, BARTHOLOMEW.

Private, Capt. Elijah Abel's company, Bradley's Battalion,
Wadsworth's Brigade, June ii-Dec. 25, 1776. Corporal, Capt.
Ezekiel Sanford's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Continental Line;
enlisted March 4, 1777, for 3 years. Reduced to private Novem-
ber, 1777; discharged March 4, 1780.

Jan. 28, 1780, Capt. Ezekiel Sanford was appointed by the town
to provide for Baker's family.

The marriage of Bartholomew Baker of Redding" to Sarah
Fenn, Dec. 29, 1778, is recorded in the church records of the
parish of Judea (now Washington, Conn.).

BANKS, JOSEPH. 1713-1802.

Dec. 22, 1777, Joseph Banks was appointed one of a committee
to take care of soldiers' families. Feb. 3, 1780, he was appointed
to provide for the family of Ephraim Wheeler. Jr., one of the
soldiers of the town.

Mr. Banks was a deacon of the Congregational Church at
Redding from Oct. 13, 1776, to his death, July 8, 1802. Buried in
Sanfordtown Cemetery.

BARLOW, AARON. 1750-1800.

Born Feb. 11, 1750.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
in the Northern Campaign; discharged Nov. 28, 1775. Ensign,
Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fishkill Campaign,
Oct. 5-19, 1777- Appointed member Committee of Inspection Dec.
22, 1777. April 16, 1781, he was appointed on a Committee of
Correspondence with reference to the state of the currency. From
April, 1780, he served 9 months as lieutenant in the company of
Capt. Jesse Bell, in Col. Bezaleel Beebe's Regt. of State Troops, on
the Westchester front, in May, 1781, he was lieutenant of the
coast-guard at Greens Farms. June 25, 1781, he, with Capt. Gray,
was chosen a committee to ascertain what number of soldiers the
town had in the Continental Army.

Mr. Barlow is described as " a man of ability, tall of stature,
of an imposing bearing." [Todd.] He settled on a farm at the
foot of the northern slope of Umpawaug Llill ; the house in which
he lived still stands near the banks of the Saugatuck River. His
occupation was that of blacksmith and iron-founder. In conjunc-
tion with his brother Joel he established an iron foundry in Weston
— probably the present Valley Forge. He was a deputy sheriff
of Fairfield County for a time, and served four terms in the Conn.
Legislature as a representative from Redding: October, 1792; May-
October, 1794; May, 1795. Continuing in the military service of
the state he rose through the grades of captain and major, and was
Lieut.-Col. Commandant of the 4th Conn. Militia from 1794 to
1799. He went to Norfolk, Va., and died there of yellow fever
in 1800. He was a pensioner.

Married Rebecca Sanford Dec. 17, 1772.

Lineage: SamueP, 1710-1773, Samuel^, John% John-. John Bar-
low^, of Fairfield, 1640.

[Todd's Hist, of Redding; Schenck's Hist, of Fairfield.]

BARLOW, JAMES.

Probably son of Samuel Barlow'^ by his first wife. Eunice Brad-
ley; born Jan. 29, 1739.

Ill

lu 1780 he procured recruits for the Continental Army. See
Dte of the town, Jan. 8. 1781.

33ARLOW, JOEL. 1754-1812.

Joel Barlow, fourth son of Samuel Barlow^ and his second
wife, Esther Hull, w-as born in Redding (then a parish of Fair-
field), March 24, 1754, in a house that stood on the Boston road,
nearly a mile west of Nob Crook Hill. Elis father was a
farmer in moderate circumstances, who evidently desired to give
his son the best education he could afford. Joel's training began,
therefore, under the tuition of the Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett, pastor
of the Congregational Church at Redding, and in 1773, his father
placed him at Moor's preparatory school in Hanover, New Hamp-
shire. His entry into this school is chronicled in the diary of the
Rev. Eleazer Wheelock, under date of Sept. 14, 1773:

"Mr. Samuel Barlow of Reading, Mass. [?], brings his son
Joel to school. The said son is to officiate as waiter on table at
meal time, and also to be at the beck of Miss Elizabeth, only in
play time and vacations to perform such errands and incidental
service as she shall have occasion for in her business, and in consider-
ation of her services and his, to have his board, viz: eating, drink-
ing, washing, firewood, candles, study-room, and tuition." [Hist.
Dartmouth Cxjllege.] Miss Elizabeth Burr, mentioned above, came
from Fairfield. Conn., to be with Joel, and to " superintend the
cooking in commons, and manage the prudentials of it." In part,
therefore, Joel Barlow " w^orked his way " to obtain an education.

Samuel Barlow died Dec. 20, 1773, leaving, it is believed, a suf-
ficient estate to enable his son to complete his education. The
young man therefore remained at school, entered the Freshman
class at Dartmouth College, and there continued his studies till
November, 1774, when, circumstances requiring that he should be
nearer home, he was recommended to President Daggett at Yale,
and removed to New Haven, where he completed his academic
course. Here he made the acquaintance of several young men
with whom he was afterward associated in the field of literature.
Among these were David Humphreys, afterward aid to Washing-
ton; Timothy Dwight. in later years president of Yale; Noah
Webster, the compiler of the Dictionary; John Trumbull, the
author of " McFingal " ; Abraham Baldwin, later senator from
Georgia; and others, who, in after time, became distinguished in
public life or in literary pursuits.

When the Revolution broke out Barlow was of age, and the
sympathies of his family being with the patriot cause, he shared
in the enthusiasm and military ardor of the day. Two of his

112

brothers served in the Xorthern Army in 1775, and the death of
his mother, Aug. 28th of that year, severed the ties of home and
left him free to follow a career of his own choosing. However,
he did not abandon his college course, but joined the militia of
the state as a volunteer, and is said to have spent his vacations in
camp learning the duties of a soldier and participating in several
skirmishes. It is stated that when the college sessions were tem-
porarily suspended during the operations on Long Island and
around New York, he joined the forces under Gen. Washington,
and fought bravely at the battle of White Plains, Oct. 28, 1776.
After this he appears to have pursued his studies without interrup-
tion until his graduation in 1778, when he received the degree of
Bachelor of Arts, delivering on this occasion an original poem en-
titled " The Prospect of Peace."

After leaving college he applied himself for a time to the study
of law, probably making his home with his brothers temporarily.
He was in Redding during the encampment of the troops there in
1779, but does not appear to have been connected with the army
in any capacity at this time. At the solicitation of friends (of
whom Humphreys and Baldwin were particularly interested in
his behalf), he laid aside the study of the law and took up that of
theology, with a view of obtaining a chaplaincy in the army. After
six weeks of preparation in the summer of 1780 he received a
license to preach, and was appointed chaplain of the Fourth Mass.
Brigade, commanded by Col. Bailey. He joined his command Sep-
tember 2d, and entered upon his duties. His fourth discourse be-
fore the brigade, October ist, he describes as " a flaming political
sermon, occasioned by the treachery of Arnold." On the following
day he was present at the execution of Major Andre.

As a preacher he is said to have been much respected, though
his earlier efforts evidently provoked some criticism. Dr. Thacher,
who met him about this time, says in his " Military Journal " : "I
have just been introduced to three young clerg)'men from Con-
necticut, Mr. Lockwood, Mr. Ely, and Mr. Joel Barlow; the latter
is a chaplain in the Connecticut (?) line, and is said to possess
a poetical genius. Being present when he made a prayer in public
it was remarked that his performance was very ordinary, and it
was replied that the gentleman had not been much accustomed to
public performances, and that he was more calculated to attain to
eminence in the art of poetry than in the clerical profession."

It was as a poet that Joel Barlow most desired to be known
among men. In connection with Dwight he wrote many patriotic
songs while in camp, which were sung by the soldiers about their
camp-fires, inspiring them with devotion for the cause in which

113

they fought. But a greater work than this was shaping itself in his
mind. He had long contemplated the making of a great epic poem,
which should be an enduring monument to the glories of his native
land. He had been influenced to accept a chaplaincy for the ad-
vancement of this purpose, for this position afforded him inde-
pendence and leisure amid scenes which lent inspiration to his
muse. To this work he gave thought amid the duties of his office,
and laid the foundation of the production which he completed a
few years later.

Barlow remained in the army till the close of the war, being
nearly all this time in the camps on the Highlands, engaged in his
clerical duties, and in the writing of his poem. The most im-
portant event of his career during this period was probably his
marriage to Miss Ruth Baldwin, daughter of Michael Baldwin of
New Haven, on the 26th of January, 1781. After the final dis-
bandment of the army in December, 1783, he retired to private life,
and fixed his residence at Hartford, Conn., where he began in
earnest his literary career. He wrote much for the public press,
and, conjointly with Elisha Babcock, a printer of Springfield, Mass.,
established a paper called " The American Mercury,'' with which
he was connected till November, 1785. During this period he was
a member of a most notable company of literary men, widely
known as " the Hartford Wits," whose brilliant satires not only
created widespread interest and amusement, but also influenced the
politics of the day. After severing his connection with his paper.
Barlow again devoted himself to the study of law, and was admit-
ted to the bar at Fairfield in April, 1786. Unwilling, however,
to make "use of the methods too commonly employed at that time
for the attainment of success in the profession, he abandoned this
pursuit and turned again to his literary occupations. In 1785,
at the request of the General' Association of the Congregational
churches of Connecticut, he had undertaken a revision of the Book
of Psalmody, familiarly known as " Watts' Hymns," which had
been in general use for half a century. His version was received
with approval by the churches, and was used by them for a number
of years. In the spring of 1787 appeared the work on which he
had labored so long and earnestly : " The Vision of Columbus."
It met with immediate and widespread success, passed through
several editions in America, and was republished in France, and
even in England.

The poet had now achieved literary success, and his course in
life seemed fully determined. But at this juncture an event oc-
curred which changed the tenor of his existence and eventually

114

advanced him to a station which was, perhaps, heyond his most
sanguine anticipations.

The Continental Congress had, during the Revohition, promised
as a hounty to those who should enlist in the military service of
the Republic grants of land, in addition to pay and other emolu-
ments. This promise, however, had never been redeemed, and
after the opening for settlement of the country north and west of
the Ohio, a number of officers, who had been entitled to land
bounties, conceived the idea of purchasing from the government
large tracts of the Ohio territory and re-selling to immigrant
settlers from abroad. Associations were formed for this purpose
— the Ohio Company in 1786, the Scioto Land Company in the
following year. The directors of the latter organization, looking
about for a suitable person to represent their interests abroad,
selected Joel Barlow as their foreign agent, secured his acceptance
of the position, and in the spring of 1788 he sailed for France to
begin his labors in the interest of the Scioto Company. It is un-
necessary here to detail the history of that unfortunate enterprise.
That history forms a curious story of financial mismanagement
and nonfulfillment of promises. It is enough to say that the
lamentable failure of this speculation appears to have been due,
not to dishonest intentions on the part of its promoters, but largely
to a want of the sagacity and business experience necessary for
the safe conduct of so great an undertaking. Financial em-
barrassments ensued, unforeseen difficulties checked the progress
of the work, dissatisfaction grew; recriminations followed; the
affairs of the company became hopelessly involved. Barlow
eventually resigned his agency and withdrew from the enterprise,
from which he had derived no special advantage, and which, un-
fortunately, had been the means of embittering some of his as-
sociates against him.

His mission as land agent having failed. Barlow once more
turned to his pen for a livelihood. He passed his time between
London and Paris, and in the latter city became well known in
literary and social life. In the politics of the period he took a
deep interest, and became a member of the Girondist, or moderate
Republican party. But the outbreak of the French Revolution,
with the fearful excesses which characterized it, made life unsafe
in Paris, and in 1791 Barlow withdrew to London, where in the
following year he produced his "Advice to the Privileged Orders,"
and a poem entitled " The Conspiracy of Kings," both of these
works attracting universal attention. The first-named was an
attack on the feudal system, the religious establishments, the mili-
tary, judicial, and financial systems of European nations, was

115

warmly approved by the opponents of the political policy of Great
Britain, and was suppressed by the British government.

About this period Barlow was joined by his wife, and return-
ing to Paris he again took an active part in French politics, be-
came a citizen of France, and accepted a candidacy as deputy for
Savoy. While on a visit to this province he produced his pastoral
poem " Hasty Pudding," which outlived in popularity all his other
works.

The result of the election being unfavorable to him. Barlow
again retired from political life, and devoted himself to business
enterprises, in which he proved successful and accumulated a con-
siderable fortune, which, in 1796, he estimated at $126,000. Hardly
had he reached this condition of competence and success than he
was again called to a post of responsibility and honor, this time in
the service of his native country. Piracy had become rampant
on the 'northern coast of Africa, American vessels had been cap-
tured and plundered, and more than 150 American sailors were
prisoners in the hands of the Dey of Algiers. The United States
government desired to conclude a treaty of peace with the Dey
and secure the liberation of the prisoners, and Joel Barlow was
induced to accept the mission. He remained in Algiers for a year
and a half, and with great difficulty succeeded in effecting treaties
with both Algiers and Tunis, and setting the unfortunate captives
at liberty. This was not accomplished without' personal danger,
and Barlow gladly concluded his negotiations in July, 1797, and
returned to Paris, having accomplished one of the most difiicult
missions it was ever the lot of an envoy to undertake.

For several years after his return from the Algerine mission
Barlow devoted himself chiefly ,to conmiercial and literary pur-
suits. His principal work in the field of literature consisted in
the expansion of his " Vision of Columbus '" into a larger work,
which he entitled " The Columbiad " ; a translation of Volney's
" Ruins of Empire," and the collection of historical material. In
the politics of the period he took a renewed interest and exerted
such influence as he could to avert the threatened outbreak of
hostilities between France and the United States in 1798. He was
the friend, patron, and adviser of Robert Fulton in his initial ex-
periments in steam and submarine navigation. The young in-
ventor was received as a member of Barlow's family, and treated
with such consideration as might have been shown to a son.

In May, 1805, after eighteen years absence from his native
land, Mr. Barlow bid adieu to the country of his adoption, and
accompanied by his wife, set sail for America. After his arrival
he spent some time in a tour of carriage travel, and then located

ii6

permanently in the city of Washington, D. C, where he purchased
a fine estate, which he improved and beautified, and to which he
gave the name of " Kalorama." Here he settled down with the
intention of passing the remainder of his days in his favorite pur-
suits, and of devoting his abilities to the welfare of his fellow men.
He published an edition of " The Columbiad," began work on a
history of the United States, and drew up a prospectus for a
national university; a bill for the incorporation of the institution
was introduced in the Senate in 1806, but was never acted upon.

The years spent at Kalorama were the last the poet was ever
to know of the comforts of home and the happiness of domestic
life. Meantime, the hand of fate was shaping those events which
were destined to draw him from his retirement for a final service
to his native country, and to the end of his career. The difficulties
which had grown out of the belligerent relations of France and
England had so affected American interests that it was considered
necessary to send a special envoy to France to effect a treaty with
Napoleon for the protection of American commerce. President
Madison selected Joel Barlow as the proper person to represent
the Republic in this difficult mission, and the appointment was
tendered him accordingly. He accepted the trust with reluctance
and a melancholy foreboding of his fate, and sailed from Annapolis
Aug. I, 181 1, in the Frigate Constitution^ bearing his credentials
as Minister Plenipotentiary to France, and accompanied by his
wife and his nephew, Thomas Barlow. After his arrival in Paris
he spent months in vain efforts to conclude negotiations with
Napoleon, who was occupied during this period with the plan and
execution of the invasion of Russia, destined to result so dis-
astrously. It was not till October, 1812, that all preliminaries were
at last adjusted, and a meeting with Napoleon was appointed to
take place in the city of Wilna, in Poland. Mr. Barlow, accom-
panied by his nephew, set out on his journey of nearly 650 leagues,
in the inclement winter season, to complete his mission. Arrived
at his destination he waited in vain for the promised interview,
for the French army was soon in the full tide of retreat from the
terrible disaster of the Beresina, and Napoleon fled in disguise
towards Paris, whither the deeply-disappointed envoy sought to
follow him, but had not proceeded far on his journey when he
was seized with an acute inflammation of the lungs, which com-
pelled a halt at the village of Zarnowica, near Cracow, where,
after five days' illness, he died, Dec. 24, 181 2. As it was impos-
sible to remove his body he was buried at that place, and his sor-
rowing companions returned to Paris, bearing the news of his
melancholy fate.

117

The tidings of Mr. Barlow's death were received with profound
regret in both Europe and America. The leading journals of
France, the Republican press of the United States, and the dead
man's personal friends and admirers in both countries eulogized
his career, and united in expressions of sorrow over his untimely
decease. His mission remained unfulfilled, and his disconsolate
widow recrossed the wide Atlantic, and returned to her desolate
home, where she lived in retirement till her own death, May 29,
1818.

The memory of Joel Barlow faded from the minds of men, but
the work that he had done left its impress on the course of human
affairs. In literature, statesmanship, and education his ideas are
perpetuated and are embodied in the institutions of our country.

No personal description of Mr. Barlow is known to exist, but
several portraits of him are preserved, one of which, from a paint-
ing by Chappell, is reproduced herewith, as giving the best gen-
eral idea of the personality of the man. He was particular in the
observance of correct personal habits, neat in apparel, and atten-
tive to the forms of polite behavior. His private character was
unblemished, and he had a deep dislike of aristocratic pretension,
and of conditions tending to social inequality.

" In private life," says Everest, " Mr. Barlow was highly es-
teemed for his amiable temperament and many social excellences.
His manners were generally grave and dignified, and he possessed
little facility for general conversation, but with his intimate
friends he was easy and familiar, and upon topics which interested
him he discoursed with much animation. His mind was rather of
a philosophical than a poetical cast, and better adapted to those
studies which require patient investigation and profound thought
than to the lighter and more fanciful labors of the muse. Still,
as a poet, he held no humble place among the authors of his day,
while as an ardent patriot, a sincere philanthropist, a zealous
republican, and a friend and patron of science and art, he must
ever stand among the most distinguished men of his age and
country."

In 1809 the University of Georgia conferred upon Mr. Barlow
the degree of Doctor of Laws. He was a member of the Mass.
Society of the Cincinnati.

[Chas. B. Todd's " Life and Letters of Joel Barlow " ; Todd's
'' History of Redding " ; Schenck's " History of Fairfield " ; Ever-
est's " Poets of Connecticut " ; Duyckinck's " National Portrait Gal-
lery " ; Drake's and Allen's " Biographical Dictionaries."]

BARLOW, NATHANIEL. 1745-1782.
Born May 13, 1745- Bro. of Aaron.

ii8

He was a signer of tHe Redding Loyalist Association, but evi-
dently espoused the patriot cause early in the war. Sept. i8, 1777,
the town appointed him one of the committee empowered to pro-
cure the articles (camp equipage for the use of the militia to be
sent to the Hudson) requested by the Governor and Council of
Safety. Jan. 28, 1780, he was appointed by the town to care for
the family of Nathan Coley in place of Nehemiah Hull. At the
town meeting of June 23, 1780, he was appointed one of a com-
mittee of nine to hire nine soldiers for the Conn. Line of the
Continental Army.

Married Jane Bradley.

Died Dec. 26, 1782. Buried in the Old Burying Ground.

BARLOW, SAMUEL. 1752- 1776.

Born April 3, 1752. Bro. of Aaron.

Served in Capt. Zalnion Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
in the Campaign in the Northern Department, and was discharged
Nov. 28, 1775. On the way home he became extremely ill, and
lay at the house of one David Mulford, in Poughkeepsie, cared for
by his brother Aaron, who served in the same company with him,
and by his brother Nathaniel, who came on from Redding to meet
him. He was attended by different physicians, but died after an
illness of several weeks. Bills for medical attendance, medicines,
and other expenses (here reproduced), were paid by Nathaniel,
who was afterward reimbursed from the colony treasury.

THE ESTATE OF SAMUEL BARLOW, DEC. BILL.

Late a Soldier in Cap*^ Zalmon Reads Company, Col. Waterbury's
Reg"^ who Sickned and Died at Poughkeepsie on his way Home from
Northern Army

To Sundry Doctor's Bills who did for him in his long and very
Expensive Sicknefs, settled and paid by his Brother Nathaniel Barlow,
who tended him in his Sicknefs, viz —

To Doctor Tappen's Bill viz —
1775 Deer i^tu To Visit. Pulv. Rhei.
Spt. N. D. ! ij
& Vt £0: t6: 6

17th To Sp. Cots S" 6/—

Elix Asth 5 r 2/6 o : 8 : 6
To Ing<^ Drink 3/6
2 Blis 3/ Pr
Cons g/ o: 14: o

21 To Visit Bord gal
16/ Emp Epis*^
2/ Pr Cons g/ 1:5:0

26 To Visit Pr Cort

§ 6 Spen 1 : 4: o

4: 8

119

17/6 Jan"" 7th To Doctor Hearsted's
Bill for sundry
Medicines & visits
to said Barlow 2: 10: 9

To Doctor John Bard's Bill viz —
1776 Jan 7th To I Visit 5/ To
6 Doses of Pec-
toral Pills 6/ 0:11:0
To 2 Paray Draughts o : 3 : o
17th To I Visit re-
peated 5/ — To
Cordial restorat
drops 5 ij -2/9 o: 7: 9
I9"> To I Visit re-
peated 5/ — To
12 Restorative
Powders 12/ o: 17: o
23d To I ditto ditto 5/
To 2 purging
Draughts 3/ App
Bolus 1/ o: 9: o

2: 7: 9

Nathl Barlow — New York Money £9 : 6: 6 — 6: 19: 10^
Reading June i2t'» 1776.

Then appeard Nathaniel Barlow the above Subscriber and
made oath to the above mentioned sums —

before me

W™ Hawley Jus* Pac^

Receivd June ig^^ 1776, an Order on Colony Treasurer in full of the
above amt receivd for the Estate of the Dec*^

P Hezekiah Sanford.
To Nathaniel Barlow's Bill, viz
To Cash paid David Mulford's Bill for the following expenses for
Samuel Barlow Dec'' late a Soldier in Capt. Zalmon Reads Company viz
To lying Sick at my House 7^/2 Weeks Ex-

tream Sick and Died @ 20/ Pr Week 7 : 10

To Tenders Bill and Board, 2 of them, 7^2

Weeks @ 16/ Pr Week 6:

To Sundry Medicines 11: 6

To Funeral Charges i6j

New York Money 14: 17: 6

— ir: 3: ij^
David Mulford

Reading — Fairfield County May 6'^'^ 1776.

Personally appeared Nathaniel Barlow and

made oath that he had paid the above Acct to the above named David

Mulford

Sworn before me — Lem'l Sanford Jus Pac^

May 23, 1776. Received an order on Colony Treasurer for Eleven
pounds three Shillings one penny 3^ — in full of the above Acct

P Seth Sanford

120

A passage from " The Columbiad " seems to make special refer-
ence to Samuel Barlow, and to indicate that this young soldier was
strongly attached to General IMontgomery.

"And thou, my earliest friend, mj^ Brother dear,

Thy fall untimely still renews my tear.

In youthful sports, in toils, in taste allied,

My kind companion and my faithful guide

When death's dread summons, from our infant eyes.

Had call'd our last loved parent to the skies.

Tho' young in arms, and still obscure thy name,

Thy bosom panted for the deeds of fame.

Beneath Montgomery's eye, when by thy steel

In northern wilds the frequent savage fell.

Fired by his voice, and foremost at his call,

To mount the breach or scale the flamy wall.

Thy daring hand had many a laurel gain'd

If years 'had ripened what thy fancy feign'd.

Lamented Youth ! when thy great leader bled,

Thro' the same v/ound thy parting spirit fled

Join'd the long train, the self-devoted band,

The gods, the saviors of their native land."

An inscription on the tombstone of Samuel Barlow, Sr., states
that " His Son, Mr. Samuel Barlow, refigned his breath in the
service of his country

he died and was buried at Rynbeck on return-s from the victory
of St. Johns & Montreal Jan. 26, AD. 1776, aged 23 years.

Thus age and youth without distinction fall
Death is the common lot prepared for all."

BARTLETT, DANIEL COLLINS. 1755-1837.

Son of Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett.

On a Sabbath morning at the outbreak of the Revolution Daniel
Bartlett's father brought him his own sword, newly ground, and
bade him go and defend his country. Daniel enlisted in Capt.
Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line, served in the
Northern Department, and was present at the capture of St. Johns
in November, 1775; was discharged from service on the 28th of
that month, and then accompanied the unsuccessful expedition led
by Gen. Montgomery against Quebec. He was present at the
burning of Danbury in April, 1777, and served as a private in Capt.
Gershom Morehouse's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Campaign
at Fishkill, October 5-24, of the same year.

Daniel C. Bartlett was married to Esther Read, daughter of
Col. John Read of Redding, Jan. 7, 1778, and after her death in

REV. NATHANIEL BARTLKTT

121

i8o9 removed to Amcnia, Dutchess Co., N. Y., the farm on which
he settled remaining in possession of his descendants till 1901.
Tradition describes him as a man of small stature. He died Dec.
13, 1837, and is buried in the old cemetery near the village of
Amcnia.

BARTLETT. REV. NATHANIEL. 1727-1810.

Born April 22, 1727.

The Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett, second pastor of the Congrega-
tional Church at Redding, was a native of North Guilford, Conn.,
and graduated from Yale College in 1749. He came to Redding
in 1753, was ordained pastor of the church March 21st of that year,
and presided over his charge for 57 years. Throughout the Revo-
lution he sustained the reputation of an ardent, earnest, and fearless
patriot. The incident related above clearly indicates the quality
of his patriotism. Other traditions of him bear testimony to his
courage and his fidelity to the cause of his country. During the
struggle the resident tories manifested a special animosity toward
him and frequently threatened his life, so that he was obliged to
go well armed when making his parochial visits. He built a bin
in the garret of his house, in which his youngest son Jonathan
discovered a number of kegs of powder, which Mr. Bartlett had
stored there for the use of his fellow-patriots in'case of emergency.
He officiated at various times as chaplain to the troops stationed at
Redding.

Mr. Bartlett was married June 13, 1753. to Eunice Russell of
Branford, Conn. In addition to his pastoral duties he instructed
many of the youth of the town in academic studies. Among his
pupils was Joel Barlow. The church and town records show that
he performed the marriage ceremony for about 150 couples during
his pastorate. He was widely known and respected as a minister
and as an educator, and to the last days of his long life labored
earnestly and faithfully for the spirittial and temporal welfare of
his flock. Passing away on the 11 th of January, 1810, he was laid
to rest in the Old Burying Ground near the church in which he
had so long officiated. His firm faith in immortality is expressed
in the text inscribed upon the tall white slab which marks his
grave :

" I am the resurrection and the life ; he that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live."

