USA > Connecticut > The history of Connecticut, from the first settlement of the colony to the adoption of the present constitution, vol. II > Part 15
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The two barracks fronted each other, and as the volun- teers entered the parade, following the long strides of their leader, he commanded them to form in such a manner as to face both these dormitories, whence the soldiers of the garrison were momentarily expected to swarm. The whole garrison was locked in such a dead sleep, that the shouts of the inside sentries, who gave three loud huzzas, could scarcely awaken them. One of these sentries made a pass at one of Colonel Allen's officers, and slightly wounded him. Allen raised his sword to kill the assailant at a blow ; but chang- ing his purpose and reflecting that the man's life might be
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turned to some good account, he commuted the punishment to a slight cut upon the side of the head. The sentinel instantly threw down his gun and begged for life. Colonel Allen granted his petition, and demanded of him where his commanding officer slept.
The prisoner pointed to a pair of stairs in front of one of the barracks, leading up into the second story. Allen strode up the stairs, and shouted from the entrance, "Come forth instantly, or I will sacrifice the whole garrison." Roused from sleep by a summons that must have been heard by every man within the walls of the fortress, Captain De La Place came immediately to the door, with his breeches in his hand. His astonishment on beholding such a giant appari- tion standing so near him with a drawn sword in its hand, seems at first to have deprived the poor soldier of the power of utterance. Allen was the first to break the silence of this awkward interview. "Deliver me the fort instantly," said he. "By whose authority," inquired the British officer. " In the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress," shouted the volunteer colonel in explanation. Captain De La Place appears to have been at a loss to understand how the former of the authorities named, could be disposed to frown on a gallant officer in the discharge of his duty, and equally at a loss to define the jurisdiction of the latter, over the servants of the house of Hanover.
He began to speak interrogatively, by way of satisfying these scruples, when Allen interrupted him, and flourishing his sword over his head, again, in a voice of thunder, demanded the surrender of the fort. By the sincerity of his adversary's manner, and by the flashing of his eye, that gleamed like a tiger's in the gray light of the early morning, Captain De La Place saw that compliance alone could save his life, and yielded in time to stay the descending blade.
He issued orders immediately that his men should be par- aded without arms, as he had given up the garrison.
Meanwhile the other invading officers were busy in exe- cuting that part of the enterprise assigned to them, and had
169
WARNER TAKES CROWN POINT.
[1775.]
soon beaten down several of the barrack doors, and impris- oned about one-third of the garrison, which consisted of Captain De La Place, Lieut. Feltham, a conductor of artil- lery, a gunner, two sergeants and forty-four privates. This daring scheme was carried into effect in the morning twilight of the 10th of May, 1775. " The sun," says Colonel Allen, who like Mason, has left no vulgar record of his own exploit, " the sun seemed to rise that morning with a superior lustre, and Ticonderoga and its dependencies smiled to its conquer- ors, who tossed about the glowing bowl and wished success to Congress, and the liberty and freedom of America."
Well might its long level beams smile upon the waters of the lake, that had after so many years of conflict only passed from the hands of one tyrant into those of another, and had now for the first time begun to tremble in the light that was to emancipate the world. That same sun, before its setting, shone upon the Continental Congress, whose authority Allen had invoked six good hours before it began to exist !
The reader is not to suppose that Colonel Warner was idle while his old friend, who had shared in common with him the wrestling-matches and boyhood pastimes that in those days made the sons of Litchfield County tough-sinewed and double-jointed as well as brave, was consummating one of the most daring exploits in the history of the revolution. Early in the morning this gallant officer crossed the lake with the rear guard, eager to share in the excitement of a scene in which accident alone had prevented his participa- ting. He was indeed too late; but his nature was incapa- ble of envying the laurels that had been won by his superior officer, and he set off cheerfully and without delay with about one hundred men, to take possession of Crown Point. The small garrison of this fortress consisting only of a ser- geant and twelve men, was on the same day delivered up to him without a struggle.
