History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 126

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572

USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 126

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" A month after this, one night while her brother, aged twenty years, was on guard with others, she heard the dogs bark, and then a challenge of 'Who comes there?' The answer was, with an oath, 'A friend to King George;' and immediately guns were fired and there was a trampling of steps down the road. One came and said that her brother was wounded, and presently he was brought in dead, shot through the head. Three were killed, who were all in their twell- tieth year, two wounded.

"One night the enemy entered her father's house when they were in bed, seized her father, and car- ried him a prisoner to New York; they would not

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stop to let him dress. They came into her room ; she told them they were only children there. 'D-n her!' said one; 'lift up the bed.' They thrust their bayonets under the bed and went off.

"Daniel Nash, aged seventy-seven, son of Daniel, son of Micajah, was told by his grandfather that his grandfather was the first male child born in the town. What his name was he does not know. (It is among the genealogical records, John Nash.) His sons' names were John and Nathan. From the last John proceeded all the Nash families in this region. Na- than had no children. He was the first churchman in the family. This account Daniel Nash had from his grandfather, who was brought up by said Nathan. The reason of his change was this: he had been brought up in great abhorrence of religious forms, and when at a meeting of ministers one of them read a portion of the Bible, Nathan much disliked it, and so resented it that he went occasionally to church, say- ing that they might just as well read prayers as read the Bible, and so turned churchman.

" When the Revolution broke out Daniel Nash was a boy, about four years old, at Patchogue, L. I. Remembers the time when the tea was thrown over- board at Boston. Remembers hearing, before Nor- walk was burnt and afterwards, what was the reason why Governor Tryon burned it. Some of the Long Island people were refugees on the Connecticut shore (Long Island was in possession of the British). These refugees used to pilot the Americans when they went in whale-boats to Long Island for plunder. Gov- ernor Tryon said if the people on this side did not stop that, he would come over and burn the town; and he did burn it.

" Nathaniel Raymond, aged ninety-four, May 1, 1847. Has lived near the Old Well wharf all his days; was a corporal in the guard; a Revolution- ary pensioner; lay often on the rocks at Belden's Point; was at New York among the Connecticut troops when the British landed at Flatbush, and in the lines across the island after the British crossed into New York. When the British came to burn the town they landed at Fitche's Point Saturday night. He carried such of his household effects as he could down near the pottery called the village and hid them in a swamp, then carried his father and mother and some of their effects back some three miles in a cart; returned, and with fourtcen others, volunteers, under their own command, took arms, and went up to the hill where John Raymond lived. In the night the British fired a ball at them at random. It struck the ground near them. Sunday morning the harbor was full of boats. They landed at the Old Well; chased the fifteen volunteers over John Raymond's hill, by where Capt. D. K. Nash now lives, and so over to Round Hill, dragging a field-piece, which they fired at the volunteers from the top of Round Hill. When the British landed, the volunteers fired at them from John Raymond's hill. Saw Grum-

mon's Hill 'all red' with the British; there was 'old Tryon and all his tribe.' The two parties of the enemy met near Grummon's Hill and went up to France Strect, where was a skirmish. There were about thirty American regular soldiers in town. Ja- cob Nash (the grandfather of Capt. Daniel K. Nash) was killed there. He was a regular soldier, at home on a furlough. Our men had an old iron four- pounder at the rocks, which the British took and spiked. The Rev. Mr. Leaming was 'as big a Tory as ever there could be on earth.' . He continued praying for the king in public worship till the inhab- itants forbade him. Very many of his congregation were Torics, but the people never molested such as did not commit any hostile act. The violent Tories were seized and shut up in Pudding Lane, some car- ried to jail. The Tories were the informers and pilots of the enemy, and those who went off often came back with parties, plundering, driving off cattle, and carrying away such men as they were able to lay their hands on.

