USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Wolcott > History of the town of Wolcott (Connecticut) from 1731 to 1874, with an account of the centenary meeting, September 10th and 11th, 1873 and with the genealogies of the families of the town > Part 24
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30I
REV. JAMES D. CHAPMAN.
because of his anti-slavery sentiments. He was dismissed by Consociation November 9th, 1840, and it must have been one of the greatest days of joy of all his life when thus released from a position in which he had received the vilest treatment for preaching Bible truth according to the golden rule.
On June 12th, 1844, he was employed at Cummington, Mass., where he continued to preach ten years, and where he died, December 19th, 1854, aged 55 years.
REV. WARREN C. FISKE.
Rev. Warren C. Fiske preached in Wolcott three years as stated supply, and retired at his own pleasure to his present home in Charlton, Mass. A bronchial difficulty led him to retire from regular pastoral work.
He was born in Wales, Mass., September 21st, 1816, and experienced religion in his thirteenth year. He was fitted for college at Monson Academy, in Monson, Mass. He entered Amherst College in the fall of 1836, in the twentieth year of his age, and graduated in 1840. He then engaged in teaching at the Salem Academy, in New Jersey, and continued there two years, and then entered, in the fall of 1842, the East Windsor Theological Semi- nary (since removed to Hartford), and graduated in 1845.
He married Harriet M. Parsons, of East Haddam, Conn., May 19th, 1847, and in June following went to Wisconsin as home missionary, where he remained three years, returning East in June, 1850, and was settled in Marlborough, Conn., in November of the same year. After eight years' labor in this place he was dismissed, in January, 1858, and settled in Canton, Conn., the next month. Here he remained three years and a few months, being dismissed on July Ist, 1861. After this he was stated supply one year in Barkhamstead, Conn., and from that place he came to Wolcott, in May, 1869, where he was and is still much respected. His wife was also highly esteemed as a noble-hearted Christian woman, and friend to all the people, and their children are spoken of in the kindest and highest terms. They were all born in Marlborough, Conn., as follows : Isaac Parsons, born September 16th, 1852 ; Sarah Lyon, born November 4th, 1854; William Warren, born June 26th, 1857.
JUDAH FRISBIE.
Judah Frisbie was a man of great energy in work ; a man of considerable influence in the Woodtick community and throughout the town ; a man with peculiar traits of character,-for his account books containing full accounts of business transactions during forty years, i. e., from 1762 until 1800, are still preserved, and this was a pecu- liarity for his day, the like of which the writer has not found concerning any other man in the town. He not only wrote the minute items of his own work, but the remarkable occurrences in the community, and hence we are indebted to his notes for many items of history. The account books he used were made by himself, of unruled paper, sewed together, and covered with brown or "paste- board" paper, or leather. The one with earliest accounts was used by him before he enlisted in the Revolutionary army; the second is filled mostly with his journal in the war, and his family records ; the third contains accounts after the war. From the first of these books we learn that his account with Ebenezer Warner, for board, began February 20th, 1763, and the board bill ran thus :
To 2 meals, to 4 meals, to 3 meals, 9 shillings. To four meals, 4 shil- lings. To I meal, one shilling. To 18 meals, 18 shillings.
In 1772, we find him working for various individuals, and some extracts will indicate the work and the wages.
JOSEPH SUTLIFF, DR.
s. d. To riding to Abraham Hotchkiss', 0 10 To two horse journeys to said Hotchkiss', I 6 To an axe, I IO
304
HISTORY OF WOLCOTT.
s. d.
To a horse to mill,
O
6
To mowing two half days,
2 0
To cradling at hogfields,
I
7
To cradling oats and buckwheat,
2
6
To 6 dozen buttons,
O
6
To Lucy Scott's pole rate,
2
3
To a day's work, hoeing,
2
6
To three dozen of buttons,
I
O
To a day's work,
2 6
To two day's work,
5
O
EBENEZER WARNER, CREDIT.
s.
d.
