USA > Connecticut > Tercentenary pamphlet series, v. 1 Connecticut and the British Government > Part 18
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7See below, p. 34.
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tablishing a manufactory of Duck, and have lately turned out about 400 bolts. From the Ferry it is abt. 3 miles to Milford, which is situated in more uneven and stony grd. than the 3 last villages through wch. we passed. In this place there is but one Church, or in other words, but one steeple-but there are Grist and Saw mills, and a handsome Cascade over the Tum- bling dam; but one of the prettiest things of this kind is at Stamford, occasioned also by daming the water for their mills; it is near 100 yds. in width, and the water now being of a proper height, and the rays of the sun striking upon it as we passed, had a pretty effect upon the foaming water as it fell. From Milford we took the lower road through West haven, part of which was good and part rough, and arrived at New Haven before two o'clock; we had time to walk through sever- al parts of the City before Dinner. By taking the lower Road we missed a Committee of the Assembly, who had been ap- pointed to wait upon and escort me into town-to prepare an address-and to conduct me when I should leave the City as far as they should judge proper. The address was presented at 7 o'clock-and at nine I received another address from the Congregational Clergy of the place. Between the rect. of the two addresses I received the Compliment of a visit from the Govr. Mr. Huntington-the Lieut. Govr. Mr. Wolcott-and the Mayor, Mr. Roger Sherman.8
The City of New-haven occupies a good deal of ground, but is thinly, though regularly laid out and built. The number of Souls in it are said to be about 4000. There is an Episcopal Church and 3 Congregational Meeting Houses and a College, in which there are at this time 120 Students under the auspices of Dr. Styles. The Harbour of this place is not good for large vessels-abt. 16 belong to it. The Linnen manufacture does not appear to be of so much importance as I had been led to believe. In a word, I could hear but little of it. The Exports from this City are much the same as from Fairfield, etca., and flax seed, (chiefly to New York). The Road from Kingsbridge to this place runs as near the Sound as the Bays and Inlets will allow, but from hence to Hartford it leaves the Sound and runs more to the Northward.
8 See below, pp. 32-33.
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Sunday, 18th. Went in the forenoon to the Episcopal Church, and in the afternoon to one of the Congregational Meeting Houses. Attended to the first by the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Edwards, and a Mr. Ingersoll, and to the latter by the Governor, the Lieut. Governor, the Mayor, and Speaker.
These Gentlemen all dined with me, (by invitation,) as did Genl. Huntington, at the House of Mr. Brown, where I lodged, and who keeps a good Tavern. Drank Tea at the Mayor's (Mr. Sherman). Upon further enquiry I find that there has been abt. yards of coarse Linnen manu- factured at this place since it was established-and that a Glass work is on foot here for the manufacture of Bottles. At 7 o'clock in the evening many Officers of this State, belonging to the late Continental army, called to pay their respects to me. By some of them it was said that the people of this State could, with more ease pay an additional 100,000{. tax this year than what was laid last year.
Monday, 19th. Left New-haven at 6 o'clock, and arrived at Wallingford (13 miles) by half after 8 o'clock, where we break- fasted, and took a walk through the Town. In coming to it we passed thro' East [North] Haven about midway; after riding along the river of that name 6 miles, on which are extensive marshes now loaded with hay stacks-the ride is very pleas- ant, but the Road is sandy, which it continues to be within a mile of the Tavern (Carrington's, which is but an ordinary house,) at Wallingford. This and about five miles of the Road beyond-that is west of New-haven-is all the sand we have met with on the journey. These Sandy lands afford but ordi- nary Crops of Corn-nor have the Crops of this grain East of Stratford River appeared as heavy as on the West side of it. The Lands (Stone being less) are in part enclosed with Posts and Rails. At this place (Wallingford) we see the white Mul- berry growing, raised from the seed, to feed the silkworm. We also saw samples of lustring (exceeding good) which had been manufactured from the Cocoon raised in this Town, and silk thread very fine. This, except the weaving, is the work of private families, without interference with other business, and is likely to turn out a beneficial amusement. In the Township of Mansfield they are further advanced in this business. Wallingford has a Church and two meeting houses in it, which
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stand upon high and pleasant grd. About 10 o'clock we left this place, and at the distance of 8 miles passed through Dur- ham. At one we arrived at Middletown, on Connecticut River, being met two or three miles from it by the respectable Citi- zens of the place, and escorted in by them. While dinner was getting ready I took a walk round the Town, from the heights of which the prospect is beautiful. Belonging to this place, I was informed (by a Genl. Sage) that there were about 20 sea vessels, and to Weathersfield, higher up, 22-and to Hartford the like number-other places on the River have their pro- portion,-the whole amounting to about 10,000 Tons.
