USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut, Volume II, 1760-1880 > Part 22
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
eastern regiments previously summoned to New London, were now ordered to march with all speed to Rhode Island. Colonel Elderkin and Lieut .- Colonel Storrs being ocenpied with other public duties, the command of the Fifth Regiment was given to Major Thomas Brown. Major Samuel Mcclellan led the Eleventh, and the troops of horse hurried on under Major Backus. Ere these arrived Rhode Island was seized and fortified by a strong body of British troops, supported by the naval armament, and fears were entertained of their invasion upon other parts of New England. Eliphalet Dyer and Nathaniel Wales were appointed a committee with other gentlemen from Connecticut, to meet committees from the other New England states, in Providence, December 23, to consult upon their mutual and immediate defence and safety, and other important matters. It was recommended that Connecticut should send as its quota of the army proposed for the defence of Providence against the army then in possession of New port, 1092 troops. Captain Ebenezer Mosely of Windham Village, was chosen by Governor Trumbull to enlist this body of men from Windham and New London counties. Many other Windham soldiers re-enlisted during this autumn for continental service in various bat- talions and regiments. During this autumn of 1776, the militia of Connectient was organized in six brigades-David Wooster, major- general : Hon. Jabez Huntington, second major-general. The Wind- ham County regiments were included in the fifth brigade, Eliphalet Dyer, general. William Danielson, Killingly, was now appointed colonel of the Eleventh Regiment in place of Col. Williams, whose failing health compelled him to relinquish service; Samuel Mcclellan, lieutenant-colonel. Company 1, Daniel Lyon, captain : Benjamin Ruggles, lieutenant : Nathaniel Brown, ensign. Company 2, Caleb Clark, captain ; John Wells, lieutenant ; Stephen Griggs, ensign. Company 3, Amos Paine, captain ; Thomas Baker, lieutenant ; Wil- liam Lyon, ensign. Company 4, Joseph Cady, captain ; Jonathan Cady, lieutenant : Elisha Lawrence, ensign. Company 5, Ephraim Warren, captain : Daniel Waters, lieutenant. Company 6, Stephen Tucker, lieutenant ; Phinehas Walker, ensign. Company 7, Paine Converse, lientenant. Company 8, Zebulon Ingalls, captain ; William Osgood, lieutenant : Robert Sharpe, ensign. Company 9, John Green, captain ; Obadiah Clough, lieutenant ; Daniel Larned, ensign. Com- pany 10, Jonathan Morris, lieutenant ; Richard Peabody, ensign. Company 11, Samuel Chandler, captain ; John Holbrook, lieutenant ; John Whitmore, ensign. No special changes were made in the other regiments. Colonel Elderkin and Lieut .- Colonel Storrs retained their positions. John Douglas of Plainfield, was appointed general of the fifth brigade in place of Colonel Dyer, who declined the appointment.
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Among her other engrossments Windham interested herself this autumn in fitting out in Norwich, the schooner Oliver Cromwell, for privateer service. Phinehas Cary, Solomon Lord, Eleazer Welsh, Eleazer Spof- ford, Lemuel Stoddard, Hezekiah Abbe, Arad Simmons, all of Wind- ham, and Thomas Holbrook of Lebanon, formed its crew ; its captain was William Coit of Norwich. Dr. Samnel Lee of Windham, was appointed its surgeon, and his two students second and third mates under him at £3 per month each. Dr. Albigence Waldo succeeded Dr. Lee as chief surgeon in a few months. Dr. Lee with Doctors John Clark, Elisha Lord and James Cogswell, and other physicians from different parts of the State, were made a committee for examining all persons in the State that offered to serve in the army.
