USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 160
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"'The request I have mado to your Excellency, and I am conscious that I address myself well, is, that in any rigor policy may dictate, a deceney of conduct towards me may mark that, though unfortunate, I am branded with nothing dishonorable ; as no motive could be mine but tho service of my king, and as I was involuntarily an impostor.'
"It was here also that, having a talent for carica- ture, he amused himself by making a ludicrous sketch of himself and his rustic escort under march, and, pre- senting it to an officer in the room (probably Lieut. King), said gayly, 'This will give you an idea of the style in which I have had the honor to be conducted to my present abode.'
" Although it is eminently fitting, it is none the less an illustration of the mysterious manner in which an overruling Providence arranges the affairs of this life, that the chair occupied by the illustrious prisoner of Lieut. King should, by mere accident seemingly, fall into the hands of his grandson, who a hundred years after the event recorded returns to make for himself a summer home on the exact spot where his grand- father had first resided after his marriage, and within a few miles of the house whercin Maj. Andre was confined.
"The parish of Ridgebury is situated in the north- ern extremity of the town, and is separated from the village of Ridgefield by a gorge or ravine and a range of rugged hills formerly known as the Asproom ledge. So distinct and well defined is this dividing-line that the two parishes present the appearance of two town- ships. This is the section granted the town as part compensation for the oblong which was set off to the State of New York.
" During the Revolutionary war a goodly number of the inhabitants of this part of the town took up arms in defense of the country. Upon the approach of the British troops under Gen. Tryon, on Sunday, April 27, 1777, after the burning of the military stores at Danbury, most of the people fled through the rain that at the time was falling to a hill about one and one-half miles- northwest of the present Congrega- tional church. From their position they could dis- tinetly see the regulars, as they were termed, pass through the village. First eame a rude body of light- horse, then three pieces of cannon, followed by the main body, said to be two thousand strong, with three pieces of cannon in the rear. As they passed the house of Capt. Timothy Benedict, standing on the
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650
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
corner of the road leading to Danbury, they fired two pistol-shots at some person looking out at a window, but without doing any harm.
" As the light-horsemen passed through the outskirts of the village on the west they fired at several persons near the New York State line. About 9.30 A.M., and within half an hour after Tryon's departure, Maj .- Gen. Wooster with a detachment of two hundred men pursued him on the road leading to Ridgefield Village.
"It appears that a raid had for some weeks been expected, and in consequence of a rumor circulated to that effect on Sunday, April 13th, just two weeks previous, the inhabitants, after secreting many of their valuables in wells and caves, fled with such arti- cles as they could conveniently carry with them to a place of safety on a neighboring hill.
"The late Hon. Benjamin Lynes, then a lad of some sixteen years, and a resident of Redding, was taken prisoner by Gen. Tryon, and compelled to ac- company him several miles towards Danbury, when, on account of his youth, he was set at liberty.
" In September, 1780, Gen. Washington having re- ceived a communication from Count de Rochambeau, commander-in-chief of the French forces then at Newport, requesting an interview at Hartford, Conn., he left Verplanck's Point, on the Hudson, on the 18th of the month, passed through Peekskill, and spent the night in Ridgebury, at the hotel of Ensign Samuel Keeler. Mrs. Rebecca Boughton, daughter of Daniel Coley, Esq., then about twelve years of age, often spoke of having seen him and his aid on that occa- sion.
"On the 23d of May, 1781, Washington again in- terviewed Count de Rochambeau,-this time at Weth- ersfield, Conn., for the purpose of settling upon a definite plan of campaign. It is probable that at this interview arrangements were made to remove the French army to a point in the State near the York State line, so that they could at short notice join the American army; for during the following month Rochambeau and Duke de Lauzun (Lauzun-Biron) marched from Newport across the State of Connecti- cut and took post at Ridgebury.
