USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Woodbury > History of ancient Woodbury, Connecticut : from the first Indian dead in 1659 to 1872, Vol. II > Part 13
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At the close of the sermon, short speeches, in reply to previ- ously prepared sentiments, was the order of the day, and consti- tuted one of the most interesting features of this most menforable occasion.
The first sentiment was,-" The early Clergy of Ancient Wood- bury," and was responded to by Rev. Anson S. Atwood, of Mans- field Center, Conn., a native of Woodbury. A passage or two will show the character of the effort, and will be read with pleasure :-
" Zechariah Walker was the first Pastor of Ancient Woodbury. It is a good name-Zechariah-it is a Bible name, and he was a Bible man. The church was organized in 1670, and he assumed the pastorate. And if tradition tells the truth, and the little of history that has come down to us, may be credited, he is not to be numbered among the minor prophets of his day and placed on the last leaves of the Bible. He was not an ordinary man, but made of sterner stuff-a man for the times and the work Provi- dence had for him to do ; every way worthy to be the minister of that little adventurous band, who came from Stratford to explore and seek a home in the wilderness of Pomperang ; and when they reached the elevation of that western summit, and had gazed and gazed again upon the valley, the object of their search, reposing at their feet in all its primitive beauty and loveliness, they fell on their knees in gratitude to return thanks to God, and John Minor offered that memorable prayer, which your own historian has re- corded-a prayer for a divine blessing on their enterprise, and that they might have an upright and godly posterity in all coming gen- erations. A prayer that has proved well nigh prophetic for ten generations of the descendants of some of these pioneers.
"Yes, Zechariah Walker was fitted for such an enterprise, casting in his lot with theirs, comforting and cheering them on in their toils, labors, sacrifices and perils in the wilderness, in laying the foundation of a new order of things.
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" For a few of the first years of his ministry, the place of worship in the winter was the log cabins of his parishioners; in the sum- mer, the Bethel rock was his sanctuary and altar, the beat of the drum his bell, the heavens his sound-board, his chorister unknown, but perched on a rocky eminence might be seen the sentinel watch- ing the approach of danger, while they bowed the knee of devo- tion before God. There, in the solitude of the forest, the glad tidings of the gospel were heard by attentive ears, and the songs of Zion were sung by strong and joyful hearts.
"History says of him, that he had a sound mind, was a powerful and pungent preacher, that he lived in harmony with his people thirty years, died beloved, and sleeps in death with those to whom he ministered.
" Anthony Stoddard followed in the pastorate in 1702. A part of his name Roman, but all the rest of him was Stoddard, from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot ; and he had a brave, strong, Christian heart, that beat full and clear, as it sent out its pulsations through all the channels of the duties of his saered of- fice. Who was his father ? Whence came he? We have the answer. He had an enviable descent, from one of the ablest di- vines New England had raised on her soil. Solomon Stoddard, of Northampton, Mass., was that father, who had few equals, if any superior, in the ministry of that day. He was of a liberal heart, and he gave to the cause of Christ some large donations. He had a daughter, Esther, much beloved, and he gave her away to be the wife of the Rev. Timothy Edwards, of East Windsor, Conn., and the mother of the immortal Jonathan Edwards. He had a son, Anthony, equally beloved, and he gave him to Ancient Wood- bury.
" This son honored his parentage. His intelleet and furniture of mind were of a high order; and one would think from the amount of labor he performed, his mind must have been kept from rust- ing. He must have had almost a giant's strength, to have, in no unimportant sense, discharged the duties of three professions : that of a pastor, a physician, and a counsellor or judge, while, it is said, he neglected no part of the duties of the ministry. It was from a necessity of the times that all these labors devolved upon him. It must be remembered, that education was almost entirely with and in the hands of ministers in the early infancy of our colonial State. Hence, they had to do many things that belong to other professions. To teach school-masters, and fit them for their work,
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draw deeds, wills, keep records, and even be judges, in some cases, of probate. Many of these burdensome duties pressed upon Stod- dard, but he met them cheerfully, manfully devoting soul and body and every energy of his being to the advancement of the best in- terests of his flock, temporal and eternal, and not without blessed results. A long, prosperous and happy ministry of sixty years crowned his labors. The divine approbation set its seal to his ministry, in permitting him to see almost constant additions to the church through the whole period of his ministry, numbering in all four hundred and seventy-four persons.