Lineage: DanieP, Daniel-, Lieut. Geo. Bartlett^, of Guilford,
164 1 ; Branford, 1649.

122

BARTLETT, RUSSELL. 1754-1828.

Son of Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett.

May 9. 1775, he enlisted as fifer in the 6th company (Capt.
Noble Benedict) of the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, served in the
Northern Department, and was discharged Dec. 11, 1775. April
26, 1777, he was captured by the troops of Tryon's expedition and
taken to Danbury, where the prisoners were temporarily confined
in a church, from whose windows Russell Bartlett saw the house
of his father-in-law consigned to the flames. He was carried to
New York, confined in the Sugar House, and after experiencing a
measure of its privations and horrors, was at last released and
returned home. June 22, 1778, he was elected constable for the
town of Redding. Aug. 9, 1779, he was appointed one of a com-
mittee to procure clothing for the soldiers of the town then
serving in the Continental Army. Nov. 28, 1780, he was appointed
to receive the beef and pork collected for the army, and sworn to
a faithful discharge of his trust.

Mr. Bartlett was a man of fine figure and upright character.
He married Rachel Taylor of Danbury, Feb. 28, 1776, removed
after the war to Cooperstown, Otsego Co., N. Y., and settled on
a farm in the adjoining town of Hartwick, where he died Nov.
21, 1828. He is buried in his family lot in the village cemetery
at Cooperstown, near the grave of the novelist James Fenimore
Cooper. Upon his tombstone is inscribed this tribute to his char-
acter :

'"A man who, with those of worth, loved honesty, was well agreed."

BARTRAM, DANIEL.

Served with the militia in Tryon's Raid, April, 1777, and is
thought to be the man of that name who served in Maj. Ezra
Starr's Regt. of Light Horse, under Capt. Hull at Fairfield in
1780, till Jan. I, 1 78 1.

BARTRAM, ISAAC. 1758-1844.

Private, Capt. James Horton's company, Lt.-Col. Jeduthan
Baldwin's Regt. of Artificers, Mass. Line; enlisted from Danbury,
Aug. 22, 1777, for 3 years. He was pensioned tmder the Act of
March 18, 1818, as a private of the Mass. Line, was granted an
annual allowance of $96, and received a total of' $1,531.06 up to
1833-4. His name was placed on the pension roll May 20, 1819,
the pension dating from March 24, 1818. The date of his death
is given as Sept. 13, 1843. His grave in the Lonetown Cemetery
is marked by a large boulder, on which is inscribed :

123

ISAAC BARTRAM

An Artificer in the Revolution.

Born in Redding, 1758.

Died in Redding, 1844.

BARTRAM, JAMES. 1738-

Borii at Fairfield, Conn., April 18, 1738.

Enlisted from Fairfield in June, 1776, as private in the ist
Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade, Col. Gold Selleck Silliman com-
manding, and served 6 months in the company of Capt. Zalmon
Read. During this period he was engaged in the actions at Flat-
bush (L. I.), Aug. 27, Ilarlem Sept. 15, and White Plains Oct.
28, 1776. In the spring of 1779 he served 3 months in the i6th
Conn. Militia, Col. Nehemiah Beardsley commanding, in the com-
pany of Capt. Daniel Hickok, as a private. He applied for a
pension Aug. 11, 1832, then residing at Danbury, and vv^as granted
an allowance of $25 per year from March 4, 1831, his name being
placed on the roll Nov. 6, 1832. Three pension payments — $75 —
are recorded as paid to him by 1834.

BATES, EZRA. 1758-

Born in Redding March 11, 1758.

Enlisted from Redding in June, 1776, as a private in Capt.
Zalmon Read's company, ist Battalion Wadsworth's Brigade, Col.
Gold Selleck Silliman commanding, served 6 months, and was
engaged in the Battle of White Plains, Oct. 28, 1776, re-entered
.service in October, 1778, and served 6 months as teamster under
Micajah Starr and William Stone, conductors of teams. In 1780
he served 9 months as private in Capt. [Jesse] Bell's company, in
the Regt. of State Troops commanded by Col. Bezaleel Beebe.
This regiment was posted at Horseneck, and had frequent skir-
mishes with the enemy on the Westchester front. In the spring of
1782 he enlisted as private in the company of Capt. Jonathan
Heart, ist Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Lt.-Col. Thomas. Gros-
venor commanding, and served 8 months and 16 days. The rec-
ords give the dates of his enlistment and discharge as xApril 26,
1 782- Jan. I, 1783. He applied for a pension July 30, 1832 (then
living in Redding), and his claim was allowed. His name w^as
placed on the roll April 30, 1833; he received $80 per year from
March 4, 1831, and $240 were paid him by 1834.

BATES, JUSTUS. 1746-1827.

Corporal, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777.

Died Aug. 8, 1827. Buried at Umpawaug.

124

BATTERSOX, JEREMIAH.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
in the Northern Department, discharged Nov. 28, 1775. Private,
Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. MiHtia, Fishkill Campaign,
Oct. 5-30, 1777.

Married Betty Chigston of Redding Nov. 12, 1777.

Has descendants in female lines only.

BATTERSON, STEPHEN. 1761-1847.

Born Sept. 20, 1761, at Fairfield, Conn. Son of George Bat-
terson. who also served in the Revolution in the same regiment
and company with his son. Stephen enlisted for the war from
Fairfield Aug. 9, 1777, in the 7th Regt. Conn. Continental Line.
Col. Heman Swift commanding, as a private in the company of
Capt. Albert Chapman. He participated in the Battle of German-
town, Oct. 4. 1777, and the storming of Stony Point, July 15, 1779.
The 5th and 7th Regts. were consolidated in 1781 and designated
the 2d, commanded by Col. Heman Swift, and Stephen Batterson
served in this regiment under Capt. Thomas Converse. He was
enrolled in the Light Infantry Battalion commanded by Col. Alex-
ander Hamilton in the company of Capt. Thaddeus Weed, in
which he served at the southward, and took part in the siege of
Yorktown, September-October, 1781. Pay rolls show that he was
paid from Jan. ist to Dec. 31st of that year, one of his pay re-
ceipts being for the sum of $6 60/90. He continued in the 2d
Regt., under Col. Swift, from January to June, 1783, in the com-
pany commanded by Capt. Wm. Richards. He was discharged
in the Highlands, N. Y., June 7, 1783, and honored with the badge
of merit for six years faithful service. This badge was an honor-
ary distinction conferred upon noncommissioned officers and sol-
diers for six years continuous faithful service, and is described
as '' a narrow piece of cloth of an angular form, to be fixed to
the left arm on the uniform coats," of the same color as the fac-
ings. April 7, 1 818, Mr. Batterson applied for a pension and
received an allowance of $96 a year from date of application, as a
private of the Conn. Line, under Act of March 18, 1818. His
name was placed on the roll Feb. 4, 1819; he was dropped from the
rolls by the Act of May i, 1820, and restored Nov. 19, 1823. He
received $987.20 in pension payments previous to 1831.

Mr. Batterson married Sarah Wardwell at Norwalk Oct. 20.
1784, settled in Wilton, but removed to Redding, where he was
enrolled as a voter April 7, 1817. He was a weaver by occupation,
and died of dropsy in Redding Aug. 31. 1847. "^^'^.s probably twice

125

married, his wife "Ame " being buried beside him at Umpawaug.
Lineage : George-, James Batterson, Sr.^

BELDING, MOSES.

This soldier's family received supplies frou) the town in 1780.
His record is unknown.

BELNAP, JESSE.

Jesse Belnap, a soldier, and Eunice Hall were married April
28, 1779, while Putnam's troops were in Redding. His military
record is unknown.

BENEDICT, THADDEUS. 1749-1799.
* Born Aug. 14, 1749.

Graduated at Yale College. 1773; removed to Redding; \yas
probate clerk, 1776; April 2, 1777, v/as appointed on a committee
to hire soldiers for the Continental Army, and on May 5 of that
year was chosen one of the additional selectmen to supply the
places of those captured in the Danbury Raid, and was reappointed
to this ofifice Feb. 13, 1778. July 30, 1779, he was appointed on a
committee to procure clothing for the Continental soldiers belong-
ing to the town, and on Nov. 28, 1780, on a committee to class the
inhabitants for the purpose of obtaining recruits. He served as
agent for the care and disposal of confiscated estates; was justice
of the peace from 1783 to 1795, and represented Redding in the
General Assembly for six sessions — May, 1783-84-90 ; May-October,
1794; May, 1795. He was one of the most celebrated lawyers of
his day, having a very large and extensive practice, reports of
cases showing that he practiced in every county in the state. His
law ofifice stood under a tree in front of his house at Redding
Centre. This tree — a magnificent specimen of the American
elm — is still standing.

July 12, 1775, Mr. Benedict was married to Deborah, daughter
of Col. John Read of Redding. He finally removed to Bridgeport.
He died in Redding, but is not buried there.

Lineage: Thaddeus^, 1727-1805; Thomas", 1694-1776; James-,
164 — 1717; Thomas Benedict^, 1617-1689.

[Benedict Genealogy.]

BENNET, DANIEL.

Served in Lt.-Col. Samuel Canfield's Militia Regt. at West
Point, September, 1781. Is perhaps the drummer of that name
who served in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Col. Waterbury, 5th com-
pany, Capt. Matthew Mead, from May 12 to Dec. 13, 1775; and in

126

Col. Samuel Elmore"s Regt., under Capt. Albert Chapman, " at Ft.
Schuyler alias Ft. Stanwix " in 1776.

BETTS, STEPHEN. 1751-1826.

Stephen Bctts was a signer of the Redding Loyalist Associa-
tion, but became an ardent patriot and an active supporter of the
cause of the colonies. He was selectman in 1777, and was sur-
prised and taken prisoner in his own house by Tryon's troops
on April 26th and carried to New York, but was released and re-
turned home, going out as a private in Capt. Gershom Morehouse's
company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Campaign at Fishkill, October
5tli to 24th of that year. Dec. 22, 1777, he was appointed a member
of the Committee of Inspection. The duty of this committee was
to prevent supplies from being transported through or out of the
town. Mr. Betts bore the title of lieutenant, probably in the east-
side company. He represented the town at four sessions of the
General Assembly — May-October, 1782; May-October, 1783.

Died Jan. 24, 1826. Buried in Christ Church Yard, Redding
Ridge.

BIXBY, ELIAS. 1740-1827.

Served 8 months as private in the loth company, Capt. Zalmon
Read, 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Col. David Waterbury commanding,
in the Northern Department; discharged Nov. 28, 1775. (Name
appears as " Elias Brisby " in the roll of the company.) En-
listed for the war, Dec. 20, 1776, in the 5th Regt. Conn. Continental
Line, Col. Philip B. Bradley commanding, in the company of Capt.
Ezekiel Sanford; promoted corporal Nov. i, 1778, sergeant March
3, 1779; discharged Dec. 20, 1779. During this period he was
enrolled in the light infantry company of Capt. John St. John,
detached from the 5th Regt. to form part of the light regiment
commanded by Col. Return J. Meigs in the assault on Stony Point
July 15, 1779. He was a pensioner under the Act of March 18,
1818, then residing in Oneida Co. in the state of New York; re-
ceiving an annual allowance of $96; his name was placed on the
roll June 30, 1818, the pension dating from April loth of that year,
and after receiving $182.63 i'"' pension payments he was dropped
from the rolls under the Act of Mji.y i, 1820, but was restored
April 21, 1823, with the former allowance, under which he re-
ceived $359.30 to the date of his death, Jan. 18, 1827.

The marriage of " Elias Bigsby & Grace Sterling, April 28,
1771," is found in the records of the Congregational Church of
Wilton, Conn.

127

BROTHWELL, BENJAMIN.

This man served five terms; enlisting February, 1777, he s'erved
as private one month under Sergt. Sterling; April, 1777, 8 months
under Capt. Thorp; April, 1780, 8 months with Lieut. Silliman ;
June, 1781, was hired by Redding and served 5 months in Lt.-Col.
Samuel Canfield's Militia Regt. at West Point as corporal in the
company of Capt. Stiles; April, 1782, 8 months as corporal under
Capt. Lacey. Applied for pension July 23, 1832; had a yearly al-
lowance of $84, dating from March 4, 1831. On roll Jan. 23, 1833:
received $252 to 1834. Was still living in 1840, in Fairfield, aged
81 ; probably the soldier who is buried in Mountain Grove Ceme-
tery, Bridgeport.

BROWN, JOHN,

Enlisted for the war in Capt. Stephen Osborn's company, Lt.-
Col. Jeduthan Baldwin's Regt. of Artificers, Feb. 21, 1778; deserted
June, 1777 (?).

BURR, ELIJAH. 1743-

Dec. 17, 1778, he was appointed to provide for the family of
Stephen Meeker, a soldier in the Continental Army. March 13.
1780, he was appointed one of the Inspectors of Provisions. June
23, 1780, he was made one of a committee of nine to hire nine
soldiers for the Continental Army. April 6, 1781, he was made
collector of a tax for the purchase of clothing for the soldiers.
Feb. 28, 1782, he was appointed to provide for the family of Henry
Hopkins, a soldier.

Lineage : Jabez*, Daniel-', DanieP, Jehu^ Burr of Fairfield,
1 600- 1 670.*

BURR, EZEKIEL. 1755-

Born March 23, 1755.* Bro. of Elijah.

Served as corporal in Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn.
Militia, in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777. Dec. 21, 1779,
appointed on a committee to take care of soldiers' families. April
6, 1781, appointed to provide for Henry Hopkins' family.

BURR, JABEZ. 1752-1S25.

Bro. of Elijah.

He was a private in the Revolution, serving in Capt. Zalmon
Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line, in the Northern Depart-
ment; discharged Oct. 3, 1775. He fought at the Battle of White
Plains Oct. 28. 1776. and a year later was present at the surrender
of Burgoyne.

128

Mr. P.urr removed to Fairfield, I'^ranklin Co.. \'t., in 1786, and
died 'there June 28. 1825.

BURR, XATHAX. 1745-

Born Jan. i, 1745.* Bro. of Elijah.

Enlisted April 16, 1776. as a private in Capt. Jeremiah Parme-
lee's company. Col. Samuel Elmore's Regt. Re-engaged with Capt.
Satterlee. Is recorded as sick in hospital while in the army. Dur-
ing his term of service it is said his wife gathered the crops on his
farm. Dec. 17, 1778, he was appointed to provide for the family
of Nehemiah Sherwood, a soldier. He removed from Redding to
Pawling, Dutchess Co., N. Y., and bought and settled on a farm
of 225 acres.

BURR, STEPHEN. 1757-

Born Jan. 16. 1757.* Bro. of Elijah.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777.

[*C. B. Todd's Burr Genealogy : " The Burr Family " ; Todd's Hist.

of Redding.]

BURRETT, PHILIP.

Sergeant, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777. Appointed Inspector of Provisions
March 13, 1780.

BYINGTON, JOHN. 1740-1S34.

He was a signer of the Redding Loyalist Association, but early
joined the patriots, and served in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, in the
company of Capt. Zalnion Read, in the Northern Department ;
discharged Oct. 15, 1775. Enlisted Aug. 13, 1776, in Capt. Elijah
Abel's company, Bradley's Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade; served
at Fort Washington; discharged Dec. 25, 1776. While the Ameri-
can troops lay at Redding, in the winter of 1778-79, he served as
conductor of teams. March 13, 1780, he was appointed an In-
spector of Provisions, and on Feb. .19, 17S1, was appointed to
collect a double assessment levied on certain delinquents who had
refused to pay their proportion toward hiring a man for the Conn.
Line. He was pension'ed under the Act of 1818, as a private of the
Conn. Line, and was granted an annual allowance of $96 ; his
name was placed on the roll Jan. 26, 1819, his pension dating from
May 25, 1818, from which time he received $170.83, and was then
dropped from the rolls, his service not being Continental.

Married Sarah Gray Nov. 16, 1763.

Died Jan. 26, 1834. Buried at Umpawaug.

129

CHAPMAN, DANIEL. 1743-

Taken prisoner by the British in the Danbury Raid, April 26,
1777, and carried to New York, where he died in the Sugar House.
His father, Capt. Phineas Chapman of Greens Farms, a veteran
of the French and Indian War, was also captured in the raid, but
lived to return from his captivity.

Married Mary Andrews Jan. V2, 1773.

Lineage: Capt. Phineas^ 1716-1782; Rev. DanieP, 1689-1741 ;
Dea. Nathaniel, 1653-1726; Robert Chapman^ of Saybrook, 1616-
1687. [Chapman Gen.]

CHAPEL, RUSSEL.

This soldier was married in Redding to Sarah Osborn by Rev.
Mr. Bartlett Oct. 3, 1779. He is probably Russell Chapel of Nor-^
wich, who sefved one day in the Lexington Alarm, was a private
in Col. S. H. Parsons' Regt., 6th Conn. Line, under Capt. Edward
Mott, from May 5 to Sept. 12, 1775; and next enlisted for the war,
Jan. I, 1777, in the 4th Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. John
Durkee, in 'the company of Capt. John McGregier, in which he
held the rank of sergeant till Jan. i, 1781, when he was reduced,
perhaps through consolidation of regiments. He was in service
through 1 781 (being paid from January ist to December 31st of
that year), in the ist Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. John
Durkee, in the company of Capt. Robert Warner. Date of final
expiration of service unknown.

COBURN, EDWARD.

This man is believed to be Edward Coburn of Windham, who
enlisted in the 3d Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Samuel
Wyllys, Feb. 28, 1777, for the term of 3 years, and served as a
private under Capts. Wills Clift and Henry Champion, being dis-
charged Feb. 18, 1780. He was afterward hired to serve on the
quota of the town of Redding, and on July 16, 1781, joined Water-
bury's State Brigade, serving as sergeant in the company of Capt.
James Stoddard.

COLEY, GERSHOM.

Sergeant. Capt. Gershom Morehouse's company, 4th Conn.
Militia, Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-24, 1777. March 13, 1780,
chosen an Inspector of Provisions.

COLEY, JESSE.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777.

130

COLEY, NATHx\N.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn Line,
in the Northern Department; discharged Oct. 15, 1775. Enlisted
for the war in the sth^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line, 1777-81, Col.
Philip B. Bradley commanding, in the company of Capt. Ezekiel
Sanford, April 19, 1777. Promoted corporal Nov. i, 1778; ser-
geant, April I, 1780; died April 18, 1781. The tov^^n provided for
his family during his term of service.

COUCH, ABRAHAM.

Enlisted March i, 1777, for 3 years, in the 2di Regt. Conn.
Continental Line, 1777-81, under Col. Chas. Webb, as a musician,
and served as fifer in the company of Capt. John Mills. Trans-
ferred to Capt. Bezaleel Beebe's company March i, 1778; dis-
charged March i, 1780. Afterward enlisted as private in the short
levies on the 2d2 Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Heman Swift
commanding, and served 9 months as a private in the company of
Capt. Ten Eyck. Appears to have been a resident of Fairfield
during this period, but in later years lived in Redding, where he
was known as a devout member of the Methodist Church. He
applied for a pension April 8, 1818, then living in Redding, and
was granted an annual allowance of $96, receiving pension pay-
ments amounting to $1,095.72. He died probably about 1830.

COUCH, DANIEL.

Served in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Capt. Zalmon Read's com-
pany, in the Northern Department; discharged July 4, 1775-

COUCH, DANIEL, JR.

Enlisted from Redding in the 4th- Regt. Conn. Continental Line,
Col. Zebulon Butler commanding, Jan. i, 1781, and received a
bounty of £30.

COUCH, EBENEZER. 1709-1797.

Chairman of the Redding Committee of Observation in 1775.
Dec. 17. 1778, he was chosen to provide for Elias Bixby's family.

Died March 23, 1797.

COUCH, ELIJAH.

Served in Maj. John Skinner's Regt. of Light Horse, Capt.
Ezekiel Hill's company, at New York, from June 11 to Aug. 3,
1776. Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia,
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777.

131

COUCH, JOHN.

Town Clerk of Redding during the Revolution. Believed to
have served in 1776. Nov. 20, 1780, he was appointed on a com-
mittee of three to make out a tax rate for the purpose of supply-
ing provisions for the Conn. Line of the Continental Army.

COUCH, JONATHAN.

April 2, 1777, he was appointed on a committee of nine to take
care of the families of soldiers in the service of the country.

COUCH, SIMON. 1 752-1829.

He is said to have loaded his goods on a cart on the approach
of Tryon's troops in April, 1777, and fled from Fairfield to Red-
ding, where he located. He was a lieutenant in 1778; July 30,

1779, he was appointed one of a committee to provide winter cloth-
ing for the Continental soldiers of the town; March 13, 1780.
Inspector of Provisions; Dec. 25, 1780, on a committee to care for
soldiers" families. In 1781, he was authorized to procure recruits
for the Continental Army.

Died April 16, 1829. Buried at Umpawaug.

COUCH, THOMAS.

Marched from the town of Fairfield for the relief of New York
in 1775, serving 7 days as clerk of his company. May 11, 1775,
he enlisted in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Col. David Waterbury,
4th company, Capt. David Dimon, as a private soldier. Was ad-
vanced to sergeant June 21st, quarter-master (sergeant ?) July
nth; discharged Dec. 11, 1775. He accompanied Gen. Mont-
gomery's expedition to Quebec ; Q.-M. sergeant, 4th Conn. Militia,
under Lt.-Col. Jonathan Dimon. Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-31,
1777. Came to Redding about the time of the Danbury Raid.
April, 1777.

Died in Redding, 181 7.

COUCH. THOMAS NASH. 1758-1821.
Record unknown.
Died Jan. 3, 1821. Buried in Christ Church Yard.

DARLING, BENJAMIN. 1739-1820.

Member of the Committee of Inspection, Dec. 22, 1777.
Died Sept. 26. 1820. Buried at Umpawaug.

DARROW, WILLIAM.

William Darrow, a soldier, married Ruth Bartram March 9,

1780. Military record unknown.

132

DAVIS, LIEUT. JOHN.

Commanded the 9th company, 4th Conn. Militia, in 1776, suc-
ceeding Capt. Zalmon Read when that officer entered the State
Troops. Lieut. Davis died that year.

DAVIS, JOHN. 1756-1840.

Born in Redding Dec. 20, 1756. Probably son of Lieut. John
Davis.

Enlisted Jvme, 1776, and served 6 months as private in Capt.
Zalmon Read's company, ist Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade, under
Col. Gold Selleck Silliman, in the Long Island Campaign ; 6 weeks
in the spring of 1777, under Capt. Hull; 6 weeks in the summer of
1778, under Capt. Nichols, in the regiment commanded by Col.
Noadiah Hooker; enlisted June, 1779, and served 6 weeks under
Capt. Hull; 3 months in 1780, in Capt. John Gray's company, Lt.-
Col. Samuel Canfield's regiment; and in September, 1780, served
I month under Lieut. Hoyt, in Col. Wells' regiment, always as a
private soldier. He continued in the militia service after the war,
in the 4th Regt. ; was ensign in 1786; lieutenant in 1789; and after-
ward captain. Was pensioned under the Act of 1832; his applica-
tion being dated Dec. 6; his name was placed on the roll Aug. 6,
1833; his yearly pension was $50.68, dating from March 4, 1831,
and he received $152.04 by 1834.

Married Eunice Gray Oct. 21, 1779.

Died Oct. 15, 1840. Buried at Umpawaug. His widow re-
ceived a pension.

DERVEN, WILLIAM. [Dewen ?]

Enlisted Aug. 24, 1781. for the term of 6 months, in the short-
term levies of the 4th2 Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Zebulon
Butler commanding; discharged Jan. i, 1782.

DICKENSON, LOCKWOOD.

Served in the 3d Troop 2d Light Dragoons, under Col. Elisha
Sheldon. " Private. Enlisted Sept. 14, '80. Residence, Redding.
Occupation, Farmer. Stature, 5 ft. jVz inches. Complexion, dark ;
eyes, blue; hair, brown. Killed March 14, '82."

DIXON, JAMES.

A private of the 4th- Regt. Conn. Continental Line, under Col.
Zebulon Butler. In 1781 he enlisted for the war, and served in the
Light Infantry under Lafayette, in the company of Capt. Samuel
A. Barker, and was paid for service from January ist to Decem-
ber 31st of that year. After the consolidation of regiments in 1783

133

he completed his service in the 2d^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line,
under Col. Heman Swift, in the company of Capt. Samuel Com-
stock, and received £30 bounty.

DREW, CAPT. JOHN. 1724-1819.

Conductor of teams to the American troops encamped at Red-
ding in the winter of 1778-79. His sons went over to the enemy.
[See Loyalists.]

Died March 9, 1819. Buried in Christ Church Yard.

EVARTS, DANIEL.

Daniel Evarts, a soldier, was married to Mary Rov^land March
30, 1779, while Putnam's troops were in Redding. His military
record is unknown.; • ; v . ■ P iv- ■

FAIRCHILD, ABRAHAM.

Frequently appears as moderator at Revolutionary town meet-
ings. He had six sons in the service, who are named below.

FAIRCHILD, ANDREW.

Feb. 5, 1 78 1, the town refused to abate an assessment levied
upon him for the purpose of hiring troops for the Continental
Army, as he had relatives who had gone over to the enemy. Feb.
28, 1782, he was appointed a committee to supply the family of
Samuel Raymond, a soldier.

FAIRCHILD, DAVID. 1753-1777.

Born June 5, 1753.

Served in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Capt. Zalmon Read's com-
pany, in the Northern Department; discharged Oct. 22, 1775.
Taken prisoner in the Danbury Raid, April 26, 1777, confined in
Trinity Church, N. Y., and died a prisoner. May i6th.

FAIRCHILD, EZEKIEL.

Born Oct. 26, 1746.

Taken prisoner in the Danbury Raid, April 26, 1777, and car-
ried to New York. Chosen Inspector of Provisions March 13,
1780.

FAIRCHILD, ISAAC.

Born March 4, 1751.

Served in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Capt. Zalmon Read's com-
pany, in the Northern Department; discharged Oct. 22, 1775.

^U^Oj

^34

FAIRCHILD, JOHN.-

Served in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Capt. Zalmon Read's com-
pany, in the Northern Department; discharged Oct. 15, 1775.
Private, Bradley's Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade, Capt. Elijah
Abel's company; enlisted Aug. 13, 1776, for the general defense
of the state; discharged Dec. 25. 1776.

FAIRCHILD, SAMUEL. 1755-1812.

Born July 9, 1755.

Corporal, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777.

Died May 6, 1812. Buried at Umpawaug.

FAIRCHILD, STEPHEN.