"During their stay in Ridgebury the main body of Rochambeau's army encamped on the ridge just east of the main street, on land now owned by Samuel S. St. John, Esq. One division took post on a hill about one mile south of the church, near the school- house. At this point the army was about equally dis- tant from Long Island Sound and the Hudson River. Count de Rochambeau and suite are said to have made their headquarters at Ensign Keeler's hotel.
"Several carts loaded with specie were placed, under strong guard, on the premises and near the dwelling of Daniel Coley, Esq., midway between the two divisions. The supplies for the whole French army were transported in carts,-eight hundred and ten in number,-most of them drawn by two pairs of
oxen and a horse, then designated as a five-cattle team.
"The late Thomas Boughton, at that time too young to join the regular army, hired as teamster to the French, driving his father's team. He accom- panied the supply-train from Connecticut to Virginia, and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. In after-years he often spoke of the mag- nificent display made by Rochambeau's army on that occasion.
" On the 2d of July, 1781, Duke de Lauzun left his encampment and marched his forces to East Chester, N. Y., where he arrived on the morning of the 3d, his purpose being the capture or destruction of De- lancy's corps of refugees at Morrisania.
"Count de Rochambeau, with the main body of his army, probably broke camp at Ridgebury on the 4th of July, 1781, as they joined Gen. Washington at Dobb's Ferry on the 6th.
"A liberty-pole erected by the Whigs about the commencement of the war was in the night cut down by the Tories. This exasperated the former, who at once raised another, filling it for several feet with spikes and pieces of old iron to protect it against a similar disaster. About the year 1860 some two feet of this pole was dug up by William M. Lynes, Esq. It was in a fair state of preservation, and still con- tained many of its iron protectors.
" During the war several families residing in Ridge- bury improved every opportunity to aid King George in his efforts to subdue the colonies, or, in other and plainer words, were Tories. In some instances they converted their cellars into places of concealment and security, where such as had made themselves particularly obnoxious to the Whigs by their loyalty to the Crown could be safely secreted. These hiding- places were approached by trap-doors made in the foor beneath beds. Through these doors the occu- pants were supplied with food by the less objection- able Tories. In some instances they were arrested by the government officers and imprisoned. One went back to England, but returned after the war, and was supported by and buried at the expense of the town."
CHAPTER LXIV.
RIDGEFIELD (Continued).
Ridgefield List in Ye Year 1746-Ridgefield in 1800-Sketch of the Town in 1855.
THE town gradually increased in wealth and popu- lation, and in 1746 it had one hundred and fifty- six taxable inhabitants, and the "listable estate" amounted to nine thousand and one pounds one shilling and sixpence, The following is the list taken from the old town book :
651
RIDGEFIELD.
RIDGEFIELD LIST.
£
8. d.
Abbott, Jr .. Jonathan ....
55
7
6
Abbott, David
22
(
(
Rockwell, John.
92
10 0
Abbott, Daniel.
0
0
Abbott, Lemuel.
76
14
()
Rockwell, Jabez.
4 1
Rossguie, Alexander
47
22
0
Rossgnie, Jacob.
73
Rossguie, Abraham
37
2
Stebbins, Benjamin
268
19
Brown, John.
71
2
70
1
G
Benedict, Sr., Jantes
123
12
34
0
Brooks, Jonathmi
41
15
0
Bennit, Jr., Samnel.
47
16 0
Bennit, Ephraim
49
0
0
Bennit, Sr., Samuel.
61
Smith, Ebenezer
66
10
Smith, Daniel ..
58
13
Smith, Job.
Smith, Samuel.
143
10
0
Smith, John.
73
8
Smith, Sanmel ye 3d. 67
12
Sherwood, Daniel, Jr.
41
12
0
Smith, Samuel
114
9
6
Smith, Samuel ye 4th.
Whitlock, Jonathan.
Seamore, Mathew.
Whitlock, Adams.
Seamore, Mnthew, Jr.
Whittson, Thomas.
Street, Timothy. Whittson, Jr., Benjamin.