The Country hereabouts is beautiful and the Lands good. An average Crop of wheat from an acre of fallowed land is estimated at 15 bushels; sometimes they get as high as 25 and 30 bushs. to the acre from the best lands. Indian Corn from 20 to 40 bushls. pr. acre. Their exports are the same as from other places; together with Potash. Having dined, we set out with the same Escort (who conducted us into town) about 3 o'clock for Hartford, and passing through a Parish of Middletown and Weathersfield, we arrived at Harfd. about sundown. At Weathersfield we were met by a party of the Hartford light horse and a number of Gentlemen from the same place with Colo. Wadsworth9 at their head, and escorted to Bull's Tavern, where we lodged.
Tuesday, 20th. After breakfast, accompanied by Colo. Wadsworth, Mr. Ellsworth1º and Colo. Jesse Root, I viewed the Wollen Manufactory at this place, which seems to be going on with spirit. Their Broad-cloths are not of the first quality, as yet, but they are good; as are their Coatings, Cassimeres, Serges and Everlastings; of the first, that is, broad-cloth, I ordered a suit to be sent to me at New York-and of the latter a whole piece, to make breeches for my servants. All the parts of this business are performed at the Manufactory except the spinning-this is done by the Country people, who are paid by the cut.
Hartford is more compactly built than Middletown, and contains more souls; the computed number of which amount
9 See below p. 25.
1º See below pp. 33-34.
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to about dble. The number of Houses in Middletown are said to be 250 or 60-these reckoning eight persons to a house, would make two thousand at least. The depth of water which Vessels can bring to the last place, is about ten feet; and is as much as there is over Saybrook bar. From Middletown to Hartford there is not more than 6 feet water. At Middletown there is one Epis- copal and two Congregational Churches. In hartford there is none of the first and 2 of the latter.
Dined and drank Tea at Colo. Wadsworth's, and about 7 o'clock received from, and answered the Address of the Town of Hartford.
Wednesday, 21st. By promise I was to have Breakfasted at Mr. Ellsworth's at Windsor, on my way to Springfield, but the morning proving very wet, and the rain not ceasing till past IO o'clock, I did not set out till half after that hour; I called, however, on Mr. Ellsworth and stay'd there near an hour- reached Springfield by 4 o'clock .. . .
Leaving Springfield, Massachusetts, Boston was reached on October 24. Thence the tour proceeded to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine. The return route lay through Exeter, Haverhill, Lexington, and Uxbridge, where the night of November 6 was spent at the house of Samuel Taft; then crossing into Connect- icut, the journey may be followed once more with Washington's Diary:
Saturday, 7th. Left Taft's before sunrise, and passing through Douglass wood, breakfasted at one Jacobs' in Thomp- son, 12 miles distant; not a good house. Bated the horses in Pomfret, at Colo. Grosvenor's, distant II miles from Jacobs', and lodged at Squire Perkins' in Ashford, (called 10 miles, but must be 12). The first stage, with a small exception, is intoler- able bad road, and a poor and uncultivated country, covered chiefly with woods-the largest of which is called Douglass, at the foot of which, on the east side, is a large pond. Jacobs's is in the State of Connecticut, and here the lands are better, and more highly improved. From hence to Pomfret there is some woods and indifferent land, but in general it is tolerably
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good, and the farms look well. In and abt. Pomfret they are fine, and from thence to Ashford not bad; but very hilly and much mixed with rock stone. Knowing that General Putnam™ lived in the Township of Pomfret, I had hopes of seeing him, and it was one of my inducements for coming this road; but on enquiry in the town I found that he lived 5 miles out of my road, and that without deranging my plan and delaying my journey, I could not do it.
Sunday, 8th. It being contrary to law and disagreeable to the People of this State (Connecticut) to travel on the Sabbath day-and my horses, after passing through such intolerable roads, wanting rest, I stayed at Perkins' tavern (which, by the bye, is not a good one,) all day-and a meeting-house being within few rods of the door, I attended morning and evening service, and heard very lame discourses from a Mr. Pond.
