USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 2
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700
Elihu Spicer
468
Charles P. Williams
702
William (lift
468
Maria Stanton.
703
Nathan G. Fish
469
- William llyde ..
704
Nuthan G. Fish.
470
J. F. Trumbull
705
John Palmer.
470
A. S. Matthews.
706
Robert Palmer
471
Oliver B. Grant
707
Noyes Barber
474
Ira Hart
The Avery Family.
474
Nathaniel B. Palmer
708
The Burrows Family.
476
Alexander S. Palmer
712
Benjamin Burrows, Sr.
476
Silas E. Burrows.
713
Benjamin Burrows, Jr.
477
The Greenman Family
714
Calvin Burrows.
477
Silas Greenman
715
Franklin Gallup
478
George Groenman
715
Albert Latham.
479
Clark Greenman.
717
Gurdon Gates
480
Thomas S. Greenman
718
Trumbull Family
190
Calvert Il. Cottrell
719
Thomas Whitmore
518
Nathan Babcock
720
William R. Gay
518
Stephen Babcock
721
Charles Sweet
519
Trustum Dickens
722
Edwin M. Dolbeare
520
George W. Noyes ..
729
Jeremiah Mason.
520
Thomas Hinckley.
723
The Waterman Family
520
Joseph Noyes
723
Andrew Waterman ...
521
O. M. Still
James M. Peckham
522
Alex. G. Frink
726
Joseph Holmes ..
522
Charles M. Davis
726
The Pettis Family
523
Charles S. Hewitt
P. G. Thomas
524
John Randall
726
Isaac G. Avery
525
Henry D. Langworthy
727
Erastus Gecr
525
Mason Manning.
728
Silas P. Abell
526
Alphonso I. Whitman
729
Jabez MeCall
between 526, 527
Charles P. White.
742
Asher II. Chapman ..
743
Gideon Hoxie
527
Charles Wheeler.
743
Danlel Ml:van.
527
Zebulon T. York
743
Robert Allyn.
533
Alfred Clarke.
744
Ralph Hurlbutt
534
Charles G. Ilewitt
744
Henry Denison.
535
Solomon Barber.
744
Ilbberd Stoddard.
535
Ira G. Briggs
748
Sanford B. Stoddard
535
Warren Gates
75'7
Daniel B. Hyde.
539
Joh. D. Palmer.
759
Lodowick Bill.
543
Savilion Chapman
760
David S. Bralnerd
559
Thomas M. Clarke ...
760
very Smith ..
565
Albert G. Douglas.
760
Edmund Darrow,
761
Lyman Allyn.
761
Horace C. Lanphear ..
763
572
James Rogers ...
764
572
Eliphalet Lyou ..
764
572
Orlando
765
573
John Ro
.....
chard Raymond.
570
lexander Baker
571
o luare.
418
Gideon Palmer.
591
Ilirum Appelman.
449
J. C. Bolles
449
S. S. Harris
449
George Drisdale Jerome
449
Nathaniel B. Bradford
450
William Fitch
450
David R. Dolbeare
604
Benjamin F. Stoddard
450
Henry Willians
609
The Averys.
456
Ethan Alleu.
612
Alfred N. Ramsdell
162
Richard A. Wheeler.
691
Hubbard D. Morgan.
-165
Williams Family
696
Rosa oll A. Morgan
466
William Williams
John G. Spleer ..
472
Elihn Chesebrough
707
Elisha Haley ..
575
vea Itogers
570
725
Henry A. Spafard
527
CONTENTS.
11
-
LLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
between 12, 13
facing 40
Jirah Isham.
42
=
43
=
44
L. F. S. Foster. 45
=
46
M. R. Waite.
47
¥ John T. Wait.
J. Halsey 50
66
J. D. Park.
",
54
¥ G. W. Goddard.
66
55
William H. Potter.
56
T. M. Waller.
57
Marvin Wait.
73
Charles M. Coit
75
¥ Joseph Selden
NEW LONDON.
Residence of E. L. Palmer. facing 216
Headquarters of Gen. Washington
190
Portrait of Henry P. Havens.
