USA > Connecticut > Historic towns of the Connecticut River Valley > Part 8
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MIDDLETOWN.
Upper Houses (now the Town of Cromwell) was set off and incorporated as a separate parish.
In time, Middletown became, not only the largest town in Connecticut, but also the most important port. Vessels of a high grade were built there and a large and profitable trade with foreign countries was established. The first vessel owned in the town was a schooner of seventy tons. In fact there were but two vessels owned in Connecticut in that year, the other being a ninety-ton schooner owned in Hartford. For half a century this seventy-ton schooner carried the entire trade of Middletown, with but very rare occasions when ships arrived from Boston. In 1730, Middletown owned two schooners of a combined tonnage of 105.
In 1680, there was but one merchant in Middletown and half a century later, in 1730, there were but two. One of these, James Brown, a Scotchman, rode on horseback all the way to Boston, once or twice a year, over Indian trails, the only high- ways, to purchase his goods. They were sent around by water or, more probably, brought around by one of the two schooners. By the time 1760 had arrived, there was a considerable trade with the West Indies, which increased year by year. The shipping finally included many home ports as well as a consider- able trade with ports across the Atlantic. By the time the actual break was made between the Colonies and the Old Country, that is, in 1776, seventeen families out of fifty, which resided on Main street, were directly connected with the sea, either as ship builders, owners, merchants or rope makers. The building of vessels began as early as 1700, in a small way. The vessels built in Middletown and other neighboring settlements of the river, were famous for their seaworthiness and speed. In 1776, the population of Middletown was 5,000. To us of to-day, accus- tomed as we are to reckon populations by the hundred thousands, just what so large a population meant is hard to realize. Perhaps a comparison will help. In 1776, New York city had 23,000 inhabitants, so that Middletown was then a little more than one fifth the size of New York. In 1900, Boston was but one sixth as large as New York. So in 1776, Middletown bore about the same relation to New York that Boston does now. It was not only the greatest ship-building and commercial center between the
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OLD SOUTH WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, MIDDLETOWN.
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two greatest cities of the nation, New York and Boston, but it was the wealthiest and most cultivated town in New England. The commerce built up the farming interests so that the agricul- turists were prosperous and could indulge in those home and ,educational luxuries that have ever been dear to the hearts of the Connecticut farmer. The intercourse of the merchants of the town with those of foreign countries had the effect of rounding off corners and smoothing rough places, thus making Middletown noted for refinement and cultivation.
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The chief of those early merchants was Richard Alsop. He was a son of John Alsop, of Long Island, a well known lawyer, who later settled and practiced his profession in Esopus, on the Hudson. Richard Alsop, in accord with an old English custom, which still obtains in the Old Country, was regularly trained for the occupation of merchant, in Philip Livingston's store in New York city. He arrived in Middletown in 1750, where he was attracted by the growing importance of the place, about the year in which Middletown's commercial supremacy began. His store was on the ground floor of the Town House on Main street, near Washington street. His business was really great, so much so, that he off occasions insured vessels for others. Besides his prominence as a merchant and man of wealth, he was prominent in the affairs of the Colony and was in the Legislature for several terms. He left a great fortune at his death. Besides his book accounts ; a large sum of money in safe keeping in Jamaica and . interest in two partnerships ; he left $174,000.
Another of the successful men of that day was Philip Mortimer, who manufactured rope. His house was a marvel of grandeur. The grounds surrounding it, on the bank of the river, were exten- sive and ornate. But the prosperity of Middletown, especially the shipping interests, was suspended while the Revolutionary War was being fought, to be revived later to a certain extent, if not fully. Some of the other merchants and traders of the ante-Revolutionary period were; General Comfort Sage, Colonel Lemuel Stors, Elijah and Nehemiah Hubbard, George and Thompson Philips.
