USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Sharon > General history of the town of Sharon, Litchfield County, Conn. from its first settlement, 3rd ed. > Part 15
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JOHN WILLIAMS. his alias MOSES X NEQUITIMAUG, mark.
his alias BARTHOLOMUS O BARTHOLOMEW." mark.
" LITCHFIELD COUNTY, SS .- Sharon, July 24th, 1752, then personally appeared the Indians called Moses and Bartholomew, the ensealers of the within written instrument, and acknowledged the same to be their voluntary act and deed.
Coram, JOHN WILLIAMS, Juss. Pace.
" Rec'd July 24th, 1752, and entered.
S. JOHN WILLIAMS, Register."
OLD GOVERNOR SMITH'S HOUSE
APPENDIX E.
THE following list of names of soldiers of the Revolution belonging to Sharon, who served in 1775, were taken from the Controller's Books, in Hartford :
Reuben Cartwright,
Aaron Swetland,
David Manning,
Sylvanus Gibbs,
Reuben Calkin, Sergt.
Wm. Goodrich, Corporal,
Jehiel Jackson,
Ebe Everett,
Jude Bill,
John Tickner,
Zenas Goodrich,
Jesse Calkin,
John Hollister,
Asa Rogers,
Isaac Chamberlain,
David Ackley,
Solomon Goodrich,
Elisha Calkin,
Southard Swetland,
Thomas Heath.
* 23
APPENDIX F.
SOMETHING has been said in our narrative of the events of the Revolutionary war of the services and sufferings of Adonijah Maxam in that great conflict of arms. The following, copied from the proceedings of the Court of Probate for the District of Sharon, gives his own statement of the particular events of his military career :
" State of Connecticut, County of Litchfield, ss,-Probate District of Sharon.
" At a Court of Probate, holden at Salisbury, within and for the District of Sharon, on the 30th day of July, A. D. 1832. Present SAMUEL CHURCH, EsQ., Judge.
" On this 30th day of July, A. D. 1832, Personally appeared in open Court, before the Court of Probate for the District of Sharon, the same being a Court of Record now sitting, Adonijah Maxam, a resident of the town of Sharon, in the County of Litch- field and State of Connecticut and Probate District of Sharon, aged seventy-eight years ; who being first duly sworn according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832 : ' That he was born in the said town of Sharon, in the year 1754. I have no record of my age, except what appears in my Bible and what may be on the Record of the said town of Sharon. I resided in the said town of Sharon, when called into the service
179
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
of the United States, and have, ever since the close of the Revo- lutionary war, resided in the said town of Sharon. I entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as hereinafter stated : On the 8th day of May, as I think, and in the year 1775, I entered the 3d Company of the 4th Regiment, and served by order of the General Assembly of Con- necticut, under Major Samuel Elmore, of said Sharon. There were two Lieutenants belonging to the company, viz. : Amos Chappel, of said Sharon, and Parmalee, of Bethlehem. The Ensign was Shephard. The Colonel of the regiment to which 1 was attached, was Colonel Hinman of Woodbury, in said County.
