History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 157

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 157

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The following is the act of the General Assembly :

" Forasmuch as by one law of the colony entitled, An Act directing listers in their duty and office, it is provided that if the listers in the respective towns in this colony shall not annually send the sum total of the list of the polls and ratable estates of the inhabitants of such towns to this Assembly at their sessions in October, such town shall be doomed by this Assembly ; and whereas the listers of the towns of Ridgefield and Litchfield respectively have not sent the sum total of such lists of the polls and ratable cstates in the respective terms to the ses- sions of this Assembly in October last, according as it is in said act pro- vided ; this Assembly do sentence and doom the inhabitants of the town of Ridgefield to pay into the public treasury of this colony the sum of twenty-nine pounds fifteen shillings, and the inhabitants of the town of Litchfieldl the sum of twenty-seven pounds, six shillings, and four pence; and the Treasurer is ordered and directed to send forth his warrant to the constables of the said towns, respectively. to levy and collect the said sums of the inhabitants of the towns to which they belong, and to pay in the same to the public treasury ; and the said constables are hereby impowered, respectively, to levy the said sums of the inhabitants, and required to pay in the samo to the public treasury, as is by law required in cases where the lists are orderly returned to this Assembly."

THE PERRY FAMILY.

One of the old families of Ridgefield is the Perry family.

Dr. David Perry, son of Micah Perry, of Fairfield, practiced medicine in this town from 1772 to 1822, the time of his death. In 1791 he became ordained and filled the office as rector of St. Stephen's Parish for four years, on horseback with saddle-bags, prac- ticing on week-days and preaching Sundays.

His son, Nehemiah Perry, M.D., succeeded him in the town, and practiced for the term of fifty-five years. His practice was extensive, being a circuit of forty to fifty miles. As a physician and surgeon he was one of the most eminent and skillful of his day, the last ten years of his life being exclusively con- sultation practice.

His son, the present Nehemiah Perry, M.D., suc- ceeded him, and is the third of his family who have practiced here for the last one hundred and thirty years.

639

RIDGEFIELD.

CHAPTER LXIII.

RIDGEFIELD (Continued).

RIDGEFIELD IN THE REVOLUTION.

Extracts from Town Rocords-Detailed History of the Invasion-The Battle at Ridgefield-Wooster Mortally Wounded-Revolutionary In- cidents.

TRYON'S INVASION.

IN the beginning of the Revolutionary struggle Ridgefield was inclined to remain true to the British standard, as will be seen by the following resolutions :

" First. Whereas application hath been made to the Select Men of the Town of Ridgefield in Connecticut Colony by several of the inhabitants of sd Town, to call a Special Town Meeting in order to take into con- sideration the Resolution Entered into by the Lute Continental Congress; and tho Inhabitants being accordingly met the 30th day of January A.D. 1775 Mr. Nathan Olmstead was chosen Moderator. The Meeting then proceeded to take into Consideration the said Resolutions, and after ina- ture Deliberation in said meeting the question was put, Whother this Town will adopt and Conform to the Resolves contained in ye association of the Continental Congress or not. Resolved in the Negative 9 Desent.

" Second. Resolved, N C D That we do acknowledge his Most Sacred Majesty King George the 3d to be our rightfull Sovereign and do hereby publickly avow our allegiance to him & his Lawfull successors-And that we will to the ntmost of our power, Support his throne & Dignity against Evry Combination in the Universe.

Third. Resolved N C D, That we do acknowledge that the three branches of ye Legislation (to wit) the King, tho House of Lords and the House of Commons Convening and acting togethor have a constitu- tional Right of Government over the whole and Every part of the British Empire.

Fourth. Resolved N CD that the Governour Council and Representa- tives of this Colony being Indulged with and having an Established Right of Legislation (tho' restricted) in and over this Colony, We do hereby acknowledge & avow their Right of Government and Legislation in and over this Colony And are confident that they are the Rightfull & Constitutional Rulers Directors and Guardians of our persons, properties Rights Liberties and privilidges and We desire no other political Guides or Guardians than Said Assembly and the Officers Constitutionally ap- pointed by them, to keep the peace & Order of ye Colony and to Super- intend the Execution of the Colony Laws.

" Fifth. Resolved N C D That it would be dangerous and hinrtfull to the Inhabitants of this Town to adopt the said Congress measures; and we do hereby publickly disapprove of and protest against said Congress and the measures by them directed to as unconstitutional-as subversive of our real Liberties-and as countenanceing Licenciousness Resolved N C D That the Town Clerk be directed to makeout a true copy ofye above s'd votes & transmit them to one or more of the printers in New York, that they may be published to the world. " Test STEPHEN SMITH. " Register."