By one horse one week and one day,
I
I
By pasture for a colt one week and four days, I 2
By horse to Judd's meadow,
0 IO
By a day's work with oxen and cart,
2
By two quarts of rum,
2
O
By pulling flax a spell,
O
6
By a day's work with one yoke of oxen,
I
4
By eight pounds beef,
I
4
By carting lath, 2
O
By a tree which made 150 clapboards, I
O
By a pair of oxen and cart to town, I
3
By a team a day,
2
8
DANIEL BYINGTON, DR.
S.
d.
To running buttons,
O
6
To running 4 dozen buttons, 0 13
1773. JOSEPH HOTCHKISS, CREDIT.
S.
d.
By sawing 150 feet of boards, 2 3
1773. JOSEPH SUTLIFF, DEBTOR.
S.
d.
To two quarts of metheglin. I
6
To cradling buckwheat, 2
9
To one quart metheglin, O
9
To two quarts metheglin, I
6
In the spring of 1776, while at home on furlough from the army, he entered several items in the first book.
APRIL 23, 1776. TIMOTHY SCOTT, CREDIT.
S. d.
By 290 feet of boards, S IO
By sawing 265 feet of boards, 3 IO
JUDAH FRISBIE.
305
S.
d.
By sawing 150 feet of plank,
3
O
By sawing 130 feet of boards, 2 0
By sawing I00 feet of boards,
I 6
By sawing IS2 feet of plank,
3
8
By sawing 140 feet of plank,
2
IO
1774. WILLIAM NICHOLS, DEBTOR.
To two thousand shingles, {I IOS.
HANNAH FRISBIE, DEBTOR.
To a quart of metheglin, 0 9
Credit by picking and breaking wool, 2
1776. WILLIAM WAKELEE, CREDIT.
By sawing 3 logs 8 feet in length,
By sawing 60 feet of plank, I 2
By sawing 230 feet of boards. 3
5
In December, 1773, there was " laid out to Judah Fris- bie four acres and fifty-six rods of land in the north-east quarter of the bounds, at the Little Plain, a place east of the Great Plain, next to the bounds of Farmington." This was the first land he bought in the east part of Woodtick, and was surrounded by "common land," and hence was the first land taken up by actual residence in Woodtick, as far as is known. Another piece was laid out to him at the same time of two acres and a half, ex- tending from the highway east to the bound line. The first house is said to have been a log house, or a very small framed house. It may have been built with the 785 feet of boards and the 472 feet of plank which his ac- count book tells us Timothy Scott sawed for him in 1776. He was not married until 1779, and the account book items rather indicate that he had a house for his wife when he married her,- a fact not the fortune of every young man in those days, and possibly not of every one at the present day. He afterwards built another house, which was taken down in 1872, by his great-grandson, David L. Frisbie, and on the same site he has built a fine
2[
*
306
HISTORY OF WOLCOTT.
house, good for the next hundred years. The house he took down is said to have been eighty-nine years old.
Mr. Frisbie's journal is given in full, because of its con- nection with the war of the Revolution :
A REMARKABLE SEASON.
On the 24th day of April, in the year 1773, things were so re- markably forward as that rye began to ear, the buds and leaves in the woods began to be considerably thick, the buds of walnut and black oak began to part and shoot forth into leaves, and I saw one cherry sprig that had grown nine inches this season. It is to be noticed that on the 14th of May, apple trees were past the bloom.
June, the first part, 1773. Having occasion to travel into several towns, viz., Lenox, Richmond, and Norfolk, I saw on the IIth and 12th days of June, the biggest grass I ever saw, and on the 12th I saw grass mowed and the hay carried off. It is to be observed that on the night following the 11th of June there was a great frost, which much damaged Indian corn,- killed it to the ground in many places, cut off some pieces of wheat and rye, and much damaged others. And it is likewise to be noticed that we had a remarkable warm fall and fore part of winter, so that the whole summer was very long. But about the eight and twentieth day of December, there fell a snow, and by numbers of succeeding snows, the ground was deeply covered, and good sleighing and sledding held till the latter part of February. I would likewise remark that Mr. Alexander Gillet was ordained at Farmingbury, on the 29th day of December, in the year 1773.
