USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut, Volume II, 1760-1880 > Part 27
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With such a rush of business and travel Windham's taverns might well flourish. Nathaniel Linkon, John Flint, David Young, John Keyes, John Parish entertained the public in different parts of the town : Nathaniel Ilebard, John Staniford, John Fitch, received on Windham Green. The "Widow Cary," now the wife of John Fitch, had brought to her new home the jolly image of Bacchus, occupying a conspienons perch on the sign-post of the "old Fitch Tavern." Travelers, court attendants and fellow-townspeople found agreeable entertainment beneath his beaming countenance, and in the other village taverns, famed as they were for the flow of wit and liquor, as well as more substantial fare. Windham's old-time reputation for
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jokes and jollity was abundantly sustained in this day of prosperity and universal liquor-drinking. The many Revolutionary veterans resident in the vicinity were habitual frequenters of these attractive resorts, fighting over their battles and telling marvelous tales of hair- breadth escape and harrowing adventure. Quaint old characters abounded whose odd sayings and doings furnished exhaustless merri- ment. There was one "jolly boy" of whom it was said " he could not go by Hebard's tavern without stopping to get a drink of rum." A friend remonstrated with him and finally made a bet that he could not do so. The old man went down town and marched triumphantly past the tavern. " Now," said he, "I'll go back and treat Resolu- tion." Once when somewhat obfuscated by drink he wandered off into the fields and went to sleep but forgot on rising to put on his old cocked hat. Some boys found it and brought it back to him, think- ing to cover him with confusion. " In which lot did you find it ? " he inquired blandly. "In Mr. White's pasture, near the bars." " Well, boy, go take it right back, that is my place to keep it."
One comical old wag had a turn for rhyming. Meeting one day a rough-looking countryman with tawny hair and beard, and butternut colored coat, riding on a sorry sorrel nag, he flung up his hat at the uncouth figure and exclaimed :-
" Man and mare, beard and hair All compare, I swear! "
Another, calling at one of the taverns when it chanced to run low, suggested as inscription for the sign :-
" Nothing on one side-nothing on t'other, Nothing in the house, nor in the barn nuther."
Among Windham's merchants and leading men were some who delighted greatly in jokes and story-telling. Staniford's house was a great place of resort for these worthies, an exchange-place for all manner of quips, pranks and witticisms, where each would strive to catch or outvie the other. X had a cow which gave two full pails of milk morning and evening. and finally he had her milked at noon, and she gave two full pails and just as much at the other milkings as before, but Z's cow gave milk so continuously " that he had an aque- duet built from barn to house to bring it, and the milk was so rich that every quart made a pound of butter." One man had killed nearly a cart-load of pigeons at one shot. Another' shot "a great lot of crows in a pitch dark night." X was obliged to boe beans once, while his brothers were permitted to go fox-hunting. He "heard the dogs coming, looked up and saw the fox which jumped over the fence into a snowbank, and he killed him with his hoe before he could get
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onto his feet." " But," says Z, "it was a queer time to have a heavy snowbank in a lot where you were hoeing beans !" " The climate has changed in fifty years," responds the unabashed Munchausen. Re- miniseences of the cold winter of 1779-80, called out some marvellous statements. "The snow was already three feet deep on a level, and the day of the great snow it began snowing early very hard, but about 11 o'clock it snowed as large flakes as chipping-birds-it snowed an inch derp every minute for an hour and a half, and continued to snow as hard as in common storms all day. Whereupon X relates that on the cold Sunday of that famous winter his family went to meeting abont two miles away. The big dinner-pot was put on before leaving, with pork and beef, turnips, cabbage and potatoes, all to boil together for dinner, and a big fire of logs made under it in the old-fashioned fire- place. When they returned they found the kitchen door blown open " and it was so cold that the steam had frozen in a solid cone on the top of the pot, and the pot was boiling furiously below it!" That story, all agreed, could never be matched. X announced one night that he had discovered what salmon lived on. He had found two fly- ing squirrels in the maw of one just purchased, but the rogue who had crammed them down the salmon's throat had the best of the joke that evening. These lively jokers were not addicted to drinking and as they did not patronize the bar they were accustomed to send each a cord or two of wood a season to help keep up the sparkling fire that added zest to their stories. Their host was noted for his exploits in eating. Three large shad for thirty consecutive days. with plenty of accompani- ments, and a whole fresh tripe at a dinner, were among these feats. When melting silver one hot summer day he was known to drink two gallons of West India rum without feeling the least intoxicated.
