USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Greenwich > A history of the town of Greenwich, Fairfield County, Conn., with many important statistics > Part 8
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
Dr. Amos Mead, one of the Committee of Safety, was so chased and hunted by these men as to be obliged, with dog, horse, gun, and blankets, to travel about back in the country for a whole winter. He retraced by night the tracks he had made by day, and then moving off a short distance in another direction, to spend the night in the first shel- tered place that could be found. At the close of winter, he came down to look at a field of wheat, but when arriving at a certain point he turned back, deeming it unsafe to proceed farther. Soon after, one William Sackett, a refugee, met him, and told him that five men bent on his life, had been hidden in that field of wheat, with their muskets all aimed at a certain point in the road where he must have passed had he proceeded onward. Sackett had not become so hardened but that he gave this timely warning, and Dr. Mead wisely retired again into the country. 1
Among the most inveterate Tories were a family of the name of Knapp, living on what is now known as the Tracy place. One of them, Timothy Knapp, had been paying his attentions with a view to marriage, to a daughter of Titus Mead, then living in the old house, at present Mr. Solomon Mead's, a
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little northeast of the village. And on her refusing his hand, he proudly told her, that she should yet speak to him, and he would in his turn take no notice of her. This threat was verified in a more terrible way than he inten- ded. Horses were the most valuable booty that the refugees could lay their hands upon and knowing that Mr. Mead possessed a fine animal, which he every night led up the oaken stairs to his garret, Knapp with two of his brothers went to the house to take it. Mr. Mead had knowledge of their approach, and stationed a man who was with him at a back window up stairs. It was at dusk, and when the three men had come to the door-step, after some words, Mr. Mead fired, the ball passing through the door and entering the heart of Timothy Knapp. Without waiting to see the result of the shot, his brothers ran off in an easterly direction ; and at the same time the man stationed by the back window sprang out and ran with all his might. The remaining refugees, seeing him, and supposing it to be their brother, called out, " Run, Tim, run,', which made him run the faster. At last, the daughter, opening the door and seeing Timo- thy lying there, asked him if he were badly 8 ,
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hurt. And he making no answer, was found dead. She had spoken to him, and he had taken no notice of her. On finding him dead, word was sent to the family that his body was lying as it fell on the door-step. They paid no at- tention to the messenger; and after the body had lain there for a considerable length of time, Mr. Mead buried it in a lot belonging to the Knapps in a pair of bars, where they must have driven over it in going out and in. Afterwards, the family took up the body and buried it close by the house where he was shot ; and his bones still rest there. A line of willow-trees now marks the spot, a little way south of the house.
Many such incidents might be related, show- ing the disposition of this class of our enemies ; but a perusal of some of the incidents upon the succeeding pages will more fully convey a correct idea respecting them.
Another class not so violent in their indi- vidual conduct, but equally inimical in other respects, were those who under guise of per- mits from the English, resided here without molestation from the enemy, and in return for this privilege, gave them sufficient and well- timed information of the doings of Americans
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in this quarter. There were quite a large number of this class among us; and we cannot but deplore the situation of our forefathers, thus situated with spies and villainous Tories in their midst, and ready enemies close at hand.
TRYON'S EXPEDITION.
The attack made upon Greenwich by Gov. Tryon, and the escape of Gen. Putnam down the precipice, are the most prominent incidents in the history of the town. And it is an ex- ceedingly difficult task for a historian, collect- ing facts merely from tradition, with the as- sistance of no other record than the official report of the commanding officer, and short letters written from a distant part of the county. An officer, when forced to retreat after being almost, or perhaps quite, surprised at an outpost, feels in duty bound to represent the facts in as favorable light as possible, to avoid discouraging the patriots fighting for their country. Putnam, according to his own account, spent but little time in the village while the enemy were here. And the letters are obviously incorrect in many prominent points. Here is Putnam's account :-
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Camp at Reading March 2nd, 1779.
A detachment from the enemy at King's bridge, consisting of the 14th, 44th and 57th British regi- ments, one of the Hessians and two of the new levies, marched from their lines for Horseneck on the evening of the 25th, ult. with the intention of surprising the troops at that place, and destroying the salt works.