= Frances M. Caulkins.
Acors Barns
234
T. W. Williams.
236
Nathan Belcher.
237
Francis B. Loomis 238
66
Residence of Francis B. Loomis between 238, 239
Portrait of W. W. Billings M. K. Cady
J. C. Waldo.
C. D. Boss.
between 240, 241
¥ Israel F. Brown
Sidney Miner
facing 241
D. P. Francis
242
W. H. H. Comstock
243
Orlando C. Gorton
244
C. Arnold Weaver.
between 244, 245
Charles Treadway
244, 245
Oscar Sites, M.D. facing 245
Edward Hallam 245
NORWICH.
Portrait of Jedediah Huntington between 318, 319
¥
Eliza Huntington.
318, 319
Jedediah Huntington.
= 348, 349
William A. Buckingham
348,349
William Williams. facing 349
= Harriet P. Williams
350
Charles Johnson
351
Charles Osgood ..
352
Leonard Ballon
353
356
Edward B. Huntington between 356, 357
J. M. Huntington
356, 357
David Smith
358,359
Henry B. Tracy
358, 350
H. P. Arms .. r. N. Bentley
he. ry B. Norton. facing 359
Franklin Nichols 360
L. Blackstone.
361
John Mitchell 362
B. Durfey. between 362, 363
E. W. Williams 362, 363
363
1.
George W. Geer 365
44 Wmn. W. Backus. 368
Chauncey K. Bushnell 369
William Smith. 370
John W. Stedman 371
.
BOZRAH.
PAGE
Portrait of A. Fitch between 378, 379
Wm. Fitch ...
378,379
Douglas Fitch .. .facing 379
Stephen Fitch
380
Wm. H. Fitch between 380, 381
4
A. D. Fitch
380, 381
John W. Haughton .facing 382
Wm. F. Bailey between 382, 383
Nathan S. Hunt
382, 383
COLCHESTER.
Residence of J. N. Felton
facing 390
Portrait of D. S. Bigelow 399
FRANKLIN.
Portrait of Ashbel Woodward
.facing 402
H. W. Kingsley between 402, 403
B. F. Huntington. facing 403
GRISWOLD.
Residence of D. A. Geer between 404, 405
James C. Lord. .facing 406
H. L. Johnson .between 408, 409
232 Portrait of Thomas L. Shipman .facing 410
Andrew Lester 411
Residence of Andrew Lester.
between 412, 413
Portrait of Henry L. Johnson facing 414
B. F. Billings.
415
Samuel Geer
416
= D. A. Geer. between 416, 417
James C. Lord. 416, 417
facing 240 ¥ Bonaparte Campbell facing 417
B. II. Browning. 418
GROTON.
Groton Heights. facing 424 House used for Hospital at Battle of Groton Heights. 428
Portrait of B. F. Chandler. facing
452
Old Avery Mansion .. 4.54
Portrait of J. George Harris facing 456
A. N. Ramsdell
462
II. D. Morgan
464
Sanford Morgan
between 464, 465
Elisha Morgan ... 464, 465
R. A. Morgan facing 466
= Levi Spicer .between 466, 467
Elihn Spicer 466, 467
=
Jolın G. Spicer .facing 467
William Clift
468
Nathan G. Fish 470
John Palmer between 470, 471
Robert Palmer.
facing 471
Elisha Ilaley 474
John J. Avery. between 474, 475
. Albert L. Avery $74,475 Benjamin Burrows, Sr. facing 4" ,
= Calvin Burrows.
477
Benjamin Burrows, Jr.
472
Franklin Gallup. facing
47
¥ Albert Lathanı.
4
Gordon Gates.
LEBANON.
Portrait of Trumbull House and War Off ce.
= Jolın Trumbull.
faci:
William R. Gay
-
Edwin M. Dolbeare.
Jeremiah Mason ....
E. Waterman.
= J. M. Deckham
Joseph Xtolmes.
Outline Map of County. Portrait of Joseph Williams.
Henry Strong
HI. M. Waite.
66 Charles J. McCnrdy.
49
=
53
James A. Hovey.
