USA > Connecticut > In olde Connecticut; being a record of quaint, curious and romantic happenings there in colonial times and later > Part 2
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were chiefly German troops called Yagers. They carry a small rifle, and fight in a skulking manner, like our Indians.
"Our fort yet stands; the enemy sent a row galley to silence it, and there was constant fir- ing between them all night; one or two attempts to take it were made by parties of troops, but it was most bravely and obstinately defended by Lieutenant Isaac Jarvis of this town, who had but twenty-three men beside himself. Many were killed on both sides; the number cannot be ascertained. They carried off some prisoners, but no persons of distinction. Our friend Joseph Bartram was shot through the breast. Old Mr. Solomon Sturgis, an Irish servant of Mr. Penfield's, and a negro man belong- ing to Mr. Lewis were put to death by the bayonet.
"The distress of this poor people is inexpres- sible; a most pleasant and delightful town in flames; what a scene did the eighth of July present! But I must forbear. Everything I have written you may depend upon as a fact. My pen has not been guided by prejudice, whether my feelings are, and should you publish this letter every reader may be assured that there is not the
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Burning of Fairfield by the British
least deviation from what actually took place upon this melancholy occasion. Yours, etc.,
" ANDREW ELIOT."
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A picturesque though somewhat grandiloquent account of the burning is given in those delight- ful chronicles the "Travels of Dr. Dwight," a few paragraphs of which will prove an interest- ing supplement to Mr. Eliot's narrative. After describing the attack, the capture of the town and the burning of the Burr mansion, which he says was done by order of Governor Tryon, he proceeds thus:
"While the town was in flames a thunderstorm overspread the heavens, just as night came on. The conflagration of nearly two hundred houses illuminated the earth, the skirts of the clouds, and the waves of the Sound with a union of gloom and grandeur at once inexpressibly awful and magnificent. The sky speedily was hung with the deepest darkness wherever the clouds were not tinged by the melancholy luster of the flames. . At intervals the light played with a livid and terrible splendor; the thunder rolled above; beneath, the roaring of the flames filled up the intervals with a deep and hollow sound,
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which seemed to be the protracted murmur of the thunder reverberated from one end of heaven ' to the other; add to this the convulsion of the elements, and these dreadful effects of vindictive and wanton devastation, the trembling of the earth, the sharp sound of muskets occasionally discharged, the groans, here and there, of the wounded and the dying, and the shouts of tri- umph; then place before your eyes crowds of miserable sufferers, mingled with bodies of militia from the neighboring hills, taking a farewell pros- pect of their property and dwellings, their happi- ness and their hopes, and you will find a just but imperfect picture of the burning of Fairfield. It needed no great effort of the imagination to be- lieve that the final day had arrived, and that amid the funereal darkness the morning would speedily dawn to which no night would ever succeed, the graves yield up their inhabitants, and the trial commence at which was finally to be settled the destiny of man."
CHAPTER III
WHALEBOAT PRIVATEERSMEN OF THE REVOLUTION
THERE was one phase of our revolutionary struggle peculiar in itself, and as interesting as a romance because of the skill, heroism and . enterprise it developed, which historians have failed to limn in striking and positive colors,
* As showing the solicitude of the patriot leaders for this arm of the service, note the following letter from General Putnam written at his camp in Redding to Lieut. Col. Gray in command of the whaleboats:
" Head Qtrs Reading "25th Jany 1779
" SIR
"Some time ago Genl Parsons directed you at my request to have the whaleboats repaired and put in the best situation for use. I now desire that you will make me a Return of the number of Boats fit for service under your care and as soon as conveniently may be.