Born March 7, 1758.

Wounded at Ridgefield April 27, 1777. Private, Capt. John
Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fishkill Campaign, " for the
general defence," Oct. 5-30, 1777.

FITCH, DR. ASAHEL. 1737-1793.

Surgeon's mate, 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Col. David Waterbury
commanding, in the Northern Department, 1775. Sept. 18, 1777,
he was appointed on the committee to procure articles requested
by the Governor and Council of Safety. October 5th of that year
he marched as a private in the company of Capt. Gershom More-
house, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Campaign at Fishkill; discharged
October 20th. May 8, 1778, he was appointed to provide for
Nathan Coley's family, and on the same date was chosen, with Capt.
Read, a committee to provide shirts, shoes, and stockings for the
Continental soldiers. June 23, 1780, he was made a member of
the committee of nine appointed to hire nine soldiers for the Conn.
Line of the Continental Army. Nov. 20, 1780, he was one of the
committee appointed to make a rate bill for the purpose of supply-
ing provisions for the Conn. Line of the Continental Army.

Died March 31, 1793. Buried in the Old Burying Ground.

FOSTER, JOHN.

A pensioner of this name is said to have lived near the lower
limekiln in Umpawaug district.

FOSTER, CAPT. JONAH.

Capt. Jonah Foster was of Ridgefield, and one of the prominent
Revolutionary characters of that town. He commanded a com-
pany of the alarm list in the i6th Conn. Militia, under Col. Nehe-

135

miah Beardsley, and was in service during the year 1779, marching
in the New Haven Alarm July 5th. In 1781 he was authorized
to procure recruits for the Continental Army. He removed to
Redding near the close of the war, and was made a freeman of the
town in September, 1782. He afterwards returned to Ridgefield,
where he died in 1815.

FOSTER, TIMOTHY.

Served in Lt.-Col. Samuel Canfield's jNIilitia Regt. at West
Point September, 1781.

FREEMAN, JACK.

A colored soldier, known as " Major " Jack Freeman, once lived
in the town. Perhaps he is the man who served in Capt. Edward
Bulkley's company, in the 3d2 Regt. Conn. Continental Line.

FROST, JABEZ.

Taken prisoner in the Danbury Raid, April 26, 1777. and car-
ried to New York.

GIBBONS, JAMES.

James Gibbons, a soldier in Putnam's division, and Ann Sulli-
van were married Feb. 7, 1779, while the troops were in Redding.
His military record is unknown.

GILBERT, GILES.

Giles Gilbert, an artificer in the army, and Deborah Hall were
married May 23, 1779, about the time the troops left Redding.
Possibly he was Giles Gilbert of Lyme, who served 8 days in the
Lexington Alarm under Capt. Joseph Jewett, and at the siege of
Boston from May 9 to Sept. 22, 1775, in the 2d Regt. Conn. Line,
commanded by Col. Joseph Spencer.

GOLD, SAMUEL.

Enlisted April, 1775, as private in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury, in the company of Capt. Zalmon Read ;
served in the Northern Campaign, and was present at the siege
of St. Johns; discharged Oct. 15, 1775. In January, 1776, he was
a sergeant under Capt. Isaac Flilliard, and served 3 months, in
what regiment is unknown. Sergeant, Capt. Elijah Abel's com-
pany, Bradley's Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade; served 9 months
from April, 1776; discharged Jan. 7, 1777. Served in the Danbury
Raid and was wounded at Ridgefield April 2j, 1777. Served as
corporal in Capt. Gershom Morehouse's company, 4th Conn. Militia,

136

in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-24, 1777. He also served as
sergeant one week in Jul}-, 1779, and one month in the fall of that
year, probably in the alarms and coast-guard service.

Married Sarah Piatt April 8, 1778.

Died Feb. 9. 1829. His widow was pensioned under an applica-
tion dated July 22, 1837, she being then 80 years of age.

GOLD, STEPHEN.

The name of Stephen Gold appears on the roll of the company
which marched from Fairfield for the relief of Boston in May,
1775, under the command of Capt. David Dimon. April 2, 1777.
he was appointed a member of the committee to care for soldiers'
families ; was a lieutenant in the 3d Regt. Conn. Light Llorse,
commanded by Maj. Daniel Starr, in service in 1779, and on
March 13. 17S0, was chosen an Inspector of Provisions.

GORHAM, ISAAC. 1730-1798.

Appears to have served as assessor of a tax levied for re-
cruiting purposes under vote of Feb. 19, 1781. Dec. 26, 1781, he
was appointed to provide for the family of James Thompson, a
soldier.

Died July 4, 1798. Buried in the Old Burying Ground.

Isaac Gorham, buried at Sanfordtov/n, perhaps son of the above,
was probably the man who served as private in Capt. Gershom
Morehouse's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Fishkill Cam-
paign, Oct. 5-10, 1777.

GRAY. CAPT. JOHN. 1734-1793.

Capt. John Gray was a native of Redding, where he was born
Feb. 17, 1734. He was early identified with the political affairs
of the town, his name frequently appearing in the earlier records
in connection with educational matters. In 1776 he was a member
of Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 4th Conn. Militia, and upon the
death of Lieut. John Davis, who commanded the company after
Capt. Read joined the State Troops, John Gray was appointed
captain and served till Capt. Read's return. The company served
under Capt. Read in the Danbury Raid, April, 1777, was at West-
chester in September following, and marched in the Fishkill Cam-
paign under Capt. Gray, Oct. 5th to 31st. The Legislature of
January, 1778, confirmed Capt. Gray's appointment as command-
ing officer of the com.pany : " This Assembly do establish John
Gray to be captain of the ninth company or trainband in the 4th
regiment in this State," — and he retained the command till the
end of the war. While under his leadership the company was

137

stationed at Fairfield in June. 1779, marched in the New Haven
Alarm, July 5th, was at Fairfield July 7th to oppose Tryon's troops,
and was in action with the enemy at Norwalk July nth. Capt.
Gray also served as captain in a militia regiment commanded by
Lt.-Col. Samuel Canfield, ordered to cooperate with Count
D'Estaing in 1779, and was in service with this regiment in 1780.
He also commanded the coast-guards at Fairfield for short periods
in 1779 and 1781, and held a number of town appointments during
the war. May 2, 1777, he was chosen selectman to supply the place
of officials captured in the Danbury Raid; March 13, 1780, appointed
an Inspector of Provisions ; also served under the following com-
mittee appointments: Nov. 20, 1780, to ascertain the number of
Redding soldiers then in service; Nov. 28, 1780, to class the inhabi-
tants for recruiting purposes; Dec. 27, 1780, to ascertain the length
of time served by the soldiers; March 28, 1781, to vindicate claims
to Continental soldiers; April 6, 1781, to supply the family of
John Lines, a soldier; June 25, 17S1, to ascertain the number of
Redding soldiers then in service; Feb. 28, 1782, to vindicate claims
to the Continental soldiers and State Troops. He was again
chosen selectman Dec. 12, 1782, being one of those on whom de-
volved the duty " to remove out of this town all those persons who
have been over to and joined the enemy and returned into this
town," as voted Aug. 11, 1783.

Capt. Gray was an active patriot and trustworthy officer, and
rendered faithful and valuable service in his military capacity.
He married Ruhamah Barlow, half-sister of Joel Barlow, Aug. 7,
1759. Died Oct. 25, 1793, and is buried in the Old Burying Ground.

Lineage: John*, 1708-1755; Jacob^, Jacob^, Henry Gray^, of
Fairfield, 1640.

GREGORY, JABEZ.

Private, Capt. Gershom Morehouse's company, 4th Conn. Mi-
litia, Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777.

GRIFFIN, JOSEPH.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-1 5,"^ ^777- Dec. 24, 1777, he enlisted as
private for the term of 3 years, in Lt.-Col. Jeduthan Baldwin's
Regt. of Artificers, in the company of Capt. Jarius Wilcox.

GRIFFIN, MORRIS.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
in the Northern Department ; discharged Sept. 23, 1775. Served

as seaman on the brig " Defence,"' under Capt. Seth Harding, from
March 21 to June 22, 1776.

HAMBLETON, BENJAMIN. [Hamilton.]

Dec. 27, 1780, appointed one of the committee to take care of
soldiers' families.

HAWLEY, CAPT. WILLIAM. 1738-1797.

William Hawley was an influential citizen of Redding, who
rendered efficient service in various capacities during the war.
His military appointments were: April, 1775, ist Lieut. loth com-
pany, 5th Regt. Conn. Line, vice Peter Fairchild, resigned ; but
Mr. Hawley declined the office, being a member of the Legislature
that year, and Ezekiel Sanford served as lieutenant of the com-
pany instead. May, 1776, 2d Lieut, of Capt. Elijah Abel's company
in the State Troops; advanced to ist Lieut, in June following; Oc-
tober, 1776, ist Lieut, in one of the eight battalions then being
raised; Lieut., Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 4th Conn. Militia,
stationed at Fairfield, April 8-22, 1777; Lieut., Capt. Gershom
Morehouse's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Fishkill Campaign,
Oct. 5-27, 1777, and at this time was appointed Commissary of the
Fourth Militia Brigade, with instructions " to provide tents, pots,
and kettles, canteens and other utensils for the militia of this state
now in service with the army under the command of Gen. Putnam,"
and in December following was detailed to collect and forward
clothing for the Continental troops. He held the rank of captain
in 1780.

He served on the following committees under appointment by
the town: April 2, 1777, to provide for soldiers' families; Nov.
20, 1780, to ascertain the number of Redding soldiers then in serv-
ice; Nov. 27, 1780, to ascertain the length of time served by the
soldiers. In 1778, he was elected one of the selectmen of the town.

He was justice of the peace in 1775-6-7, and represented the
town in the General Assembly at the sessions of May-October,
1774, the regular and special sessions of March, May, July, Octo-
ber, and December, 1775; October, 1779; January, April, May,
1780; October, 1781 ; at the May session of 1775 was appointed
one of the auditors of the colony accounts, and in October, 1779,
was made a member of the committee appointed to estimate the
losses of the inhabitants of Fairfield in the British invasion of the
preceding July.

William Hawley married Lydia Nash July 12, 1758, in Greens
Farms (Westport, Conn.). Died Feb. 16, 1797, and is buried in
the Old Burying Ground.

139

HENDRICK, JOSIAH.

Private, 4th- Regt. Conn. Continental Line, under (.^ol. Zel)ulon
Butler; enlisted Jan. i, 1781, for 3 years. Received £30 bounty.

HENDRIX, OBED.

He was a signer of the Redding Loyalist Association — the only
other record of him is found in the subjoined proceedings:

" Whereas John Gray of Redding in Fairfield [County] Capt of a
Military Company in the 4th Regt of Militia in the State of Connecti-
cut, did Inform the Judge of Fairfield County that pursuant to Orders
from Jon'ii Dimon, Lieu* Col° of said Regt, he did or^ the 7th Day of
July A D : 1779, duly, warn & order Obed Hendrix, of said Redding,
a Soldier in & Belonging to said Company, to March to Fairfield, to
join the Troops there Collecting to Oppose the Enemy & that said Hen-
drix Entirely Neglected & Refused to March As aforesaid, nor made
Satisfaction for said Neglect as P Writ on file Dated Decem^ i^t A D :
1779 —

The Def was Called at this Court, & made Default of Appearance,
& Thereupon this Court having Considered that the Def shall pay as
a fine to the Trealurer of the Town of Redding the fum of One Hun-
dred & Twenty Pounds Lawful Money for his said Neglect, & Alfo Cost
of Prosecution taxed at Twenty Five Pounds 10/ — & that Exc"
be Gran<5 : &c.

Exc" Gran'J Jan^ 6t^ 1780."

" On the Petition of Obed Hendrix of Redding in Fairfield County
Shewing to this Court, that the Gov^ & Company of the State of Con-
necticut brought their action against him the Petit'", before the Adj'd
County Court held at Fairfield in & for Fairfield County on the ist
Tuesday of Jany 17S0 — for Military Delinquency in that the Petif
Neglecting & Refusing to March to Fairfield afores<J in the month of
July last, to Repel the Invafions of the Enemy & that said Court, did
render Judgment on Default of Appearance for the Sum of £120 Lawful
Money Delinquency in the Month of July 1779, & £25 — 10 Cost of
Suit. & theron Granted Execution — all which may appear by the files
& Records of said County Court, & the Petif further shews that the
weather at the sitting of said JanJ' Adj'd County Court was lo severe
and Stormy, & the Road filled with Snow, that it was Altogether Ln-
polsible for the Petif to get to said Court to Answer to said action —
by means whereof said Judgment was Rendered against him — Praying
that this Court would Order & Decree that the aforesaid Judgment
be set aside, and Ex'^'i be Called in, & said Action be Revived & the
Petif put in the fame Situation, as before said Judgment was Ren-
dered against him in said Judgment as aforesaid. As P Petition on
file Dated March 8'", 1780.

Thereupon this Court having Considered the Matter Alledged in
said Petition, Are of Opinion that the same be granted to the Peti-
tioner— And this Court do Order & Decree that said Judgment, prayed

140

for as aforesaid, be set aside & Excn Called in, & a New Trial Granted
on faid Action, & the Petit'' be put in the fame Situation as before said
Juds^ment was Rendered against him As aforesaid."

" Fairfield Adj'd C. Ct. i^' Tuesday of March, 1780.

Whereas John Gray of Redding in Fairfield County Capt of a Mili-
tary Company in the 4th Regt of Militia in the State of Connecticut,
did Inform the Judge of Fairfield County Court yt pursuant to Orders
Rec** from Jon^i^ Dimon Esq'' Lieu*^ Col° of said Regt, he did on the
7"^ Day of July A D : 1779, duly, warn & Order Obed Hendrix of said
Redding, a Soldier in & Belonging to said Company to March to Fair-
field, to join the Troops there Collecting to oppose the Enemy, & that
said Hendrix Entirely Neglected & Refused to March As aforesaid.
Nor since made Satisfaction for said Neglect As P Writ on file Dated
Dec ist' 1779 P Adjournm'

The Deft was Called at this Court & Appeared to make Answer to
said Information, & Thereupon this Court, having Considered thereof
Are of Opinion that the Def is Not Guilty of the Matters Alledged in
said Information & this Court do Order that the Def be Difmifsed
without paying Cost

Order Given for Cost."

HILL, ANDREW.

Chosen an Inspector of Provisions March 13, 1780.

HILL, EZEKIEL.

A signer of the Redding Loyalist Association. In 1780 he
procured recruits for the Continental Army. Feb. 5, 1781, the
town refused to abate the assessment levied upon him for the
purpose of hiring men to serve in the Conn. Line of the Conti-
nental Army, as he had a son or son-in-law gone over to the enemy.

HILLARD, ISAAC. [Hilliard.]

Appointed Lieut, in the ist Battalion of State Troops under Col.
Samuel Whiting, Capt. Daniel Hecock's company, to serve from
November, 1776, to March, 1777.

Aug. 9, 1779, the town appointed him a member of a committee
to provide winter clothing for the Continental soldiers then serving
in the army.

HILLIARD. THURSTON.

Enlisted for the war Feb. 2, 1778, as private in Capt. James Hor-
ton's company, Lt.-Col. Jeduthan Baldwin's Regt. of Artificers,
Mass. Line. Wounded at Yorktown by splintered timber. He re-
received a pension of $20 per annum as a private of the Revolution-
ary Army, his pension commenced Sept. 4, 1794. and was continued

141

vmdcr the law of April 20, 1796. His name appears in the pension
list of 1813, with the same allowance, and he is recorded as an
invalid pensioner under the Act of 1818. So far as traced his
pension does not appear ever to have been increased.
Married Eunice Jackson June t, 1790.

HILLIARD, WILLIAM.

Served 15 days as private in the company of Capt. James Booth,
4th Conn. Militia, in April, 1777. Enlisted for the war as private
in Capt. Jarius Wilcox's company, Lt.-Col. Jcduthan Baldwin's
Regt. of Artificers, Mass. Line, Nov. 25, 1777.

HOPKINS, HENRY.

Henry Hopkins, " a stranger," was married to Mary Burr of
Redding July 26, 1763, and was probably a resident of the town
from that period. He served in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, under
Col. David Waterbury, in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, in the
Northern Department, and was discharged Nov. 28, 1775; re-
entered the service March 10, lyjy, as corporal in the company
of Capt. Ezekiel Sanford, 5th^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line, under
Col. Philip B. Bradley, was reduced Sept. i, 1779, and discharged
March 10, 1780. He re-enlisted Jan. i, 1781, for 3 years, receiving
£30 bounty, and on June i, 1782, was a member of Capt. Kimber-
ley's company in the 2d- Regt. Conn. Continental Line. He con-
tinued in service in Col. Heman Swift's Regt., final formation.
June-December, 1783, his time expiring Jan. i, 1784. He is known
to have served during every year of the war. His family received
supplies from the town during his absence in the army.

HOYT, W^ILLIAM. [Hoit, Hait'.J

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777. Private, Capt. Jarius Wilcox's
company, Lt.-Col. Jeduthan Baldwin's Regt. of Artificers, Mass.
Line; enlisted Jan. i, 1778, for 3 years.

HULL, AARON.

March 13, 1780, he was chosen an Inspector of Provisions.

HULL, EZRA. 1756-1837.

Born in Redding April 5, 1756.

Served 4 months from November, 1775, in Capt. Zalmon Read's
company, Col. David Waterbury's Regt., at New York in 1776;
3 months from March, 1776, in Col. Gold Selleck Silliman's Regt.
in the company of Capt. Thorp: August, 1776, one month in the

142

same company and regiment under Lt.-Col. John Chandler; March,
1777, one month under Capt. Bates; served in the Danbury Raid,
April, 1777; private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia,
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777; June, 1780, one month under
Capt. Olmsted; and 9 months from Fcbruar}'^, 1781, under Capt.
Nash, probably in coast-guard service.

Married Molly Bradley June 10, 1810.

Pensioned under the Act of June 7, 1832. as private Conn.
Continental Line; application dated Jan. 7, 1834; name placed on
pension roll March 25, 1833; pension dated from March 4, 1831 ;
annual allowance $40; received $120 as first payment.

Died March 5, 1837. Buried at Umpawaug. His widow re-
ceived a pension. '

HULL, JAMES.

Private, Capt. Gershom Morehouse's company, 4th Conn.
Militia, Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-23, 1777.

HULL, JOHN.

Sept. 18, 1777, he was appointed a member of the committee
chosen by the town to procure articles requested by the Governor
and Council of Safety, and served as a private in the company
of Capt. John Gray, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Fishkill Campaign,
Oct. 5-19, 1777- He was in team service all the winter and spring
of 1778-79, while the troops were at Redding, carrying provisions
under contract, part of the time by the day and part by the job.

HULL. JOHN, JR. 1759-1838.

Son of the preceding.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-19, 1777-

Married Sarah Fairchild Feb. 22, 1782.

Died April 7, 1838. Buried in Sanfordtown Cemetery.

HULL, LIEUT. NEHEMIAH.

Sept. 18, 1777, he was appointed a member of the committee
chosen to procure articles requested by the Governor and Council
of Safety. He served as Lieut, in the company of Capt. John
Gray, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-19, 1777,
and was formally appointed to that office by the Legislature of
January, 1778: "This Assembly do establish Nehemiah Hull to
be Lieutenant of the 9th company or trainband of the 4th regiment
in this State." Dec. 22, 1777, he was chosen a member of the com-
mittee appointed to provide for the families of soldiers in the field.

143

and was reappointed on this committee Dec. 21, 1779. Dec. 17,
1778, he was specially deputed to provide for Nathan Coley's
family, was relieved from this duty Jan. 21, 1780, and reappointed
Jan. 29, 1781. March 28, 1781, he was detailed (with Capt. More-
house) to collect the tents belonging- to the town.

HULL, SETH. 1733-1795.

A member of the Reading Loyalist Association. Dec. 26, 1781,
the town appointed him to take care of the family of Jabez Wil-
liams, a soldier.

Died April 5, 1795. Buried in Christ Church Yard.

HULL, THEOPHILUS. 1725-1785.

Sept. 18, 1777, he was chosen a member of the committee ap-
pointed to procure articles requested by the Governor and Council
of Safety.

Died Dec. 5, 17S5. Buried in the Old Burying Ground.

HULL, TIMOTHY. 1726- 1800.
Born Sept. 4, 1726.

March 17, 1780, he was chosen rn Inspector of Provisions.
Married Anne Gray Dec. 14, 1749.
Died April 29, 1800. Buried in Sanfordtown Cemetery.

HULL, ZALMON. 1759-1839.

Served as private in Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn.
Militia, in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-15,* 1777- Said to have
been a teamster.

Died May 18. 1839. Buried at Umpawaug.

HURLBERT, SHADRACK. 1758-1850.

Born May 10, 1758, at Farmington, Conn. His father was a
physician, which profession, it is stated, Shadrack was unwilling
to adopt, preferring to learn the business of boot and shoe making,
though in later life he gained a knowledge of medicine and became
a skillful physician. He lived at the home of his father until the
beginning of the Revolution, and in 1776 enlisted as fifer in the
Third Battalion of Wadsworth's Brigade, commanded by Col.
Comfort Sage, in the company of Capt. Edward Eells, and served
six months (in which period the regiment served on Long Island,
was in the retreat from New York, September 15th, and fought at
White Plains October 28th), after which he returned to his home
and remained there till the following year, when he was drafted
into the regiment of militia commanded by Col. Thomas Belden,

144

and served as fifer in the company of Capt. Jared Shepherd from
March 28 to May 19, 1777, at Peekskill, N. Y. He was a man of
delicate constitution, and playing the fife caused hemorrhages of
the lungs, compelling him to obtain a discharge from the service.
But, according to the records, he re-enlisted as private in the regi-
ment of Artificers commanded by Lt.-Col. Jeduthan Baldwin and
served in the company of Capt. Gamaliel Painter from Sept. 23,
1777, to Aug. 7, 1779. During a portion of his military service
he was stationed at Danbury and Redding, Conn. In the latter
town he married Huldah Whitlock, and was a resident there about
three years, when he removed to Richmond, Mass., and in No-
vember, 1789, joined the Society of Shakers, of which he was
a prominent and highly-respected member till his death. " He is
said to have been a very intelligent, polite, and worthy man, and
his society was sought by many distinguished persons, who con-
sidered themselves honored by his acquaintance."

An officer of the Society of Shakers who had lived in the same
family with Dr. Hurlbert for thirty years gives this testimonial of
his character and worth :

" He was esteemed by all our Society, and bj- all his acquaintance
out of the Society, as a very remarkable man. He was bound to excel
in everything he undertook: his musical talents were of the highest
order; as a physician there was no one that stood higher in public
estimation ; as a shoemaker, there was no one in this section who
could bear any comparison ; as a gardener, he had not an equal : every-
thing was kept in the most perfect order ; neatness stamped everything
he turned his hand to." [Hulbert Gen.]

Dr. Hurlbert died Feb. 12, 1850.

Lineage : Dr. Josiah', Jonathan", .Samuel-, Thomas Hurlbert^,
1635-

HUTENAC, FRANCIS.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury, in the Northern Campaign ; dis-
charged Nov. 28, 1775.

This man was married to Naomi Stuart, in the parish of Wilton,
Nov. 20-5, 1776, and is believed to have resided for a time in
Redding.

JACKSON, DAVID.

April 2, 1777, David Jackson was made a member of the com-
mittee appointed to hire soldiers for the Continental Army ; on
Mtiy 5th following was chosen an additional selectman, and was
afterwards appointed on the following committees: Dec. 22, 1777,

145

to take care of soldiers' families; March 23, 1778, to procure cloth-
ing for the army, etc.; June 23, 1780, to hire nine soldiers for the
Conn. Line of the Continental Army; Nov. 20, 1780, to make a
rate bill for the purpose of supplying provisions for the Conn. Line
of the Continental Army; Nov. 28, 1780, and Feb. 28, 1782, to
class inhabitants for recruiting purposes.

JACKSON, JOSEPH.

Served in Capt. Zahnon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury. in the Northern Campaign; dis-
charged Oct. 26, 1775. Also served in the levies of the 8th Regt.
Conn. Continental Line from July 5 to Dec. 3, 1780.

Joseph Jackson, Jr. (probably this soldier), and Mary Edmond
were married in Redding Sept. 30, 1779.

JACKSON, STEPHEN. 1751-1841.

Dec. 21, 1779, he was chosen a member of the committee ap-
pointed to take care of soldiers' families.

Member of the General Assembly October, 1798; May-October,
1799; May, 1800.

Died May 8, 1841. Buried at Umpawaug.

JENKINS, CALVIN.

Enlisted from Redding April i, 1778, as a musician in the com-
pany of Capt. Eli Catlin, Sth^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col.
Philip B. Bradley commanding, and served to the end of the war.
He was a pensioner under the Act of March 18, 1818, and was
granted an annual allowance of $96 under an application dated
April 8, 1818. His name was placed on the pension roll November
nth of that year, and he received $1,527.16 in pension payments
up to 1834. The Calvin Jenkins buried at Lonetown appears to
be this pensioner.

KING, DAVID.

In 1780 he obtained recruits for the Continental Army. See
vote of the town, Jan. 8, 1781.

LINES, BENJAMIN.

A lad of 16 years, captured in the Danbury Raid, April, 1777,
but released by Gov. Tryon on account of his youth.

LINES, DAVID.

Served in the militia regiment commanded by Lt.-Col. Samuel
Canfield at West Point, September, 1781.

146

LINES, JOHN.

Received £30 bounty, 1781-82. Probably served in 2d Regt.
Conn. Continental Line. A committee of three was appointed to
supply his family in 1781.

LITTLE, WILLIAM.

William Little, steward to Gen. Parsons, was married in Red-
ding to Phebe Marchant May 4, 1779. Probably of Preston, Conn.,
with the following record: Served 3 days in the Lexington
Alarm, under Col. Israel Putnam, in the company of Capt. Zebulon
Ingalls. Private, ist^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Jedediah
Huntington commanding, in the company of Capt. James Eldridge ;
enlisted Feb. i, 1777, for 3 years; discharged Feb. i, 1780. Pen-
sioner under the Act of 1818.

LYON, DANIEL.

Dec. 21, 1779, he was appointed on the committee to take care
of soldiers' families, but was released Jan. 28, 1780.

MAIN, EZEKIEL.

Served in the short levies of the 9th Regt. Conn. Continental
Line, under Col. S. B. Webb, from Aug. 26 to Dec. 16, 1779.

MALLERY, DANIEL. 1725-1805.

