USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut, Volume II, 1760-1880 > Part 20
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HOME AFFAIRS, ETC.
attempt to supply the camp with religious literature. It was published by S. E. Hall, Cambridge, in a tract of nine pages, and pronounced "a highly ereditable performance." Windham County sent more men to the field in Connecticut's eighth regiment, Jedidiah Huntington of Norwich, colonel, John Douglas of Plainfield, lieutenant-colonel. This regiment* was the best equipped of any in the Colony, sporting for uniform "a quantity of English red coats taken in a prize vessel." Plainfield's honored pastor, Rev. John Fuller, became its chaplain, and her most beloved physician, Dr. Elisha Perkins, served as surgeon, Albigence Waldo of Pomfret, assistant. A company of Canterbury militia under Captain Ephraim Lyon, was sent to Norwich, in August, upon an alarm occasioned " by vessels prowling about the Sound," and were retained to build a battery or redoubt at Waterman's Point-the Government allowing them the needful " spirits when in said service." Ephraim Squier of Ashford, together with Simeon Tyler and Asa Davison, probably of Brooklyn, left their companies at Cambridge, in September, to join in the Northern expedition of Colonel Benedict Arnold, but after suffering incredible hardships on their journey up the Kennebec and through the wilderness of Maine, carrying their batteaux and provision, wading through inudholes in persistent rains, the rear detachment was ordered home again, and after ten weeks absence they arrived in Cambridge, Thanksgiving day, November 23, "abundantly satisfied."
At home all thoughts and energies were absorbed in the war. Not a town meeting was reported through all these busy months. It was a time of action-not of talk and resolutions. The County Court met in June, licensed some fifty taverns, granted execution in a few cases, and adjourned. Everybody was ocenpied doing double duty in farm work, gathering up supplies or manufacturing military munitions. Hezekiah Huntington had wrought to such good purpose as to receive from the State treasury in the autumn, a bounty of thirteen pounds "for fifty-two guns well made and wrought," besides repairing and refitting great numbers of old guns. Timothy Larrabee assures the Assembly " that since the alarming circumstances of the present time, he had applied himself to making saltpetre, and had become master of the same in all its branches, and was confident that when said art was known powder could be manufactured in the Colonies or in any part of the world, and although at this time we are able to collect some small quantities from abroad, yet when the question is asked, why business that was expected to be done failed-answer: . army not furnished with warlike stores.'" Petitioner proposed to erect works in Hartford
Calkins' History of Norwich.
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
or New Haven, open to all inspectors, every branch of the mannfac- turing open to the public, if the General Assembly would grant him £150; but the sanguine experimenter did not gain the confidence of the cautions government. The general tone and spirit of the towns was still healthy and hopeful. Constant communication was main- tained with friends in the army. Posts, carriers and special messen- gers were daily passing to and fro. and every citizen that could leave his home took a peep at Cambridge. "Father and I went down to camp," and " Yankee Doodle" was heard on every side. Among the throng of visitants was our old friend, Rev. Mr. Cogswell, with his brother minister, Andrew Lee, who reports the army in health and spirits, and in general orderly, with good men at the head. The works appeared formidable on both sides : preparations for war terrible yet animating-but what gave him most confidence was "men of sense and religion."
Amid the many engrossments and excitements of this eventful sum- mer, Windham paused to lament a great and irreparable loss. While scores of young men, full of life and hope, were going out to win laurels on the battle-field, and make for themselves names that would never die. one more gifted and excellent than all had passed away- Rev. Joseph Howe of Killingly, the beloved pastor of the New South Church of Boston. Never has Windham sent out into the world a son of greater or perhaps equal promise. "The world expected much from his eminent abilities, great attainments, and uncommon goodness of heart." Influential churches in Boston, Hartford and Norwich had sought his services. "Though of a frail, weak, and crazy constitution, enfeebled by hard study and labor," Mr. Howe had exercised "his ministerial functions at Boston to great and universal acceptance," till the breaking out of the conflict and the dispersion of his church and congregation. The exciting scenes through which he passed, and anxiety for his church and country, prostrated his strength, and after vainly seeking rest and recuperation among his old haunts in Connecti- ent, he succumbed to an attack of "complicated disease," and died at Hartford, August 25, ere he had reached his thirtieth year. A large circle of devoted friends bemoaned his loss ; his scattered church was overwhelmed with sorrow. A writer in the Hartford Courant, though sensible that the critical situation of America engrossed every thought. was sure that not one who had ever heard of Mr. Howe-a description that designates almost all the inhabitants of New England, and not a few of other countries-could be inattentive to an account of his excellencies, and eulogized him as a light and benefactor to the world, the beauty of whose mind was without a parallel, whose life was a treatise of ethics and theology, recommending the whole duty of
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DEATH OF REV. JOSEPH HOWE.
