USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > A pictorial history of "Raynham" and its vicinity. > Part 2
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Across the street from the Tuttle house now stands the residence of the Hon. A. L. Fabrique, and here behind a ziz-zag fence grew a clump of bushes behind which, the patriots being hard pressed (as the enemy had brought up their cannon which was better served), decided to make one more stand, and here about forty men were masked in the bushes ready to open fire; another party made a stand in the road between the site of the Townsend and Mitchell houses and fired on the advance guard with considerable effect, which staggered the enemy for a moment and a general stampede was then made as agreed by the patriots, but Sergeant Jacob Thorpe of North Haven did not believe in running, he had been an old soldier of the French and Indian wars and declared he would not run a step for all Great Britian, he loaded and fired his piece, and soon fell pierced with many bullets. His comrades seemed to have been able to secure his remains, as they were carried to his home across the horse's back which he had rode in battle. His remains were buried in North Haven cemetery where his
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monument stands, and a stone was raised on the spot where he fell and where he gave his life for his country, on which was graven this inscription, " Here fell Jacob Thorpe, July 5, 1779."
This check brought the whole division to a halt, and after the smoke had cleared the scene and the patriots were found to be actually retreating towards the hill, the enemy again advanced to. the double quick and the advance guard had quite passed the party of patriots in the bushes, when Capt. Bradley said to them, " Wait until you can see their eyes and then fire and run," which was done with tremendous effect. The street was strewn with the killed and wounded. The Tuttle house, barn and outbuildings and fields of waving corn were all fired at once. The booming guns from the ships in the bay, the awful heat and great excitement of the day, must have suggested to the invaders that direful place which good Dr. Dodd taught the existence of to the descendants of these brave patriots.
The small party that fell back to the hill were pursued by the British in hot haste, and lost one of their field pieces, but the other was now opened upon the enemy from that point and was served with good effect, causing them to halt under the depression of the hill out of range, at a spot a few rods north of the new residence of Mr. H. H. Benedict. There, lying flat on the ground out of harm's way they halted, waiting for reinforcements, which having come up, the hill was stormed, the patriots just before having fallen back, some northward towards the Ferry, others to the heights about Saltonstall, and another party including Chandler Pardee had retreated north by Hall's Cart Way towards the fresh meadows, where Mr. Pardee was shot through the lungs by a ball from the party in pursuit and left for dead. Soon after, he was taken to the Gov. Saltonstall house, and the next day Dr. Hubbard of New Haven extracted the ball and he recovered to tell the story afterward while a prisoner at New York, to some of the same party of soldiers who had left him, as they supposed, dying on the battle field. Near the spot where Chandler Pardee fell, just north of the road, and west of Tuttle Brook lived Samuel Tuttle, father of the late Frederick William Tuttle, Esq., a lineal descendant of William Tuttle, the original grantee, who was of the family of Tuttle or Tuthill, which gave several Lord Mayors to the City of Exter, County Devon, England.
The enemy, after the capture of Beacon Hill, occupied the western outskirts of East Haven village, one detachment was sent to Ferry Hill, and there in the evening they roasted several oxen which were distributed to the soldiers of the several corps ; also forty head of cattle which had been driven in by foraging expeditions, and sheep, pigs and poultry in great numbers were slaughtered and sent on board the fleet.
The field piece used on Beacon Hill was brought on the retreat to Tuttle or Reservoir Hill and fired a number of times, but at last abondoned, spiked and rolled down the hill into the bushes near the site of Mr. Roswell Landcraft's house, where it was found and sent on board the fleet. Next day, after the enemy had left, Mr. Pardee took from this hill many sheep and cattle skins and tanned them. While widening Townsend Avenue, June, 1870, a tradition of the slaughter of the enemy near the Tuttle house was well sustained by the discovery of human bones found while mov- ing stumps of trees planted by the late William Kneeland Townshend, Esq., forty years before. These bones were proved not Indians, as first supposed, by Dr. T. Beers Townsend, who was on the spot when the graves were opened, and he made a most careful examination. These British dead were probably buried in the ryelands on the west side of the road and just north of the Tuttle mansion, and the spot being burned over the locality of the graves was not discovered; and as many wounded soldiers were seen when taken to the boats and carried on board the fleet, it was supposed that the dead were also removed in order to hide their great loss. While the doctor was making a careful examination of the bones, the writer, with a spade, thoroughly searched the graves, and besides bones found a number of German silver buttons, and some of lead and composition (white metal), about the size of a dime. A copper coin was also fonnd which has excited much interest.