April 2, 1777, he was appointed a member of the committee
chosen to hire soldiers for the Continental Army, and of the com-
mittee chosen to take care of the families of soldiers in the service.
Sept. 18, 1777, on the committee appointed to procure articles re-
quested by the Governor and Council of Safety.

Daniel Mallery, Jr., evidently his son, is probably the man who
served in Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-14, 1777, and in the regiment commanded
by Lt.-Col. Samuel Canfield, in the company of Capt. David Leaven-
worth, guarding Horseneck in i779-

Mr. Mallery was a deacon of the Congregational Church at
Redding.

Died July 18, 1805. Buried at Umpawaug.

MALLERY, JOHN.

A member of the Reading Loyalist Association.

" Whereas John Gray Capt. of a Military Company in the 4th Regt
of Militia in the State of Connecticut, did Inform the Judge of Fair-
field County Court, that pursuant to Orders Rec<i from Jontii Dimon
Esqr Lieut Colo of said Rgt he did on the 7^^ Day of July 1779, duly.

147

warn & order John Mallery of Redding in said County a Soldier in
& Belonging to said Company to March to Fairfield to join the Troops
' there Collecting to oppose the Enemy : & that said Mallery did Entirely
Neglect & refuse to March As aforesaid, Nor hath since made Satis-
faction for said Neglect — As P Writ on file Dated DeC i«t A. D: 1779

P Adjournment

The Deft Appeared at this Court to Answer to said Information,
& being put to plead, pled Not Guilty, & for trial put himself on the
Court. Thereupon this Court having Considered y« matters Alledged
in said Information are of Opinion that the Def' is Not Guilty; & this
Court do Order that the Def be Difmifsed without paying Cost of
Profecution which is taxed at Two Pounds 4/ — Lawful Money in

Silver at 6/8 P Ounce

Order Given for Cost."

MALLERY, SAMUEL.

April 16, 1781, appointed on a Committee of Correspondence
relative to monetary and other public affairs.

MANROW, WILLIAM.

A signer of the Reading Loyalist Association. In 1780 he pro-
cured recruits for the Continental Army. See vote of the town,
Jan. 8, 1781.

MARCH ANT, CHAUNCEY.

Served in the 7th Regt. Conn. Line, under Col. Chas. Webb, in
the company commanded by Capt. Ebenezer Hill, in the Northern
Campaign, from July 19 to Dec. 23, 1775, and in Col. Philip B.
Bradley's Battalion, W^adsworth's Brigade, Capt. Elijah Abel's
company, from Aug. 13 to Dec. 25, 1776.

A weaver by trade. Died Aug. 25, 1804.

MARCHANT, GURDON.

Enlisted March 10, 1778, for the term of 3 years as private in
Capt. James Horton's company, Lt.-Col. Jeduthan Baldwin's Regt.
of Artificers, Mass. Line.

MARCHANT, JOEL. 1762-1844.

Born in Redding May i, 1762.

Served in Col. Philip B. Bradley's Battalion, Wadsworth's
Brigade; enlisted July 3, 1776, and was taken prisoner at Ft.
Washington November i6th. Served 6 months as a private in
1778, regiment and commander not stated, and 2 months more in
the same year under Capt. Lewis Goodsell, probably in the 4th
Conn. Militia. In 1779 he served 3 months in the company of

148

Capt. John Gray, 4th Conn. Militia, and was wounded in action at
Norwalk July nth. In the same year he served 2 months under
Capt. Jesse Bell in a regiment commanded by Col. Bezaleel Beebe,
and in 1780 served nine months in the regiment which Col. Beebe
commanded .at Horseneck.

Joel Merchant applied for a pension Aug. i, 1832, as a private
of Conn. Militia, receiving an annual allowance of $35. His name
was placed on the roll Aug. 13, 1833, the pension dating from
March 4, 1831. He died March 24, 1844, and was buried at Um-
pawaug. His widow, Molly (Sanford) Merchant, to whom he
was married March 17, 1790. received a pension for his services
till her death in 1858.

MARCHANT, JOHN.

Served in the 7th Regt. Conn. Line, under Col. Chas. Webb,
in the company of Capt. Ebenezer Hill, from July 10 to Dec. 23,
1775. Corporal, Capt. Elijah Abel's company. Col. Philip B.
Bradley's Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade,' June 21-Dec. 25, 1776.

MEEKER, DANIEL.

Taken prisoner in the Danbury Raid, April 26, 1777, and car-
ried to New York. Is believed to have spent eighteen months in
the Sugar House.

MEEKER, SETH. 1749-1829.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-15,* ^777- Dec. 22, 1777, he was ap-
pointed on the committee to take care of soldiers' families.

Married, ist, Elinor Bixby, March 14, 1770; 2d. Millicent Davis,
March 14, 1775.

Died Feb. 5, 1829. Buried at Umpawaug.

MEEKER, STEPHEN.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury, in the Northern Department; dis-
charged Oct. 15, 1775. Enlisted for the war as private in the 5th^
Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Philip B. Bradley commanding,
in the company of Capt. Ezekiel Sanford; omitted [from the
rolls?] May, 1778; appears in a list of soldiers "discharged or
deserted" previous to January, 1780; reappears in a list of soldiers
belonging to the company of Capt. Parsons of the 2di Regt. Conn.
Continental Line, commanded by Col. Zebulon Butler; was a
sergeant in this regiment in June, 1780, when it was under the
command of Col. Chas. Webl) : the 2d and 9th were consolidated

149

in 1781 and designated the 3d. under conmiand of Col. Samuel B.
Webb, and Stephen Meeker was enrolled from this regiment into
the Light Infantry Battalion commanded by the Marquis dc
Lafayette, in Capt. Roger Welles' company, was promoted corporal
Feb. I, 1 78 1, sergeant July i, reduced Aug. 15, 1781. His com-
pany formed part of the column of Maj. Gimat, which stormed
a redoubt at Yorktown. His service evidently terminated in the
3d Regt. under Capt. Roger Welles.

Dec. 17, 1778, the town appointed Elijah Burr to take care of
Stephen Meeker's family.

MERRIT, EBENEZER. 1762-1826.

Enlisted in team service in October, 1778. and served 4 months
under Capt. Samuel Taylor; re-enlisted April i, 1779, for one
year, in the company of Capt. Eliphalet Thorp, Col. Samuel Whit-
ing's regiment (4th Conn. Militia?) served till October, 1779, then
hired a substitute for the balance of the term, and enlisted for 8
months in the 8th^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Isaac Sher-
man commanding, and served in the company of Capt. Paul Brig-
ham from Oct. I, 1779, to Jan. 15. 1780.

MONROE, DANIEL.

Private, 5thi Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Philip B.
Bradley commanding, in the company of Capt. Samuel Hait ; en-
listed Feb. 2, 1777, for the war. Also mentioned as serving in
Capt. Taylor's Light Infantry company, 2d Regt. Conn. Conti-
nental Line, Col. Heman Swift commanding, in February, 1783.
The date of his enlistmeilt is given in the company roll as Dec.
30, 1776.

MOREHOUSE, AARON. 1759-1833.

Born in Redding June 2, 1759. Son of Capt. Gershom More-
house.

Nov. I, 1775, at the age of 16, he enlisted as fifer in Capt. Zal-
mon Read's company, and served 5 months in the regiment which
went to New York in 1776 under Col. David Waterbury. June i,
1776, he again enlisted as fifer under Capt. Read, in the ist Bat-
talion, Wadsworth's Brigade, Col. Gold Selleck Silliman com-
manding; and was at the Battle of Long Island, in the fighting at
Flatbush and Red Hook, Aug. 27th; was also with his regiment
when it covered the retreat from New York City September 15th.
He afterward served six terms as private in the 4th Conn. Militia :
three weeks in April, 1777, and six weeks in September of that
year, under Capt. John Gray ; marched in his father's company in

h 0 ^s ■■

ISO

the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-30; served three weeks in August,
1779, three in September, 1781, and three more at a time not
stated, all under Capt. Gray.

He married Urana Starr Aug. 19, 1787. " His home was in
Redding Center, where he cultivated a large farm, and for thirty-
years was a Deputy Sheriff of Fairfield County, an office of much
note, responsibility, and honor in his day." [Morehouse Family
Hist.] Removing to Newtown, Conn., he became a pensioner
under the Act of June 7, 1832, receiving an annual allowance of
$54.89 under an application dated July 27, 1832; his name was
placed on the roll Sept. 14, 1833, the pension dating from March 4,
1831 ; and he received $137.23 to the date of his death, Dec. 3, 1833.
He is buried in Christ Church Yard.

MOREHOUSE, BILLY.

Son of Capt. Gershom Morehouse.

" Whereas John Gray Capt. of a Military Company in the 4*^^ Rgt
of Militia in the State of Connecticut, did Inform the Judge of Fair-
field County Court, that pursuant to Orders from Jon*'^ Dimon Lieut
Colo of said Regt he did on the 7'^ Day of July A D : 1779, duly warn
& Order Billy Morehoufe of Redding in said County, a Soldier in &
Belonging to said Company to March to Fairfield, to Join the Troops
there Collecting to Oppose the Enemy, and that said Morehouse En-
tirely, Neglected & Refused to March as aforesaid, Nor made Satis-
faction for said Neglect As Pr Writ on file. Dated Oct^ 16*1 A D
1779 —

The Deft Appeared at this Court, to Answer to faid Information

and Plead Not Guilty to the Court thereto. Thereupon the Court having

Considered the Evidence, are of Opinion that the Def is Not Guilty

of the Matters Alledged Against him in said Information, & this Court,

do order that he be Difmifs"! without paying Cost, which is allowed to

be £38: 8 : Lawful Money —

Order Given for Cost."

MOREHOUSE, ELIJAH.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Alilitia, in the
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-16, 1777.

MOREHOUSE, CAPT. GERSHOM. 1727-1805.

Born Nov. 25, 1727.

Gershom Morehouse enlisted in the army of the Revolution as a
private, was appointed ist Lieut, of Capt. Jesse Bell's company,
1st Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade, 1776, under Col. Samuel
Whiting, and was afterward promoted to a captaincy. He com-
manded a company at the Battle of White Plains, Oct. 28, 1776,

151

and after the action went out under a flag of truce to confer with
his son-in-law — a captain in the British troops. Later he was a
captain in the 4th Conn. Militia, and led a company of fourteen
men in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-31, 1777. He was appointed
a member of the Committee of Inspection Dec. 22, 1777; Nov. 20,
1780, was appointed on the committee chosen to ascertain the
number of soldiers the town had in the Continental Army; March
28, 1781, to collect the tents belonging to the town.

Married Anne Sanford Jan. 18, 1749.

Died Jan. 22, 1805. Buried in the Old Burying Ground.

MORGAN, JOSEPH.

" Whereas John Gray Capt. of a Military Company in the 4th Regt.
of Militia in the State of Connecticut, did Inform the Judge of Fair-
field County Court, that pursuant to Oi^ders from Jonathan Dimon
Esq'" Lieu* Col° of said Regt. he did on the 7^^ Day of July 1779 — duly
warn & order Joseph Morgan of Redding in said County, a Soldier in
& Belonging to said Company to March to Fairfield, to join the troops
there Collecting to Oppose the Enemy, & that said Morgan, Entirely,
Neglected & Refused to March As aforesaid. Nor hath since made
Satisfaction for said Neglect — As P Writ on file Dated Dece^ i^t, 1779
P Adjournment

The Deft Appeared at this Court to Answer to sd Information &
Thereupon this Court having taken the Matter into Consideration &
Considered thereof. Are of Opinion & do Order that the Def* be Dif-
mifsed without paying Cost, which is taxed at Two pounds 9/6 Lawful
Money in Silver @ 6/8 P Ounce.

Order Given for Cost."

OLMSTEAD, ISAAC.

This soldier seems to have belonged outside of Redding at the
beginning of his military career. His first enlistment was perhaps
from Ridgefield as a private in the company of Capt. Gamaliel
Northrup, ist Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade, commanded by
Col. Gold Selieck Silliman, 1776. He was married in Redding
April 15, 1779, to Mary Persons, probably being in service with
Putnam's division at that time, though no record is found. In the
formation of 1781-83 he was a corporal in the 2d Regt. Conn.
Continental Line, Col. Heman Swift commanding, in the company
of Capt. Thaddeus Weed, receiving £30 bounty for this enlistment.
From this regiment he was enrolled in the Light Infantry Battalion
commanded by Col. Alexander Hamilton, serving under Capt.
Thaddeus Weed. A pay receipt for $7 30/90 given at this time
probably represents his monthly pay as corporal. Fie continued
in the 2d Regt. in the formation of January-June, 1783, as corporal

152

in the company of Capt. Elijah Chapman, and was in the final
formation of 1783, under Col. Swift, also as corporal, his time ex-
piring in May, 1784, though he was probably mustered out in De-
cember, 17S3. He is credited to both Redding and Norwalk.

Dec. 26, 1781, David Sanford was appointed to take care of
Isaac Olmsted's family.

OSBORN, DAVID.

Sergeant, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777.

PARSONS, ABRAHAM. ] 764-1852.

Born Feb. 20, 1764. Son of Timothy Parsons.

Enlisted in the Revolutionary Army at an early age ; served at
White Plains, and met Gen. Washington face to face while doing
guard duty at that place ; served also in other parts of Westchester
Co., N. Y. ; was in the fight at Horseneck, under command of
Gen. Putnam, Feb. 25, 1779; was a private in Capt. Chas. Smith's
company, Waterbury's State Brigade, in 1781. At the close of the
war he gave up his gun, taking a receipt for it ; this receipt he
preserved, and it was afterward accepted as proof of service, for
which he was granted an annual pension of $40, under the Act of
June 7, 1832, as a private in the Continental service. The pension
dated from March 4, 183 1 ; his name was placed on the roll March
25, 1833, and he received $120 up to 1834. Part of his allowance
was paid in Mexican dollars.

Mr. Parsons married Urana Starr at Yonkers, N. Y., March
25, 1792. He was a farmer by occupation; the house in which he
lived stood in a depression at the top of Gallows Hill. " He was
a well-educated man, clear in his memory to the day of his death.
His powers of description were very marked. He could repeat
pages of Joel Barlow's poems and Paradise Lost. He was full of
anecdotes of Gen. Putnam and other commanding officers who were
at camp," and often described vividly his experiences there, detail-
ing the terrible privations endured by the troops in the winter of
1778-9, and pointed out to his descendants the scenes of noteworthy
incidents which occurred at the camp-ground. Mr. Parsons lived
to the ripe age of 88 years and 25 days, and was revered by his
descendants as " a good and wise man in his day and time."

Died at Ridgefield, Conn., March 16, 1852. Is supposed to have
been buried at Umpawaug, but the grave is not marked.

PARSONS, DANIEL.

Born March 30, 1762. Son of Timothy Parsons.

Daniel Parsons served five terms as a private soldier in the

153

Revolution; In 1778 one month under the connnand of Col.
Meigs; another month, probably in the same year, where or with
whom not stated; from July, 1779, two months in Capt. Daniel
("lodfrey's company, 4th Conn. Militia, under Lt.-Col. Jonathan
Dimon. and was engaged in the action at Xorwalk July nth;
from September, 1780, two months, place and commander not
stated; and two months in 1781 under Capt. Godfrey, probably in
the 4th Conn. Militia.

He lived on the western slope of Gallows Hill. The house is
still standing, though in a ruinous condition. He removed to
Veteran, Tioga Co., N. Y., and applied for a pension Sept. 4, 1832;
was granted an annual allowance of $26.66, and received $53.32
up to 1834.

Married Eunice Bartram March 15. 1783.

PARSONS, JONATHAX. 1751-1818. [Persons.]

Believed to be the " John Parsons " of Capt. Zalmon Read's
company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Col. David Waterbury, in the
Northern Department; discharged Nov. 28, 1775. Enlisted April
10, 1777, for the war; taken prisoner July 2, 1777; returned Au-
gust, 1778; discharged April 4, 1781.

Tradition says that Jonathan Persons, who is buried at Um-
])a\vaug, was once a prisoner in the hands of the British. Died
Sept. 7, 1818.

PARSONS, TIMOTHY. 1732-1810.

Born in Norwalk, Conn., Nov. 7, 1732.

Taken prisoner by the British April 26, 1777, in the Danbury
Raid, and carried to New York. When captured, a fine musket,
which he highly valued, was taken from him by a British grena-
dier, who broke it in pieces on the stones, declaring it should waste
no more rebel bullets. [Todd's Hist, of Redding.]

In the possession of one of Timothy Parsons' descendants is
a leaf taken from an old account book, on which he had recorded
several remarkable occurrences of his life. Here, in quaint phrase-
ology and curious orthography, he briefly relates his painful ex-
perience of capture and captivity :

Eapel 26 Day the yeier 1777 than
I was taken By the ragalor light
Hoas and Card to DanBary form
DanBary to Richfeald form thance
A Bourd of the Chip to Coumpo
Thance Carad to new Youk their
■ opout in prisen the fust Day of
May than Capt Uial the 11 Day
of Joun oupon exstemes Chart
Lounancc and underwent much —

154

[The last line illegible.]
Married Elizabeth Couch March 9, 1756.
Died Nov. 30, i8io. Buried at Umpawaug.
Lineage: Thomas Person^, Stephen Person, Jr.-, Stephen
Pierson^. [Pierson Gen.]

PATCHEX, ANDREW.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury, in the Northern Department ; dis-
charged Nov. 28, 1775.

PATCHEN, EBENEZER.

Private, Capt. Ezekiel Sanford's company, 5th Regt. Conn.
Continental Line, 1777-81, Col. Philip B. Bradley commanding;
enlisted Jan. 11, 1777, for 3 years; discharged Jan. 4, 1780. Is
said to have fought in the action at Ridgefield April 27, 1777, and
to have saved the life of Arnold by presenting his musket at the
breast of a British soldier who was about to fire upon the general.

PATCHEN, JACOB.

Born Nov. 11, 1759.

Taken prisoner in the Danbury Raid, April 26, 1777, but escaped.
Enlisted Jan. i, 1781, for 3 years as a private in the 4th2 Regt.
Conn. Continental Line, under Col. Zebulon Butler, and served in
the company of Capt. Asa Lay from March i, 1781, to Dec. 31,
1783, receiving £30 bounty. He became a pensioner under the
Act of March 18, 1818, as a private of the Continental Line, with
an annual allowance of $96; his name was placed on the roll April
30, 1819, his pension dating from March 25, 1818, .at which time
he was a resident of Redding, and he received $1,530.83 in pension
payments up to 1834.

Married Abigail Meeker Feb. 26, 1787.

PATCHEN, A1ARTL\.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
Col. David Waterbury commanding, in the Northern Department ;
discharged Nov. 28, 1775. March 11, 1776, he enlisted as seaman
on the brig " Defence," Capt. Seth Harding commander, and was
in service as late as November 15th of that year.

PERRY, GEORGE.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury, in the Northern Department; dis-
charged Nov. 28, 1775. Sergeant, Capt. John Gray's company,

155

4th Conn. Militia, in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-24, 1777. Nov.
2S, 1780, he was appointed to receive the flour collected by the
town for the use of the army, etc., and was sworn to a faithful
discharge of his trust.

PERRY, ISAAC.

To Daniel Perry Jun"" Bill — viz —
For sundry Expences in getting Home from the Northern camp,
Isaac Perry a Lame Soldier in Capt. Zalmon Read's Company Col.
Waterbury's Regt. viz

To my Time and Trouble 2/ — To Horse Hire 15 miles 2/6

Dan' Perry ■ — ■ Jun""
Reading, i\Iay 2'^. 1776 —

Then the above Subscriber Daniel Perry Jun'", made Oath to the
Truth of the above Acc*^ —

before me W"^ Hawley, Justice of Peace.
June I, 1776. — Receivd an Order on Colony Treasurer for Four
Shillings and Six pence in full of the above Acc"^ for Daniel Perry

Jun'-

P. Seth Sanford.

PLATT, ISAAC. 1754-1824.

This name is on the roll of the Reading Loyalist Association.
Dec. 25, 1777, Isaac Piatt enlisted for the war in the regiment of
Artificers commanded by Lt.-Col. Jeduthan Baldwin, in the com-
pany of Capt. James Horton, but served under Capt. Elijah
Painter to June 9, 1783. Lie was a pensioner under the Act of
March 18, 1818, making application April 7th of that year, from
Redding. His name was placed on the roll Nov. 11, 1818, allow-
ance $96, receiving $627.30 up to the date of his death, Oct. 19,
1824.

PLATT, JONAS.

Taken prisoner in the Danbury Raid, April 26, 1777, and car-
ried to New York; private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn.
Militia, Fishkill Campaign, Oct, 5-30, 1777; was a recruit for the
Continental Army in 17S0, to serve 3 months, for which he re-
ceived a bounty.

PLATT, JOSEPH.

This name also appears on the list of signers of the Reading
Loyalist Association. Joseph Piatt enlisted (probably from Dan-
bury), as a private, June 2. 1777, for 8 months, in the 5th Regt.
Conn. Continental Line, Col. Philip B. Bradley commanding, and
served 7 months 7 days in the company of Capt. Ezekiel Sanford;
discharged Jan. 9, 1778.

156

Married Lydia Wilson at Ridgefield, Conn., Jan. 7, 1774, and
died Feb. 19, 1792. His widow applied for a pension Jan. 31,
1837, being then 83 years old and living at Danbury. The pension
was granted.

PLATT, SAMUEL.

Enlisted as private Dec. 24, 1777, for 3 years, in Lt.-Col. Jedu-
than Baldwin's Regt. of Artificers, Mass. Line, and served in the
company commanded by Capt. James Horton. Was a pensioner
under the Act of 1818.

PLATT, ZEBULON.

A signer of the Reading Loyalist Association.

" Whereas John Gray of Redding in Fairfield County Capt. of a
Military Company in the 4th Regt of Militia in the State of Connec-
ticut, did Inform the Judge of Fairfield County Court, that pursuant
to Orders from the Col° Comd* of y^ Brigade, he the said Capt did
on the 3, Day of June 1779, Duly, warn & Order his said Company
to Muster & March to the North River in the State of New York, &
Join the troops there afsembled, to Defend Against the Enemies of
the United States of America & that Zebulon Piatt of s. Redding, a
Soldier in & Belonging to said Company, Utterly Neglected & Re-
fused to jMuster & March As aforesaid, Nor made Satisfaction for
said Neglect As P Writ on file Dated August 2-]^^^ A D: 1779 — P
Continuance

The Def Appeared to answer to said Complaint, at this Court, &
plead Not Guilty, & Thereupon this Court having Considered y^ Evi-
dence Are of Opinion that the Def is Not Guilty of the Matters
Alledged against him in said Information & this Court do order yt he
pay Cost of Profecution Allowed to be £30 Lawful ]\Ioney

Cost paid to John Davenport, Atty "

" Whereas John Gray of Redding in Fairfield County Capt of a
Military Company in the 4*"^ Regt of Militia in the State of Connec-
ticut — did Inform the Judge of Fairfield County Court, that pur-
suant to Orders Received from Jonth Dimon Esq Lieu' Col° of said
Regt he did on the 7'^ Day of July A D: 1779, duly, warn & order
Zebulon Piatt of said Redding, a Soldier in & Belonging to said
Company, to March to Fairfield, to Join the Troops there Collecting
to Oppose the Enemy, & that said Piatt Entirely Neglected & Refused
to March as Aforesaid, nor made Satisfaction for said Neglect as pr
Writ on file Dated Octobr 16'^ A D: 1779 —

The Def Appeared at this Court to Answer to said Information
& plead Not Guilty thereto. Thereupon this Court having Examined
the Evidence & Considered thereof Are of Opinion that the Deft is
Not Guilty of the Matters Alledged Against [him] in said Informa-
tion, & the Court have further Considered that Def^ be Difmifsed
without paying Cost which is taxi at £38: — 18 —

Order Given for Cost."

157

Feb. 19, 1781, the town donbled the assessment levied on
Zebulon Piatt for the purpose of hiring a man to serve in the Conn.
Line of the Continental Army, he having refused to pay his pro-
portion.

PLUMMER, DxWID.

Received £30 bounty, 1781-82, enlisting from Redding.

READ, HE:ZEKIAH.

April 2 and Dec. 22, 1777, Hezekiah Read was appointed on the
committee to take care of soldiers" families. Dec. 22. 1780, he was
appointed on the committee chosen to hire nine soldiers for the
Conn. Line of the Continental Army.

READ, COL. JOHN. 1701-1786.

Col. John Read, son of John and grandson of William Read,
was the proprietor of the Read Manor in Lonetown. He repre-
sented Redding in the General Assembly of October, 1767; May,
1769; October. 1770; May, 1771-72-73; and was a Justice of the
Peace in the latter year. At the commencement of the Revolution he
was colonel of the 4th Conn. Militia, which he had commanded
since ] 757, but being too old for active service, — he w^as then 74
years of age, — resigned his command and retired to civil life.
He continued, however, to render such service as he was capable
of during the war. The Legislature of March, 1775, appointed
him a member of a committee delegated to ascertain whether per-
sons holding commissions under the state had been active in pro-
moting the resolutions adopted by the towns of Ridgefield and
Newtown, disapproving and protesting against the measures of
the Continental Congress. Lie was Justice of the Peace from
1775 to 1780 (perhaps longer), and in this capacity was called on
to institute legal proceedings against the property of the resident
Tories.

Died Oct. 30. 1786. Buried in the Read Burying Ground.

READ, CAPT. ZALMOX. 1739-1801.

Son of Col. John Read.

Li May, 1775, Zalmon Read was commissioned captain of the
toth company 5th Regt. Conn. Line, under Col. David Waterbury,
and served through the Campaign in the Northern Department,
being discharged Nov. 28, 1775. In the following year he marched
to the defense of New York as captain of the 2d company ist
Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade, Conn State Troops, Col. Gold
Selleck Silliman commanding, and led his men in the retreat from
New York. In March, 1777, he is found in command of a com-

158

pany of the 4th Conn. Militia (in which he had been captain
previous to entering the State Troops), which was then stationed
at Fairfield, and with which he served in the Danbury Raid in
April following, some of his men being captured by the enemy.
In October, 1777, he appears to have rendered special service in
the Fishkill Campaign, mention being made of " Zalmon Read and
2 subalterns " on duty October 9-17. No further service in the
field is recorded. He was a member of the following committees
under appointment b)^ the town: April 2, 1777, to hire soldiers
for the Continental Army; Sept. 18, 1777, to procure articles re-
quested by the Governor and Council of Safety; Dec. 22. 1777,
member Committee of Inspection; March 23, 1778, to provide
clothing for the army; May 8, 1778, to provide shirts, shoes, and
stockings for the soldiers in the Continental Army; Dec. 17, 1778,
to provide for Jeremiah Ryan's family.