"Inclosed is a letter for Gen. Silliman which you will for- ward by Express
" I am Sir " Your Most Obdt Servant
" ISRAEL PUTNAM
"Lieut. Col. Gray"
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partly, perhaps, because the necessary data were difficult to obtain, and partly because the subject was not deemed of sufficient importance to justify so great an expenditure of labor. I refer to the whaleboat warfare waged chiefly between the To- ries of Long Island and the Whigs of the seaboard towns of Connecticut, and carried on across the waters of the narrow Sound that separated the hostile parties. This warfare began with the out- break of hostilities in 1775, continued to the peace of 1783, and affected the entire coasts of both communities, from Stamford to New London on the Connecticut shore, and from Throgg's Neck to Sag Harbor on the Long Island coast. The Cowboys and Skinners of the lower Hudson were organized gangs of plunderers who harried friend and foe impartially. The warfare between Staten Island and the New Jersey shore was largely a neighborhood skirmish, the partisan warfare at the South a conflict of clans; but the whaleboat service of the Sound combined the characteristics of all three, and to these added several peculiar features of its own, such as spying on the enemy, trading in goods declared contraband by the Brit- ish, and abducting prominent gentlemen to be held as hostages or for exchange. As for the origin of
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this peculiar service, it is found in the political condition of the two communities at the outbreak of hostilities, and in the organizations known as whaling companies, which could be employed only in a predatory, intermittent warfare. Connecti- cut was intensely Puritan and Republican; Long Island, settled by the conservative Dutch and by English gentlemen whose sympathies were en- · tirely with the mother country, was as intensely monarchial and loyal. The guns of Lexington made these two communities bitter enemies.
The whaling companies of which mention has been made had existed all along shore, on both sides of the Sound, from the earliest times, and were very perfect organizations in their way. They were originally formed for the capture of whales, at one time as plentiful in the Sound as later in Delagoa Bay or on the Brazil Banks. Even the Indians were engaged in their pursuit, and a law was passed as early as 1708 for their protection from any molestation or detention while thus employed. A company comprised from twelve to thirty men, each owning its boats and whaling gear, and prosecuting its enterprise inde- pendently of the others. The business long neg- lected was renewed by Robert Murray and the
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brothers Franklin, who fitted out a sloop in 1768. In 1772 the vessels were exempted from tonnage dues, and in 1774 the United Whaling Company was formed with Philip Livingston for its presi- dent. It seems to have been closed in July, 1776, by such of the members as remained in the city of New York. The business had nearly died out at the beginning of the Revolution, yet the com- pany organizations were still retained, and the outbreak of hostilities found little squads of men all along the shore thoroughly equipped and drilled for partisan service. No general combination seems to have been effected; the Tories usually acting under commissions from the British au- thorities, and the Whigs as a part of the militia of their State. The objects of the different expe- ditions, as before hinted, were various; sometimes they took the form of reprisals on the enemy, sometimes they carried spies, who penetrated the hostile ranks, and returned with valuable infor- mation. Again, they captured prominent persons, who were held as hostages or as prisoners of war. Sometimes they were expeditions against the en- emy's war vessels, garrisoned posts or military supplies, and not infrequently, it is to be feared, they degenerated into mere plundering excursions.
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Having thus glanced at the preexisting condi- tions of the warfare, it will be interesting to con- sider in detail some of the more noteworthy "exploits of these hardy privateersmen. First, and perhaps the most remarkable of these, was the expedition of the lamented Captain Nathan Hale, whose tragic story, often told, seems to gain fresh interest with each recital. Washington, it will be remembered, after his retreat from Long Island, desired a thoroughly competent person to visit the enemy's camp and report his numbers and plans in full. Captain Hale, young, talented, but two years out of college, the idol of the army, volun- teered his services. "I have been nearly a year in the service without doing anything of moment for my country, and now that an opportunity offers I dare not refuse," he said in answer to the re- monstrances of his friends. Washington accepted the sacrifice, and the chivalrous young patriot at once began preparations for the enterprise. To cross over directly from New York to Brooklyn into the enemy's camp would court discovery, but to pass eastward into some of the Connecticut towns, thence across the Sound by means of the whaleboat service, and so approach the hostile camp from among its friends, offered a fair pros-