It was the size of an English half-penny and known as a stiver. It had a hole in the circumfer- ence and was probably held by means of a string attached to the neck of the wearer. On the face side is the following motto: "Dominns Anxit Nomen" ("the Lord increased our glory"); in its center the figure of a man with a mantle about his loins, in a sitting position, left hand on his hip and in his right hand a sword drawn over his head as if to strike ; to the right a laurel branch. The figure is represented sitting inside a circular fence with gate in front. The other side is a laurel wreath with the word in the center, "IIOLLANLIA."
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2
T.R. WAITE
"RAYNHAM," FROM TOMLINSON'S BRIDGE,
New Haven, Conn
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The date looks beaten ont as with a hammer, but Dr. Jonathan Edwards of Yale College, who kindly looked the matter up for me, being an expert and the best anthority, says this coin was struck off between the years 1648 and 1795 in Holland, a province of the Netherlands. A pompon socket of brass, bell-shaped, was also found. It had also upon it a figure 8 or 5, with the following letters : D. M. A. U. X., as traced by Dr. Edwards' powerful microscope. The above relics satisfy me that these were the graves of British and Hessian soldiers belonging to Tryon's division, killed while march- ing towards the Town of New Haven.
NOTE .- The writer, during a visit to Europe, substantiated this impression fully, discovering and obtaining in an old print store in Paris some colored engravings of the uniforms worn by the Hessian Landgraves, a regiment of which took part with the Second division of Tryon's army, which participated in the different engagements on East Haven shore.
Immediately on the capture of Beacon Hill, General Tryon crossed over the lower ferry to the town, where he met in the Colonial State House, located on our historic Green, in council of war, Sir George Collier and General Garth and other officers of the expedition, also several of the Tory resi- dents, who luckily escaped with the enemy afterwards. At the same time a detachment of his divi- sion occupied both ferries and encamped on the neck, the seaside and outskirts of the town.
This council of war now found that their losses had been very heavy and that the Patriots were better armed than expected and had made a very stubborn resistance, and that the country around New Haven being hilly it was not safe to go far inland for forage; that reinforcements with heavy cannon were actually occupying high ground about the north part of the town, and that the Militia commanded by Generals Ward and Hart were coming in from all directions. The harbor was shoal and many of the vessels were aground- one vessel actually lying on her broadside with guns just out of water during low tide. It was therefore decided at this council to hold the town over night with a part of the first division and the balance of the drunken and tired soldiers were collected on the Market Place or Green, and commanded to lay on their arms all night ready if attacked. Generals Tryon and Garth, with Sir George Collier and a few loyalists of the town, 'tis said, were entertained in the evening at the house of Joshua Chandler, Esq., which stood on the Tontine corner and since removed northward on the same street, and was many years occupied by the late Dr. Leonard Bacon, LL.D., and is still standing in a state of good preservation.
At this meeting the loyalists were offered protection on board the enemy's ships, which they gladly accepted, and General Tryon went to his camp on the neck or Beacon Hill and Sir George Collier to his vessel at the pier, then not connected with Long Wharf, but a part of which it now is. Sir George Collier was fired upon as he passed down the street, and to retaliate the enemy next morn- ing fired all the buildings on Long Wharf. He also had two narrow escapes while landing his marines and sailors.