A captain and thirty men were sent from our advance lines from Horseneck, who discovered the enemy at New-Rochelle in advance. They retired before them undiscovered as far as Ryeneck where it growing light, the enemy observed and attacked them. They defended themselves as well as posi- ble and made their way good to Sawpitts where they took advantage of a commanding piece of ground and made some little stand, but the superior force of the enemy obliged them to retire over By- ram bridge, which they took up and by that means had an opportunity of reaching Horseneck in safety.
As I was there myself to see the situation of the guards, I had the troops formed on a hill by the meeting house, ready to receive the enemy as they advanced. They came on briskly and I, soon dis- covered that their design was to turn our flanks and possess themselves of a defile in our rear, which would effectually prevent our retreat. I therefore ordered parties out on both flanks with directions to give me information of their approach, that we
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might retire in season. In the meantime a column advanced up the main road, where the remainder of the troops (amounting to only about sixty), were posted. We discharged some old field pieces which were there, a few times, and gave them a small fire of musketry, but without any considerable effect ; the superior force of the enemy soon obliged our small detachment to abandon the place.
I therefore directed the troops to retire and form on a hill a little distance from Horseneck, while I proceeded to Stamford and collected a body of militia, and a few continental troops which were there, with which I returned immediately, and found that the enemy, (after plundering the inhabi- tants of the principal part of their effects, and destroy- ing a few salt works, a small sloop and a store,) were on their return. The officer commanding the continental troops stationed at Horseneck, mistook my orders and went much farther than I intended, so that he could not come up with them to any ad- vantage. I, however, ordered the few troops that came from Stamford to pursue them thinking they might have an opportunity to pick up some strag- glers. In this I was not mistaken, as your Excel- lency will see by the enclosed list of prisoners. Besides these eight or nine more were taken and sent off, so that I cannot tell to which particular regiments they belonged, one ammunition and one baggage wagon were taken. In the former there were about two hundred rounds of canister, grape
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and round shot, suited to three pounders, some slow matches, and about two hundred tubes ; the latter was filled with plunder, which I had the satisfaction of restoring to the inhabitants from whom it was taken. As I have not yet got a return, I cannot tell exactly the number we lost, though I don't think more than ten soldiers, and about that number of inhabitants, but a few of which were in arms.
List of Prisoners taken at Horseneck on the 26th. ult. - 17th Regiment, 15 privates ; 44th do. 5 privates, 57th do. 3 privates, Loyal American Regiment 5, Emmerick Corps 8. First battallion of Artillery 1, Pioneers 1 .- Total 38.
N. B. Seven deserters from Emmerick's corps.
The following is from Barber's Historical Collections of Connecticut, being extracts from two letters from Fairfield county, dated March 1st, 1779, four days after the occurrence :-
The enemy have made an excursion within four miles of Stamford, by the best accounts of about 1400 or 1500; under the command of Gov. Tryon ; they reached Horseneck on Friday morning about 9 o'clock ; at Stamford they were not alarmed till ten o'clock, notwithstanding the enemy was discov- ered at 9 o'clock the preceding evening by a small guard of continental troops at East Chester, under the command of Capt. Titus Watson, who were obliged to give way though they fought on their
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retreat, and some of them were wounded and taken prisoners. Capt. Watson was closely pursued by a light horseman whom he had the good fortune to kill, and by the * * * made his escape. Gen. Putnam was accidentally at Stamford, but the continental troops were too much scattered to be collected in season to oppose the ene- my. About 200 militia, and a few continental troops, fell in with the enemy's rear, just as they were leaving Horseneck about the middle of the afternoon, who killed eight or ten of them, and took about fifty prisoners, who had made too free with the liquor they had plundered. They destroyed a small salt work, and burnt a schooner which lay at Mianos creek. They plundered the inhabitants of every thing they could lay their hands on, broke windows, &c. and many families are stript of every thing but the clothes they had on; even the house where Gov. Tryon had his head quarters was not spared. They retreated to Rye on Friday even- ing, and next day to Kings bridge. Their retreat was so precipitate, that they left behind two wagons loaded with plunder.
