USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Woodbury > History of ancient Woodbury, Connecticut : from the first Indian dead in 1659 to 1854 > Part 22
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"Sir, Pursuant to orders from his Excellency the Governor directed to Gent Silliman, who is now absent, and consequently, as I am the oldest Colonel in the 4th Brigade, am Commandant, You are hereby required and Ordered to Detach one hundred Men Exclusive of officers from your Regiment: and you are to See that they are properly Officer'd & equip'd, and Order them to march to Horse-Neck, without loss of time, there to continue for the defence of the Sea-Coast in the western part of this State, not exceeding one month.
" Stratford, May 4th, 1779.
Sam1 Whiting, Colol Commde."
" To Colonel Increase Moseley."
The number that marched from Capt. Leavenworth's company, on this occasion, was fifty-seven, being more than his quota. It was during these occurrences that Gen. Putnam made his famous " escape at Horseneck," by spurring his horse, when hotly pursued, down a steep precipice, at full gallop. Late in November, 1779, the army was again in great need of supplies, being really in a suffering condi- tion. In this emergency, Gen. Stark looked to the Woodbury issu- ing and purchasing commissary. We learn this from the following very urgent letter from Gen. Stark :
" Danbury, 26th Novr, 1779.
" Sir, Uppon my arrival here, find no flour for my Brigade. the Troops now are entirely out & very little expected except what comes from you -- You will therefore without loss of time purchase and send forward to this place all the flour & meal you can possibly collect. Gen. Poor's Brigade is expected in this day, which will be stationed here through the winter. If you have as much as twenty or 10 Barrels let it be sent immediately. give Orders for the Teams to Drive night & Day untill they shall arrive here, & in the mean time do employ all the Mills in your Quarter to Grind for the Army untill a sufficient Quantity is procured for the present necessity of this army.
I am Sir your most obedent Humble Ser John Stark, Bg.
" N. B. You will send me an Answer by the bearer what supplies I am to expect from you. Wm Orsborn, Mp.
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WOODBURY.
1780. During the winter the troops had suffered greatly in their quarters from the want of food and clothing. They were paid off in continental money, as it was called, and with it they could bny neither food nor clothing. It was with the greatest difficulty that Washing- ton, by the most solemn and urgent entreaties with Congress, and by the most patriotic appeals to the people in all parts of the country, saved his army from total destruction.
In February, 1780, Col. Moseley resigned his commission as colonel, having filled the office for the space of nearly three years. Ile informed the General Assembly that he was " indneed to accept the appointment out of Affection to my Country, and an Ardent de- sire to render my best services for promoting the Good of the same." HIe resigned the office, as he states, on account of infirm health, which unfitted him for long tours of service, and on account of his embar- rassed financial matters. The urgency of the public service, pre- vented his resignation being accepted at this time. In the latter part of October. he resigned again, and this time the Assembly accepted his resignation.
At this period of the war, the prospects of the country were gloomy in the extreme. Only the most hopeful and persevering could see relief in the dark aspect of the forbidding future. Successive defeats and rampant toryism disheartened the American forces at the South, and the uninterrupted drain of men and money had produced poverty and wretchedness at the North. The soldiers in their winter quar- ters, had suffered all the tortures of famine and nakedness.
In this gloomy state of affairs, the treachery of the execrable Ar- nold came to light. He had previously been a brave and gallant officer, and had done his country good service. But luxurious habits had indneed him to embezzle government funds, and this had brought a court-martial, and a reprimand. In revenge he proved traitor to his country. Ile became active, violent and ernel in his new rela- tions, and his name was branded with infamy. He has the sad pre- eminence of standing alone among all the officers of the Revolution, as a traitor to the country that gave him birth. Quite a number of Woodbury soldiers were at West Point at the time Arnold concerted with Andre to deliver that post to the enemy. Abel Wakeley, who served during the whole war, having entered the service in his six- teenth year, was one of them. Ile died at Greenville, Greene coun- ty, New York, April 13th, 1850, in the ninetieth year of his age, and used frequently to relate the scene of the traitor's escape from West Point, of which he was an eye witness.
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So worn down and exhausted had the people become with constant service, that the authorities of the town had the greatest difficulty in filling the required quota from this date till the close of the war. Large bounties were offered for recruits, and heavy taxes laid to pay the expenses thins incurred. This will be seen by the following town action :
" At A Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Woodbury, June the 26th, 1750.