General Garth remained with his division and at daylight (about high water), commenced the evacuation of the town, a part of his troops went on board the fleet in boats and a part crossed over the ferries and Neck Bridge and marched to the Black Rock Fort, and these with the Second division embarked after firing the barracks, they having been seriously harassed by the patroits. As the last boat moved off from the East Haven shore the officer in charge, observing the Chandler Pardee house, in which their officers had been quartered, standing, he ordered this house burned, making the eleventh house besides many barns and outhouses destroyed by the enemy, and the next winter Mr. Pardee drew on the ice across the harbor on sledges a house from the foot of Olive street, and placed it on the same foundation and there lived. The last of the enemy's fleet sailed late in the afternoon of July 6th, and as she passed the Black Rock Fort which had been occupied by the patriots, she rounded to and fired a whole broadside at the fort, which parting compliment was returned in a spirited manner.
The enemy plundered the inhabitants of all they could carry off. Gurdon Bradley lost £66 in a sloop which was burned. The whole lost to East Haven alone by the invasion was at least $25,000, which was later paid by the General Assembly of Connecticut, which, in May, 1792, passed an act appropriating 500,000 acres of land for losses, the sufferers receiving lands in payment in the State of Ohio in New Connecticut and called fire lands. These sufferers not caring (so they said) to own lands beyond where the moon sets, threw their grants into market and Kneeland and Isaac Townsend
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bought their land warrants soon after the year 1800, and finally with other purchases of land nearby they located their whole tract, 22,000 acres, in Huron County, Ohio, and named their township Town- send, now inhabited with several thousand people. Here Kneeland Townsend built a block house in which to trade with the Indians and early settlers. This block house was constructed with loop holes for defensive purposes.
The damage and amount of each person's loss in East Haven was estimated by a commission appointed for the purpose as follows: Amos Morris, £1,235 158 4ª; John Woodward, £838 178 3ª ; John Woodward, Jr., £740 198 11d; Elam Luddington, £405 68 7ª ; Joseph Tuttle, £79 98 5ª; Jehiel Forbes, £173 138 1d; Jacob and Abijah Pardee, £402 88 2ª; Mary Pardee, £134 148 0d; Mary and Lydia Pardee, £40 88 4ª ; Noah Tucker, £99 17$ 4ª. Total, £4,154 98 5ª, equal to $23,843.24.
HOUSES BURNED.
HOUSES SACKED.
Barns and Outhouses.
2 Morris houses, Morris Cove.
Old Pardee house, upper ferry.
2 Pardee houses, "
" Henry Freeman Hughes, lower ferry.
1 Tuttle house, Raynham.
2 Woodward houses.
" Bradley and other houses, west of East Haven Meeting House.
1 Hughes house, waterside.
1 Tuttle
1 Elam Luddington house, waterside.
Tuttle home, Tuttle brook, partially burned.
To compensate for these losses in the Revolution, as before stated, in the year 1792 the State of Connecticut granted five hundred thousand acres of land in the State of Ohio on the west end of the Western Reserve," to those of her inhabitants whose property had been destroyed by fire by the enemy. The grantees organized under the name of "The Sufferers Land Company," and on the 8th of November, 1808, the directors of the company met in the city of New Haven and devised a plan for a division of the land among its members which was made by lot. In the following table, the first column of which contains the names of the "Sufferers," as the grantees were called, the figures oppo- site the name show the amount of each individual loss in pounds, shillings, and pence. The right hand column contains the names of those persons who became owners of the claims either by purchase or heirship, and the amount set opposite the names show the amount paid for the claims in the different sections. This abstract I have made from the history of Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, and the following table of the town of Townsend, its original owners and purchasers, classification and sections I have appended, thus :
* The Western Reserve lands have here interest for Connecticut schools in general. In 1786 Connecticut ceded to the United States all her right and title in the public lands, with the reservation, however, of a tract of about 350,000 acres lying within her "ancient charter" limits, and which is still known as the Connecticut Reserve, in Ohio. At the May session of the General Assembly, 1795, a committee was appointed to make sale of the lands of this reservation and appropriate the avails to a permanent fund, the interest of which shall be annually distributed among the several school societies of the State, according to the list of polls and ratable estate in each.
