USA > Connecticut > New London County > A modern history of New London County, Connecticut, Volume II > Part 19
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1799, "Ebenezer Tracy of Middletown, Connecticut, Physician and Surgeon, sold to the inhabitants of the Town of Norwich for $137.50 a certain tract of Land lying in Chelsea Society in Norwich aforesaid, on the west road leading from the Court House to the Landing on the Littale Plain so called, Con- taining One acre and Sixty rods and is butted and bounded as follows viz: Beginning at the Southeasterly corner of a Lot of Land belonging to Daniel Huntington at the Public Highway; thence South West-to the brow of the hill next to the Cove; thence South East-to the Public Highway aforesaid ; thence North East nine rods; Thence on the line of the highway as it now runs to the First corner, and is the same lot of land set out to me in the division of my Honored Father Samuel Tracy Esq. Deceased, Estate." So in 1799 the last portion of the grant in the Little Plain by the Indian Graves passed out of the Tracy ownership. Here the poorhouse was builded, and in 1806, in compliance with the law, a workhouse was erected near it. For twenty years these buildings stood here. During this period the neighbor- hood changed greatly. As has been said, the grist-mill was situated below the Falls; the waterfall at this place was considered one of the most inter- esting natural curiosities of the region, and is described in Barber's "Historical Collections," published in 1836: "The bed of the river consists of a solid rock, having a perpendicular height of ten or twelve feet, over which the whole body of water falls in an entire sheet upon a bed of rocks below. The river here is compressed into a very narrow channel, the banks consisting of solid rocks. For a distance of 15 or 20 rods, the channel or bed of the river has a gradual descent, is crooked and covered with pointed rocks. The rock form- ing the bed of the river at the bottom of the perpendicular falls, is curiously excavated, some of the cavities being five or six feet deep, from the constant pouring of the water for a succession of ages. At the bottom of the falls there is the broad basin of the cove, where the enraged and agitated element resumes its usual smoothness and placidity, and the whole scenery about these falls is uncommonly beautiful and picturesque."
Since the diversion of the water for the mills, it is only in the time of the spring floods that glimpses of its former grandeur and beauty are seen. Col. Simon Lathrop carried on the business of the grist mill and was succeeded by his son Elijah, who with his brother Simon added an oil mill in 1778. During the Revolutionary War, iron-wire and nails were also manufactured here, but for many years the Falls region had only two or three mills and the dwelling house of Elijah Lathrop, Sr.
At last, however, the commercial value of the site was recognized, the old Lathrop house, the grist and oil mills, with the old distillery and tannery with the land adjoining were purchased by a company consisting of men from out of town. The West Road, being not far from the mill sites, was sought for residences. Calvin Goddard, one of the company, purchased the Dunham house; William Williams bought the Teel house, now the residence of Dr. Howe; about 1808, Theodore Barrell had built a house across the road from the Lathrop home; this became the property of William P. Greene, another of the company. The Elijah Lathrop house and lot of 25 acres had been purchased in 1809 by Mr. John Vernett, who had it removed farther
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down the street, where it still stands, the second house above Christ Church. Mr. Vernett then erected a fine new house on the old site, and planned for many improvements, but financial losses compelled the sale of the place, which was bought by Benjamin Lec in 1811. This house remains nearly the same, with the exception of the veranda added in recent years. It is said that the double row of trees which at present serves as a driveway to the barn of the Tyler place was planted to screen the aristocratic mansion from the Almshouse. The Woodbridge property had been purchased in 1811 by Richard Adams, a gentleman from Essequobo, who had visited in Norwich when a lad; Adams also bought the Huntington lot, which lay between him and the Almshouse and which had been sold to Bela Peck in the settlement of Huntington's estate.
