USA > Connecticut > Connecticut as a colony and as a state; or, One of the original thirteen, Volume III > Part 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25
Jonathan Brace was born in Harwinton, Nov. 12, 1754. He began his legal studies in the office of Chief Justice Ells- worth, and was admitted to the bar in Vermont. After a resi- dence of eight years in that State, he settled at Hartford. Mr. Brace was re-elected, but resigned in May 1800. He was mayor of Hartford for nine years, and died in that city Aug. 26, 1837.
To the Sixth Congress, which was the first held at Washing- ton, the retirement of John Allen and Nathaniel Smith from the Connecticut delegation caused the election of John Daven- port and Elizur Goodrich.
The former (a brother of James Davenport) began a long Congressional career, which did not end until 1815, when he declined a re-nomination. Mr. Davenport was born in Stam- ford, Jan. 16, 1752; graduated from Yale College in 1773, and was a member of the legal profession. He took an
384
CONNECTICUT AS A STATE
important part among the Revolutionary patriots, ranking as major in the Commissary Department. He was, like his brother, a Federalist in politics. He died in his native town, Nov. 28, 1830.
Elizur Goodrich was born in Durham, March 24, 1761. He belonged to the Washington and the elder Adams school of Federalists. He was honored with various offices of trust and responsibility; was professor of Law in Yale College, mayor of New Haven nineteen years, and judge of the County and Probate Courts of New Haven County. Mr. Goodrich served only one term in the House. He died at New Haven Nov. 1, 1849.
To fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Representa- tive Brace, John Cotton Smith was elected, and he remained a member of the House until his resignation in 1806.
Two States sent natives of Connecticut to the Sixth Con- gress. From New York came John Bird born in Litchfield; a lawyer of Troy, New York. Abraham Nott born in Saybrook in 1767, went to South Carolina, where in 1791 he was admitted to the bar. Besides being a Representative from that State, he was elected to the Supreme Bench.
The new Connecticut members to the Seventh Congress were Benjamin Talmadge, Calvin Goddard, and Elias Per- kins.
Mr. Perkins was born in Norwich April 5, 1767, and grad- uated from Yale College in 1786. He studied law, but after practicing a few years relinquished the profession. He died at New London, Sept. 27, 1845.
Calvin Goddard, a noted jurist and a student under Chief Justice Ellsworth, was born in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, July 17, 1768; he began the practice of law at Plainfield, which town he represented nine times in the Connecticut
385
CONNECTICUT AS COLONY AND STATE
House of Representatives; and was three times elected Speaker of that body. He was re-elected, and in 1807 removed to Norwich, of which city he was mayor for seven- teen years. He died there May 2, 1842.
Benjamin Talmadge's Congressional career was of six- teen years' duration. He was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., Feb. 25, 1754. During the Revolutionary War his military ser- vices were invaluable. He took an active part in the capture of André; was the leader of an expedition that resulted in the surrender of Fort George and the destruction of the British stores on Long Island; he was also a member of Washing- ton's military family, attaining the rank of general. After the war he engaged in mercantile business at Litchfield, and acquired a large fortune. He died there March 17, 1835.
Two of the delegation from Massachusetts to the Seventh Congress were natives of Connecticut.
John Bacon, born in Canterbury in 1737 graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1765; studied theology, and was settled over the Old South Church at Boston. Owing to a difference of opinion between him and his congregation, he was dismissed in 1775, and removed to Stockbridge, where he died Oct. 25, 1820.
Manasseh Cutler was admitted to the practice of law in Massachusetts in 1767; this being uncongenial to him, he studied theology, and became a licensed Congregationalist preacher. During the Revolutionary War he served as a chaplain; after its close he studied medicine, and soon mas- tered the science sufficiently to practice, and was thus enabled to minister to both the spiritual and physical needs of his con- gregation. He was a Federalist in politics; was re-elected, but refused all further re-nominations.
The new member of the Connecticut delegation, to the
386
From a painting by E. Ames.