The committee at the October session following reported they had disposed of the tract for $1,200,000, payable in five years, with annual interest after the expiration of two years. The right of jurisdiction over the Reserve was ceded by Connecticut to the United States in April, 1800, and to this date the school fund was managed by the com- mittee that negotiated the sale.
For the next thirteen years the fund was administered by the committee and a board of managers, and the interest paid out annually was upwards of $35,000. In 1809 the managers report a large amount of interest unpaid and that the collateral securities were not safe ; it was deemed advisable to appoint some one individual who should devote his whole time to a superintendence of the fund. Accordingly at the May session of the Legislature, 1810, the Hon. James Hillhouse, then a member of the United States Senate, was appointed sole commissioner of the school fund. He at once resigned his seat in the Senate and by his thorough management for fifteen years the annual dividend averaged $52,061.35, and the capital was augmented to $1,719,434.24. Mr. Hillhouse resigned in 1834, and Connecticut will be always indebted to him for his efforts.
The State Constitution in 1818 provides that " no law shall ever be made authorizing said fund to be diverted to any other use than the encouragement and support of common schools among the several school societies as justice and equity shall require."-Hollister.
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TOWNSEND, TOWN NUMBER FOUR, IN THE TWENTY- FIRST RANGE.
CLASSIFICATION NO. 1, SECTION 1.
Original Grantees.
Am't Los8.
Classified by.
Am't Classed.
£
S.
d.
Amos Morriss
Kneeland Town- send
1,235
15
4
Benjamin Pardy
66
9
0
John Townsend (2 rights)
--
17
17
6
Lewis Forbes
4
11
0
Footing of Classification No. 1, £1,344 7
0
Buckminster Brent- nall
27
14
6
15
14
10
Jabez Johnson
13
19
4
7
4
6
Mary Kimberley
18
10
0
10
7
Jonah Mix
15
19
0
8
16
6
Nathan Oaks
19
4
10
8
8
Elijah Painter
14
0
7
11
0
Sarah Pomeroy
27
16
15
19
6
James Rice
64
9
2
0
16
18
11
Wm. Ally
9
4
6
10
1
0
Nehemiah Smith
36
0
--
14
7
1
Danicl Osborne
15
11
12
10
8
Abiah Alling
13
13
2
7
11
Footing of Classification No. 3, 61,344 7
CLASSIFICATION NO. 4, SECTION 4.
Original Grantees.
Am't Loss.
Classified by.
Am't Classed.
6 Esther Mansfield
8.
d.
Kneeland Town-
299
5
4
Joseph Bradley
Samuel and Abijah
Hull
403
9
2
Jesse Upson
47
18
0
John Beecher
25
17
0
Jonathan Edwards. Rev.
57
15
4
9
10
Wm. Brentnall
16
14
17
10
Amazia Joulin
send
10
15
6
Caleb Hotchkiss
9
7
6
Jonah Hotchkiss
19
6
David Atwater
46
3
12
3
Timothy Atwater
8
2
0
Stephen Austin
12
12
12
16
58
4
3
Timothy Gilbert
10
31%
John Trowbridge
16
12
9
1
6
John Robinson
26
15
2
Thankful Thomp- son
23
8
13
6
1
.
27
6
6
John Wise
31
15
10
13
0
Samuel Austin
--
10
8
112
Benjamin Sanford
--
1
6
6
16
9
James Sherman
7
1
0
3
1
7
Footing of Classification No. 2, 61,344 7
0
CLASSIFICATION No. 3, SECTION 3.
Original Grantees. Am't Loss. Classified by.
Ebenezer Sturges - -
8.
d.
Kneeland Town- send
89
4
3
Hezekiah Sturges
59
3
11%
Abigail Whitier
10
238
5
316
Daniel Osborne
135
5
0
Hezekiah Parmelee .
