USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900 > Part 28
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COLONEL GEORGE RYAN.
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further service. So eager was he to do more in his country's service into which he had entered with all his heart and soul that he reluctantly consented to the amputation of his leg, as he hoped it might be saved, and he be a whole, sound man again, to further serve his country. He was not only "every inch a soldier," he was as true a patriot as ever went forth to war, and a willing martyr. He gave his life, and longed for another life to give. The surgeon who attended him said that his fortitude and courage at the amputation of his limb were most remarkable and rare. Not a groan, a murmur or a complaint did he make. He was removed to Washington, and at a hotel everything that his old friends and new found friends were able to do in ministering to him was most gladly done; but unex- pectedly, almost instantly at last, his noble life went out. He was but twenty-six years old.
COLONEL GEORGE RYAN, MORTALLY WOUNDED IN THE BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS.
Another of Norfolk's noblest boys who most faithfully and efficiently served his country and gave his life in the War of the Rebellion was Colonel George Ryan, who as Colonel of the 140th New York Regiment led his men in a charge at the battle of Laurel Hill, or Spottsylvania, Va., where he was mortally wounded May 8th, 1864. He was a son of John Ryan; was brought to Norfolk when an in- fant; spent the days of his childhood, youth and early man- hood here; was much beloved by all his friends and com- panions, being a gentleman of refinement by nature and early training, and his early death was deeply lamented.
George Ryan, Colonel of 140th New York Volunteers, Captain of 7th Infantry, United States Army, son of John and Joanna Boomer Ryan, was born April 19th, 1836, at Medway, Mass. About one year after his birth the family removed to Norfolk, where he attended the District School and the Academy taught by William B. Rice, previous to entering the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, July 1st, 1853, having been appointed a cadet there by Judge
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Origen S. Seymour of Litchfield, who was then Congress- man from the Western District of Connecticut. He was graduated and promoted in the army to Brevet Second Lieutenant of Infantry July 1st, 1857, and served in garri- son at Newport Barracks, Ky., until some time in the following year. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry as Second Lieutenant, Oct. 31st, 1857, but was transferred June 24th, 1858, to the 7th Infantry. During the years 1858-60 he was on duty in the Mormon campaign, which terminated in the capture of Utah. July 1st, 1859, he was in an Indian fight at Camp Box Elder. In 1860 marched with his regiment to New Mexico, and was stationed for some time at Fort Defiance. He participated in the Navajo expedition of 1860-61. He was promoted to First Lieu- tenant, 7th Infantry, April 22d, 1861. During the early part of the rebellion of the seceding states he was convoy- ing trains, and was captured July 27th, 1861, at San Augus- tine Springs, N. M., by Confederates, and was not exchanged until August 27th, 1862. While on parole he did garrison duty at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., and on the Canadian frontier. He was Adjutant of the 7th Infantry from September 1st, 1861, to July 9th, 1862, when he was made one of its Captains. Upon being exchanged he joined the Army of the Potomac with his regiment, and was engaged at Smucker's Gap November 3d, 1862, on the march to Falmouth, Va. He was detailed December 1st, 1862, to be Acting Assistant Adjutant General of the 2d Division, 5th Army Corps, which division was composed of regulars, except the 140th New York and some other volun- teer forces. He was in the Rappahannock campaign from December, 1862, to June, 1863, being in the battle of Fred- ericksburg, where he rendered meritorious services which received due recognition from General George Sykes, his division commander; and also in the battle of Chancellors- ville, May 24th, 1863, where he did so well that he was again publicly complimented by General Sykes and recom- mended by him for promotion. He was in the Pennsylvania campaign, June and July, 1863, having been engaged in
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the battle of Gettysburg July 1st-3d, and in the pursuit of the enemy to Warrenton, Va. In this campaign he was Chief of Staff for General R. B. Ayers, then commanding this 2d division, who, in his report of that battle, favorably mentioned Captain Ryan for the intelligence and gallantry shown by him in that sanguinary contest. After ten months at the front, performing every duty with a zeal and ability that completely won the admiration of the entire division, he was, August 29th, 1863, upon the unanimous request of the officers of the 140th New York, appointed its Colonel by Governor Horatio Seymour. He promptly entered upon his work with an energy and thoroughness of method that soon attracted general attention. No de- tail seemed to escape him. Even the personnel of each soldier appeared to be taken by him into account, for before long it was noticed that he never spoke to an officer or man except by giving his proper name without the slightest hesitation.
