USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Danbury > History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896 > Part 8
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EBENEZER NICHOLS.
BORN, MAY 4TH, 1758-DIED, MARCH 6TH, 1843.
HE WAS A REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER, AND WAS IN THE BATTLE WHERE GEN'L WOOSTER WAS SHOT.
HIS PORTRAIT HAS HUNG IN ONE PLACE IN THE OLD HOMESTEAD IN GREAT PLAIN FOR MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS.
1
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
The first house burned stood just west of the Episcopal Church on South Street, but some little distance from the street. There was a long garden attached to it, and at the opposite end of the garden, almost reaching Main Street, was another house.
It is not known who lived in either of these, but they may have been Jonah and Matthew Benedict, who lost property in the fire, and who are supposed to have lived on South Street. Captain Daniel Taylor, Major Taylor, Comfort Hoyt, Jr., and Joseph Wildman were also among the sufferers. The second house fired was on the east side of Main Street, a few rods from the corner of South Street, and where the big pine-tree now stands.
After that there was no order in the firing, but the flames seemed to burst out simultaneously in all directions.
The house of Major Taylor stood on the southwest corner of what are now South and Mountainville streets, and was the last house fired by the British as they left the town. An old lady afterward said that if she had not been so frightened, she could have put out the newly kindled fire with a pail of water.
Dr. John Wood's house, which stood where is now the home- stead of the late Philander Comstock, was destroyed. There were two wells in this vicinity, each of which was filled with iron, cannon-balls, etc., which could not be burned.
On the opposite side of the street the house of Captain John Clark was burned. Next was the house of Major Mygatt, which was burned, as was also the residence of Rev. Ebenezer White, near the court-house.
Zadock Benedict's house stood just north of the depot. Mr. Knapp must have thought the trouble was getting pretty close to him. Captain Joseph P. Cooke also lost his house, which stood on the site of the residence of Mr. Lucius P. Hoyt.
The record says there were in all nineteen houses burned, and also sever.l stores and shops. Near the homestead of the late Samuel C. Wildman was a blacksmith's shop which went up in flame. In it was made a part of the chains with which the Hudson was barricaded at West Point. The meeting-house of the New Danbury Society was burned. This stood on Liberty Street, between Delay Street and Railroad Avenue.
As but nineteen houses were burned, it was not so much of a conflagration after all. Danbury had then a population of some twenty-five hundred. To accommodate these, there must have
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been at least four hundred dwellings in the township, including Bethel village, and nearly, if not quite two hundred in this village. Historians say that every house was burned except those belonging to Tories. If this be so, then the humiliating reflection is ours that the great bulk of Danbury was Tory. Thank Heaven for the strength to believe it was not so ! It is likely that the British burned only those buildings that were available in their hasty getting together, including those whose owners may have been particularly obnoxious to the loyal heart.
With the fire well under way, the pickets were called into the formed line, and the invading army took up its march in retreat.
Tryon did not undertake to return as he came. The force under Wooster, at Bethel, deterred him from that, and he sought to make detour through Ridgebury. The column left Danbury through Wooster Street, taking the Miry Brook Road. It was lighted by the flames of the burning buildings. It was not quite daylight of Sunday morning, April 27th.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE RETREAT AND PURSUIT.
ALL that was transpiring was made known to the anxious American leaders in Bethel by patriotic citizens, who were awake and alert all through that wretched night. When it was told Wooster that the British had withdrawn from Danbury, not moving back the way they came, but going toward the Hudson, he and his companions, Silliman and Arnold, held a brief coun- cil of war. It was suspected that Tryon was trying to make the river, or might possibly be engaged in a detour.
The American force was divided into two troops. Wooster sent Silliman and Arnold with five hundred men across country to Ridgefield. With two hundred men he hurried to Danbury. With the first force he was going to intercept the enemy, with the second he would harass its rear, and do all the damage pos- sible until the general engagement came on.