" At an advanced age, having served his generation faithfully, he came to the grave, "as a shock of corn fully ripe," and his record is on high.
" Noah Benedict, the third pastor of Ancient Woodbury, was ordained October 22, 1760. We now come within the recollection of living witnesses, to speak of a man whose name is hallowed in the memories of many who have gone before me. You remember him well-remember him as you remember no other minister you ever knew, and loved him as you never loved any other man. Nor can I think you wrong in it. My earliest years were impressed with the godliness, purity and excellency of his character, as I heard it from parental lips with so much adoration and venera- tion, that I came to feel, long before I knew him, that he was something more than a man. I am not alone in this impression. I have heard grave and venerable men, in the profession and out of it, say of him, that " he was born a minister, lived a minister, died a minister, and could not, if he would, be any thing else but a minister;" a minister at all times, in all circumstances, in the pulpit and out of the pulpit-a noble minister-a Nathaniel indeed, in whom there was no guile.
" There are three men, of the good and the great that I have known, that I would like much to hear pray again, of all men I ever heard pray, if they might come back to the world for a brief space. Noah Benedict, his Deacon, Matthew Minor, and Azel Backns. They are better employed. I recall my impertinent wish.
"The venerated pastor of whom I am speaking, and Benjamin Wildman, of Southbury, were near neighbors, and long tried and intimate friends ; very different were they in natural temperament and ministerial gifts and graces. I remember an anecdote I heard in my youth, illustrative of the two men. Said one of their breth- ren, who well knew them both and their different gifts, in a circle
---
ACOURTES
FIRST CHURCH, WOODBURY, CONN.
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WOODBURY.
of Christian friends on a certain occasion, "Give me Benedict to pray, Wildman to preach, and I get as near to God and Heaven as I ever expect to while in the body."
Next followed well approved speeches by Rev. Thomas L. Ship- man, of Jewitt City, Conn., on the " Departed clergy of the present generation," and Truman Minor, a deacon of the First church, on the " Pioneer Church " of Woodbury.
After another re-union at the refreshment tents, the booming cannon, and the music of the Band, again called the delighted multitude to the Speakers' tent, where the exercises of the last afternoon were opened, on the part of the choir, by singing with hearty joy, the following
O DE.
BY WILLIAM COTHREN. Air-" Sweet Home."
Thrice welcome the day which now brings to the mind,
The deeds of our fathers, so noble and kind;
An incense of sweetness breathes out on the air,
The incense of welcome, the incense of prayer.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home, No place like our firesides, No place like our homes.
The earth has grown old for full many a year, Since the people of God came to worship Him here ; And the graves are moss-grown of the sturdy old stock, Who prayed in their Bethel, the shade of the Rock.
Home, &c.
Oh! shades of the mighty, most faithful of men, Will the meed of your virtues c'er greet us again ? A halo of glory surrounds each fair brow,
Which shall shine in yon Heaven forever as now.
Home, &c.
Then followed a speech in reply to the Sentiment, "The Early Lawyers of Ancient Woodbury," by Hon. Seth I'. Beers, of Litch- field, Conn., a native of Woodbury.
He spoke with much feeling, having been absent from the home of his birth nearly sixty years. A few passages of his speech are appended, of biographical interest, now that he has passed away to his great reward :-
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WOODBURY.
"I go back to seventy-eight years ago ; and from that stand- point glance over the succeeding time.
" In yonder mansion, late the residence of the much lamented and Hon. Charles B. Phelps, on the fourth day of July, 1781, was found puling in its nurse's arms, a CHILD-now, the humble indi- vidnal who addresses a generation that knew not Joseph.
" My coming hither to-day, seems a completion of the circle of my life. It brings me round to the point whence I started, and connects the termination of the line with its beginning ; amid the scenery of my early days the experiences of my early life come back to me.
" And now while here, a reminiscent, with the aid of objects around me, which call to mind the early events of a life which must soon terminate, and of which the present generation possesses lit- tle if any knowledge, my thoughts naturally linger upon that early portion of my life, which was passed in this my birth-place.
