USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Windsor > The history and genealogies of ancient Windsor, Connecticut, Vol. I > Part 78
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3 Baxter, Francis
Grant, Azariah "Wallace, Ahrm
Loomis, Moses Wadsworth, Joseph B.
2Bissel, John
- Conn. State Archives, Rerol. War. xxx. 1.
List of officers and soldiers married (East Windsor) :
Anderson, Wn
Beman, Jonathan
Newton, Isaac
Andrus, Wu
Churchill, Elijah
Porter, Hezh
Brown, Jude
Downer, Caleb
Pearce. Daniel
Baxter, Francis
Grant, Azariah
Wallace, Abu
Bissel, John
Lomis, Moses
Wadsworth, J. B., Door
Brown, losiah, L'
671
EAST WINDSOR IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, 1781.
Supplies 1781 (!)
D Strong, Phineas Jun' East Windsor
D Vanduser Thomas Private, Windsor,
1 Wardwell Isaac do. Windsor.
- Conn. State Archives, Revol, Hur, XXX
1 Oct. 1780.
The Committee appointed to Assign & proportion each Towns Quota of the whole number of Men to be furnished by this State for the Continental Army Take leave to report, That the Quota's of the several Towns according to their respective Lists be as follows viz Hartford 97 Windsor 53, East Windsor 64 [being among the largest towns in Hart- ford Co .. ] and Willington [heing the smallest] 20. Total for Hartford County, 1057. - Conn. State Archives, xix. 12.
1781.
We have previously spoken of East Windsor as being a notable " Provision Town" for the army, during the Revolution. This appears from many items and accounts, of which we present the following selec- tion :
State of Connecticut
To Lemuel Stoughton
To purchasing & putting up eighteen barrells
Ut 10 - of Beef containing 240ts cach . @ 5/
To 18 beef barrells
9 0 -0
To carting Salt from Capt Grants 3 miles S bushels =
To carting Salt from Eli Bifsells to the mill and gitting it ground. 5 miles
1 - 10 -
To carting bbs. 4 miles
0- 7-0
To storage
2 - 0 -0
€17 - 11 - 0
East Windsor May 1781.
The above is a stating of the allowances which were made upon Majr Lem" Stough tons Accot in settlement with Capt Eben Grant in behalf of the Town of East windsor on the 6th day of July 1781 for which the said Grant reed payment by Orders on the Treaf. for bills of this State
Pay Table Office July 31 ** 1786
Olive Wolcott
Charged
for carting Salt to the Mill £1 : 1 :0
for butchering & cutting 5: 0:0
for Coopering bhs . 0 :10 :0
not allowed
Teste £6 : 11 :0
Oliv' Wolcott
OT2
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
East Windsor Novr 27th 1781
lavoice of Twenty Seven Head of Beef Cattle Estimated | to Weigh Thirteen thousand Nine Hundred Weight |
SAM' BANCROFT } Estimators
Pr. Us JOEL LOOMIS 5 Under Oath
Hartford County fs.
East Windsor Nov 270 1781.
Mefrs Samuel Bancroft and loet Loomis Personally | appeared and made Oath that the above Mentioned Twenty | Seven Head of Cattle Were Estimated according to their | best skill and Judgment.
before Me Erastus Wolcott Just Pars
East Windsor Nov 274 1781
Receive of the Select Men the above Twenty Seven Head | of Cattle Weighing by Estimation Thirteen Thosand Nine Hundred Weight
Receive Pr Me SAMU WOLCOTT, Receiver.
