USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > A pictorial history of "Raynham" and its vicinity. > Part 3
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It seems that a singular incident directed Thomas Morris, the son, to this section and made him acquainted with the nature of the soil, and the excellence of its timber for ship-building purposes. Tradition states that he once left his cart, with a load of wood upon it, standing near the edge of a declivity, the base of which met the waters of the harbor. A company of young people who were visiting at his house, coveted the sport of seeing the cart roll down the bank and put it in motion. But they had not calculated the velocity which it would acquire in the descent nor the distance it would move. They soon beheld it floating on the waters of the harbor, too far from the shore to be reached, and drifting toward the Cove on the east side, where it was driven ashore. It was his excur- sion to obtain the cart that induced him to negotiate for the purchase of this estate early in the year 1668, but he did not receive his deed until some two years later, and as a copy of this early deed may interest, reference is given to New Haven Town Records dated 16th March, 1670-71.
Thomas Morris had several children, so that happily the family name is yet extant and there are also descendants among those bearing the names of many of the early settlers of New Haven. His son, John Morris, by his third wife, Hannah, daughter of Deputy Gov. James Bishop, had daughters : Hannah, who married Joseph Smith ; Mary, who married John Hemingway ; Elizabeth, who married William Maltby and Rev. John Davenport ; Abigail, who married Joseph Peck, and Desire, wlio married Stephen Howel.
From Thomas Morris, its first proprietor, the Little Neck, as this section was called, to distin- guish it from the Great Neck, which was located between Mill and Quinnipiack Rivers, passed into possession of his son Eleazer, from whom it was inherited by liis son John, who had no children, and gave it to Amos, one of the sons of his brother James. This Amos was the first proprietor who resided upon the farm, and it has never ceased to be in the hands of his descendants.
"As his farm was conveniently situated for the foraging parties from British vessels of war he kept a vigilant eye on their movements, especially during moonlight nights.
" On one occasion it became evident that the enemy were about to land in considerable force and Mr. Morris was determined to baffle them. It was a clear night, and the splashing of their oars could be heard at a great distance, and so, on the other hand, every noise on the shore, reflected by the curved wall of rock, lost nothing as it travelled out to them. The old gentleman was a military officer and had a stentorian voice. Some of his descendants can give a tolerable specimen of it yet. He repaired to the beach, mounted on his favorite horse, and prancing to and fro, thundered out his commands to the rocks and trees, as though they were a regularly equipped force ; instructing this division to reserve their fire, and that one to charge with the bayonet at the moment of the enemy's landing ; and animating the whole, with the certainty of destroying or capturing the entire detachment. It was soon made evident to the enemy, in this way, that they were advancing into the jaws of certain ruin ; discretion was deemed the better part of valor, and the boats returned with- out attempting to gain the shore.
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" On another occasion, however, one dark night, under the guidance of a tory, who possessed the requisite knowledge of the place, he was surprised by a party of the enemy and taken from his bed at midnight, with his son Amos, and such articles of value as they could find, and conveyed in an open boat across the Sound, with little clothing to protect him from the night air, and lodged in one of the far famed prison ships, at that time the terror of the captured Americans.
" While on their passage across the Sound, as daylight appeared the old gentleman recognized one of his captors ; a man who had lived in the town of East Haven, and had been for a time in liis employ ; and turning to him with the same commanding air and tone of authority that he was wont to assume when occasion demanded it, and which few men ever wielded with more effect, he exclaimed : 'And is it you J --? What do you mean, sir, by this treatment?' The tory, cowering at the old man's rebuke, replied : ' You shan't be hurt square (squire), you shan't be hurt.' 'Hurt,' retorted the squire, 'what do you call such treatment as this, dragging a man from his bed in the dead of the night, tearing him from his family, plundering his house, exposing him half clad to the air of this cold night in an open boat, is this, " no hurt," sir ?' His son, taking courage from this bold tone, cast his eye upon the plunder, and discovered among it his father's coat, and threw it to him in the other end of the boat. It was a time of more than ordinary solicitude on the part of the son for his family, his wife being in delicate health, and profiting by the lesson of his captors, he availed him- self of a dark night to effect his escape. The effort cost him many perils and hardships, but was in the end successful. The old gentleman was subsequently liberated on his parole.