" Whatever opinions may be entertained by others on this sub- ject. so far as it respects myself, there is no part of my life to which I recur with greater satisfaction, or of which I am more proud, than the first chapter of my history. It would deface the rest, if that were obliterated from the account. Some person has said, (I don't remember who-but am willing to stand sponsor to the sentiment,) "the best and most important section of every man's life is its first." I go back, therefore, to my best, and be- gin with the beginning.
" I can say of myself, that I am ' native and to the manor born ;' and if I am entitled to indulgence anywhere, for lingering upon personal details, I may fairly claim it here. As no person will be likely to undertake my biography, I may as well, perhaps, do it myself.
" I can answer as to my own family, who were all here in force when I emigrated, that the name of Beers has become extinct in the town; and all that now remains here of the Beers blood has flowed back into a branch of my mother's family, and the name is lost in that of Preston.
" The annals of my father's family are for the most part to be found upon the monuments in yonder grave-yard. With the ex- ception of myself, the solitary remainder of a generation that has passed away, and a few descendants of my sister, all are gone. Having reached that extreme point in human life which is close
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upon fourscore years, though still in the enjoyment of health and strength, and hardly feeling in its full weight the burden of my years-for which I bless God, and am thankful,-I cannot but feel that my coming hither on this occasion is as a bringing together the two ends of the line, and a making up of the circle of my his- tory. FAREWELL.
An extended and studied speech by David B. W. Hard, M. D., of Bethlehem, followed in answer to the Sentiment, " The early physicians of Ancient Woodbury."
The next Sentiment, "The founders of Ancient Woodbury," was most eloquently and appropriately responded to by Ex-Gov. William T. Minor, of Stamford, a grandson of Woodbury. In opening, he said :-
"It has given me great pleasure that I have been able to accept the invitation of your committee and be present with you to join in these commemorative services. Since my arrival here last Sat- urday afternoon, from what I have seen and heard, I have been somewhat disposed to doubt my own identity. I am inclined to the opinion that I ought to have been " Deacon Minor." I rather think I ought to have been. I am certain that if I had been, and discharged faithfully the duties appertaining to that office, I should have been a much better man than at present; but as I am, it has long been a cherished wish of my heart, to visit the home of my ancestors ; to look at the spot which gave them birth, at the play- grounds of their childhood, at the old school-houses in which their education was commenced, and in many instances, finished, at the fields cultivated in their middle age, at the houses which sheltered their old age, at the churches where they ever worshipped, and at the grave-yards where now rest all of their mortal remains. Un- til now the active business of life has prevented the accomplish- ment of that wish. I only regret now, as I look upon your beau- tiful hills and valleys, and partake of your generous hospitality, that duty has been so long neglected. One of the most obvious reflections forcing itself upon the mind, as the eye passes over the immense concourse here assembled, is, what numbers of the de- scendants of ancient Woodbury, have come together here, from all parts of our common country ; the merchant from his counting- room, the mechanic from his work-shop, the farmer from his field, the professional man from his office, the authoress from her study, bringing with her poetical garlands all green and fresh-all leav-
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ing behind the active, stirring scenes of life, some to clasp the hand of living friends, fondly welcoming them ; others, to drop a tear over the graves of departed ones-all to commemorate the virtues of the founders of Woodbury.
" Although I mingle with you but as a grandchild, of this good old town, yet I doubt not my appreciation of its growth and pros- perity will be as true, and my relish for these exercises as keen and hearty, as of the children and immediate heirs; from all of us a tribute of admiration and respect is equally due to the vir- tues, the true nobility and the undying energy of its founders."
In closing, he gracefully alludes to the fathers :-
" If the spirits of those good old men, who, two hundred years ago, stood on Good Hill, surveying the prospect before and about them, could be brought back to-day, and placed upon the exact spot where first they looked upon the valley of Woodbury; if they could look upon these side hills, all luxuriant with vegetation, these valleys all dotted over with beautiful residences; if they could hear the hum of industry from mountain top and valley, and above all, could they look upon this immense concourse of their descendants, prosperous, happy and contented ; if their view could be extended over the thirty-three States of this confederacy, teeming with a population everywhere busy and active, just now engaged in commemorating the birth-day of the government whose protecting power guarantees to all its citizens life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, they would feel that their first prayer offered up in this then wilderness, had become prophecy, and that their great faith had been more than realized in its results. Such were our ancestors, the founders of Woodbury; they did well the work alloted for them to do, each in his own sphere. Erect for them the monumental stone! Cherish well their memory in your hearts ; above all, guard with fidelity their principles which you have inherited, that on our government may be inscribed " Esto perpetua."