In the Rapidan campaign, October to December, 1863, Colonel Ryan and the 140th were engaged in the combat at Rappahannock Station, November 7th, and in actions on the Rapidan and Mine Run, November 24th to December 1st, '63.
On the 5th of May, 1864, the first battle of the Wilder- ness was fought. The 140th New York occupied a position in the center of the first brigade, first division of the Fifth Corps, General Ayres commanding.
Colonel Ryan led his regiment in a most gallant charge against the enemy, where bullets poured from the right flank and rear; the regulars failing to come up, and seeing that his regiment was about to be surrounded, they fell back, and following their Colonel they cut their way through the rebel line to their point of starting. The num- ber of dead, wounded and missing in this charge was 365 men and eleven commissioned officers.
This gallant regiment was in other charges and skir- mishes in that terrible battle of the 'Wilderness,' on the 6th and 7th of May. On the night of the 7th they moved
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from the position they had occupied to the extreme left of the line, marching all night. Before they had time to cook their rations in the morning orders came to resume their forced march, which they did. Sheridan's cavalry were fighting in the woods, and being likely to be overpowered, two regiments were ordered to charge. Colonel Ryan led the charge on double quick, with dauntless ardor, on the rebel line, which was lying behind a rail fence. When about 300 yards from the fence the rebels rose and poured a fierce volley on the advancing column, which broke and drove back in confusion the Twelfth regulars, but it did not impede the onward march of the 140th boys, who, fol- lowing their brave Colonel, rushed on to within fifty paces of the fence and, halting, poured a volley into the rebels that fairly swept them from the ground. Rushing forward, the men commenced tearing down and climbing over the rail fence, when the gallant Colonel Ryan was struck in the neck by a bullet and fell from his horse. The rebel lines re-formed and the regiment was ordered to fall back, which it did, bearing the bleeding body of their beloved Colonel Ryan. He was wounded about eleven o'clock in the morning and died about four o'clock in the afternoon.
Colonel Ryan had barely reached the age of 28 years when his career, so full of promise, was thus closed. Yet he had already made a fine record. General Ayres said: "George Ryan showed us all what could be done with a regi- ment; he was the best colonel in the army." Colonel Ryan was buried at Decatur, Ills., where his parents then re- sided, but soon afterwards they complied with the request of the survivors of the 140th, who had organized the favorite military corps of Rochester, N. Y., the Ryan Zouaves, in allowing his remains to be disinterred by them and removed to the latter city, where the regiment had been raised, and where he now reposes with many of his old command.
HAYSTACK AND OLD RAILROAD STATION.
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XXII.
HIGHWAYS-A RAILROAD OVER THE HILLS.
An important matter, one of deep interest and concern to the early settlers, was the question of roads or highways. We must not lose sight of the fact that this and practically all the towns adjoining were in early days one "forest primeval"; that the usual mode of travel was on foot, or at best on horseback. When Rev. Ammi R. Robbins brought his bride to this town in 1762 they rode upon horseback, his wife riding behind him upon a 'pillion' and one horse with a saddle and pillion were considered ample means of conveyance on quite a journey for a man and wife with two or more children. The roads were little if anything more than a mere trail or bridle path, cleared of under- brush or fallen trees, through the forests, turning to avoid a tree or a rock.
Roys says : "The first road cut through Norfolk was done by Capt. Isaac Lawrence of Canaan. In its course it came to what we now call Loon Meadow. There they found a meadow or opening of some extent. The grass grew upon it in considerable quantity and of good quality. On it they found a dead loon that had apparently come to the close of life in a quiet manner, and this circumstance gave the name to the place."