" Daniel Sherman Esqr was Chosen Moderator for this Meeting.
" Voated, that Each Able Bodyed Effective Man, Who shall Inlist into the Continental Army for three years shall Receive as A Bounty from this Town over and above the States' Bounty £15 Lawful Money in silver at 6/S p ounec, or Currency Equivilent, to be paid on his Inlistment & being Mustered into service the sum of £20 : and on the Commencement of the second year £15 : more, and on the Commencement of ye 3d year the other £10: provided he Continues in the serviss. And such Able Bodyd Men Who shall Inlist During the War shall Receive the same Bounty, and Also £15 : on the Commence- ment of the 4th year, Provided they Continue in the service, provided also that such Inlisted Soldiers shall be accounted a part of the Quoto of this town ; Provida they be not. Inlisted to the 20/ P Month heretofore Granted to Soldiers in this Town, the Comition Officers of Each Military Company for the time be- ing are Appointed a Committee for the time being."
To meet the payment of these large bounties, a tax of four pence on the pound was laid on the property of the inhabitants. In No- vember, a tax of two pence on the pound was laid for the same pur- pose, and the seleetmen were made a committee to "find out the De- fitionces in the Continental Army, and make report to the next meet- ing." In December, Aaron Hinman, William Preston, Sheldon Clark, Capt. Elijah Hinman, Lient. Samuel Curtiss, and Capt. David Leavenworth were chosen a committee to hire soldiers. On the fif- teenth of January following, fifteen others were appointed a commit- tee to assist the former committee in the performance of their duties.
"The army this year were again in the greatest want of the necessa- ries of life, clothing in particular. In this emergency, Woodbury " Sent to the Connecticut Line by Mr. Hubbard, Novr 7th 1780, 1788 pr stockings, 1582 pr Woolen Overalls, 379 Shirts, 570 vests, 1937 pr of Shoes, and 650 Blankets." This was a pretty liberal amount to be sent by one exhausted town.
In August, 1780, Washington conceived the plan of taking New York from the enemy, and consequently desired a force that would not be constantly leaving him by the expiration of the time of their enlistment. He therefore suggested to his general officers the policy of enlisting " volunteers till New York should be taken." General
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Parsons communicated the plan to the captains under his command, in the following letter :
" Sir
" ITis Excellency General Washington informs me, that in Case the States furnish their Quota of Money and Supplies, he designs New York for the object of his Operations this Campaign, and desires me to Encourage Volunteer Com- panies to Inlist on the following Terms, viz. That they sign their Names to A written Ingagement to abide with the Army, subject to the Orders & Regula- tions by which they are Governd untill the City of New York is taken, or the seige Raisd, unless they are sooner dischargd, and that the persons thus Inga- ging hold themselves in Readiness to march whenever the General calls for them ; for the express purpose of attacking New York, & for no other purpose. Every 56 Rank & File are entitled to have 1 Capt, 1 Lt, & 1 Ensign, & 3 Ser- jeants, to be Elected by themselves, and so in proportion for a less number. Under these Circumstances I have to request you to Confer with the Gentlemen in your Vicinity, & Endeavour to procure A Company to be engagd for this purpose. I would thank you to acquaint me as soon as you can of your pros- peets in this Matter. Pay and Rations Commence from the Time of their taking the Field 21st August, 1750.
"I am, Sir, yr obedt Servt
Saml H. Parsons. " To Capt. David Leavenworth and Capt. Jona Brown.
" We whose Names are hereunto Subscribed do Voluntarily Inlist & Engage ourselves to serve in A Company of Volunteers to be raisd in piirsuance of his Excellency General Washington's Requisition to General Parsons, and to abide by and Conform ourselves in every respect agreeable to the within Mentiond plan exhibited for this purpose.
" Adam Hurlbut, Lovewell Hurd, John C. Case, Ezra Lacey, Moses Hurd, Aaron Hall, David Leavenworth, Edward Lake, Wm. Torrance, Sam- uel ITurd, Ebenezer Laeey, Abijah Brunson, Issacher Norton, John Mal- lory, Eben Thomas, Curtis Hurd, David Booth, John Baker, Thomas Torrance, George Norton, Nathan Runsey, Eldad Baker."