109
5
1
Jonathan Fitch
170
2
4
Samuel Coudy
51
4
1
1
Samuel Chatterton
2
0
10
12 10
0
Solomon Phipps
43
51
7
10
Wm. Greenough
7
1
0
4.
CLASSIFICATION NO. 2, SECTION 2.
Original Grantees.
Am't. Loss.
Classified by.
Am't Classed.
€
8.
d.
Ezekiel Hayes .. --
--
Kneeland Town- send
72 11
16
10
John Closs
Nathaniel Mix
10
13
0
EbenezerTownsend
9
5
0
Moses Venters
31
8
0
Jacob and Elijah
Pardy
402
8
2
Mary and Lydia Pardy
40
8
4
Mary Pardy
134
14
James Prescott
26
3
Jedediah Andrews
9
11
7
Jonathan Brigden, or Briglin
3
15
0
Phineas Bradley
19
13
6
Charles Chauncey
66
47
15
8
Hezekiah Gorham
Simeon Joulin
Kneeland Town-
21
5
7
John Beeeher, Jr.
23
41
12
0
6
10
11
3
Abraham Barnes
3
10
0
12
6
Gad Luke
27
11
4
David Gilbert
6
Nathan Beers
13
0
0
Timothy Gorham
10
6
Joseph Munson
10
4
6
Abigail Potter
Tilly Blakesley
9
34
12
F
Sarah Pomeroy
27
16
0
11
16
6
James Gillett
Joel Gilbert
..
9
0
Naphtali Daggett, Dr.
32
11
Nathan Howel
Timothy Bonticon
36
2
6
17
17
10
Stephen Ball
..
..
32
5
11
20
4
0 ANO 4
Levi Fobes
Stephen Ball
36
0
Footing of Classification No. 4, £1,344
0
€
S.
d.
Grace Spalding
10
0
5
Benjamin Brown
30
33
13
8
Stephen Brown 19
19
14
2
Hannah Russell
Isaac Townsend
17
6
3
0
0
Samuel Munson
James Alling
Ann Platt
Abel Banitt
27
17
13
8
25 13
9
3
Israel Monson
12
0
69
13
0
4 4
13
2
6
Sarah Howe
13
6
Andrew Rowland 1,568
15
James Sherman
9
Joseph Trowbridge ..
5
5
11
Hannah Howe
13
3
8
AddonijahSherman 29
1
1
0
5
1
11
3
Jeremiah Atwater
send
€
S.
16
3
Francis Brown
Samuel Gills
Elijah Hills
17
James Riee
General William Tryon was an officer in the British service and educated to the profession of a soldier. He was born in Ireland and married Miss Wake, a relation of the Earl of Hillsborough, Secretary for the Colonies, and thus connected he was a favorite of the government. He was appointed Lieut. Governor of North Carolina in 1765, and on the death of Governor Dobbs snc- ceeded him in office (and built at great cost a. palace which was soon after burned). While in office he exercised its functions with the greatest severity. He was called to New York to fill the office of Governor in 1771, and the history of his administration there is a record of extorsion, folly and crime. His house was burned down in 1773, and the government reimbursed him, about $20,000, as he had lost all his private property. He was made LL.D. by Kings College in 1774, and soon after went to England, returning in 1775. When the Revolution broke out he was the Royal Governor of New York, and nominally succeeded in office by Gen. Robertson in 1780, when he returned to Eng- land. When New York was occupied by Gen. Wooster and his Connecticut Continentals, he was obliged to seek refuge on board the " Asia" frigate, and it is supposed his hate for Wooster caused the ill treatment General Wooster's widow suffered at the hands of his troops during the invasion of
Am't Classed. 8. 6 d.
€
111
13
11
Samuel Rowland 476
Stephen Ball
17
£
d.
0
d.
227
16
0
16 0
7
Willard Brentnall
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New Haven, July 5, 1779. He planned to murder or capture General Washington in 1776. He commanded the expedition to Danbury, Conn., 1777, when Wooster was slain. He burned Norwalk and Fairfield, Conn., in 1779. His property in this country was eonfiseated after the war and he returned to England where he died .- See Lossing.
