History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 165

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1532

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instances they purchased them several times over from conflicting claimants and dishonest pretenders. They were very particular in procuring title-deeds and alienations, executed in legal form, and with great solemnity. They were extremely careful, that they might in this manner more vividly impress on the minds of the Indians the binding nature of their con- tents. Those children of nature, the former lords of the forest, took great interest in the proceedings, and fixed their uncouth, though often ingenious, "marks" of a snow-shoe, a fish, a bow and arrow, a war-club, a snake, or some wild animal, to the deeds that were conveying away forever their paternal hunting- grounds to the pale-faced strangers within their an- cient borders. They often stipulated in their convey- ances that the " marked trees," or bounds, should be made " clere and ffayre," and that they should be care- fully kept from obliteration.

The date of the first Indian deed given to the ex- plorers of this valley is April 20, 1659, and is signed by Tautaunimo and other Derby Indians. They en- couraged our fathers to purchase by saying, in their quaint language, that this valley was " a good place for many smokes of the white man." It was so proved, and no complaint, in this regard, can be made against the grantors. The bounds in this deed are : "Polateuk River South-west, Naugatunck River North-east, and bounded on ye North-west with trees marked by me (Tautannimo), and other Indians." This includes a territory in Litchfield and New Haven Counties nearly as large as Litchfield County itself. It extended from the Nangatuck to the Housatonic, and from the southernmost point of Southbury to Bantam Lake, in Litchfield. It does not appear that the pioneers made use of this purchase, except, per- haps, for hunting-grounds, till thirteen years later, at which time they planted corn upon the river meadows in company with the Indians. The next year, April 26, 1673, they made their first, or Pomperaug, pur- chase of the Pootatuck Indians, the real occupants of the soil, covering the whole town-plot from the eastern hills to " Wecuppeme," and from the north end of East Meadow to the " Bent" of the Pomperaug River at South Britain, taking in "transilvania and rag- land." By this purchase a large part of the most fertile and arable lands of the town were obtained.

The second purchase of lands from the Pootatucks was made March 17, 1685-86. This was the Shepaug purchase, comprising two-thirds of the present town of Roxbury and a part of Southbury. On the 18th day of May, 1700, the inhabitants of the town, hav- ing become numerous for those days, made their fourth, or Nonnewaug purchase. Till this time it seems that the sagamore of that name had retained his posses- sions in the valley of the Nonnewaug, in East Sprain stream. But now it came his turn to make room, and it seems that he and his counselors did it with a good grace, as the deed informs us the sale was made "For valid considerations moving thereto, besides ye

desire yt is wthin us of a friendly correspondency with ye English inhabitants of sª Woodbury." At a very early day that part of Southbury, known as Kettle- town, had been purchased of the Indians for the con- sideration of a brass kettle. It had been bought the second time seven years after the settlement of the town; and on the 25th of October, 1705, it became necessary to purchase it the third time. Something more than a quarter of a century had passed since the last sale, and by this time it is probable that they again felt the need of the " consideration." This was the fifth regular purchase of the Pootatucks. On the 28th day of May, next year, the town bought the sixth, or confirmatory purchase. This covered and confirmed all former grants and purchases, together with a considerable tract of land in Roxbury, and a piece eighty rods wide, from Steep Rock, in Wash- ington, to the mouth of the Shepaug, ou the west side of that river. In this deed the Indians reserved a large tract of land in the southwest part of South- bury, called the Pootatuck Reservation. This was bounded on the north by a line drawn from Shepaug Falls to the "Bent" of the Pomperaug, east by that river, or by a line drawn parallel to, or a few rods east of it, from the " Bent" to its mouth, south by the Pootatuck, and west by the Shepaug River. This reservation, now called "The Purchase," contained the principal Indian village, located on the Pootatuck River, south of South Britain village. After this sale the Indians continued to convey portions of their laud, from time to time, till 1733, when there was left to them only a remnant of their possessions at the south- west corner, in which was located their remaining village, called the "Pootatuck Wigwams." They retained their title to this last resting-place for a quarter of a century longer, when, reduced to a mere handful in numbers, in May, 1759, they sold their cherished Pootatuck, and the "remnant that re- mained" took up their abode with the "Scaticook Indians" at Kent, where a few of mixed blood remain to this day. In all their later sales they reserved the right to take game on the lands forever,-a right which was always religiously respected by our fathers when- ever a straggling Pootatuck revisited the graves of his ancestors, or wandered in his once wide do- minions !