The news of the closing of the port of Boston by General Gage, who arrived there in 1774, stirred up the people of Middletown as no other New England town was, or could be stirred, for
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besides the spirit of patriotism which they shared equally with all New England, there was the serious financial blow to the commercial interests of the principal shipping port between Boston and New York. This loss of trade did not reduce the disinterested patriotism of the people; there was no faint-hearted policy shown in the hope of retaining trade at the expense of the community or the Colonies as a whole. On the contrary, their patriotism was intensified. The resolutions passed by the Legis- lature at Hartford condemning the " unrighteous " act of the British Government, was endorsed by more than five hundred of the citizens of Middletown, who met on June 15, 1774, for that purpose and to pledge their wealth and their lives for the support of the people at large and the defense of their rights.
The resolutions adopted at that historical meeting of the people of Middletown, were typical of the spirit of New England, just previous to and during the Revolutionary period. They were :
That we heartily concur in any salutary measures that may or shall be devised and come into, or recommended by a General Congress, from all or most of the Colonies, or by the Greater places of trade or com- merce on the continent, or by the inhabitants of this Colony for the preservation of the rights of the British Americans.
That Messrs. Matthew Talcott, Richard Alsop, and Titus Hosmer be our committee of correspondence, whose duty it shall be to collect all such intelligence as may enable us to act our part presently and to good effect, in the system of America; to communicate such intelligence to others as may be useful to them and the common cause, and in our own behalf to cooperate with the Committees of other towns, in concerting or executing any general plan of proceeding for the good of the whole.
These two resolutions are an expression of unselfish patriotism which the present generation should regard as one of its most valued inheritances. These men even went so far as to assure the Massachusetts delegates, who stopped in Middletown on their way to the first Continental Congress, that they would support whatever course the Congress should decide upon, even to the total abolition of trade with the West Indies and Europe. And these were the men whose luxurious homes, whose wealth and position, were made possible by the foreign commerce they were so ready to have entirely cut off for the good of the Colonies.
When that far sounding shot was fired at Lexington, Captain
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Return Jonathan Meigs, and Captain Comfort Sage and his company of light horse, both of Middletown, and Captain Silas Dunham, of Chatham, immediately marched to Boston, Captain Sage and Captain Dunham being there a little in advance of Captain Meigs, whose company was ununiformed and without equipment, except the equipment of brave spirits and determined minds.
LEAD MINE.
Although the ore was not sent to Great Britain, it was given to hundreds of British soldiers from the barrels of Yankee muskets.
Several years before this event, a company of foreigners had spent a great deal of money upon a lead mine that had been discovered in Middletown and from which many tons of ore had been taken by a Colonel James, of the British army, for exportation. The ore and the mine was taken by Connecticut and although the lead was not sent to Great Britain, it was given to hundreds of British soldiers from the barrels of Yankee muskets and rifles.
Middletown's officers and privates in the Revolution were many and distinguished for their unwavering patriotism and for their 7
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skill in the profession of arms. One of them, Colonel Joseph Blague, who was a captain in the battle of Saratoga, was so highly esteemed by General Lafayette for his bravery, and skill as an officer, that he took occasion, when General Washington was present, to present Colonel Blague with a very handsome sword. This sword was highly esteemed by Colonel Blague's descendants and was for many years in the possession of the Covil family, Colonel Covil having married a daughter of Colonel Blague.
The war spirit which aimed at Independence so entirely possessed the people of Middletown, that the men, whose age placed them beyond military duty, formed themselves into a company that they might drill and become proficient in the use of arms. Their example acted as a stimulus to those other patriots whose youth kept them from fighting. In case of neces- sity the company of old men acted as a home guard. The boys and youths soon followed the example of their elders and organ- ized a company. And the women (those glorious Yankee moth- ers, wives, sisters and sweethearts, whose fiery patriotism was such a stimulus to the men; who worked in the homes weaving, making and knitting for the men and boys in the field) when they found the men too few at home, actually went to work in" the fields to plant, cultivate and harvest the crops. And what the women of Middletown did, was done by the women of all New England.