Scarcely any thing could show the indomitable spirit of the people better than this inlistment out of a single company, under the circum- stances in which it was made. It was but a few days previous, that Col. Moseley had been ordered by Gen. Parsons to make a very heavy detachment, as will appear by Col. Moseley's letter to the general :
" Woodbury August 26th. 1750.
" Hond Sir-
" I Received your Orders of the 20th, Instant, & have given out Orders ac- cordingly ; with directions to the Detaching-Officers to deliver their dranghted Men, to such Officer & Lient. Col. Wells should appoint to receive them ; at Col. Canfield's in New Milford on the 24th, Instant; and have Wrote to Col. Wells, Informing him of the time & place. This draught compleats 140 Men that
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have been eall'd for from this Regt, since May last-The last Return of men fit . for duty under fifty years of Age could not exceed 450 -- There has been a con- siderable number who have mov'd away since last Return ; so that some of the Officers say that they can not find Enough to compleat their Details without taking such as have been out the last two Months : but I hope they will make out some how. Capt, Hine of New Milford inform'd me to day, that there is a difficulty attends getting the Men in that Town : which is, that in Consequence of an Order or Recommendation, sent by Gen1. Parsons to the Minister of that Town, to raise a Company of Volunteers, a great part of the Men there, have Inlisted for that purpose ; & have proceeded so far as to Nominate their Capt. Ce. in full expectation of soon compleating a full Company in that Quarter : and that the Officers there could not make the last draught without taking the Men out of those Inlisted Volunteers; which they apprehend would frustrate the whole plan of raising such a Company ; It being a favourite plan among them, which they are Zealously pursuing ; they desired Capt, Hine to come to me & see if they could not be indulged the favour not to make the draught. I told Capt. Hine, that I was much in favour of having Volunteer Companies; but as our Minister had not yet Received any orders on that subject, I was un- acquainted with the General Plan ; therefore could not relinquish any part of the draughting Orders; but told him I would Represent the matter to your Honr. and if any allowanee could be made on account of Volunteers, you would doubtless grant it. I understand that similar Orders are sent to the Ministers of Kent & Litehfield ; and that it Originated from a Requisition from his Ex- celly Gen1. Washington for that purpose : but have seen nothing of the kind in this Town and Hardly know what to depend on about it.
" I am &c.
"I. Moseley."
By this letter it can be seen, in a vivid light, how much the regi- ment had become reduced in point of numbers, more than two years before the close of the war.
1781. In May of this year, the Assembly, upon the representa- tion of Gen. Washington, that there was a pressing necessity of hav- ing fifteen hundred men ready to march on the shortest notice, to be held in service three months after joining the army, and also of rais- ing a number of men equal to one-sixth part of this state's quota in the continental army, to supply deficiencies which had taken place from the various casualties incident to an army, resolved to raise by voluntary inlistment, 2,100 men, by the 1st of July following, and if the number was not filled by that time, to complete it by peremptory detachment from those towns which had not raised their full quota of men. The larger part of the men raised in this regiment was sent · to Horseneck. In the early part of January, a committee of seven- teen were appointed to hire soldiers for that post. In July, another town meeting was held, in which it was voted,
" That the 15 Men to fill up our Quota of the Continental Army & Likewise
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the 11 Men for the State Guards at Horse Neck be hird by a Committee as here- tofore for that Purpose."
The committee was appointed, and the desired number raised. In February, it had been voted, to give the State bounty of £30 given to the several towns for each recruit furnished, to each soldier who should enlist and muster into service. This vote materially lightened the labor of procuring enlistments. This will be seen from the fact, that twenty-two were obtained from one company, Capt. Thaddeus Hurd's. The quota for this year was one hundred and six. The number in service in May was eighty-one, and consequently the defi- cieney was twenty-five. These were hired by the committee ap- pointed for that purpose.