From the above reports, and from twenty or more different accounts, some of which have been handed down by the hottest of the Tories, and some by over-zealous Americans, we have arranged the following account of the expedition, as being the most consistent
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and reliable. It is necessary that we should contradict some accounts, and even dispute some of the facts stated by Gen. Putnam him- self. We ask all, therefore, who would relate the matter in a different manner, to look upon our account in a spirit of leniency, remember- ing that where there is so much disagreement all cannot be right.
The headquarters at this time were at the house of Captain John Hobby. Col. Hol- dridge, of the vicinity of Hartford, an officer much disliked by the Americans, was in com- mand of the outpost. The house was situated a few feet south of the one now occupied by Henry M. Benedict, Esq. And a small guard- house was erected in the corner of the yard, but a few feet south of Mr. Benedict's western entrance, close by the side of the street, of which the carriage path ran more than its width farther south than it now does.
Some say that this out-post was at the house of the late John J. Tracy ; but this was a hot- bed of Toryism. And further, those giving this account say that Putnam arose from the breakfast table, sprang upon his horse and rode for Stamford; in which case he could have given no orders to the men who were
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drawn up by the meeting-house; which he in fact did. We therefore take this account to be a mistake.
On the evening of the 25th of February, 1779, Gen. Putnam was at Horseneck, quar- tered with the picket guard, where it was his custom to come almost every day to gain in- formation of the doings of the enemy below. That evening a ball was held at the house of Moses Husted, Pecksland, on the same site where is now the residence of William A. Husted, Esq.
Putnam attended, taking a lady on his horse behind him, according to the custom of those days. This lady, after- wards Mrs. Rogers, was a daughter of David Bush, of Coscob, living in the same house now occupied by George J. Smith, Esq. It was late when he accompanied her home, so that he did not leave her father's residence for Horseneck until nearly daylight on the morn- ing of the 26th. This fact has led many to suppose that his headquarters were at Coscob, which is evidently a mistake.
The day before (the 25th), a small company of the Continental light horsemen, under Capt. Titus Watson, consisting of about thirty men, had been ordered forward by Putnam to
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observe the doings of the enemy. They went down nearly as far as New Rochelle, where between eight and nine o'clock in the evening they found the enemy approaching with De- lancy's body of Tories in the van. The Conti- nentals retired before them, but were discov- ered and come up with. By reason of superior numbers they were defeated, and many of them were killed. The enemy drove them from the stage road down into Milton, where they managed to keep away from their pursu- ers, crossing the heads of the creeks, many of them hiding in the swamps. A few of them, with Capt. Watson, succeeded in reaching Byram bridge, which they had time to take up when their pursuers were just in sight. Watson with one or two others then rode directly to Horseneck, with the company of Tories in full pursuit. Five of them turned southward and were pursued by a body of the enemy, who came up with one of the fugitives in the lot recently excavated by the New York and New Haven Railroad Company, now owned by Capt. Caleb W. Merritt. The soldier was there shot down and the horse in- humanly butchered, from which the inclosure has since been known as the " horse lot." The
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other four succeeded in reaching the Myanos in safety, where they were set across by Daniel Banks.
The alarm was given to the picket guard by Capt. Watson, but there was little or no time to prepare for defense. The enemy had been informed of the weakness of the outpost and advanced steadily for it. Mr. Matthew Mead, then a boy of twelve, was back of his father's house, where Mr. Bush Mead now lives, when he saw them at the top of the hill by Horse- neck brook. His father sent him off with the other children and the cattle, back in the lots, where he reached a place of safety. The Americans, warned by Capt. Watson, number- ing, according to the various accounts, from one to two hundred, having no cavalry, formed in front of the meeting-house and fired a six- pounder three times, which was a signal of alarm, just as the Tories passed the house of Mr. Matthew Mead. They then were walking their horses, but when they came in sight of Capt. John Hobby's they saw Putnam spring on his horse at the barn with his coat on his arm and ride with full speed to the meeting- house, where the Americans were drawn up. They now gave him full chase. He stopped a
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moment to order his men to retreat to a con- venient distance, while he should ride on to Stamford for reinforcements. Being nearly come up with, he dashed on; and by the time he reached the precipice now known as Putnam's hill, the commander of the Tories, Thomas Merritt, of Westchester county, was within two lengths of him.