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pect of success; and this plan Captain Hale adopted. He chose Fairfield, Conn., as his point of departure. This town was then one of the first importance, and exerted as much influence in State affairs as either New Haven or Hartford. It was the center of the republican cause in West- ern Connecticut, and, as will be seen, the nucleus of the whaleboat service, expeditions radiating from it in all directions except landward, like spokes from a hub. The ancient town was al- ready in arms, its two militia companies were fully armed and equipped, a patrol of twenty sea- men guarded the coast nightly from sunset to sun- rise against Tory incursions, and two whaleboat crews had already been out spying the enemy's movements and harrassing him whenever an op- portunity offered. Captain Hale arrived in the town on the 14th of September, 1776, bearing a letter from General Washington, instructing any of the American armed vessels to speed his pas- sage across the Sound. Presenting this letter to the town Committee of Safety, a whaleboat and its crew were at once put in requisition, and that same night he was safely and secretly conveyed to the island, and reached Huntington early next morning, from which place he succeeded in pen-
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etrating the British lines. His subsequent move- ments and sad fate are too well known to need recapitulation here. After this episode no further -action of importance is found in the annals of the service until the August of 1777. In the begin- ning of that year a company of Tories, under Col- onel Richard Hewlett, took possession of the old Presbyterian Church in Brookhaven on Long Is- land, nearly opposite Fairfield, and proceeded to fortify it, surrounding it with a stockade and other defensive works. Early in August Colonel Abra- ham Parsons, who later rose to the command of a brigade in General Putnam's division, began collecting a force in Fairfield for the reduction of this novel fortress. Having mustered one hun- dred and fifty men, provided with muskets and one brass six-pounder, he embarked from Black Rock Harbor in Fairfield in a sloop and six whale- boats for the purpose of capturing the Tory strong- hold. It was the evening of the 14th of August, 1777, and before daybreak next morning they had landed at Crane Neck Bend, near the village. Here leaving their boats they marched quickly to the church, dragging the six-pounder through the sands. Arrived at a proper distance, the de- tachment halted, and a flag of truce was sent to
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Colonel Hewlett, demanding an unconditional sur- render. This being refused, fire was opened at once, and returned in a spirited manner by the besieged. Before anything could be accomplished, however, word was brought that a British fleet was sailing down the Sound, and fearing that his retreat might be cut off, Colonel Parsons ordered his detachment to the boats. They re-embarked in good order and reached Black Rock the same evening, bringing with them no trophies except a few of the enemy's horses and some military stores. For the next year and a half the whaleboat service was chiefly employed in spying on the enemy, cut- ting off his unarmed vessels, making plundering incursions into his lines, and harrassing him in much the same manner that the gad-fly torments the ox. Indeed, such was their enterprise, that no royalist on Long Island considered himself safe without an armed guard, and most of the British officers on the island repaired to New York and Brooklyn for protection.
In the spring of 1779 Sir Henry Clinton deter- mined to pay off the Connecticut privateersmen in their own coin. General Gold Selleck Silliman, a descendant of an old Connecticut family, was then living at Holland Hill, a fine old country seat
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in the town of Fairfield, about two miles out of the village. He was one of the most prominent Whigs in his section. After the battle of Long Island, and before the army moved from New York, General Washington had given him the command of a brigade. Later Governor Trum- bull had made him his deputy in consultations with the Commander-in-Chief, and there is still extant a long letter from Washington to him, on matters connected with the army, written while he was acting in this capacity. He had been trained to the law, and as a delegate to the Con- tinental Congress had done good service for the people. At the time of which I write he was a member of the town's Committee of Inspection and Correspondence, and had been appointed by the Governor and Council commander of all the State forces in the vicinity of Fairfield, his house at Holland Hill being retained as his headquarters. General Clinton now determined on his capture. He selected a man named Glover, a Tory refugee, formerly of Newtown, who had once worked for the General and knew him well, with eight other refugees, for this purpose. The party left Lloyd- Neck, L. I., in a whaleboat on the evening of the first of May, and reached Fairfield about mid-
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night, when, leaving one man to guard the boat, the others surrounded the Silliman mansion and began rapping for admission. The journal of - Mrs. Silliman contains so graphic an account of the attack and abduction that it is given in her own words:
"At a midnight hour, when we were all asleep, the house was attacked. I was first awakened by the General's calling out, 'Who's there ?' At that instant there was a banging at both doors, they intending to break them down or burst them open -and this was done with great stones as big al- most as they could lift, which they left at the door. My dear companion then sprang up, caught his gun and ran to the front of the house and, as the moon shone brightly, saw them through the win- dow and attempted to fire, but his gun only flashed and missed fire. At that instant the en- emy burst in a window, sash and all, jumped in, seized him and said he was their prisoner, and must go with them. He asked if he might dress himself. They said yes, if he would be quick. They followed him into the bedroom, where I and my dear little boy lay, with their guns and bayo- nets fixed; their appearance was dreadful; it was then their prisoner addressed them in mild terms
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and begged them to leave the room, and told them their being there would frighten his wife. They then withdrew for a moment or two, and then re- turned, when he asked them out again and shut the door. After that I heard them breaking the windows, which they wantonly did with the breeches of their guns. They then asked him for his money; he told them he had none but conti- nental, and that would do them no good. Then they wished his papers. He said his public papers were all sent abroad, and his private papers would be of no use to them. Then some wanted one thing and some another. He told them mildly he hoped he was in the hands of gentlemen, and that it was not their purpose to plunder. With these arguments he quieted them so that they plundered but little. They then told him he must go. He asked if he might take leave of his wife. They said yes if he would make haste-he then came in and dropped a bundle of his most valuable private papers under something on the table, took leave of me with great seeming fortitude and composure, and went away with them. As soon as I heard the door shut I arose and went to the bedroom of our son William, and found he was gone, al- though I did not hear any of them taking him. I
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then went to the door and saw them bearing away their prisoners. I then went to inform those at the next house, when they fired a gun, which frightened the enemy very much, as they had not got above a quarter of a mile from our house. They took them down about two miles to their whaleboat, where they had left one man, and pro- ceeded on their journey to Long Island. I heard nothing more from them in three weeks. After three weeks I received a letter from the General informing me where he was. I think they were then at Flatbush on Long Island. In that he told me where to send my letters to him for inspection, as no letters were suffered to pass without. ... Nine men came over in the boat. They embarked between the hours of one and two o'clock Sabbath morning, and had a boisterous time over. They took a fusee, a pair of elegant pistols inlaid with silver, and an elegant sword which one of them who had worked at our house took much pleasure in flourishing about, and he it was who piloted them. On arriving at (Lloyd-Neck) Long Island they were hailed by Colonel Simcoe, who com- manded there: 'Have you got him?' 'Yes.' 'Have you lost any men ?' 'No.' 'That's well,' said Simcoe. 'Your Sillimans and your Washing-
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tons are not worth a man.' He then ordered his men to the guard house with the prisoner. Said the General 'Am I going to the guard house?' 'Yes!' When they came there, he said to the Ad- jutant, 'Is it thus you treat prisoners of my rank ?' He said, 'We do not look on you as we should on a continental General.' 'But how will you view me when an exchange is talked of ?' 'I under- stand you, Sir, ' and walked out, as I suppose, to report to his commanding officer. Soon after a horse and carriage was sent to bring them to New York, guarded by a corps of dragoons. On his arrival all flocked to see the rebel. They gave him good lodgings until he was ordered to Flatbush, where he remained until exchanged for Judge Jones. "
This bold abduction excited the liveliest commo- tion, not only in the town, but throughout the State, and led to redoubled vigilance on the part of the coast guard, which had somewhat slackened in watchfulness as the days passed on and no en- emy appeared. Negotiations were at once opened with the enemy for an exchange of their prisoner, but it was soon found that the Americans had no one in their possession whom the British would consider an equivalent for the General. In no-