Died Jan. 15, 1801. Buried in the Read Burying Ground.

READ, ENSIGN ZALMON. 1759-1846.

Born in Redding April 28, 1759. Son of Capt. Zalmon Read.

This is probably the Zalmon Read who served as private in
Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Fishkill
Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777. He continued in the service, in what
organization is unknown. Jan. i, 1781, he received a commission
from Gen. Parsons as ensign, serving in the company of Capt.
Lemuel Clift, in the ist Regt. Conn. Continental Line, 1781-83,
under Col. John Durkee. He enlisted for two years, and was
stationed in the Highlands till the disbandment of the army. Be-
fore Washington's departure for Yorktown the garrison of the
Highlands marched to Peekskill under Gen. Heath, and a recon-
noisance was made toward New York, resulting in a skirmish at
Kingsbridge July 3, 1781, at which Ensign Read was present. He
also participated in the day of rejoicing which was observed in
the American camp after the news of Cornwallis' surrender was
received. Afterward he went home on furlough, and was dis-
charged by the special order of Gen. Washington dismissing all
officers on furlough, Nov. 4, 1783. He was pensioned under the
Act of June 7, 1832, as ensign in the Continental Line, his annual
allowance, $240, dating from March 4, 1831. His name was placed
on the roll Feb. 19, 1834, and he received pension payments amount-
ing to $725, due on the latter date.

Mr. Read was made a freeman of Redding April 7, 17S3.

Married, ist, Huldah Gray, November, 1780; 2d. Haiuiah,
daughter of Benjamin Bassett of Great Hill. Derby, October, 181 1.

Died Oct. 3, 1846. Buried in the Read Burying Ground.

159

REM(3NG, SAMUEL.

This name seems to be a corruption of " Raymond," and is
sometimes so spelled in the records. The soldier's record appears
to be as follows : Served in Capt. Samnel Keeler's company,
Bradley's Battalion. Wadsworth's Brigade, at New York in 1776,
and was taken prisoner at Ft. Washington November i6th. En-
listed April I, 1778, as private in the company of Capt. John Mills,
2d Regt. Conn. Continental Line, 1777-81, and the record states
that he deserted Feb. 18, 1778 (?), rejoined, and again deserted
Oct. 15, 1779, and was mustered out in May, 1780. Sept. 8, 1780.
he joined the Corps of Sappers and Miners, was presumably at
Yorktown September-October, 1781. and in the service in 1782-83.

Dec. 17. 1778, VVm. Hawley was appointed to supply Remong's
family. Feb. 28, 1782. Andrew Fairchild was appointed for this
purpose.

Married Philena Bates Xov. 3, 1777.

ROBBINS, EPHRAIM.

Ephraim Robbins was of Kilbngly, and married Sarah Couch
of Redding June 20, 1769. His name is on the roll of the Reading
Loyalist Association, but he seems to have joined the patriots at
an early period of the war. Sept. 18, 1777, he was made a member
of the committee chosen to obtain articles requested by the Gov-
ernor and Council of Safety. He served in the company of Capt.
Gershom Morehouse in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-24, 1777.
March 23, 1778, he was chosen a member of the committee ap-
pointed to procure clothing for the army, etc. Lie removed from
the town after this date, but returned before March 13, 1780, on
which date he was appointed an Inspector of Provisions, and on
the 23d of June following was ,made a ment',er of the committee
appointed to hire nine soldiers for the Conn. Line of the Conti-
nental Army. April 6, 1781, he was appoint'- 1 collector of a tax
levied for the purpose of purchasing clothing; for the soldiers.
In 1780 he held the office of Deputy Sheriff. He is said to have
again removed from the town — to what place is not known.

ROGERS, JAMES, ESQ. 1741-1823.

James Rogers was a worthy and respected citizen of Redding,
who represented the town in the General Assembly at the sessions
of May-October, 1773. and January, 1774. He was a selectman
of the town at the time of the Danbury Raid, and was taken
prisoner by the British April 26, 1777, and carried to New York,
where he shared with his fellow-prisoners the privations of the
Sugar House. In April, 1780, the Assembly appointed him a

i6o

Purchasing Commissary, to procure fresh and salted beef, pork,
flour, and other articles, for the use of the army, within the limits
of the towns of Danbury, Ridgefield, Redding, and Newtown.
April i6, 1781, the town appointed him on a committee of corre-
spondence relative to monetary and other affairs. Feb. 28, 1782,
he was placed on a committee to class the inhabitants for recruiting
purposes, and also on another to vindicate claims to Continental
soldiers and State Troops. After the war he represented the
town in the General Asseml)Iy of May-October, 1796.

Married Eleanor Wakeman March 30, 1762.

Died April 19, 1823. Buried in the Old Burying Ground.

ROGERS, ENSIGN JOSEPH.

Born Oct. 31, 1762. Son of Esq. James Rogers.

Jan. 4, 1781, he was appointed ensign, and served in the 2d^
Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Heman Swift commanding, in
the company of Capt. Stephen Billings, and was in service from the
spring of 1781 to the end of the war, retiring wnth the army in
June, 1783. He was pensioned under the Act of 1818, making
application April nth of that year, being then a resident of Put-
nam Co., X. Y. He was a member of the Conn. Society of the
Cincinnati.

RUMSEY, JEREMIAH.

Enlisted from Redding April 26, 1782, probably for 8 months,
and served in the 2d- Regt. Conn. Continental Eine to Jan. i, 1783.

RUMSEY, JOHN.

Private, 7th Regt. Conn. Line, Col. Chas. Webb commanding,
in the company of Capt. Ebenezer Hill, July lo-Dec. 23, 1775;
enlisted May 21, 1777, for the war, in the 7th Regt. Conn. Conti-
nental Line, under Col. Heman Swift, as private in the company
of Capt. Albert Chapman; credited to Ridgefield; served in the 2d
Regt. in the formation of 1783, in the company of Capt. Wm.
Richards; credited to Redding. He was a pensioner under the
Act of 1818, residing in Vermont.

RUMSEY, NATHAN.

Served in the 5th Regt. Conn. Line, under Col. David Water-
bury, in the company of Capt. Zalmon Read, in the Northern De-
partment; discharged Nov. 28, 1775. Enlisted from Redding May
21. 1777, for the war, in the 7th Regt. Conn. Continental Line,
Col. Heman Swift conmianding, as private in the company of
Capt. Albert Chapman; deserted Aug. 1, 1780; rejoined.

i6i

RYAN, JEREMIAPI.

Served in Capt. Zalnion Read's company, 5th Rcgt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbur)', in the Northern Department; dis-
charged Nov. 28, 1775. Enlisted April 16. 1776, as private in the
company of Capt. Albert Chapman, Col. Samuel Elmore's Regt.,
and served at Ft. Schuyler; April 29, 1777, enlisted in the 2d Regt.
Continental Artillery, under Col. John Lamb, and served as bom-
bardier into 1780-81. Appears to have been known to his com-
rades as " Green Jimmy."

SALMON, ASAHEL. 1757-1848.

Enlisted in April. 1776, in the company of Capt. Steenrod, Col.
McDougal's Regt. of N. Y. troops, and served 10 months. During
the latter part of this term he served in Col. Chas. Webb's Regt.
(19th Continental), under Capt. Joseph Hoyt, and may be the
man who served in Maj. John Skinner's Regt. of Light Horse
(militia) at N. Y. June ii-Aug. 3, 1776. He next served as
private in Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777. Was present at the execution
of Jones and Smith on Gallows Hill Feb. t6, 1779, at that time
holding the rank of sergeant, probably in Capt. Gray's company.
Li April, 1780, he enlisted as corporal in Col. Bezaleel Beebe's
Regt. of State Troops, and served 9 months in the company of
Capt. Jesse Bell. This regiment was stationed at Horseneck and
frequently skirmished with the enemy on the Westchester front.
From February, 1781, to June 10, 1783, he served in the 4th- Regt.
Conn. Continental Line, commanded by Col. Zebulon Butler, in
the company of Capt. David Starr. He continued in the militia
service after the war, and rose to the rank of Lt.-Col. Com-
mandant of the 4th Conn. Militia, holding this office from 1806 to
181 1, being the last Revolutionary soldier who commanded the
regiment.

Col. Salmon was a pensioner under the Act of 1818, having an
annual allowance of $96 from the date of application, April 8,
1818, his name being placed on the pension roll Nov. I3tli of that
year, and he received $1,527.96 in pension payments up to 1834. He
was a tanner and shoemaker by trade, and became a freeman of
Redding in April 1789.

Married Anne Wood Sept. 5, 1786. Is supposed to be buried
beside his wife in the Old Burying Ground, but the grave is un-
marked.

SALMON, GERSHOM.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury, in the Northern Department ; dis-

l62

charged Nov. 28, 1775. Private, Capt. John Gray's company. 4th
Conn. Mihtia, Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-14,* 1777.

SALMON, REUBEN.

Private Reuben Sahnon of the ist Battalion (Col. G. S. Silli-
man's), Wadsworth's Brigade, missing in the retreat from New
York, Sept. 15, 1776, is believed to have been a Redding soldier.

SANFORD, AARON.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
imder Col. David Waterbury, in the Northern Department; dis-
charged Nov. 28, 1775. Served in the company of Capt. Gershom
Morehouse, 4th Conn. Militia, in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-12,
^777-

SANFORD. DANIEL.

It has been found impossil)le to identify this man. A Daniel
Sanford was ensign in Capt. Daniel Hickok's company, in the ist
Battalion of State Troops, commanded by Col. Samuel Whiting
at Westchester in the early spring of 1777. He next appears as
ensign in the 4th Conn. Militia, under Col. Whiting, stationed at
Fairfield and Stratford, March ^-2.2, 1777. A Daniel Sanford was
captured in the Danbury Raid in April, 1777, and carried to New
York. One Daniel Sanford was elected deputy for Redding to
the General Assembly of May, 1777, perhaps the same who died
July 5, 1777, and is buried in the Old Burying Ground. Possibly
the officer was made prisoner, and may have been brother of
Jeremiah, also a prisoner, and Iwth perhaps sons of the deputy.
No clue has been found to this mystery.

SANFORD, DAVID. 1739- 1787.

In, June, 1776, David Sanford was a private in the 4th Conn.
Militia, commanded by Lt.-Col. Abraham Gould, in the company of
Lieut. John Davis, and went to the defense of New York in that
year, probably in one of the battalions of State Troops, was present
at White Plains October 28th, and was brought home sick No-
vember 1st, having served 4 months. He served one week in the
Danbury Raid, and took part in the action at Ridgefield April 27,
1777, and in the pursuit to the enemy's shipping. In September
and October of the same year he was for some six weeks in the
command of Capt. John Gray, serving October 5th to 30th in the
Fishkill Campaign, at Fishkill, Peekskill, and Redhook. In April,
1779, he was again in the service for two weeks and four days
under Lt.-Col. Jonathan Dinion of the 4th. at what ])oint is not

1 63

stated; in July, 1779, he served one week in the alarms at Fairfield
and Xorwalk ; was in service on alarms two terms of two days each
during the summer, and in September following was in service 14
days at Gregory's Parish, N. Y. During the war he was a member
of several committees appointed by the town: Sept. 18, 1777, to
procure articles requested by the Governor and Council of Safety ;
Dec. 22, 1777. to take care of soldiers' families; March 13, 1780,
Inspector of Provisions; Dec. 21. 1781, to care for Isaac Olmsted's
family.

Married Abiah Xov. 20-22. 1769.

Died June 15. 1787. Buried at Umpawaug.

His widow, who was living in Redding in 1840. aged 95, received
a pension for his services under an application dated Dec. 19, 1836.

SANFORD. EBENEZER. 176 [-18.17.

In 1779 Ebenezer Sanford served 2 months under Capt. John
Gray and Lieut. Taylor in the coast-guard at Greens Farms, as
substitute for Elias Sanford. During the same year he served
twice on alarms at Xorwalk and once at Gregory's Parish, X^. Y.
In 1780 he enlisted from Redding in Col. Bezaleel Beebe's Regt. of
State Troops, in the company of Capt. Jesse Bell, and served 9
months at Horseneck, the regiment being engaged in frequent
skirmishes with the British on the lines where its duty was per-
formed.

Mr. Sanford was pensioned under the Act of June 7, 1832,
his annual pension of $30.55 dating from March 4, 1831, the first
])aymcnt, $91.65, being remitted to him March 18. 1834, when his
name was placed on the roll.

SAXFORD, ELXATHAX.

December, 1778. he was appointed to provide for the family
of Henry Hopkins, a soldier.

SAXFORD, CAPT. EZEKIEL. 1743-1808.

In May, 1775, Ezekiel Sanford was commissioned lieutenant
in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line, Col. David
Waterbury commanding, and served in the X^orthern Department,
being discharged Xov. 28, 1775. He again served as first lieuten-
ant under Capt. Zalmon Read, in the ist Battalion, Wadsworth's
Brigade (Col. G. S. Silliman), in the operations around Xew York
in 1776. Jan. i. 1777, he was commissioned captain in the 5th^
Regt. Conn. Continental Line. Col. Philip B. Bradley commanding,
and served till ]\farch 17, 1778, when he resigned. In January,
1780. he was appointed captain in the second regiment raised for

164

the defense of the state, but declined. He was appointed on
several town committees: Jan. 28, 1780, to take care of soldiers'
families; June 23, 1780, to hire nine soldiers for the Conn. Line
of the Continental Army; Nov. 20, 1780, to ascertain the number
of soldiers the town then had in the Continental Army; March 28,
1781, to vindicate claims to Continental soldiers; April 6, 1781, to
supply John Lines' family: Feb. 28, 1782, to vindicate claims to
Continental soldiers and State Troops. He was a pensioner under
the law of June 7, 1785, as a captain of the Revolutionary Army,
his pension dating from ]\Iarch 4, 1789. His annual allowance
was $60, under which he received payments amounting to $1,140
up to the time of his death.

Ten years after the close of the Revolution Capt. Sanford
brought suit against the town of Redding relative to certain claims
made by himself as a pensioner. This suit evidently caused con-
siderable local excitement, which lasted for nearly a twelvemonth.
The nature of these claims is unknown — the captain's pension
papers, which might furnish some clue to the mystery, were prob-
ably destroyed during the British invasion of Washington in 1814;
the court records of the period have disappeared, and the town
records, which are here given in full, contain no hint of the special
reasons for which this action was brought.

"March 11, 1793. — The inhabitants of the Town of Redding are
hereby warned to meet at the meeting houfe in sd Redding on tuelday
the 26"! day of inftant March at two o'clock- — afternoon in order to
collect the minds of the people in refpect to an inveftigation of the
claims of Capt. Ezekiel Sanford as a Pensioner. Also regarding a
suit brought by sd Sanford against the town of Redding in the County
Court of Fairlield County."

"March 26, 1793 — Mefsrs W"' Heron, Ja« Rogers, David Jackson,
Aaron Barlow and Peter Sanford chofen a Comt^e jq investigate the
propriety of the claims of Capt. Ezekiel Sanford as a pensioner, and
report make to this or some future Town meeting.

Mefsrs Thaddcus Benedict, W™ Heron, Lem" Sanford, S. Sam
Smith, and James Rogers appointed a Comt«e ^q correfpond with the
Towns in this County refpecting the claims of the pentioners in sd
Towns and proceed as they may think proper."

"Dec. II, 1793. — S. Sam Smith appointed agent to defend the town
in the suit against Capt. Ezekiel Sanford."

"Feb. 3, 1794. — Voted that W"" Hawley l)e appointed witli S. Sam
Smith agent to carry on the Lawfuit against Capt. E;cckicl Sanford,
and that they may settle with said Sanford, if it can be done without
any further lost to the Town."

Capt. Sanford died March 8. 1808. Buried at L^mpawaug.

165

SANFORD, EZRA.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, Fish-
kill Campaign, Oct. 5-24, 1777.

SANFORD, HEZEKIAH.

April 2, 1777, appointed on the committee to take care of
soldiers' families; June 23, 1780, on committee to hire nine soldiers
for the Conn. Line of the Continental Army ; Representative for
Redding in the General Assembly at the sessions of October, 1771 ;
May-October, 1772; May, 1773. 1776, 1784, 1785; October, 1786;
and continuously from May. 1791, to October, 1793. inclusive —
fourteen sessions.

SAXFORD. JAME.S. 175S-1842.

Born in Redding Nov. 13, 1758. Son of John Sanford, the
Loyalist.

Before attaining his majority James Sanford, it is said, ran
away from home and joined Putnam's division, then in camp at
Redding, enlisting Dec. i, 1778, as a teamster, and served four
months under Capt. John Drew, conductor of teams for Poor's
Brigade. He was present at the execution of Jones and Smith
on Gallows Hill Feb. 16, 1779. He continued in team service till
April, 1779, when he went with the army to New York state, and
was in team service with his team at a camp called " Soldier's
Fortune," near Fishkill, serving under Capt. Simson, conductor
of teams or baggage wagons, till June 5, 1779, when he was dis-
charged. The total period of this service was 6 months and 5
days. In September. 1779, he was drafted by Capt. John Gray
for a tour of duty in Greens Farms, guarding the shore of Long
Island Sound, under Capt. Thomas Nash of Fairfield, and remained
in service there till November i6th — a term of six weeks in all.
During this period a skirmish took place between some British
vessels and the forces under Capt. Nash, in which that officer
narrowly escaped death by a cannon shot. August, 1780, he was
again drafted to guard the fort at Black Rock, where he served
two months under Capt. Isaac Jarvis, commandant of the fort,
and Lieut. John Odell. He was again drafted by Capt. John Gray,
in May. 1 781, to guard the shore of Long Island Sound, and served
two months, part of the time under Capt. John Gray and part
under Capt. Thomas Nash. Throughout his entire service he
remained a private soldier.

Mr. Sanford was a lifelong resident of Redding, where he was
much respected, and was familiarly known to the inhabitants as
" Squire Jim." He was a pensioner in 1840.

i6o

SANFORD, JEREMIAH. 1758-1777.

Son of Daniel Sanford. Taken prisoner by the British in the
Danbury Raid, April, 1777, and carried to New York, where the
young man died in captivity June 28th following, in the 19th year
of his age.

SANFORD, LEMUEL. 1740-1803.

Lemuel Sanford was among the foremost of the Revolutionary
patriots of Redding. He early became prominent in the political
life of his town and colony, stood high in the estimation of his
fellow-citizens, and acceptably filled every position of honor and
trust to which their suffrages advanced him. His popularity is
evidenced by the exceptional length of his legislative career, for
he represented Redding at twenty-two sessions of the General
Assembly, covering a period of twenty years : May-October,
1770-71; October, 1773, 1774, 1775. 1776; May, 1777; February,
May, October, 1778; January-May, 1779; October, 1780, 1782,
1783, 1784; May, 1787, 1788; October, 1788, 1789. He was a
Justice of the Peace during the years 1774-5-6-7-8-9, and was also
a member of the Committee of Supply, the duties of this position
keeping him actively employed in Fairfield and Danbury during
the greater part of the war. Llis committee service was consider-
able, his legislative appointments being: May, 1777, to estimate
the losses of the inhabitants of Danbury caused by Tryon's Raid :
also to ascertain the property rights of the residents of that town,
their public records having been destroyed; to report losses at
Ridgefield (and at this time, also, was personally authorized to
open subscriptions to a war loan in Redding) ; February, 1778,
to inquire into the losses of the inhabitants of Fairfield ; May, 1778,
to visit Norwalk and ascertain the extent of losses at that place ;
May, 1781, added to a committee appointed under "an Act to
prevent Robberies and Plunders, from open and secret Enemies."
Town committees: June 28, 1779. town delegate to a County Con-
vention to consider the state of the currency; Nov. 28, 1780, to class
inhabitants for recruiting purposes; March 28, 1781, to vindicate
claims to the Continental soldiers; Feb. 28, 1782, to vindicate
claims to Continental and State Troops. He afterward became a
judge of the County Court, and died suddenly at Danbury in the
performance of the duties of his position March 12, 1803.

Married Mary Russell of North P.ranford, Conn., Sept. 20.
1768.

Buried in the Old Burying Ground.

Lineage: Lemuel, 1699-1780; EzekieP, EzekieH, Thomas^
Anthony-, Raulf Sanford', of Stowe, England.

16/

[Todd's Hist, of Redding; Schenck's Hist, of Fairfield; Beach-
Sanford Family Hist.]

SANFORD, OLIVER.

Born Sept. I7, 1741. Brother of John Sanford, the Loyalist.

Taken prisoner by the British in the Danbury Raid and
carried to New York. Jan. 28, 1780, chosen to provide for the
family of Ephraim Wheeler, Jr.. a soldier, but was excused Feb-
ruary 3d.

SANFORD, PETER. 1754-1827.

Supposed to have been a soldier; record unknown. Captain
of militia after the war. Representative for Redding in the Gen-
eral Assembly October, 1801-4-5 — three sessions. Fell from his
horse while crossing the ford at the north end of Pine Mountain
and was drowned, Nov. 20, 1827. Buried at Umpawaug.

SANFORD. SETH.

Deputy for Redding in the General Assembly of May, 1776.
April 2, 1777, appointed by the town on the committee to take care
of soldiers' families; May 5, 1777, appointed additional selectman
to supply vacancy caused by capture of officials in the Danbury
Raid; ensign, Capt. Gershom Morehouse's company, 4th Conn.
Militia, in the Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-30, 1777; again deputy
for Redding in the General Assembly at the sessions of January-
October, 1778; January-lNIay, 1779; October, 1780; on town com-
mittees: April 16, 1781, to class inhabitants for recruiting pur-
poses; June 29, 1781, to hire three soldiers for the Continental
Army.

Married Rebecca Burr April 25, 1759; Abiah April 25,

1778; Abigail Aug. 3, 1781.

SANFORD, STEPHEN. 1743-1776.

Died Oct. 6, 1776, in which year it is thought he served in the
army. Buried in the Old Burying Ground.

SANFORD, TIMOTHY.

Dec. 22, 1777, on committee appointed to take care of soldiers'
families.

SEELYE, STEPHEN.

Served in Lt.-Col. Samuel Canfield's Militia Regt. at West
Point September, 1781. Deserted.

i68

SHERWOOD, JEHIEL.

Ensign, 9th company (Capt. John Gray's), 4th Conn. IMilitia,
January, 1780.

SHERWOOD, NEHEAHAH.

Born in Redding Aug. 24, 1761.

This .soldier served as a private under these enlistments; 177H,
2 months with Capt. Bennett; July, 1778, 2 months under Capt.
Olmsted; April, 1779, 2 months under Capt. Couch; April, 1780, 8
months with Capt. Russell; April, 1781, 2 months; July, 1781, 4
months; December, 1781, 3 months under Capt. Olmsted. He was
pensioned under an application dated Oct. 16, 1832.

SHERWOOD, THOMAS.

Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th Conn. Militia, in the
Fishkill Campaign, Oct. 5-16, 1777.

SMITH, ELEAZER.

Aug. 9, 1779, appointed on the committee to provide winter
clothing for the Continental soldiers. Dec. 21, 1779, on commit-
tee to take care of soldiers' families.

SMITH, ERASTUS.

" Whereas John GrAy of Redding in Fairfield County Capt. of a
Military Company in the 4^^ Regt. of Militia in the State of Connec-
ticut did Inform the Judge of Fairfield County Court that pursuant
to Brigade Orders Dated June i^t A D : 1779, he the said Capt did on
the 3 Day of June aforesaid duly warn & Order his said Company
to muster & March to the North River, at or Near Peekskill, in the
State of New York, & Join the Troops there afsembled for the de-
fence of the United States of America, & that Erastus Smith of said
Redding, a Soldier in & Belonging to said Company. Utterly Neg-
lected & Refused to Muster & March as aforesaid. Nor made Satis-
faction for said Neglect. As P Writ on file Dated Septemi" 27*^
1779. — The Def- Appeared at this Court, to Answer to said Informa-
tion— and plead Not Guilty. Thereupon this Court having exam-
ined the Evidence & Considered thereof, Are of Opinion that the
Deft is Not Guilty of the Matters Alledged Against him, in said
Information, & this Court do Order that he pay Cost of Profecution

Allowed to be £22: 16 : o —

Coft p to J. Davenport, Attorney."

SMITH, SAMUEL, ESQ.

April 2, 1777, on committee to take care of the families of
soldiers in the service of the country.

169

SPRINGER, JOHN.

Enlisted from Redding in the 2d- Regt. Conn. Continental Line,
under Col. Heman Swift, and received £30 boimty, but deserted
June 26, 1781.

SPRINGER, WHALA.

Enlisted from Redding Feb. 7, 1781, for 3 years, as a private
in the 2d" Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Heman Swift com-
manding, and received £30 bounty. He was at first in the company
of Capt. Caleb Baldwin; in the formation of January-June, 1783,
under Capt. Stephen Potter, and completed his service in the
" final formation," his time expiring Feb. 7, 1784.

SQUIRE, NATHANIEL.

Taken prisoner by the British in the Danbury Raid, April 26,
1777, and carried to New York; perhaps the same man who served
in the expedition to Norwalk, Fairfield, and Stamford, in Capt.
\Vm. G. Hubbell's company, i6th Conn. Militia, under Col. Nehe-
miah Beardsley, in July, 1779, and afterward enlisted from New
Fairfield in Lt.-Col. Samuel Canfield's Militia Regt. at West Point
September, 1781.

STARR, DAVID. 1724-1810.

Born Dec. 7, O. S., 1724, at Danbury, Conn.

Removed to Redding about 1772; Sept. 8, 1777, he was ap-
pointed on the committee to procure articles requested by the Gov-
ernor and Council of Safety; Dec. 26, 1781, he was appointed to
provide for the family of Flenry Hopkins, a soldier.

Died Feb. 11, 1810; is said to be buried in Redding, but the
grave is unknown.

Lineage: Beniamin^ Josiah^, Thomas-, Dr. Comfort Starr^.
[Starr Gen.]

STARR, DAVID, JR. 1755-1814.

Born at Danbury, Conn., Dec. 2, 1755. Son of the preceding.

Dec. 21, 1779, on committee to take care of soldiers' families.

Married Lucy Sanford Oct. 8, 1778. About 1812 removed to
Thompson. Sullivan Co., N. Y. Died 1814. [Starr Gen.]

STARR, MICAJAH. 1746-1820.

Born April 2, 1746, at Danbury, Conn.