"At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield by adjournment April 10th 1775 from March 7 1775.

" The Question was pnt Whether ye Town will Explain their resolves of the 30th of January Lasts, Resolved in the Negative, The above Meet- ing is dismissed.

" Test STEPHEN SMITH, " Register."

A CHANGE OF SENTIMENT.

At a town-meeting held Dee. 17, 1775, the following action was taken :

"On Motion made Wheither Said Meeting upon Reconsideration do disannul tho resolves April 10th ontered into and passed on the 30th Jany 1775, And adopt and approve of the Continontal Congress and the meas- ures Directed to in their association, for seenring and Defending the Rights and Liberties of ye United American Colonios.

" Resolved in the Affirmative Nem Con.

"Said Meeting voted that the Town Clerk make out a Copy of tho above, Resolve and transmit the same to one of the printers in New York, in Order that the same may be made public in the News Papers.

"Question put Wheither sd Meeting will choose of a Committee of

Inspections agreeably to the 11th arlicle of ye association of the Contl- mental Congress.

" Resolved in the Affirmative.

" And Samnel Olmsted Esq' Col Philip Burr Bradley Daniel Coley Esq' Jacob Jones Stephen Smith Timothy Keeler, Capt Jonah Foster Nathan Olmsted William Forester, John Benedlet James Scott, Ebenezer Jones Abraham Betts, Matthew Keeler, Timothy Benedict Nathan Stevens Samuel Gates David P'latt Bartholomew Weed John Jones Danlel Sulth, Ichabod Doolittle Abraham Gray Abraham Nash. SHas Hfall and Azor HIurlbut were chosen Committee as abovesald.

" At a Town Mecting held in Ridgefield Apill 4th 1777 Timothy Keeler was chosen Moderator of Said Meeting. Said Meeting by a Major Vote in adjourned to the Meeting House.

" Said Meeting Pursnant to a request and Resolve of the Governor and his Committee of Safety, Chose James Scott Matthew Keeler, Timothy Benedict & Samuel Gates, a Committee to provide for the familles of such soldiers as shall enlist into the Continental Army with necessarles at the prices stated by Law.

" Voted also that this Town will Give to each man that shall Inlist as a Soldier into the Continental Service (for three years or during the war being un Inhabitant of this Town, till the Quota of the Town to fill the Continental Army be Compleated) Six pounds Lawfull money for every Year they are in said Service, to be paid as follows viz Six pounds at tho time of their Inlistnient.

"The next Six pounds to be paid within the second year & so on Yearly During their Continuance in Service.

" And those that engage, that have families, if they die in Service by Sickness or ye Sword to be paid to their Widows or Children one year after their death.

" Also the Town by their Major Vote do agree to adhere to the Law of this State, Regulating the prices of the Necessarics of Life.

" Voted that the Select Men procure Money in Loan or Otherwise, on the Town Credit or in the Towns behalf for the purpose of Encouraging Soldiers to Enlist into the Continental army And when the sun neces- sary for that purpose is known, said Meeting vote, agree and grant a Tax on the polls & Rateable Estate of the Inhabitants of this Town, on the List of 1776, in order to repay the money that is or may be so procured and Laid Out and either of the Select Men for the time being, or any other person that the Select Men shall nominate & Depute, Shall be fully Authorized to collect the said tax &c and the same apply to the use aforesaid.

"Said Meeting is Dismissed.

" Test STEPHEN SMITH " Register."

The following extraets relating to the war of the Revolution are also from the town reeords :

" At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield Nov 17th 1777 Capt Jonah Fos- ter was chosen Moderator of s'd meeting.

"Suid Meeting by their Major Vote Chose David Olmstead, Samnel Olmsted 3rd, Timothy Keeler 24, Ebenezer Jones, John Waterons, Silas Hull, Ichabod Doolittle, Daniel Rockwell, Bartholomew Weed to be a Committee to procure Cloathing, for the Soldiers in the Continental Army (that the Assembly of this State, hath Required the Town to pro- vide for).

" Test STEPHEN SMITHE, " Register."

" At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield January 8th 1778, Lient Nathan Olmsted was chosen Moderator of said Meeting,

" The Question was put in said Meeting, Wheither the Articles of confederation and perpetual Union, Drawn up and published by the Ilononrable, Continental Congress be approved. Resolved in the Affirm- ative.