man more powerfully than libraries of moralists and divines. The early death of one so gifted with genius and graces, made a deep and lasting impression upon the public. His memory was fondly cherished through all the generation that had known him, and years later, when many of his cotemporaries had passed into oblivion, his character was portrayed in that of the model hero in one of the first original popular tales published in America .* In Windham County the impression made by the death of Mr. Howe was deepened by attendant bereavements. His step-father, Rev. Aaron Brown, of Kil- lingly, died suddenly on the way home from his funeral, and the bereaved wife and mother survived but a few months.
III.
CAMPAIGN OF 1776. STRUGGLES AND DISASTERS. DEATH OF
KNOWLTON. TOWN RESOLUTIONS. CAMPAIGNS
OF 1777-78. DISCOURAGEMENTS.
THE long period of inaction following the battle of Bunker Hill, was a sore trial to the Windham County soldiery. The mechani- cal routine, the restraints, privations and discomforts of camp-life, unrelieved by the rush and stir of actual encounter with the enemy, became very irksome to men accustomed to the freedom of country life and a voice in town meetings. Bad fare, scant pay, misapprehen- sion of the plans of their leaders and the true condition of affairs so exasperated the Connecticut soldiers, that many who rushed so eagerly into service at the Lexington alarm declined re-enlistment in the pro- posed Continental Army, subjecting General Washington and his associates to the most serious anxiety and peril. Even men in Pnt- nam's own Windham County regiment were infected with this spirit of disaffection and mutiny, and thirty of. the ardent volunteers from Captain Mosely's company, Canada Parish, seven from Knowlton's Ashford Company, and three from Elliott's, Killingly, marched off home when their time of enlistment had expired without waiting a formal discharge, unwittingly incurring the opprobrium of deserting. It is said that the wives of these men were so outraged by their conduet that they gave them a hearty scolding, and threatened to drive them back to camp, and that " the people in the towns where they belonged were so affected by their unreasonable conduct that they would readily
* The Coquette, or the History of Eliza Wharton.
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
march to supply their places." Washington's sense of military disci- pline was greatly shocked by this unceremonious leave-taking, and he sent after them, wishing to make examples of them. Governor Trum- bull and his Council, with better understanding of the character and grievances of the men, did not think best to comply with this requisi- tion, but stigmatized their conduct as "very reprehensible, and con- sidered them deserters though their time had nearly expired : consid- ered it a critical time to form a new army, and doubted their power to act upon the subject." It appearing upon inquiry that the men had lapsed mainly from ignorance and inadvertence, and were ready to re-enlist upon the first favorable opportunity, the offence was passed over, and these same deserting soldiers served in many subsequent campaigns with honor and fidelity.
A majority of Putnam's Regiment are believed to have remained upon the field, re-enlisting in the Twentieth Regiment of Washing- ton's Continental Army. Benedict Arnold, whose brilliant services in the Northern expedition were then attracting great admiration, was appointed its colonel : John Durkee of Norwich, lientenant- colonel : Thomas Knowlton, major. Company 1, Ephraim Manning, captain ; Nath. Webb, lieutenant : - - Brown, ensign. Company 2, Jedidiah Waterman, captain : John Waterman, lieutenant : Walter Clark, ensign. Company 3. Thomas Dyer, captain ; Daniel Tilden, first lieutenant ; Nehemiah Holt, second lieutenant ; Joseph Durkee, ensign. Company 4, Wells Clift, captain. Company 5, Thomas Grosvenor, captain : Josiah Cleveland, ensign. Company 6, Stephen Brown, captain. Company 7. John Keyes, captain. Company 8, John Robinson, captain. Other subalterus, whose companies cannot now be determined, were-Lientenants Melatiah Bingham, William Adams, Beriah Bill, Robert Hallam, Samuel Brown, Seth Phelps, Josiah Fuller, Nathaniel Bishop, James Holt, Daniel Putnam, and Ensigns Briant Brown, Silas Goodell, John Buell. Its chaplain was Rev. Abiel Leonard. Lientenant Ebenezer Gray served as quarter- master. Dr. John Spaulding retained his position as surgeon ; Luther Waterman served as surgeon's assistant. Forming a part of the central division of the army, this regiment came under the more immediate control and supervision of Washington, " serving as a sort of voluntary body-guard to the Commander-in-chief." The continued absence of Arnold left it in charge of Durkee and Knowlton. under whose efficient training it attained " the same enviable position as to discipline and soldierly deportment that Knowlton's own company had previously held." Other Windham County soldiers re-enlisted in Huntington's and Patterson's regiments, and a still larger number in a militia regiment sent to Boston early in January, to take the
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STRUGGLES AND DISASTERS, ETC.