JOURNAL AS A SOLDIER IN THE REVOLUTION.
WATERBURY, May 10th, 1776.
I, that is, Judah Frisbie, enlisted into the government service. Met our company the 3Ist of May, in Waterbury, and had a ser- mon by Rev. Mr. Leavenworth. June the first, we marched for New York, setting out at noon, and marched to the stores in Derby, being thirteen miles. June 2d,-marched from about "five miles from above Derby town, through it, across Ripton to Stratford, being thirteen miles. June 3d, we marched through
.
307
JUDAH FRISBIE.
Poquonack to Old Fairfield, where we were stationed three weeks, keeping two guards, the one at the State house, the other at the battery. June 24th, we marched across Green's Farms to Norwalk, being thirteen miles. June 25th, marched to Stamford, where we attended meeting in the afternoon, and at night marched to Greenwich, the whole being fourteen miles. June 26th, we joined our regiment, which was General Woster's, and, Colonel Water- bury's regiment attending us, we set out for New York, and marched through Rye, about twelve miles, to New Rochelle. The 27th, setting out early, we met General Washington, who passed us in a genteel manner, and there followed him a band of music. June 28th, we marched to the Bowery, of the city of New York ; it being very stormy, we got into barns. June 29th, we encamped a little back of New York, where we continued three weeks, keep- ing two guards,-the General's and the main guards; the rest of the time being spent in exercises and reviews. July 18th, we had general orders to decamp and go to Harlem, which we accord- ingly did, where we encamped in the manner we did at York. About the 24th of July, Colonel Waterbury's regiment had orders to embark for Albany, which they did, and were sent to Canada.
I myself about this time went back to take care of one of our company that was left sick at New York. After his recovery I again returned, and was sick myself, at a hospital. On the 8th of August our regiment, as many as were able, embarked for Long Island in pursuit of the regulars that were robbing the inhabitants of their cattle, sheep, etc. They were there about three weeks, after which they returned, and informed that they -a few of them - had been fired on by an armed schooner belonging to the regular fleet that was lying off in the Sound, who gave them chase as they were in a small boat. A barge also chased them swiftly, and ordering them to strike, which they refused, gave fire on the barge and caused her to withdraw. They lost no lives, but sup- posed they killed three regulars. They had their stations during their stay in several places, separately or in parties,- as Plumb's Island, Shelter Island, East Hampton, etc. It should have been noticed that while they were gone, on Thursday night, 24th of August, the people of York were removing from the Battery some cannon, of their own property, the Asia, man-of-war, lying in the
0
1 t
308
HISTORY OF WOLCOTT.
harbor, took occasion to fire on the city, which much alarmed the city, and many of its inhabitants moved back to the country. September 28th, we had general orders for a march to Canada. We embarked in six vessels, but while we were getting on board, a sergeant was drowned in the North River, which was the first man we lost in the regiment after we joined them. The said sergeant's name was Peck, belonging to Captain Porter's com- pany.