Joshua Chandler, Esquire, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the Colony of Conneeti- eut and a Deputy for the Town of New Haven (except the years 1772-3) from 1768 to 1775, remained to the day of his death loyal to the King of England.
He was a man of substance and a mueh esteemed eitizen, residing in his mansion-house within the town plot, which is now in a good state of preservation, standing a short distance north of its original site (the Tontine eorner), and now is the residenee of Henry Sargent, Esq. It is a good example of the best New Haven houses at the time of the Revolution, and in this house the officers of Tryon's expedition, of which he was a prime mover, were entertained by the "Squire " on the night of July 5th, 1779, and when the enemy evacuated the town Mr. Chandler wisely accompanied them, but eventually removed with his family to Nova Scotia, where it is said that while going from one point to another on the coast by sea, he perished.
His property after the war was eonfiseated and sold to pay his debts. His sons Thomas and William (Yale, 1773) were made lieutenants in the King's Loyal American Regiment (Colonel Fanning), and acted as guides to the enemy when New Haven was invaded.
Previous to the Revolution he bought part of the Governor Eaton or Thomas Yale farm in North Haven, where he resided a part of the year, and Mr. Thorpe mentions his pew in the Congre- gational Meeting House (Dr. Trumbull's) being torn up "that the singers might have proper seats."
In 1781 his whole property was confiseated to the government, the inventory of his possessions in New Haven and elsewhere amounting to £3,752, debts £5,459. Charles II. Chauneey was appointed administrator on the estate of "Joshua Chandler, now gone over to and joined the enemies of the United States of America." His estate was sold (and applied to the payment of his debts) to Jonathan Fiteh, Esq., of New Haven, for £1,556, lawful money, August 11th, 1785.
The following interesting letter was written on gilt edged paper, the original of which I found in the Record Office, Chancery Lane, London, endorsed "Sir Henry Clinton's Despatches. Brig .- Gen. Garth to Maj .- Gen. Tryon, New Haven, Despatches."
" MILITARY AMERICA, 1779. SIR HENRY CLINTON. NEW HAVEN, 1/2 past one o'clock."
" DEAR SIR :- We have had a little difficulty with the rebels in coming hither, but I hope the loss is not much. The troops are greatly fatigued through heat, and every kind of eattle is driven from the eountry, and this place is almost entirely deserted, and therefore merits the flames. The enemy are following us with eannon, and heavier than what we have. I shall, therefore, as soon as the bridge is secured that communicates to you, begin the eonflagration and retire over it, and then break it up, as we may either lay there a few hours or embark with less molestation than from any other place I have seen."
"I have the honor to be, with great respect, your most obedient servant."
"(Signed) G.(?) GARTH."
" I shall send this when the bridge is passed by us."
"To Maj .- Gen. Tryon, etc., ete."
N. B .- This is a most interesting souvenir of the enemy's embarkation on the east shore.
BARTON
THE MORRIS MANSION.
THE MORRIS MANSION,
A. D. 1671.
This picturesque Colonial Mansion and the principal residence of the Morris family at Morris Cove is a remarkable example of New England architecture in the Seventeenth Century, and family tradition states that it was built in 1671, when the deed for this estate was recorded, as shown in the New Haven town records. Thomas Morris, the grantee named therein, was a shipwright, one of the original settlers of the Colony and a signer of the Plantation Covenant in 1638, by which instru- ment they engaged : "That as in matters that concerned the gathering and ordering of a church, so also in all public offices which concern civil order, as choice of magistrates and officers, making and repealing laws, dividing allotments of inheritance and all things of a like nature, they would all of them be ordered by the rules of the Sacred Scriptures held forth to them."
Tradition affirins that Thomas Morris, father of the second Thomas Morris, was lost in the Phan- tom Ship of New Haven, and that he resided first on his plot of land on "the Banks " near the old Town Ship Yard lately deeded by the Selectmen to the Fire Department of the City of New Haven.
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