place of those whose term of service had expired. John Douglas of Plainfield was its colonel ; Dr. Elisha Perkins, surgeon ; Thomas Gray of Windham, surgeon's mate. Plainfield's excellent minister, Rev. John Fuller, served as its chaplain. Woodstock would gladly have recalled her ministerial favorite at the close of the winter's campaign, but yielded to the wishes of the Commander-in-chief and their own honored leader, as expressed in the following letter :-
" To the Church and Congregation of Woodstock :-
Mr. Leonard is a man whose exemplary life and conversation must make him highly esteemed by every person who has the pleasure of being acquainted with him. It therefore can be no surprise to us to hear they are loth to part with him. His influence in the army is great. He is employed in the glorious work of attending to the morals of a brave people who are fighting for their liberties-the liberties of the people of Woodstock-the liberty of all America. We therefore hope that, knowing how nobly he is employed, the congregation of Woodstock will cheerfully give up to the public, a gentleman so very use- ful. And when, by the blessing of a kind Providence, this glorious and unparalleled struggle for our liberties is at an end, we have not the least doubt but Mr. Leonard will, with redoubled joy, be received in the open arms of a congregation so very dear to him as the good people of Woodstock are.
This is what is hoped for-this is what is expected, by the congregation of Woodstock's sincere well-wishers and very humble servants,
GEORGE WASHINGTON. ISRAEL PUTNAM.
HEADQUARTERS, Cambridge, 24th of March, 1776."
The prayers and preaching of Mr. Leonard were often commended by the patriot journals. On the Sabbath after evacuation of Boston by the British, and its occupation by the Americans, he is reported to have preached an excellent sermon in the audience of his Excellency, the General, and others of distinction. . . . . from Exodus iv. 25 : " And took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily ; so that the Egyptians said, 'Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptains.'"
Renewed operations in the spring, followed by the withdrawal of the British troops from Boston, inspired the Windham patriots with new courage and enthusiasm, and stimulated them to intense activity in pre- parations for the summer campaign. The powder mill at Willimantic was now under full headway, sending ont large supplies to the Continen- tal Army. All the saltpetre which could by any method be fabricated was quickly swallowed up by this important establishment, which was guarded day and night at the expense of the Government. Black lead for its consumption was taken from the hills of Union. So great was the throng of people and teams resorting thither, that David Young was ordered to open a house of public entertainment in its vicinity. With the transference of the seat of war to New York, travel was greatly increased on all the public highways. Regiment after regiment was marched through Windham County, and endless trains of military stores. Five battalions of the Continental Armny,
21
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
and the whole body of riflemen under Brigadier General Heath, and six battalions under General Sullivan, set out March 29, 1776, via. Norwich, passing through several towns in Windham County. Brook- lyn and Ashford were gladdened by a brief glimpse of their favorite heroes, Putnam and Knowlton, as they hurried on their way. Farm work began early. Demands for supplies called out the utmost energies of the people. Commissaries and jobbers were scouring the towns for provisions, taking off all the pork, beef and sheep that could be spared from home consumption. Selectmen were now making requisitions for scales, clock-weights, anything that could be wrought into ammunition. Orders for knit stockings, tow eloth for tents, and home-made shirtings and vestings kept thousands of nimble fingers in motion. Great quantities of military stores were lodged in Plain- field, Windham and Canterbury. Depots were constructed for their reception and carefully guarded, and teams were constantly occupied hauling them to and fro. A large number of prisoners, dangerous Tories, captured seamen and soldiers, confined in Windham jail and neighboring towns, required much eare and attention. Dyer, Elderkin and Wales, as members of the Committee of Safety, were intensely active in providing for these various demands, and spent many days