CONNECTICUT AS A STATE
Eighth Congress was Simeon Baldwin born in Norwich Dec. 14, 1761 ; he was admitted to the bar at New Haven in 1786, having graduated from Yale College five years earlier. He declined a re-election. His death occurred at New Haven May 26, 1851.
Simeon Larned, born at Thompson Aug. 13, 1753; after- wards removed to Berkshire County, Mass., where he was for several years sheriff; he was elected to fill a vacancy in the Massachusetts representation. From Vermont came Mat- thew Chittenden, who received four re-elections to the House, and resigned in 1813 to become governor of Vermont. He was born in Salisbury, March 12, 1769, and removed with his parents to the Green Mountain State. Though a college graduate, owing to feeble health he devoted himself to agri- cultural pursuits. He died at Williston, Sept. 5, 1841.
The Empire State sent to the Eighth Congress Gaylord Griswold, a native of Connecticut, who had removed to Herkimer County; also Oliver Phelps, a native of Windsor, who resided at Canandaigua, New York. From Delhi, New York, came Erastus Root, a Democrat, born in Hebron, March 16, 1773; he graduated from Dartmouth College in 1793, taught school, studied law and settled in Delaware County, New York. Possessed of highly cultivated intellect and tastes, he became prominent in politics, was a representa- tive in the State Assembly for eleven years, three of which he was Speaker. He was State Senator for eight years, and a Representative in the Eighth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Fourteenth, and Twenty-second Congresses. He was Lieutenant-Gover- nor of New York in 1822, and died in New York City, Dec. 24, 1846.
At the opening of the Ninth Congress, three new members of the Connecticut delegation were by re-elections to serve-
387
CONNECTICUT AS COLONY AND STATE
Lewis B. Sturgis six, Timothy Pitkin seven, and Jonathan O. Mosely eight terms.
Mr. Sturgis was born in Fairfield in 1762; he was a lawyer, and subsequently emigrated to Ohio; he died at Norwalk in that State March 30, 1844. Mr. Mosely was also a member of the legal fraternity; he was born at East Haddam in 1762, emigrated to Michi- gan, and died at Saginaw Sept. 9, 1839. Timothy Pit- kin was born in Farmington, Jan. 21, 1766; after graduat- ing from Yale College he studied law with Oliver Ellsworth, and began practice at Hartford. He was for twenty-two terms a member of the State Legislature, six of which he was Speaker. Mr. Pitkin was the author of a "Statistical View of the Commerce of the United States," also a "Political and Civil History of the United States from 1763 to 1.797." He died at New Haven, Dec. 18, 1847.
To fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of John Cotton Smith, Theodore Dwight was elected to the Ninth Congress. He was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, Dec. 15, 1764, studied law, and began practice at Haddam, but finally removed to Hartford, where he became interested in literary work. Mr. Dwight was tall and fine-looking, of command- ing presence, fitted by education and experience to become a valuable member of the House; but he declined a re-nomina- tion. He died in New York City, June 12, 1846.
To this same Congress came two New York Democrats, natives of Connecticut : Uri Tracy, born in Franklin and set- tled in Oxford, New York; he was Representative 1805-7, again 1809-13. He died in the latter year. His Democratic colleague, Josiah Masters, numbered among his personal friends Jefferson, Randolph, Madison, Clay, and other great men, and was a co-operator and adviser of Governor DeWitt
388
CONNECTICUT AS A STATE
Clinton in the system of internal improvements which gave to New York the rank of the Empire State. He was born in Woodbury, Oct. 22, 1763, graduated from Yale College in 1784, and soon afterwards removed to Schaghticoke, New York. Mr. Masters held legislative and judicial positions, and was twice elected to Congress. He died June 30, 1822.