In the meantime the Almshouse had become inadequate to the demands made on it, and at a town meeting held April 30, 1819, it was voted that "a committee of five persons be appointed to sell the land on which the present Alms House stands with the buildings on the best terms which may offer. And to purchase another tract of land about twenty acres for the purpose of erecting a New Almshouse thereon of sufficient size and dimentions to accommodate all the poor of said town." This was accordingly done and the same year a new almshouse was erected on the present site. On Novem- ber 23rd, 1819, Bela Peck, Charles P. Huntington, John L. Buswell, and Francis Asher Perkins, a committee of the town of Norwich, by virtue of a vote authorizing them "to sell the land on which the (then) present Alms- house & Workhouse stand, together with the buildings," for $860 conveyed to Charles Bowen, "in part of his Contract for building the new Almshouse, a certain piece of Land being in Chelsea Society in Norwich aforesaid on the west road leading from the Court House to the Landing, on the Little Plain (so called) Containing One acre & Fifty five rods-and is the same land con- veyed to the Town of Norwich by Dr. Ebenezer Tracy of Middletown, Conn., -it being our intention to convey all the land bought of said Tracy (Except- ing that part which has been laid out on the Main Street for a highway) together with the buildings and appurtenances thereon standing." The following April, Bowen sold to Richard Adams, who owned the adjoining property, this "tract of land Situated in Norwich on the west road leading from the Court House to the Landing, Containing One acre and fifty-five rods or thereabouts and is the same which was conveyed to said Bowen by the Town of Norwich." the consideration being $500. Among those whom the manufacturing facilities attracted to the Falls district was William C. Gilman, of Boston, who established here a naillery in 1813; later he became one of the members of the Thames Manufacturing Company. On his mar- riage with Eliza Coit, daughter of Daniel Lathrop Coit, he lived for a time in the Barrell house, with the Lees across the road for neighbors ; in Novem- ber, 1823, Mr. Gilman purchased from Richard Adams, for $600, "a parcel of land on the west road from the Town to Chelsea Landing, near the Mansion House of said Adams ;- beginning at a post now erected at the corner of said Lot on the Highway-thence Southwest-thence Southeast-to the line of the west road ; the last courses abutting on land of the Thames M'f'g
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Company ; thence by the west road to the first bound,-containing about Two and one half acres and includes all the land conveyed to sd Adams by a deed from Charles Bowen and including about One acre of the land conveyed to sd Adams by Bela Peck, Esq., directly north of said Bowen Lot."
Here Mr. Gilman built a house which stood near the street nearly oppo- site the house now occupied by General William A. Aiken. It is said that it was the first house built of new lumber on which the carpenters had worked for a long time; owing to the War of 1812, and the economies ensuing, old lumber had of necessity been used in building and repairing. Cherry trees were planted in front of the house, and a well was in the corner by the street. As the ground sloped more sharply in the rear of the house, an open basement was made. The house had many conveniences unusual at that day, among them being a bathtub, which, however, had to be in the basement on account of the water supply. The water from a spring on an elevation across the road had a sufficient fall to furnish an ample supply for the large tank. Madam Gilman took great pleasure in her garden, which was enlarged in 1837 by the purchase from the Norwich and New York Manufacturing Company of a parcel of land adjoining the rear of the Gilman yard. This tract was described as "Beginning at a corner of the fence on Yantic Street so called, at the easterly side of the road and in the rear of land belonging to Richard Adams, Esq. thence up the Hill in the line of the picket fence to land of said Adams, thence following the line of said Adams to land conveyed by said Adams to William C. and Eliza Gilman, thence by said Gilman's line to the Road and thence by the Road in the line of the present fence or wall to the place of beginning; said lot being part of the land conveyed by the heirs of Elijah Lathrop to the Thames M'f'g Co. and by them to the present grantors." This land was part of one of John Elderkin's grants which had been purchased by Col. Simon Lathrop, and conveyed by him to his son Elijah, who in his will dated 1808 gave "To son Simon for the support of my negro woman Beulah, all my land from the south line of Thomas Fanning's Esq. tan house lot to the poorhouse; if he refuses or Beulah dies before it is all used-it is to go to the support of my son Lynde, then to Lynde's two children by present wife, Grover and Abbe." In the inventory is the "Land from the Poorhouse toward the mills, f150." On November 7, 1823, "Grover L'Hommedieu Lathrop and Dan Platts 3rd and Abby Platts wife of Dan Platts, all of Saybrook, Conn., for $300 sold to the Thames Manufacturing Co., one certain lot of land in Norwich, containing six acres more or less and is bounded on the Thames Cove-on land of Benjamin Lee-on land of Richard Adams and on land of the Thames M'f'g Company, and is the same land that was given to the said Grover and Abby by the will of their Grand- father, Mr. Elijah Lathrop late of said Norwich deceased, with a right of way through it." (This right of way became Yantic street.) This addition nearly doubled the size of the Gilman premises, and here Mrs. Gilman had her Swiss gardener lay out winding and picturesque paths, some of which still remain. In his gardening, the man unearthed a deposit of Indian arrow-heads made of quartz, flint, and of some hard stones not indigenous to the region. Mr. Gilman was mayor of the city in 1839, and was the first president of the N.L .- 1-37
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Norwich & Worcester railroad. Here was born, in 1831, Dr. Daniel Coit Gilman, the beloved president of Johns Hopkins University ; he delivered the historical address at the bi-centennial celebration of Norwich in 1859, and died in October preceding the 250th anniversary of the town. After living here for about twenty years, business interests took Mr. Gilman to New York, where he removed with his family in 1845.