"Mrs. Mary Esther St. John (widow of William), aged ninety-four in November, 1846. When Fair- field was burnt her father was harvesting down in the Neck. Expecting the British to come here imme- diately, they left the harvest; but when the British crossed to Long Island her father rallied hands and went down to his harvesting. Saturday, near night, the alarm-guns fired. Her husband rode down to the Neck and returned ; his horse was wet with sweat, as though he had been in the water. She was about putting some bread in the oven. A woman who lived with Mr. Belden came running in and asked, 'Arc you going to stay ?' 'No, I am going out of the way.' 'Well,' said the woman, 'I shall stay ; I will go to Governor Tryon and plead for the house. When he was governor he stayed with us one night, with his attendants and horses. I will tell him of that, and we are friends to the government.' Mrs. St. John said, 'If you are going to stay, take my dough.' She took it, and presently came running for the oven-wood. Mrs. St. John and her husband and family, with what effects they could carry, went up into the woods at the East Rocks. They had a bedstead, which they set up ; milked the cows which they drove with them, drank the milk, and stayed there that night. In the morn- ing the guns were firing; the smoke of the burning houses rose. Her husband said, 'The work is begun ; they are burning the town.' The woman succeeded in saving Mr. Belden's house. She told Mrs. St. John that she went up to Grummon's Hill, where Governor Tryon sat, with chairs and a table, writing his orders. She begged for the house; he wrote her a protection, and sent with her a file of soldiers. When she reached the house it had already been set on fire in two places, but the soldiers put it out.

"The town-house, which stood where the present one stands, was in the Revolution occupied as a guard- house. The troops, on their passage to New York,

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used to lodge there. She saw many of them not more than fifteen or sixteen years old. Mr. Leaming she knew well. She attended his church. He continued to pray for the king as long as he dared to. He went away with the British. It was sad to live in the midst of war, but what was the most unpleasant of all was the difference of sentiments among neighbors and kin- dred. Mrs. St. John lived, in the Revolution, on the old St. John place, nearly opposite Governor Bissell's. Her house that was burnt in the Revolution stood be- tween the site of the present house and the widow Buckingham St. John's, at the foot of Gruminon's Hill. The latter place was then occupied by a family named Grummon."

The following from the columns of the Norwalk Gazette are valuable contributions to the historic lit- erature of the town. The first article is editorial, and the latter is from the pen of Rev. Dr. T. S. Childs :

"Dr. Hall, in giving the narrative of Miss Phoebe Comstock and of her colored servant Onesimus, has mixed two different incidents, both of which were re- lated to us many score times during our childhood by 'Miss Phoebe' and ' O-ne,' as both used to be familiarly known and called.

"On the landing of the red-coats, as the British troops were always called, O-ne was raking salt hay on what for more than a century has been known as . the Comstock Salt-Hay plat, near the present Keyser Island. He saw the British fleet make its way up past Smith's Island and come to anchor between Keyser's and Calf Pasture. A yawl-boat filled with soldiers was rowed up to near where he was, when, seeing the decks of all the vessels, or 'sloops,' as O-ne termed them, covered with soldiers, he ran for his horse, which stood saddled under a tree, and, mounting, put the animal to his fastest paces till he reached Old Well, where he gave the alarm, then ran his horse to the bridge, where the general alarm was sounded by firing guns, etc. He then rode as hastily as possible to his home, then with the elder Miss Plicbe on the crest of the hill northeast from the present residence of William L. Waring, Esq., of New Canaan. On reaching home, all the cattle, including the horses, oxen, and cows, were hastily driven off and into the Whortleberry Hills woods, where the modern Miss Phoebe, whom Dr. Hall interviewed, and her elder sis- ter stayed out all night watching them so they should neither fall into the hands of their Tory neighbors (who used to steal cattle for the British, and who were their greatest dread) nor stray away. Next forenoon the younger Miss Phoebe returned home for food, leav- ing her sister still in the woods with the cattle, where they had watched all night.