There was but one change in the Connecticut delegation to the Tenth Congress; the new member was Epaphroditus Champion, who was re-elected for the four succeeding terms. Mr. Champion was born at East Haddam, and was greatly respected for his public and private character. A near neigh- bor of his colleague, Colonel Jonathan O. Mosely, their resi- dences being only a mile apart, and both being officers in the State Militia, they naturally held numerous conferences on military and civil affairs during the exciting times of the War of 1812. Mr. Champion died at East Haddam, Nov. 22, 1835.
The transferring of Samuel W. Dana to the Senate in 1810 caused the election of Ebenezer Huntington to fill the vacancy. Peter B. Porter, a native of Salisbury, was Rep- resentative from New York 1809-'13, and 1815-16, and Ebenezer Sage born in Connecticut, and settled at Sag Har- bor, New York, held the same position 1809-'15.
The new Connecticut member to the Twelfth Congress was Lyman Law; the delegation remained unbroken during the two succeeding Congresses, which was during the period of our second war with England. Mr. Law was born in New London, Aug. 19, 1770; he graduated from Yale College in 1791, and studied law with his father, Richard Law, who was a member of the Continental Congress. He was a mem- ber of the Federalist party, and died at New London, Feb. 3, 1842.
389
CONNECTICUT AS COLONY AND STATE
A native of New London, Edward Hempstead, born June 13, 1780, was the first delegate to Congress from west of the Mississippi River; he represented Missiouri Territory 1811- 14; was a lawyer, and resided at St. Louis; a man of ability, pure and without reproach. He died Aug. 10, 1817.
To fill a vacancy in the New York representation, Thomas P. Grosvenor, born in Pomfret in 1780, and a lawyer at Hud- son, was elected to the Twelfth Congress; he was re-elected to the Thirtenth and Fourteenth. He died April 25, 1817.
William Strong, a Democrat, native of Windham County, was Representative from Vermont 1811-'15, and again 1819- '21.
Two sons of Connecticut, Richard Skinner and Ezra But- ler, took their seats in the Thirteenth Congress as Represen- tatives from Vermont. The former was born at Litchfield, May 30, 1788; received his education at the famous law school in that town, was admitted to the bar, and removed to Manchester, Vermont. On his retirement from Congress after serving one term, he was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Vermont, also governor from 1820-'22. He died, much respected for his public services and private worth, at Manchester, May 23, 1833. Ezra Butler was born in Con- necticut in 1762; began the practice of law at Waterbury, Vermont. He was a member of the State Assembly for eleven years, and of the executive council fifteen years. After serving one term in Congress, he became governor of Ver- mont 1826-'28. He died at Waterbury in that State, July 19, 1838.
From New York came John Lovett, a native of Norwich, who served two terms and died in Ohio in 1818; also Samuel M. Hopkins born in Salem May 9, 1772, studied law and became an eminent lawyer.
390
CONNECTICUT AS A STATE
A man of versatile ability was James Kilbourne born in what is now New Britain, Oct. 19, 1770. He was appren- ticed as a farmer's boy; the son of his employer gave him lessons in Latin, Greek, and mathematics. He next became a mechanic, then a merchant, afterwards a manufacturer, and finally studied theology and became a clergyman of the Epis- copal Church. In the early part of the nineteenth century, he was instrumental in forming an emigrating colony to locate in Central Ohio, where he organized the town of Worthington. Mr. Kilbourne was elected to the Thirteenth Congress from Ohio as a Democrat, and was re-elected; the legislative act that the United States should grant land, to actual settlers in the Northwestern territory originated with him. He died at Worthington, April 24, 1850.
Of the six members of the Vermont delegation at the open- ing of the Fourteenth Congress, four were natives of Connec- cut, all of whom were to serve one term. Asa Lyon was born in Pomfret, Charles Marsh in Lebanon, Daniel Chipman in Salisbury, and Luther Jewett in Canterbury; before the close of that Congress they were joined by Samuel C. Crafts, a native of Windham County, who served 1816-'23. Micah Brooks, born in Cheshire in 1775, and removed in his child- hood to western New York, was also a member of the Four- teenth Congress.