Monday, 9th. Set about 7 o'clock, and for the first 24 miles had hilly, rocky, and disagreeable roads; the remaining Io was level and good, but in places sandy. Arrived at Hartford a little before four. We passed through Mansfield, (which is a very hilly country, and the township in which they make the greatest qty. of silk of any in the State,) and breakfasted at one Brigham's, in Coventry. Stopped at Woodbridge in Et. Hartford, where the level land is entered upon, and from whence, through East Hartford, the country is pleasant, and the land in places very good; in others sandy and weak. I find by conversing with the farmers along this road, that a medium crop of wheat to the acre is about 15 bushels-of corn, 20- of oats, the same-and in their strong fresh lands they get as much wheat as they can rye to the acre-but in warm or sandy land the latter yields most. They go more, however, upon grazing than either; and consequently beef; butter and cheese, with pork, are the articles which they carry to market.
Tuesday, Ioth. Left Hartford about 7 o'clock, and took the middle road (instead of the one through Middletown, which I went) .- Breakfasted at Worthington, in the township of Berlin, at the house of one Fuller. Bated at Smith's on the plains of Wallingford, 13 miles from Fuller's, which is the distance Fuller's is from Hartford-and got into New Haven
II See below, pp. 18-19, 27.
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which is 13 miles more, about half an hour before sun-down. At this place I met Mr. Gerry, in the stage from New York, who gave me the first cert'n acct. of the health of Mrs. Wash- ington.
Wednesday, IIth. Set out about sunrise, and took the upper road to Milford, it being shorter than the lower one through West Haven. Breakfasted at the former. Baited at Fairfield; and dined and lodged at a Maj. Marvin's, 9 miles further; which is not a good house, though the people of it were dis- posed to do all they could to accommodate me.
Thursday, 12th. A little before sunrise we left Marvin's, and breakfasting at Stamford, 13 miles distant, reached the Widow Haviland's 12 miles further; where, on acct. of some lame horses, we remained all night ....
Friday, 13th. Left Mrs. Haviland's as soon as we could see the road, ... and between two and three o'clock arrived at my house at New York. . . .
Between 1756 and 1789 Washington had thus made six round trips into or through Connecticut. That these journeys had taken him into every one of the eight counties and into approximately one half of the 169 towns reveals how thoroughly he had become acquainted with the state. The contacts of travel, however, were but one of the relations which Washington established with Connecticut. No less interest attaches to the cooperation of Connecticut with Washington in the task of winning the War for Independence.
It was while engaged in the operations around Boston that Washington formed his first important acquaint- ance with citizens of Connecticut, for no small number of the troops serving under his command were drawn from that colony, as were also many officers, especially General Israel Putnam. Though a native of Danvers, Massachusetts, Putnam had long lived in the village of Brooklyn, then a part of the town of Pomfret. When the news of Lexington reached this little town, Putnam, who
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had been a lieutenant colonel in the French and Indian War, forsook his farm and tavern, from which swung a sign bearing the features of General Wolfe, and on the second day after the battle joined the patriot forces near Boston. There his experience, energy, and skill soon won him such recognition that he was included in the original list of four major generals of the Continental army com- missioned soon after Washington's own appointment as commander in chief. By the time this honor was con- ferred Putnam had already given further signal demon- stration of his merit by the leading part which he took in the battle of Bunker Hill where Connecticut troops, especially those under Captain Thomas Knowlton of Ashford, distinguished themselves.
While Putnam made Connecticut's first response to the news of Lexington, he but heralded that colony's prompt and general enlistment in the struggle for liberty. In March, 1775, the general assembly had chartered the Second Company of Governor's Footguards. When the report of Lexington reached New Haven its captain, Benedict Arnold, assembled the company, demanded and obtained ammunition and supplies, and forthwith has- tened to Cambridge. Arnold at once proposed an expedi- tion to seize Fort Ticonderoga, and on May 3 received a commission from the Massachusetts provincial congress for that purpose. Meanwhile a self-constituted committee of Connecticut citizens had undertaken the same enter- prise and despatched a body of Connecticut troops to join with others from western Massachusetts and Ver- mont. Many of the Green Mountain boys who joined the expedition were natives of Connecticut and their leader, Ethan Allen, had been born in Litchfield. Allen's ef- fective surprise of the fort on May 10 put at the disposal of the patriot force a large number of cannon and a con-
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siderable amount of other supplies which were to prove indispensable to Washington's operations against the British in Boston. Arnold, who had reached the scene only in time to participate as a volunteer, advanced rapidly with a handful of men and seized St. John's, while another Green Mountain boy, Captain Seth Warner, who had been born in Roxbury, Connecticut, captured Crown Point. The garrisoning of these posts was entrusted to a Connecticut regiment commanded by Colonel Benjamin Hinman of Woodbury.