131
44
228
60
238, 239
238, 239
240, 241
358,359
358, 359
=
=
Willis R. Austin.
facing
Charles Sweet
=
A. F. Smith.
12
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Portrait of Oliver Pettis.
P. G. Thomas
Erastus Geer.
= 525
526
facing 526
4
Jabez McCall.
between 526, 527
=
526, 527
Gideon lloxie.
526, 527
LEDYARD.
l'ortrait of Old Home of Ellhu Spicer. facing 530
Robert Allen.
Ralph Hurlbutt
Hibberd Stoddard. .
between 534, 535
=
Sanford B. Stoddard
534, 535
Henry Denison .facing 535
LISBON.
Portrait of Daniel B. Hyde
.facing 539
LYME.
Portrait of Lodowick Bill.
facing 543
OLD LYME.
facing 559
Portrait of Avery Smith
EAST LYME.
facing 565
MONTVILLE.
Portrait of Elisha II. Palmer. facing 590
Carmichael Robertson
591
D. S. Browning.
Jolın C. Bolles. .between 592, 593
Samuel S. Harris facing 593
=
594
= N. B. Bradford. between 594, 595
William Fitch
594, 595
David R. Dolbeare. facing 595
PRESTON.
Portrait of G. G. Benjamin
facing 604
SALEM.
Portrait of llenry Williams facing 608
Roswell Morgan
609
SPRAGUE.
Portrait of Ethan Allen
facing 611
Charles T. Hazen
612
STONINGTON.
l'ortruit of Richard A. Wheeler facing 690
=
Charles Mallory. 691
Charles II. Mallory
693
William Williams.
700
Ephraim Williams .between 700, 701
Charles P. Williams 700,701
Maria Stanton. facing 702
William llyde 703
PAGE
Portrait of John F. Truml
facing 704
A. S. Matthews.
O. B. Grant
Elihu Chesbrough.
between 706, 707
Ira Hart.
706, 707
= N. B. Palmer
=
712
= Alexander S. Palmer.
=
Silas E. Burrows
713
Silas Greenman. between 714, 715
George Greenman.
714, 715
66
Thomas Greenman
.facing 717
Clark Greenman
718
View of C. B. Cottrell & Co.'s Manufactory between 718, 719
Portrait of C. B. Cottrell facing 719
= Nathan Babcock
=
720
Stephen Babcock.
721
Trustum Dickens.
722
= George W. Noyes.
between 722, 723
= Joseph Noyes
= Thomas Hinckley facing 723
725
= Alexander G. Frink between 726, 727
Charles S. Hewitt. 726, 727
= John Randall
726, 727
Charles M. Davis
facing 727
Mason Manning.
728
= HI. D. Langworthy. facing 728
NORTH STONINGTON.
Portrait of Charles P. White. facing 742
66 Ashor II. Chapman
.between 742, 743
Z. T. York
742, 743
Charles Wheeler.
744, 745
Alfred Clarke.
744, 745
=
Charles G. Hewitt.
744, 745
= Solomon Barber
744, 745
VOLUNTOWN.
Portrait of Ira G. Briggs facing 748
Residence of Ira G. Briggs
749
WATERFORD.
Portrait of Warren Gates facing 757
Residence of John B. Palmer.
758
Portrait of John B. Palmer
Albert G. Douglas
760
= Douglass Place.
between 760, 761
Savilion Chapman
760, 761
Thomas M. Clarke ..
760, 761
Edmund Darrow
760, 761
= Lyman Allyn .. facing 762
Residence of John T. Allyn. between 762, 763
Portrait of Horace C. Lanphear. facing 763
Eliphalet Lyon
764
=
David Rogers.
between 764, 765
John Robertson .€ 764, 765
Orlando Comstock
766
1
Silas P. Abell
Isaac G. Avery
facing 523
524
705
706
facing 708
Henry A. Spafard
533
534
Portrait of D. S. Brainerd
592
George D, Jerome
759
722, 723
O. M. Stillman.
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MAP OF NEW LONDON COUNTY
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HISTORY
OF
NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
CHAPTER I.