There were five new members in the Connecticut delegation to the Fifteenth Congress: Ebenezer Huntington, who had served in the Eleventh Congress, Uriel Holmes, Samuel B. Sherwood, Nathaniel Terry, and Thomas S. Williams.
Uriel Holmes was born in Hartland in 1765; was a mem- ber of Yale, class of 1784; he practiced law at Litchfield. He resigned before the expiration of his term and was succeeded by Sylvester Gilbert. The latter was born in Hebron in 1756,
391
CONNECTICUT AS COLONY AND STATE
graduated from Dartmouth College in 1775, and two years later began the practice of law in his native town. In 1780 he was elected to the General Assembly, being the youngest member in the House he was re-elected thirty times to that body, and in 1826 was the oldest member. He died Jan. 16, 1846. Samuel B. Sherwood was born in Connecticut in 1767; a graduate of Yale College in 1786, he studied law and finally settled at Saugatuck, where he died April 27, 1833. From 1810 to 1815 no man in Connecticut wielded greater political influence.
Nathaniel Terry was a classmate of Mr. Sherwood. He was born in Enfield, Jan. 30, 1768; was admitted to the bar in 1789. After his retirement from Congress, he was mayor of Hartford from 1824 to 1831. He died at New Haven, June 14, 1844. Thomas S. Williams was born at Wethers- field, June 26, 1777; a member of Yale class of 1794, he studied law at Litchfield, began practice at Mansfield, and in 1803 removed to Hartford. In his new home he was to fill many positions of honor and trust; besides representing the town in the General Assembly for seven terms, he was mayor of the city 1831-'35, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Errors 1834-'47; he was also an official in many charitable institutions, and was noted for his benevolence. He died at Hartford, Dec. 15, 1861.
To the Fifteenth Congress, from Ohio, came Levi Barber, Philemon Beecher, and Peter Hitchcock. The former was born in Litchfield County; he was defeated as a candidate for the Sixteenth Congress, but elected to the Seventeenth. Philemon Beecher, an able lawyer was born in New Haven in 1775; he was re-elected, and was again a Representative 1823-'29. He died at Lancaster, Ohio, Nov. 30, 1839. Peter Hitchcock was born at Cheshire, Oct. 19, 1780; gradu-
392
CONNECTICUT AS A STATE
ated from Yale College in 1801; three years later he was admitted to the bar, practiced in his native town, but in 1806 removed to Geauza County, Ohio. Here he was a member of both houses of the State Legislature; after his term in Congress, he served twenty-eight years on the Supreme Court Bench of Ohio. He died at Painesville, Ohio, May II, 1853.
Two of the New York Representatives were natives of Connecticut, Thomas H. Hubbard and John Paine Cush- man. The latter had gained eminence among the legal fra- ternity, and had discharged with ability the duties of the various offices, with which he had been intrusted. He was born in Pomfret in 1784, and after graduating from Yale in 1807, settled at Troy, New York, where he died Sept. 16, 1848. Thomas H. Hubbard was born in New Haven in 1780, and settled at Hamilton, New York, where he was surrogate of the county for ten years. He was Representative in Congress from 1817 to 1819, and again 1821-23; he removed to Utica, New York, in the latter year, where he died May 22, 1857. From Vermont came Mark Richards, a Democrat, a native of New Haven; he was re-elected. Joel Abbott born in Fairfield, March 17, 1796; studied medicine with his father, and emigrated to Georgia, where he estab- lished himself at Washington. He was a member of the Fifteenth Congress, and was three times re-elected. He died at Washington, Georgia, Nov. 19, 1826.
One of the members of the delegation, from the old Key- stone State was Henry Baldwin born in New Haven, Jan. 14, 1780; graduated from Yale at the age of seventeen. He began the practice of law at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; was elected as a Federalist and twice re-elected; he however resigned before the completion of his third term. He was appointed in 1830 justice of the Supreme Court of the United
393
CONNECTICUT AS COLONY AND STATE
States, serving until his death at Philadelphia, Aug. 21, 1844. Justice Baldwin was the author of "A General View of the Origin and Nature of the Constitution and Government of the United States," 1837.