St. John, Nathan.
Whitnce, John.
Smith, Isaac.
Whitnee, Richard.
Smith, David.
Whitlock, John.
Farquhar, Robert.
24 0 0
Follate, Joseph
51 18 0
Gates, Samuel ..
45 1.2 0
Gilbert, Samuel.
11 4
Scott, David.
Wittson, Daniel.
Stebbins, Jr., Benjamin.
Whitnee, Daniel.
Stebbins, Ebenezer.
Wood, Obadiah.
Reivinge, Thomas.
Wood, Jr., Obadiah.
Ventrus, Benjamin.
Tongue, James.
Whitne, llenry.
Barnum, Joshua.
Whitlock, Nathaniel.
Nash, Ebenezer.
The Sum Totall of the Listable Estate of ye Town of Ridgefield in ye year 1746 is £9001 18. 6d.
SAMUEL SMITH, ye 3d.
Jones, Jacob.
77
16 0
Isaacs, Samuel ..
66
0 0
Keeler, Jr., Timothy.
63
0
Keeler, John.
27
0 0
Keeler, Jonah ..
74
I 0
Keeler, Lot
53
5 0
Keeler, Silas.
35 10 0
Keeler, Martin ..
48
12 0
Keeler, Isnae
79
66
2
0
Keeler, Samnel.
64
0
0
52
17
6
Lobdell, John.
38
8 0
Lobdell, Caleb ..
64
14 0
Lobdell, Ebenezer
29 0 0
Lobdell. Samuel
64
12 6
Morehonse, Samuel ..
124 0
Marsha 1, Gregory.
47
18
0
37
0
0
Meed, Israel.
64
4
0
Northrup, Jr., Joseph ..
62
4 0
Northrup, Jr., James ...
Northrup, Eli
67
17
3
Northrup, Gabriell
123
3
0
Northrup, John.
58
14 0
Northrup, David ..
89
16 0
Northrup, Sr., James ...
64
3 0
Northrup, Jabez .. 34 0
42
6 6
61
14 0
37 13
6
24
17
0
0
10
0
Northrup, Jr., Nathan
38 0
0
Osborn, Jonathan.
42 14 0
11
8
0
Osborn, Nathan
0
16
5
0
Osborn, Jeremiah.
40 14 0
Olmstead, Samnel.
12 0
Olmstead, Capt. Richard ..
77 16 0
Olmstead, John.
36
2
Olmstead, Jr., Richard
50 10
23
0
0
Olmstend, Ambrose
48
8
0
Ohinstead, Capt. Daniel.
78 16
0
Ohustend, Jonathan
32 0 0
Olmstead, Stephen
28 0
Portman, Richard 1 10 0 G 0
Rock well, Benjamin. 64
3 8. d.
Rockwell, Jonathan
19
Rockwell, Thomas ...
100
12
54 Rock well, Daniel. 1% 0
Benediet, Matthew
114
0
Burt, S
53
17
Benedict, Timothy.
75
10
33
4
Benedict, Cyril Benj.
Sherwood, Daniel, Sr.
109
4 =
Smith, Jonah.
104
16
Benedict, Amos.
St. John, Samnel.
3
X
Smith, Gideon.
103
16
Smith, Thomas.
58
()
Storker, Joseph
27
0
Bint, Benjamin
105
0
Brooks, J., Ebenezer
7
0
Benedict, Daniel.
47
19
G
Bennett, Gershom.
7
0
Bennett, Abraham
43 12
0
Benedict, Jr., James.
60
12
0
Benedict, John
63
0
0
Crawford, Israel.
35
0 0
Carley, Joseph
47
5 0
Cole, Ichabod.
36
0 0
33
0
106
Chapman, Albert
15
4
Elions, Harmonions.
24
0
Foster, Timothy
32
0
0
Foster, Josiah.
49 14 0
Foster, Jr., Josiah
34
0 0
Gilbert, Ebenezer.