The Meigs family originated in Guilford, in that part of it which is now the town of Madison, but Captain Return Jonathan Meigs was a native of Middletown. His ready response to the call sent out from Lexington; has already been mentioned. As a major, he was with Arnold on his expedition up the Kenebeck, through Maine to Quebec, and he not only showed himself to be a soldier of the highest grade, but an author of equal merit for his account of the hardship, the misery and suffering of that undertaking is the best that was written of it. Major Meigs entered the walls of the city with his battalion, and was made a prisoner with Captain Morgan and Captain Dearborn, who later became general officers. Major Meigs' exchange was effected in 1777, and he was immediately commissioned a lieutenant- colonel and was authorized to raise a regiment. This he accom- plished in part, and was then assigned by General Parsons to
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surprise and capture Sag Harbor, near the eastern end of Long Island. While this successful undertaking is really outside of the subject of Middletown, it will be given briefly as eminently illustrative of the ability, dash and determination of one of Middletown's sons.
Major Meigs and 230 men in thirteen whale-boats started (this time a very lucky number) from New Haven and hugged the Connecticut shore as far as Sachem's Head, in the town of Guilford, in order that they might more easily cross the sound, its width being considerably less at that point. There he took into his boats 170 more of his men and at one o'clock in the afternoon of May 23, left for Sag Harbor, where they arrived twelve hours later. They advanced with secrecy and in silence to within two hundred yards of the enemy and made their attack, with fixed bayonets, from five points. A 12-gun British schooner lying near the wharves opened fire, but so rapid were their movements that the place was captured before the shot from the guns could do any damage. Twelve British vessels were destroyed, together with a great quantity of provisions and forage; six of the enemy were killed and ninety were taken prisoners. All this was accomplished, with a boat journey of ninety miles, in twenty-five hours from the time the start was made, without the loss of a single man. In recognition of this dashing and successful exploit, Congress presented Colonel Meigs with an elegant sword.
When General Wayne captured Stony Point, in 1779, Colonel Meigs was in command of a regiment there and John Stone, a private from Middle Haddam, helped pull down the British standard. After the war Colonel Meigs spent a brief time at his home in Middletown and, in 1787, he went with the earliest settlers to Marietta, Ohio. The governor and judges of the Northwest Territory had not then arrived so the settlers were without law or authority. Colonel Meigs, however, drew up a system of regulations, which the settlers frequently consulted and lived under till the arrival of the government. A portion of the bark of a great oak was cut away and these regulations were nailed in the space thus made, where all could see them.
A white man may with comparative ease win the confidence and regard of other white men, but when he wins the con-
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fidence, trust and affection of his red brothers he has indeed ac- complished something that only a true man could accomplish. In his old age, Colonel Meigs was appointed Indian agent to the Cherokees. It was not long before they discovered the kind of man whom the government had sent to them and, in their poeti- cally figurative language, wishing to give him a name that would express what he was to them and the trust they had in him, they named him " The White Path ". Colonel Meigs died in his eighty- third year, in 1823, still the faithful friend of the Cherokees. At his fun- eral, Divine Providence was petitioned, that his successors at the Chero- kee station might walk in the " White Path "
Colonel Meigs' three brothers, Giles, John and Josiah, were honorable representatives of an honored family. Giles lived and died in Middle- town. He was a captain of militia in the Revolu- tion. John volunteered in the beginning of the THE ROCK MARKING THIE SITE OF THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE IN MIDDLETOWN. war and served till peace was declared. He was an adjutant in Colonel Webb's regiment and served for a time as brigade major. He was commissioned a lieutenant and was later promoted to a captaincy. He died in New Hart- ford, in 1826, at the age of seventy-three. Josiah, after being graduated from Yale, remained as a tutor and later studied law and practiced in Bermuda. After returning to Connecticut he was for many years professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in Yale, and later president of the University of Georgia, at Athens in that state; he was Surveyor General of the United States and finally was appointed the head of the
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Government Land Office, in Washington, where he died in his sixty-fifth year, in 1822.