-
1780
June 28 State of Connect" to ye Select men of y" Town of East Windsor Dr
Pork bot of sundry persons for Soaldiers going to ye Camp. vix : to 6811bs Salt Pork without bone and 9 ounces / at 124 pr. pound Old Way £34 . 1 - 6
Cath paid Zebulon King with his Horse Cart 3 miles / to collect it, & bringing to my House 0 - 5 - 0
paid Aaron Grant for Do 0 . 4. 0
Cash paid for 3 bar's bot of Washborn at 3/4 0 10 - 0
To half bar" Salt Beef qty 94' at 3 06 - 0
0 - 6- 10
to yr Cask 2/1 pork & pork Salt 4/6
I Washiborn for repacking & Heading up &e 0 5.00
My Self a Day to purchase ye Pork & Horse 0. 6.00
Frederick Elsworth Bill of Expense 0 .13 6
39 - 17 - 10
" Mr. SAMUEL WOLCOTT, Assistant Commissary, resided in the house torn down by Mr. Frederick A. King. A new house has been built on the old site. The old slaughter-house in which the beeves were butchered, together with the wheel and windlass used for their suspension, were, until within a few years, still on the premises. Mr. Wolcott was a man of much euergy : on horseback he scoured the State, and collected his droves with great rapidity. His butchers. Mr. Drake and Mr. Daniels, performed their part with so much despatch that, it is said, the tanners who purchased the hides of the animals they killed said they appeared, as far as the integrity of the skin was concerned. as if they had passed through a warmly-contested battle, rather than the hands of an acrom- plished butcher. At the same time that Mr. Wolcott was carrying on so extensive a business in beef, he was also purchasing grain to be floured for the French fleet and army then at Newport, R. I."
--------- i t
673
EAST WINDSOR IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, 1781.
State of Connecticut in acont with Samuel Wolcott, as Cr. 1780
£ 8. d.
To amount of his account for furnishing beef cattle for the United States 5087 12 00
To Bills Express 12 00 00
To Commission on £2149.04
42 19 08
Being the amount of his purchases before October, at stated prices, 2 per c1.
To ditto on $2865.13, being the amount purchased since October, 1780 57 06 08
To two Orders on Treasurer for $300, 1781, Cr.
600 00 00
By cash received of Col. Champion do do do
4236 14 05
do
do do
1564 02 01
By order to balance 01 05
45799 17 11
" Contributions of beef, pork, grain, and cheese were taken up in all parts of the State for the use of the army. In South Windsor, wagons passed from house to house, and such articles as could be spared were freely bestowed, many families who had relatives in the army being very generous in their donations. The quantity of beef butchered in East Windsor for the U. S. army during 1780 amounted in value to over $23,000."-Dr. H. C. Gillett's Sketches, XV.
The General Assembly at its session held at Hartford on the see- ond Thursday of May, A.D. 1781, received a return of the several towns in this State, their qnota, number of men in service, surplus, and de- ficiencies :
Quota
Number in Service.
Deficiencies.
53
51
64
16
7. 10
Windsor, East Windsor,
Windham had a deficiency of 49, the largest deficiency of any town in the State.
It was resolved by the Assembly " that the Governor be desired to give all necessary Orders for carrying into speedy Execution the Acts and Resolves of this AAssembly. for filling up the Continental Army, and for raising and compleating the Troops of this State."
The year 1781 was especially marked in East Windsor by the bil- leting upon the inhabitants of a large number of the officers and men of the " Convention Troops " whose history has been briefly adverted to on page 661 in this chapter. These " Convention Troops" were the VOL. I .- 85
5799 17 11
674
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
soldiers of Burgoyne's army which had surrendered as prisoners of war to Gov. Gates on the 17th of October, 1777, nearly 6,000 in number. They were first sent into Massachusetts, but finally, in the carly part of 1779, were sent to Charlottesville, Va. Here they remained until Oct .. 1780: when as a precautionary measure against a possible uprising by them, the British prisoners were sent to Maryland, and the Germans into the northern part of Virginia. by which time, deaths, desertions, and partial exchanges had ro- dueed their numbers to about 2,100. Afterwards some were sent to Lancaster, Pa., and some to East Windsor, until, by 1783, they had all become dispersed.
Those who came to East Windsor were officially delivered to the charge of Capt. Roswell Grant of East Windsor by a Maj. Roberts, under the following order from His Excellency. Gov. Jonathan Trumbull. This, and other papers concerning this . Hessian Invasion" of East Windsor soil, is from the Grant MSS.