" We marched in the said month of May to Lake George, from thence to Ticonderoga, and from thence to Crown Point, in the State of New York. A part of our Regiment lay at Ticonder oga, but our company was stationed at Crown Point. We remained at Crown Point, keeping guard and other duties, about three month ; from thence I was marched with the quarter part of our Regiment to Isle au Noix, in Lake Champlain. General Montgomery was there, and General McDougal, and Capt. McCracken, and Maj. Brown were with us at Isle au Noix. We staid at this place but few days, when we went with General or Col. McDougal, Major Elmore and other officers, in order to go around St. Johns, but we failed, and returned to Isle au Noix. A few days afterwards Capt. Watson, of Canaan, Capt. MeCracken, of the New York troops, and Major Brown, went with a large party of men, of whom I was one, for the purpose of penetrating through the woods, to Chambly, in Canada. We lay at ('hambly a few days, and then I went to keep guard below Chambly. Col. Ethan Allen came to us there. We crossed the St. Lawrence river in the night, with Colonel Allen, a little below Montreal, and while preparing breakfast, the British force came upon us. We retreated, and finally I was, with Colonel Ethan Allen and others, taken prisoner by the enemy. We were put on board a sloop in the river St. Lawrence, and put in irons two by two ; we were sent to Quebec, and kept in a prison ship till the last of November, 1775 ; from thence we were carried to Falmouth, in England. staid there fifteen days : from thence we were sent to Cork, in Ireland, staid there about two weeks. Here Col. Allen was put aboard of a different ship from me. We next made land in Lisbon, in Portugal. During this voyage the prisoners were relieved from irons, and performed duty on ship board. From thence we made land next on the coast of North Carolina ; thence
180
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
we were sent to Halifax, in Nova Scotia, where we were kept during the Summer of 1776. In the fall we were sent to the City of New York. We lay in the harbor of New York when Fort Washington was taken ; we heard the firing distinctly. We were afterwards confined in the French Church in New York City. From thence two of us, that is, myself and Roger Moore, of Salisbury, made our escape to Long Island, and from thence made our way to Saybrook, in Connecticut, and from there home to Sharon in the month of December. 1776, having been absent from home eighteen months. After this I was out at several alarms ; but I enlisted in the New York troops for nine months in the month of May, 1778. I was then residing in said Sharon. Our Lieutenant Colonel's name was Wisonfeldt, a Dutchman. His son was Lieutenant of the Company to which I belonged. The Major's name was Fish, the Colonel's name was Van Cortlandt, and in the Brigade of General Poor. I enlisted in Rhinebeck, in the State of New York, and soon after I joined the army at Val- ley Forge. We staid at Valley Forge until the British forces evacuated Philadelphia. We pursued them ; Gen'l Washington, Fayette, Steuben, Lee and others were with the army. I was engaged soon after in the battle at Monmouth. From thence the army, and I with them, marched to White Plains, in the State of New York. Our Regiment then marched up and crossed the North River at Poughkeepsie, and went through New Paltz, to a place called then Mumbaccor, and there we were stationed thro' the Winter, until the expiration of my term of enlistment, and was then discharged, but had no written discharge, nor have I any written document by which I can prove this service, nor do I know of any person now living, whose testimony I can procure, who can certify to this service.
"I am well known in the town of Sharon, aforesaid, to Hon. John Cotton Smith, Hon. Ansel Sterling, Hon. Chas. F. Sedg- wick, Cyrus Swan, Esq., and many others who can testify as to my character for veracity, and their belief of my services as a soldier in the Revolution. And I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the Agency of any State.'
"Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
ADONIJAH MAXAM.
181
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
PENSION OFFICE, April 17, 1857.
"I certify that the foregoing paper is a correct copy from the original, on file in this office.
J. E. HEATH, Commissioncr."
APPENDIX G.
The following are the graduates of colleges who have been citizens of Sharon :
YALE COLLEGE.
NAME.
WHEN
NAME.
WHEN
GRADUATED.
GRADUATED.
Peter Pratt,
1736
Milo L. Bennett,
1811
John Searle,
1745
William R. Gould,
1811
Jonathan Elmer,
1747
Milo L. North,
1813
Daniel Griswold,
1747
Ebenezer Blackman,
1817
Cotton Mather Smith,
1751
William Rockwell,
1832
Jeremiah Day,
1756
Milton P. Orton,
1824
Thomas Davies,
1758
Richard Smith,
1825
Fisher Gay,
1759
John M. S. Perry,
1827
John Canfield,
1763
John Cotton Smith,
1830
Augustine Taylor,
1776
Milo N. Miles,
1831
Judson Canfield,
1782
Robert D. Gardner,
1833
John Cotton Smith,
1783
David C. Perry,
1833
Daniel Parker,
1798
Dan'I D. T. McLaughlin,
1834
Alanson Hamlin,
1799
John T. Andrew,
1839
William A. Taylor,
1803
George T. Pierce,
1843
William M. Smith,
1805
Henry Roberts,
1866
Henry J. Canfield,
1806
183
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
WILLIAMS COLLEGE.
NAME.
GRADUATED.
WHEN NAME. WHEN GRADUATED.