The success of the Toleration party in State politics caused a complete change (with the exception of Colonel Mosely) in the Connecticut delegation to the Sixteenth Congress. Among the new members were Samuel A. Foot, Henry W. Edwards, and Gideon Tomlinson, who were afterwards to become Senators. Mr. Edwards was re-elected, and Mr. Tomlinson served from 1819 to 1827. The other members were John Ross, James Stevens, and Elisha Phelps, who were members of the Democratic party. Mr. Ross served two terms. He was born at Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1764; removed to Hartford, where he died June 22, 1832. Mr. Stevens was born at Stamford; a man of considerable native talent, a politician of sterling integrity, but an inflexible adher- ent of the Democratic party; he voted with the South on the Missouri Compromise. He served one term in Congress, and died April 16, 1835.
Elisha Phelps was born at Simsbury, Nov. 7, 1779; a graduate of Yale College in 1800, he studied law at Litch- field, and began practice in his native town. He was a mem- ber of both houses of the State Legislature; he was elected to the Nineteenth and Twentieth Congresses. From 1830 to 1834 he was State Comptroller, and the following year was appointed one of the Commissioners to revise the statutes of the State. He died at Simsbury, April 18, 1847.
The New York delegation to the Sixteenth Congress con- tained a number of Connecticut's sons : George Hall, a native of New Haven, came from the central part of the State; Aaron Hackley, also born in New Haven resided in Her-
394
CONNECTICUT AS A STATE
kimer; Ebenezer Sage, a former Representative, took his seat, but there being a contest, the House gave it to his opponent, and he served only from Dec. 6, 1819, to Jan. 14, 1820. Henry Meigs, born in New Haven, Oct. 28, 1782, and educated as a lawyer, removed to New York City, where he died May 20, 1861. James Strong, born in Wind- ham in 1783, located at Hudson, was Representative in Con- gress 1819-'21 and again 1823-'31. He died in Chester, New Jersey, Aug. 8, 1847. Nathaniel Pitcher, born at Litchfield in 1777, removed to Sandy Hill; he was Represen- tative in Congress 1819-'23, again 1831-'33. He died at Sandy Hill, May 25, 1836. John D. Dickinson, born in Middlesex County in 1767; studied law and began practice at Troy. He was a member of Congress 1819-'23, again 1827-'31. He died at Troy, Jan. 28, 1841.
Henry R. Storrs was born in Middletown, Sept. 3, 1787; he graduated from Yale in 1804, and practiced law some years at Utica, New York, where he was elected to Con- gress 1819-'21, and 1823-'31. After this he established him- self in New York City, became an eminent legal practitioner, and was distinguished for uncommon powers of discrmina- tion, and great logical exactness; he was a ready and pow- erful elocutionist, and attained the first rank while in Con- gress, as a debater. He died at New Haven, July 29, 1837.
Albert H. Tracy, born in Norwich June 17, 1793, studied medicine with his father, but at the age of eighteen years emi- grated to State of New York, studied law and began practice at Buffalo. He served three terms in Congress, representing the district west of Seneca Lake. Mr. Tracy declined Cab- inet appointments from two Presidents; was defeated as a Whig candidate for United States Senator in 1839. He died at Buffalo, Sept. 12, 1859.
395
CONNECTICUT AS COLONY AND STATE
Two of Vermont's new members were natives of Connec- ticut.
Ezra Meech was born in New London, July 26, 1773; he was associated in early life with John Jacob Astor, in the fur trade, and was also interested in ship timber contracts; he finally settled in Vermont, and was elected a Representa- tive to Congress 1819-'21 again 1825-'27. In the latter part of his life he devoted himself to agricultural pursuits, hav- ing at one time a farm of over 3,000 acres stocked with 3,000 sheep and 800 head of cattle. Mr. Meech was noted for his intelligence and hospitality; he was six feet five inches in height, and weighed 370 pounds, and was one of the most expert trout fishers in the country. He died at Shelburne, Vermont, Sept. 23, 1856.