The "marks" with which these Indians signed their deeds were unique and interesting. Nonnewaug's mark was a snow-shoe; Wecuppeme's, a snake; Mo- mauchewaug's, a rude drawing of the face of a pros- trate foe; Punhone's, the uplifted arm of a warrior; and that of Tummasseete, the owner of the first orchard in this territory, was a bow and arrow. A part of this orchard still exists, and bore apples last season. These "marks" were as truly signatures as our own, and as readily identified.

It is many years since the last Pootatuck, an old squaw, came back to the Pootatuck village to revisit the graves of her ancestors. Looking up to the place

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where still stand the few remaining trees of "Tum- masseete's old orchard," she said, "There is Poota- tuck, the home of the buried braves." What a world of sad associations cluster around that simple outburst of nature ! After lingering among the graves of her people a few days she returned to Scaticook, and the light of the pristine race in this territory went ont forever !

Let us pause a moment to drop a tear over the graves of a buried race. With as great care, or per- haps greater, than our own, the Indians marked the graves of their fathers. By the romantic falls of his own ever-murmuring stream is the grave of Nonne- waug. In his own orchard at Pootatuck, near the Housatonie, is resting the remains of Tummasseete. Within the fertile meadows of Wecuppeme reposes the brave of that name, in his last quiet sleep. And in the very midst of our village they buried Pompe- raug, who gave his name to our beautiful river.

So far as the Indians of this town were concerned, they were always the friends of our fathers, and main- tained with them a perpetual peace. There were some Indian conflicts here, but they arose from the incursions of the Mohawks, who, previons to the ar- rival of the white settlers, held the Indians of this ter- ritory as tributaries by superior prowess. As early as 1675, during King Philip's war, they made a treaty with the first settlers, in which they covenanted to continue in "friendship with the white settlers, and be enemies to their enemies, and discover them timely, or destroy them." This treaty was ever kept, as a perpetual league, with entire good faith by both the contracting parties, and many were the mutual offices of kindness they performed for each other.

CHAPTER LXX. WOODBURY (Continued).

Church Dissensions in Stratford the Cause of the Settlement of Wood- bury-Action of tho Genoral Conrt In 1667, 1669, 1670-Pomperaug Granted and Settlement Commenced In 1672-Fresh Arrivals Next Year-Pomperang made a Town and Called Woodbury in 1674-Sig. nification of tho Namo.

THE settlement of Woodbury was the result of dif- ference in religious opinion among the inhabitants of Stratford. It was accomplished by one of the most remarkable and brilliant mental conflicts that ever occurred in planting a New England town. There were giants in those days, girded for the defense of what they believed to be religions truth. The usual reason for settling a new town had been that the pa- rent town had become too full to accommodate all its inhabitants, and that it was necessary to seek new lo- cations for extending the church of God and ad- vancing the interests of religious freedom. No idea of mere worldly advantage entered the minds of the stern and earnest men who founded our town. The

first ministers of the colony being dead, and a new generation coming on the stage of action, alterations in respect to church membership, baptism, and the mode of church discipline were earnestly demanded. Great dissensions on these subjects accordingly arose in the churches at Hartford, Windsor, Weathersfield, and other places, and continued in various parts of the colony from 1656 to about 1670. It is difficult for us, at this distance of time, fully to understand the merits of the controversy. The system in dispute was called the "Half-way Covenant" system of church membership. Upon this question there was the gravest difference of opinion among the most learned and pious men in New England.

