USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Greenwich > A history of the town of Greenwich, Fairfield County, Conn., with many important statistics > Part 7
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Doctor Amos Mead and John Mackay,
be their Delegates for the purpose aforesaid." On the 3d of December of the same year (1775), the following persons were appointed a "Committee of Inspection and Safety." They, beside their duties as a Vigilance Committee, were empowered to appoint two or more from their own number to attend the next County Congress should any be called :-
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
Amos Mead,
Samuel Peck, Roger Brown,
James Ferris,
Bezaleel Brown,
John Mackay,
David Wood,
Benjamin Mead, jun. Maj. Thomas Hobby,
Nehemiah Mead, Odell Close.
Col. John Mead. Nathaniel Mead, jun.
It was also,-
Voted, that no body of men presume to assemble together and go upon any expedition, unless by order of the Honorable the Continental Congress, the Honorable the General Assembly, the County Congress, or Committee of Safety for this town, either of whom are to ascertain the number and direct the measures.
At a special meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, legally warned and holden on the 15th day of January, Anno Dom. 1776, The Town per vote Add to their Committee of Safety the following persons, viz. :-
Israel Knapp, Jr. Samuel Seymour, John Hobby, Messenger Palmer, and Peter Mead, Esq.
In this meeting comes Jesse Hallock and pre- sents himself to set up the Salt Peter works in
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
this town, on encouragement Given by act of As- sembly.
Jesse Parsons, who had been the town clerk for many years, died on the 26th day of July, 1776, and was succeeded in office by Col. Jabez Fitch, who lived at the top of Putnam's Hill. Bezaleel Brown was the moderator of several successive town-meetings about this date; and Abraham Hays was frequently elected grand juror. Both these men dab- bled somewhat at the law ; and when a regular attorney, by name William Thompson, came here to practice, they laid their hitherto op- posing heads together to overcome him in their first encounter. Says Hays to Brown, "Now you argue de nice points of law, and I plackguard de debbel. How the case termi- nated is not reported ; but tradition says that Brown was well acquainted with law, and Hays really could "plackguard de debbel." Hays was born in Holland, and was of Jewish descent.
March 11th, Anno. 1777, the town voted to send for the sixpounder and shot for the same, which had been granted to them, on account of a memorial addressed to the General Assembly.
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
At a special Town Meeting of the Inhabitants of Greenwich, legally warned and held at the Town House in said Greenwich, on Monday the 14th day of April, 1777, The Town, by vote, made choice of Nehemiah Mead to be moderator for this present meeting. Further, the Town, by vote, make choice of Messrs.
Titus Mead Nehemiah Mead, John Mackay, James Ferris, Enos Lockwood, Roger Brown, Daniel Merritt.
to be a Committee to inspect into, and see that the Families of those who enter into the Continental Army, shall be supplied with the necessaries of life, at the prices as stated by law according to the Gov- ernors Proclamation. Further, this meeting will assist and support the ministers of Justice, in putting into execution the act of the Assembly respecting the stating prices.
Same was repeated at the next regular town meeting.
During this year, Col. Enos, of Hartford, was stationed in this town with Connecticut troops. His quarters were, during a part of the time at Palmer's Hill, and a part of the
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time at the old Esquire Knapp place, now occupied by J. K. Stearns, Esq. He, as well as Col. Holdridge who followed him, is much complained of by the old residents. Being both, in the fashionable meaning of the word, gentlemen, they were personally the possessors of no courage, and at the times when they were most needed were of the least benefit to the inhabitants. Col. Welles who succeeded Holdridge is much better spoken of, and was an excellent and brave officer. The foraging of Col. Enos' troops was so excessive that the town, at a legal meeting, voted :-
Whereas the troops of Col. Enos regiment quar- tered in this town, have committed great outrages upon the property of some of the Inhabitants of this town (viz.), in burning rails, cutting young growth of Timber, &c. Therefore, it is proposed to this meeting, whether they will recommend unto the Select men of this Town, to apply to the Field Offi- cers, for redress of the aforesaid grievances. Voted in the affirmative.