When the Gilman house was built it faced the West Road, while below it was the "Road that Turns out that Gows to the Mills"; "at a Court of the Common Council of the City of Norwich, Holden at the House of Mr. New- comb Kinney, January 17, 1833, at 6 P. M., Mayor Lanman, presiding, the committee appointed at a former meeting to take into consideration the petition of William L'Hommedieu, Thomas Robinson and others for naming the streets of the city made a report and thereupon each street was put separately and carried in the affirmative. The Street commencing at Mr. Wickham's Dwelling House by Lyman Brewer's and Calvin Goddard's to the Dwelling House of Walter Lester to be called Washington Street. From Washington Street near W. C. Gilman's by the falls and Peleg Hunt's and E. Corson's to the North line of the City to be called Clay Street."
Clay street was altered to Yantic street, at a meeting held four days later. Mrs. Eleanor Kip, from New York, then came to live here, purchasing the property for $8,000; Mrs. Kipp, with her sister, Mrs. Whittredge, and her daughter Mrs. Austin and two grandchildren, lived here till October, 1850, when he sold the place to Joshua Newton Perkins and returned, it is said, to New York. Washington street had now become one of the most desirable residential streets of the city, and the price paid was $10,000; at this date and in all the later conveyances down to the last one in 1904, the premises are described as lying on the west side of Washington street by which it is bounded easterly ; bounded southerly and westerly by Yantic street ; the only change being the name of the owner on the north; on that side, the land was owned by the Falls Company and by Richard Adams till his death, then by William P. Green. Mr. Perkins soon made many changes; the grounds were filled in and graded, the Gilman house was moved up the street, and has long been occupied by Mr. Lewis A. Hyde. The front remains the same, but the veranda is a later addition. A New York architect, Mr. Gervase Wheeler, and his associate, William T. Hallett, erected the brick house where it now stands. The house was large and commodious, and its position afforded a fine view of the valley and cove. It resembled the Italian villas on the shores of the lakes. A photograph taken in 1866 shows the simplicity and beauty of the plan ; the "Newton Perkins Place" was one of the show places of the city.
Mr. Perkins was one of the prominent men of Norwich, active in the advancement of its educational and industrial interests. After a period of some twenty years, business affairs took him to New York, and the house passed into the possession of Robert Bayard of New York. The Bayards did not occupy the house, which was in charge of a caretaker till it was purchased by Mrs. Edward Gibbs, who made many alterations and additions, among them the wide verandas ; the "Newton Perkins Place" was merged into "Pinehurst," its present name. It was on these verandas that Paul Leicester
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Ford worked on his story, "The Honorable Peter Stirling," which he dedi- cated (1894) "To those dear to me at Stoney Wolde, Turners, New York; Pinehurst, Norwich, Conn .; Brook Farm, Proctorsville, Vermont; and Dune- side, East Hampton, New York, this book, written while among them, is dedicated." The little sylvan altar in the woods in the rear of the house still remains to recall the christening of George Gibbs Mansfield, the son of Richard Mansfield, the great actor. By an odd coincidence, New York again proved a magnet, and the Gibbs family went to that city to reside. The house again was uninhabited, till 1904, when Frank Allyn Roath, a descendant of Robert Allyn, one of the original proprietors of Norwich, became the owner; Mr. Roath enjoyed his beautiful home but a few short years. He left it to his wife, Gertrude Hakes Roath, who is much interested in horticulture, and a true lover of nature. Under her supervision the grounds show the effects of the renewed care, and many wild flowers are finding homes in congenial soil. Mrs. Roath (now Mrs. Charles W. Gale) is a descendant in the eighth gen- ertaion from John Elderkin, who built the first house and mill at the Falls, and who received as an original grant from the town of Norwich a portion of the land on which this many times great-grandchild now lives.