The spring of 1777 found Windham County preparing for further action. Its citizens for two years had been so engrossed in carrying on the war that their own internal affairs had received but little atten- tion, and even the ordinary town meetings had been greatly neglected, but the prospect of a long continuance of the war and the heavy demands upon their resources called for public deliberation and action. Their share of soldiers were to be raised, bounties given, families eared for. Many important questions were under discussion. The deprecia- tion of currency, and the increased price of the necessaries of life, the scarcity of breadstuffs and salt, cansed much anxiety and alarm. The General Assembly in December, attempted to meet these evils by regulating the price of labor and provision, instructing the select- men of the towns to distribute salt, and forbidding the distillation of liquor from wheat, rye or Indian corn. The change in their political status, the severance of the tie that bound Connecticut to the Mother Country and her assumption of authority as a free and independent State, necessitated some action and endorsement from the several towns, and it became necessary again to assemble in town meetings, provide for these various public matters, and take the oath of allegiance to the State. Pomfret voted to use her utmost endeavor to support the credit of the continental currency. Committees were chosen to procure clothing for the soldiers :- Joshua Sabin, John Jeffards, Lemuel Grosvenor for the first society ; Dr. Baker, Capt. Daniel Tyler and Samuel Scarborough for Brooklyn ; Daniel Trowbridge, William Osgood and Stephen Utley for Abington ; John Grosvenor, Esq., Capt. Amasa Sessions and Capt. Ebenezer Holbrook were also chosen to meet committees from other towns in the county to consult such measures as should appear most salutary for the common good, and most conducive to stop the growing evil of the depreciation of our currency.
Windham, March 24, 1777, voted, "That the inhabitants of this
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town will with one consent join with, and support to the ntmost of their power in carrying into execution the laws made for regulating and affix- ing the prices of certain articles. 2. That a committee be appointed and directed to engage in behalf of the town to provide necessaries for the families of soldiers belonging to this town who shall go into any of the continental armies." Plainfield voted, "That the families of those who shall enlist into the continental service for three years, or during the war, shall be supplied with the common necessaries of life at the price stated by the General Assembly. 2. To give to effective men $30 above the bounty affixed by the state. Canterbury chose a committee to provide for the families of soldiers and use their endeavors to encourage men to enlist." Killingly agreed April 14, that in case a hundred and nineteen able-bodied men shall enlist them- selves into the continental army within ten days from this time for the term of three years or during the present war for the town of Killingly, for their further encouragement shall be entitled to and paid by the town aforesaid, the sum of six pounds each man for every six months they shall continue in said service-but shrewdly provided, that if the General Assembly of the State should make any additional grant to those soldiers, it should be considered as a part of the extra- ordinary encouragement promised by the town. On the same day she further voted :-
" That this town do freely comply with the acts of the General Assembly passed in December last, stating the prices of the necessaries of life, and do resolve with cheerfulness to exert our best endeavors within our sphere to support the honor of that good and salutary law, and will hold such as will- ingly violate the same in any point as designing, mischievous enemies to this and the rest of the Independent States of America. and will refrain from all commercial commerce with them until they shall give satisfaction to the public for every offence they shall commit against the law, and this town do hereby recommend it to all informing officers as they value their oath or the good of their country strictly to enquire into and make due presentment of all breaches of said act, and it is farther recommended to all friends of man- kind without reserve to give evidence of any breach of said law to such informing officer."
Voluntown voted to provide for the families of soldiers, and abate the colony and town taxes of non-commissioned officers and soldiers. Laws respecting engrossers and monopolizers to be strictly enforced. The selectmen of the several towns were directed to apportion and distribute the salt to each district. Killingly with great particularity. ordered, that the salt that belongs to the town shall be divided accord- ing to the number in each family, and each family that buys the salt shall pay four shillings per bushel ; also, that the selectmen divide the above salt to each parish according to the number of families, and the selectmen in each parish to deliver the salt in each parish to the fami- lies. Woodstock not only provided for her soldiers and complied with
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the Assembly's recommendation, but again consented to part with her beloved pastor, and having found voice with the other towns thus formally expressed herself :-
" Feb. 20, 1777. Whereas all public bodies of men as well as individu- als belonging to the United States of America, at such a time as this, when their sacred as well as civil rights are in danger of being subverted by unnat- ural, brutal, merciless and unreasonable enemies; ought from principles of religion and virtue, and from a sacred regard to the good of their country and posterity, to manifest the most vigorons and persevering exertions to prevent so fatal a calamity, and to deny themselves every [indulgence] that stands in competition with the public good ; - We, an Ecclesiastic Body, First church of Christ in Woodstock, have once and again given our consent that our Reverend pastor should absent himself from this church, and engage in the public service, and assure him that we shall consider his pastoral relation to us by no means violated by his absence, and wish him God speed."