Removed to Redding about 1777; he and his wife were ad-
mitted to the Congregational Church there by letter that year; he
became an active patriot ; was conductor of teams, probably to

I70

Putnam's division, in 1778: July 30, 1779, he was appointed on the
committee to provide clothing for the Continental soldiers then
in the army. March 13, 1780, chosen an Inspector of Provisions;
April 16, 1781, on committee to class inhabitants for recruiting
purposes, also on a committee of correspondence relative to mone-
tary and other public affairs. Emigrated to Tompkins Co., N. Y.,
about 1793-4. where he engaged in farming and became a Baptist
minister.

Died March 2, 1820.

Lineage: Jonathan^ John^. Josiah^. Thomas-, Dr. Comfort
Starr^. [Starr Gen.]

STURGES, DAVID.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury, in the Northern Department; dis-
charged Nov. 28, 1775. Private, Capt. John Gray's company, 4th
Conn. Militia, Fishkill Campaign, Oct 5-30, 1777.

THOMPSON, JAMES.

It is difficult to distinguish the particular service rendered by
this soldier from that of others of the same name. He enlisted
from Redding in 1781-82, and received £30 bounty.

THORP, LYMAN.

Private, Capt. James Horton's company, Lt.-Col. Jeduthan
Baldwin's Regt. of Artificers; enlisted Dec. 23, 1777, for 3 years.
Buried in Sanfordtown Cemetery.

UNKNOWN.

A negro slave belonging to Esq. Sam. Smith of Redding was
killed in the fighting at Danbury April 26, 1777. The peculiar
circumstances of his death are set forth in the affidavits given
herewith :

"Jan. 1778.
Ebenezer White, of Danbury, of lawful r.ge, testifies and says that
on or about the 26th day of April, 1777, at evening, there being a
number of gentlemen at his house belonging to the British army,
amongst which was one whom he understood was the Earl of Falk-
land's son, who told him (the deponent) that he was the first that
entered Maj. Starr's house, and found a number of men in the house,
among whom were two negroes, all of whom they instantly killed
and set fire to the house; and gave this for a reason why they did so,
that it was their constant practice, when they found people shut up
in a house and tiring upon them, to kill them, and to burn the house;

171

and further the deponent saith, that the said young gentleman told
him that one of the negroes, after he had run him through, rose up
and attempted to shoot him, and that he the said Earl of Falkland's
son cut his head off himself ; which negro, the deponent understood
since was the property of Mr. Samuel Smith of Redding; and further
the deponent saith not.

Danbury, January 26, 1778.

The Rev. Mr. Ebenezer White, the above deponent, person-
ally appearing, made oath to the truth of the above written deposition.
Sworn to before me, Thaddeus Benedict, Justice of the Peace.
Ebenezer Weed, of Danbury, of lawful age, testifies and says, that
on or about the 26^^ day of April, 1777, he being at home across the
road, opposite to Maj. Daniel Starr's house, he saw a negro at the
house, which he knew to be the property of Mr. Samuel Smith, of
Redding, about a half hour, as near as he can judge, before the Brit-
ish troops came to said house ; and further the deponent saith, that in
the evening of said day, he heard a man belonging to the British
army, say that they had killed one dam'd black with the whites, in
said Starr's house, and further the deponent saith not.

Danbury, June 26, 1778.

Sworn before Thaddeus Benedict, Justice of the Peace,
Anna Weed, of Danbury. of lawful age. testilies and says, that on
or about the 26*'' day of April, 1777, she being at home across the
road opposite to Maj. Starr's house, she saw a negro at said house,
which she understood was the property of Mr. Samuel Smith, of
Redding, but a short time before the British troops came to said
house, and further the Deponent saith she heard one of the British
soldiers say, here is a dam'd black in the house, what shall we do
with him? another answered, damn him, kill him, and immediately
the house was in flames, and further the deponent saith not.

Danbury. January 26, 1778.

Sworn to before Thaddeus Benedict, Justice of the Peace."

[Hinman's " Conn, in the War of the American Revolution."']

WARRUPS. TOM.

Grandson of Chickens \\ arrups, chief of an Indian tribe which
lived in the southern part of Lonetown. In 1776 Tom served in
the Long Island Campaign in the company of Capt. Edward Rogers
of Cornwall, and proved himself to be a courageous and daring
soldier. He was with Putnam's division at Redding in the winter
of 1778-9, rendering valuable service in the capacity of guide and
scout. In the many predatory expeditions led against the property
of the inhabitants in the vicinity of the camp he w^as an acknowl-
edged leader. He had the red man's weakness for the white
man"s firewater, which often brought him to disgrace, and was the
means of subjecting him to the punishment of the " wooden horse,"

172

which consisted in being ridden on a rail in front of his regiment.
His home was for many years located in or near the southwestern
angle of the town, but in his later years he removed with the
members of his tribe to the town of Kent, in Litchfield Co., where
he died.

[Todd's Hist, of Redding: Gold's Hist, of Cornwall.]

WEEKS, MICAJAH. 1750-1826.

This soldier was in the Continental service in 1776; Jan. 3 or
31, 1777, he enlisted from Ridgefield (but on the quota of Redding)
for 3 years or the war, in the 5th^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line,
Col. Philip B. Bradley commanding, as a private in the company
of Capt. Ezekiel Sanf ord ; promoted corporal July, 1780; sergeant,
August 15th following. After the consolidation of regiments he
continued in service in the 26.^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col.
Heman Swift commanding, as sergeant in the company of Capt.
Joseph Allyn Wright; and in 1783 served in the same regiment
under Capt. Peter Robertson.

His battle record was remarkable: he fought at Trenton Dec.
25.. 1776; at Princeton, Jan. 2, 1777; Germantown, Oct. 4, 1777;
Monmouth, June 28, 1778; Stony Point, July 15, 1779; and York-
town, September-October, 1781 ; and probably wintered at Valley
Forge. A most faithful soldier, his term of service covering five
years.

He removed to Delaware Co., N. Y., and was pensioned under
an application dated May 2, 1818, with an allowance of $96; his
name was placed on the roll March 25, 1819, the pension dating
from May 22, 1818; and he received $753.54 in pension payments
up to the time of his death, March 27, 1826.

Married Bathsheba Barber Jan. 20, 1790; she died Aug. 30, 1834.

WHEELER, EPHRAIM (JR.)

Enlisted May 12, 1777, for the war, in the 5th Regt. Conn.
Continental Line, 1777-1781, Col. Philip B. Bradley commanding,
and served as a private in the company of Capt. Ezekiel Sanford;
deserted Nov. 23, 1777; rejoined April, 1779; deserted Feb. 10,
1780.

Daniel Lyon in December, 1779, Oliver Sanford in January,
1780, and Deacon Joseph Banks in February, 1780, were in turn
appointed to provide for Ephraim Wheeler's family. He was
probably son of Ephraim Wheeler (1716-1806), who is buried in
Christ Church Yard, and whose tombstone records the remarkable
fact of his " having lived with his wife 67 years, and had 10 chil-
dren, 52 grand children, 108 great grand children, & i great great
grand child."

173

WHITE, CHARLES.

Served in Capt. Zalmon Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line,
under Col. David Waterbury, in the Northern Department ; dis-
charged Nov. 28, 1775. Afterward belonged to the militia, as
appears by the record here given :

" Whereas John Gray of Redding in Fairfield County, Capt. of a
Military Company in the 4"^ Regt. of Militia in the State of Connec-
ticut, did Inform the Judge of Fairfield County Court, that pursuant
to Brigade Orders Dated June i^' 1779 he the said Capt did on the ^^
Day of June aforesaid, duly warn & Order his said Company to
Muster & March, to Peekskill in the State of New York, & Join the
Troops there Afsembling, for the defence of the United States of
America, & that Charles White of said Redding, a Soldier in &
Belonging to said Company, Utterlj'- Neglected & Refused to Muster
as Aforesaid Nor made Satisfaction for said Neglect — as P Writ
on file Dated August 27th A D: 1779 —

The said White was Called at this Court, & made Default of Ap-
pearance Thereupon this Court, have Considered that he pay for his
said Neglect, Cost of Prosecution taxed at Eighteen Pounds 12/ —
that Exe" be Gran<i &c —

Exc" Gran*5 Sepf" 30*'', 1779."

WILLIAMS, JABEZ.

Enlisted for the war as a private in Capt. Ezekiel Sanford's
company, 5thi Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Philip B. Bradley
commanding; two dates of enlistment are given: Dec. 19, 1776;
Jan. 6, 1777; the last probably date of muster-in; continued in
service in the 26.^ Regt. Conn. Continental Line, Col. Heman
Swift commanding, in the company of Capt. Joseph Allyn Wright;
was in service through 1781 ; served in the same regiment in the
formation of January-June, 1783, in the company of Capt. Peter
Robertson. Removed from Redding to New Milford, Conn., about
1784.

WILSON, ISAAC.

Enlisted for the war March 7, 1779; served as private in the
2d Regt. Conn. Continental Line, formation of January- June, 1783,
Col. Heman Swift, commanding, in the company of Capt. Elijah
Chapman.

YOUNGS, CHRISTOPHER.

Received £30 bounty, 1781-82. No further record.

LOYALISTS OF REDDING AND
VICINITY.

MEMBERS OF THE REDDING LOYALIST ASSOCIA-
TION AND OTHERS.

' Not residents of Redding.

2 Not members of the Association.

ADAMS. TABEZ.i

ADAMS, JAMES.

BAILEY, BENJAMIN.i

BAILEY, SAMUEL.i

BAILEY, JONATHAN.!

BANKS, JESSE.

He (with several others named hereafter) refused to pay his
proportion toward hiring a man to serve in the Conn. Line, and
was assessed double that proportion by way of fine. [See vote
of the town Feb. 19, 1781.]

BANKS, SETH.

BARDSLEE. JESSE. [Bearslee.]

BARLOW, NATHANIEL. See Rev. Soldiers.

BARNUM, COMFORT.i [Barnham.]

BARNUM, ELIJAH.i

BARTRAM, JOHN. 1731-

BARTRAM, PAUL. 1736-

BATES, JOSEPH.2

He fled to Long Island in 1776.

175

BEACH, REV. JOHN/ 1700-1782.

John Beach, son of Isaac and Hannah Beach, and for fifty
years rector of Christ Clnirch, Redding Ridge, was born in Strat-
ford, Conn., Oct. 6. 1700. He was educated for the ministry,
graduated from Yale College in 1721, and began his labors as an
Independent (Congregational) minister at Newtown, Conn., but
becoming finally converted to the doctrines of the Church of
England, he crossed the Atlantic in April, 1732, for the purpose of
being ordained to the priesthood of that denomination, bearing
with him a letter to the Bishop of London from the Rev. Samuel
Johnson of West Haven, Conn., who commends Mr. Beach therein
as " a very ingenuous and studious person, and a truly serious and
conscientious Christian " — an opinion amply confirmed by Mr.
Beach's, subsequent career. Having been duly ordained, he re-
turned to America and took charge of the Episcopal parishes of
Redding and Newtown, as a missionary of the Church of England.
He resided in Redding till the death of his first wife in 1756, when
he removed to Newtown, but continued his labors at Redding
Ridge, and necessarily spent much time there. He also min-
istered to congregations in Ridgefield, New Milford, and Litch-
field, and his influence was felt through a wide section of country
and among large numbers of his fellow men, in matters both
spiritual and political. In the bitter sectarian controversies which
raged among the religious denominations of that period Mr.
Beach bore an important part, his intellectual power, unyielding
firmness, and combative force combining to make him one of the
most able controversialists of his day. When the political horizon
darkened he steadfastly upheld the constituted authority, admonish-
ing his parishioners and fellow citizens to abstain from all acts of
sedition, violence, or rebellion, and to seek redress of evils by
lawful means ; and when the fateful storm of war at last broke
over his native land, with unchangeable determination he continued
in his allegiance to the mother country and the vows of his faith,
and though already beyond the allotted span of life, devoted the
remainder of his time, strength, and ability to the service of his
people and his God. When the Tory organizations were disarmed
and suppressed in the autumn of 1775 Mr. Beach was one of those
who signed the agreement not to take up arms for the British, nor
to discourage enlistments into the American Army. This compact
he seems to have faithfully observed, and at no time does he appear
to have counseled reprisals or warlike acts, save that in the use
of the liturgy of his church he prayed for the king and the over-
throw of the king's enemies. This observance public sentiment
and public authority had alike sternly interdicted, with such effect

176

that nearly all the Episcopal churches in the colony closed their
doors, their clergy not daring to incur the penalty of public ven-
geance through the use of the forbidden supplications. Mr. Beach
alone continued to read the proscribed petitions, and for the pur-
pose of compelling submission to the popular will, the authorities
of Redding addressed to him the following letter of remonstrance
and warning:

■' Redding, Feb. 12'^^ 1778.

Rev. Sir, We have no disposition to restrain or limit you or
others in matters of conscience. But understanding that you in your
Public Worship still continue to pray that the King of Great Britain
may be strengthened to vanquish, and overcome all his enemies, which
manner of praying must be thought to be a great insult upon the Law,
Authority, and People of this State, as you and others can but know
that the King of England has put the People of these United States
from under his protection, Declared them Rebels, and is now at open
war with said State, and consequently we are his enemies.

Likewise you must have understood that the American States
have declared themselves independent of any Foreign Power. — Now
Sir, in order that we may have peace and quietness at home among
ourselves, we desire that for the future you would omit praying in
Public that King George the third, or any other foreign Prince or
Power, may vanqui.sh, etc. the People of this Land.

Your compliance herewith may prevent you trouble.

We are Rev'' Sir, with due Respect your Obedient Humble

Servants.

To the Rev'^ John Beach.

T ■• j Lem' Sanford

Justices ■{

< W™ Hawley

(' Hez'^ Sanford

^^^^'^^ I Seth Sanford

"^^" ■{ Thad Benedict

15°,.. ! Joh" Gray
Reddmg [ ^y„ ^^j.^,^„

This warning passed unheeded, however, and the sterner meas-
ures that were employed to bring Mr. Beach to terms were doubt-
less used without the sanction of civil authority. At Newtown a
bod)' of soldiers entered his church during service, threatening
to shoot him if he read the prayers for the king, but with an un-
faltering voice the aged Loyalist offered up the obnoxious petitions,
and the soldiers, struck with admiration for his remarkable cour-
age, .stacked their arms, and remained through the service. At
Redding Ridge a bullet was fired into the church as he stood in
the pulpit, to the great consternation of all but the intended victim,
who calmed his excited flock with the words : '" Fear not those
which kill the body, but have not power to kill the soul " — and

177

continued the service as though nothing had happened. On an-
other occasion it is said he was seized by a party of armed enemies,
who conducted him to the foot of a hill, and bade him kneel and
pray for himself, as they were resolved to kill him; whereupon he
knelt, and prayed so fervently — not for himself but for them —
that they stole in shame and silence from the spot, leaving him
unharmed and unconquered. Though these anecdotes are clouded
by the uncertainties of tradition there is much evidence tending
to shov,' that they are substantially true. They accord with simi-
lar accounts of lawless violence and stern coercive measures em-
ployed at that time.

Viewed apart from partisan prejudice, the character of Rev.
John Beach was worthy of respect and admiration. Firm, con-
scientious, and courageous, he adhered consistently to his convic-
tions of right and duty, undeterred by popular opposition, personal
danger, or the infirmities of age. He was a man of feeble consti-
tution, the victim of a lifelong malady ; gentle and amiable in
everyday life, forceful in controversy, lion-hearted in the face of
danger. That he did not suffer more severely at the hands of his
enemies was probably due, not alone to his invincible courage,
but also to a sense of pity for his physical weakness, and of
respect for his advanced age and holy ofiice, and his death on
March 19, 1782, doubtless saved him from that exile which fell to
the lot of so many of his loyalist brethren. The words ascribed
as his last utterance were an epitome of his character and career :
" I have fought a good fight."

Had John Beach cast his lot with the patriots his influence
would have attracted many of his loyalist friends, would have
prevented much bitterness of feeling, and have averted the wreck
of happy homes, the grief of exile. A more strongly imited public
sentiment would thus have enabled the patriots to offer a stronger
resistance to British aggression. On the other hand, had he
exerted himself actively in behalf of the royal cause it is likely
that serious collisions would have occurred between the opposing
factions in Fairfield County, with the possible result of placing
the territory west of the Housatonic under British domination.
No other loyalist in that section appears to have imited both
capacity and opportunity for leadership. His policy of passive
resistance, adopted by many of his friends, preserved to them the
peaceable possession of their homes, and reduced the danger of
armed opposition to the patriot cause, being to that extent beneficial
to both sides in the great controversy.

As a spiritual leader Mr. Beach will long be held in reverence.
Mural tablets, commemorative of his worth and labors, have been

178

placed in the churches over which he presided, the tablet at Red-
ding Ridge containing a bullet taken from the sounding board of
the church many years after the shooting elsewhere described,
while in the churchyard at Newtown a stone uplifts this legend
to the gaze of the passerby :

" Here lyeth interred the earthly remains of the Rev"^ John Beach,
A. M., late Missionary from the Venerable Society for the propaga-
tion of the Gospel in foreign parts, who exchanged this life for im-
mortality on the 19"' day of March. 1782, in the 82^ year of his age
& 61^*^ year of his ministry.

The sweet remembrance of the just

Shall flourish when he sleeps in dust.
Reader, let this tablet abide."

[Beardsley's " History of the Episcopal Church in Connecti-
cut " ; Todd's " History of Redding " ; Beach-Sanford Genealogy.]

BEACH, LAZARUS. 1736-1800.

Fourth son of the Rev. John Beach. Born Sept. 20, 1736.

He was active in behalf of the royal authority, was arrested
and confined in the eastern part of the state, as the following
records show :

■■ Lazarus Beach, Andrew Fairchild, Nathan Lee, Enos Lee, Abel
Burr of Reading, and Thomas Allen of New Town in the county of
Fairfield, being tory convicts and sent by order of law to be confined
in the town of Mansfield, to prevent any mischievous practices of
theirs, having made their escape and being taken up and remanded
back to his Flonor the Governor and this Council to be dealt with &c :
Resolved and ordered by the Governor and his Council aforesaid, that
the said Lazarus Beach, Andrew Fairchild, Nathan Lee, Enos Lee,
and Abel Burr be committed to the keeper of the goal in Windham
within said prison to be safely kept untill they come out thence by
due order of the General Assembly or the Governor and his Council
of Safety, and that they pay cost of their being apprehended and
being remanded &c. allowed to be £25 : 3 : o :, dinners ii^ : £25: 14:0
mittimus granted Jany 28"', ^777-" fRec. State Conn., v. i ; p. 163.
Gov. & C. S. Jan. 28, 1777.]

"I'otcd, That Andrew Fairchild, Abel Burr, Lazarus Beach, Na-
than Lee, Enos Lee and Thomas Allen, persons judged to be inimical
to the United States and now confined in Windham county goal, be
discharged from said goal on their parole, on their paying all the cost
that was taxed against them by the Governor and Council of Safety
as charged in the mittimus by which they were committed, viz £25 :
14 : o, and all cost that have since arisen and may arise in releasing
them ; the said Fairchild, Burr, Beach and Allen, to return to Mans-
field there to abide under the direction of the committee of inspection

179

of that town agreeable to a former assignment of them to that town
by said Governor and Council till duly released. Nathan Lee and
Enos Lee are permitted to return home on their giving bonds for
their good behaviour, and the sheriff of Windham county is directed
to take said parole and bonds, and receive the money for all said
costs and to discharge said prisoners accordingly and to pay said
i25 : 14 : o to the Treasurer of this State, taking his receipts, lodging
one with the Secretary, and to pay the other costs out of the other
money to whoever due and make return to this Board of his doings
in the premises: and written orders are sent to the sheriff for the
above purposes."

[Rec. State Conn. v. i. p 171 Gov. & C. S. Feb. 10, 1777]

Mr. Beach resided in Redding after the war, and died there
Jan. 20, 1800.

I Beach-Sanford Genealogy.]

BENEDICT, MICHAEL.i

BENNET. SHUBAEL.

BETTS. STEPHEN. 1751-1821. See Rev. Soldiers. .

BRADLEY. WILLIAM.^

BULKLEY, GERSHOM.^

BULKLEY. PETER.

BUNNEL, ISAAC.

BURR, ABEL. 1728-1779.
Born Sept. 8, 1728.*
Lineage: Joseph'*, DanieP, DanieP, Jehu Burr\ of Fairfield.*

BURR, ABEL, JR. 1751-

Born Dec. 19, 175 1,* son of the preceding. Went over to the
enemy and probably remained with them till the close of the war.
See vote of the town Feb. 5, 1781. See also Beach,, Lazarus.

BURR, JONATHAN.^

BURR. JOSEPH. 1733-

Born Oct. 22, 1733.* Brother of Abel, Sr.

Mr. Burr went over to the enemy, and his property was duly
confiscated, the various forms of legal process being illustrated in
the records given herewith :

i8o

" On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding, in
Fairfield County, Shewing to the Special County Court held at Fair-
held in & for said County on the 6"' Day of August, 1777 — That there
is Real Estate Lying in said Redding which Belongs to Joseph Burr
of said Redding who has put and Continues to hold and Screen him-
self under the Protection of the Ministerial Army &c — A Writ was
Ifsued by Order of said Court Dated August 7^^, 1777 — To Seize and
to hold said Estate and to be Dealt with According to Law — The
said Burr was Called at this Court and made Default of Appearance.
Thereupon this Court have now Considered the Evidence Relative to
said Burr's Screening himself As aforesaid Do order that the Real
Estate of said Burr According to the Otificer's Return on said Writ
be Leafed out for the ufe and Benefit of this State — and for that
purpose this Court has appointed — Thad^ Benedict Esq"" of Redding."

■' Fairfield Adj'd County Court 2'^ Tuesday Decem"" 1777.
On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in Fair-
field County — Shewing to Lemuel Sanford Esq"" Justice of the peace
for said County That There is Goods Chatties and Effects in said
Redding which Belongs to Joseph Burr of said Redding who has put
and Continues to hold and Screen himself under the protection of the
Ministerial Army &c — said Justice Ifsued out a Writ Dated Aug^t^
14th 1777 — to Seize and to hold said Estate and to be Dealt with
According to Law — The said Burr was Called at this Court — made
Default of Appearance — This Court having Considered the Evidences
Relative to said Burr's Screening himself As aforesaid — Do Order
that the Goods and Effects According to the Officer's Return on said
Writ of said Burr be Forfeited to the use and Benefit of this State
and that they be sold According to Law — and that Exc" be
Granted &c.

Excn Gran'J Dec. lo''* I777-"

" Whereas the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in Fairfield
County did Inform John Read Esq'' Justice of the Peace for said
County that there is Estate in Redding and Fairfield in said County
that Belongs to Joseph Burr late of said Redding who has gone over
to, Joined with and Screened himself under the Protection of the
Ministerial Army &c, said Burr was Summoned to Appear at this
Court to shew reafon why his said Estate should not be Declared
Forfeit &c As Pr Writ on file Dated October 15"! 1778 — said Burr
was called at this Court & made Default of Appearance Thereupon
this Court having Considered the Evidence Relative to faid Burr's
Screening himself As aforesaid Do order that the Estate of said Burr
be & the same is hereby Forfeited to and for the ufe & Benefit of this
State, and that the fame be Further Dealt with According to Law."

[*Chas. B. Todd's Burr Genealogy. '" The Burr Family."]
BYINGTON, JOHN, JR. See Rev. Soldiers.

i8i

CALDWELL, WILLL^M.i

In 1782 he was enrolled as a Loyalist Associator to settle at
Shelburne, N. S., the following year.

CASCIS, DAXIEL.i

CLARKE, NEHEMIAH." 1739-1825.

Nehemiah Clarke was a physician who appears to have located
in Hartford, Conn., dnring the troublous period which preceded
the outbreak of the Revolution. He had established an extensive
practice and a comfortable home, but his avowed attachment to
the cause of the crown brought upon him the vengeance of the
Whigs with consequent misfortune.

The Second or South Ecclesiastical Society of Hartford owned,
among other properties, a piece of land located on the west side
of the " great road " leading from Hartford to Wethersfield, and
near the center of the first-named town, in quantity three roods
and nine rods. This tract the South Society leased to Capt. Aaron
Bull of Hartford for the term of 999 years, and Capt. Bull leased
the south half of this lot to Dr. Clarke for the consideration of one
penny and the term of 900 years. — "Always Provided Neverthe-
lefs, and it is upon this Condition, that if the said Nehemiah Clark
his Heirs Executors adminiftrators and afsigns Shall they or
Either of them fail to pay unto him the said Aaron Bull or to the
Committee of Said Society for the ufe of Said Society the Sum of
Forty Two Shillings Lawful money on the firft Monday of June
annually in each and every Year During Said Term as a Reafon-
able Rent now agreed upon by the parties to be paid for the ufe
of the Premifes and which the said Aaron stands Obligated to Pay
and Discharge then the foregoing writing and Indenture of Lease
and every Article & Covenant therein shall upon such failure on
the part of him the Said Nehemiah his heirs &c be null and Void
and of none Effect and Said Leafed Premifes Shall revert and
Remain as tho" nothing had been done or pretended to be done, by
the prefent writing or Instrument." [See Hartford Town Rec-
ords, V. 13, p. 494.] It was under the operation of this clause,
evidently, that Dr. Clarke lost the valuable property he was now
about to acquire.

L^pon the above-named lot the doctor built a house containing
four rooms on each floor, also a barn, store, and other buildings,
at a total cost of £560. His medical practice brought him in an
average income of £400 a year ; he had a good home and an inter-
esting family, and his prospects in life were most flattering, but

l82

his sentiments in favor of the British government, and his opposi-
tion to the measures of Congress, made him so obnoxious to the
patriots that in 1774, soon after the destruction of the tea in
Boston Harbor, he found it advisable to remove from Hartford to
Redding, where the Tories were more numerous, and where he
hoped the poHtical atmosphere would prove more congenial.

In February, 1775, he returned to Hartford to adjust some
business relative to his estates there, but was seized by a mob and
treated with such severity that his life was despaired of by able
physicians, and after his recovery he made his escape with diffi-
culty and returned to Redding. But soon after his arrival there
he was again seized, he says, by " a numerous banditti." and thrown
into a guard-house, from which he could not extricate himself
except by signing a bond of £1,000 not to go over to the British.
This does not appear to have protected him from further molesta-
tion, for from the loth of May, 1776, he was obliged to hide in the
woods, or otherwise secrete himself, to avoid the violence of the
people. In this manner he waited for an opportunity to escape
to the British lines, in which attempt he finally succeeded, though
at great personal risk, in December, 1776, leaving his wife and five
children unprovided for in the hands of his enemies.