The road, before reaching the brink of the precipice, then ran nearly east and west, then turning a short right angle ran north about thirty rods, when it turned directly about and ran south along under the precipice to about five rods below the causeway forming the present road, where it again turned eastward.
Putnam plunged his horse down this steep, which being overgrown with stinted bushes presented a wild appearance, at a headlong pace across the road at the foot of the hill into the thicket which then lay between the post road and the swamp now known as the "Ten Acres," and pursuing a sort of drift-path through the thicket till he was beyond the present residence of Theodore H. Mead, Esq., where he again took to the road. The hill now presents a totally different aspect from what it formerly did. And the hardest part
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of Putnam's descent was after he crossed the road running along the side of the hill.
Some will have it, that he started down the hill from the same point but took a south- eastern course, reaching the road at the foot of the stone steps, where the enemy had full aim at him all the while. Others, that he rushed headlong down the seventy-four stone steps, placed roughly one above another for the convenience of foot passengers, his weight being two hundred and forty pounds. Others, again, claim that he followed the road as long as it ran on the top of the hill, and then set off in a northeastern direction above the Ten Acres. While the author has been coolly told that he was in no danger of being taken at all, and rode slowly around the hill as other people did. We have carefully traced and examined these different accounts, and have the fullest evidence that the account first given is correct, by the testimony of eye witnesses. One of the many balls fired at him by the Tories from the brink of the hill as he passed through the bushes, passed through his hat. Old Put on this occasion could not refrain from his customary exclamation when in trouble from the Tories, which he shouted as
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the balls whistled thickly past him, " God cuss ye; when I catch ye I'll hang ye to the next tree."
Col. Holdridge, who was in command of the continental soldiers, retreated in an unsoldier- like manner to Stanwich, while Putnam only intended that he should retire a short distance. From the account given of this officer, who was a Hartford man, by the Americans, he was totally unfit to be a soldier at all, and much less an officer.
The citizens hung about the village as near as they dared, hiding in the swamps and by- places during the whole day, taking advantage of every opportunity, by some daring feat, to secure prisoners, and even fire upon the enemy.
About an hour after the arrival of the body of Tories, Gov. Tryon with his full force of about twelve hundred men, took full posses- sion of the town. He made his quarters at the house of Mr. Henry Mead, who then kept a public house on the present site of the res- idence of Miss Sarah Lewis and Mrs. Mason. The soldiers, meantime, separated themselves into squads, and pillaged every house in the neighborhood; a large body of them visited Coscob, where they destroyed the salt-works
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which were upon Bush's Point, a small sloop, and a sloop's store-house.
A party of them also entered the house of Daniel and Joshua Smith, which was situated a little way south of the present parsonage of the Second Congregational Society. They found this house deserted by all its inhabitants, excepting a deaf old lady, the mother-in-law of Joshua Smith. As they entered they saw her standing at the head of the front stairs. As she could not hear, she disobeyed their orders to come down; which so enraged the soldiers that one of them sprang up stairs, and cut her down with his sword. After this murder, the house was set on fire and burned to the ground. This is said to have been the only house wholly burned by the British.
The houses of those who held the enemy's permits were safe from these depredations, but the others were ransacked and plundered of every valuable. The wagons brought to carry back the plunder were filled to their utmost capacity. After that, every thing was destroyed. The farmers made granaries of their garrets ; and the enemy, after cutting holes through the garret and main-floors, shoveled all the grain into the cellars, where
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the cider barrels were knocked in, and all mingled in one useless mass.