28 0
Grumman, Ebenezer ...
42 10
0
Hawley, Thomas.
51 15
0
Hoyt, Benj ..
116
18
0
Hawley, Elijah.
51
15
0
Hobart, Joseph ..
53
8
0
Hobart, Jr., Joseph
86
0 0
Hyatt, Sr., Thomas ..
70
8 0
Hyatt, Jr., Thomas ..
72
7 0
Hyatt, Jr., Benjamin
28
0
0
llawley, Joseph ..
137
0
0
Hawley, Nathan ....
31
7 0
JAMES NORTHROP, JONATHAN OLMSTEAD,
Trustees.
Received to record January 23, 1746-47, and Recorded pr me
TIMº KEELER, Register.
RIDGEFIELD IN 1800.»
"In consequence of the exchange made by this State with the State of New York, in 1733, for part of Stamford and Greenwich, of what is commonly called the Oblong, one mile and three-quarters in width, the whole length of the first patent was cut off from Ridgefield; the whole town therefore contains but two located Societies, being the first or old society and Ridgebury. The town in its present form is nearly in the common figure of a coffin. The First Society contains about sixteen thousand acres, and Ridge- bury Society, in this town, about eleven thousand. The whole township is about fifteen miles in length, the width at south end about three miles and three- quarters ; at about one-third of the length northward it is about five miles wide, and at the north end only . half a mile ; bounded south by Norwalk, east by Red- ding and part of Danbury, north by Danbury and New Fairfield, and west by the State of New York. There
* The following is a highly-interesting sketch of Ridgefield as it ap- peared eighty years ago, and is from the pen of the Rev. Samnel Good- rieli, being extracts from a mannscript work in the Hartford Athenanm entitled, " A Statistical Account of Ridgefield, in the County of Fairfield, drawn up by Rev. Sanmel Goodrich from Minutes furnished by a Num- ber of his Parishioners, A.D. 1800."
S
je
I,
of
40
7 0
Northrup. Sr., Joseph.
26
Northrup, Aaron.
Northrup, Abrabanı .:
Northrup, Isaac
Northrup, Nathan O.
Osborn, Joseph
67 14
Osborn, Richard
0
Olmstead, Thomas.
one
list
Smith, Jabez.
Wood, David.
Sherwood, Nathan.
Whitlock, Abraham.
Cole, Timothy
01 1
Dancy, Virus.
18 0
Burt, C ..
Smith, Stephen.
53
10 (
17 17
Keeler, Jr., Joseph ....
Keeler, Jr., Timothy. Keeler, Elijah
18 0
0
Marshall, Jabez.
652
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
were in the year 1799 ten schools kept in the First Society by masters in as many school-houses built for that purpose, and the number of scholars taken by the visiting committee were four hundred and thirty-three.
" There are three foreigners in the town who are paupers,-viz., two men and one woman. One of the men, named Yabecomb, was from Wales; the other, named Jagger, is an old man about ninety-five years, an Englishman, who served under the Duke of Cum- berland at the battle of Culloden in 1745, and was in Flanders with the regiment previous to that battle.
"There is the appearance of sundry Indian graves at a place commonly called Nooricus Ridge. There is one mountain which retains its Indian name, As- proom (' high or lofty'), and there are several ponds, as Mammenusquah, Nisopack, Aokeets, and Umper- wauge. There are no Indians at present living in the town, except one, who has learned the mason trade and has married a white woman. One died in the town about two years since at a great age, not cer- tainly known, but supposed ninety-six or more.
"The general face of the land is gently swelling ridges, extending from north to south, though there are some broken, abrupt, rocky precipices and a con- siderable quantity of very stony land, which is yet, and probably will be, reserved to grow wood and tim- ber upon. The soils on the ridges are generally com- posed of loam and clay, and there is a considerable quantity in some parts of the town of a light lime- stone soil, but little of gravel. The lowlands, or swamps, of which there are several, are generally a deep black soil, made by the fallen timber and leaves and the wash from the ridges, but they suffer much for the want of drainage. The soil was originally very fertile and produced plenty of excellent wheat, which has generally failed since the appearance of the Hessian fly, though now and then it does well in some favorite spots.