A large number of waiters, hostlers, drivers, purveyors, ocenpied at Court time, but with little to do but lounge and tell stories the re- mainder of the year, hung about the taverns and stores, and added to the general merriment. Negro men and boys were still very numerous and made much sport for all classes with their droll mimicry and end- less tricks and capers. Change of status made little difference to this class. A few went out into the world as freedmen, but the larger number even though freed clung to their old masters and were always supported and cared for. The most intelligent among them was General Job, brigadier of the colored brigade that met for parade on the Norwich Line every year. He married Rose, a very handsome negress, belonging to Elisha Abbe, and they owned a house on the back road.
With all Windham's advancement in one respect there was retro- gression. Her secular affairs were most flourishing, but religion had
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sadly declined. It was a transition period -- a day of upheaval, over- turning, uprootal. Infidelity and Universalism had come in with the Revolution and drawn multitudes from the religions faith of their fathers. Free-thinking and free-drinking were alike in vogue. Great looseness of manners and morals had replaced the ancient Puritanic strictness. In former golden days Windham could proudly sing :-
" That her great men were good and her good men were great, And the props of her Church were the pillars of the State."
Now, sons of those honored fathers and the great majority of those in active life, were sceptics and scoffers, and men were placed in office who never entered the House of God except for town meetings and secular occasions. In a sermon preached upon the fiftieth anniversary of his settlement, December, 1790, Mr. White strikingly portrayed the contrast :-
" In those days there were scarce any that were not professors of religion, and but few infants not baptized. No families that were prayerless. Profane swearing was but little known, and open violations of the Sabbath not prac- ticed as is common now. And there were no Deists among us. The people as a body were fearers of the Lord and observers of the Sabbath and its duties. But the present day is peculiar for men's throwing off the fear of the Lord. Declensions in religion have been increasing for about thirty years past, such as profaneness, disregard of the Sabbath, neglect of family religion, unright- eousness, intemperance, imbibing of modern errors and heresies and the cry- ing prevalence of infidelity against the clearest light."
The standing church had to contend with the FRIENDS as well as the foes of religion. About one-third of the inhabitants of Windham were now " certificate people or Sectaries," bitterly opposed to the ecclesiastic constitution of Connecticut, and the churches founded upon that basis. The Baptists were steadily gaining in numbers, strength, and influence under the charge of their worthy elder, Benjamin Lathrop. In the north part of Windham, which was now becoming a populous neighborhood, a remarkable worship was conducted by Joshua Abbe. Rev. Moses Cook Welch of Mansfield represented " these Abbe-ites as a sect of Baptists, differing from any and all of that denomination that had ever risen in any age, having no communication even with other Baptist churches. Their meetings were characterized by jargon, disorder and great confusion : all were allowed to speak at pleasure, women as well as men, three, four or six sometimes speaking at once, while groans, sobs and sighs were reiterated by others." Doubtless this report is colored by orthodox prejudice, but whether dis- orderly or not these meetings were permitted. Any sect or church within the State of Connecticut had now the privilege of worshipping according to its own dictates. The State only insisted that every man should worship somewhere, or, at least, bear his part in maintaining some religious worship. The Saybrook Platform had been dropped
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from the statute book in the revision of 1784, but the old society organ- ization was retained. Every man within the limits of a stated society was taxed for the support of its religious worship, until he lodged with the elerk of the society a certificate of membership of some other society. The old Separates and Baptists were not in the least satisfied with these concessions and were still forced to submit to what they deemed a degrading vassalage, while the opposition of the free-thinkers to the established churches was greatly heightened by being obliged to help support preaching which they disbelieved and hated. After forty years of conflict the agitators had won the privilege of worshipping as they pleased and paying ministers after their own fashion. Now they claimed the right of not worshipping if they pleased, and neither hear- ing or paying ministers except at their own fancy. The "movement " began by the early Separates was destined to go onward till every legal restriction was removed. and all religious questions and worship left to the settlement of the individual conscience.