By this plan a person of good moral character, who had been baptized in infancy, might own or renew the covenant of baptism which had been made for him by his parents, confessing the same ereed as members of the church in full communion, and, affirming his intention of becoming truly pious in heart and life, have the privilege of presenting his children, grandchildren, adopted children, and even his slaves, for baptism by giving a pledge for their religious education. Persons thus owning the cove- nant were considered members of the church to all intents and purposes, except that they were not ad- mitted to the communion-table. For conduet unbe- coming church members they could be, and were, dealt with and punished in the same manner as mem- bers in full communion. Consequent on this prac- tiee baptism followed closely upon birth, generally in from one to eight days, and if the child was in danger of "non-continuance" it was baptized at onee.

In those early days the choice of pastors was con- fined exclusively to members of the church, though every frecholder was taxed for their support, and nearly all the offices and honors of the colony of Con- neeticut, to which Stratford belonged, were distributed to professors of religion, who alone, in the colony of New Haven, possessed the right of suffrage in meet- ings of a political character. During the lives of the early colonists little trouble had arisen on these points, nearly all of the first immigrants having been church members. But this generation had passed away and a new one had succeeded, many of whom, on account of their not belonging to the church, were excluded from their proper influence in the community. Most of them had been baptized, and by virtue of this it was claimed they might own their covenant, have their children baptized, and thus perpetuate the church and themselves attain the rank of perfect freemen. Ilence it may be readily seen why our forefathers, being excluded from their proper posi- tion in the affairs of the town and colony, desired such a change in church government as would over- come this unjust inequality. All New England be- eame interested in this controversy, and in 1657 it was decided by a conneil of the principal ministers

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

of the colonies, convened in Boston, that it was the duty of those who had come to the years of discretion, baptized in infancy, to own the covenant; that it was the duty of the church to call them to do it, and if they refused, they might be censured by the church. In consequence of this decision many owned their covenant and presented their children for baptism, but did not unite with the church in the celebration of the Supper, nor in most other duties of members in full communion. Hence it was termed the "Half- Way Covenant System."

The church at Stratford, notwithstanding the Bos- ton decision, would not adopt this practice, although a large and influential part of its members were in favor of it, together with a majority of the voters of the town who were not church members. Rev. Israel Chauncey, son of President Charles Chauncey, of Cambridge, Mass., who was opposed to this practice, was settled over the church in 1666. On account of this difference a large part of the church and town was opposed to his ordination. It was, therefore, agreed that if, after hearing Mr. Chauncey a certain time, they should continue to be dissatisfied with his ministry, the dissenting party should be at liberty to call another minister, and have the same use of the meeting-house as the other party. After hearing Mr. Chauncey the time agreed on, and continuing to be dissatisfied with his ministrations, they invited Rev. Zachariah Walker to preach to them, and finally chose him to be their pastor. Both ministers conducted pub- lic worship in the same house, Mr. Chauncey at the usual hours, and Mr. Walker two hours in the middle of the day. But it was difficult to confine the services to the exact time allowed, and it soon happened that Mr. Walker exceeded the time limited, one day to such an extent that Mr. Chauncey and his hearers, becoming impatient, retired to a private house and held their afternoon services. They were, however, so much displeased that next day they went over to Fairfield and made a complaint against Mr. Walker to Maj. Gold, one of the magistrates. The major, upon hearing the case, advised pacific measures, and that Mr. Walker should be allowed three hours for his public exercises. Then began that remarkable conflict of master-minds, conducted on the one side by Rev. Mr. Chauncey and Philip Grove, and on the other by Rev. Mr. Walker, Capt. John Minor, "the learned and pious scribe," Hon. Samuel Sherman, and Lieut. Joseph Judson, men of worth and might. Space forbids that I should give full details of this remarkable contest. The dissentients had a majority in the town-meeting, and Deacon John Minor, one of their leaders, was town clerk during the whole time of the controversy and for several years afterwards. This written controversy has been preserved on the town and colony records and in the history of Wood- bury, and is a model of Christian courtesy and mod- eration.

After Mr. Walker had been called to preach by the

dissentient party there was an effort, on the part of the Walker party, to have joint meetings, each minister taking a part. But this plan, as might have been ex- pected, failed.