" Test STEPHEN SMITH, " Register."

"At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield March 3ª 1778 Samuel Olm- stend Esqr was chosen Moderator of said Meeting.

" By n Major Vote said Meeting made choice of John Benedict, Esqr? and Timothy Keeler 2d to be a Committee to distribute the Salt, belong- ing to this Town as follows viz One Quart thereof to each person of the several families of the men or that are Inhabitants of this town that have taken the Oath of fidelity to the State of Connecticut, and likewise to each person of tho families of the Widows in this Town that are accountod friendly to the United States of America, and likewise to each person of tho families of those men in this town that are in the Conti-

640

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

mental Army ; and said Committee are to take 6d Lawfull money per Quart for the same, of the persons they deliver the salt to; and that said Committee attend upon ye business. of Delivering the salt, on the afternoon of each Thursday and Monday in this month till the whole be delivered out, and also Keep and Render true accounts of their doings in the premises to the Select Men by the first of April next.

" l'oted also that the Committeee appointed to take care and provide for the families of the Men in the Continental Army, Receive or draw out of the Town Treasury £6 0s Od agreeable to the Vote of the Town, and lay the same ont for the use and benefit of the Widow and family of Elisha Gilbert deceased.

" Test

STEPHEN SMITH, " Register."

"At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield 9 Ang 1779 Samuel Olmsted Esqr was chosen Moderator of said meeting. Said meeting was adjourned from the Town House to the Meeting House.

"Samuel Olmsted Esqr and Mr Robert Edmond were chosen Delegates for the Town in order to meet in County Convention at Redding on the 10th Instant at the Dwelling House of Lieut Stephen Betts at 8 O'clock in the morning in order to oonsult and adopt suitable measures to prevent the further Depreciation of the paper Currency and Raise its value.

"In said Meeting the Question was put Wheither any person that was an inhabitant in this Town, and hath Absconded and gone over to or joined the Enemy of the United States (and liath returned or shall return unto the Town) be admitted to dwell in the Town, without the Liberty & approbation of the Town first had and obtained by such person or persous. Resolved in the negative.

" Test STEPHEN SMITH, " Register."

... At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield June 29 1780.

" Daniel Coley Esqr was chosen Moderator of said meeting.

"Said Meeting Granted a Tax of six pence Lawfull money on the pound on the Town List of 1779 to bo collected by the first day of August next and put into the Town Treasury.

"Said Meeting granted to each able bodied effective man that shall voluntarily, Inlist or hath lately been detach'd to fill up this Towns quota in the Continental Army thirty Shillings Lawfull money per month during the time they are in said service. Also to each Soldier that shall or hath lately been Detach'd for this state service (as a soldier) Thirty Shillings Lawfull money per month for all the time they shall be in said service over and above one montli and the money to be drawn out of the Town Treasury and paid to them respectively. Daniel Coley Esqr and David Scott was by said meeting appointed a Committee for that purpose."

" At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield Ang 23ª 1780.

" Timothy Keeler was chosen Moderator of said Meeting.

"Said Meeting by their Major vote Revoked the vote of the Town whereby a tax was granted of six pence on the pound on the List of 1779 in a Town Meeting held June 29 1780.

"Said Meeting Voted that they would raise money by Tax on the List of 1779 and give to the Soldiers and non Commissioned officers that have been or shall be in the Service of the Continental and this State from the first of last March during this years campain.

"Said Meeting made choise of Benjamin Smith, William Forester, Timothy Keeler Esqr Stephen Smith and Stephen Norris a Committee to prepare a Memorial to be prefered to the General Assembly. Request- ing that for the future the method of Raising and procureing Soldiers for the Continental and State Service the present war, may be by classing men, viz. all the men from sixteen and upward-and each elass to pro- cure a man for said service.

" Test STEPHEN SMITH, " Register:"

- " At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield Nov. 20th, 1780 Daniel Coley Esq was chosen Moderator of said Meeting,

"Said Meeting Voted that a Committee should be chosen and as soon as may be to make Enquiery and Obtain the mimber of the Men that the Town is Deficient respecting their Quota of Soldiers in the Conti- nental Army And Thaddeus Rockwell and William Forrister were chosen for the purpose aforesaid.

" Also said Meeting by their Major vote made Choice of Nathan Smith and William Forrister to receive the salt necessary for putting up the Provisions required of this Town to be provided for the Army and to perform every part respecting said Provisions agreeable to an Act of the General Assembly of this State in their last session."

"At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield Feby 8th 1781 Capt Jonalı Foster was Chosen Moderator of said Meeting.