" A word more, and I have done. It is said that communities, as individuals, when they commence to exist, commence to die. With reference to this, I will close with offering the sentiment-
" WOODBURY .- Its head-stones in 1659, may its foot-stones be in eternity."
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WOODBURY.
The whole audience then united in singing, with great enthusi- asm, the following
ODE.
BY MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.
Tune-" America."
All hail our brothers, friends ! Each heart a welcome sends- Come neighbors, come ! Meet where your fathers dwelt ; Kneel where our mothers knelt ; Think how they toil'd and felt, In the old home.
Two hundred years ago, Old men, with heads of snow, Bared to the breeze, 'Mid a wild Indian band- By the red council brand- Grasped the proud chieftain's hand, Under the trees.
Soon the log cabin stood, Deep in the hemlock wood, Hid by its green ; Sons rose to aid the sire, Red shone the " fallow fire," Up rose the rustic spire, Peaceful, serene.
As forest leaves are shed, All round a silent bed, Under the sod ; There follow'd sire and son, Each when his race was run, And all his work was done, Going to God.
If angels wander by, When hearts beat warm and high, Our sires are here ; Thankful that liberty Has set their children free- Smiling with sympathy, Gladness and cheer.
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WOODBURY.
Sons of that pilgrim few !
Souls that are firm and true ! Hail ye the day ! Our union is glorious, Our strength all vletorious,
God reigneth over us, Praise Him alway !
Hon. Charles Chapman, of Hartford, a grand-son of Woodbury, next responded to the sentiment, "The grand-children of Ancient Woodbury."
We have looked this speech through carefully, to see if we could make an extract, which would accomplish at once the pur- poses of this volume, and, at the same time, do justice to one of the most valued, warm-hearted, and genial friends, the author has ever possessed. He has now passed the " bourne whence no trav- eller returns," and no more beautiful and graceful garland can be placed upon the grave of the gifted and eloquent speaker, than to present his offering of friendship and love entire. He said :-
" Having been called to respond to the toast last announced, I onght perhaps to imitate the example of the politicians, and ' de- fine my position.' The nearer we can approach to the common grand-mother, on this occasion, the better pleased we are ; but, truth to tell, I am but a great-grandson of 'Ancient Woodbury.' The difference, however, may be of minor importance, (if the Governor1 will excuse the use of the word in that sense,) inasmuch as all the grand-children are great grand-children to-day.
" There is in the human heart an instinctive love for the place of one's nativity. The youth who leaves the paternal roof to seek his fortune elsewhere, keeps the old homestead in view, toils on to acquire a competency, and when he has achieved the end for which he has labored many years, returns to the place of his birth, re- purchases the paternal acres, which have passed into other hands, and rears a more expensive edifice upon the spot where the old mansion stood. He adorns and beautifies the old farm, enriches the old fields, plants hedges where the old walls stood, and calls the place by a fancy name.
" Of a kindred character is the regard which one feels for the home of his more remote ancestors, the spot where the family took root in the then new world. This sentiment will show itself in various ways. It 'crops out,' (in the language of the miners, I
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mean the miners in metals,) from time to time, and on this occa- sion may be observed upon every hand. The remote descendants of the early settlers in this lovely valley are here in great num- bers, and others residing in distant regions have sent their con- tributions to this festival in letters, relics, and touching senti- ments.
" I have been commissioned by one of these descendants to pre- sent to the town of Woodbury some tokens of his regard, which I trust you will carefully preserve in the archives of the town. I will read to you my "Power of Attorney," (excuse the language of the profession,) and when you hear that, and the name of the man from whom it comes, you will regret with me, that he can not be heard from this stand, upon an occasion so well suited to his tastes as this is. You will recognize in him the historian of Hartford.