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wise disconcerted, however, the hardy privateers- men determined on capturing some person of equal rank, and began casting about for a prisoner. There was then living at Fort Neck, a village in the town of Oyster Bay, Long Island, the Hon. Thomas Jones, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Province of New York, a staunch royalist; this gentleman was selected as a proper subject for their enterprise. Through the golden autumn days a plan was slowly matured in the village. Captain David Hawley, one of the most skillful captains in the service, aided by Captains Lock- wood and Jones, quietly enlisted twenty-five of the bravest men in their commands, and on the even- ing of the 4th of November, 1779, set off in whale- boats from Newfield (now Bridgeport) Harbor. A few hours brought them across the Sound, and into Stony Brook Creek near Smithtown, where they disembarked and at once set out for the Judge's residence, fifty-two miles distant. They arrived there about nine o'clock on the evening of the 6th. A merry party had assembled at the mansion, music and dancing were in progress, and the noise effectually prevented the approach of the party from being heard. Captain Hawley knocked at the door, but perceiving that no one
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heard him, forced it, entered and found Judge Jones standing in the hall. Telling the Judge that he was his prisoner, he forced him to depart with him, together with a young man named Hew- lett. According to the journal above quoted, the party met with several adventures on their return to the boats. At one place they had to pass a guard of soldiers posted near the road. Here the Judge hemmed very loud, whereupon Captain Hawley forbade him to repeat the sound. He, however, repeated it, but on being told that a repe- tition would be attended by fatal consequences he desisted, and the picket was passed in safety. When day broke the adventurers concealed them- selves in a thick forest until nightfall, and then resumed their journey. They reached their boats on the third night, and crossed to Black Rock with their prisoners, having met with no mishaps ex- cept the loss of six men, who, having lagged be- hind on the third night, were captured by the light horse which closely pursued them. Mrs. Silliman, a most amiable and accomplished lady, hearing of the Judge's arrival, sent him an invi- tation to breakfast, which he accepted, and during his stay in Fairfield he was the guest of the man- sion, its fair mistress doing all in her power to
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make his situation agreeable; yet we are told that he remained distant, reserved and sullen. After several days he was removed to Middletown on the Connecticut, and negotiations were again opened for an exchange. It was six months, how- ever, before the British would accept the terms proposed; but at length, in May, 1780, they agreed that if a certain notorious refugee, named Wash- burn, could be included in the exchange, they would release General Silliman for Judge Jones, and his son for Mr. Hewlett. A very pleasant incident of the transfer of the prisoners is re- corded. The vessel bearing General Silliman met the one conveying Judge Jones in the middle of the Sound, whereupon the vessels were brought to, and the gentlemen dined amicably together, after which they proceeded to their respective homes.
A little more than a year elapsed, and then the village was stirred by the departure of another ex- pedition, bound on a still more hazardous service. It consisted of eighty men, part of them dis- mounted dragoons from Colonel Sheldon's regi- ment, and was under the command of Major, afterwards Colonel, Benjamin Tallmadge, who will be remembered as attending Major André at the
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scaffold, and afterwards as a representative in Congress from Connecticut for sixteen years. The object of the expedition was Fort St. George, erected on a point projecting into the Great South Bay, at Mastic, L. I. The party embarked at Fairfield, November 21, 1780, at 4 P. M., in eight whaleboats. "They crossed the Sound in four hours, and landed at Oldman's at nine o'clock. The troops had marched about five miles, when, it beginning to rain, they returned and took shelter under their boats, and lay concealed in the bushes all that night and the next day. At evening, the rain abating, the troops were again put in motion, and at three o'clock in the morning were within two miles of the fort. Here he divided his men into three parties, ordering each to attack the fort at the same time at different points. The order was so well executed that the three divisions ar- rived nearly at the same time. It was a triangular inclosure of several acres, thoroughly stockaded, well barricaded houses at two of the angles, and at the third a fort, with a deep ditch and wall, encircled by an abatis of sharpened pickets pro- jecting at an angle of forty-five degrees. The stockade was cut down, the column led through the grand parade, and in ten minutes the main
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fort was carried by the bayonet. The vessels near the fort, laden with stores, attempted to escape, but the guns of the fort being brought to bear upon them, they were secured and burnt, as were the works and stores. The number of prisoners was fifty-four, of whom seven were wounded. While they marched to the boats under an escort, Major Tallmadge proceeded with the remainder of the detachment, destroyed about three hundred tons of hay collected at Coram, and returned to the place of debarkation just as the party with the prisoners arrived, and reached Fairfield by eleven o'clock the same evening, having accomplished the enterprise, including a march of forty miles by land and as much by water, without the loss of a man."
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