" Another outrage was in store for him. On the 5th of July, 1779, the British landed a force at the Five Mile Point, for the purpose of attacking New Haven by an approach from the east. On the appearance of the enemy at the entrance of the harbor, the most active measures were adopted to secure such loose or moveable property as could be conveyed to secret places in the short time allowed for such a work. Some was hidden in ditches, some in a bushy swale and some was carried to the woods, whither the stock, except swine, were driven. The swine took fright at the discharge of muskets and breaking out of the sty, took shelter in a field of rye. The women and children were hurried away at an hour so late that they heard the whistling of the bullets from the guns of the enemy.
"The old gentleman himself, with his hired man, remained at the house securing the property as best they could, as long as he thought it prudent. His last act before leaving the house was to spread a table with refreshments and luxuries for their entertainment, with the hope of rendering them more favorably disposed toward himself and thus saving his buildings.
" Being now about to leave, he cast a glance out of the door and saw a company of redcoats within a stone's throw, advancing towards the house. 'They are upon us,' he exclaimed, and with his hired man made his retreat under cover of the house until they had gained a stone wall. By this time the house was no longer between them and the enemy, and a rapid fire was immediately opened upon them. But the stone wall protected thiem until they reached an opening in the wall supplied with bars of wood. As they passed this they were greeted with a shower of bullets, bnt fortunately escaped injury. One of the bullets struck a rail just above Mr. Morris's head and grooved out its center. The rail remained in its place on the farm until 1845, when the portion of it which retained the mark of the ball was placed in one of the rooms of the Connecticut Historical Society of Hartford. And he escaped into the woods and soon after joined his family.
" His house, barn and buildings for the manufacture of salt and cider and for storing goods, were burned, inflicting upon him a loss of more than £1,235."
This Amos Morris by wife Lydia Camp, whom he married June 26, 1745, had, with other issue, Amos, born March 13th, 1750, married Betsey Woodward, and with other issue, had a son, Amos, born July 27, 1780, who married secondly Lois Smith, Jan. 29, 1817, and with other issue had Julius Hotchkiss Morris, Esq., living at this date, a highly respected citizen of Morris Cove, whom that sec- tion should ever hold in grateful remembrance for saving from the destructive hand of time many val- uable records of land and sea marks which would have been totally lost.
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BARTON
THE ANCIENT SALT WORKS AT MORRIS COVE.
THE ANCIENT SALT WORKS AT MORRIS COVE.
The ancient Morris Salt Works which were destroyed by General Tryon, British and Tory invaders, July 5th, 1779, were located on the shore of a pretty sandy crescent-shaped indentation made by the action of the elements between two conglomerated rocky formations on the south shore of Morris Cove and a few rods northeast of the old New Haven Light House. Here on this site is one of the many picturesque views to be found in the vicinity of New Haven Harbor; the attractive grounds, sandy beach, and boat landing of the stately Pequot Club House with Old Glory above, all beautifying this enchanting panorama. Traces are to be found of excavations by searchers for the pirate Captain Kidd's* treasure, said to have been buried here.
The promoter of this scheme to manufacture salt to be used for the purpose of preserving meats for the consumption of the American Army, during the War of the Revolution, was Captain Amos Morris, a Colonial officer, and, before the war, Captain 3rd Company of the Train Band of the Town of New Haven, Colony of Connecticut in New England. His commission, in a good state of preser- vation, is now in the possession of his great grandson, Julius H. Morris, Esq., and is dated New Haven, Oct. 31, in the 32ª year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, George ii, King of England &c., &c., A. D., 1758.
By his Honour's Comand, GEORGE WYLLYS, Sec. THOMAS FITCH, Governor. [SEAL]
Captain Morris, like his ancestors, was a man of sterling ability with sufficient means to invest in foreign commerce and carry on the affairs of his estates with the help of his slaves. He also employed Indians from the Long Island tribes to assist in the building of his warehouses and wharves and in the mannfacture of salt when the war prevented this necessity from being imported by his vessels, and we are told that at one time he employed five boilers in the process of evaporating sea water, which, by the action of the surf was, during March spring tides, allowed to fill the salt pans constructed of wood and located on the shore, and safe from wind and tide, and so placed as to get the whole effect of the sun during the heated term of summer. These salt pans or vats used by Captain Morris were 30 feet long, 20 feet wide and 10 inches deep, and were fitted with rolling roof- like covers, to keep off wind, rain and dews while the solar evaporation was in process; and when the sea water had reached a certain degree of density the brine was drawn into the boilers and exposed to a quicker process of evaporation by fire.