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
BY THE GOVERNOR
To Capl' Roswell Grant Superintendant of the Officers of the Convention Troops
Yon are instructed to receive from Majr Jnº Roberts | the said officers - You are to take their parole to be faithful | prisoners. On their honor and the faith of Gentlemen, to give no | intelligence, or say or do anything detrimental to the cause of | the United States, or this State, and to abide within the limits of | the Towns of East Windfor and Tolland, that the Servants now | in their pofsefsion do not exceed the limits of said Towns, or such as you shall give liberty for occasionally and shall be accounted | for on an exchange, except in cafe of death, | and further that they will behave in all re- spects as Gentlemen, and Men of honor | : When such parole | is given, and you have the proper returns of them & their Servants | You will give Maj' Roberts a receipt for them accordingly. 1
You are to aid and afsist the Officers in procuring quarters | either in East Wind- for, or Tolland. They to pay the Expenses | for themfelses and Servants -
You will take prudent care | to see that their parole is duly observed -- Further, you will | do everything needful and convenient, as a superintending | Officer -
Given at Lebanon the 234 July 1781.
JONTR TRUMBULL
The following list of officers, etc., is compiled from original offi- cial documents, hearing date 6th and 8th July, 1781, and made up evi- dently at Lancaster before their march hitherward. The original lists contain the names of the officers' servants also; for each officer had two (sometimes three) soldier-servants, one of whom seems to have been a personal or body-servant, mentioned as " servants with their masters," the other described as " going with the Baggage."
The regiments represented by these prisoners were as follows :
British Regiments : The Canada Companies; Royal Reg't of Artillery: Twenty first Regiment.
-
675
EAST WINDSOR IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 1781.
Hessian Regiments : Reg't Dragoons of the Brunswick Troops; Maj. Gen Rhetz' Reg't. Battalion of the Grenadiers of the Brunswick Troops; Light Infantry of the Brunswick Troops; Brig. Gen. Specht's Reg't.
BRITISH OFFICERS PRISONERS OF WAR
The Officers of the Camada Companies were Captain Mare, with 3 servants, and Lieuts. Houghton and Steel, with 2 servants each.
The officers of the Royal Reg't of Artillery were Capt. James Dunbar, with 3 ser vants, Lient. Samuel Rimington, with 3; Surgeon Mate Alex. Melville with 3 ser vants: James Oakenhead, Provost Marshall, and James Campbell, Commissary Fromen
The Officers of the Twenty-First Regiment were Captain James Lovell, with 2 ser vants; Capt. M. Kirkman, with 2 servants; Capt. Hepburn, with 3 servants? ; Lient Blackwood, with 2 servants? ; Lt. Hobart, with 2 servants; Lieut. Peddie, with 2 ser vants2; Lieut. Darrah, with 2 servants2; Lient. Massey, with 2 servants; Surgeon Pemberton, with 2 servants.
Brigadier-General Hamilton. 4 servants, one of whom was a personal attendant. He is said by Dr. Gillette (Sketch VI.) to have been quartered at the house once occupied hy Edward Kilbourn, and was much esteemed for his liberality and courtesy towards such of the townspeople as he met.
HESSIAN OFFICERS, PRISONERS OF WAR
The officer of the Reg't Dragoons of the Brunswick Troops, was Lieut. Bornemann. with 2 servants.
The officers of Maj. tien. Rhetz' Regiment were Capt. Ahrend, with 8 servants; Lient. Modrach, with 2; Lient. v. Hessler, with 2; Ensign Ehrig, with 2: Liout. v. Dobenek, with 2; Lien1. Meyer, with 2: Lieut. Conrady, with 1; Lieut. Petersen, with 1; Cap1. C. A. Alers, with 3; Lieut. Feichel, with 2; Chaplain Tosgel, with 3: Judge Schmidt, with 3; Surgeon Schrader, with 2; Surgeon-Mate Pletzer, with one servant.
The officers of the Battalion of the Grenadiers of the Brunswick Trops were Lient. Col. de Mengen, with 3 servants; Capt. de Lohmeysen, with 2, Lient. U'lig, with 2; Lieut. Helmecke, with 1; Lient. Trott, with 1; Lient. Rudolphi, with 3; Lient. de Muzek. with 2: Surgeon Major - , with 2 servants.
The officers of the Light Infantry of Brunswick Frags, were Lieut. Cruse, with 1 servant; Lieut. Gladen, with 1; Lieut. Rohr, with 2; Lieut. P. W. L. Rbenins, with 1; Surgeon Konze, with 1 servant.