The Windham County Association of Ministers, now felt it their duty to express their views, and offer rebuke and counsel. "Consider- ing the peculiar circumstances of our land during the present calamities of war, wherewith the holy and righteous God is pleased to exercise us ; the decline of religion and prevalence of iniquity ; think it our duty to stir up ourselves and the people of our charge to additional attention to our duties, and propose to General Association to recom- mend professors of religion to renew their covenant with God that family religion and order might be maintained." A committee was appointed to prepare a suitable address which was published, and a thousand copies distributed among the twenty parishes of Windham County.
Encouraged and strengthened by these manifestations of public sen- timent, Windham County entered upon the campaign of 1777 with renewed spirit and confidence, filling her quotas for home and Conti- nental service with her usnal readiness. Veterans whose times had expired usually reenlisted. Ebenezer Gray was now Major in Colonel Douglas's regiment. Dana and Keyes were recommissioned as cap- tains, probably in Durkee's regiment. John Ripley of Windham was appointed major of four companies under Captains Ebenezer Mosely, Kinne, Leflingwell and Kingsbury, stationed at Rhode Island, and as when their term of enlistment had expired there was "a great appear- ance of British ships and troops off New London," companies from the Eleventh and Twenty-first regiments were immediately accoutred and marched to Providence under command of Major Ripley, although " the more eastern regiments in the State had been frequently called into service." Dr. Waldo was now appointed surgeon in Huntington's regiment : Dr. David Holmes in Chandler's regiment, Dr. Thomas Gray of Windham, surgeon's mate in Durkee's regiment. The Second company of the Fourth regiment of Light Horse were reorganized, Perley Howe of Killingly, captain ; Asaph Wilder, lieutenant ; Ste- 23
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phen Tucker. cornet ; Davis Flint, quartermaster. Spirited gentlemen in Brooklyn having liberally agreed to furnish " three or four light con- structed field pieces and equip them fit for service," Daniel Tyler, Jr., and thirty-five petitioners obtained leave to form an independent ma- tross company, subject only to be commanded by the commander in- chief or either of the major or brigadier generals of the State of Con- nectient. Ammunition was now more plentiful. In the three months preceding February, 1777, 42,666 pounds of saltpetre made in Wind- ham County were received at the Willimantic powder-mill. Private individuals in every town were engaged in this manufacture. Abel Clark of Pomfret, reports 364 pounds made at his works, " ont of home material, pure, clear and dry ;" the Elderkin brothers furnished about 900 pounds ; Thomas Stedman, 381; Andrew Durkee, 308; while others send less than twenty pounds. The selectmen meanwhile report 881 pounds in scale and clock weights, shot and bar lead, deliv- ered at the powder-mill. As in preceding years every possible effort was made to raise and equip recruits, and maintain the patriot cause, and yet again they were doomed to disappointment and calamity. Captain Elderkin's company suffered severely at Ticonderoga, and after helping to maintain that fortress for many months, rejoicing even over raw pork in their extremity of hunger, were forced to an ignominions retreat before Burgoyne's advancing army. Putnam's division at Peeks- kill, weakened by sending its best men to the aid of Gates and Wash- ington, was humiliated by the irruption of Sir Henry Clinton, the seizure of important forts, and great destruction of property. and Washington, after a laborious and painful campaign, chequered by alternate success and defeat, was compelled to leave Philadelphia in the hands of the British, and yield those forts upon the Delaware which had been so valiantly manned and defended. A regiment of Windham County militia under Colonel Samuel MeClellan, fitted out in September to serve in the northern department, was detailed instead upon an expe- dition for the recovery of Newport under General Spencer, which for various reasons proved a complete failure. And while thus called to defeat and disaster, it so chanced that but few of the Windham sol- diers participated in the victory of Saratoga,-a part of a regiment drafted from Peekskill, and straggling volunteers* in Lattimer's militia.
With these failures and disasters were bereavements that caused peculiar sorrow. Captain Stephen Brown of Pomfret, a most brave and faithful officer, who had succeeded Knowlton in immediate com-
* Among these volunteers was Ephraim Sqnier of Ashford, whose regi- ment lost some eight or nine killed, and thirty wounded, and who had the pleasure of seeing " the prisoners march by towards Head-Quarters, a very agreeable sight."