I am told, that when the evaporation has proceeded to a certain extent, the liquid assumes a reddish color and a thin crust forms on the surface of a solution of salt water evaporated to a certain degree whichi soon breaks and sinks down, to be followed by another and the crystallization thien proceeds rapidly, and when complete the salt is removed to slieds open at the sides, and there piled up in heaps in order that a chloride of magnesium might be removed, which is very easy, as it liqnefies by exposure to air. The salt is then re-dissolved and crystallized for market.
This salt industry was not revived by the Messrs. Morris after the Revolutionary war; bnt, in passing, I will mention another effort to make salt here in New Haven Harbor, which was com- menced about the year 1814, or near the close of the last war with England. Mr. George E. Manger, a jeweller of New Haven, employed a Mr. Brown, a carpenter, who, assisted by his appren- tice, the late William Townsend, Esq., of Dixwell Ave. (who gave mne these facts), to build salt pans on the East shore of New Haven Harbor, a few rods sonth of Tomlinson Bridge. But the water here being too fresh, the plant was moved on scows to Merwin's Point, where a site was Jeased of the late Charles Merwin, Esq., whose son, Mr. John W. Merwin, of Woodmont, has given me interesting data and shown me remnants of this plant, which was destroyed during a furious September gale which occurred many years ago.
* In this vicinity, the black sands and rocky formation possess a magnetic power, strong enough to affect the Mariner's compass. The sea grasses are rare and beautiful and have superior fertilizing properties, while Irish moss abundantly abounds and is used to some extent by the residents of the vicinity, and when properly cured and prepared is a very acceptable acquisition to a shore dinner.
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This plant has never been restored, as Turk's Island salt, made altogether by solar evaporation, and at small expense, could be imported for less money.
Mr. Merwin pointed out to me Wind Mill Roek, surrounded by the sea, on which was a white oak post about fifteen feet high and set in a hole drilled in the rock and then used to support a eoast survey beacon, it having a triangular shape and being painted white.
This white oak post onee supported the windmill fitted with canvas sails which operated a wooden ship's pump ereeted at the side of the roek and raised the sea water into a wooden tank on which was laid brush for the water to filter through, and so assist solar evaporation as the water flowed therefrom through a wooden trough to the salt pans on the shore, which were 10 in number and 12 feet square, and kept nearly level with one inch of shallow water therein and so construeted as to have a continuous flow.
The fine salt was swept with eedar switches and the eoarse salt with savin brushes made of trees eut near by, and when ready for market, sold in bulk or in sacks as required.
The residuum was ealled "bitter water " and made into roek salt by boiling down in potash kettles and sold to farmers.
The sails of the windmill were rigged like a sloop's mainsail and operated the pumping, wooden eogwheel gears. The store house and salt pans were near the willow tree now standing on the low land just baek from the shore and part of it was used in the construction of Mr. Merwin's barn, which is still extant.
Other parts of the salt works not washed away by the gale were eut up for fire wood save a part of the salt pans that were used in the construction of tan vats located near the old well, and vegetable bins in Mr. Merwin's eellar.
From memoranda collected on salt making, I find that one gallon of sea water contains one fourth of a pound of salt. That the speeitie gravity of Gulf Stream water is 10.2500, and New Haven Harbor water at South West Ledge is 10.2000 a 500.
During a visit of the U. S. Fish Commission Steamer "Fish Hawk," in October, 1888, to Long Island Sound the speeifie gravity of the water at South West Ledge where the East Breakwater is located was tested and compared with similar ones made in the Gulf Stream, showing a very slight differenee in density, and that the waters of our lower harbor ean be made of considerable utility in salt manufacture.
An episode of the last war with England was the landing of the erew and passengers of the paeket sloop "Susan " captured off Westfield by a tender, a captured wood sloop armed with a Long Tom mounted amidship, fitted out by the British Brig of War "Dispatch," Captain Galloway. The ransom money for Isaae and Isaae H. Townsend, passengers, was 2,000 Spanish milled paper dollars, which William Kneeland Townsend carried in saddle bags from New Haven and paid the British offieer on the beach at Merwin's Salt Works.