Nehemiah Hubbard was born in Middletown, in April, 1752. He was a descendant of George Hubbard, one of the earliest settlers. When fourteen years old, Nehemiah was " bound out " to Colonel Matthew Talcot, as a clerk in his store, where he remained till he was of age, in the meantime acquiring a thorough business education and a knowledge of commerce. Upon obtaining his majority, he went to the West Indies as supercargo, later as captain of the vessel and finally as merchant. He entered the Continental Army in 1776, before the Declaration of Independence had been signed, and in May of that year was appointed by Governor Trumbull regimental paymaster of the regiment commanded by Colonel Burrill. His first act under this appointment was to journey to Fort Schuyler (which was the former British Fort Stanwix) and Herkimer, on the Mohawk River, to pay the troops stationed at those forts. He then joined his regiment at Ticonderoga, where it was stationed for a con- siderable time. Major General Green, Quarter-master of the United States, appointed him his deputy for the State of Con- necticut, in May, 1777. Mr. Hubbard acted as deputy until the resignation of General Green. Colonel Pickering, Acting Quar- ter-master General, appointed him to the position of deputy, but Mr. Hubbard declined. He then associated himself with Carter and Wadsworth in the service, for furnishing supplies to the French army. On the frequent occasions when the Continental army was suffering for supplies, Connecticut often saved the soldiers from great distress by supplying the needed food and clothing. That this was possible, was due to the energy, promptness and business ability of Paymaster Hubbard.
A striking instance of the confidence reposed in Mr. Hubbard by the great men of the nation, in Revolutionary days, was the unsuccessful effort of Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, to induce Mr. Hubbard to take the management of a department he intended to organize, for promoting the manufac- turing interests of the young nation. At the close of the Revolu- tion he returned to Middletown, and became one of the foremost merchants and bankers of the place. The secret of Mr. Hub- bard's success was a prompt attention to the business in hand
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and of being methodical in all he undertook to do. He was an active, generous citizen, and was regarded as one of Middletown's most honorable sons. Mr. Hubbard died at the age of eighty-five in. February, 1837.
Titus Hosmer was one of the Committee of Correspondence that was appointed by Middletown at the breaking out of the war with Great Britain. Mr. Hosmer was one of the most liber- ally educated and highly cultivated men of his time, not only in Middletown, but in the Colony of Connecticut. Noah Webster, the American lexicographer, regarded him as one of the greatest men Connecticut ever produced, and placed him on one of the three pedestals of his "mighties". They were: William Samuel Johnson, L.L.D., of Stratford; Oliver Ellsworth, of Windsor, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court; and the Hon. Titus Hosmer.
He was a graduate of Yale, in the class of 1757, and while an undergraduate was notable for his knowledge of science and languages, and for his cleverness as a writer. After leaving Yale, he studied law and became one of the foremost lawyers of the Colony. He was frequently elected to office in his town and was a representative from Middletown to the Legislature from 1773 to 1778, and assistant from the latter date to 1780. It was in 1777, as speaker of the House of Representatives, that his influence did much to urge that body to adopt vigorous measures against Great Britain. In 1778, besides being an assistant in the Legislature, he was a member of the Continental Congress and of the Council of Safety. So it is plainly seen, that besides being a writer of fine thoughts in verse and prose, he was also a hard and untiring worker for the cause of the Colonies.
When Congress, in 1780, found the creation of a Federal Court of Appeals necessary, the names of seven of the most prominent lawyers of the entire country were placed in nomination, from which number three were to be elected. Titus Hosmer was one, William Paca, of Maryland, and George Wythe, of Virginia, were the other members. Mr. Hosmer's death occurred suddenly in August, 1780, at the age of forty-four.
It is rather unusual for a conspicuous father to be succeeded by sons who, in all respects, wear the garments of their father's
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ยท greatness with naturalness and honor. The two sons of Titus Hosmer conferred additional honor upon the honored name, and they lived close to the high standard of their father. They were ; Stephen Titus, and Hezekiah. Lord Hosmer. Stephen entered Yale and applied himself closely to his academic duties until the routine of college life was interrupted by the Revolution. He completed his collegiate course under Dr. Dwight and his name was enrolled as a member of the class that was graduated in 1782. In the choice of a profession he followed his father's footsteps and studied law under his guardian, the Hon. Oliver Ellsworth, and under the Hon. William S. Johnson, and in 1785 was ad- mitted to practice. His father had left little or no estate, so he was obliged to depend entirely upon his own ability from the start. Writers of his day say, that he had the largest practice of any lawyer in Middlesex County. He continued to practice his profession till he was appointed a judge of the Superior Court, in 1815. As a judge, he continued the study of law and so marvellous was his memory that it was seldom necessary for him to refer to the Reports when citing cases or points of law. He later became Chief Justice of the Superior Court and con- tinued in that office until his seventy-first year, the extreme age limit allowed by the Constitution. He died in Middletown, in August, 1834.