" It at present produces good rye and Indian corn,- a considerable more than for the consumption of the inhabitants,-flax, large quantities of oats, buck- wheat, beans, and peas. Onions grow as well in some open gardens as in any part of the State. The land is very good for grass.
"The middle of the township lies about fourteen miles from the landing at Norwalk, and is equally distant on the highest land between the rivers Hudson and Ausatonuck, and in particular the hill or ridge lying west of and near the town street is by way of eminence called the High Ridge (Indian name, Can- doto), from which, in clear weather, the mountains west of the Hudson, and the West Rock, near New Haven, may be clearly seen, and the Sound for fifty or sixty miles. The waters rise at the foot of this hill and run in different directions, discharging into the Sound at Fairfield, Norwalk, and Stamford, and into the river Hudson by the river Titicus, and through the river Croton. The waters also which.
rise in this town discharge into the Ousetonuck at the great falls in New Milford. There are, therefore, no streams of any considerable magnitude or conse- quence before they leave the limits of the town, and thus all are frequently during the summer months too small to carry mills. There are, however, some ponds in the town that have by improvement been made sufficient to answer the necessities of the inhabitants and more. The town, being a hilly country, furnishes a number of excellent small springs of water, which is light or heavy according to the soil from which they flow. Some of the springs have in the course of ten or fifteen years changed the quality of the water, and some few wells, from what cause is not certainly known ; it is, however, in one well, attrib- uted to its being not long used. The most remarkable spring is in the southerly part of the town, and is commonly called Silver Spring ; the water is very cold and heavy. It discharges about one-fourth water suf- ficient to carry a grist-mill, and is not materially af- fected by the freshet or drought. The wells on the height of the ridges are commonly from thirty to forty fcet, those in the valleys from twelve to thirty ; but in time of severe drought many wells fail of water. There have been but two instances of aqueducts in the town, and those only to supply a single family each, which experiments have been made in the course of this summer, and are likely to answer their design. The expense by the rod is about four shillings. There are a great many small streams in all parts of the town, but most of them in a dry season fail, except near the springs which produce them.
"There are in most of the mountains, amongst the rocks and stones, appearances of sulphur and iron. There has not yet any bed been opened that promises to pay the expenses of working. There has been several attempts to dig after the precious metals, and a con- siderable quantity of the ore has been carried away ; but to collect any quantity of the metal has proved impracticable. There are several beds of limestone of good qualities, and some quarries of a grayish and sky-blue stone which is serviceable in building, but no freestone.
" The original timber consisted of the several sorts of walnuts and oaks. Butternuts are plenty, witlı maple, beech, ash, dogwood, elm, sassafras, and a number of shrubs, as whortleberries, bayberries, ctc., stately spruce-trees. In the first settlement of the town the inhabitants annually burnt over the high rough land for the benefit of the wild feed that grew on them, which was a great injury to the old trees and entirely prevented the young from growing ; but since that practice has ceased our rough lands have a most beautiful thriving young growth coming on, which promises plenty of timber and fuel. There is a considerable number of the sugar-maple trees grow- ing, but no morc sugar made than is consumed by the makers. The common method of perforating the tree
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653
RIDGEFIELD.
is either with a twist-auger or a narrow chisel. Our woods yield lumber for our maple-tubs, etc., and some small quantity for exportation, as leading, staves, and hoops. It is probable with prudent man- agement this town will produce sufficient wood for fuel for the inhabitants for a century to comc. The price of wood for fuel has not yet been more in the street than one dollar per load, containing half a eord. There have been several forges set up in the town and near it within a few years past, but it is probable that they will soon cease on account of the extraor- dinary consumption of wood, having in a short time more than doubled the price of woodland in the ex- tremities of the town. There are five grist-mills in the town, two fulling-mills, and several saw-mills carried by water, which answer for the inhabitants, bnt carry on no business on an extensive scale.