The political status of Windham was greatly affected by these religious dissensions and complications. A large majority of her population were Federalists for a time, staunchly supporting the Fed- eral Constitution, and Washington's administration, but on State and local questions they were greatly divided. Connecticut's ecclesiastical constitution and parish system, and those ministers and public men who upheld it. were very obnoxious to the Sectaries. There was also a strong radical element in the town, a feeling of hostility to the aristocratic pre- tensions and style of the upper classes, the college-bred Grays. Elderkins, Dyers, who had been so prominent in public affairs. Far back in 1775 " a miserable junto " * had contrived to defeat Colonel Dyer's renomi- nation to Congress, and this opposition was constantly increasing. Samuel Webb, a man of strong common sense and much native force of character, was deeply imbued with radical and revolutionary ideas, and had much influence among the masses. The few " Grumble- tonians," or anti-Federalists, joined with the Sectaries, and in 1786 sent Benjamin Lathrop and Samuel Webb to the General Assembly. In the following year Zephaniah Swift was sent as deputy. Federal in politics, he was yet a friend to progress and religious freedom, and an open and earnest opponent to the existing church establishment. Sectaries of every shade gladly welcomed him as their leader and sought to place him in office, while members of the standing church were outraged that a free thinker should be sent to represent them. The ministers of these churches, Messrs. White and Cogswell, "were grieved and displeased
* Letters of Silas Deane.
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that men should have so little regard for religion as to choose a man for deputy who has none," and marvelled at the inconsistency of "those Separates, Baptists and enthusiasts who pretend to so much more religion than we, yet vote for a profane, irreligious man, who scarce ever attends public worship." Rev. Moses Cook Welch, now settled in Mansfield Centre. was loud in condemnation of their conduct. In spite of strong opposition Swift carried the two succeeding elections. Judge Devotion of Scotland won the day in October, 1788. The con- test went on year after year with the vigor and bitterness characteristic of religious warfare. Charges of extortion and imprisonment hurled against the standing churches were met by accusations of excesses and immoralities. The ministers carried the questions into their several pulpits. Mr. Cogswell reports, April 12, 1790: " Went to Freeman's meeting and voted according to the dictates of my conscience, but could not succeed to keep Capt. Swift from being chosen deputy . . Believe, nevertheless, that my preaching did good yesterday, for Judge Devotion had almost as many votes as Swift." In 1793, Swift was sent to Congress, the first representative from northeast Connecticut.
As inherent differences of opinion became more defined and out- spoken, and opposition to Federalism assumed political organism, Windham was ready for the conflict. Swift indeed kept his place in the Federal ranks, but a great majority of the opponents to the standing order accepted Jefferson as their leader, and united with the anti-Federal Republicans. The sons of Samuel Webb were among the foremost leaders of this new party, which gained a strong hold in the town but was not able for several years to control its elections. The ability and audacity of its advocates, and their ruthless onslaught upon the Federal Government and established institutions, excited great opposition and alarm. The staunch old Federalists of the town, Col. Dyer, Judge Devotion, the Grays, Jabez Clark, Shubael Abbe, the standing clergy, with their organ, the Windham Herald, en- deavored by every means in their power to stay the progress of these pernicious principles and check the growth of this insurrectionary party. When in addition to their assaults upon the General Govern- ment, they proceeded to attack the Constitution of Connecticut, and propose a substitute for that sacred Charter under which its inhabitants had enjoyed such freedom and privileges, words were inadequate to express their indignation. Peter Webb, a successful merchant in Windham town, was one of the first to discover and proclaim that Connecticut "had no government." When Pierpont Edwards in 1804, issued a circular calling upon Republicans " to meet in convention at New Haven upon the subject of forming a constitution," a corres-
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pondent of the Windham Herald thus describes its reception in Windham County :-
" In the town of Sterling, a meeting was. convened by Mr. Lemuel Dor- rance, to whom the circular letter of Mr. Edwards was addressed. Mr. Dor- rance was chosen chairman of the meeting. It was composed of twenty-nine or thirty persons, and on discussion of the subject of the circular letter, it was voted that no delegate should be chosen. Whether Mr. Dorrance obeyed the direction of the letter, to come on himself, if none was cliosen, we are not fully assured.