Hezekiah Lord Hosmer was a graduate of Yale in 1785, a lawyer of note and a member of Congress, but as he settled in Hudson, New York, he passes out of this narrative.
MIDDLETOWN'S CHURCHES.
As has been previously mentioned, the first public worship in Middletown, was under the shade of a grand old elm tree. There the hardy settlers held their services for about two years. In 1652, two years after the settlement was effected, the people built a rude little log church, close to the great elm, which stood near the site of the Parochial School of St. John's Church.
The Rev. Samuel Stow, a Harvard graduate of 1645, was the leader of public worship for the first seven years, although not the permanently settled minister of the Church. At this time the people were divided in opinion in regard to what is known
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historically, as the "Half-way Covenant ". This produced a difference of opinion as to the wisdom of installing Mr. Stow as minister. The matter was of so great importance that the General Court took it .up in 1661, and ordered that the people of Middletown should have entire liberty to choose their own minister. Eventually, Mr. Stow gave up the ministry and lived as a private citizen in Middletown.
The earnest desire of the people, in regard to their spiritual lives was realized in 1668, when the Church had a settled pastor, and had made Covenant with God and with each other. On November 4, 1668, the Rev. Nathaniel Collins was called and was ordained by the Revs. Messrs. Mather and Whiting. The Church stood upon the Cambridge Platform.
The Strict Congregationalists had a society and church in Middletown, in 1754, but there were members of that denomina- tion before that year. They were the outgrowth of the great and general revival in religious matters, in the British Colonies in North America, in 1741 and '42, when a few persons joined themselves to that faith in Middletown.
The Rev. Ebenezer Frothingham, a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the first minister of the Strict Church of Middle- town, had been in charge of the Strict Church of Wethersfield. The Church in Middletown grew from tiny proportions to suffi- cient strength for two Churches, in 1788, under Mr. Frothing- ham's pastorate, the second being in Westfield.
At the time of the formation of the Second Church, Mr. Frothingham was dismissed from the Middletown Church and the Rev. Stephen Parsons became minister of the Westfield Church. He was dismissed in 1795, as his sentiments on the subject and mode of baptism had undergone a change. Soon after 1812, the Church had dwindled greatly and was therefore voluntarily dissolved, but in 1816, four men and nine women formed a new Church and from then on the denomination grew ir numbers and strength. Among its later ministers were the Rev. William H. Beecher-a son of the famous Congregationalist and Christian - the Rev. Lyman Beecher - who was installed minister in 1833; and the Rev. Andrew L. Stone, a graduate of Yale, in the class of 1837, who was installed in 1844, and later became the minister of the old Park Street Church, in Boston.
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The Congregational spirit was strong in Connecticut; even more, it was dominant, but it was not so intense as it was in eastern Massachusetts, so the establishment of a Church of the Anglican Communion was not unnatural at an early date, especially in Middletown, where the mental cultivation of the people and the broadening effects of their foreign commerce had, from the earliest times, produced a degree of catholicity that welcomed all sects of Christians.
There was not an Episcopal Parish organized in Middletown before 1749, but that service was held in the homes of the few Churchmen is quite probable. The Rev. James Wetmore, a native of Middletown, who was the first Congregational minister of North Haven, had a strong inclination toward the Episcopal Church and finally, in 1724, he joined that body and became a priest. It is probable that he held service and administered the Sacraments at periods between 1724, and 1749. It is also quite probable, that the Rev. Jeremiah Leaming, who was born in Middletown, held service previous to 1749.
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