Before the last of the British were fairly out of the village the gray dawn of the Sabbath waved up from the east through the rain, and as it advanced into the broader light of the new day, it showed the long line of British filing through Miry Brook Road, and the straggling but determined rebels, armed with long muskets, carried with both hands, bringing up the rear, and doing their level best to harass the foe, and succeeding. Still with all their patriotic zeal we are obliged to entertain but a poor idea of their marksmanship, for there is no record that any of the enemy were killed on Danbury soil. Among this crowd of daring, if not effective, persons there was one who was suffi- ciently rapid in his manual of arms, however short he may have fallen from being effective. He was poised on a fence the after- noon before and fired thirty-two shots at the skirmish line of the advancing British, without being touched by a single one of the many bullets sent after him. When his ammunition was gone
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he held up his cartouch-box to the enemy to show its emptiness, and then left, shouting as he ran these very patriotic words :
" He that fights and runs away May live to fight another day. But he that is in battle slain Shall never live to fight again." .
A movement of a body of two thousand men could not be made, of course, without the knowledge of the neighbors. The people of the adjoining districts and villages had been apprised of the arrival of the British in Danbury by the families who had fled from the doomed town. All that Saturday night men were hovering about the place, looking with hungry eyes for every manifestation from the enemy.
No sooner had the line taken up its march than these people knew of it, and determining the route, sought to annoy the march all that was in their power to do.
One of their acts was to destroy the bridge over Wolf Pond Run, in Miry Brook District. When the enemy reached this place they were obliged to stop and throw over a temporary bridge of rails. This made a delay and enabled the forces under Wooster to gain headway.
One historian says that the British marched through Sugar Hollow. This is plausible enough if the force had been an ex- cursion party hurrying to Ridgefield to take a railway train, but no military man would be so insane as to take his men through such a defile, where there was every advantage and ample pro- tection for an enemy.
General Tryon took his people through Ridgebury, having an open country for his skirmishers. He was confident that by making this detour he would mislead Wooster, and escape to his boats without serious interruption.
General Wooster sent Arnold and Silliman, as we have already indicated, direct to Ridgefield, across the country from Bethel, while he struck out in a more northerly direction, intending to strike the foe before he reached Ridgefield.
In this he succeeded. He came upon the enemy while they were breakfasting, about eight o'clock in the morning of that eventful Sunday. He appeared from a piece of woods, and struck a rear regiment with such unexpected force, that he cap-
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tured forty of the men before the command was fairly aware of his presence. He withdrew as rapidly as he came, but shortly after made another dash, while the enemy were in motion, and it was then the fight took place in which he lost his life.
It was about eleven o'clock in the morning when Wooster's force made its second attack. The enemy had six pieces of artillery, three in front and three in the rear. It was with the latter guns that the attack of Wooster was resisted. The scream- ing grapeshot frightened the American troops, and caused them to waver. Seeing this, General Wooster turned in his saddle, and shouted to them, "Come on, my boys ! Never mind such random shots !" And it was then that he received the fatal wound. A musket-ball, said to have been fired by a Tory, struck him in the back, broke the bone, and lodged in his body.
The British must have been on the retreat or his friends would not have been able to recover his person, as he fell when he was shot. The great sash* which he wore was unwound, and being spread out as a blanket, he was put in it and carried from the field. Then he was placed in a carriage and slowly brought back to Danbury. The wound was dressed on the field by a Dr. Turner. In Danbury he was attended by several surgeons. One of his aides took command of his little army after he fell, and retired with them.
This engagement took place amid scrub pines and rocks of a plain two miles north of Ridgefield post-office.
* This sash with his sword is now in Yale College.
CHAPTER XV.
THE FIGHT IN RIDGEFIELD.
THERE are several accounts of this engagement, which was a part of the battle opened by Wooster. According to the accounts, Arnold and Silliman must have reached Ridgefield about the time that Wooster received his fatal wound, at eleven o'clock on Sunday morning. The firing in that fight must have been dis- tinctly heard by Arnold and Silliman.