OUTLINE HISTORY.1
NEW LONDON COUNTY lies in the southeastern part of Connecticut, and is bounded as follows : On the north by Hartford, Tolland, and Windham Coun- ties ; on the east by the State of Rhode Island; on the south by Long Island Sound ; and on the west by Middlesex and Tolland Counties.
The county is watered by the Connecticut, Thames, Shetucket, Quinnebaug, Yantic, Pawcatuck, Mystic, Poquonock, and Niantic Rivers and their tributaries, all of which mingle their waters with Long Island Sound. The southern part of the county is deeply indented by the waters of the Sound, which form some of the best harbors on the Connecticut seaboard. Oysters of excellent quality are found in abundance along the coast. The soil is generally strong and fertile, and well adapted to grazing. Many of the streams in the county afford an excellent water-power, and manufacturing-principally of cotton and woolen goods-forms an important industry.
The face of the county is diversified by hill and dale, and is well supplied with streams of water. The soil is well adapted to grazing, and to grain and fruit culture. Its navigable waters are extensive, and unsurpassed by those of any section of equal extent upon the coast.
Notwithstanding all these natural advantages, which rendered it one of the most inviting fields or locali- ties for the early English settlers to improve, more than one-fourth of a century elapsed after the arrival of the "Mayflower" before any attempt was made to plant a colony, or even for individual settlement.
As a principal reason for this inaction, the territory was preoccupied by the Pequots,2 a powerful tribe of
Indians belonging to the wide-spread Algonquin or Delaware race. This powerful tribe had by their cruelty become the dread of the whites far and near. Rendered bold by numbers, and jealous of every en- croachment, they had resolved upon nothing less than the utter extermination of the whites, and shrank from no means, however appalling, which might con- duce to the accomplishment of their bloody purpose. Massachusetts had in 1634, with much effort, induced them to allow the peaceable settlement of certain portions of their domain, and to offer satisfaction for former outrages. But the natives were slow to fulfill the conditions of this treaty, and Capt. Endicott was sent out by the Massachusetts colony, at the head of ninety men, to enforce the treaty and to cliastise them for their past offenses.
This ill-advised expedition failed utterly of its ob- jects, and only tended to exasperate the Pequots, who during the succeeding fall and winter were untiring in their attempts to league the other Indians with them in a war of extermination against the whites, and redoubled their own efforts to rid themselves of the noxious strangers. Savages lurked in every cov- ert, and there was no safety for life or property. The colonists could not travel abroad, or even cultivate their fields, but at the peril of their lives. Their cattle were driven off, their houses burned, the navi- gation of the river was seriously impeded, and even the fort at Saybrook was in a state of constant siege. By spring the situation had become critical in the ex- treme. Nearly thirty murders had been committed, and utter ruin threatened the colony unless decisive measures should at once be taken. In this emergency a General Court was convened at Hartford on the 11th of May, 1637, at which it was decided to proceed at once to an offensive war against the Pequots, and for the first campaign to send out a force of ninety men under Capt. John Mason, then in command of the fort at Saybrook.
About this time Mason and the warrior Uncas met and formed a temporary alliance, which was, low- ever, destined to continue without serious interruption
1 By Ashbel Woodward, M.D.
2 The Pequots originally dwelt upon the banks of the Hudson, but had at a period anterior to the arrival of the English migrated by successive stages towards the south, and finally settled in this county, upon territory chiefly occupied by the Niantic Indians, whom they crowded out.