The circular was submitted to a meeting of those who call themselves republicans (exclusively), on the 13th of August, inst., at Plainfield. The meeting was attended by more members than any other meeting of the kind ever held in that town, and on full deliberation it was (we mention it to their honor) voted not to choose any delegate to the proposed convention. It is, however, understood, that after the return to that town, of a gentleman from Court, on Saturday last, a few, very few persons met on Monday, and made choice of Mr. Elias Woodward. How the republicans in general, by whom the proposition was rejected, will receive this we cannot tell.
From the town of Voluntown we only learn that Mr. Nicholas Randall has gone on to New Haven.
From Thompson we learn nothing, but presume no person attends from that town.
In the town of Woodstock a meeting was publicly warned, and notice given, that it would be open to all parties, but when the democrats met, they called for a private room and refused admission to any but their own seet. They consisted of twenty-three persons, five of whom were not freemen, one is a pauper maintained by the town, and ten persons who have come to reside in Woodstock from other towns, mostly from Rhode Island. Mr. William Bowen chosen.
In the town of Pomfret a meeting was held and composed of twenty per- sons, six of whom declined voting affirmatively on the question, and Mr. John Chandler was chosen by fourteen votes.
Mr. Benjamin Arnold has gone from the town of Killingly; whether the democrats in that town held a meeting for his election, we have not learned.
From Brooklyn, we understand, that Master Harry Stanley, is the repre- sentative, and took a seat in the stage for New Haven, on Monday evening; but have heard of no meeting for his election-some run before they are sent
In the town of Canterbury, in pursuance of the circular, a private meeting of a small number of persons was holden, and elected Mr. Ephraim Lyon.
In the towns of Windham and Lebanon, we understand they are in favor of a large representation, and elected four persons in each town; of whom Messrs. Baldwin and Manning attend from Windham, and Mr. Andrew Metcalf, from Lebanon.
At Ashford, Messrs. D. Bolles, and Jason Woodward.
At Hampton, Mr. Roger Taintor.
At Mansfield, Mr. Edmond Freeman.
At Columbia, Mr. Stephen Buckingham.
We are fully assured, that whenever meetings of democrats have been holden in this county, in pursuance of the circular letters, they have excluded all persons, not avowedly democrats, from acting in their meetings. With what pretentions these friends of the people can claim the right of manufac- turing new forms of government for the good citizens of this state, against their consent, and without their advice, we know not. We only ask, do these proceedings furnish evidence that the party are actuated by a spirit of equal liberty, or a spirit of usurpation and tyranny ?"
The Herald also reports that so far as it can learn " the proposition was received with coldness mingled with alarm even by those who have hitherto favored the democratic party. Less alarm would proba-
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bly have been excited if these Constitution-makers had admitted that Connectient now has a Constitution, but that it is a bad one and requires renovation. But when the bold ground is assumed that Con- necticut has no Constitution; and that all the acts of the Legislature for many years past have been acts of usurpation and tyranny, most reflecting men startled at the consequences which may flow from admit- ting this proposition." Yet notwithstanding this alarm, and the earnest efforts and solemn warnings of the Federalists, their opponents succeeded this same year in eleeting Mr. Peter Webb as deputy to the General Assembly, and theneeforward the republicans were often able to carry the elections, the Sectaries holding the balance of power. The earnestness and eloquence of the Windham republicans, and the prominent position of their town, gave them great political influence during the Jeffersonian conflict and administration.