Having reached the British camp on Long Island he joined the
army, and first served as lieutenant in Col. Browne's Regt. (Prince
of Wales American Volunteers), in a company commanded by his
brother. Later he was appointed Surgeon's Mate in Col. Hart-
choy's Regt., and in 1777 was promoted Surgeon to Col. Emerick's
Chasseurs, in which he served till 1779, when the corps was drafted,
and he was transferred to the Quartermaster-General's Depart-
ment, where he served as surgeon till the peace of 1783. In Sep-
tember of that year he removed to St. John, New Brunswick, of
which .city he was one of the grantees.

After Dr. Clarke's flight from Hartford the South Society
seized his property in "that city (probably for nonpayment of rent,
as specified in the lease), and leased or sold it to one Dr. Gibson,
who had been Clarke's tenant one year. The doctor estimated his
losses in Hartford at £1,285 including buildings, household furni-
ture, chaise, medical practice, etc., etc. In Redding he lost £125
worth of furniture, which, he said, was taken from him by a rebel
general. He presented claims to the British government for
£722: 16, on which he was allowed £240, and also received half-
pay as a surgeon. He died at Douglas, New Brunswick, at the
age of eighty-six.

COUCH, STEPHEN.i

i83

CROFUT, DAVID. [Crowfoot.]

CUTIS. SOLOMON.i [Curtis?]

DAVIS. JAMES.

This member of the Association is thought to be the same of
whom tradition relates that he was a Tory of Redding, that he
fled to the enemy, and that his estate was confiscated. No records
found.

DEFOREST. EPHRAIM. 1740-1827.

Ephraim Deforest, son of David and grandson of Isaac De-
forest, was probably born in Wilton (then a parish of Norwalk).
and was married to Sarah Betts of Norwalk by the Rev. Nathaniel
Bartlett Oct. 25, 1764. This date probably marks the period at
which he settled in Redding. He was a tanner and shoemaker by
trade, and bought land in Redding from Abel Cady in 1771 and of
James Adams in 1775. He established tan-works on the premises,
and gave employment to several persons. He espoused the cause
of the king, and for his loyalty was obliged to abandon his pos-
sessions in November, 1776, and fly for protection to the British
lines at New York, suffering the loss of his property in conse-
quence. He was appointed ensign in Gov. Browne's Regt. (Prince
of Wales American Volunteers), and acted as guide to Gov.
Tryon in the expedition against Danbury, in April, 1777, after
which he returned to Long Island and worked at his trade for
a while, then served upwards of two years at Morrisania in De-
lancey's Brigade, in the battalion commanded by Col. James De-
lancey. Later on Deforest was a lieutenant under Col. Upham,
stationed at Lloyd's Neck. He was twice taken prisoner during
the war and suffered considerably on those occasions. He came
in the first fleet from New York in 1783, with his wife and three
children, and settled at Maugerville, Nova Scotia. His land and
stock in Redding was confiscated, the land being sold to a man
named Piatt. His losses on house, barn, shop, 15 acres of land at
Redding, stock, and furniture he estimated at £271 : 3. He pre-
sented claims amounting to £204, and was allowed £70 in satisfac-
tion thereof.

The following documents show the legal process employed in
the seizure and disposal of Deforest's property :

"On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield County Shewing the adjd County Court held at Fairiield
in & for said County on the i*^' Tuesday of March 1777 — That there
is Real Estate Lying in said Redding which Belongs to Ephraim De-

1 84

forest of said Redding who has put and Continues to hold and Screen
himself under the protection of the Ministerial Army &c — A Writ
was Ifsued by order of said Court to Seize and to hold said Estate,
and to be dealt with According to Law the said Deforest was Called
at this Court & made Default of Appearance — This Court having
Considered the Evidences Relative to said Deforest's Screening him-
self as aforesaid — Do order & Direct that the Real Estate of said
Deforest — According to the officer's Return on said Writ be Leased
out for the use & Benefit of this State and for that purpose this Court
has appointed Thad^ Benedict — Redding."

Deforest soon after appeared in Redding — not, however, in
response to a citation of the court. As guide to Tryon's column
he probably visited his old home for the last time. Later in the
year a writ was issued against his moveable property, as here
shown :

■' On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield County, Shewing to Lemuel Sanford Esq'" — Justice of the
peace for said County that there is Goods Chatties & Effects in sd
Redding which belongs to Ephraim Deforest of' said Redding— who
has put & Continues to hold and Screen himself under the protection
of the Ministerial Army &c — a writ was Ifsued out by said Justice
to Seize and to hold said Estate — and to be Dealt with According
to Law — the said Deforest was Called at this Court and made Default
of Appearance — This Court having Considered the Evidence Relative
to said Deforest's Screening himself as aforesaid to order and Direct
that the Goods & Effects of said Deforest According to the Officer's
Return on said \Vrit be Forfeited to the ufe and Benefit of this State
— and that they be sold According to Law — and that Exc° be
Granted &c —

Exc" Granted Dec"" lo"' 1777."

While Putnam's division lay at Redding late in the following
year the final forfeiture of Deforest's estate was decreed:

■■ 3"' Tues. Nov. 1778. — Whereas the Selectmen of the Town of
Redding in Fairfield County did Inform John Read Esq'' J P for sd
Co. that there is Estate in said Redding which belongs to Ephraim
Deforest of said Redding who has gone over to, Joined with &
Screened himself under the Protection of the Ministerial Army &c —
said Deforest was summoned to Appear At this Court to shew Reafon
why his said Estate should not be declared Forfeit &c as P Writ on
file Dated Oct. 15, 1778 — said Deforest was Called at this Court &
made Default of Appearance. Thereupon the Court having Consid-
ered the Evidence Relative to said Deforest's Screening himself As
aforesaid Do order that the Estate of said Deforest be & the same
is hereby declared Forfeit to & for the ufe & Benefit of this State &
that the same be further Dealt with According to Law."

•«5,

DREW, ISAAC. 1752-

Born June 15, 1752.

"I Tues. Mch. 1778. — Whereas the Selectmen of the Town of
Redding in Fairfield County did Inform the Adjourned County Court
held at Fairfield in & for said County on the i^' Tuesday of January
1778 — That there is Real Estate in said Redding which Belongs to
Isaac Drew of Said Redding who has put & Continues to hold &
Screen himself Under the Protection of the Ministerial Army &c —
A Writ was Ifsued out by Order of Said Court to Seize & to hold
said Estate & to be Dealt with According to Law, As P Writ on tile
Dated i6"» Day of Jan''!' A D 177S. The said Drew was Called at
this Court, and made Default of Appearance. This Court having
Considered the Evidence Relative to said Drews Screening himself as
aforesaid, Do order & Direct that the Real Estate of said Drew Ac-
cording to the Officers Return on said Writ be Leafed out for the ufe
& Benefit of this State, and for that purpose the Court has appointed
Thad^ Benedict, Esq"" of said Redding. —

Warrant Ifsued March 25ti\ 1778."

No other record found. Isaac Drew may have returned and
submitted to the state government.

DREW, JOHN, JR. 1749- :

Born Dec. 16, 1749.

This man refused to perform military duty in the summer of
1779, as here shown:

" Whereas John Gray of Redding in Fairfield County Capt of a
Military Company in the 4"' Reg*- of Militia in the State of Connec-
ticut, did inform the Judge of Fairfield County Court, that pursuant
to Brigade Orders dated the i^t^ Day of June 1779, he the said Capt
did on the 3'^ Day of said June, duly warn, & Order his said Company,
to March to Peekskill in the State of New York, to Defend against
the Enemies of the United States of America & that John Drew Jun''
of said Redding, a Soldier in and belonging to said Company Utterly
Neglected & Refused to March As aforesaid. Nor made Satisfaction
for said Neglect — as P Writ on file Dated August 27th A D: 1779 —

The said Drew was Called at this Court, & made Default of Ap-
pearance. Thereupon it is Considered by this Court, that the Delin-
quent shall pay as a fine to the Treasurer of the Town of Redding
Aforesaid. the Sum of One Hundred & Twenty Pounds Lawful Money
As a fine for his said Neglect and Alfo Cost of Prosecution taxt at
Eighteen Pounds 12/ — and that Exc" be granted &c

Excn Gran'5

Septem''

30th

1779

Renewed

Nov.

1779

Renewed

April

12,

1780

Renewed

Sept.

17S0

Renewed

Nov.

29,

1780

Renewed

Feb'y

8th

1781

Renewed

April

18,

1 781

Renewed

June

28,

1 781

Renewed

March

16,

1782

1 86

DREW, PETER. 1754-
Born April 22, 1754.

EDWARDS, JOSEPH, JR.i

FAIRCHILD, ANDREW.- See Beach, Lazarus.

FAIRCHILD, C.i

FAIRCHILD, JOSEPH.i

FAIRCHILD, PETER.2

Peter Fairchild (by such facts as can be ascertained concern-
ing him) appears to have been a prominent citizen, who, at first
secretly and afterward openly, favored the royal cause. He repre-
sented Redding in the Legislature of 1774, and in April of the
following year was commissioned first lieutenant of Capt. Zalnion
Read's company, 5th Regt. Conn. Line, but resigned. He fur-
nished food, forage, etc., when the troops under Col. Ichabod
Lewis came to Redding and disarmed the Tories. See vote of the
town Dec. 13, 1775. Probably his real sentiments became public
soon after. His name appears no more in the public records.
Sabine describes him as " a noted Tory," who fled to Long Island
in 1776, eluding all attempts to capture him. He was perhaps the
man who late in 1776 served as captain in the Queen's Rangers
(Loyalist) under Col. Robert Rogers.

GILBERT, ABNER.i

GRAY, JAMES.

Mr. Gray was doubtless one of those who joined the Tryon
Expedition in April, 1777, in the belief that the colonies would be
conquered. He returned, however, in time to save his property
from confiscation.

" On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield County shewing to the Special County Court held at Fair-
field in and for said County on the 5^^^ Day of August 1777 — thai
their is Real Estate Lying in said Redding which Belongs to James
Gray of said [Redding] who has put & Continues to hold & Screen
under the Protection of the Ministerial Army &c — said Court Ifsued
out a Writ Dated August 7*-^ 1777 — 10 Seize and to hold s<i Estate
& to be Dealt with According to Law. y*^ said Gray was Called at
this Court and made Default of Appearance — Whereupon this Court
having Considered the Evidence Relative to said Gray's Screening

i87

himself as aforesaid, Do order that the Real Estate of said Gray
According to the Officers Return on said Writ be Leafed out for the
ufe and Benefit of this State, and for that purpose this Court has
appointed Thaddeus Benedict — Redding."

" Whereas the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in Fairfield
County did Inform John Read Esq'" Justice of the Peace for said
County, that there is Estate in sd Redding that Belongs to James
Gray of said Redding who has Gone over to. Joined with & Continues
to hold & Screen himself under the Protection of the Ministerial
Army &c — the faid Gray was Summoned to Appear at this Court
to show Reafon why his said Estate should not be declared Forfeit &c
As P Writ on file Dated October 15th A D 1778 P Adjournment.
The said Gray Appeared at this Court to answer to said Complaint.
This Court having Examined the Evidence Relative to said Gray's
Screening himself as aforesaid and Considered thereof Give Judg-
ment that said Gray is Not Guilty, and that his Estate be Not Forfeited
to & for the use & Benefit of this State — and this Court do Order
that he be Dilmifsed without paying Cost." —

Feb. 5, 1 78 1, the town voted not to abate the assessments of
Mr. Gray and others which had been levied for the purpose of
hiring soldiers for the Continental Army.

GRAY, JAMES, JR.

Son of the preceding. He v/ent over to the enemy, and prob-
ably remained till the close of the war. See vote of the town
Feb. 5. 1781.

GRIFFIN, SILAS.i

GUYER, DARLING. [Gyer.]

GUYER, JOHN.

GUYER. JOSEPH.

„^^_^ (LAZARUS.i^) _ ^ ^

GUYI.R. j j,jATHAN. \ ^^y""' ' ^^'''^

One of these men is mentioned as a " skipper," who assisted a
number of disaffected persons to escape from Connecticut, having
set seven men ashore at Fort Neck Point, L. I., in which act he was
discovered by Gilbert Jones, one of the Oyster Bay Committee,
who vv'as watching his movements through a spyglass. These men
were located at Blue Point, L. I., and both were finally captured
with a companion, in a clam boat near Silas Carman's Landing,
Oyster Bay, were examined before Joshua Ketcham and Benjamin

i88

Birdsall on May 26, 1776, officially charged with " treasonable
practices against the United States of America " ; on May 29th
were forwarded by Lieut. John HoUiday from Far Rockaway to
the custody of Gen. Greene, and on July i8th following were sent
to Litchfield jail. They were probably related to the Redding
family, evidently residing in some one of our shore towns, and may
have crossed over from the mainland and engaged in the work of
aiding refugees to escape to the British lines. Perhaps some of
our own Tory friends were among their passengers.

GUYER, NATHANIEL.

" Whereas John Gray of Red-ding in Fairfield Co. Capt. of the g''^
Military Co. in the 4*"^ Regt. of Militia in this State did Inform the
Judge of Fairfield County Court, that pursuant to Brigade Orders,
Dated June i, 1779, — he the said Capt. did on the 3 Day of June 1779,
duly warn and order his said Company to March to Peekskill in the
State of New York, for the defense of the United American States
and y* Nath^i Guyer, of said Redding, a Soldier in & Belonging to
said Company, Utterly Neglected & Refused to March According to
said Order, nor made satisfaction for said neglect — As P Writ on
file Dated Aug. 27''! 1779. The said Guyer Appeared at this Court
to Answer unto said Information, & being put to plead plead Not
Guilty & for trial put himself on the Court.

This Court having considered thereof Are of Opinion that the De-
linquent is Not Guilty of the Matters Alledged against [him] in said
Information — & thereupon this Court do Order that he pay Cost of
Prosecution Allowed to be £26 — 8 Lawful Money." —

GUYER, THADDEUS.

HALL. JOHN.

HALL. CAPT. JOSHUA.

HAMBLETON, WILLIAM.^

HAWES, PRINCE.

He fled to Long Island in 1776. and the fact was communicated
to Gen. Washington.

HAWLEY, ENSIGN SAMUEL.

Samuel Hawley was appointed ensign of the east side company
or trainband [nth company, 4th Regt. Militia], in October, 1773.
When detachments were ordered from the various companies for
the defense of New York in 1776 Ensign Hawley and the superior
officers of his company endeavored to prevent the draft, with

i8g

results disastrous to themselves. [See Hill, Capt. Daniel.] In

April, 1777, Hawley went over to the enemy, probably with the

Tryon Expedition, but returned the same year, as shown by his
memorial to the Legislature :

"Upon the memorial of Samuel llawley, of Redding in the county
of Fairfield, showing to this Assembly that he is now a prisoner in
said county, held to answ'Cr for crimes against the State, and that
under the influence of a belief that the country would be subdued, he,
in April last, left the country and went to the enemy, but being after-
wards perswaded that his conduct was unjustifyable and on or about
the ipt'^ of November last he was induced by the proclamation of the
Hont'ie Geni Putnam, issued the I7"i of November, offering a pardon
to such as should return to their habitation to return home, and
thereupon he did return home and resign himself up to authority,
and took the oath of fidelity, and praying for a pardon of his offence, as
per memorial on file : Resolved by this Assembly, that said Samuel
Hawley be released from his present confinement on his paying the
costs of his prosecution, and that he be discharged, and he is hereby
pardoned and discharged from any further prosecution for said of-
fence."

[Rec. State Conn, v i., p. 508: G. A. Jan. 177S.]

HENDRIX, OBED. See Rev. Soldiers.

HERON, WILLIAM.2 1742-1819.

Mystery enshrouds the character and career of William Heron.
He was a native of Ireland, a man of education (it is supposed he
was a student of Trinity College, Dublin), of aristocratic preten-
sions, and with political ambitions, which were certainly gratified
to a reasonable degree. He was a teacher at Greenfield Hill,
a surveyor of county highways, and a long-time resident of Red-
ding, where he probably settled several years previous to the out-
break of hostilities. He soon became a factor in the political life
of the town, filled local offices, and during the Revolution rendered
service in various capacities under the following appointments :
April 2, 1777, on a committee to hire soldiers for the Continental
Army; June 28, 1779, delegate to a county convention to consider
monetary affairs; March 13, 1780, chosen an Inspector of Pro-
visions; Dec. 27, 1780, on a committee appointed to ascertain the
length of time served by soldiers of the town; April 16, 1781, on
a Committee of Correspondence relative to monetary and other
affairs; Feb. 28, 1782, on committee to class inhabitants for re-
cruiting purposes — these were all town appointments. Also, he
represented the town in the General Assembly for four sessions
during the war: May, 1778, October, 1779; January, 1780 (ad-

igo

journed session) ; May, 1781 ; and at the session of October, 1779,
was made a member of the committee appointed to estimate losses
incurred by the inhabitants of Norwalk during the preceding July.
At the adjourned session of January, 1780, he was appointed a
member of the committee designated to investigate certain irregu-
larities existing in the departments of the Quartermaster-General
and Commissary-General. Besides this, it is stated he served with
credit in the field as a volunteer. After the war his political
prestige greatly increased, and he again represented the town at
the sessions of October, 1784;. May, 1785; October, 1786, to May,
1790, inclusive; October, 1795; May-October, 1796 — a total serv-
ice of seventeen sessions during eighteen years. None of his
fellow townsmen — excepting his powerful political antagonist.
Judge Lemuel Sanford — enjoyed the legislative honor .so many
times.

Such a record indicates both popularity and patriotism, but
other facts present this man's character in an unfavorable light.
By many of his fellow citizens he was regarded as a secret Tory,
and he was openly accused of trafficking with the enemy, though
no satisfactory proof of the charge appears to have been produced.
The doubt of his integrity outlasted his day, and he is now his-
torically represented as a Tory, and in recent years has been
branded as a double-dyed traitor, who served both sides, betrayed
and sold the secrets of each to the other, and was actively engaged
in a scheme to corrupt one of the prominent officers of the Ameri-
can Army. He was frequently within the British lines under
flags of truce, and evidently had ample opportunities for learning
(and divulging, if he so desired), the secrets of either side.

Sabine says of him, that on Sept. 4, 1780, he went into the
British lines under a flag, and while there gave information to the
royal officers, being at this very time in the office of public accounts
and possessing the confidence of the Whigs. In this information,
which was apparently quite voluminous, Heron is represented as
stating that he " was ever an enemy to the declaration of inde-
pendence, but he said nothing, except to the most trusty Loyalists,"
and further, that he was favorably known to the officers of the
Continental Army, " and is not suspected." ,

Mr. C. B. Todd makes Heron the acknowledged leader of the
Redding Tories, and an open champion of the royal cause. But
when we consider the severity with which the active Tories were
treated such an attitude seems impossible. Had he been an avowed
Tory he could not have commanded public confidence, nor enjoyed
public favor, but must have submitted to enforced retirement, or
ultimately suffered exile. However favorable to the royal cause

191

his sentiments may have been he always maintained a judicious
silence in regard to them, and never entirely lost the confidence of
the Whigs.

The discovery, in 1882. of "A Record of Private Intelligence,"
kept at the headquarters of General Sir Henry Clinton, the British
commander at New York in 1781, brought to light certain letters
which passed from William Heron to Major Oliver Delancey, the
British adjutant-general. Upon the contents of these letters is
based the charge of treachery and double-dealing advanced in the
paper of Mr. J. G. Woodward, read before the Connecticut His-
torical Society in 1896. The aiithor's conclusions, as drawn from
the evidence before him, are that Heron was a perfidious creature,
who, while still active in the councils of the patriots, was, for
purposes of personal gain, acting as a paid spy in the British
service, and attempting to extort money from the royal authorities
in a pretended effort to bring over to the British side a prominent
American officer. Gen. S. H. Parsons of the Conn. Line.

A letter from Gen. Parsons to Gen. Washington, dated April
6, 1782 (quoted by Mr. Woodward), gives us what is probably the
most faithful portraiture of Heron we are ever likely to have, as
well as the best evidence that can I)C produced in his behalf. Gen.
Parsons wrote : . . . I forgot to mention the name of Mr.
William Heron of Redding, who lias for several years had oppor-
tunities of informing himself of the state of the enemy, their de-
signs, and intentions, with more certainty and precision than most
men who have been employed. . . . He is a native of Ireland,
a man of very large knowledge, and a great share of natural sa-
gacity, united with a sound judgment; but of as unmeaning a
countenance as any person in my acquaintance. With this appear-
ance he is as little suspected as any man can be. An officer in the
department of the adjutant-general is a countryman and very
intimate acquaintance of Mr. Pleron, through which channel he
has been able frequently to obtain important and very interesting
intelligence. . . . Pie has frequently brought me the most ac-
curate descriptions of the posts occupied by the enemy, and more
rational accounts of their numbers, strength, and designs than I
have been able to obtain in any other way.

As to his character, I know him to be a consistent, national
Whig; he is always in the field in every alarm, and has in every
trial proved himself a man of bravery. He has a family and a
considerable interest in the state, and from the beginning of the
war has invariably followed the measures of the country. . . .
In opposition to this, his enemies suggest that he carries on illicit
trade with the enemy, but I have lived two years [ ?] the next door

192

to him, and am fully convinced he has never had a single article
of any kind for sale during that time. ... I know many per-
sons of more exalted character are also accused, none more than
Governor Trumbull, nor with less reason. I believe the governor
and Mr. Heron as clear of this business as I am, and I know
myself to be totally free from everything which has the least con-
nection with that commerce."

Whether Heron was actually the Judas-like character repre-
sented may never be satisfactorily determined. The evidence pre-
sented does not seem sufficient to enable us to form a just estimate
of his personal integrity. Although his correspondence with De-
lancey appears to convict him of a dishonorable purpose, it is not
wholly improbable that it was conducted in furtherance of some
plan for ingratiating himself more thoroughly into the confidence
of the British authorities.

But it is at least made clear that Heron was a secret service
agent in the employ of civil or military authority — engaged in an
occupation in which the means employed, whatever they may be,
are generally considered to be justified by the end desired; in
which, also, it is often necessary that the spy shall successfully
mislead his friends, in order that he may the more completely
deceive his enemies ; and in which, as an inevitable consequence,
he must fall under suspicion among such of his own party as are
unacquainted with his true character and motives. Stispicion
is rife in times of war, and others besides Heron, engaged in
similar service, were branded with a stigma which it was often
found difficult to remove. A few cases may be cited in illustration :

Sergcant-Major Champe of Lee's Legion, at the request of his
commanding officer, deserted from the American camp, and at the
imminent peril of his life, made his way into the British lines for
the purpose of effecting the capture of Arnold, and no doubt as
to his intended treachery existed in the minds of his comrades
until his unexpected return to camp and duty dispelled that belief.
Sergeant Daniel Bissell of Windsor, sent within the British lines
for the purpose of gaining information and officially proclaimed a
deserter in furtherance of his qbjcct, was unable either to fully
carry out his instructions or to return to the American camp, and
was obliged to enroll himself in the enemy's service and remain
virtually a prisoner for thirteen months. ^Vlthough his character
was afterward fully vindicated, he suffered annoyance in after
years from imputations of disloyalty. Enoch Crosby of Danbury,
one of the most active of the patriot spies, was doubted by both
parties. Heron, though less exposed, was not more fortunate in
disarming suspicion.

193

Further inquiry of this man's personality reveals little. Doubt-
less he possessed natural qualifications for his peculiar task — a
talent for intrigue, a deeply secretive nature. The " unmeaning-
countenance " never betrayed the secrets it masked. The oft-
repeated remark attributed to him — " We must keep down the
underbrush " — applied to his humbler fellow men, reveals his
aristocratic tendency, and the probable source of much unfriendli-
ness toward him, which would naturally tend to keep alive reports
unfavorable to his reputation. A desire for worldly gain is also
indicated — he was a thrifty citizen. He was respected by the
best people of the community ; one of his daughters married a son
of his old opponent Judge Sanford. Whether he cleared his name
from imputations of dishonor, or, disdaining concessions to popular
opinion, left his case to the judgment of posterity cannot be told,
but it may be an appeal from the biased judgriient of his country-
men to the bar of eternal justice that is graven beneath his name
on the tall slab which marks his resting-place in Christ Church
Yard:

In Memory of
William Heron Esq.
who was born in the City of Cork, Ireland, 1742,
• and died Jan. 8, 1819.

" I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that
he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth."

Ample material for the study of the career of Heron and other
secret service agents of the Revolution may be found in Sabine's
"American Loyalists," Thacher's " Military Journal," Todd's " His-
tory of Redding," Bailey's " History of Danbury," Stiles' "Ancient
Windsor," J. G. Woodward's " Examination of the Charge of
Treason against Gen. S. H. Parsons," Spencer's Hist, of the U. S.,
v. 2, bk. 3, p. 102.

HILL, Cx\PT. DANIEL. 1726-1805.

Born Jan. 26, 1726. Son-in-law of Rev. John Beach.

Capt. Daniel Hill commanded the nth (east side) company of
the 4th Militia Regt. at the beginning of the Revolution, and, with
his subaltern officers, endeavored to prevent the detaching of
troops from his command for the defense of New York in 1776.
The charge against these officers is annexed :

" Whereas information has been given to the Assembly that Capt.
Daniel Hill, Lieut. Peter Lyon, and Ensign Samuel Hawley, all of the
I I'll company in the fourth regiment in this Colony under the com-
mand of Gold Selleck Silliman Esq'", colonel of said regiment, have

194

instead of forwarding, as it was their duty to do endeavored to obstruct
and embarrass, and have in fact neglected and refused to obey certain
orders given out to said officers by said colonel in pursuance of orders
from the Governor, the Captain General, sometime in March last, for
the purpose of inlisting or detaching a certain number in said company
to march for New York, which orders said officers have severally
contemptuously disobeyed and greatly obstructed the execution thereof :
Whereupon this Assembly order and decree, that a precept be issued
forth by the Secretary of this Colony immediately, to arrest the bodies
of them the said Daniel Hill, Peter Lyon and Samuel Hawley re-
spectively, and them have before this Assembly to answer to the said
information and further dealt with as to justice appertains, and that
Colo. Silliman with other proper evidences be also cited to appear."

[Rec. State Conn. 1777, v. i, p. 427.]

The records further state :

" Upon the complaint of General Syllyman against sundry military
companies and military officers in the county of Fairfield for dis-
obedience &c ... it is resolved by this Assembly . . . that the
east military company in the town of Redding be and the same is
hereby dissolved, and annexed to the west military company in said
town . . . and that Daniel Hill of Reading . . . also pay the
cost arisen in the premises alowed to be two pounds one shilling and
six pence. . . . and that execution issue for the same."