When Arnold returned to Cambridge a few days after Washington had assumed command, he proposed an expedition through Maine to Quebec of which the com- mander in chief approved and placed him in charge. Meanwhile another expedition under the command of General Montgomery was being organized from the New York side to move by way of Montreal. Connecticut troops participated in both these enterprises. Not less than three regiments of Montgomery's forces were Con- necticut men, and after the death of Montgomery it was General Wooster who succeeded to the chief command. In all, Connecticut sent eight regiments into the Con- tinental service in 1775, and seven were recruited for emergency service in the early months of the following year. For regular service in 1776, Connecticut provided five Continental regiments and three additional regi- ments. Furthermore, several units of Connecticut "state troops" and of Connecticut militia participated in vari- ous operations from the siege of Boston to the battle of Trenton.
The skill and patience of Washington were, after nine months, rewarded by seeing General Howe and his forces evacuate Boston on March 17, 1776. Two weeks later Washington left Cambridge in order to assemble the
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necessary forces and to make the needful arrangements for the protection of New York, where it was anticipated the British would launch their next attack. Connecticut troops had already participated in guarding New York from possible British attack and had assisted in develop- ing a program of fortifications for its defence. Now, this state contributed liberally to the forces with which Washington undertook to combat Howe's attack. The actual command at the battle of Long Island devolved upon General Putnam, as did also the immediate respon- sibility for securing the retreat of his army from the Island. In the battle of Harlem Heights, Connecticut troops had an important share and lost their heroic commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Knowlton, whose part in the battle of Bunker Hill has already been mentioned. Meanwhile Nathan Hale, who was born in Coventry and educated at Yale, and who had been a teacher in East Haddam and New London, was engaged in the perilous enterprise which ended in a martyr's death. In the defensive fighting which followed in West- chester and in northern Jersey and later in the battle of Trenton, Connecticut men continued to bear a large and worthy share.
In the four following years, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780, Connecticut officers and their troops were ever at Wash- ington's side. They were with him at Brandywine and the other engagements around Philadelphia; they were with him at Valley Forge; they were with him at Monmouth; they helped him guard the highlands of the Hudson through many weary months; and they participated in the capture of Stony Point and in other engagements around New York. When danger threatened from the North, Connecticut sent many of her sons to share in the struggle with Burgoyne and in the achievement of
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forcing his surrender. Finally, a goodly number of Con- necticut troops marched with Washington from the Hudson to Virginia in the late summer of 1781 and bore their share in the glorious campaign which ended in the capture of Yorktown.
Throughout these years from 1777 to 1781 Connecti- cut, with a population of 200,000, maintained on active duty in the Continental Line eight regular regiments of infantry, a regiment of light dragoons, an "additional" regiment of infantry, and several companies in four other "additional" regiments, besides other special serv- ice troops. In 1781 the eight regiments were consolidated into five, and in 1783 they were reduced to three, and finally to a single regiment which was disbanded at the close of the war. From 1777 to the end of the war Con- necticut also kept recruited, subject to call for service which often came, twenty-eight regiments of infantry organized into six brigades, and five regiments of light horse, as the state militia. Connecticut also maintained several state naval vessels, two of which, the frigate Trumbull and the frigate Confederacy, were taken into the Continental service. Numerous privateer vessels were also fitted out in Connecticut ports and manned by Connecticut sailors in the course of the war.
During the whole war Connecticut rendered unflagging service as one of the main sources of supply for food, munitions, and other necessities for the army. Conse- quently, though there were no strategical motives for campaigning in Connecticut, the British found it desira- ble to raid "the Provision State" in order to hamper the American forces by cutting off their supplies. Such ex- peditions were Tryon's raid on Danbury and the battle of Ridgefield in April, 1777, and Tryon's attack on New Haven and other coast towns in July, 1779, and lastly,
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Arnold's attack on New London in September, 1781. To some extent Connecticut was able to get even on this matter of raids by activities in Long Island Sound and attacks upon the British posts on Long Island. Of these the most notable and most successful was the raid on Sag Harbor in May, 1777, by Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs of Middletown.