The officers of Brig. Gen. Specht's Regiment were: Maj. de Ehren Krook, with User vants, 3 of whom were with the baggage: Capt. Jaeger, with 5, of whom 2 were with baggage: Lient. Meier, with 2; Lient du Roi, with 3. Lient Milkath, with 2: Lient. Oldekop, with 2; Lient. d Anniers, with 3; Lieut. Kettner, with 2. Ensign Bernewitz. with 2. Ens. Ulmenstein, with 3: Lieut. Grimpa, with 2: Chaplain Kohle, with ?. Judge- Advocate Bahr, with 2: Surgeon Mate Hengst, with I servant.
There seem also to have been two Commissaris, one Hessian I Rosseau, with 2 servants; and I (English) - Foster, with 2 servants, mentioned as belonging to the 24th Regt.
This then was a total of 19 British officers with 13 servants, and 43 Hessian officers with 92 servants.
The two chaplains (Tosgel. of Gen. Rhetz' Reg't ; and Kohle, of Brig.
'Another list gives the names of Lt. Darrah and I servant. Lt Massey, 1. Capt. Gamerson with 1 servant: Ens Poor with 1; Lt. Vincent with 1; Lt Kimmis with 1. probably the same as signs himself P. W. L Rhenius, A D RT = - The names of all these servants, like those of their meters are evidently Scotch
670
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
Gen. Specht's Regt.) are probably " the two German Chaplains" re- ferred to in the following official letter :
War Office July 17" 178]
Sir.
The Board have received your letter of the 30th of | June respecting the two Ger- man Chaplains | and have consulted the Commander in Chief | ou the subject of their application, In con | sequence of which you will be pleased | to permit them, and all others whether | German or Brittish of their function to go | into N. York, it having been stipulated | at a meeting of Comm's last year at Amboy, | that all gentlemen of that description should | be mutually released, and that in future they | should not be the subjects of capture.
We are Sir with respect Yr. Most Obed. Servt WILLM GRAYSON.
Colo Wood.
Many of these officers' servants had trades and made themselves useful to their fellows and to people of East Windsor, by pursuing their little industries, as for example :
Lieut. Colonel Lind
Sir
East Windsor 26 July 8] -
The Bearer William Moffat of the | 218 Regiment has been usually employed as a shoe maker | by many of the Officers, and to carry on that business | begs to have per- mission to go over to Hartford this evening | or tomorrow in order to purchase leather- I thought | it proper to state the case to you, requesting that | you will obtain the pass- port from Major Roberts, | which if granted I will answer that Moffat will | not abuse the indulgence - I am Sir |
Your Most hble Serv. MI. KIRKMAN.
Lt. Colonel Lind -
Dr. Gillette ( though he erroneously gives the date of 1778) says that these British and Hessian prisoners of Burgoyne's army were then quartered in the town, being billeted on such families as were willing to receive them. At the suggestion of Lafayette they were, at one time. employed in planting trees in the highway ; the General holding one end of the line, while Solomon Porter, the son of his host, hell the other. the trees being set in a row corresponding with the line. Many of these trees now measure from sixteen to twenty-one feet in circumference. while others have been mutilated by axe and storm. The officers among the prisoners, both British and German, were said to be well supplied with money. Among their amusements was horse-racing: betting was common, and large sums of money changed hands among them as the result. These races commeneed opposite Gen. Lafayette's quarters and terminated at the Fiteh house, afterwards Mr. Ebenezer Pinney's.' Mr. Ebenezer Reed, father of the late Dea. Abner Reed,
1 This house was erected by Lieut. Joseph Fitch, about 1760, and was at one time occupied by John Fitch, the inventor of steamboats.
-
1
--------
677
EAST WINDSOR IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, ITSH.
often stated that he had seen more guineas counted out to the win- ner on the steps of Mr. Pinney's house, than he could carry in his hat. In one of these races the rider was thrown and killed a few rods below the house now occupied by Frederick A. King. The quiet citi- zens of the town disapproved of these races, and exerted all their intlu- ener to have them discontinued, little thinking that less than a century later the State Agricultural Society would offer a premium to encourage such races.