"The price of land has gradually increased since the first improvement, but is not so high as in the neighboring towns, for the reasons that there are no gatherings of the people for or on account of the public business in the town, and our rivers are so small, being at the head of them, that no water-works can be carried on to profit on an extensive plan. There are but few mechanics and manufacturers, traders, or men in the learned professions, to the number of people who follow agriculture, and most of the inhabitants raise provisions for their own con- sumption and some for exportation, for which reason the price of labor or provisions is not generally so high as it is in more populous places.
"The people generally mannfacture their own linen and woolen cloths in their families, using all their wool and most of their flax.
" It is supposed that the quantity of flaxseed annu- ally sent from this town is from five hundred to one thousand bushels, according as the season is more or less productive. The old people love turnips yet better than potatoes, and there are considerable quantities used every year,-from two thousand to four thousand bushels a year; they make good feed for sheep and cows that give milk. Potatoes are very much used, and increased attempts are making to raise them for market; but the distance from market is so great that it is not expected the practice will be general.
" Our teams used for transportation and the several branches of industry and husbandry have been gen- erally composed of oxen and horses together, and onr vehicles for carriage have been carts and sleds; but within a few years past wagons drawn by horses have greatly multiplied, and the cart, harrow, and plow are more frequently drawn by oxen alone. The inerease of cattle is doubtless an advantage to so rough a country as ours, and the increase of horses, except for sale and exportation, a disadvantage to us, if not to every country.
" Pleasure-sleighs and those for lumber have greatly multiplied since the Revolution. Our grain
is universally thrashed with flails and cleaned with a fan and riddled.
"The town being originally much covered with chestnut timber, that was for about fifty years chiefly used for fencing ; since that time the post fences have gradually been replaced with stone, and at present there is but very little timber cut for that purpose except for posts and bars, and there is probably movable stone enough for the purpose of fencing.
"This town, by the mode of laying it out at first, was cut into small pieces or tracts of land, and, the people being generally husbandmen, scarce any man has more than he and his family want to improve, and of course we have no tenanted lands. There are some people who crop it, as is termned with us,-that is, plow and sow for a certain share; the common custom is to the labor two-thirds and to the land one.
" There has been for the last forty years a constant emigration of the people born in the town to the different parts of the United States.
" In our Revolution many of our young people left the town, and some of them now reside in the Britishi dominion ; some have returned, and several are dead. The people of this place have hitherto been so favored with the grace of God that there has never been onc convicted of any crime punishable by laws of the land with death.
"There have been two instances of suicide, native3 in the prime of life, one male and the other female ; both were married and had familics.
"Until about the year 1760 there was a considera- ble number of good sheep in the town, and they were kept by a shepherd in the summer months, and regu- larly twice in the week let to the highest bidder to lay on his plow-land during the night season, which method of manuring caused the worn land to produce excellent erops of wheat of the best quality, and great quantities of the land belonging to the proprietors was kept for the sheep to feed upon ; but about that time (1760) the proprietors agreed to divide their in- terests in said several lands, and they were soon fenced up, since which time the sheep have gradu- ally decreased, and would have become extinct but for the encouragement and protection of the Legislature.
"There are probably about half as many sheep in the town as there are people. It would be but a venture to gness the number of swine; there may be not far from fourteen linndred or fifteen hundred, and there are from one hundred and fifty to two hundred barrels of pork annually carried out of the town, and about as much beef. There may be from two hundred and fifty to three hundred firkins of but- ter exported and half the weight of cheese (nine thiou- sand), and about one hundred head of fat cattle driven to market on their legs to New York.
"The making of butter has much increased within twenty years. As it can now be carried fresh to New York market, the price is more than three times than it was then.
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