2
13
14
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
for a long series of years, and prove of great and last- ing benefit to the settlements. Uncas was related, both by birth and marriage, to the Pequot royal fam- ily, but soon after his marriage he became involved in difficulties, the nature of which is not exactly known, which resulted in his banishment to the Nar- ragansett country. He was afterwards permitted to return, but a recurrence of the same troubles led to his banishment for a second and even third time. He thus at length became permanently exiled from his own people, and we find him upon the Connecti- cut River, near the infant settlements of Hartford and Windsor, in the spring of 1637, at the head of about seventy warriors. Both Mason and Uncas were emi- nently fitted to be military leaders, each of his own race. Mason possessed marked military tastes, which had been developed and trained in the wars of the Netherlands under Lord Fairfax; while Uncas, by nature brave and shrewd, had, as a member of the royal family of a strong and warlike nation, abundant opportunity to acquire a thorough knowledge of the methods of Indian warfare. An alliance of two such representative men of the two races then competing upon American soil could not fail to make an impress upon their peculiar surroundings. Uncas agreed to join the expedition with his warriors, and the united forces embarked at Hartford on the 20th of May of the same year and proceeded to drop down the river. In the course of the voyage the Indians had oppor- tunity to demonstrate their fidelity, which had been unjustly suspected by some. As the water in the river was low and the passage tedious, the Indians were at their own request allowed to disembark and proceed along the bank. When near Saybrook they met and defeated a party of Pequots, killing seven and taking one prisoner. After their arrival at Say- brook, the commandant of the fort, still distrustful of Uncas, addressed the sachem as follows: "You say you will help Capt. Mason, but I will first see it; therefore send twenty men to Bass River, for there went last night six Indians there in a canoe; fetch them, dead or alive, and you shall go with Mason, or you shall not." Uncas did as he was required. His warriors found the enemy, killed four of them, and took another prisoner. This exploit of the sachem was regarded by Lieut. Gardiner as a sure pledge of his fidelity.
Capt. Mason had received instructions to land at Pequot Harbor, but his military judgment led him to sail direct to the Narragansett country and make his attack upon the enemy from a point whence they would least expect it. He accordingly proceeded thither, and on Saturday, May 30th, towards evening, dropped anchor off the shores of the Narragansett. As there was a strong northwest wind they remained on shipboard until Tuesday, when Mason landed and marched directly to the residence of Canonicus, the Narragansett chief, and informed him of his design of attacking the Pequots in their strongholds, and
demanded a free passage through the Narragansett country. The request was readily granted, and Mi- antonomoh, nephew of Canonicus, suggested that the numbers of the English and Mohegans were too small for an invasion of the Pequot country, and volunteered to send two hundred of his braves with the expedition, though he did not himself offer to accompany them.
On the following morning the vessels were manned with a small force, as a larger could not be spared, and were ordered to sail for the mouth of Pequot River. The land force, consisting of seventy English- men and sixty Mohegan warriors, under Uncas, with the addition of two hundred Narragansett volunteers, commenced its march westward. After proceeding about twenty miles through a rough country, with only a narrow Indian foot-path for their passageway, they arrived at a place called Nehantic, where they remained overnight. When the English resumed their march on the following morning they were overtaken by others of the Narragansett people, so that they were followed, as they supposed, by near five hundred warriors. As the day was warm and the way rough several of the men fainted from ex- posure and want of food. After a, march of about twelve miles they reached a ford in the Pawcatuck River, where a halt was made for rest and refresh- ment. It had been ascertained that the majority of the Pequot warriors were in two forts or inclosures of palisades, one of which was commanded by Sassacus in person, and both regarded by the Indians as within and without impregnable. Mason had originally de- signed to divide his forces and attack both places si- multaneously, but from information received during the halt upon the Pawcatuck he learned that the forts were situated at too great a distance apart to allow of a division of his force, and he decided to advance at once upon the fort on Pequot Hill. The Narragansetts, on learning of his design to attack Sassacus in his strong- hold, were smitten with deadly fear. "Sassacus," they said, " was all one god, and could not be killed." So great was their trepidation that a hundred of their number beat a precipitate retreat, and reported in the Providence plantation that the English had all fallen.
At this time Mason called Uncas to him, and asked him what he thought the Indians would do. "The Narragansetts," replied this brave sachem, "will all leave us, but as for himself he would never leave us; and so it proved, for which expression I shall never forget him. Indeed, he was a great friend, and did great service." The Pawcatnck was the last boundary before the country of the Pequots, and as the Narra- gansetts found themselves nearing the strongholds of their dreaded rivals their timidity increased, and all but a handful turned back. The Mohegans, however, encouraged by their chief, mustered the courage to proceed. The small army advanced cautiously till towards evening, when they came to a little swamp between two hills, near what are now called Porter's
15
OUTLINE HISTORY.