Three of the Hessians boarded in the family of Jerijah Bissell (present South Windsor) whose daughter Mary afterwards married Ephraim Wolcott. Years after, when she was " Grandma Wolcott," she used to entertain a little girl named Martha Pelton with anecdotes about these prisoners. One of them, she said, was a weaver, and taught her and her sisters to weave their linen in a new pattern called " ems and os," and this pattern was kept a great seeret in the Bissell family for many years. One of these Hessians would sit in the chimney corner during the long evening and sing " James was the name my good old father gave me," until Miss Mary became very tired of it. So, in after years, when to her eare was given the motherless infant of her brother Thomas Bissell, she called him " Jemmy," not James, and not Jimmy, as she frequently had occasion to explain.
Dr. Gillette (Sketch No. 1V.) says that Col. Brayman, sent in den. Burgoyne to Col. Baum, with a reinforcing regiment, arrived on the ground the morning after the defeat and death of Col. Baum, and as senior officer assumed the command, but was made prisoner. John Gil- lette (twin brother of Captain Jabez) who removed from Windsor and settled at Torringford, received Col. Brayman's sword, which is still to be seen in the Historical Society's rooms at Hartford.
One of Brayman's officers, a Lient. Fyfe, was billeted in South Windsor as a prisoner, and resided at Jerijah Bissell's. His small sword and cane are also preserved in the Connectient Historical Society's collection.
The following document ( Grunt MISS. ) also preserves the names of two other British officers who were probably prisoners of war at East Windsor :
M' Aubrey presents his | Compliant to Cap' Grant | and we' esteem it a partien lar favor | if Capt Grant wod grant a | pais for L' Stowe & M. A. [ to go to Sufeild to morrow | and return on Tuesday Morn- the reason M. A. request till | Tuesday Morus is in case he | shod not be able to | get acrofs the River.
Sunday
Evens.
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
Eall Windtor Aug' 2 1781
Maj' Rogers Bill of Expence at Eben' Grants
to your Boarding from tuesday ye 24th of July to this Day 1
at 3' in Silver pr Day 91 - 10 - 0
Toy Servi. Do, at 18d pr. Day 0 - 15 -0
To keeping two Horfes 10 Days at 18 pr. Day 1 .10 0
to three Buft Inud" Corn at f / 0 - 12 0
6
to ye ufe of Room & lodging
0 - 2 - 6
54 - 9 -6
Errors Excepted pr Eben' Grant.
Major Rogers was the officer who had conducted the - Convention Troops" from Pennsylvania to Bast Windsor; and the above account probably marks the date at which his official mission and its responsibil- ities ended.
Bast Windsor was also represented in the make-up of Col. Canfield's Militia Regiment, at West Point, in September of this year.
1782-86.
Capt. Erastus Wolcott of East Windsor was this year and until 1783 in command of a company in Col. John Durkee's Regiment (4th of the original, but Ist of the re-formation of the Connecticut Line, 1781-'53), of which company Ebenezer Wales, of Windham, and Lenniel Fling. of Pomfret, were lieutenants, and which numbered, January, 1782, 55 non- commissioned officers and men.
The following letters were written by him from the encampment of the Connecticut Division, then in winter quarters on the Hudson, near the Robinson farm, opposite West Point - a place which thus took the name of " Connecticut Village," or " Iluts."
Connecticut Huits Highland, March 234 1782
Ens" Mexander King East Windsor Connecticut
sir
With the greatest pleasure I take this Opportunity to write a | few serawls and shall think my self amply rewarded if they afford you any ! pleasure or Ammie- mient, the seated as you are amidst a ('irele of the moth agreeable, accomplished, and Brilliant Gentlemen & Ladies and joined to so [ amiable a partner I can very well sup- pose, what I shall have to Communicate | can by no means add to your felicity. I hope to have the pleasure of a line or | two from you and my friends if any I have, which I night suppose to be very few | from their negleet of writing which none have done since I left them. I have | no News of importance to Acquaint you with - we live in he Old way on bread [ and beef one day & beer and bread the next, and are poor ragged and savey | = I have been on Command upon the Lines the most part of the time since |1 left Windsor in which time we cut a few Capers in an Excurfion to Mor | ritsiena with about a hundred Continental troops and Sixty Militia horse | under the Command of Maj' Woodbride on the fth Inftant - the horse made an | AAttack on Delan-
679
EAST WINDSOR IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, 17S2-66.