"Said Meeting Voted that the method for raising and procuring five Men for this State Service to serve as Soldiers in Col Beebes Regiment at Horseneck for the term of one year, be by classing the Inhabitants iuto five classes. .

" And that three of the classes divided out to procure Soldiers for fill- ing up the Continental Army be formed into one class. And the three committee men living in the southern three classes that were appointed to class the Inhabitants as above expressed be a committee for the class in the southern part of the Town and 'so successively through the Town to the North end thereof.

" And Samuel Olmsted Esq, Nathan Olmsted and Robert Edmond be a committee for the Southern class, And John Benedict Esq Benjamin Smith and John Jones a committee for ye second class.

" And Col Bradley Stephen Smith and Silas IIull a committee for the third class.

" And Daniel Smith, Matthew Northrop, and Jonah Foster a commit- tee for ye fourth class.

" And Daniel Coley Esq, Wm Forrister and Capt Sears a committee for the fifth elass.

" Also said meeting Resolved that the Representatives of this town be and they are hereby Instructed to use their Influence in the Honorable General Assembly in remonstrating to Congress against a late resolve of Congress respecting the setting of half pay on the supernumerary Offi- eers lately belonging to the Continental Army."

" At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield March 23rd 1781.

" Col. Philip Bradley was chosen Moderator of said meeting.

"Said Meeting made choice of Capt David Olmsted, Col Bradley, Ebenezer Olmsted William Forrister and Stephen Norris a committee to procure Soldiers to complete the Towns Quota for filling up the Conti- nental Army and this States service.

"Said Meeting Resolved and Ordered that the several classes that have procured Recruits for the Continental Army deliver their said Recruits to the Selectmen at the houses of Clements Smith and Daniel Coley Esq On Wednesday the 28th of this Instant at ten oclock in the morning in order to be taken to Danbury to be Mustered and delivered to an Officer and forwarded to the Continental Army."

" At a Town Meeting held in Ridgefield April 13th 1781,

"Capt Jonah Foster was chosen Moderator of said Meeting.

"Said Meeting made choice of John Benedict Samuel Olmsted Esq, Col Bradley and William Forrister a committee (In Behalf of the Town) to make a settlement with the Men that were in service the last cam- paign either Continental or State that were Inhabitants of or counted for the Towns Quota ; Or with a committee by them appointed respecting two Grants they say was made them hy ye Town at their Town Meetings held in Ridgefield on ye 29th day of June 1780 and on ye 23rd of Angust 1780 aud make report to a future Town Meeting."

The following account of the invasion of Connec- ticut by the British in 1777 is taken from " Hollister's History of Connecticut :"

"Sir William Howe had been informed that tlie Americans had large depositories of military stores in Danbury and its neighborhood. He determined to destroy them without delay, and in casting about him for a faithful operator in this most invidious of all employments who would be remorseless in the use of the torch he hit readily upon His Excellency Gov- ernor Tryon, of New York. He could hardly have made a more admirable selection.

" Howe was a shrewd judge of character, and knew well that nothing so effectually calls out the latent energies of a man of genius as a sudden appeal to old and cherished recollections. Now, there was no part of the world that could awaken in the mind of Wil- liam Tryon so many lively and searching associations as Connecticut. The name of the little republic made His Excellency's hair bristle with certain sen- sations that a soldier ought not to entertain. From the time when that irreverent company of Connec- ticut dragoons had scattered the type belonging to

641

RIDGEFIELD.

the administration's organ through the streets of New York, and driven one of his pets, Rivington, with hundreds of Tories that were worthy of being elevated to the dignity of governor's horse-gnards, he had felt the liveliest emotions at the very sound of the word 'Connecticut.' In some way it was inseparably con- nected in his mind with that charming society called the 'Sons of Liberty.'

"Gen. Howe showed his shrewdness not only in selecting his agent for this work, but also in sending along with him, to see that he did not lose himself in his explorations into a land that was so dear to him, those excellent advisers, Gen. Agnew and Sir William Erskine. Those gentlemen furnished intellectual resources for the major-general, and he added the warnth of his nature to give soul to the enterprise. Accordingly, a detachment of two thousand men were selected from the choice spirits of the British army, and nominally placed under Tryon's command. They embarked at New York, and, under the convoy of a fine naval armament of twenty-five vessels, passed over the waters of Long Island Sound in such high spirits as the warmth of an April sun and the pleasing anticipations of the business that was to employ them were calculated to inspire. They had chosen a time when Connecticut was almost entirely deserted by her male population, who had gone out to defend the soil of other States and stay up the trailing banner of the noble Washington.