In the issue of the Connecticut Journal, printed the latter part of that week, May 2d, appeared an account of the raid in Dan- bury and the fight in Ridgefield. Of the latter it says :
" General Arnold, by a forced march across the country, reached Ridgefield at eleven o'clock, and having posted his small party of five hundred men, waited the approach of the enemy, who were soon discovered advancing in a column with three field pieces in front and three in the rear, and large flank guards of war, two hundred men in each. At noon they began discharg- ing their artillery, and were soon within musket-shot, when a smart action ensued between the whole, which continued about an hour, in which our men behaved with great spirit, but being overpowered by numbers were obliged to give way, though not until the enemy were raising a small breastwork, thrown across the way, at which General Arnold had taken post with about two hundred men (the rest of our small body were posted on the flanks), who acted with great spirit. The general had his horse shot under him, when the enemy were within about ten yards of him, but luckily received no hurt. Recovering himself, he drew his pistol and shot the soldier, who was advancing with his bay- onet. He then ordered his troops to retreat through a shower of small and grape shot.
" In the action the enemy suffered very considerably, leaving about thirty dead and wounded on the ground, besides a number of unknown buried. Here we had the misfortune of losing Lieu-
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tenant-Colonel Gold, one subaltern, and several privates killed and wounded.
" It was found impossible to rally our troops, and General Arnold ordered a stand to be made at Saugatuck Bridge, where it was expected the enemy would pass.
" At nine o'clock A.M. the 28th about five hundred men were collected at Saugatuck Bridge, including part of the companies of Colonel Lamb's battalion of artillery, with three field pieces, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald ; a field piece with part of the artillery company from Fairfield, sixty Conti- nental troops, and three companies of volunteers from New Haven, with whom General Arnold and Silliman took post about two miles above the bridge. Soon after the enemy appeared in sight their rear was attacked by Colonel Huntington (command- ing an army of about five hundred men), who sent to General Arnold for instructions, and for some officers to assist him.
" General Silliman was ordered to his assistance. The enemy finding our troops advantageously posted made a halt, and after some little time wheeled off to the left and forded Saugatuck River, three miles above the bridge. General Arnold observing this motion, ordered the whole to march directly for the bridge in order to attack the enemy in the flank, General Silliman at the same time to attack their rear. The enemy, by running full speed, had passed the bridge on Fairfield side with their main body before our troops could cross it. General Silliman finding it impossible to overtake the enemy on their route, proceeded to the bridge, where the whole were formed. They marched in two columns, one with two field pieces on the right, the other on the left of the enemy, when a smart skirmishing and firing of field pieces ensued, which continued about three hours.
" The enemy having gained the high hill of Compo, several attempts were made to dislodge them, but without effect. The enemy landed a number of fresh troops to cover their embarka- tion, which they effected a little before sunset, weighed anchor immediately, and stood across the sound for Huntington, on Long Island. Our loss cannot be exactly ascertained, no return being made. It is judged to be about sixty killed and wounded. Among the killed are one lieutenant-colonel, one captain, four subalterns, and Dr. David Atwater, of New Haven, whose death is greatly lamented by his acquaintances. Among the number wounded are Colonel John Lamb (of artillery), Amah Bradley,
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and Timothy Gorham, volunteers from New Haven, though not mortally.
" The enemy's loss is judged to be more than double our num- ber, and about twenty prisoners. The enemy on this occasion behaved with their usual barbarity, wantonly and cruelly mur- dering the wounded prisoners who fell into their hands, and plundering the inhabitants, burning and destroying everything in their way. The enemy, the day before they left Fairfield, were joined by ten sail, chiefly small sail."
In the March number (1888) of the Magazine of American History, Clifford Bartlett gives a very interesting account of the American side of the conflict in Ridgefield. He says :
" On arriving at Ridgefield, Arnold constructed a barricade across the village street, at its upper end, near the residence of Benjamin Stebbins. The Stebbins house is one of the oldest in the town. It antedates anything of the Revolution in Ridge- field. Here it was that Arnold awaited the enemy's approach, fearless and undaunted, although the odds against him were overwhelming.
" The barricade was made of logs, wagons, and carts, anything the little army could gather for that purpose. The greater part of those who stood behind that barricade were unused to war, and had gone out to save their homes from destruction rather than to do battle with an enemy.
" It was Sunday morning. A thick mass of vapor hung over the earth, with an occasional shower, until about eleven o'clock, when the sky lightened for a moment, revealing the wooded slopes of the Danbury hills, blue and purple in the distance, only again to be hidden by the sweeping masses of clouds.
" When within a few miles of Ridgefield General Wooster fell upon the rear of the column, and a sharp engagement ensued, in which forty Hessians were captured. Still the enemy con- tinued their advance."