September 29th, we sailed for Albany, and arrived the first day of October; landed and went into the barracks, but, by being frightened through fear of the small-pox, we removed to Green- bush, where we tarried till the 9th, when we again crossed the river, and the roth we took our way through Albany, thence across the Mohawk river to the Half Moon. October 11th, we went along the still waters to Saratoga. October 12th, we marched to Fort Edward, across Harris' Ferry. October 13th, we marched to Lake George. October 14th, 15th, and 16th, we crossed Lake George to Fort Ticonderoga, where we tarried until the 22d of October, when we set out to go up Lake Champlain. The same day we landed at Crown Point, but went about six miles above and lodged on the east side of the lake in the woods. The 23d we went about forty miles up the lake, and lodged on an island. October 24th, we went up the lake about thirty-five miles and lodged the west side the lake, in the woods. The 25th, we went to the island of "Oxnawix." October 26th, we went to a battery two miles below St. Johns. October 27th, we went across the lake, east, a little below St. Johns, and were fired upon from the fort, but had no man killed; only one wounded, and that slightly. We then traveled through miry woods, in which we got bewildered, till most night, having heavy pieces, when we came in sight of an encampment, which was our design. This encampment, lying two miles north of St. Johns, and on the west side of the river Sorell, we being to the east, were helped across · the river by the French, and accordingly we pitched our encamp- ment by the other. The 28th of October, at night, we began a battery within about sixty rods of the fort, which we were two days and three nights in building, during which time we had a considerable number of bombs, cannon balls, and grape-shot fired
309
JUDAH FRISBIE.
at us from the fort ; but it was remarkable that we had not a man killed, and only a few slight wounds. The first day of November we opened our battery in the morning, and continued a hot fire from it, and from a battery the east side of the lake, till near night, when the fort was forced to a capitulation, which held till the third day of November, and then the regulars marched out with their arms, the artillerymen coming out first, with a field piece, and the train following them. They paraded and laid down their arms, our people taking possession of them. Our officers marched their soldiery into the fort, taking possession of the same. It is to be noted that on the first of November we had two men killed and another wounded. The sixth day of November we marched for Montreal, and though the traveling was extremely bad, yet we arrived at Laparary, where we tarried awhile, and I was sent on a guard of prisoners, and it fell to my lot to take care of a sick man, at the Half-way House, until our men had been to Montreal and returned for home.
The 18th of November they came to where I was, and I marched with them to St. Johns. The 19th, we got five brass cannon and six "hoits" out of St. Johns. The 20th, we set out from St. Johns, rowing about twenty-four miles, and lay the west side of the lake, among the French. The 21st, we rowed about thirty miles, and lay in the woods, and on the 22d we rowed about thirty-two miles, and lodged on the west side of the lake, among the English settlements. The 23d, we rode about thirty miles, and lodged the east side of the lake, among the English settlements. The 24th, we were forced to leave the lake, by rea- son of ice, and take our baggage on our backs and, marching, we arrived at Ticonderoga. The 25th, we crossed Lake Champlain, eastward, and lay in the woods. The 26th, we marched for Otter Creek Road, but it being stormy, we got lost, being bewildered the most of that day. The 27th, we marched about ten miles, from Shoreham to Sudbury, and the 28th we came to Huberton, being about ten miles. The 29th, we came through Castletown to Poultney, about fifteen miles, and the 30th we came about eleven miles, to Wellstown. December Ist, we came through Paulet, thence through Rueport to Dorset, about seventeen miles. De- cember 2d, we came through Manchester, thence through Sun-
3.10
HISTORY OF WOLCOTT.
derland, thence through Allington to Shaftsbury, about twenty-two miles. December 3d, we traveled to Bennington, about twelve miles, and December 4th we came through Poundwell to East Hoosack, about sixteen miles, to Captain Jones'. December 5th, we came about three miles, to Mr. Todd's. December 6th, we came to Lansingburg, about fourteen miles, and the 7th we came through Pittsfield, thence through Lenox to Stockbridge, about twenty miles. December 8th, we came through Barrington to New Marlboro, twenty miles. December 9th, we came to Nor- folk, where I stayed with my cousin till the 13th, when I trav- eled through Colebrook, thence across a part of Winchester and Barkhamstead, thence across New Hartford, thence through West Simsbury, thence through Farmington to Farmingbury.
JOURNAL BEGINNING AUGUST 12TH, 1776.