During the latter part of this last war with England quite a spirited engagement took place between a British Brig of War (probably the "Dispatch " ) and the citizens of Milford. It seens that the brig ran in near the point and threw a shot into the salt works. Messrs. Munger and Merwin not being pleased with sneh a salute, hauled an iron field pieee on to an elevation and returned the fire, which, taking good effect, eaused the enemy to retire.
In conelusion, and as an appendix to this interesting locality " Merwin's Point," now the beauti- ful "Woodmont-on-the-Sound," I will add that during the Revolutionary War and the last war with England marauding parties from British vessels and whale boats saeked this coast for supplies and that great quantities of farm produee and large numbers of eattle were slaughtered or earried off for the consumption of the British fleets lying in Gardiner's Bay, which roadstead will hereafter be defended by the not too timely fortifieations now in course of construction there, and on the Islands at the east entranee to the Sound.
AW/
MORRIS COVE AND PALISADES.
MORRIS COVE AND PALISADES.
The engagement between the British forces under the command of Major-General William Tryon and the Patriots under Lieut. Evelyn Pierpont, who so gallantly served his field pieces on the road now Townsend Avenue, " Raynham," has been noticed in a pamphlet entitled, "The British Invasion of New Haven, July 5 and 6, 1779."
Since the date of this pamphlet published in the early summer of 1879, many facts have been exhumed which adds historic interest to this locality.
The second division of Tryon's invaders while landing at Morris' and guided by Thomas Chand- Jer of New Haven, who just before had been given the rank of Lieutenant in a company of " The King's American Regiment," were sadly annoyed by Lieutenant Pierpont's field pieces which had been masked in the bushes on the beach and supported by riflemen who fired on the flotilla as it approached the shore in answer to Ensign and Assistant Adjutant Watkins' command "Desperse Ye Rebels"; he being the first of the British that was killed on the East side on that day. This hot reception given the invaders by the Patriots, who met their foe at the waters' edge as their neighbors on the west side of the harbor were doing and disputing step by step their advance shall stand forth on the pages of New Haven's history as an illustration of the great valor of those
" Whose good swords rust, Whose bones are dust
Whose souls are with the saints, we trust."
An eye witness standing on the rocks at Morris Point, which is the site of the Old Light House, describes this imposing scene, " Before him looking seaward were the broad waters of Long Island Sound studded with the anchored ships of the enemy's fleet. The shore fringed with summer green forests and meadows, and northward New Haven's beautiful bay, and in the background the " Old Sentinals," " The Red Mounts " (East and West Rocks), standing forth in bold relief, seeming to say : ' This far and no farther shall thou come, for all before us is under our care'; one step farther and we will arouse the "Sleeping Giant" (Mount Carmel), who will dash thee back from whence thou came, leave us alone is all we ask."
This unexpected attack from the Patriots and the well served battery on the Black Rock, which had compelled the first division to land at Savin Rock, seemed to divide the lines of boats into two sec- tions, one of which made landing about the Grove House site, while the other landed on the beach east of the Old Light House site, and at once made hot pursuit after the Patriots retreating by the Morris houses, which were both burned in accordance with a well known law of war when fired upon while landing in an enemy's country. The bluff at Fort Hale Park, the heights mentioned by Sir Henry Clinton to be gained, were soon occupied with a field piece which made the immediate evacuation of the Rock Fort necessary, and after spiking the three field pieces there and throwing the broken fragments of the carriages over the ramparts, this Spartan band of nineteen (19) valiant men made their retreat to join their comrades at the earthworks on Beacon Hill, and the road on the high land above.
The commanding general landed about 8 A. M., near the Chandler Pardee house, which stood on the site of Mr. Asahel Thompson's cottage, and this house was used for Tryon's headquarters until after the evacuation when it was burned. The second division consisted of tliree (3) regiments of fifteen hundred (1500) men and two (2) pieces of artillery ; the regiments were the Twenty-third or Royal Welsh Fusileers, the Hessian Landgraves, and the King's American (Tory) Regiment, the latter under command of Colonel Edmund Fanning of Long Island, born in 1737, and son of Colonel Pheoneas Fanning, and a graduate of Yale College, class 1757, where he gained the highest honor of his class and in 1760 received the degree LL.D.