eys Cow theives killd and wounded about a dozen and brought | of a L'and 23 men prifoners with 14 horfes, the Enemy Attacked on our | retreat with a large body of horse and foot and keept up a warm fire | on us for several which we return'd, we had ? kill and 4 Wounded - 1 | had the rear platoon and covered the retreat & lost 1 man kill4 and 1 Wounded | intend coming home this spring if pofsible, but cant say that } shall quit service | till the coast is a little more clear. hope you will not fail to write as | often as pofsible, to inform me how Matters go with you, and all the fair and pritty faces, to whome I with you to present my best Compliments in the first place, and see ondly to the Gentlemen - Withing you all the health happiness | and pleafure imagina ble - 1 am with elleem sir your friend and |
Humble Servant
E. WOLCOTT.
N. B we have built a large ball room in which we are intructing ourielves in the polite arts of Dancing & fencing.
Connectiont Hlutts April 21st 1982.
Sir I am happy in an Oppetunity of writing you a few lines | just to inform you that I am in good health and wish for the pleasure | hearing the same of you but sup pose that you are engaged in such a Mul | tiplicity of business as not to be able to At tend on such small matters as | writing to an old Acquaintance - I shall now open an account and make | you debtor and hope you will not fail to remit the ballance the first oppertunity. I have no news of importance to communicate have nothing | late of Geul Green The latest accounts say that the Enemy were in Charles | town and out of which they dare not show their heads, att New York all is | peaceable and quite, a party of the enemy some time last week made an | Excursion into the Jersies where they took a Capt. of the Militia who was | on duty there whom they banged immediately withont the benefit of a | trial. his Excellency has taken the Advice of the General and Field Officers on | the occasion and has determined to retaliate what the Consequences will be | God only knows. we are for the most part very well served with provisions, [ and the troops are tolerably well clad though not Completely as yet but I think | we shall make a more respectable appearance this Campaign than we have | done here tofore, what the operations will be this year I am not able to say | but hope they may be spir ited and decisive Which I hope may put an end | to the contest
Duty is easy I have little to do except being Officer of the | day and superintend the affairs of my | small Family for I consider my company in this view I intend com ing home in May if possible but I think it is | very uncertain whether I shall obtain per- mission Capt Buell desires his | Compliments to you and the ladies att Windsor please to make mine like | wise to the Gentlemen and ladies of My acquaintance in such mode manner | and quantity as you shall judge proper
I am with esteem Sir your | humble Servant ERASTUS WOLCOTT.
Capt R Grant
Copied from original in possession of Fred O. King, South Windsor.
On the 29th day of March, A. D. 1782. the committee appointed to " Ascertain the Deficiencies of Several Towns in the County of Hartford to Compleat their Quotas of men in the Continental Army the year Past. report. East Windsor's No. of men was 14. Of the eight other towns deficient Colchester lacked 3, the others only 1 or 2."
Financial difficulties seem to have surrounded the seleetmen of East Windsor in these years. The town, in common with other towns,
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
began to feel most seriously the effects of the long-continued strain, under which the previous years of the war had so long kept them. Of men, cattle, grain, the necessaries of life, and the munitions of war. they were now pretty well drained, and the " Memorials" to the General Assembly, with which the State Archives for this period are filled, sulli- ciently evince the extremity to which town officers felt themselves pushed.
hi January, 1782, ROSWELL GRANT of E. W., who had been appointed, in 1780, as paymaster to the recruits of the First Brigade of the Con- neetient line of the Continental army, whose time of service expired on 31st December, 1781, informs the Assembly that he has been unable to obtain either from the State treasurer or from the collector of State taxes in the several towus in which said brigade had been enlisted, any funds to pay the recruits ; that it was only after a whole year of strenuous effort that he finally obtained a part of the money, and " then it was so depreciated that some of the men would not receive it." and others re- evived it and were paid 40s. in State bills per month, " but refuse to re- ecive any more " -and so he urgently presses for relief from the State treasury, enalding him to pay off the balance, etc .- Conn. State Ar- chires, Revol. War, xxii. 222.
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