Rocks, where they halted for the night. Rising at an early hour on the following morning, they reached the fortress a little before daybreak. The plan of attack had been so arranged that Mason was to ap- proach the enemy through the main entrance on the northeast side with one division, while Underhill was to make an attack on the southwestern entrance with his division. Uncas, with his force, was to form an outer line to act as circumstances might indicate. When within a rod or two of the fort a dog barked, and the alarm was given. The troops rushed on, dis- charged their muskets through the palisades, and then forced an entrance. Mason, with his party, drove the Indians along the main avenue of their fortress towards the west till they were met by Underhill and his di- vision, who had effected an entrance upon that side, when, finding themselves between two fires, they were forced to retreat to their wigwams, where a desperate resistance was made. For a few moments the conflict seemed doubtful, when Mason, realizing the gravity of the situation, hit upon the expedient of burning out the foe, and snatching a brand from the fire ap- plied it to the dry matting of a wigwam. The fire spread with great rapidity, and the whole seventy wigwams were soon in flames. The English retired without the wigwams, and Uncas and his followers formed a circular line close in the rear of the English. The consternation of the Pequots was so great that but few attempted to escape. About six or seven hundred perished in the flames. Seven were made prisoners by the English, eighteen were captured by the Mohegans, and seven only made their escape. It so happened that one hundred and fifty warriors from the other fortress were this night in the fort upon Pequot Hill, which made the victory still more com- plete.
This famous encounter occurred on Friday, June 5tlı. The same day, at an early hour, the small fleet entered Pequot Harbor. As Mason's force was about to move in the direction of the vessels, a party of In- dian warriors approached them from the other fort, but one or two volleys from their trusty weapons served to keep them at a safe distance. The few Nar- ragansetts that hung upon the rear of the little col- umn as it moved steadily up the hill were not slow in making their appearance when the contest was de- cided, evincing all the courage of tried veterans. They finally accompanied Capt. Mason to the harbor, and afforded some assistance to those who conveyed the wounded. The total loss on the part of the Eng- lish was two killed and twenty wounded.
Sassacus at this critical period was in the fortress on Fort Hill, where he was loudly denounced by his warriors as the procuring cause of their late disaster at the other fort. The Pequots at this fort were also greatly exasperated at the course of Uncas and his followers, and caused all of their near relatives to be slain, except seven who made their escape.
On the day after the battle a council of the Pequot
nation was held to decide upon their future course of action, and after a hasty deliberation they resolved to leave their country, but not till they had destroyed their fortress and wigwams and such remaining prop- erty as could not be carried away. The principal band, headed by Sassacus in person, fled westward, and did not make any considerable halt till they had reached a large swamp in Saco, the present township of Fairfield. Thither they were pursued by Capt. Mason and his faithful ally Uncas. Capt. Stoughton also accompanied the expedition in command of a company from Massachusetts. The fugitives were discovered in their new quarters, and were without difficulty routed and utterly dispersed. Sassacus did not risk a halt at the swamp, but with a few of his followers fled directly to the Mohawk country for a safe retreat, but was there slain by the nation, and his scalp was sent to Connecticut as a trophy. As a result of the swamp fight and the death of their late chieftain, the Pequot nation became nearly extinct. Although powerless for harm, the few remaining fugi- tives were pursued with unrelenting malignity by the English. Even the surrounding tribes were not per- mitted to harbor them with impunity, but were re- quired by treaty and otherwise to effect, if possible, their utter annihilation. The Pequots were not al- lowed to dwell in their old homes, to visit the graves of their fathers, or to be called Pequots any more. Lastly, the conquered territory was not to be claimed by the sachems, but to be considered as the property of the English of Connecticut, as their own by right of conquest.
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The expedition against the Pequots is the most remarkable recorded in American history, and one which for boldness of plan and brilliancy of execu- tion may well claim a place among the most daring exploits of universal history. The Pequots outnum- bered Mason's forces ten to one, and the day might have been lost had it not been for the faithful service of Uncas and his followers.
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