Vinton Gould,
1797 Charles F. Sedgwick, 1813
David L. Perry,
1798
Chauncey G. Smith, 1814
David Beecher,
1804 Judalı Ely,
1820
Cyrus W. Gray,
1809 John Cotton Territt, 1833
Orange Lyman,
1809 William R. Territt, 1871
UNION COLLEGE.
Alexander B. Bullions,
1842
UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF VERMONT.
Grove L. Brownell, 1813
HARVARD COLLEGE.
John Williams, 1725
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE, VERMONT.
Rev. Leonard E. Lathrop, ---
APPENDIX H.
The following are the names of the children of the Rev. Cotton Mather Smith, with the dates of their decease :
Elizabeth Smith, born June 20, 1759, died Jan. - , 1788.
Juliana Smith,
Feb. 12, 1761, " June 25, 1823.
Thomas Mather Smith,
July 2, 1763, " Apr. 18, 1782.
Feb. 12, 1765, " Dec. 7, 1845.
John Cotton Smith, Lucretia Smith,
July 20, 1767, 1773.
Mary Smith,
Feb. 16, 1769,
Dec. 10, 1801.
APPENDIX I.
The following is a roll of the Representatives from the town of Sharon, to the General Assembly, commencing in 1755, when the town was first represented :
MAY SESSION.
1755
1756
John Marvin,
1757 John Williams, Josiah Strong.
1758 John Williams, Samuel Dunham.
1759
,
1760 Samuel Dunham, John Pardee.
Josiah Strong, Caleb Jewitt.
1761 Caleb Jewitt, John Gay.
John Pardee.
1762 John Williams, John Pardee.
Caleb Jewitt.
1763 John Williams, Caleb Jewett.
1764 John Williams, Caleb Jewitt.
David Foster.
* 21
OCTOBER SESSION.
John Williams,
John Pardee.
John Williams,
John Pardee.
John Williams,
Josiah Strong.
John Williams, John Pardee.
John Williams,
John Williams,
John Williams,
David Foster. John Williams,
186
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
MAY SESSION. OCTOBER SESSION.
1765 John Williams, Caleb Jewitt.
Caleb Jewitt.
1766 John Williams, Caleb Jewitt.
John Williams,
Jeremiah Day.
John Williams,
1767 John Williams, Jeremiah Day.
Simeon Smith.
1768 John Marvin, Thomas Pardee.
John Williams, Thomas Pardee.
1769 John Williams, James Pardee.
John Williams,
Thomas Pardee.
John Williams,
1770 Simeon Smith, Thomas Pardee.
Caleb Jewitt.
1771 John Williams, Simeon Smith.
John Williams,
Simeon Smith.
John Williams,
Simeon Smith.
1773 John Williams, James Pardee.
James Pardee. Ebenezer Gay, Thomas Pardee.
1775 Ebenezer Gay, James Pardee.
John Canfield, Caleb Jewitt.
1776 John Canfield, Caleb Jewett. 1777 John Canfield, Simeon Smith.
James Pardee. James Pardee, Joseph Lord. .
1778 Ebenezer Gay, James Pardee.
Ebenezer Gay, David Downs. John Canfield, Ebenezer Gay.
1780 Samuel Elmore, James Pardee.
David Downs.
1781 1782 David Downs, Joseph Landers.
1783 Simeon Smith, David Downs.
1784 Ebenezer Gay, Josiah Coleman.
Samuel Elmore. John Canfield, David Downs. Ebenezer Gay, Josiah Coleman. ' John Canfield, Simeon Smith.
1774 James Pardee, Ebenezer Gay.
1772 John Williams, Simeon Smith.
Ebenezer Gay,
1779 John Canfield, Samuel Elmore.
Samuel Canfield,
187
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
MAY SESSION.
OCTOBER SESSION.
1785 John Canfield, Simeon Smith.
John Canfield, Simeon Smith.
1786 John Canfield, Simeon Smith.
Simeon Smith.
1787 Jonathan Gillet, -, Jonathan Gillet.
Ephraim Marriner.
Ephraim Marriner,
David Downs.
1789 David Downs, Isaac Pardee.
Isaac Pardee.
1790 David Downs, Isaac Pardee.
Phineas Smith.