The Barral House-Louis Barral (Bariel, Barrel), 1780, married Mary Beckwith, and had two children: Mary, born 1782; Louis, born 1784. In 1785 he bought land on Mill Lane of Joseph Reynolds, and built the house at present occupied by Hunt, the florist, on Lafayette street. In the latter part of 1792, intending to leave Norwich, he offered his house and land for sale, and in 1795 lived in Northampton, Massachusetts. Philip Hyde bought the house in 1800, and in 1826 David Yeomans; Daniel Tree bought it in 1846. LaFayette said to have called here on Louis Barrel, possibly in 1785, when the General was in America.
MILITARY HISTORY CHAPTER XXIV
New London County in the Civil War-In the Spanish American War-In the World War-World War Honor Rolls.
During the Civil War, there were three companies from New London county in the Second Regiment, Connecticut Infantry, under President Lin- coln's call for "three months' men." These were: Company A, Frank. S. Chester, captain ; Company B, Henry Peall, captain ; and Company C, Edwin C. Chapman, captain. These were all mustered into the service of the United States on May 7, 1861. They were engaged in the battle of Bull Run, and were mustered out of service at the end of their term, August 7, 1861.
The Third Regiment, Connecticut Infantry, had but one company from New London county when it marched away from Hartford on May 25, 1861, Company D, mustered into service May 11, 1861, Edward Harland, captain. The regiment was engaged at Bull Run, and was mustered out of service in August, 1861.
Company H, composed of New London county men, most of whom had been out with the "three months' men," was organized in 1861, and was a part of the Seventh Regiment, Connecticut Infantry, a fighting regiment that saw service from Fort Pulaski, April 10, 1862, until Fort Fisher, January 19, 1865.
The Eighth Connecticut Regiment of Infantry contained two New Lon- don companies-D, John E. Ward, captain and G, Hiram Appleman, captain. This regiment saw hard service under command of Colonel Edward Harlan, of Norwich, who rose to the rank of brigadier-general, and Colonel John E. Ward, who succeeded him in command. Lieutenant Marvin Wait, son of John Turner Wait, of Company A of this regiment, was mortally wounded at the battle of Antietam. Another hero of this regiment was Colonel Charles M. Coit, of Norwich, who was badly wounded, but resumed his position in the Chelsea Savings Bank, and later was postmaster.
The Ninth Connecticut Regiment contained but few New London men, but the Tenth Regiment had two companies-F, Joseph W. Branch, cap- tain; and H, Robert Leggett, captain. The Tenth served until Appomattox, and was in many battles.
The Twelfth Connecticut Regiment contained two companies recruited in New London county-D, Nathan Frankau, captain; and K, Edward K. Abbott, captain.
The Thirteenth Connecticut Regiment, which enjoyed the distinction of the longest term of service of any Connecticut regiment, contained two companies that were partly recruited from New London county. The regi- ment was mustered into service April 25, 1866.
In the First Connecticut Regiment Heavy Artillery was one company of New London men-D. Joseph C. Dunford, captain. Henry W. Birge, of Norwich, was major. The regiment made an excellent record.
The First Connecticut Regiment of Cavalry had one company recruited from New London county-C, William S. Fish, captain.
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The Fourteenth Regimen of Infantry had two companies from New London county-E, William H. Tubbs, captain; and H, Samuel H. Davis, captain.
The Eighteenth Regiment of Infantry was recruited from New London and Windham counties, and left for the front August 22, 1862, under com- mand of Colonel William G. Ely, of Norwich.
The Twenty-first Regiment of Infantry was recruited in Hartford, New London and Windham counties, Hiram B. Crosby, of Norwich, being major ; John E. Wood, of Groton, captain of Company C; Charles T. Stanton, of Stonington, captain of Company E; William Spittle, of New London, captain of Company F; James E. Brown, of North Stonington, captain of Company G; Ralph C. Foote, Jr., captain of Company H.
The Twenty-sixth Regiment of Infantry was recruited almost exclusively from New London county, the staff officers, with one exception, being county men: Thomas G. Kingsley, of Franklin, colonel; Joseph Selden, of Nor- wich, lieutenant-colonel; Henry Stoll, of New London, major. The captains were: A, Jesse C. Maynard, of Salem; B, Clark Hanenfon, of Norwich; C, Enoch Myers, of Old Lyme; D, Samuel T. Huntoon, of Norwich; E, Christian Goff, of New London ; F, Loren A. Gallup, of Norwich ; G, John L. Stanton, of Norwich; H, Daniel Champlin, of Stonington; I, William H. Bentley, of New London; K, Jedediah Randall, of Groton.
The above were the companies and regiments which New London county men were in as organized bodies. Many soldiers from the county, however, served in other regiments, and New London county had no cause to apologize either for the quantity or the quality of her soldiery.