at Governor Trumbull's war office in Lebanon, where many an import- ant interprise was devised and set in motion, and the committees of the different towns were almost equally occupied in schemes for the public welfare. One-fourth of the men in each militia regiment, per- fectly equipped with arms, balls, flints and other needful articles, were ordered to hold themselves ready to march on the shortest notice, while recruiting for the various new regiments ordered by Connecti- cut, was pushed forward with the greatest activity. As the summer came on it was evident that the most urgent efforts were demanded. Great Britain was sending over strong fleets and hordes of hired soldiers, hoping to crush out the rebellion by one vigorous campaign. A special circular, issued by Trumbull, August 1, begging for more recruits at the earliest moment, was sent to the civil anthority of every town, and also to many of the ministers, with the request that it should be read at the close of public worship. Windham County met the demand with her usnal spirit and promptitude. She sent her men to Canada, to New York and to New London. Charles C. Chandler replies to Governor Trumbull that "Woodstock had already sent seventy men under the new requisition for the departments in Canada, New York and Boston, which was near one-half of the militia of the town and a much greater number than their proportion, but were still ready to do everything in their power to advantage the public cause at this critical day." Other towns were equally ready to do more
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than their proportion. Many Windham County men were enlisted in the First regiment, Andrew Ward, colonel : Obadiah Johnson of Canterbury, lieutenant colonel ; William Douglas, major. James Sted- man, Nathaniel Wales, 3rd, Waterman Clift, Daniel Allen, Jonathan Nichols, Jr., James Dana, Elijah Sharp, James Arnold, Benoni Cutler, William Manning, Joseph Durkee, Obadiah Child, were officers in this regiment. Its chaplain was Rev. Benjamin Trumbull, the historian of Connecticut ; its paymaster, Royal Flint of Windham. The seventh company of the first battalion sent to the relief of the northern department was from Windham County-Vine Elderkin, captain ; William Frizzell, first lieutenant ; Abner Robinson, second lieutenant, Lemuel Grosvenor, ensign. In the third battalion raised for service in New York, Comfort Sage, colonel; Company 1, was from Lebanon, James Clark, captain : Company 3, Voluntown, John Dixon, captain ; Company 5, Killingly, Stephen Crosby, captain, Josiah Robbins, first lieutenant, Jonathan Buck, second lientenant, Sylvanus Perry, ensign. The sixth battalion, Colonel John Chester, comprised at least three Windham County companies, Company 4, Ashford, Reuben Marcy, captain ; John Holmes, first and Samuel Marey, second lieutenants ; Daniel Knowlton, ensign, and 79 privates. Company 5, Woodstock, Stephen Lyon, captain ; Josiah Child, first lientenant. Company 6, Canterbury, Asa Bacon, captain; Abner Bacon, first lientenant ; Aaron Cleveland, ensign. "Sabbath morning, June 30, 1776," Brigadier-General Wadsworth writes thus to Colonel Chester.
" Last evening, by express, I received another letter from General Wash- ington, requesting in the most pressing manner, not to lose one moment time in sending forward the regiments destined for New York. Must therefore, direct, that you give all possible attention to the raising, equipping and send- ing forward immediately your regiment in manner before directed, as the safety of our army under Heaven, depends much on the seasonable arrival of the Connecticut regiments."
This order was forwarded as soon as possible to Captains Marey, Lyon and Bacon, with instructions to march the companies under their command by land or water to New York on the following Thursday, July 4. If the whole company was not in readiness, they were to march with twenty-five men, forwarding the remainder as fast as they became ready with all convenient speed. They were to see that the men were " well furnished with good arms, bayonets and cartouch boxes, blankets and knapsacks." The order from headquarters expressly enjoined " that the men be furnished with arms, and that none be suffered to go without, as it will be impossible to procure them here, and their service will consequently be rendered useless."
These needed arms could doubtless be procured at the establishment of Hezekiah Huntington, who kept busily at work making and repairing.