The writer speaks briefly of Wooster's second attack, when he received the fatal wound, and then continues :
"Stephen Rowe Bradley, then an aide-de-camp to General Wooster, assumed command, and gathering the scattered troops together retired from the field in good order.
" Arnold and his men awaited the coming storm with breath- less anxiety. At about noon the British, advancing in three columns, came within range, when General Agnew ordered the
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artillery to attack. When within musket range the engagement became general. Being unable to dislodge the Continental at the front, a strong body of Hessians under Agnew finally turned the left of Arnold's position. A column of infantry suddenly appeared over the ledge of rocks, and discharged a volley at General Arnold at a distance of not over thirty yards. He escaped being hit ; his horse fell, being pierced by nine musket balls. The fact that the horse was struck nine times was vouched for by a farmer, who with the aid of some boys skinned the animal the next day.
" The fight at the Stebbins house was stubborn and bloody. Between forty and fifty Americans were killed.
" Colonel Abram Gould was shot about eighty yards east of the Stebbins house, and his body was carried on his horse to his home in Fairfield, where he was buried. His sash and uniform are now in the Trumbull Gallery in New Haven.
" Lieutenants Middlebrook* and William Thompson were * From a tablet in the Long Hill Burying-place at Trumbull, Conn .: "IN MEMORY OF
LIEUT. EPHRAIM MIDDLEBROOK,
Who fought, bled, and died in defence of his Country, at the Battle of Ridgefield, on the 27th day of April, 1777, in the 41st year of his age; and on the 3d day of May was ;in- terred 'here with the Honors of War.
" Here on this Tomb cast an eye, and view the Eagle great : He represents our Liberty, the Union of the States : View in his claws the arrows sharpe, the branch of oak likewise :;
A lively emblem of our smart, for victory o'er our enemies :
For which cause this Hero bled on Ridgefield's bloody plain : And there was numbered with the dead his country's freedom to obtain ::
In memory of which these lines were wrote and to perpetuate his name : That his descendants ne'er forgot that for their freedom he was slain."
-Orcutt's History of Stratford.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
killed. Several of the dead were buried beneath an apple-tree, since decayed, back of the house, now the residence of Abner Gilbert. At the time of the battle Benjamin Stebbins occupied the Stebbins house. His son, Josiah, sympathized with the Royalist cause, and happened to accompany the British on their march from Danbury. Several times during the fight the house caught fire, but the son succeeded in quenching the flames. His crippled father had a narrow escape. In the midst of the con- flict he sought seclusion in a little bedroom with a window look- ing out on the meadow to the east, as the bullets were rattling through the gable end of the old homestead on the roadway. The window was open. All at once a bullet whizzed close to his head and ripped a long, ragged hole through the bedroom door. The room still remains in the same condition, and the door still swings on its rusty hinges. The house was riddled with bullets, and struck several times by solid shot. There are three cannon- balls yet to be seen at the house. Many others have been lost or carried away.
"During the battle the house was used as a hospital for the wounded, and stains of blood that flowed from the wounds of a young British officer, who died there, are to be seen on the sea- soned oak floor of the long west room.
" The old well now stands as it then stood, and supplies the best of water, as it did on that April day to the suffering men who lay in agony within reach of its kindly aid.
" It has been thought that the battle ended with the attack by Wooster and the fight at the Stebbins house. This is prob- ably incorrect. There are strong reasons for the belief that as the British advanced their progress through the town was con- tested with stubborn bravery. Had this not been so, they would not have had to employ their artillery after dislodging the patriots from behind the barricade ; and that the artillery was used throughout their progress through the village is beyond controversy.
" Besides the cannon-balls at the Stebbins house, a solid shot was unearthed a few years ago while repairing the highway in front of the residence of Governor Lounsbury. Then there is the famous shot embedded in the Keeler tavern, besides numer- ous cannon-balls which have been found at different points along the course of the march maintained through the town, the red- coats pressing forward and the patriots falling stubbornly back.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
On the ridge, where in late years the Agricultural Society held its annual fairs, the British encamped for the night. After burning several houses and destroying other property, the enemy, on the morning of the 28th, resumed their march toward the Sound."