The cider, however, was not all permitted to run upon the ground ; but by the middle of the afternoon, nearly all the privates had be- come so drunken with it, as to be unfit for the least defense. And so little guard was kept by the enemy, that an American crept slyly into the orchard by the Henry Mead house, in the midst of the enemy, and fired a ball through the clapboards, which whistled close by Gov. Tryon's head and struck the mantle-piece, from which it rebounded upon the floor. This startled Tryon so much that he, without wait- ing for his late dinner, gave immediate orders for a retreat. The officers now experienced the greatest difficulty in forming their men. Many were beastly drunk, and a great number made irregular marches, so that the Greenwich men managed to take several prisoners. Though several shots were fired at the enemy before, their first man was killed in the road opposite the cedar-tree, a little west of the house of William Knapp. Others were wounded, and the enemy was in a full and disorderly retreat. The Americans so hotly pressed upon their rear, that the drivers cut
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their horses loose from an ammunition and a plunder-wagon, and rode off after their com- panions at full speed. The Americans had just taken possession of them when Gen. Putnam, with between one and two hundred conti- nentals and militia, arrived from Stamford, too late to render any assistance to the inha- bitants.
This was an eventful day for Greenwich. Houses though not burned were ruined, and in the midst of winter. All provision had been destroyed by the hostile army. And the Tories, from that time for about a year, had an almost complete mastery of the town. It is absolutely impossible to depict the miseries of the people who, loving the American cause, were obliged to stay here until the next season.
It seems that Putnam, as well as the inhab- itants, supposed from the large number of the enemy, they were to proceed farther on, to Stamford and Norwalk. Hence, Col. Mead early dispatched Mr. Titus Mead to New Haven to ask of Gen. Silliman reinforcements. The messenger arrived at New Haven a little before six that evening, and Gen. Silliman im- mediately issued his orders. The following is
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a copy of the one sent to Woodbury, taken from Cothren's History of Woodbury :-
New Haven Feby 26th 1779, 6 P M
Gent .- Mr. Titus Mead, a man to be depended on, is this moment arriv'd express from Col. Mead, with a message by word of mouth only, from Col. Mead. For their circumstances were such that Col. Mead could not write. He says when he left Horse- neck (which was early this morning) a Body of about 600 men and a Body of Horse, had pushed up the road into Horseneck, and were on this side of Knap's tavern ; and it was reported that a Body of two or three thousand more were not far behind. You are therefore directed to muster & march your Regiments, forthwith to Norwalk to oppose the enemy, & where you will receive further Orders. loose not a moment neither by Night nor day. G. SELLECK SILLIMAN, Brigr Genl of foot and Col. Ct of Horse. To COL. MOSELY & MAJOR BULL, Woodbury.
Of course, the early retreat of the enemy rendered the execution of this command of no avail.
The Tories now soon became possessed of the entire town. Their headquarters were a part of the time at the house of Mr. Abraham Mead, where Mr. Oliver Mead now resides.
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This now being the neutral ground, was plun- dered by both friends and foes ; and poor and sickening indeed was the lot of those who were obliged to stay here.
RIVINGTON'S PRESS.
Some time during the war, a paper was published in the city of New York by one Rivington. This paper was professedly, and to all outward appearance, devoted to the British interests. It was afterwards, how- ever, known to have aided the Americans much, and was under the control of Washing- ton himself. The hostile appearance of the sheet, however, deceived the Americans as well as their enemies. And about a half-dozen Green- wich men resolved that the press should be stopped; and they stole into the city, destroyed the press, and bagged the type, which they brought off with them, from the very midst of a watchful enemy. Messrs. Andrew and Peter Mead were the principal men of the expedition. It is said that they only of the company were able to carry the bags of type from the printing-office to the street, and throw them across the backs of their horses. After
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the type was brought to Greenwich it was totally destroyed, except enough to print each of the company's names, which the veterans kept for a long time in memory of their ex- ploit.
EXPEDITIONS ON THE SOUND.
While the enemy were in New York, their vessels had almost complete command of the waters of the Sound. Th There were, however, many daring men engaged in a sort of priva- teering against them. Their hazardous ex- ploits have formed the basis of many an exciting tale, written by eminent authors, and read by the American people of the present day with great avidity. For a considerable period during the war, Captain Andrew Mead and Elnathan Close, of Greenwich, with quite a large number of men, were engaged in this business, and with great annoyance to the enemy. They went upon their expeditions provided with large whaleboats, which might easily be hidden in the smaller bays along the coast and glide through shallow waters in escaping or attacking the enemy.
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