Marched with Ensign Gaylord from Farmingbury, with twelve men, to Wallingford. August 13th, Lieutenant Peck joining us, we marched to East Guilford. August 14th, Captain Meigs, with his company, sailed from New York. We arrived at New York the 15th, and tarried there until the 20th of August, when we marched up and crossed the North river about ten miles above the city, and were stationed at Fort Lee. September 5th, died one Lyman, of Captain Denny's company, with camp distemper. September 8th, died Sergeant Mosley, of Captain Denny's com- pany, with camp distemper.
Here suddenly ends the journal of the war life of Judah Frisbie. The little book in which this is written by him- self is 16 mo., covered with thin " pasteboard," written in a very plain hand, and almost elegant style, and the com- position indicates an unusual aptness in writing a journal. It is here copied almost word for word.
The following extracts from Judah Frisbie's account- book show the prices of several articles as sold in a farming community :
1767 TO 1774. CAPTAIN GEORGE NICHOLS, DEBTOR.
s. d.
To a month's work,
I IO O To I bushel of wheat, 0 O
4
3II
JUDAH FRISBIE.
To a bushel and a half of wheat, O
6
0
To two bushels Indian corn, 4 O
O
To one day's mowing,
0
3 0
To a day's work cradling,
0
3 0
To a day's mowing,
O
3
O
To two day's reaping,
O
6
0
To five shillings cash,
O
5
O
To paying by Ebenezer Wakelee,
0
8
0
To a day's mowing,
O
3
O
To two day's mowing,
O
6
O
S.
d.
To a pair of oxen half a day,
0
8
To a yoke of oxen two-thirds of a day, I
0
To a horse to Farmingbury and to Southingt'n, o
4
To a pair of women's soles,
I
6
To five pounds and four ounces of pork, 2
7
0
To half bushel of potatoes, O
9
To one and a half pounds of fat,
O
9
To half pound of butter, 0
5
To ten pounds seven ounces of pork,
6
I
To a quart of rum,
I
3
To a pound of butter,
O
IO
As balancing in part some of the above charges, we find credit : -
s.
d.
By a day's work,
2
0
By two days' work,
4
O
By a day's farming,
2
O
By two days,
4
O
By half a day,
I
O
ELNATHAN THRASHER, DEBTOR.
S. d.
To a live sheep weighing ninety pounds, at a penny a pound, 7
6
Credit (in part) by cash, I 4
By seven pounds of mutton, I 0
NATHANIEL SUTLIFF, DEBTOR.
To a bushel of flaxseed, 6s.
1785 TO 1789. CHARGES TO DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS.
9
To two bushels of rye.
312
HISTORY OF WOLCOTT.
NATHANIEL BARNES, THE SMITH, DEBTOR.
To seven hundred boards, € S. d.
I
I 0
To five pounds and fourteen ounces of steel, at eight pence per pound, 0
3 II
To four pounds three ounces of flax, O I 9
To five pounds of flax, O 2 I
To six pounds of flax, 0 2 6
MR. GILLET, DEBTOR.
To eight pounds of mutton,
2 0
To four pence over pay in grain the last year's
rate, the above to go on March, 1790, rate, 0 To a bushel of rye, 3
4
0
To twenty-eight pounds of beef,
4
8
To six pounds of tallow,
3
0
To a pound of hog suet,
0
6
To a pound of beef suet,
0
6
To a bushel of rye.
3
0
To over pay on last rate bill,
2
5
To a bushel of wheat, 5 0
S.
d.
REV. ALEXANDER GILLET.
Rev. Alexander Gillet was ordained first pastor of the Church and Society of Farmingbury December 29th, 1773, as we learn from the diary of Mr. Judah Frisbie, for though the church book that Mr. Gillet kept is dated December 29th, 1773, yet he does not say in it that he was ordained that day. He had preached for the Society previously to the installation, five months or more, and it was during this service, on November 18th, 1773, and after he had received a call from the Society to become its pastor, that the church was organized. He served the parish with great devotedness under many difficulties, nearly eighteen years, being honorably dismissed by a conference of churches, and highly commended by the conference, and was soon after installed pastor of the church in Torrington, Conn., where he continued many years. The description of him and his labors published in Sprague's Annals, vol. 2, and taken in part from the funeral sermon preached at his death, and in part fur- nished by Rev. Mr. Marsh, will be interesting to many, and is given in full.