[Rec. State Conn. 1777 — v i, p 427.]

Being in this manner deprived of both rank and command Capt.
Hill offered no further resistance to the patriots but remained a
passive spectator of events till the close of the war. He died July
II, 1805, and is buried in Christ Church Yard.

HILL, ERSKINE.i

HILL, EZEKIEL. See vote of the town Jan. 8, 1781.

HOYT, JAMES.i

HOYT, SAMUEL, JR.i

JACKSON, PETER.^

JARVIS, SAMUEL.2

" Mr. Samuel Jarvis of Redding, Conn, came to Amenia in the
latter part of the century. . . . He was of an English family of
good standing, many of whom adhered to the royal side in the Revo-
lution. It was a brother of Mr. Jarvis, who led the British into
Danbury when they burnt it, and who, after the war, went to Canada,
and entered into the service of the crown."

[Early History of Amenia, N. Y.]

195
JUDD, TOXATHAN.i
TUDD, SAMUEL.i Father of the others.
JUDD, SAMUEL, JR.i
JUDD. WILLIAM.^

KANE, BARNARD.i

Entered the ser^'ice of the crown and became a captain in the
New York Volunteers.

KEELER, BARNHARD.2 1761-1827.

A British soldier, said to have deserted from Tryon's column
in the Danbury Expedition. Generally spoken of as a Hessian,
though no Hessians arc known to have accompanied the British.
He settled in Redding, married Sarah Clugston Jan. i, 1793, and
left descendants. Known to" later generations as "Uncle Barney"
Keeler. Died March 5, 1827. Buried at Umpawaug.

KELLOGG. EZRA.i

KNAPP, ANDREW.

KNAPP, DAVID. See town vote Feb. 5, 1781.

KNAPP, DAVID (JR.?).

Thought to be the son of the preceding. In 1782 Knapp was
at New York, a Loyalist Associator enrolled for settlement at
Shelburne, Nova Scotia, in the following year, with a family of
two persons. At the peace he went from New York to Shelburne,
where the crown granted him 50 acres of land, one town and one
water lot. His losses sustained in consequence of his loyalty were
estimated at £230.

KNAPP, JONATHAN.

Fled to Long Island in 1776.

KNAPP, MOSES.^

LACY, STEPHEN.

This man fled to Long Island in 1776, and the fact was com-
municated to Washington.

LAYNE, JOHN. [Lane.]

196

LEE, ENOS. See vote of the town Feb. 5, 1781.
Died April 25, 1796.

LEE, ENOS (JR.) See Beach, Lazarus. See also town vote
Feb. 5, 1 781.
[It is not definitely known which of the above signed the As-
sociation.]

LEE. JOHN. 1749-1813.

Was appointed administrator of his father's estate (about
1796). Probably living in Redding at that time. Died Feb. 22,
1813, at Roxbury, N. Y.

LEE, NATHAN. See Beach, Lazarus.

LEE, NATHANIEL. May be identical with Nathan.

LEE, NEHEMIAH.i

LEE, SILAS.

LEE, WILLIAM.

LYON, AARON. 2

Fled to Long Island in 1776 and the fact was conniiunicated to
Washington.

LYON, LIEUT. DANIEL. See vote of the town Feb. 5, 1781.

LYON, DANIEL, 3d.i 2

Fled to Long Island in 1776 and the fact was communicated to
Washington.

LYON, EBENEZER.i

LYON, ELI.

LYON, EZEKIEL.

Fled to Long Island in 1776 and the fact was communicated to
Washington.

LYOX, GERSHOM. JR.i

LYON, JABEZ.

Died Oct. 20, 1777.

197
LYON, JESSE.i

LYON, JOHN.

John Lyon was a farmer who owned about lOO acres of land in
Redding, part of which he had inherited from his father. Upon
this property he had two houses, one of which was rented for £4
a year. He had also a half-interest in a schooner, and appears to
have been an energetic and successful business man. In his
memorial to the British government he states that from the first
he favored the royal authority, and exerted himself to the utmost
in its behalf, even at the hazard of his life ; and at an early period
was under banishment through fear of the rebels to whom he made
himself obnoxious by signing the " Reading Resolves " against
Congress and Committees, which document he personally carried
to Rivington, the king's printer at New York, at the request of
other signers of the instrument, who authorized its publication.
As early as March, 1775, he was seized by a mob, ill-treated, and
robbed. It was perhaps at this time that his merchandise at Mill
River, valued at £500, was also seized, but this he afterward re-
covered. He was finally obliged to fly to the British lines for
protection, reaching them in May or June, 1776, being the first
man from Redding to join the British. He entered the military
service of the crown and served as a volunteer one year, assisted
in raising the Loyalist regiment known as the King's Rangers,
under warrant from Col. Robert Rogers, the commander of the
regiment; obtained 22 recruits for this corps in Fairfield County,
and also acted as guide during the war. Major Upham testified
to his services and loyalty. At the peace he left New York with
the first fleet, embarking in the transport Union April 11, 1783.
with his wife and two sons, Reuben and John, Jr., and settled at
Kingston, Nova Scotia, on a small bay out of Bellisle Bay. He
was a vestryman of the first Episcopal church established in
Kingston.

For several months after Lyon's disappearance from Redding
no legal action was taken against him, but within a year entries
of proceedings began to appear in the files of the County Court :

Fairfield. April County Court A D 1777.
" On an Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding
to the Adj. County Court held at Fairfield on the first Tuesday of
March A D 1777 — Showing that there is real Estate lying in Redding
that Belongs to John Lyon of said Redding who has put & continues
to hold & screen himself under the protection of the Ministerial Army
said Adj"! County Court ordered a Writ According to Law to seize

198

& hold said Real Estate as P Writ dated March lot*^ 1777 may appear.
The delinquent Lyon was called at this Court and made default of
appearance. Whereupon this Court having considered the Evidences
relative to the sd Lyon screening himself as aforesaid, do order &
direct that the Real Estate of the said Lyon according to the Consta-
ble's return on said Writ be leased for the benefit of this State and
for that purpose Mr. Ephraim Robbins of sd Redding is appointed
by this Court."

This was immediately followed by sei.zurc of goods and chattels :

" On an information of the Selectmen of the town of Redding in
Fairfield County, Shewing to Lemuel Sanford Justice of the Peace
for said County that there are goods Chatties and eflfects in sd Red-
ding that belong to John Lyon of said Redding who has joined the
Ministerial Army & screened himself under them, said Justice issued
this Writ according to Law to seize & hold the goods chattels &
effects of the sd Lyon as Pr writ & Complaint dated March 28t'i A D
1777. Said Lyon was called at this court and made default of ap-
pearance. This Court having heard the evidences relative to the sd
Lyon's screening himself as aforesaid, & Considered thereof, do order
& direct that the Goods Chatties & eflfects of the sd Lyon according to
the Constable's return on said Writ & Complaint be forfeited to the
Use and benefit of this State and y' they be fold according to law.

Execution granted, Apl 18, 1777."

Forfeiture of estate was decreed about a year and a half later:

" Whereas the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in Fairfield
County did Inform John Read Sq'" Justice of the Peace for said
County that there is Estate in said Redding which belongs to John
Lyon of said Redding who has Joined — put & continues to hold
himself under the protection of the Ministerial Army &c — said Lyon
was summoned to appear at this Court to shew Reafon why his said
Estate should not be Declared Forfeit &c As Pr Writ on file Dated
Ocf 13"^ A D 1778 P Adjournment — the faid Lyon was called at
this Court & made Deft of Appearance. Thereupon this Court hav-
ing Considered the Evidence Relative to the sd Lyon's Joining him-
self as aforesaid do order that the Estate of said Lyon be & the same
is hereby declared Forfeit to & for the ufe and Benefit of this State,
& that the same be Further Dealt with According to Law."

The estate was sold accordingly. Stephen Betts bought part.
W^illiam Heron bought one of the houses.

Lyon's losses in lands, houses, stock, furniture, shipping inter-
ests, etc., he estimated at £1,790:14:6. He presented claims to
about this amount and was allowed £290 in satisfaction thereof.

LYON, JONATHAN.!

199

LYON, JOSEPH.i

Joseph Lyon, a brother of John, was a farmer and a resident of
Fairfield, but owned about 150 acres of land in Redding, which
was confiscated because of his adherence to the royal cause. Of
this about 35 acres was left him by his father's will in 1750; the
remainder he purchased at various times from Henry Lyon, Peter
Lyon, Hez. and Isaac Osborne, and David Whitlock. He was
always a warm friend of Great Britain, and refused to sign an
association with the Whigs, and was therefore publicly advertised
as an enemy to America, as were all others who refused to sign.
In 1775 he signed a protest against the proceedings of Congress,
pledging himself to oppose such proceedings. In consequence of
his acts of loyalty he was much persecuted ; was at one time very
ill-treated by a mob, and was obliged to secrete himself. On one
occasion he, with Ephraim Deforest, was hidden in the woods for
thirty-three days, and while in hiding Lyon built a cave for per-
secuted Loyalists. He found no opportunity to escape to the
British lines till April, 1777, when Tryon's Expedition marched
through the town, and he joined it, and returned with it to New
York, where he entered the regiment known as the Associated
Loyalists, served as guide under General Tryon at Fairfield
(1779?), and on several occasions afterward as volunteer at
Lloyd's Neck. In April, 1783, he removed to Kingston, N. S.,
in the transport Union, and was appointed one of the wardens of
the first Episcopal church established in that settlement. His land
in Redding was ad-s»ertised and sold, and his total losses in lands,
stock, tools, and furniture he estimated at £1,150. for which claim
the British government allowed him £524.

LYON, LIEUT. PETER.

Lieut. Peter Lyon was one of the officers of the east side mili-
tary company who endeavored to prevent the detaching of soldiers
for the defense of New York in 1776. He vv'ent over to the enemy,
and proceedings were begun against his estate :

" On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield County showing the Adj'd County Court held at Fairfield
in and for said County the i^^ Tuesday of March 1777 — That tlieir
is Real Estate Lying in Redding which Belongs to Peter Lyon of
said Redding who has put and Continues to hold and Screen himself
imder the Protection of the Ministerial Army &c — A Writ was Ifsued
out by order of said Court to Seize and to hold said Estate, and to be
dealt with According to Law — the said Lyon was Called at this
Court and made Default of Appearance — This Court having Con-
sidered the Evidence Relative to said Lyon's Screening himself As

200

aforesaid — Do Order that the Real Estate of said Lyon According
to the Officer's Return on said writ be leafed out for the ufe and
Benefit of this State — and for that purpose this Court has appointed
Thads Benedict — Redding."

Execution was then granted on his chattels :

" On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield County Shewing to Lemuel Sanford Esq'" Justice of the
peace for said County that there is Goods Chatties and Eflfects in said
Redding which belongs to Peter Lyon of said Redding — who has
put and Continues to hold & Screen himself under the Protection of
the Ministerial Army &c — said Justice Ifsued his Writ Dated March
28^11 1777 — To Seize & to hold said Estate — and to be Dealt with
According to Law — The said Lyon was Called at this Court, and
made Default of Appearance — This Court having Considered the
Evidence Relative to said Lyon's Screening himself As aforesaid —
Do order and Direct that the Goods & Effects of the said Lyon, Ac-
cording to the Officer's Return on said Writ be forfeited to the ufe
and Benefit of this State, and that they be sold According to Law^ —
and that Exec" be granted &c —

Exec" Gran^^ Dec. lo'^ 1777."

No record of forfeiture of real estate is found. Lieut. Lyon
died (perhaps in the British service) some time previous to Feb.
5, 1 78 1, at which time the town refused to abate the assessment
for recruiting ptirposes levied upon the property of his widow.

LYON, THOMAS.i

MALLERY, JOHN. See Rev. Soldiers.

MALLERY, JONATHAN, JR.

Lyon's list of signers has " John Jr." — perhaps identical with
" Jonathan, Jr."

MALLERY, NATHAN, JR.^

MANROW, DAVID. [Munroe.]

MANROW, WILLIAM. See Rev. Soldiers.

McNEIL, CHARLES.

Went over to the enemy and served as Captain-Lieutenant in
the Prince of Wales American Volunteers.

McNEIL, NEIL.

The name of Neil McNeil frequently appears in the court
records in actions for book debt, brought against him by one

201

Manuel Myers of New York. He was perhaps a merchant, whose
trade suffered because of the state of the times and his political
afifiliations. Is probably the same man who led a company of
Loyalists to Annapolis, N. S., and settled there.

MEEKER, EPHRAIM.

MEEKER, JONATHAN. 1733-1813.

Died Jan. 17, 1813. Buried in Christ Church Yard.

MILLS, EBENEZER.i

MOREHOUSE, DANIEL. 1758-1835.

This man is believed to be the same of whom Sabine says :
" He became an officer in the Queen's Rangers, and retired at the
close of the war on half pay. He went to New Brunswick, and
was a magistrate, and a major in the militia. He died in the
County of York, in 1835, aged "/jr

MOREHOUSE, JOHN.^ 1751-1839.

Probably the man who " settled in Nova Scotia, and at his
decease was one of the oldest magistrates in the colony. He died
on Digby Neck, in 1839." [Sabine.]

MORGAN, CAPT. JAMES. See town votes Feb. 5-19, 1781.

MUNGER, CAPT. SIMEON. 1752-1833.

Simeon Munger was evidently an estimable citizen, whose
sentiments, though favorable to the crown, were not actively dis-
played during the Revolution. After its close he became popular
in public life, and represented the town in the General Assembly
for fifteen sessions: October, 1793; May-October, 1797; May,
1798; May-October, 1799; May, 1800; October, 1801-04-05; May-
October, 1806; May. 1807; October, 1808-15.

Died Oct. 21, 1833. Buried in Christ Church Yard.

MUNSON, THOMAS.

NORTON, DR. ASA.

OLMSTED, ELEAZER.

PATCHEN, ANDREW.

A resident of Redding and a signer of the " Resolves," who
was obliged to quit home soon after signing that document. He
13

202

went first to Johnstown (?) in 1775, and from there to Long
Island, and removed his effects there. The Conn. Committee of
Safety attempted to capture him, but he secreted himself, and in
August, 1776, was obliged to fly for protection to Gen. Howe on
Staten Island. Here he entered the company of Guides [Guides
and Pioneers?], and was immediately employed by Sir William
Howe to carry dispatches and warrants for raising men to the
Loyalists throughout Long Island. He was finally taken ])risoner,
carried to Seabrooke [Saybrook?] and tried for his life, was
acquitted, but kept in confinement till January, 1777, when he
escaped and joined Col. Fanning's corps [King's American Regi-
ment] on Long Island, and continued in service. In October,
1777, he lost his cattle and sheep on Long Island, captured by a
party under Capt. Ebenezer Deighton. For more than two years
he was employed by Sir Henry Clinton on secret service in Con-
necticut and elsewhere. When the French fleet came in 1778
he tried to remove his effects from Brookhaven, L. L, to New York.
For this purpose he obtained a pass from Gen. Tryon and Col.
Fanning in April, and in May following placed his goods on board
John Ming's sloop for removal, paying $32 for the service, and
while lying at Fire Island Inlet, South Bay, ready to go out in the
morning he and his vessel were captured by a whaleboat party
under Capt. Ebenezer Deighton (probably) and carried to New
London. Patchen's effects, — provisions, furniture, clothing, etc.,
— were inventoried by one of Capt. Deighton's sergeants, and
afterward sold at vendue. Patchen himself was finally exchanged,
returned to Long Island, and served in the King's American Regi-
ment till discharged by Gen. Carleton Sept. 19, 1781, and during
the following year was employed by the general in secret service
in Connecticut and elsewhere. He left New York with the first
fleet in April, 1783, and settled at Kingston, Nova Scotia, obtain-
ing his lands there in August of that year. He was one of the
first vestrymen of Trinity Church, Kingston.

Mr. Patchen estimated the value of the live stock lost on Long
Island at £68, and his loss on household furniture and provisions
at £208, a total of £276. He presented claims for £170, and was
allowed £40 thereon.

PATCHEN, ASAEL.

PERCY, EZRA. [Perry?]

PICKET, JOHN. [Pickwit.]

PICKET, JOHN, JR.

203

PICKET. NATPIANIEL.i

PLATT, ABEL.i

PLATT, HEZEKIAH. See town votes Feb. 5-19. 1781.

PLATT, ISAx\C. See Rev. Soldiers.

PLATT, JOSEPH.i See Rev. Soldiers.

PLATT, JOSIAH.i

PLATT, OBADIAH.

See note to Lyon's list of signers of the Association.

PLATT, TIMOTHY.

PLATT, ZEBULON. See town vote Feb. 19, 1781.

RAYMOND, JOHN.

READ, DANIEL.

One Daniel Read was a soldier in Capt. Zalmon Read's com-
pany, 5tli Regt. Conn. Line, in the Northern Campaign, being dis-
charged from service Nov. 28, 1775. The name does not appear
again in the military records of the state, and it seems evident that
this man became disaffected and went over to the enemy, for-
feiting his property in consequence of this action, as shown by the
records annexed :

" On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield County shewing to the Adj'd County Court held at Fairfield
in and for [said] County on the i^*- Tuesday of March 1777 — That
there is Real Estate Lying in said Redding which Belongs to Daniel
Read of said Redding who has put and Continues to hold and Screen
himself under the protection of the Ministerial Army &c — A Writ
was Ifsued out by Order of said Court Dated March 10^'' 1777 — To
Seize and to Hold said Estate and to be Dealt with According to
Law — the said Read was Called at this Court made Default of Ap-
pearance—This Court have Considered the Evidence Relative to
said Read's Screening himself As aforesaid, Do order that the Real
Estate of said Read According to the Officer's Return on said Writ
be Leafed out for the ufe and Benefit of this State and for that pur-
pose of this Court has appointed Thaddeus Benedict — Redding."

" On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield Co. — Shewing to Lemuel Sanford Esq"" — Justice of the
peace for said County — that there are Goods Chatties & Effects in

204

said Redding whicli Belongs to Daniel Read of said Redding who
has put and Continues to hold and Screen himself under the Pro-
tection of the Ministerial Army &c — said Justice Ifsued a Writ
Dated March 28'" 1777 — To Seize and to hold said Estate and to bo
Dealt with According to Law — the said Read was Called at this
Court — and made Default of Appearance — This Court having Con-
sidered the Evidence Relative to said Read's Screening himself As
aforesaid to Order that the Goods & Eflfects of the said Read accord-
ing to the Officer's Return on said Writ be forfeited for the use and
Benefit of this State — and that they be sold According to Law and
that Exec" be Gran'i &c.

Exc" Gran^i Dec. lo"! 1777."

" Whereas the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in Fairfield
County did Inform John Read Esq"" Justice of the Peace in said
County — that there is Estate in. said Redding which Belongs to Daniel
Read lately of said Redding — who has gone over to, put Joined &
Continues to hold & Screen himself under the Protection of the
Enemies of the United States of America, said Read was summon'd
to appear at this Court, to show Reafon why his said Estate should
not be Declared Forfeit &c As P Writ on file Dated Oct. 15, 1778 P
Adjournment, the said Read was called at this Court, & made De-
fault of Appearance. Thereupon this Court having Considered the
Evidence Relative to said Read's Screening himself As Aforsaid, Do
order & Direct that the Estate of said Read be Forfeited to & for
the ufe & Benefit of this State & tliat the fame be Furtlier Dealt with
According to Law."

ROBBINS, EPHRABL See Rev. Soldiers.

ROWELL, JAMES.i

ROWLAND, ISRAEL.

" Upon the memorial of Israel Rowland, of Redding in the county
of Fairfield, shewing to this Assembly that in April last he was per-
swaded and induced to believe that the country would be conquered,
and that through fear only he joined the troops of the enemy, sup-
posing they would remain in Redding .where they then were, and
that he then reluctantly went away with the enemy from whom he
never dared to return till about the 4*'! of December when relying on
the faith of the proclamation of the Hon^"'*^ Gen' Putnam he returned
to Redding and resigned himself to the authority, not supposing it
necessary for him to go to Gen' Putnam, and was b}' the authority
committed to goal where he is now a prisoner; and the memorialist
prays this A^isembly to grant a pardon, as per n\emorial on file ; Re-
solved by this Assembly that a pardon be granted, and free pardon is
hereby granted to said Israel Rowland for his said offence upon his
paying all cost that has arisen in the premises."

[Rec. State Conn., v. i, p. 498; G. A., Jan. 8, 1778.]

205

SANFORD. EPHRAIM.2

In a list of persons whose estates were ordered to be leased for
the use and benefit of the state [Rev. War, vol. 34], appears the
name of Ephraini Sanford. No public records are found relati,ng-
to him. Sabine mentions an Ephraim Sanford, who, " in 1776,
abandoned his farm, stock, and produce, and joined the royal
army," but locates him in Salem, N. Y.

SANFORD, JOHN. 1739-1784.

Born April 26, 1739. Son-in-law of Rev. John Beach.

That a family relationship to the Rev. John Beach Hiould tend
to confirm and stimulate loyalty to the cause of the crown is not
to be w^ondered at : to what extent John Sanford carried its mani-
festations is unknown — perhaps no further than to be too openly
outspoken in the expression of his sentiments. Whatever the
occasion given for the course of procedure adopted he was placed
under arrest as an enemy to America and sent as a prisoner to
Mansfield, Conn., from whence he was finally paroled under bond,
and returned to Redding, where he remained quietly till the close of
the war. The state records make this reference to his case :

"An order was given to tlie committee of prisoners at Mansfield,
to take a bond of John Sanford [a person confined in Mansfield, an
enemy to this country] for 1000 pounds, conditioned that whereas the
said John Sanford is found guilty of being inimical and dangerous to
this and the rest of the United States of Am^^. Ordered, to be re-
moved and sent to the Governor and Committee of Safety to have
his place of residence assigned, and hath for some time resided in
Mansfield according to said order, and now moving for liberty to
return to Reading for the settlement of his mother's estate, and
promising his good behaviour — now if the said John Sanford shall
well and truly return to Reading, dwell and abide within and not
depart out of the limits of said Town, and shall do nor say nothing
in prejudice of the interests or rights of this or any other of the rest
of the UiTjited States of Am^ or any of the measures pursuing- by them
for their defense, and shall not hold any correspondence with or give
any intelligence to the enemies of said States, and shall repair to any
place assigned by the Governor and Committee of Safety of this State,
upon requisition, then the foregoing bond to be void, else, to remain
in full force and virtue, and upon his executing said bond, to give
said John Sanford a permit to return to Reading without molesta-
tion e/c e/c."

Mr. Sanford died April t8, 1784, and is buried in Christ Church
Yard.

[Beach-Sanford Family History.] ■

206

SEELEY, NEHEMIAH.

SEELEY, NEHEMIAH. JR.

SEYMOUR, JOHN.

SHERWOOD, JOHN.

SMITH, J0HN.12

This is the name (probably assumed) of the deserter who was
shot on Gallows Hill. He was a youth of about seventeen years,
an Englishman by birth, who had been a soldier with Burgoyne,
was taken prisoner at Saratoga, and afterward enlisted in the
American Army. The contrast between his condition as a well-
fed, paid, clothed, and disciplined soldier of the British Army, and
the privations he was compelled to endure in the American service,
caused him to falter in loyalty to his new allegiance, and with hot-
headed indiscretion he declared his intention of returning to the
British, and made the attempt, for which he paid the forfeit of his
life.

ST. JOHN, NEHEMIAH.i

STURGIS, BENJAMIN. [Sturges.]

STURGIS, EBENEZER.i

STURGIS, EBENEZER, 2d.

See vote of the town Jan. 8, 1781. This evidently refers to
Ebenezer, 2d, who was a resident.

TAYLOR, GILEAD.2

A Tory of Danbury whose estates were confiscated. Perhaps
the same man who bought Jabez Williams' house and home-lot in
Lonetown in 1784.

TAYLOR, JABEZ, JR.i

TAYLOR, PRESERVED.

Preserved Taylor was an old resident of Redding — the father
of eleven children born between 1765 and 1785. He went over to
the enemy, but could not have remained with them long, as his
residence in the town was practically continuous for at least twenty
years. Measures were taken to confiscate his property, which were
doubtless suspended upon his return :

207

" On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield [county] shewing the special County Court held at Fairfield
in & for said County on the 6'^ Day of August 1777 — that there is
Real Estate Lying in said Redding which Belongs to Preserved Taylor
of said Redding who has put and Continues to hold and Screen him-
self under the Protection of the Ministerial Army &c — A Writ was
ifsued out by order of said Court Dated August 7^^ 1777 To Seize
and to hold said Estate — and to be Dealt with According to Law —
the said Taylor was Called at this Court made Default of Appear-
ance — This Court have Considered the Evidences Relative to said
Taylors Screening himself As aforesaid do order that the Real Estate
of said Taylor According to the Officer's Return on said Writ be
Leafed out for the ufe and Benefit of this State and for that purpose
this Court has appointed Thad^ Benedict — Redding."

" On Information of the Selectmen of the Town of Redding in
Fairfield County Shewing to John Read Esq'" Justice of the peace
for said County that there are Goods Chatties and Effects in said
Redding which Belongs to Preserved Taylor of said Redding who
has put and Continues to hold and Screen himself under the Pro-
tection of the Ministerial Army &c said Justice Ifsued his writ Dated
May 29th 1777 — To Seize and to hold said Estate to be Dealt with
According to Law, the said Taylor Being Called at this Court made
Default of Appearance — ■ This Court having Considered the Evidences
Relative to said Taylor's Screening himself As aforesaid — Do order
and Direct that the Goods and Effects of the said Taylor According
to the officers Return on said W^rit Be Forfeited for the use and
Benefit of this State, and that they be sold According to Law — and
that Exc" be granted &c —

Exc" Granted Dec. 12^'' 1777."

No further record of forfeiture found. Taylor evidently re-
turned after the publication of Gen. Ptitnam's proclamation.

TAYLOR. STLAS.i

THORNE, PETER.i 1757-1844.

Settled in Nova Scotia, and died in Wilmot, in that province.

TURNEY, DAVID.

WHEELER, CALVIN.i

WHEELER, ENOS.

W'HEELER, LAZARUS.

WHITLOCK, EBENEZER.i

208

WHITLOCK, EPHRAIM. -

WHITLOCK, HEZEKIAH.i
WHITLOCK, NEHEMIAH.i
WILLIAMS, BENJAMIN.i
WILLIAMS, EBENEZER.

[Note. — Complete copies of the Loyalist claims may be found at the New York
Public Library, New York city.]

DEC 21 1904

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