" HARTFORD, July 1st, 1859. ' " Hon. CHARLES CHAPMAN :
DEAR SIR :- In compliance with your solicitation, I take pleasure in sending, through you, some memorials for the forth- coming celebration of the settlement of Ancient Woodbury. They are, a piece of the wood of the far-famed Charter Oak, a view of this Monarch Tree as it looked in life, and a view of it as it looked in death, the morning after it fell. It was within the period of the birth of Woodbury-but a few years only after the Stileses, and Curtises, and Judsons, and Minors, first settled there-that Sir Edmund Andros made his impotent attempt to seize and inval- idate that noble Charter under whose folds Samuel Sherman and his associates obtained liberty from the General Court "to erect a plantation at Pomperange "-and those, the early dwellers there- in common with the Colonists of Connecticut at large-rejoiced, then in the olden time, in that gnarled old Oak, which protected their Constitution of government, and saved their liberties-liber- ties which have never since been overthrown-but which-conse- crated by the sacrifices and services of her sons in the councils and on the battle-fields of the Union-are now, thank Heaven, "imperishable and impregnable."
" Pleasant, therefore, I have thought it would be to the descend- ants of the first settlers of Woodbury, to receive the particular
1 Gov. Wm. T. Minor, who was sitting on the stand.
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memorials which I commit to your charge. A thousand interest- ing historic associations cluster around them. They vividly renew the Past. They point to an heroic age for Connecticut. They should incite patriotic emotion. They should teach us all to love and honor our State as it has loved and honored us.
"I am myself, Sir, a descendant, in the fourth generation, of that worthy and distinguished divine, who, for nearly sixty years ministered in Ancient Woodbury-the Rev. Anthony Stoddard- and I therefore feel a special gratification in the fact that the birth of this town is to be duly celebrated, and that you, Sir-one of its grand-sous-are to mingle, actively, in the " high festival." Few municipalities in Connecticut can point to a more historie past than Woonbury. Its Indian, civil, ecclesiastical and Revolutionary life-so admirably portrayed by its historian, Wm. Cothren, Esq -place it among the first of our towns, and justify its good re pute. That the celebration in which its citizens propose to in dulge, may prove gratifying to themselves-may call up gladden ing memories-may glow with the spirit of patriotism-and ang ment their love for their venerable and happy home, is the hearty wish of, Yours truly,
I. W. STUART.
[Then Mr. Chapman exhibited the block from the Charter Oak the picture of the tree as it appeared when standing, and after it was prostrated by the storm.]
There are others, and many others, who are neither inhabitants of Woodbury, nor descendants of those who were, who feel a deel interest in its history, and in these festivities, which mark the two hundredth anniversary of the exploration of this valley. You industrious and talented fellow-citizen, William Cothren, Esq., ha done much to create and foster this interest, by his carefully prepared work-a work that does honor to him and to you, and which is a most valuable contribution to the history of our State
Our own poetess, who is the poetess of Connecticut, par excel lene, has committed to my hands a little " gem of purest ray se rene " from her casket of jewels, which she has authorized me to present to you on this occasion. She rejoices in your history, a you do in her well-earned fame. Like another eminent lady who went from among you in her youth, (Mrs. Ann S. Stephens,) and who has contributed to this Festival by her presence and by her pen, she has risen to her enviable position in the world of letter:
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by her own merit. Long may she live to entertain us by her works, and teach us by her example.
RETURN TO WOODBURY.
Back to the hills by summer-breezes courted, Back to the ancient roof, the shaded plain,- Back to the play-ground where their fathers sported, The summon'd children turn their course again.
And as the Fountain loves the tuneful voices Of her far streamlets, whereso'er they tend, And at the echo of their fame rejoices When nobly with the ocean-tide they blend,-
So this fair Region-rich in vales and waters, Swells with maternal pride her flowery zone, At this re-union of her sons and daughters,- And in their well-earned honor finds her own.
L. H. SIGOURNEY.
Hartford, June 28th, 1859.
There is another of the other sex, who is bound to you by no tie, but who has yielded to my request, and sent a sparkling con- tribution to this intellectual banquet. He may be known to some of you as a regular contributor to the Knickerbocker, and as an occasional correspondent of some of the journals in this State. He would enjoy this scene, were he present, and for his sake and yours, I regret his absence. I suppose I ought to tell you who he is. He is one of my fellow-citizens, who deals in iron for gain, and courts the muses for fun-brimful of mirth and with a wit that is keener than a Damascus blade. He is a living refutation of the truth of a paragraph in Hudibras, to the effect that
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