The poem annexed is certified to be the production of Mr. Gillet by very reliable persons of the parish. It was printed in a public journal many years since, and cut from the paper and preserved with great care to the pres- ent time ; and it is so much like Mr. Gillet's cast of mind, and like the style of religious thought of those days, that it is here given in full.
" Alexander Gillet, son of Zaccheus and Ruth Gillet, was born in Granby (Turkey Hills), Conn., August 14th
314
HISTORY OF WOLCOTT.
(O. S.), 1749. He early discovered a great fondness for books, and especially for history. At the age of thirteen he was the subject of serious impressions during a revival which then prevailed in several towns in Hartford county ; and these impressions, though they seem subsequently to have greatly declined, never entirely left him. At the age of fourteen he began his preparation for college, under the Rev. Nehemiah Strong, his pastor, and com- pleted it under the Rev. Roger Viets, an Episcopal cler- gyman, and a missionary of the society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts. He was admitted a member of Yale College, in June, 1767, at an advanced standing, and was graduated in September, 1770. It was not till the summer of 1769 that his mind seems to have become fully settled in regard to the doctrines of the gospel, and not until about the close of 1770 that he was the subject of any religious experience that he himself believed to be genuine. In May, 1771, he united with the church in Turkey Hills (Granby), though owing, probably, to there being no settled minister in the place, he had no oppor- tunity of joining in the celebration of the Lord's Supper until December following. After leaving college he taught a school for a year or more at Farmington, and it is supposed that he may have studied theology during that time, under the direction of the Rev. Timothy Pitkin. He was licensed to preach by the Hartford Association, at Northington, on the 2d of June, 1773. On December 29th of the same year he was ordained the first pastor of the church in Farmingbury (now Wolcott), where he re- mained almost eighteen years, diligently employed in the duties of his office. Owing to a difficulty which arose in his parish, involving no delinquency on his part, his pas- toral relation to them was dissolved in November, 1791, and in May following he was installed pastor of the First Church, Torrington, with very promising prospects of usefulness. Here he continued to labor during the rest of his life.
315
REV. ALEXANDER GILLET.
Mr. Gillet's ministry was attended with much more than the ordinary degree of visible success. At Wolcott he was privileged to see large numbers added to his church, as the fruit of several revivals that occurred in connection with his labors. During the period of his ministry at Torrington there were three seasons of deep religious interest among his people, the results of which are equally benign and extensive. Of one of these last- mentioned revivals he published a detailed and interest- ing account in an early volume of the Connecticut Evan- gelical Magazine.
Mr. Gillet had much of the missionary spirit, and several times volunteered to perform missionary labor. Long before the Connecticut Missionary Society was formed, he performed good service in some of the desti- tute portions of the counties of New London and Wind- ham. In 1789, or 1790, he made a missionary tour of several months in the new settlements of Vermont, under the approbation of the Association of New Haven County, and almost entirely at his own expense ; his pul- pit being supplied a part of the time by his brethren in the vicinity. And at a later period he went, several times, by appointment from the Connecticut Missionary Society, into those destitute regions, on the same errand of good will to men.
During a few of his last years, Mr. Gillet, on account of the advancing infirmities of age, was unable to per- form the same amount of ministerial labor to which he had been accustomed ; and yet there was scarcely any per- ceptable waning of his intellectual faculties, with the ex- ception only of his memory, till near the close of his life. On being informed of some small mistakes which he had made in the pulpit, in consequence of the failure of his recollection, he proposed to his people, in the Autumn of 1824, to release him from his public duties till the follow- ing Spring, and to employ some other preacher in his stead ; at the same time voluntarily relinquishing his sal-
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