In the London Gazette of June 7th, 1777, was printed Sir William Howe's official report of the foray. He says (the italics closing the first paragraph are ours) :
" The troops landed on the afternoon of April 25th (Friday), four miles to the eastward of Norwalk and twenty miles from Danbury. In the afternoon of the 26th the detachment reached. Danbury, meeting only small parties of the enemy on their march, but General Tryon having intelligence that the whole force of the country was collecting, to take every advantage of the strong ground he was to pass on his return to the shipping, and finding it impossible to procure carriages to bring off any part of the stores, they were effectually destroyed, in the execu- tion of which the village was unavoidably burnt.
" On the 27th, in the morning, the troops gutted Danbury, and met with little opposition until they came near to Ridge- field, which was occupied by General Arnold, who had thrown up entrenchments to dispute the passage, while General Wooster hung upon the rear with a separate corps. The village was forced and the enemy driven back on all sides.
" General Tryon lay that night at Ridgefield and renewed his march on the morning of the 28th. The enemy having been reinforced with troops and cannon, disputed every advantageous situation, keeping at the same time small parties to harass the rear, until the general had formed his detachment upon a height within cannon-shot of the shipping, when the enemy advancing, seemingly with an intention to attack him, he ordered the troops to charge with their bayonets, which was executed with such im- petuosity that the rebels were totally put to flight, and the de- tachment embarked without further molestation.
" The enclosed returns set forth the loss sustained by the king's troops, and that of the enemy from the best information.
" Return of the stores, ordnance, provisions, etc., found at the rebels' stores, and destroyed by the king's troops, in Dan- bury :
" A quantity of ordnance stores, with iron, etc .; 4000 barrels
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of beef and pork ; 1000 barrels of flour ; 100 large tierces of bis- cuit ; 89 barrels of rice ; 120 puncheons of rum ; several large stores of wheat, oats, and Indian corn, in bulk, the quantity thereof could not possibly be ascertained ; 30 pipes of wine ; 100 hogsheads of sugar ; 50 ditto of molasses ; 20 casks of coffee ; 15 large casks filled with medicines of all kinds ; 10 barrels of saltpetre ; 1020 tents and marquees ; a number of iron boilers ; a large quantity of hospital bedding ; engineers', pioneers', and carpenters' tools ; a printing-press complete ; tar, tallow, etc .; 5000 pairs of shoes and stockings. At a mill between Ridgebury and Ridgefield, 100 barrels of flour and a quantity of Indian corn.
" Returned of the killed, wounded, and missing : One drum- mer and fifer, and 23 rank and file killed ; 3 field officers, 6 cap- tains, 3 subalterns, 9 sergeants, 92 rank and file wounded ; 1 drummer and fifer and 27 rank and file missing. Royal artillery, 2 additional killed, 3 matrosses and 1 wheeler wounded, and 1 matross missing.
" Return of the rebels killed and wounded. Killed : General Wooster, Colonel Goold, Colonel Lamb, of the artillery, Colonel Henman, Dr. Atwater, a man of considerable influence, Captain Cooe, Lieutenant Thompson, 100 privates. Wounded : Colonel Whiting, Captain Benjamin, Lieutenant Cooe, 250 privates. Taken : Fifty privates, including several committeemen."
GENERAL DAVID WOOSTER.
CHAPTER XVI.
GENERAL WOOSTER'S DEATH.
POOR Wooster ! He little realized when he started for our insignificant hamlet that it would become his everlasting home so far as this world is concerned, and that here the only substan- tial honor he should ever receive would be given.
In the Dibble mansion, where Tryon but a few hours before had had his headquarters, the unfortunate general was placed. A local surgeon dressed the wound as well as he was able, and shortly after a more experienced man came from New Haven to attend him.
The bullet, which is said to have been fired by a Tory, entered his back obliquely, just as he turned to wave on his men, and cutting the spinal cord, was buried in his stomach. The nature of the wound precluded recovery even had he received the best skill on the moment.
His wife arrived from New Haven, but a delirium had seized him, and he did not recognize her.
For three days he lay in the old South Street house, suffering untold agony, and then he fell into a stupor. This was Thurs- day morning of that eventful week.
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