Phineas Smith,
Judson Canfield.
Augustine Taylor,
Judson Canfield.
David Downs,
Samuel Canfield.
Samuel Canfield,
1794 Samuel Canfield, David Downs.
David Downs.
Samuel Canfield,
1795 David Downs, James Pardee.
Enoch Parsons,
John C. Smith,
1796 Samuel Canfield, John C. Smith.
Augustine Taylor.
1797 John C. Smith, Oliver Kellogg.
Samuel Canfield. John C. Smith,
1798 John C. Smith, Oliver Kellogg.
Abel Patchen. John C. Smith,
Isaac Pardee.
1800
George King.
1801 Oliver Kellogg, George King.
Isaac Pardee.
1802 Judson Canfield, Augustine Taylor.
Augustine Taylor.
1803 Judson Canfield, Daniel St.John.
Daniel St. John.
1804 Judson Canfield, Isaac Pardee.
Judson Canfield,
Isaac Pardee.
1788 Ephraim Marriner, Josiah Coleman.v
David Downs,
Augustine Taylor,
1791 Phineas Smith, Augustine Taylor, 1792 Phineas Smith, Judson Canfield.
1793 Judson Canfield, John C. Smith.
John C. Smith,
1799 John C. Smith, Abel Patchen. John C. Smith, Oliver Kellogg.
John C. Smith,
Augustine Taylor,
Judson Canfield,
Judson Canfield,
188
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
MAY SESSION. OCTOBER SESSION.
1805 Judson Canfield, Isaac Pardee.
Isaac Pardee,
Daniel St. John. ~
Judson Canfield,
John C. Smith.
1807 John C. Smith, Judson Canfield.
Daniel St. John. v
1808 John C. Smith, John C. Smith,
Judson Canfield.
Judson Canfield.
1809 John C. Smith, Judson Canfield.
Simeon Blackman.
1810 Simeon Blackman, Oliver Kellogg.
Simeon Blackman.
1811 Simeon Blackman, Oliver Kellogg.
Samuel E. Everitt.
1812 Oliver Kellogg, Samuel E. Everitt.
Isaac Pardee,
Samuel E. Everitt.
1813 Oliver Kellogg, Samuel E. Everitt.
Cyrus Swan,
Samuel E. Everitt.
1814 Oliver Kellogg, Samuel E. Everitt.
Samuel E. Everitt.
Samuel Rockwell,
1816 Oliver Kellogg, Samuel Rockwell.
Israel Camp.
Oliver Kellogg,
1817 Oliver Kellogg, Israel Camp.
Thomas St. John.
1818 Hezekiah Goodwin, Thomas St John.
Ansel Sterling.
1819 Oliver Kellogg, Ansel Sterling,
1820 Oliver Kellogg, Ansel Sterling.
1821 Ansel Sterling, Samuel R. Gager.
1822 Samuel R. Gager, Samuel Roberts.
1823 Samuel Roberts, Horatio Smith.
1824 Horatio Smith, Cyrus Swan.
1835 Ansel Sterling, Cyrus Swan.
1826 Ansel Sterling, Horatio Smith.
1827 Cyrus Swan, Calvin Gay.
1828 Cyrus Swan, Calvin Gay.
1829 Ansel Sterling, Samuel R. Gager.
1830 Charles F. Sedgwick Clark Chapman.
1831 Charles F. Sedgwick, Israel Camp.
Cyrus Swan,
1815 Oliver Kellogg, Ansel Sterling.
Daniel St.John. ¿
Cyrus Swan,
Oliver Kellogg,
1806 Judson Canfield, Isaac Pardee.
John C. Smith,
Isaac Pardee,
Cyrus Swan,
Simeon Blackman,
189
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
Israel Camp, Samuel E. Everitt.
1832 1833 Clark Chapnan, John C. Smith, Jr.
1834 Horatio Smith, John C. Smith, Jr.
1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841
Ansel Sterling, Ralph Deming.
Ansel Sterling, Zacheus W. Bissell. Ansel Sterling, Elmore Everett. Elmore Everett, Alanson Wheeler.
Alanson Wheeler, Ralph Deming.
Elmore Everitt, Horace Reed.