During this year, the French army under Gen. La Fayette, passed through this town on their journey south to join Gen. Washington, in his operations against Cornwallis. This was a pretty direct route from Boston, and it was the general's design to keep at a safe dis- tanee from the coasts. They came through White Deer rocks, where they were obliged to cut away trees, and remove stones, in order to transport-their heavy baggage through the defile. The army en- camped for the night in town, in such companies as suited their con- venience, and when they had pitched their tents, they extended all the way from Middle Quarter to White Oak, a distance of nearly three miles. That part which encamped near the house then oceu- pied by David Sherman, and since by the late Gideon Sherman, eat for him, with his consent, twelve bushels of apples, as is related, and drank seven or eight barrels of new cider at his mill. During the evening they had a dance in which some of the Woodbury damsels joined with the polite French officers, in their gay uniforms, while others looked on. Multitudes of the inhabitants pressed about the tents of those patriotic foreigners, who had come so far to fight the battle of freedom for a suffering people, and destined to act so distin- guished a part in bringing the long and bloody contest to a close. La Fayette, with his chief officers, lodged at the house of Hon. Dan iel Sherman, and was waited on by all the principal men of the town. The late Mr. Ashbel Moody, and two or three other aged people, who recollected the scene, gave the writer a vivid description of the incidents of the occasion. Fired anew with martial courage by the fine display of the French troops, a considerable number of soldiers volunteered on the spot, and marched with them on the following morning. Among these were Capt. Joseph Walker, Lieut. Nathan Beers, Lieut. John Sherman, Ebenezer Hicock, Wait Hurlbut, and
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WOODBURY.
Enoch Sperry. After the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, the army passed through town again on their return to take ship for their homes. The soldiers encamped on Breakneck Hill in Middlebury, abont a mile north of the meeting-house. it derives its name from the circumstance of one of the cattle falling and breaking its neck in descending the hill, while employed in transporting the baggage of the troops. La Fayette and some of his officers lodged in a tavern, in a valley eastward, then kept by Mr. Isaac Bronson. A new house has since been erected on its site by a grandson of the former owner.
1782. The campaign opened early this year, and a meeting of the town was held, Feb. 25th, at which it was
" Voted that the 16 Classes that are already fixed hire, each of said Classes hire one Man to serve in the State Guard, & three soldiers be raised by the Town to Serve in sd State Guard."
The burdens of the war fell very heavily on Connecticut, because that in addition to furnishing its full quota in the continental army. it was obliged to keep many of its soldiers on duty at the several posts in the State for its defense.
On the 18th of December, another town-meeting was held, at which it was
" Voted to fill up our Quota to the Number of 106 Men.
" Voled that the Town Raise 12 Men & that the Select Men Divide the Town into 12 Classes Each Class to Raise one Man on the List of 1751."
This proved to be the last time the town was to be called upon to show its devotion to the interests of the country during the war of independence. It will be seen that the efforts of the town to sub- serve the good canse, in common with the whole country, had con- stantly grown weaker and weaker, as the strength of its soldiers wasted away before the pestilence, and the deadly struggle on the field of battle, and its wealth disappeared under the ever fresh levies of supplies for the army, and the support of the troops. It would seem, that overwhelmed with debt as the country then was, it could hardly have held out much longer. But, however that may have been, it seems that a kind .Providence had designed, in his wisdom, to spare them the trial. To Him, "who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb," it seemed good to say to pride, power and oppression, " thus far shalt thou go and no farther."
A part of these last levies were present at the ever memorable siege of Yorktown in October, and at the surrender of Cornwallis on the 19th of that month, which virtually closed the war. Abel Wake-
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WOODBURY.
ley was one of these, and others who had inlisted during the war, to- gether with the most of those that went south with La Fayette. The eyes of these survivors of a rutliless warfare beheld a glad sight on the morn of the 19th of October, when in solemn silence-not amid the smoke and carnage of the battle-field -- they saw the brave Gen. Lincoln receive the sword of Lord Cornwallis-the strength and glory of the British army on this side of the water, broken and de- stroved. Well might the news of this auspicious event spread uni- versal joy, as it did, throughout the country. Well might all hearts unite in praise and thanksgiving to God for this signal blessing, which was to terminate our struggle for independence. It was not inappropriate that Washington ordered divine service to be perform- ed throughout the army ; and that Congress proceeded in solemn procession to the house of God, to acknowledge their grateful sense of this special favor.1 It was, indeed, the final blow, the immediate precursor of peace. The voice of the whole British people called in carnest tones for an immediate termination of the war; so earnest indeed, that it penetrated even to an unrelenting throne. Early next year. just eight years after the battle of Lexington, Great Britain proposed peace, and hostilities terminated. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and Henry Laurens, were appointed agents by the United States to conclude the terms of peace. Preliminary arti- cles were signed at Paris, Nov. 30, 1782, and on the 19th day of April, 1783, a formal proclamation of the cessation of hostilities an- nounced the glad tidings to a disenthralled nation.