"On gaining the crest of the hill at her home she saw the smoke from the burning of Norwalk. She climbed an apple-tree and could plainly see the sol- diers-red-coats-moving about and houses burning. She watched the meeting-house, then standing at or near the present home of Charles S. Lockwood, on

East Avenue, and saw the steeple fall in. It was the 'dreadfulest day' she ever experienced, she oft repeated. Her father and four brothers and O-ne had gone down and taken their guns to assist in the defense, and the women were left all alone at home. The inen-folks were all enrolled in what was called the 'guard.' Miss Phobe and O-ne never varied in their story to us that the larger portion of the British forces landed on Calf Pasture Beach and marched up past the late William Marvin's residence. This body was joined by a smaller force, which had rowed to Fitche's Point before landing, and formed a junction with the main body just below the present railroad bridge on lower East Avenue. A third smaller detachment rowed up in their small boats and landed at Old Well (South Norwalk), on the flats just below and very near the present Raymond Brothers' coal-docks. This body, whose progress was resolutely resisted, marched around by Flax Hill to West Avenue, and ultimately formed a junction with Tryon, who had established his headquarters on the crest of Grum- mon's Hill. Rev. C. M. Sellick now has the chair which the Phoebe Comstock traditious say Tryon sat in on that occasion. All testimony agrees in that he sat there coolly viewing and enjoying the devastation of the town, in full sight of the terror-stricken women and children, whose male guardians were all engaged in harassing the enemy from every possible place of concealment and safety. The only regular figlit of the day amounting even to the dignity of a skirmish was, according to Aunt Phoebe and O-ne, in the rear of the present house of William B. E. Lockwood, Esq. The main body of the little band of our town's defenders were retreating towards the Rocks, heavily pressed by the red-coats, but contesting every rod of the way by concealing themselves behind stone fences, trees, and bushes, but on reaching the rear of the Lockwood place they made a stand, and quite a lively engagement ensued. But, overwhelmed with the opposing numbers, they continued their retreat up the Rocks road. The bullets and splintering done by the musket-fire may yet be seen in some of the rear portions of Mr. Lockwood's house, which is still preserved.

" Many of the British soldiers got wine and cider and were very drunk. The houses were robbed before being set fire to, but ' up town' the people had moved their valuables to Silver Mine, Belden's Hill, or the Rocks, and buried all their silver and small things. Some few had delayed, or having sympathized with their Tory minister, Rev. Mr. Leaming, supposed they would be safe from molestation ; but, finding the red- eoats as alert to rob them as the colonists, had to throw their silverware and small valuables into the well and flee. Six houses only were sard in the town. One stood where the Rev. S. B. S. Bissell now resides. One was the old Horace Taylor house, on West Ave- nue, and where George Washington subsequently stopped and stayed all night on his trip to Boston.

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

This house was removed from the site of James H. Knapp's residence, but is now standing on the hill west of A. J. Crofut's. Another one was the old 'Tommy Benedict' house, still standing next . below Mrs. Dr. Lynes'. The Benedict family traditions say that this house was so old then that a new house had been built, into which the family had moved, leaving the colored servants (slaves) to occupy the old house, which is now standing. This was attempted to be burned by setting fire to a straw bed, but one of the colored men who had lid away, seeing the smoke, got back into the house, threw the burning bed back into the yard, and saved the house, and later in the day they brought two wounded red-coats there to be treated by their army surgcon, and the following winter twelve families were crowded into it for shelter. This prop- erty had continued in possession of the Benedict family from the first settlement of Norwalk down to within the last dozen or twenty years. When George Washington stayed at the old Taylor house all night the news spread rapidly around, and Miss Phebe heard of it and rode down on a pillion behind O-ne to get a sight of him. She told us that he had just started to continue his coach-ride to Boston. He had four horses with outriders. When he got opposite Tommy Benedict's cider-mill he had his carriage stopped and asked for a drink of the new cider they were then making. A pail was brought him, and, as no dipper was handy, he stood up in his coach and drank the cider out of the pail. So she had a real good look at him, and felt well paid for her horseback- ride down from the country to see the great George Washington. Another house that escaped the confla- gration was on the northeast side of Pudding Lane, now Main Street, and formerly known as the old Whitney place. A great many houses belonging to the Tories were also burned, which so filled them with indignation that many afterwards joined the colonists in resistance to the British rule. Another was the ancient homestead of the earliest Mott family, and which came into the possession of the writer some thirty years ago and was our residence down to the period of the late war. This house was quite a pre- tentious structure for those days, and the red-coats set fire to it-as the family legends run-on the broad shelves of the unfloored milk pantry. These burned into and dropped to the ground, and the fire went out. The colonists from near this house poured a lively musket-fire on the red-coats coming up West Avenue, and this led to several shots being fired from the field- piece the artillery had in position close by Tryon on top of Grummon's Hill. One of these English solid shot was subsequently dug up nearly ten feet below the surface adjoining this house, and is now in our possession. It is an English 9-pound solid shot. From the Mott house they crossed the river at the ford (now Brady's Bridge) on their way to Grum- mon's Hill. Several sloops and small sailing-craft in the harbor were also captured and burned before the

enemy reshipped and set sail for their rendezvous again for Huntington Harbor.