Boyd, in his Annals of Winchester, says: "Before the survey and allotment of the Winchester lands, settlements in Goshen, Norfolk and Canaan had begun, rendering it necessary for settlers from the eastern towns to pass through our township to their new homes. The Lawrences and other settlers of Canaan, about 1738 to 1740, came from Windsor and Simsbury, first entered the wilderness by way of New Hartford, the northeast part of Winchester
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and southwest part of Colebrook, to the center of Norfolk. They left their families and stock at points along the way where openings in the forest could be found for grazing, and went forward with their axes and cut down the trees and cleared a trail from one such opening to another and then moved their caravan. Tradition says they made one of their halts on the Hoyt Farm in Colebrook, and went forward with their trail to a natural meadow at the north- erly border of the small pond, a mile east of Norfolk Cen- ter, where they found a dead loon, and hence the name by which the location is known. They returned and brought forward their families and flocks to this oasis." Mr. Boyd's location of Loon Meadow, "at the northerly border of the small pond a mile east of Norfolk Center," is not quite cor- rect, the location being a mile or more northeast from Wilcox Pond, as this little sheet of water was formerly called. "From Loon Meadow they cleared their way to the foot of Haystack Mountain, and thence along the Black- berry River to the land of Canaan, which to them must have been a happy land indeed after the toils and priva- tions of their journey."
This road or way mentioned by Boyd, from Loon Meadow toward Canaan, doubtless ran somewhere near the line of what was later called the "Tucker Road," which led from Loon Meadow, south of the Dea. David Frisbie, later the John Nettleton, now the Frank Jackman place, half a mile or more north of the pond, coming out upon Beech Flats, near the old Humphrey place, later the Lemuel Bige- low, now the Mrs. C. J. Cole residence, on near the present Laurel Way, to the former residence of Michael F. Mills, Esq., now The Hillhurst; then down the hill west, crossing the meadow and Haystack Brook, and up near the old resi- dence of Col. Giles Pettibone, winding around the hill near the present Methodist church; through the present Centre Cemetery; on west along the side of Haystack Mountain and Ragged Mountain, at some little distance up from the river in many places; passing above West Norfolk, on to the earliest settlements in the town, the house of Cornelius
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Brown and John Turner, later the Ives, Pease and Holt farms, the present residence of Nathaniel S. Lawrence, and the Eldridge farm, into Canaan.
Roys sends the party that found the dead loon on by a different route from that mentioned in Boyd's tradition. Quoting Roys again, he says: "There they gave part of their team a chance to feed, and with the remainder went forward towards what was after called the North Green. They returned at night and found all things safe and also an increase of their stock,-a mare which they left in the morning had brought them a fine colt. This road or pass- way led on through the northwest part of the town, near Mr. John Smith's, and on to what is called the College farm." This road, running northwest from the present farm of Frank Jackman, passed the Titus Nettleton, the Lawrence Mills and the Earl Percy Hawley farms, and came out at the North Green, just where it is joined by the "Lovers' Lane" road, running north from the Hillhurst. On this green, which was then a clear, open lot, stood the school-house of the "North Middle District." Erastus Burr and probably others are living who attended school at this place. Passing the present residence of Egbert T. Butler, the road turned northwest at the present schoolhouse, and on to the College Farm, and thence into Canaan.
In the records of the General Assembly, May session, 1758, we find: "Being advised that the road or way now often travelled through the towns of Simsbury, New Hart- ford and Norfolk, to and through the northwestern parts of Canaan, towards Albany, is in many respects ill chosen and unfit for use, and that some new and better road through said towns, or some of them, or the towns ad- jacent, may probably be discovered more direct and con- venient, as well for carriages as travelling, to the great accommodation and benefit of his Majesty's subjects, and especially in time of war, occasionally travelling or march- ing, either from the eastern or central parts of the colony; therefore Resolved, That Colonel John Pitkin of Hartford, Seth Wetmore of Middletown and Colonel David Whitney
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of Canaan be appointed a committee, as soon as conven- iently may be, to repair to and through said towns, and towns adjacent if need be, and with all care and diligence to view and observe said roads now used, and also with the utmost care to explore and find out how and where any other shorter and better way, in whole or in part, may be practicable, and their full description thereof with their opinion thereon, make report to the Assembly October next."
The Assembly accepted their report and directed the committee to "lay out and make plain and certain the said new country road from the mansion house of Samuel Hum- phrey in Simsbury to Colonel David Whitney's in Canaan." "In May, 1760, the committee having discharged their duty, the Assembly ordered the way to be cleared and made passable for travelling before November 20, 1761, by the towns and proprietors of townships through which it ran," etc.