In September, 1668, the church refused to hear the two ministers in joint meeting, and refused to con- sider the disputes between them till Mr. Walker's party had " procured the approbation of the General Court and the consent of neighboring churches." In November of the same year Mr. Walker, for his people, replied to this communication, and informed the church that they had concluded, "God willing," to occupy the meeting-house a part of each Sabbath, beginning with the next Sabbath. He closed the communication with the desire that the "God of Peace" would guide the parties to such a course of action as would be for their "mutual peace and com- fort." The result of this notice was a compromise, by which Mr. Walker was allowed two hours each Sab- bath for his services in the meeting-house, in the middle of the day, between the two services of Mr. Chauncey, till the meeting of the General Court in May, 1669. At that session both parties presented petitions in relation to their disagreements, particu- larly in regard to the manner in which they should " enjoy the meeting-house." The court took the case into consideration as requested, confirmed the choice of Mr. Chauncey, ordered both parties to choose " some indifferent persons of piety and learning to compose their differences," and gave Mr. Walker's party liberty till the October session to occupy the church three hours each Sabbath, in the middle of the day, between the two services of Mr. Chauncey. They could not, however, agree upon the points to be sub- mitted to the arbitrators, and at the October session, 1669, a resolution was passed by the General Court advising the First Church to comply with the desire of Mr. Walker's party to have union, services, allow- ing Mr. Walker to preach one part of each Sabbath to the united congregation. Some communications passed between the parties relative to this advice, but Mr. Chauncey's party, instead of granting them this privilege, which they had so long sought, excluded them from the house entirely, after which they met for public worship in a private house during the re- mainder of their stay at Stratford.

It was at this juncture that Governor Winthrop advised that Mr. Walker and his people should re- move, and that a tract of laud for the settlement of a new town should be granted. Accordingly, the Gen- eral Court, on the 9th of May, 1672, granted to Samuel Sherman, William Curtiss, Joseph Judson, and John Minor, the leading members of Mr. Walker's church, " liberty to erect a plantation at Pomperoage," pro- vided that "any other honest inhabitants of Strat- ford" should have liberty to join them in settling there, and provided that they should "entertain so many inhabitants as the plantation would conve- niently entertain."

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Thus ended a controversy that had agitated the minds of the early fathers for about eight years. Dur- ing the whole of that long period of excited discussion it will be found, by a careful examination of the de- tails, that the founders of our town ever maintained a Christian tone and temper. They furnished a model course of action to us on all occasions of conflict of interests and opinions.

It was in the midst of this controversy, early in 1668, that Mr. Walker was called to perform pastoral labors among the people of the Second Church at Stratford, now the First Church in Woodbury. For two years he had preached to them without ordina- tion. Among the other difficulties under which his people labored they had found no opportunity to have him ordained in the desired ecclesiastical au- thority. But now, being taunted by the First Church on account of their unorganized State, being informed that they would hold no further communication with them till they were duly organized, and there being no longer any hope of arrangement, they took the steps necessary to " embody in church estate." This they accomplished May 1, 1670, with the approval of the churches of Fairfield, Killingsworth, and the " new church at Windsor." Mr. Walker was or- dained on the 5th of May, 1670, when twenty male members again publicly owned their covenant, the gathering of the church having been made by them in private, on account of the great opposition to them. This fact is most thoroughly set forth on the first page of our First Church records, in the handwriting of Mr. Walker, now before me. Seven more male mem- bers were admitted a few days after, and ten more, six of whom were females, were added previous to the removal to Pomperaug, in 1672,-a number fully equal to that of most other churches at their commence- ment in this wilderness land.