"From Long Island the enemy made frequent in- cursions all along our Connecticut shore, being fur- nished with information by Tory residents as to where cattle, stores, and supplies might be stolen. It was one of these small raids that surprised Aunt Phoebe and O-ne, as related by Dr. Hall, and an account of which we have repeatedly heard both relate. The writer has in his possession the veritable side-saddle upon which Aunt Phoebe rode that famous race from the salt meadow to town. It was a gift from her to his mother. Aunt Phobe's father always kept good horses, and she could mount and ride a horse either with or without a saddle as good as any of her brothers.

"The first notice of the landing of the British forces, at the time of the town's destruction, was undoubt- edly given, as related, by O-ne. It was on Saturday, July 11, 1779. The fleet, as it lazily sailed into the outer mouth of our harbor from Long Island, must have been observed by many, but it was always con- ceded by our old people that O-ne was entitled to the credit of running his horse to the bridge and giving the first information to the people and guard that a large force of the enemy were disembarking. O-ne was also a servant to the Rev. Mr. Burnett, pastor of the Congregational Church, and who also acted as chaplain to the Continental troops during various periods of the Revolutionary war, and used to accom- pany the 'fighting parson' whenever he went away with the troops. O-ne was a slave owned by the Comstocks, and they loaned him to their minister for this service. He was purchased by the father of Aunt Phoebe when he was four years old, and one English pound was paid for every pound avoirdupois of his physical weight. Mr. William L. Waring, of New Canaan, who has recently administered on the Com- stock estate, has this curious document now in his keeping. Parson Burnett resided on East Avenue, in the first place north of the present home of Town Treasurer E. B. Burnett, and set out the stately and venerable elms which at this late period constitute the chief attraction of the old homestead.

"An interesting and instructive lesson is afforded by the attitude and positions taken by the two lead- ing clergymen of the town at that period, and the potent influence exerted by either upon the minds of the people. The Episcopal clergyman remained loyal to the king's cause, and was accused of having been the cause of so many of his parishioners joining the Tories, so great and active was his personal influence among his people. The Congregational, on the other hand, in season and out of season, preached, prayed, talked, walked, and fought against what he believed to be unwarranted British usurpations, and his people unitedly followed his teachings and practices. The Norwalk minister, Rev. Mr. Burnett, the Darien min- ister (then Middlesex), Rev. Dr. Moses Maher, and

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the Stamford minister, Rev. Dr. Noah Wells, had especially angered the Tories, and through informa- tion furnished by them provoked the maledictions of the British authorities, and there is no doubt that these military raids were made even more in the spirit of retaliatory punishments for the teachings of these rebellious ministers than for the gratification of their natural thirst for plunder.

" To these patriotic ministers in great measure must be due the historic meed of praise bestowed upon Norwalk by that eminent historian Bancroft, who onee emphasized the fact to us personally that our town sent more men into the Revolutionary war in proportion to our population than any other town in the old thirteen States. Our men rushed to the front, musket iu hand, on the first note of alarm, as boys now run to a fire. There was no waiting then for equipment, draft, or bounty, but every man and boy old enough to hold a musket hurried to the point of danger with an intense eagerness born of those days of high-born patriotism."

BURNING OF NORWALK."

"The war had been in progress over four years. The brunt of it had been transferred to the Southi. Provost and Campbell were seouring the Carolinas and Georgia. At the North, Sir Henry Clinton was sending out his marauding-parties on expeditions of plunder and destruction. Governor and Gen. Tryon was a fit leader in this work. He was familiar with this region ; two years before he had led his troops to Danbury, and from Ridgefield had beaten his re- treat to the Sound. He now undertook to sweep the Connecticut eoast.