In Annals of Winchester, Boyd says: "This thorough- fare, known to a former generation as 'The North Road,' and now almost a myth, had in its day an importance and renown which justified our detailed history of its origin and progress. According to tradition, it was a wonder of the age that a direct and practicable route could be found and opened through the jungles and over the succession of steep, rocky hills and mountains of the 'Green Woods' for travel, and the movement of troops and munitions between Hartford and Albany. It soon became and continued until 1800 the great and almost the sole thoroughfare of the colony in the direction of Albany. Continental troops passed over it for frontier service. Detachments of Bur- goyne's army, as prisoners of war, marched over it to the quarters assigned them. . It should not be in- ferred from the amount of travel that this was an 'Appian Way.' On the contrary, direct as it was, it went up and down the highest hills, on uneven beds of rocks and stones, and passed marshy valleys on corduroy of the coarsest hemlock log texture. Commencing at the North-end village
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in New Hartford, it ran westerly up a steep hill, then turned northwesterly through the Bourbon region, cross- ing the Greenwoods turnpike a little west of the toll-gate, then northerly by zigzags to the top of a lofty hill, then over Wallen's Hill by the northeast schoolhouse, down to Still River near Daniel Wilson's, then up Dishmill Hill and onward by the Rowley Pond to Colebrook, and onward through Colebrook Center to Pond Hill in Norfolk, and thence by Norfolk Center and Canaan toward Albany.
Another bridle-path entered the township from the vicinity of Burrville, and passed northwesterly by landlord Mott's Tavern to the south part of Norfolk before any settlement was made. In 1762 a committee of the As- sembly, previously appointed, reported a highway, 'begin- ning at a rock about three rods west of the fore door of the house belonging to Rev. Mr. Gold in Torringford, and run- ning in a northwesterly direction a little more than a mile to Still River, about a hundred rods south of Yale's Mill, at Burrville; thence in a northwesterly direction by Spec- tacle Pond and Mott's house, to a stake and stones in Nor- folk line.' "
This road doubtless came into the South End district in Norfolk, passing over the Stannard farm, made its way by various turns and angles to the vicinity of the Grants, by the Beckley place, near Blakesley pond, Carter Hill, Chest- nut Hill, over Gaylord Hill to Beech Flats, there joining the other road coming from Colebrook, mentioned above.
Boyd says again: "This was the South Road, by which emigrants from the southeastern towns wended their toil- some way to the western townships in process of settle- ment. It was so 'hard a road to travel' that good Landlord Burr, living near the Hayden brick yard, used, it was said, to detain his travelling guests until after morning worship, that they might have the benefit of his prayers in aid of their arduous efforts to get up the old dug-way road west of Burrville, an aid greatly needed. There is a tradition that Col. Ethan Allen, while on military service in the Revolutionary War, presumed to desecrate the Sab-
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bath by travelling over one of these roads, instead of spend- ing the day in sacred meditations at the hostelry of Land- lord Phelps, or Roberts on Wallen's Hill, or of Landlord Freedom Right, further westward, when a little, bushy- headed grand juror of our town, Winchester, emerged from his log cabin by the road-side, seized the bridle rein of the Colonel's charger, and attempted to arrest him as a Sab- bath-breaker. The Colonel, sternly eyeing the legal dig- nitary, drew his sword, and flourishing it aloft, irreverently exclaimed: ‘You - woodchuck, get back into your bur- row or I'll cut your head off.' Grand Juror Balcomb, find- ing what a Tartar he had caught, prudently abandoned his captive and retired to his cabin."
This country road, or 'old colony road,' sometimes so called, from Beech Flats east, passed the Capt. Benjamin Bigelow place and on over the hill, formerly called Gaylord Hill, upon the summit of which stood the house of Reuben Gaylord, son of Timothy Gaylord, one of the early settlers. Then it passed on down the hill, turned south and ran near and east of Blakesly Pond, on a little east of the modern Grantville, into the town of Winchester.
As proof that this route mentioned above was the regu- larly travelled road to Winchester in former times, I cite an incident as related by a member of the family. Rev. Ira Pettibone, in 1857, settled as pastor of the church in Winchester. After that date Mrs. Bidwell, a sister of Mrs. Pettibone,-both ladies being daughters of Dr. Benj. Welch, Sen.,-was driving from Norfolk to Winchester, knowing the old route thoroughly; so she went up the hill east to the Flats, turned to the right, as the law directs, passed the old Capt. Bigelow place and on over Gaylord's Hill. She reached Winchester, but via brush pastures, gates, bars, rail fences and other tribulations, the road for a considerable distance having been discontinued for sev- eral years. (Moral: Be sure you take the right road; if not sure, enquire.)