The third settled pastor of Windham's First Church, Rev. Stephen White, died January 9, 1793, in the seventy-fifth year of his age and fifty-third of his ministry. His gentle and lovely character, cousist- ent Christian life, and faithful ministerial service, had won the regard of all "whose approbation was worth possessing." His funeral sermon was attended by a great concourse of people-his former pupil, Rev. M. C. Welch, preaching the sermon, and all the neighbor- ing ministers participating in the exercises, which were prolonged till the dusk of the evening. His excellent wife, sister of Col. Dyer, survived her husband ten years. The Windham Herald in announe- ing hier decease asserts, " that the life of this old lady furnished a pattern worthy to be imitated by the most pious and most exemplary. From a very early period of her life she was a professor of the Christian religion and ever adorned her profession by the most dis- tinguished piety and godliness. Rectitude was uniformly her object, and love and esteem were the affections which she uniformly inspired." Of her thirteen children, three daughters, greatly esteemed for piety and excellence of charneter, long occupied the modest homestead. Mr. White was succeeded in the ministerial office by Elijah Waterman of Bozrah, who was ordained in Windham, October 1, 1794. The unusual energy and zeal of the young pastor found ample exercise in his new field. His church was cold, backward and almost without influence in the community. Irreligion was rampant and aggressive. Infidel books and doctrines were widely disseminated. Books demon- strating Universal salvation were advertised in the Herald, and sub- scriptions received for them in its office. Good-fellowship and jollity were degenerating into revelry and dissipation. Intemperance had become alarmingly prevalent. Card-playing and other questionable amusements were much in vogue. A social club. comprising all the
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" good fellows " about town, afforded opportunity for free indulgence in such pastimes. And while the forces of evil were thus united and strong, the few church members and christians were expending all their energies in battling and beating one another. Mr. Waterman devoted himself to his work with great earnestness, and by his faith- ful labors and pungent exhortations soon aroused a new religious interest in his church, and received encouraging accessions to its membership. Like his predecessors he found a wife among his own people-Lney, daughter of Shubael Abbe-and it was hoped that like them he would remain for life in Windham. Wide in sympathy as well as fervent in spirit, Mr. Waterman interested himself in all the reformatory movements then in progress at home and abroad. Ile was an active member of the Windham County Association and promi- nent in effecting the formal Consociation of the churches. At home he labored for improvement of public schools and the formation of a school library in place of the former Social Library which with other good things had been suffered to decline and fall to pieces. He tran- scribed the records of the church and provided for their better preser- vation, and prepared a faithful historical discourse for the commemora- tion of its hundredth anniversary. He also collected materials " for a complete history of Windham County," which in subsequent years were unfortunately scattered.
Yet notwithstanding Mr. Waterman's acknowledged ability and excellence, his pastorate was stormy. His open and uncompromising hostility to vice and irreligion aroused strong opposition and made him many personal enemies. Finding that in spite of his earnest remon- stranees the club of jolly fellows persisted in hunting rabbits and play- ing ball on Fast and Thanksgiving days in defiance of law, he made complaint to the magistrate and secured the exaction of fines. These victims and other aggrieved parties united their forces against the zealous minister and proceeded to organize as an Episcopal society, under the auspices of Rev. John Tyler of Norwich, who held church service with them as often as practicable. By this device they evaded the payment of rates and made it very difficult for the society to pro- vide for the support of Mr. Waterman. The church. however, clung faithfully to its pastor and would probably have succeeded in retaining him in spite of the pecuniary difficulties but for the removal of one of its strongest pillars and supports, Mr. Sheriff Abbe, who was stricken down with apoplexy, April 16, 1804. His worth and labors were thus portrayed by mourning friends :-
" Ile graduated at Yale College, 1764. He was several years in the business of merchandize and by his own exertions became largely engaged in hus- bandry. In 1783 he was appointed sheriff of the County of Windham and continued in the most punctual and nnexceptionable manner to discharge the duties of that office till his death. He was often chosen representative of the
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town. In 1798 he was appointed by the President one of the commissioners of the Land tax, and by the Assembly one of the committee to manage the School Funds. In domestic life he was indulgent and decisive. In public business, active, punctual and correct. In his attachment to civil and religious institutions he was exemplary, and to the poor and afflicted humane and generous. His ability and integrity secured to him the esteem and confidence of his fellow-citizens. And his death was extensively and deeply regretted. He left a widow, three sons and five daughters to mourn an irreparable loss. Tears flow nor cease where Abbe's ashes sleep, For him a wife and tenderest children weep, And justly-for few shall ever transcend As husband, parent and a faithful friend."
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