At a special Town meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, legally warned and held in said Greenwich, on Monday ye 12th day of January, 1778, in pursuance of the Requisition from
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his Excellency the Governor, of ye 15th of Decem- ber, 1777, communicate to the Inhabitants the Intro- duction to, and the Articles of Confederation & Per- petual Union between the States of America, that the sense of the Town might be known thereon, the town by vote made choice of Bezaleel Brown to be Moderator of this present meeting. The said Arti- cles being in said meeting deliberately read and considered, were by vote, Nem Con., (no one oppos- ing) accepted and approved.
It is proposed whether this meeting is willing, that non-commissioned officer and soldier who is draughted and voluntarily serves in this two months expedition, receive a proportionable part of all the fines paid in consequence of said draught. Voted in the affirmative, and that the Selectmen receive the said fines of the Town Treasurer and pay them out accordingly.
Voted that the artillery men may have the Town House for a guard-house, and have liberty to build a chimney to it, and that the Town will be at the cost of having Masons for that purpose. The Town, by vote, made choice of Bezaleel Brown to be Bar- rack-Master, to supply the troops with wood and other necessaries. Meeting then adjourned.
On March of the same year Bezaleel Brown, having been made lieutenant, was again chosen chairman, and the fines of the militia were disposed of, as the fines of the regulars had
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been disposed of at the meeting of the pre- ceding year.
At a Town meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, holden in the Town House of said Greenwich, on Monday the 19th day of Decem- ber, 1778, having made a choice of Bezaleel Brown for Moderator, and Jabez Fitch for Clerk, the meet- ing adjourned to the Meeting House. This meeting taking into serious consideration the danger & dis- tress of the inhabitants of this town, and the great loss and damage sustained by many of the good citizens thereof, occasioned chiefly by a number of vile abandoned wretches, who have gone over to and joined the common enemy of the United States of America, against the laws of this State, and the liberties and privileges of the good people thereof. Thereupon, it is resolved by this meeting, that it is, in their opinion, dangerous to the safety, liberties, Peace and good Government of this town, that any person that hath gone over to, and joined, aided or assisted the common enemy of the United States, or taken Protection under them to remain in this town, or to return to it or ever be capable of obtaining any settlement in it. Resolved, that is the opinion of this meeting that the authority and selectmen take all proper and legal steps to free the town of all such vile Miscreants. Further the town then voted for Capt Sylvanus Mead to be Barrack-Master for the year ensuing. For Messrs .- 7%
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Sylvanus Mead, Isaac Howe, Reuben Rundall, Abraham Mead, Josiah Ferris, Matthew Mead,
Edmund Mead,
to be the Committee of Safety.
After the excursion of Gov. Tryon with his band of Tories to Greenwich, the people and the town at large were exceedingly poor. Continental money was much depreciated in value, and the town was reduced to such ex- tremity that every thing belonging to it was sold to such of the individual inhabitants as could afford to buy. The town-house was sold to Col. Mead for seven pounds lawful money, or if paid in continental money, eighty-four pounds, as one pound lawful money was equal to twelve in continental money. Three or four law-books belonging to the town were also sold to different citizens, as appears by the | record.
At the close of the war, "At a special town meeting, &c., on the 12th day of August, 1783, the town voted for Benjamin Mead, Esq., to be their moderator, &c."
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
The town taking into consideration the distress to which the inhabitants there are reduced by the war-ring and plundering of the Enemy and the constantly quartering of troops for the defence of this State in the town during the late war with Great Britain and the great injury done thereby and that it was brought to the town during the course of a war undertaken for the defence and se- curity of the common liberties of the State in which it was understood and expected that the whole body should bear the extraordinary burden and whereas the General Assembly did make a grant for the whole and make payment of a part of the damages done at Danbury accidentally thrown on any par- ticular part and considering it is altogether just to us, have there upon agreed and voted that Brigadier General John Mead be agent for the town to make use of such measures by memorial to the General Assembly or otherwise to obtain redress of the town grievances in this behalf and for a repair of the damages to the sufferers occasioned by the war excepting to those sufferers who are known to be inimical to the liberties and independence of the United States of America. This meeting is ad- journed to next Freemen's meeting day in Septem- ber to begin immediately after freemen's meeting is over.