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mand, was killed instantly by a shot from a ship while defending Fort Mifflin, with unparalleled bravery. Among the slain at Saratoga was Captain Daniel Clark of Plainfield, " who departed this life in the field of battle at Stillwater, September 19, 1777, leaving a distressed widow and six orphaned children to bemoan his unhappy fate, and their own most gloomy prospects." Plainfield mourned also the death of her faithful minister, Rev. John Fuller, chaplain in the army, and Wood- stock's beloved Leonard passed beyond human judgment. His brilliant career closed in great darkness and sorrow. Overstaying a furlough in consequence of the dangerous sickness of one of his children, he was met on his journey back to camp by the tidings that he had been cen- sured and superseded. Keenly sensitive to public opinion, he felt unable to endure the disgrace, and in the first shock of mortification took his life with his own hand. Putnam's affectionate heart was deeply moved by this distressing calamity. Other personal afflictions were weighing heavily upon him. His step-son. Septimus Gardiner, a young man of great promise, who had served as his aid, died during this autumn, and was soon followed by Mrs. Putnam. These losses brought much sorrow and mourning to Windham County. Mrs. Putnam, so long known and beloved, was greatly lamented by her old friends in Pomfret, their grief being heightened by the accompanying report that she " had died in prison in the enemy's hands." Colonel William Douglas died during this year of disease produced by exposure on the battle-field : Commis- sary Joseph Trumbull, and Dr. David Holmes of Woodstock, were compelled by ill health to retire from active service. The closing mis- fortune of the year was the blowing up of the Willimantic powder- mill, December 13, with the loss of one life, valuable machinery and material, mournfully chronicled by patriot journals, "amongst other obstacles to impede our success."
Public affairs looked more and more discouraging and gloomy. The winter of 1777-78 was one of great hardship and suffering, abroad and at home, in the camp and by the fireside. The incessant drain was depleting the resources of the towns. The farms were suffering for the lack of suitable tillage, and production had lessened. There was scarcity of grain, meat, salt and clothing. Currency was rapidly de preciating in value, and financial affairs becoming hopelessly entangled. Terrible stories came to Windham Connty homes, of the sickness and destitution of sons and brethren at Valley Forge-soldiers even freez- ing to death in their tents-and stories of sickness, death and even destitution went back in return. Mothers asked tearfully how they should carry their little ones through the winter, and "God answered them by taking them to himself." The officers with their slender pay, constantly diminishing in value, were even more embarrassed than
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the soldiers, whose families were cared for by the selectmen of the towns, and many were forced to resign to keep their families from starvation.
Yet still, in spite of disaster and discouragement, the towns went bravely on, npholding the Government and providing food and cloth- ing for the soldiers-not only meeting their quotas, but sending dona- tions and contributions. The Articles of Confederation recommended by Congress were received, discussed and formally adopted. Pomfret instructed her representatives to use their endeavors that the Articles of Confederation be come into and established. Windham "accords to the same in every article and case," but insists " that the Delegates to the Continental Congress should be chosen by the freemen of the State and not by the Assembly." Canterbury expressed her views with great fullness. At a town-meeting January 12, 1778, Mr. John Felch, mod- erator, it was voted :--
"That we have carefully examined the Articles of Confederation agreed on by Congress, and think them well calculated for the proposed design, and cannot be altered with any emendation better to accommodate us in this State, and therefore voted to accept and approve them, and that the representatives of the town be instructed to give their vote for them in General Assembly ; also, to procure an alteration in the mode of taxation; also, to have the dele- gation in Congress chosen in the same manner as for Governor; also, to have the debates in the Assembly as public as may be, and that the yeas and nays in every important measure be noted in the Journal, and published, that the towns may have them ; also, to procure an act to be passed to punish profane swearing and cursing by disability to sustain any office or place of trust and protit in any civil department, at least for the second offence."