The initial point from which dates the settlement of Woodbury was the grant of the General Court, in ac- cordance with Governor Winthrop's recommendation, in 1672. As this grant was not made till the May session, it was too late for our forefathers to move their families into the wilderness that year; but the preliminary arrangements wero immediately com- menced, and it is related that a few of the proprietors came here and raised some corn, which they stored in log cribs, but when they returned the next spring with fifteen families, they found that the wild beasts or In- dians had rifled them of their contents. By somne mistake, which even at this distance of time seems singular, as the founders had known the territory since 1659, the pioneer families, in following the Housatonic, passed the Pomperaug in their journey, and went up the Shepaug valley some miles, till they discovered they must be on the wrong route, when they made the best of their way over the hills to this valley. They encamped the first night on Gord Hill, west of our village. The next day they proceeded to the valleys to examine and take possession of their

lands, and encamped the second night beneath a large white oak just below the present line of our town in Southbury. The location still bears the name of " White Oak." They finally decided to make their principal location in the lower part of the present principal village of the town. By the colony records we learn that the intervales on the Pomperaug River had been deprived of the trees by the annual fires kindled by the Indians, and had been by them cultivated be- fore our fathers moved here. So the land was in some measure prepared for their occupation. Their first dwellings were built of logs, but these habita- tions passed away with the first generation, and com- fortable frame dwellings took their places. The first framed house was located in Judson Lane, a few rods west of the Congregational church. The houses were built in a substantial manner, in the old lean-to style, the back roof running nearly to the ground, and were covered with rent oak clapboards. They were rude dwellings, but sufficed the wants of the pioneers.

Among the preparations which our forefathers made for their removal hither was a code of laws, or arti- cles of agreement for their government, quite as care- fully drawn as that written covenant entered into by the Pilgrims before they left the "Mayflower" to land on Plymouth Rock. This model constitution, con- taining all the elements of civilization, justice, and religious liberty, is still preserved to us. It is a leg- acy of which we are proud. It is a perfect model for our republican form of government; also provid- ing for the exigencies of a settlement in the woods. It provided that as many persons should be admitted into the plantation as could be comfortably ac- commodated, and that all public charges, civil and ecclesiastical, should be borne in proportion to the size of their home-lots, the largest being twenty-five, and the smallest ten, acres, while the allotment to a bachelor was only five acres. It was further provided that considerable tracts of land should be set apart for the support of the preaching of the gospel; and also, in the quaint language of the original instrument, "a parsell of land for yo Incouriging a Schoole, yt learning may not be neglected to children." Each inhabitant was obliged to pay his pro rata share of the expense of the purchase of the territory from the Indians, the expense of removal, and all other public charges, within ten months after his home-lot was laid out to him, in wheat, peas, and pork, in equal proportions. Lastly, and above all, it was stipulated that for the purpose of remaining in the " peaceable enjoyment of that way of church discipline which they were persuaded is according to God," they en- gaged, each for himself, not to disturb the peace of the plantation, but to subject themselves, personally, "to that ecclesiastical government that shoukl be there established or practiced agreeably to ye Word of God."

These articles were subscribed by Samuel Sherman, Sr., Joseph Judson, Sr., John Minor, Israel Curtiss,

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John Wheeler, John Wyatt, John Sherman, John Judson, Jonathan Curtiss, Samuel Styles, Titus Hin- man, David Jenkins, Moses Johnson, Samuel Munn, Roger Terrill, Eleazur Knowles, and Thomas Fair- child. These are the ancestors of a large number of the most distinguished men now administering the affairs of the nation, or who have been most distin- guished in our history. Among these are ex-Presi- dent Grant, Gen. W. T. Sherman, Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman, Secretary of State William M. Evarts, Hon. Chauncey M. De Pue, of New York City, and many others honoring their country in every part of the Union.

A moment's examination will show the wisdom of this first solemn governmental covenant. The com- mittee of principal men composed a court to judge between man and man, doing justice according to the letter of "God's written word," until a town should be organized under the jurisdiction of magistrates, " who are appointed of God." This court had the power of life and death over their brother colonists till the incorporation of the town.

From these articles we learn that here, as in all other early New England towns, the settlers had a particu- lar regard for the establishment of religious institu- tions. It was their design to erect churches in strict conformity to Scripture example, and to transmit evangelical purity, in doctrine, worship, and disci- pline, with civil and religious liberty, to their pos- terity. So great was the attention paid to this matter that they not only made provision for the minister first settled, but they also sequestered lands for the future support of the ministry, which were called the " parsonage lands."

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History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 165

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1532

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1532