At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Greenwich convened in town meeting September
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the 16th 1783. The inhabitants resumed the con- sideration of the grievances partly discussed at the preceding meeting and on reading a copy of the resolve of the Honorable General Assembly of this State on a memorial preferred to said Assembly by the representatives of this town in May last, the inhabitants thereby agree in the following propositions ;
First, That the commission granted to the com- mittee decreed by said resolve does not empower said committee to enter fully into the grievances complained of, and damages done to the inhabitants during the late war (not heretofore estimated) as it extends only to losses and damages occa- sioned by the enemy but does reach the losses and damages occasioned by this being a garrison-town and its inhabitants harassed and distressed by both parties.
Second, that from the confidence that the inhabi- tants of this town have in the wisdom and justice of the Legislature of the State they are persuaded that nothing but the misrepresentations of some men either through ignorance of their real suffering or worse motives could have induced that Honorable body to appoint a Committee with such limited powers as only warranted to consider partially a subject that ought in Justice and Equity to be taken upon a larger scale.
Thirdly, That the burden of a war carried on for the General defence of a State whether occasioned by friends or foes ought to be borne as equal as
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
possible by the citizens at large and that unless the principle is adopted and applied to the sufferings of the inhabitants of the town they are so far from be- ing on equal footing with the greater part of their fellow citizens in the State that the contrary must doom them to a species of oppression incompatible with the equitable maxims of legislation.
Fourthly, That the inhabitants of this town do not entertain the most distant thought of an ex- emption from such part of the public burden as they are able to bear but when they view the pres- ent alarming situation of the town for want of re- sources occasioned by the check put upon their industry for years past and the powers of Provi- dence on their labor in permitting their crops of wheat on which they chiefly depended to be cut off this season should they under these circumstances be called upon for a collection of their full proportion of the state taxes they will be reduced to such hard- ships as must terminate in uncomfortable ruin to themselves and families ;
Whereupon it is agreed and voted by the said inhabitants that Brigadier General Mead the town agent do pursue such means by memorials to the General Assembly at the ensuing October ses- sion predicted on the foregoing sentiments or other- wise as he may judge most eligible for the purpose of obtaining redress of the grievances aforesaid by the appointment of a judicious committee invested with such power as the complicated distresses of this town evidently require or in such other way as
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the Honorable Legislature may in their wisdom direct.
It was also " Resolved by this meeting that it is their opinion that the selectmen do not take bonds of any person or persons that have gone over to the enemy for the purpose of - making said person or persons inhabitants of this town, or giving him or them a residence therein."
On the 12th day of July, 1784, the people having passed through the troubles of the war, and now having some opportunity to turn their attention to other topics, met and pre- ferred the following solemn charges against their minister the Rev. Jonathan Murdock. The original copy of these charges is in the possession of Col. Thomas A. Mead.
Whereas, at a meeting of the Church of Christ, in the West Society, holden at the House of Mr. Ben- jamin Peck, in said Society, on the 12th day of July, 1784. The said church Voted that the Asso- ciation of the Western District, in Fairfield County, be called to meet on the 2ond Teusday of August next, at the house of Capt. John Hobby, in said Society, at 12 o'clock, at noon, then and there to Enquire into all matter of Difference and Grievance Subsisting between Mr. Jonathan Murdock, the
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Pastor, and the Church of Christ in this place, and to give their pastoral advice thereon; and that it was also Voted that Amos Mead and Benjamin Mead, Esqrs., be a Committee to call the said Asso- ciation and to lay all matters of Difference and Grievance before them.
Pursuant to the above said appointment take leave to offer the following matters of fact as the cause of the Difference and Grievances subsisting between the said Church and the said Pastor, viz. :
1st, with Respect to his the said Pastor's public performances as a Minister of the Gospel in this place.
2d, with Respect to his conduct since he was settled in the Worke of the ministry in this place.
1st, as to the first, it is the opinion of this church that the said Pastor hath not followed the apostolick advice of Studying to make himself approved, Rightly dividing the word of truth, &c.,-for in- stance, in a discourse from the 13th chapter of Luke & the 24th verse, " Strive to enter in at the straight gate, for I say unto you that many will seek to enter in and shall not be able." In which discourse he said that striving and seeking meant the same thing, and attempted to prove it. In another sermon against oppression and high prices, he observed that it was the crying sin of the land, for which the judg- ments of God were on the land ; and in the close observed that everybody had gone into it, so that some must practice it, and could not live without it.