In his Century Sermon Dr. Thomas Robbins said: "The first road through the town from Canaan to Torrington
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came on the north side of the main stream of the town, through what was called the Dug-way, over the hill north of the Burying-ground; thence south and ascended the north side of this hill, coming along on the summit of what we used to call 'The Ledge,' about where Mr. Battell's house now stands; passed to the south, crossing to the west of the bridge near the west side of my father's house, and went on to the south, near the foot of the Burr Moun- tain. The road to Goshen was opened soon, but the eastern one I suppose was the first."
By 'this hill,' Dr. Robbins evidently meant the hill on which the meeting-house stood in which he was then speaking. The road came up from near the grist-mill, on the summit of . . . the Ledge, a little west of where Mr. Battell's house now stands, and a little west of the meet- ing-house, along where the chapel now stands, and where the Eldridge mansion stands, west of the Robbins house, where now stands the Robbins school; up south, crossing the Goshen road at an acute angle about thirty rods west of the entrance to the Bridgman grounds and near the Bridgman mansion, 'the foot of the Burr Mountain,' which is near the old Tibbals place, later the Joel Beach place, and then on south along the west foot of Dutton Hill, coming out to the present Goshen road not far from the railroad crossing; then on in about the line of the present road, passing the old Moses place, now the summer resi- dence of Dr. A. S. Dennis; on south past the old Asa Burr place at the crossing of the east and west road; thence south, passing the Capt. Reuben Brown place and the Seth Brown place, the Hiram Roys place, the Eden Riggs, Har- mon Riggs, Miles Riggs, Frederick Riggs place, down the hill, passing the Harlow Roys residence, later the Samuel D. Northway, now the Charles Northway residence; cross- ing the Naugatuck river, here a mere brook, very near the old tannery site; on southwest, up the 'steep hill road,' east of Ethan Pendleton's house and over the top of the high hill into Goshen.
Roys says: "Course of road south of meeting-house es-
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tablished 1802. The present road to Goshen established 1811."
The next road running south started near the grist-mill and circled around south and west, past the old Munger place, later occupied by Solomon Curtiss, Dea. Jonathan Kilbourn and others, now owned by Edward Gaylord; then turning south at the old Aiken place, later the Lewis Dowd place, since owned by Mr. Edward Swift; thence south, passing the Curtiss place, on up the hill south, as is men- tioned elsewhere, passing where Samuel and Noah Tibbals lived; on south by the golf grounds and the end of "the winrow," to near the present residence of Mr. Amos Collar, previously the Silas, and Daniel Burr, and still earlier the Nathaniel Roys place; then, avoiding the low meadow, as was always done in laying out roads, they kept on west a short distance, then turned south to what was later the Edmund Brown, then the Ralph and Plumb Brown, now the Benjamin Brown place; then east about as the present road runs until it joined the Goshen road, at which junction stood the old schoolhouse of the South Middle District, later called the South Center District. This old school- house was built into a blacksmith shop soon after 1840 by Mr. Samuel Johnson, a new schoolhouse having been built in the hollow at the foot of the hill, west, and not many years since rebuilt at the junction of the Goshen and Winchester roads. East, a short distance from the Brown farm just mentioned, a road branched off south, passing the place where Mr. Abraham Balcom lived, a half mile or so south, passing not far from a small pond, called from him Balcom Pond, or sometimes Dolphin Pond, from an Indian named Dolphin, who lived near there. This old road or trail went on south through Meekertown, near the house of Mr. Phineas Meeker, until it joined the road running to South Canaan.
The Greenwoods turnpike, for half a century or more a great thoroughfare between Hartford and Albany, passing diagonally across this town from east to west, was com- pleted in 1799, at a cost of $19,500, as is mentioned by Roys.
THE OLD TOLL GATE.
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This turnpike road was built by an incorporated company, and the stock for many years paid a good dividend, and was somewhat sought for as an investment. These turn- pike roads were under the supervision of commissioners appointed by the governor, their duty being to inspect the road, and if it was not kept in satisfactory repair they were authorized to order the toll-gates to be thrown open and no toll received until the road was satisfactorily re- paired. Persons travelling to or from public worship were exempt from paying toll at any turnpike gate.
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