"The Fourth of July eame that year (1779) on Sunday. The people of New Haven had made their arrangements to celebrate the day on the following Monday, the 5th. On that day, however, Tryon landed his forees at West Haven and made his attack, with considerable difficulty, on New Haven. The injury here was not great, and Tryon withdrew and made preparations to strike Fairfield. This he did on Thursday, the 8th. The place was plundered, and over one hundred and fifty buildings, dwellings, barns, ete., were burned. They afterwards attacked Green's Farms and then sailed across the Sound to Hunting- ton, whenee they recrossed and landed at Norwalk. There is a eurious discrepancy as to time here. Presi- dent Stiles, Hollister, and the modern histories gen- erally, we believe, make the landing to have been on Sunday evening, the 11th, and the burning of the town on Monday, the 12th. Yet Stiles in another entry, under 'July 11, 1779, Lord's Day,' says . he was interrupted in middle of the sermon with news of burning of Norwalk.' In Dr. Hall's ' History of Norwalk' the witnesses agree that the enemy 'eame Saturday, while the people were harvesting.' 'They landed at Fitchie's Point Saturday night,' and the

town was burnt on Sunday. But the decisive evi- dence seems found in the memorials sent up by the inhabitants to the General Assembly soon after the disaster. These all fix the date of the destruction of the place on the 11th of July ; this was on Sunday. This reconciles another difficulty. If, as is stated, Gen. Parsons and his Continentals did not arrive on the ground until Monday, it shows why no more of- fectual resistance was made.t At all events, it seems clear that the landing was made on Saturday night. 'Sunday morning the harbor at Lower Norwalk was full of boats.' Tryon and his forces took possession of Grummon's Hill, where, 'with chairs and a table, lie sat writing his orders' and overseeing the destruc- tion of the place.

" That remarkable historian, Samuel Peters, in his ' History of Connecticut,' says, 'Gen. Tryon repaired to Norwalk, where, having by proclamation enjoined the inhabitants to keep within their houses, he ordered sentinels to be stationed at every door to prevent dis- orders,- a tenderness, however, they insulted by firing upon the very men thus appointed to guard them. The consequence was destruction to themselves and the whole town, which was laid in ashes.'

"The falsity of this explanation is evident,-1. Be- eause the burning, according to the testimony here, was in execution of previous threats for sonic of the acts of the 'rebels' of the place, as he called them ; 2. There is no evidence of any such firing from the houses; 3. The whole raid was one of burning and plunder.

"Six houses only were spared ; one hundred aud thirty-five were destroyed, besides eighty-nine barns, twenty-five shops, five vessels, and four mills. The people fled to the hills and woods north of the town. Capt. Stephen Betts with a handful of men made an ineffectual resistance, four men being killed. The Congregational and Episcopal churches were both destroyed, although the Episcopal clergyman, Mr. Leaming, was a strong friend of the royal government, and, with others who sympathized with him, withdrew with Tryon when he left Norwalk, or, as his friends put it, he 'was removed by Gen. Tryon.'

f We have some question on this point, but we have not had time to make the necessary investigation. Tryon had written to Gen. Parsons, and, referring to British successes, had said, "Surely it is time for ra- tienal Americans to wish for a renniou with the parent Stale, and to adopt such measures as will speedily effect it." Parsons at a later date answered, "Sir, I should have paid an earlier attention to your polite letter had I not entertained some hope of a personal interview with you in your descents upon the defenseless towns of Connecticut, to execute yenr master's vengeance upon the rebellious women and formidable hosts of boys and girls who were induced by your proclamations to remain in those helpless places, and who, if they had been suffered to continue in the enjoyment of that peace which their age and sex entitled them to expect from civilized nations, you undoubtedly supposed would prove the scourge of Britain's veteran troops, and pluck from you those laurels with which that fiery expedition so plentifully crowned you. But your sudden departure from Norwalk and the particular attention you paid to your personal safety when at that place, and the prudent resolution yon took to suffer the town of Stamford to escape the conflagration to which you had devoted Fairfield and Norwalk, provented my wishes on this head. This, I hope, will sufficiently apologize for my delay in answering your last letter."

* By Rev. Dr. T. S. Childs,

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 126

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1572

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572