The inventive ingenuity of David Bushnell of Say- brook produced early experiments with submarine boats, torpedoes, and mines. A curious construction devised by Bushnell and dubbed "the American turtle" was twice operated in 1776 by Ezra Lee of Lyme against British craft, once at New York and once at New London, with partial success. Bushnell also devised floating mines to be directed against the British shipping in the Delaware near Philadelphia in 1778, which were prevented by un- usual circumstances from being fully effective. This epi- sode was celebrated in a well-known poetical effort of Francis Hopkinson entitled "The Battle of the Kegs."
Connecticut settlers had for some time been engaged in establishing a new Connecticut county, called West- moreland, in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. In July, 1778, their settlements were attacked by Colonel John Butler and a band of Indians, who massacred most of the men and compelled the women and children to trudge painfully and sorrowfully back to Connecticut. The following summer, however, full vengeance was wreaked by General Sullivan's campaign against the Iroquois, in which many Connecticut men participated. Not a few of them picked out eligible sites for settlements which they helped to found in central and southern New York in later years.
With muster rolls approximating 40,000 names there is no doubt that Connecticut furnished more soldiers
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during the struggle for independence than any other state except Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia, which were much more populous. Inasmuch as the records for the three other states reveal numerous enlist- ments for very short terms, it is not unlikely that in a comparison on the basis of number of day's service rendered, the soldiers of Connecticut would surpass New York and Virginia, and compete closely with Massachu- setts for first honors. Though the records show instances when Washington commended Connecticut troops, they also reveal that he had occasions for expressing unfavor- able judgments of them. Soldiering in the Revolutionary army was not a life of ease and glory, and military dis- cipline did not seem to harmonize with independence, so the number of desertions was large. In a single Connecti- cut regiment, selected by chance as a sample, there were 553 privates, of whom 126 were listed in the rolls as deserters. Their dishonorable behaviour, however, en- hances the credit of those who loyally stood by their colors. In the same regiment, which was one of those that wintered at Valley Forge, 69 died in service, 4 were killed in action, 19 were taken prisoners, and 17 were recorded in the rolls as missing.
Connecticut's distinctive service to the Revolutionary cause was in furnishing provisions and other supplies. The general assembly of Connecticut appointed Captain Joseph Trumbull of Lebanon, eldest son of the colony's governor, commissary general as early as April, 1775. His activity in getting supplies to the forces around Boston so impressed Washington that, a week after assuming command, he recommended to the Continental Congress the selection of Trumbull as commissary general for the United forces. The appointment was made and Trumbull remained in service for about two years, dying shortly
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after resigning his commission. He was soon replaced by another Connecticut citizen, Jeremiah Wadsworth of Hartford, whose service continued until near the close of the war. To both Trumbull and Wadsworth, Peter Colt of New Haven, later of Hartford, was deputy commis- sary. The transportation of supplies from Connecticut to the army camps was performed by a large number of teamsters and teams recruited, apparently under con- tract, within the state.
Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., Joseph's younger brother, was paymaster general of the Continental army for the Northern Department, until he became a member of Washington's staff. John Pierce of Litchfield began as assistant paymaster general, later became deputy pay- master general, and from 1781 to 1788 was paymaster general of the army of the United States. The eminent surgeon, Philip Turner of Norwich, was surgeon general of hospitals in the Continental army for the Eastern De- partment. At least three distinguished names appear on the list of Connecticut men who served as army chap- lains. Timothy Dwight of New Haven, later president of Yale, and Abraham Baldwin of Guilford, who later rep- resented Georgia in congress, were chaplains of General Parsons's brigade, and Joel Barlow of Redding, who later attained fame as an author, shortly after graduating from Yale became chaplain of a Massachusetts brigade with which he served until the end of the war. Through- out the war a small bodyguard was maintained for Wash- ington. In all, twenty-five Connecticut men served in this organization, mainly during the latter part of the war, and in 1781 one of them, Lieutenant William Colfax12 of New London, became the commander, and served in
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