Rollin C. Mallary successfully contested his election to the Sixteenth Congress, and was seated Jan. 14, 1820; he was re-elected to the four succeeding terms. He was born at Cheshire, May 27, 1784, and removed to Poultney, Vermont. As a member of Congress he took an active part in all mat- ters appertaining to commerce, and was held in highest esti- mation for both his public acts and private virtues. He died at Baltimore, Maryland, April 16, 1831.
William Woodbridge mentioned in a previous chapter, began his Congressional career in the Sixteenth Congress.
The new members elected to the Seventeenth Congress from Connecticut were Daniel Burrows, Ebenezer Stoddard, Ansel Sterling, and Noyes Barber.
Mr. Burrows was born in Groton in 1766. He was a business man and preacher. His opinion of his brother mem- bers derived from his one term in Congress, was expressed, as follows, in a letter to his brother: That a majority of Congress consisted of second-rate lawyers, who spouted by
396
CONNECTICUT AS A STATE
the hour to no purpose only to be heard; and he thought there was no more wicked place than Washington. He also deplored the lack of integrity in men acting in high stations. Mr. Burrows died at Mystic, Jan. 23, 1858.
Mr. Sterling was born in New London County Feb. 3, 1782; admitted to the bar in 1805; he was re-elected, and died Nov. 6, 1853. Mr. Stoddard, Representative from 182I to '25, was born in West Woodstock May 6, 1786; he practiced law extensively in his native town. He was Lieu- tenant-Governor 1833-'34; and died at Woodstock Aug. II, 1848. Noyes Barber, born in Groton April 28, 1781, was in early life a merchant, but afterwards became a lawyer. He was a man of ability, universally respected. His vote, during his long Congressional career of fourteen years, was always recorded in the interest of an economical administration of the government. He died at Groton, Jan. 3, 1845.
To the Seventeenth Congress, New York sent six new members natives of Connecticut: Joseph Kirkland, Charles H. Ruggles, Micah Sterling, Samuel Campbell, Reuben H. Walworth and Elisha Littlefield; the latter was re-elected. Of these, Mr. Ruggles was afterwards to become a judge of the Supreme Court of New York. Mr. Kirkland was the first mayor of Utica, and Mr. Walworth was appointed in 1828 Chancellor of the State of New York, which position he held twenty years, when the office was abolished. Chancellor Walworth was pronounced by eminent authorities "the great- est equity jurist living ;" his published opinions as Chancellor fill fourteen volumes, while his other opinions occupy as many more.
Elias Hayes, a native of Ashford, and John Mattocks, were Representatives from Vermont. The latter was born in Hartford, March 4, 1776. He became a successful lawyer,
397
CONNECTICUT AS COLONY AND STATE
and settled at Peacham, Vermont. He was a brigadier-gen- eral during the war of 1812, Judge of the Supreme Court of Vermont, Representative 1821-'25 and 1841-'43, also gov- ernor for one year, declining a re-election. He died at Pea-" cham, Aug. 14, 1847.
To the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Congresses Pennsyl- vania sent John Todd, a native of Hartford, and Walter Forward born in Connecticut in 1786. The latter became a lawyer and settled at Pittsburg; he was originally a Demo- crat, but afterwards became identified with the Whig party. Mr. Forward was appointed by President Harrison First Comptroller of the Treasury, and was made a member of President Tyler's Cabinet, receiving the portfolio of Secre- tary of Treasury. On his retirement from the Cabinet he was appointed by President Tyler chargé d'affairs to Den- mark, but returned to this country to accept the office of judge of the Alleghany County Court. He died at Pittsburg Nov. 24, 1852.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.