Zacheus W. Bissell, Richard Smith,
1842 John Cotton Smith, Jr., Eleazer Jenkins.
1843 Lorenzo D. Smith, William Everett.
1844 No choice.
1845 Charles Sears, William Knibloe.
1846 John P. Goodwin, Elmore Everett.
1847 John P. Goodwin, Charles Sears.
1848 Ransom Smith, John Woodruff.
1849 Ransom Smith, James Orr.
1850 David S. Cartwright. Southard Hitchcock.
John S. Jewett, Gibbs W. Skiff.
George D. Goodwin, Chauncey Reed, Jr.
1851 1852 1853 John C. Smith, Zacheus W. Bissell.
1854 John C. Smith, George B. Bates.
1855 Norman E. Wheeler, Horace Dunbar.
1856 Henry V. King, Henry St. John.
1857 Fitch Landon, James A. Bierce.
Erastus A, Deming, Charles M. Parsons.
1858 1859 Myron Dakin, Seth B. St.John.
1860 Henry T. Finch, Chesterfield Chapman.
1861 Reuben K. Hunt, Joel S. Chaffee.
1862 Asahel A. Hotchkiss, John H. PerLee.
Harry Lockwood, David F. Lambert.
1863 1864 Nathan Dunbar, Fitch Landon.
Edwin N. Hartwell, Miles B. Lewis.
1865 Zacheus W. Bissell, David F. Smith.
1866 George D. Goodwin, Ralph Deming.
1867 1868 Walter M. Patterson, Isaac N. Bartram.
1869 Edgar J. Reed, David L. Smith.
1870 John C. Smith, Baldwin Reed, 2d.
1871 Hilan Middlebrooks, Charles E. B. Hatch.
1872 George D. Goodwin, Isaac N. Bartranı.
1873 John Boyd, Robert D. Livingston.
190
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
Herman C. Rowley, Ichabod S. Everitt.
1874 1875 William E. Marsh, Baldwin Reed, 2d. 1876 John Cotton Smith, Isaac N. Bartram. 1877 Seymour A. Frayer, George M. Walton.
John B. Smith, Gilbert L. Smith.
1878 1879 1880 1881
Erastus A. Deming, Clark M. Juckett.
Robert E. Goodwin, Daniel Hall.
George D. Goodwin, Myron F. Whitney.
1882
Edgar J. Reed, William Dakin.
1883 Abel Benedict,* Edwin M. Winchester.
1884 Nelson C. Willson, Charles C. Gordon.
1885 Erastus A. Deming, James M. Reed.
1886 Isaac N. Bartram, Albert M. Card.
1887 Isaac N. Bartram, Hilan Middlebrook.
1889 Baldwin Reed, J. Dwight St. John.
1891 Isaac N. Bartram, Albert M. Card.
1893 Charles C. Gordon, Seymour L. Hollister.
1895 George E. Buckley, Lawrence Van Alstyne.
1897 Simeon B. Jewett, Myron F. Whitney.
MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL. Judson Canfield, John Cotton Smith.
SENATORS.
Ralph Deming,
Horatio Smith,
Charles F. Sedgwick,
Isaac N. Bartram.
JUDGES OF THE COUNTY COURT.
John Williams, Cyrus Swan,
Judson Canfield, Ansel Sterling.
* Died before taking his seat.
APPENDIX J.
TOWN OFFICERS.