The scarcity of salt was a very serious grievance, and "threatened at times to disturb the public peace and safety of the State." A per- mission had been given to Ebenezer Griffin, Jr., of Canada Parish, the preceding summer, to transport cattle, butter and cheese to Massachu- setts or Providence, to purchase salt and other West India goods. A number of the citizens of Pomfret associated in the autumn of 1777, " for the purpose of chartering or purchasing a good sea-vessel, and loading the same to send immediately to the West Indies for salt and other necessaries." Twenty-four gentlemen* contributed about seventy pounds for this object, and agreed to meet at Major Ripley's in Wind- han, October 15, to make choice of captain and supercargo, and con- trive such measures as were needful to accommodate and accomplish the voyage. The "brig Litchfield, 130 tons burthen," was proposed and examined, but whether the project was carried through is ex- tremely doubtful, as measures were taken from time to time to pro-
* Ebenezer Stoddard, Ebenezer Holbrook, John and Samuel Dresser, Wil- liam Osgood, Jr., Appleton and Zach. Osgood, Seth Stowell, Calvin Holbrook, Josiah Chandler, Jr., John, Daniel, James and Caleb Trowbridge, Amasa Ses- sions, Jr., Joseph Ingalls, Edward and Benjamin Ruggles, John and Isaac Wil- liams, Joseph Whitney, Elijah Dana, Israel Putnam, Jr.
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cure this vital necessity from other quarters. Plainfield ordered thirty- six bushels carted from Boston, Messrs. Dunlap and Pierce to distribute the same according to polls. Joseph Torrey of Killingly, was allowed to exchange six firkins of butter for salt, while limited supplies were secured with much labor and difficulty by home manufacture.
Prompt and liberal provision was made by all the towns in the spring of 1778, for the raising of their respective quotas. Thirty-seven men were demanded from Windham. She offered to each man who would enlist for a year's service, six pounds bounty, in addition to the same sum paid by the State; twelve pounds at the end of the year, and his wages of forty shillings a month, all in lawful money. A rate of sixpence on all the polls and ratable estates, to be paid in beef, pork, flour, &c., was levied to meet this outlay. Similar offers from other towns met with ready acceptance. Favorable news from France revived public cheerfulness and courage. Recognition, alliance and aid were offered to the struggling States. Soldiers went out again with hopeful hearts and patriots labored on at home, hoping that brighter days were at hand; but just as the French fleet was nearing the American coast came rumors more appalling than anything yet heard during the war- rumors of Indian descent and massaere in Wyoming's lovely valley. These terrible rumors were but too literally confirmed. Robert Dur- kee, Robert Jameson, Anderson Dana, George Dorrance, James Bid- laek, Thomas and Stephen Fuller, Stephen Whiton, John Abbot, Sam- nel Ransom, Elisha Williams, Timothy Pierce, John Perkins, and many other honored sons of Connectient and Windham County, had been most barbarously tortured and butchered, their homes burned, their farms rav- aged, their families taken prisoners, or driven out naked and starving into the wilderness. Aged fathers and mothers in Windham County waited in harrowing suspense to hear from their lost children, and after many anxious days received these stricken families, as one by one they found their way to the old hearthstone. Mrs. John Abbot and Mrs. Thomas Fuller, each with nine children, and utterly destitute, begged their way back as best they could to their Windham homes. Mrs. Stephen Fuller came on horseback with her little Polly. Mrs. Anderson Dana, with her widowed daughter, Mrs. Whiton, the bride of a few weeks, and six younger children, toiled back to Ashford, having first the presence of mind to save and bring with her most valuable public and personal papers belonging to her husband. Mrs. Elisha Williams left on that bloody battle-field her husband, two promising sons, and a daughter's husband, and with her five surviving children sought refuge at her father's house in Canterbury. And after many months had passed, and all hope of seeing them again had perished, Mrs. Esther Minor Yorke, with twelve children, barefoot and starving, reached her old home in
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Voluntown, having with great difficulty escaped from their Indian cap- tors and accomplished the perilons journey, the baby dying on the way from cold and exposure. Another hunted fugitive arriving at about the same date, was Rufus Baldwin, an emigrant to Newport, New York, who had killed an Indian, and was obliged to flee for his life, and trav- eled through the wilderness to Canterbury " with only a chunk of raw salt pork in his pocket."
Meantime another calamity had befallen the patriots. Their hope of aid from France had proved illusive. The fleet, so warmly greeted, had only brought them fresh disappointment. Another effort had been made to regain possession of Newport. A large force under General Sullivan was to cooperate with the French fleet. Again Windham County militia and troops of horse hurried down to Rhode Island. Young Joseph Joslin, one of three brothers sent from Thompson, gives a graphic picture of his share in the campaign :-
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