" They had left their homes to be guarded, with the exception of a few gallant troops, by the crutches of the grandfathers and the distaffs of the grandmothers who had two generations of descendants in the field hundreds of miles away. On this account His Excel- lency, who was the very antipode of Gunpowder Percy, had nothing to dampen his mood or cloud his brow. As the ships skimmed past the coast-towns of Western Connecticut the people gazed at them with mingled curiosity and anxiety. Perhaps some of them called to mind the doings of Wallaec, master of the 'Rose,' at Stonington ; but no particular alarm appears to have been excited until the heads of the ships began to point towards the island that stands out from the Norwalk shore.

" At about four o'clock they cast anchor in Sauga- tuck Harbor, and, with such haste as is consistent with a picnic-excursion into the country, two thou- sand men, consisting of infantry, cavalry, and artil- lery, went ashore in boats, and under the superinten- dence of Tryon, with two Tory guides to show them the way, moved forward towards Danbury. They marched about eight miles that night, and encamped in the township of Weston.

"On the morning of the 26th, at a very seasonable hour, Tryon arrived at Redding Ridge, where was a small hamlet of peaceful inhabitants, almost every one of them patriots and most of them farmers, who had crowned the high hill where they had chosen to build their Zion with a tall, gaunt church, which

drew to its aisles, one day in seven, the people that dwelt upon the sides of the hills and in the bosom of the valleys within the range of the summons that sounded from its belfry. By way of satisfying his hunger with a morning lunch until he could provide a more substantial meal, he drew up his artillery in front of this weatherbeaten edifice, that had before defied everything save the grace of God and the sup- plications of his worshipers, and gave it a good round of canister and grape, that pierced its sides through and through and shattered its small-paned windows into fragments. The only spectators to this heroic demonstration were a few women and little children, some of whom ran away at the sight of the red-coats, and others faced the invaders with a menacing stare.

"The British commander now resumed his march for some distance without meeting with the least op- position, until he began to ascend Hoyt's Hill, when the figure of a single mounted horseman appeared upon the summit of the eminence, with his face turned backward, and his gestures and whole action indicating that he was issuing orders to a large army that was climbing the side of the hill. 'Halt!' shouted the leader of the opposition in a voice of thunder, while he flourished his sword in the air, ' Halt, the whole universe ! Wheel into kingdoms !' Now, there was nothing that Gen. Tryon had such a dread of as dying. He prudently commanded his men to halt, in imitation of the order given by the leader of the supposed armny that was advancing, and sent out detachments on the right and left to recon- noitre, and got his two field-pieces that were conse- crated by the mutilation of the old church in readi- ness to give such feeble battle as he could to this more than Persian array. The reader can judge how much His Excellency was relieved when the videttes returned and informed him that the wretch who had thus disturbed his valor was the only mortal in sight, and that no part of him was visible except his back as he rode towards Danbury with the speed of a shooting-star.

" They arrived in Danbury about two o'clock. There were a few Continental soldiers in the place, but they could not make a stand against this large invading-party, and were obliged to withdraw. Gen. Tryon selected the house of one Dibble, a faithful Tory, for his headquarters, who lived at the south end of the main street, close by the spot where the mili- tary stores had been deposited. As Gens. Erskine and Agnew were advancing under the protection of a corps of light infantry to take up their quarters at the other end of the same street, the party was fired upon by four young men from the house of Maj. Starr. This brave but rash act cost the young patriots their lives. They were instantly pursucd and shot. A poor negro who was caught near them without weapons in his hands was also murdered, and the five bodies were thrown into the house, which was in- stantly set on fire.

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642

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

"A man named Hamilton had on deposit at a clothier's in the lower part of the village a piece of cloth, which he was determined at all hazards to rescue from sequestration. He accordingly rode to the shop, and, having secured one end of the cloth to the pommel of his saddle, galloped rapidly away. He was seen by the enemy's light-horsemen, who fol- lowed hard upon him, exclaiming, 'We'll have you, old daddy; we'll have you.'-' Not yet,' said Hamil- ton as he redoubled his speed. The troops gain upon their intended victim; the nearest one raises his sabre to strike, when fortunately the cloth unrolls, and, fluttering like a streamer far behind, so frightens the pursuing horses that they cannot be brought within striking-distance of the pursued. The chase continues through the whole extent of the village to the bridge, where finally the old gentleman and his cloth made good their escape.

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 157

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