The following persons have officiated as magistrates in the town :
Nathaniel Skinner,
Samuel Roberts,
Samuel Hutchinson,
Stephen Deming,
John Williams, Daniel Griswold,
Israel Camp,
Joseph Lord,
Charles F. Sedgwick,
John Gay,
Oliver Kellogg, Jun.,
John Canfield,
Jacob Chamberlain,
David Downs,
Ebenezer Blackman,
Isaac Pardee,
Joshua B. Chaffee,
Augustine Taylor,
Richard Smith,
Judson Canfield,
Benjamin Hollister,
John Cotton Smith,
Alanson Wheeler,
Daniel St. John,
John W. McKoy,
Calvin Gay,
Ransom Smith,
Samuel E. Everitt,
Zaccheus W. Bissell,
Samuel Roberts, Jun.,
Oliver Kellogg, Cyrus Swan, Ansel Sterling,
Silas A. Gray,
William Everett,
Samuel Rockwell,
Daniel Parsons,
Horatio Smith,
Ralph Deming,
Stephen Heath,
192
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
Zalmon S. Hunt,
Charles E. B. Hatclı,
Orrin Hutchinson,
Philo Juckett,
Andrew Lake,
Edgar J. R. Reed,
John Williams,
George Chamberlain,
Southard Hitchcock,
Robert D. Livingston,
Amos Prindle,
Charles L. Prindle,
James Orr,
Daniel Hall,
Eliakim S. Stoddard, Jr.,
Chauncey W. Morehouse,
Eben W. Chaffee,
Thomas Sterling,
Harry Lockwood,
J. Wade Hughes,
Norman E. Wheeler,
Clark M. Juckett,
John T. Andrew,
Thomas Wilbur,
Fitch Landon,
Willard Baker,
Garry S. Morey,
Isaac N. Bartram,
Samuel Elliot,
John Wike,
Cyrus W. Gray,
Albert M. Card,
William Stone,
Frank W. Dakin,
Horace Dunbar,
Joseph Ryan,
Samuel S. Woodward,
Elijah Juckett,
Ezra H. Bartram,
H. F. Landon, Albert Scott.
Thomas N. Lucas,
Heber Knibloe,
James B. Wilbur,
Walter M. Patterson,
Charles C. Dean,
Judson St.John,
Louis E. Schwab.
TOWN CLERKS.
Nathaniel Skinner,
James E. Watson,
Ebenezer Frisbie,
Aaron R. Smith,
John Williams,
Samuel L. Gager,
Daniel Griswold,
Robert E. Goodwin,
Samuel Canfield,
Charles C. Gordon,
Israel Camp,
J. Wade Hughes. E. H. Bartram,
George King, Jun.,
Henry H. Quintard,
R. E. Goodwin,
Erastus H. Winchester,
Charles H. Marvin,
James Orr,
R. E. Goodwin,
Harry Lockwood,
H. C. Rowley.
193
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
The following Attorneys and Counsellors-at-Law have prac- ticed in the town :
John Canfield,
Ebenezer Blackman,
Judson Canfield.
Charles F. Sedgwick,
John Cotton Smith.
Eliakim Stoddard,
Cyrus Swan,
Frederick J. Fenn,
Joel T. Petit,
Richard Smith,
William G. Williams,
James Orr,
Ansel Sterling,
Walter M. Patterson,
Charles R. Brown,
Chauncey Smith,
J. Wade Hughes, Willard Baker.
PHYSICIANS.
John Williams.
Abner Peck,
Joseph Hamilton, Elmore Everitt,
John Lee,
Milo L. North,
Ashbel Goodrich,
Ebenezer H. Conklin,
David Doty,
Jehiel Abbott,
Jonah Barnes,
Russell Everett,
Phineas Smith,
Ralph Deming,
Samuel R. Gager,
Horace A. Buttolph,
Samuel Rockwell,
Nathan S. Perry,
Simeon Blackman,
Chauncey Reed, Jr.,
Nathaniel Lowrey,
William W. Knight,
John W. Smith, John Sears,
B. W. Munson,
Curtiss J. Hurd,
C. W. Bassett, R. P. Knight.
Daniel Griswold, Simeon Smith,
Charles H. Shears,
* 25
APPENDIX K.
THE following Hymn, composed by the Hon. JOHN COTTON SMITH, was sung at the Celebration of the One Hundredth Anni- versary of the First Town Meeting, December 22, 1839 :
O bless the Lord, whose mighty hand Led our forefathers o'er the main, To spread throughout this distant land, Fair freedom's just and gentle reign.
Not cold, nor want, nor foes array'd, Could the firm Pilgrim's zeal restrain, They trusted in their Saviour's aid, Nor did His servants trust in vain.
Through dangers, toils, and anxious cares, God was their guardian and their stay ; And gave in answer to their prayers, The blessings we enjoy this day.
One century round these hills and plains. Have the Redeemer's praises rung, Still let them rise in lofty strains, From every heart and every tongue.