164
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
As fast as possible the reernits were fitted out and sent to the field. No time was spent in speech-making now : all energies were absorbed in preparation for the approaching struggle. The County Court met for two days only in June. Judge William Williams. Justices Jabez Fitch, Ebenezer Williams and Ebenezer Devotion were present. Jedidiah Elderkin was dismissed from being King's Attorney, and appointed attorney of the Governor and Colony of Connecticut. The select- men of Ashford complained of John Stevens and wife, who had succored themselves under the Ministerial army, and of Adam Knox, who was serving "as pilot in the Ministerial navy." The Court ordered Captain Elisha Wales to improve the lands of Captain Stevens, re-licensed the usual number of tavern-keepers, and adjourned.
News from New York became more and more alarming. Fleets, armies and munitions of war were concentrating in its vicinity. Skirmishing with skulking Tories in New York and Long Island was to give place to a hand-to-hand grapple with the British foe. With all the men and means that could by any possibility be mustered, Washington prepared for the encounter. Very heavy requisitions were made upon Connecticut. In addition to the veterans previously in service, and the ten regiments enlisted during the summer, fourteen regiments of militia from the western part of the State were ordered, August 11th, "to march forthwith to New York, and place themselves under General Washington until the present exigency should be over." Windham County was already strongly represented in Durkee's, Huntington's, Ward's and other regiments. Her officers and soldiers under Major-General Putnam, had rendered effective aid throughont the campaign in New York, and were among those upon whose valor and fidelity Washington most confidently relied at this dark hour. Most of the men who had been connected with military movements since the breaking out of the war were probably with the army at this time. Some who had gone out from the county were there with their brethren-Colonel William Douglas of Northford, and John Chandler of Newton, lieutenant-colonel of Gold Silliman's brigade. A hundred picked men from Col. Durkee's regiment, Jed by Lieut .- Colonel Knowlton, were conspicuous for courage and devotion, and had already signalized themselves by valorous exploits. Changes and promotions were made in the other regiments, defences maintained and strength- ened as far as practicable, and every means tried to make the American force as effective as possible.
These preparations were all insufficient. The raw Continental army, made up of incongruous elements, imperfectly drilled and equipped, lacking in experience and resources, was wholly unable to compete with the vastly superior force arrayed against it. Tidings of the
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disastrous defeat at Brooklyn and the withdrawal of the American army from Long Island, sent dismay to every patriot heart. The Windham County soldiers in the Connecticut Line suffered severely. More than a hundred and fifty officers and privates were " missing" from Huntington's regiment alone .* Several men from Pomfret were killed ; Surgeon David Holmes and others from Woodstock and adjoining towns were taken prisoners. Durkee's and Chandler's regiments were detailed by Washington to cover the retreat from Long Island, keeping guard with intense vigilance until the perilous transit was accomplished. Word was then sent to them "to get off as they could, in order or not." " Where are we going ?" asked a bewildered soldier as they stole off through the darkness over the black river. "To Heaven, I hope," answered a cheery Windham captain, prepared for any result. With report of these events Wind- ham County received immediate summons to the field. The militia in Eastern Connecticut, including the Fifth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Twenty-first regiments, together with the regiment of horse, were ordered to march at once to New York, " to be ready to co-operate with the Continental army, and defeat the designs of the enemy." Already preparing to march for the defence of New London, these regiments were soon under way, led by their respective officers. The troops of horse under Major Ebenezer Backns speeded on in advance and were soon reported at Westchester.
They found affairs in the greatest confusion, the enemy threatening on every side, and distrust and disaffection pervading the American ranks. Disheartened by sickness and defeat, hundreds of men were stealing off to their homes, but the Windham County militia not unused to war, and having full confidence in their leaders and in the justice of their cause, gladly took the places assigned them in Putnam's division, and bravely stood their ground with the older regiments. Scarcely, however, had they reached the field when they were called to leave it. Beset on every side by hostile force, the Americans had with great difficulty maintained their position in New York. Wash- ington's headquarters were already removed to Ilarlem. September
* John Waldo of Scotland, a private in Huntington's regiment, thus reports to his parents :- " The loss our regiment met you have no doubt heard of. Two hundred and twenty is the number missing, lost in that action in our regiment, among which is our lient .- colonel, surgeon's mate, adjutant, six captains, twelve subalterns, and almost all the sergeants of the regiment. We are now left without any field offleer that is well but one captain ; how- ever, we hope that almost all that are missing are taken captive. We expect an attack from the enemy every day or hour. Our fortitude yet remains and we hope with a common blessing to be able to make a noble stand, and be a means of saving our country yet-a righteous God grant that we may prosper. Camp at New York, Sept. 9, 1776."
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