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COMMISSION AS CAPTAIN. THOMAS FITCH, EsQ.
Captain General and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Colony of Connecticut in New England.
To AMOS MORRIS, Gent., Greeting :
You being by the General Assembly of this Colony accepted to be Captain of the Third Company of Train band in the Town of New Haven, reporting special trust and confidence in your loyalty, courage and good conduct, I do by virtue enabling appoint and impower you to take the said Train band unto your care and charge as their Captain, carefully and diligently to discharge the trust exercising your inferior officers and soldiers in the use of their arms according to the discipline of War keeping them in good order and government and commanding them to obey you as their Captain for His Majesty's Service. And you are to observe all such orders and directions as from time to time they may repose in you.
Given under my hand and Seal of this Colony in New Haven, the 31 day of October in the 32 year of the reign of our Soverign Lord, George the 2nd, King of England, etc. Anno Domini, 1758. THOS. FITCH, Gov.
By His Honour's Command,
GEORGE WYLLYS, Sec.
PAROLE.
I, Amos Morris of New Haven in the Colony of Connecticut, do acknowledge myself a prisoner to the King of Great Britian and having leave from his excellency, Lieutenant-General Robertson to go home on my parole, do hereby pledge my faith and word of honor that I will not do or say anything contrary to the interest of his Majesty or his Government and that whenever required so to do I will repair to whatever place any of his Majesty's Commanders in Chief shall judge expedient to order me. Given under my hand on Long Island this 21 day of Sept., 1780.
I certify that the above is a true copy of the Parole signed by Mr. Amos Morris.
JOHN WINSLOW, D. Com. Prisoners.
NEW YORK, 21 September, 1780.
Mr. Amos Morris, a prisoner, to pass from Flat Bush to Lloyds Neck on Long Island. JOHN WINSLOW, D. Com. Prisoners.
To Whom it may Concern :
Captain Morris will see the necessity of taking care of the Fort immediately after Lieut Bradley leaves it. You will therefore order one Corporal and six privates from the men sent over to you to take possession this evening. These orders must be positive.
Dec. 31, 1778.
TIM JONES, JR.
NEW HAVEN, Jan. 2, 1779.
Captain Morris I am uneasy at the conduct of the officer with you in taking his men from the Fort without orders. You must bring as many of the men as you can spare into the Fort immediately and be under the command of Ensign Honeywood.
Your most obt., humble svt., TIM JONES.
Commission to Amos Morris from John Treadwell, Esq., Governor as Lieut. 3d Co. 2d Regt. of the Militia of State of Connecticut. THEO. DAY, JOHN TREADWELL, Asst. Sec. Gov.
Aug. 26, 1809.
OLD NEW HAVEN LIGHT HOUSE.
BARTON
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OLD NEW HAVEN LIGHT HOUSE.
The attention of the United States Government was called to the importance of a light house to be located at Five Mile Point, a rocky projection on the east shore of the entrance to New Haven Harbor on Long Island Sound, during the year 1804.
The first to call the attention of the Government to this long needed want were citizens of Con- necticut and New York, and, more particularly, the navigation interests of the City of New Haven, who by petition and other means made sufficient effort to get thic scheme pushed in Congress and the final passage of the bill. According to the East Haven records, Vol. 3, page 242, the site for the New Haven Light House was purchased of Amos Morris for $100. The deed was recorded May 5th, 1804, and reads as follows :
Know ye that I, Amos Morris, of East Haven, in the County of New Haven and State of Con- necticut, for the consideration of $100 received, to my full satisfaction, of the United States of America, do sell &c., &c., &c., unto the sd United States, a certain piece of land situated in sd East Haven at a place called Five Mile Poiut for the accommodation of a Light House; being butted and bounded as follows, viz : Beginning at the northwest corner thereof, at a rock three rods below high water mark; thience east three rods to high water mark to a stake and stone; thence continuing east eiglit rods to a stake and stone; thence south twenty rods to a stake and stone ; thence west to a stake and stone to high water mark, eight rods ; thence north, by the shore, twenty rods to first men- tioned corner; being about one acre, together with the privilege of passing back and forth through my land for the accommodation of said Light House and the keeper of it in procuring and convey- ing necessary supplies.
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