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
He has lately in two sermons attempted to describe Evangelical Repentance, and did it in these words, viz., that it consisted in an unfeigned sorrow for sin & sincere intention to forsake it. There are many others that might be mentioned.
2ond. His general mode of proof has not been taken from the Scripture or Reason of things, But that he has heard so, that he believes it, and that he verily believes it.
3d. That he dwells on general heads and does not descend into particulars, or adapt them to the Con- sciences of the hearers ; but so delivers himself that it hath been frequently observed by his hearers that a person might be a Deist, & not be offended, but join with him.
Secondly, with Respect to his conduct since he was settled in the work of the ministry in this place.
1st. That soon after he was Installed in this place he began to enter into a multiplicity of Business, & wickedly neglected his study, and has continued so to do to this time.
2ond. That although he early took the Oath of Fidelity to this State, and in the beginning of the late War showed much zeal in the American Cause in the pulpit as well as elsewhere, yet con- trary to his said oath of Fidelity, in 1779, on or about the 10th day of July, he voluntarily went to a Brittish officer with a flagg then at the house late Seth Mead's, in this place, and there acknowledged his Political Friendship to the British, and that soon
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
after he began to justify trade with the then enemies of this State, among the people in this place, and In- couraged it by his own example.
3d. In May, 1780, he was (with his own consent) taken by Delancy's Core and Paroled, only to come to their lines a prisoner when called for, but under no restraint by his parole as to his preaching or prayer. Yet after that he totally neglected in public to pray for protection to us, Discretion to our Councils, or Success to our arms, to the great Grievance of the people here.
4th. That he was offered an exchange, but his friendship to the British interest prevailed over his oath of Fidelity & duty to his country as well as people, and he refused the exchange.
5th. That on or about the 10th of October, 1779, his cows were (as he said) taken from him on a Friday night, and on the next Sabbath he went after them down among the Enemy, he obtained a permit to take them, he found them and sold them and bo't British Goods with the money & brought the Goods into this State, contrary to law, and in thus doing he broke the Sabbath, set an ill example, and broke covenant with the church in neglecting his duty on the Lord's day.
6th. In 1780, in the summer season, he frequently left the House of God in this place vacant in the afternoon of the Lord's day, & without the consent of the Church, in neglect of his duty here, went and preached to the separate Baptists at their place of
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
worship, thereby countenancing that separation, to the great Greife of this Church and all the good people here.
7th. In 1780, between fore and afternoon worship on the Lord's day, he sent Mr. Samuel Peck, jun. and called Mr. Silas Mead to his house, Mr. Benja- min Peck being present; he dunned him for what they owed him, and desired them to do the same to their neighbors. Yet not far from that time he reproved Mr. Theophilus Peck for breaking the Sabbath only for bringing back a sermon book in his pocket on the Lord's day. In other instances he admonished Mr. Philips, the Baptist minister, against marrying upon the Sabbath as a great Immorality, since which he has frequently practised it himself.
8th. He has frequently and abroad knowingly misrepresented and traduced this Church & society, in perticular Capt. Marsh, before the ordaining Committee at North Stamford, in declaring that this Society had never paid him in any thing but Continental money, which words so spoken, he Mr. Jonathan Murdock then knew were false, he himself being possessed of the means of knowledge that they were so.
9th. He has frequently, as this Church takes it, been guilty of the breach of the 9thi command in denying facts and appealing in an unchristianlike manner to the father of lights for confirmation of what he said. Viz. :- On or about the 30th of
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April last, before the Society's meeting in this place, he publicly declared that the report that he had refused to settle accounts with the people of this society was without foundation, groundless and false ; which declaration he, the said Mr. Jonathan Murdock, at the House of Mr. Henry Mead did in a publick manner make a few days before.
- 10th. That the foregoing matters of Greivance and many more which might be mentioned have so disaffected the people in this place that there are many who have left the Society and gone over to and joined other denominations, and but few who attend Mr. Jonathan Murdock's ministry in this place.