It would be a pleasing occupation to linger for a moment and gather up the personal incidents scattered thickly throughout the whole of this long and eventful period; but the limits of our work will not allow us that gratification. They will be found, however, in the biographical and genealogieal history, which will occupy the ma- jor portion of the remainder of this volume, and also in the list of revolutionary soldiers from this town, among the statistics, at its close. '
1 On the west side of the Pomperaug River, three-fourths of a mile from the main street in Southbury, lived three brothers, sturdy young men. Their names were Jus- tus, Amos and Moses Asa Johnson. When the news of the surrender of Cornwallis reached town, the people assembled at the meeting-house, and the greatest enthusiasm prevailed. The bell pealed forth in merry, violent tones, and every heart was full of joy. The Johnsons supposed the bell was ringing for an alarm, as it scarcely rung for any thing else except on Sundays. In an hour or two, two of them appeared at the alarm post, fully armed and equipped, their knapsacks filled with provisions for an immediate march. Such was a specimen of the patriotism of those days.
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" The colonies must be taxed !" What a world of interests was affected by that stern and unjust decision. Little dreamed he who spake it, that it would inflame a continent, and rend from Old Eng- land her fairest possession, her gem of greatest value. But the word was spoken-the decree gone forth ! "Whom the gods wish to de- stroy they first make mad." With a fated madness, an unaccounta- ble folly, the mother country took her furious course. Her children, driven by her cruelty into the savage wilds of a distant continent, were pursued with ruthless barbarity. She little knew and little cared, if far away over the mighty Atlantic, her arbitrary acts was creating the " land of the free and the home of the brave." Then came the war of the Revolution to blast the dearest hopes of the people of the new world, yet from its gloomy shades gleamed forth the light of liberty, which now shines with such dazzling splendor. But it was to be obtained by blood and toil and miseries with scarce- ly an equal in the annals of mankind. The blood of the dwellers in these fair vales, and in each town and hamlet of our land, was shed like water on every glorious battle field of our country, from the skirmish at Lexington to the ever memorable seige of Yorktown- from the sad massacre of the fair and poetic vale of Wyoming to the field of honor on the heights of Saratoga! Their hardly earned worklly goods were freely offered on the altar of their country's good. Hunger, cold and privation of every sort were cheerfully endured. Every tie which nature holds dear, and which binds the hearts of men in conjugal, paternal, or fraternal bands to the well-known hearthstone, were sundered at the call of our suffering country in her hour of need and of peril. They went forth with bounding hearts, and athletic, manly forms. Many of them found honored graves in various parts of our land, and many more returned with dire diseases, mintilated frames and shattered health-the merest wreck of what they were-to the firesides which had missed their presence for months and years.
But the result of their labors was glorious beyond the expectation, or even the dreams of the most hopeful. They wrought well-a re- deemed and widely extended people now rejoices in the results of their toils and sufferings. If there be a " recompense of reward" for those that do well, surely our patriot sires have long since entered on a bright fruition. Great indeed have been the results of the Revo- lution, not only to our own favored land, but to the world. Since that hour of " deadly peril was overpast," our nation has gone pros- perously on, and we are almost miraculously increased from three to more than twenty millions of freemen. Liberty and equality are in-
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terwoven with every fibre of our institutions. Freedom of thought and of conscience is the pole-star of our existence. Knowledge infi- nitely more varied and extended than was ever before known, has embraced all classes, and it will have its "perfect work," till the humblest operative shall become a man of science. Literature, art, science, a brilliant triad, is the proud possession of our country, and she will continue to enjoy it till the " last of earth" shall have been experienced by the last of the race. The universal diffusion of knowledge is the grand characteristic of our country. By means of this the most distant member of our population, which surges to and fro like the waves of the ocean, is visited in his home on the broad prairie, or among the everlasting hills, and prepared to aet his part in the great system of republican institutions. The active and enter- prising spirit of the age has given us a vigorous and original litera- ture. The useful, the practical, in science, in art, in every thing, is the grand desideratum. Improvements are made in every thing. Even news, which has in all ages been noted for its agility, no longer takes its slow course by stage, or by railroad ; nor yet, in the poeti- cal language of Seripture, does it " take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea ;" but it seizes on the "firey bolt of Jove," and outstrips the "swift wind." The time is not far distant, when the far dweller in Oregon shall whisper words of affection " by telegraph," to an Atlantic lady-love, all too impatient to wait the slow delay of the " lumbering mail."
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