The Order growing out of the Civil War, the Grand Army of the Re- public, has been well represented in New London county, though the repre- sentation necessarily grows smaller each year. There are now in the county five Grand Army Posts: Sedgwick No. I, Norwich, Orrin S. Price, com- mander ; W. W. Perkins, No. 47, New London, Louis J. Baker, commander ; Williams, No. 55, Mystic, Thaddeus Pecor, commander; J. F. Trumbull, No. 82, Stonington, E. H. Sheffild, commander; M. A. Taintor, No. 9, Col- chester, J. M. Huntley, commander. Each of these Posts has an auxiliary body-the Woman's Relief Corps, that has been of great benefit to the Order ; the Sons of Veterans, composed of sons of Civil War soldiers; and the Daughters of Veterans, a companion organization-these have camps in the county. Ann Rogers Lyon Tent, No. I, Daughters of Veterans, is located in New London.
There are twenty-one camps of United Spanish War Veterans in Con- necticut, of which two are in New London county: R. S. Griswold Camp, No. 6, E. W. Grant Baker, commander; George Cole Camp, No. 7, New London, Robert J. Shovlin, commander. In the anniversary number of "The Day," published in October, 1921, appeared the following interesting
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review of the military companies of New London for a period of forty years, 1889-1921 :
New London was headquarters of the Third Regiment, Connecticut National Guard, forty years ago, and at that time there were two companies of infantry in this city. Colonel William H. Tubbs, of this city, commanded the regiment, and his associate officers were Lieutenant-Colonel Edward S. King, Putnam ; Major Henry W. Johnson, Putnam; Adjutant, Captain George Haven, New London ; Quartermaster, Lieutenant George W. Phillips, Willi- mantic; Paymaster, Lieutenant Joseph W. Gilbert, Norwich; Inspector of Target Practice, Captain Alonzo W. Sholes, New London ; Chaplain, Edward W. Bacon, New London.
The local companies and their officers were: Company D, Captain Wil- liam H. Bentley; First Lieutenant Fred E. St. Clare; Second Lieutenant William M. Mason. Company I, Captain Abner N. Sterry ; First Lieutenant J. Emerson Harris; Second Lieutenant William M. Mercer. Afterwards Company A was added to the local battalion, and a machine gun battery and sections of the signal and hospital corps were also added. The armory was in the old Aborn hall building on Bank street, the site of the new theatre of the Walter T. Murphy Amusement Company.
On June 28, 1898, Companies A, D, and I, Third Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, left this city for the Spanish-American War. The three local companies left the State Armory at 10.45, and marched down State street to the Union Station, wheer they entrained for Camp Haven, Niantic. There the companies were federalized a few days later. Captain Henry S. Dorsey commanded Company A; Captain Frank W. Rogers, Company D; and Cap- tain Eugene T. Kirkwood, Company I.
In 1903 the Coast Artillery was organized in Connecticut, and the first two companies of the State were recruited in this city. At that time there were two infantry companies in the city-Company D, commanded by Cap- tain Frank V. Chappell; and Company I, commanded by Captain David Conner. The artillery companies were designated as the First and Second Companies. The First Company was recruited entirely of new blood, with Captain Hadlai A. Hull in command. The Second Company was recruited from Company D, Infantry, and Captain Chappell was retained in command. This gave New London two coast artillery companies and Company I. Later another coast artillery company was organized from Company I and was designated Tenth Company, with which the Second Company was merged, Captain Chappell resigning and Captain David Conner being in command.
The First and Tenth Companies continued in existence untl 1917, when the World War broke out and they were federalized and merged with other regular army and national guard units, both seeing service in France.
In March, 1917, when war with Germany became inevitable, the Home Guard was organized in Connecticut, and three infantry companies and one machine gun company were organized here. The three infantry companies were: Company E, Captain Jeremiah J. Murphy ; Company H, Captain E. T. Kirkland; and Company K, Captain J. N. Lapointe. The machine platoon was in command of First Lieutenant Ernest E. Rogers. Later, the Third Regiment was formed in this county, and Colonel E. T. Kirkland was placed in command.
About a year later the Home Guard became the Connecticut State Guard, and the Third Regiment retained its designation, with Colonel Kirk- land in command, with headquarters in this city. A year ago the National Guard was reorganized in Connecticut, and gradually the units of the Third Regiment were demobilized. At the demobilization there were two infantry
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