11th. That in the opinion of this church the breach is become so great between the said Mr. Jonathan Murdock & this Church & great part of the said Society that it can not be healed, but that his usefulness is at an end in this place.
Upon these charges Mr. Murdock was heard, and he was dismissed, being found guilty. He appears to have been a man of but little mind and energy, and at the time when dismissed had no friends in the church whatever. He graduated at New Haven in the class of seven- teen hundred and sixty-six, with Dr. Timothy Dwight, Dr. Backus, David Ely, Dr. David Macclure and Dr. Nathan Strong. Soon after
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his settlement at Greenwich, he fell in love with Miss Ann Grigg, a bouncing girl of six- teen or seventeen, who was a much greater lover of fun than of Mr. Murdock. He per- secuted her with epistles of love, by bribing the blacks to bear his messages to her, or when that was impossible, by thrusting them under her room door. The blacks gladly car- ried his notes, and greatly enjoyed the reading of them with Miss Grigg herself. Once, on seeing him coming in at the door, she hid away in the garret, while a favorite negro woman politely informed Mr. Murdock that she, in a spirit of fun, had climbed up the chimney to hide from him. He, innocent of any thought of a joke, really believed the story, and put his head up the large winding chimney to find her. Finally raising himself high enough in the chimney with the greatest difficulty, not only found her not there, but also found his clothes covered with soot and his throat exceedingly well choked with hot smoke.
He visited considerably in his parish ; and on a certain visit at Mr. Theophilus Peck's, where he was obliged on account of the dis- tance, to take dinner, he was much surprised
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when being seated at the table, that Mr. Peck did not ask his pastor to implore the divine blessing, but that Mr. Peck performed the duty himself, using the following words : " Oh Lord ! we have a wolf in sheep's clothing amongst us. Put a bridle in his mouth and a hook in his nose, and lead him back to the place whence he came."
INCIDENTS OF THE REVOLUTION.
Thus far we have given to our readers the simple records of the town-meetings held dur- ing these times so trying to true patriotism. At the outbreak of the war, some, from their loyal and religious zeal immediately sided with the enemy. However, they did not at that time openly avow their design. So little spirit was shown on the part of the Tories within the limits of the town up to 1777, that a vote sustaining the Declaration of Independence, and the Continental Congress was passed in town-meeting without a dissenting voice. Yet there were disaffected ones, as the event proved; and before the war was finished, ninety- two men had gone over to and openly joined the ranks of the enemy from the second society
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alone. A complete list of the names of these is in the hands of the author, having been made years ago by one of the Committee of Safety. The number of family names in the list is thirty-four. And twelve of these names are not now to be found in the town. The immediate descendants of the others are but few, and in many instances the race is quite extinct. There seems to have been a doom upon them and their descendants.
After the British had occupied New York, there arose another class of men, much worse than the first. This body was composed of certain lawless characters, who seized upon every opportunity for plunder with avidity. They committed their depredations both upon the Americans and their enemies. Old grudges contracted before the war, were now satisfied with relentless vigor. Hence, the Americans suffered most from these wretches. And inas- much as they did by far the greater injury to the Americans, they were often assisted by British troops to carry out their foul cruelties and barbarites, and were always sheltered by the enemy when hotly pressed by the citizens. They banded together to carry out their ne- farious designs. Skulking about at night in
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the woods and by-places, they would shoot down the inhabitants when they least supposed an enemy near. Their mode of warfare can only be compared with that of the Indians in the early history of the country. A few in- stances will show the refinement of blood thirstiness which they had attained at about the close of the war.
Shubal Merritt, whose family is now extinct, was one of these. With one of his boon com- panions, he was once lurking about the village of Rye for the accomplishment of some hidden purpose. An aged man was plowing a field hard by their hiding place, and as he diligently pursued his labors backward and forward across the lot, they were whiling away the time by playing cards. Finally, Shubal pro- posed a game to decide which should shoot the victim. The result was against Shubal, who, as the old man approached them slowly with his team, deliberately raised his musket, and shot him through the heart. After the war was over, the murderer suffered his just deserts. A son of his victim met him at White Plains, face to face, and shot him dead upon the spot. And so great was the feeling of hatred to him on the part of the citizens, that no notice was taken of the act.
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