APPENDIX L.
-
HISTORY AND DEDICATION OF THE SOLDIERS' MONUMENT.
FOR many years prior to 1885 the citizens of the town of Sharon had felt that something should be done toward the erec- tion of a suitable monument to commemorate and perpetuate the memory of the noble deeds and sacrifices made in the late war of the Rebellion by those of her citizens who laid down their lives for their country's cause.
No decided step toward such an end was taken until the year 1885, when Miss Emily O. Wheeler, of New York city, presented to some interested citizens the plans and design for the beautiful piece of workmanship which now stands at the head of the village street.
After consideration by some prominent citizens and members of the John M. Gregory Post, No. 59, G. A. R., a petition for the calling of a town meeting was duly prepared and circulated, and in due time a meeting of the citizens of the town was warned for the 23d day of January, 1885, to consider and take action in the matter.
At the meeting, which was a very large and enthusiastic one, a resolution was introduced providing for the erection of the monument according to the plans and design presented, and, after many fervent remarks, the following resolution was adopted :
196
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
Resolved, That the sum of one thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, by the town of Sharon, for the pur- pose of erecting to the memory of the honored dead, who enlisted from the town and who perished in the late war of the Rebellion, a monument in accordance with the design and plans as furnished by Miss Emily O. Wheeler, and that L. VanAlstyne. Nelson C. Willson and Everett S. Dunbar be and are hereby appointed a com- mittee to locate and erect said monument, and the selectmen of said town are hereby further authorized and empowered to draw their orders on the treasurer of said town for a sum, not exceed- ing $1000, for the aforesaid purpose.
Work was immediately begun upon the monument, and the John M. Gregory Post, No. 59, G. A. R., at a meeting called for that purpose, made arrangements for suitable dedicatory exercises.
The Post also appointed the following committees to carry on the work of preparation for the dedicatory exercises : Com- mittee on speakers-N. C. Willson and Chas. E. Benton. Fi- nances-Abel R. Woodward, Myron F. Whitney and H. C. Rowley. Ceremonies-Dr. W. W. Knight and L. VanAlstyne.
The furnishing of the collation, on the day of dedication, was left to the ladies of Sharon, as they were never known to fail on such occasions, and this conclusion was fully warranted by the bountiful repast they furnished.
The monument was in due time completed and approved by the selectmen of the town, and the 6th day of August, 1885, was set for the unveiling and dedication of the same.
The day dawned bright and beautiful and proved to be all that could be desired. The procession. which was composed of three posts of the G. A. R., two bands, and the speakers of the day, formed at 10 a. m., and marched past the monument to the speakers' stand.
After the rendering of " Hail Columbia," by the Sharon cor- net band, the Rev. Jas. R. Bourne, chairman of the day, made a few introductory remarks and introduced Rev. Dr. C. C. Tiffany, of New York city, who presented the monument, on behalf of the selectmen, to the John M. Gregory Post No. 59, G. A. R.
The "Star Spangled Banner " was then rendered by the Lakeville cornet band, followed by a dedicatory prayer by Rev. C. B. Landon, former pastor of the M. E. Church in Sharon (whose earnest advocacy at the town meeting did much to secure the monument). The Chairman then said he would introduce the
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
next speaker, and if his words were as eloquent as his armless sleeve, as no doubt they would be, our hearts would be deeply moved. Col. A. H. Fenn of Winsted then made the dedicatory address.
At the close of his speech, Col. Fenn read the following verses composed for the occasion by a lady in Sharon, Mrs. John C. Terrett :
DEDICATORY VERSES.
Forget them not ! the brave who sleep On distant fields, on yonder hill, It is our solemn trust to keep Undimmed their memory still.
When the first fearful warning note Came floating o'er our quiet vale, Echoing from every mountain top, Borne on each swelling gale.
Roused by no trumpet's thrilling peal, Bid by no tyrant's word of power, Freely they went at their country's call, In her dark and perilous hour. Our offerings we gratefully bring, And reverently place on each tomb, The fair, early blossoms of Spring, In fragrance and beauty to bloom. Bright emblems of hope for an hour, Then their glory and freshness must fade,
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