Previous to this affair, Allen had dispatched a messenger to Captain Remember Baker, who was at Winooski river, requesting him to join the army at Ticonderoga, with as
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large a number of men as he could muster. He obeyed the summons ; and when he was coming up the lake with his party, he met two small boats, which had been sent from Crown Point, to carry intelligence of the reduction of Ticon- deroga to St. John's and Montreal, and solicit reinforce- ments. The boats were captured by Baker, and he arrived at Crown Point just in time to participate in the reduction of that post .*
Still the lake was not entirely free, for a single English sloop was lying at St. John's. As Colonel Arnold had already proved himself willing to do his duty, an amicable arrange- ment was entered into between him and Allen in regard to the capture of this sloop. It was agreed to arm and fit out a schooner that was lying at South Bay, which was to sail for St. John's under Arnold, while Colonel Allen followed with another party in batteaux. Arnold made all sail for the prize, without waiting for Allen who, of course, soon fell behind him. The sloop was much larger and carried more metal than the schooner, but Arnold found no difficulty in surprising and taking her captive, together with the garri- sion at St. John's, t before the batteaux could arrive. The wind that had favored his advance, now suddenly shifted, and blew fresh from the north, as if to facilitate his return. In about an hour, Arnold again reached Ticonderoga. On his way he met Colonel Allen, within a few miles of St. John's, and saluted him with a discharge of cannon. Allen returned it with a volley of small arms. This was repeated three times, after which the colonel went on board the sloop with his party, where they all drank several jolly rounds for the edification of their prisoners, and in token of their loyalty to the American Congress.
Lake Champlain was now in the hands of the Americans, without the loss of a single life. The fall of Ticonderoga alone gave to the Congress, aside from the importance of the place, about one hundred and twenty iron cannon,
* Captain Baker was a native of Woodbury, Connecticut.
t This garrison consisted, like that at Crown Point, of a sergeant and twelve men.
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CONNECTICUT PAYS THE BILLS.
[1775.]
fifty swivels, two mortars, one howitzer, one cohorn, ten tons of musket ball, three cart loads of flints, thirty new car- riages, a large quantity of shells, one hundred stands of arms, ten barrels of powder, two brass cannon, to say nothing of materials for ship building, pork, flour, beans, peas, and other valuables .* Warner took upwards of one hundred pieces of cannon at Crown Point. Such was the result of this retaliatory act that followed the murders at Lexington, and the ill-timed seizure under the name of mili- tary stores, of a few barrels of flour at Concord. It was as we have seen, from the beginning, a Connecticut measure, conceived by gentlemen from that colony, approved by her General Assembly, carried out by officers who were born in her towns of Litchfield, Woodbury, and Norwich ; and paid for, as our state papers still show, from her treasury.t
Thus Connecticut had the honor, of which neither envy nor falsehood have ever been quite able to rob her, of strik- ing the first aggressive blow at the British power in America. The news of these achievements soon spread
* Allen's "Narrative." See De Puy's Life of Colonel Allen, p. 218.
i The surprise and capture of Skenesborough was effected without bloodshed. Major Skene was taken while out on a shooting excursion, and his strong home possessed and the pass completely gained, almost without opposition. Had the Major received the least intimation of the intended assault, the attempt must have failed ; for he had about sixteen tenants near at hand, besides eight negroes and twelve workmen. See Gordon, i. 335.
# As some historians have claimed for Massachusetts the honor of originating and carrying out the design upon Ticonderoga, the subject may deserve a passing remark. The facts in the case, as I have given them in the text, have been so fully and repeatedly proved, that many of the Massachusetts writers have cheer- fully conceded the claims of Connecticut on this point. That the importance of Ticonderoga to the cause of the colonies, had been a topic of conversation among the patriots of Massachusetts, as well as of Connecticut, is not improbable ; but it does not appear that any person in that colony had conceived the practicability of attempting its capture, until Arnold suggested it to the committee of safety ; or until the committee from Connecticut revealed the plan to Colonel Easton, and others, at Pittsfield, when on their way to Bennington. Colonel Easton, of Pitts- field, was appointed second in command ; and a few volunteers for the expedition were picked up in Massachusetts. This, I believe, constitutes the extent of her participation in the affair, and these were only hired men.
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
throughout the continent. The Congress hailed her sons, who led the expedition, with the liveliest enthusiasm, and even threw open their doors, and received them upon their floor. Reluctantly, and after a long debate, in which the tories were voted down, New York did the same,* and everywhere from north to south, was mingled with the honor awarded to the officers, a tribute of gratitude to the Green Mountain Boys.
* In the New York Assembly, the motion was made by Captain Sears, a distin- guished "Son of Liberty," was seconded by Melancthon Smith, and was carried by a vote of more than two to one.
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CHAPTER VIII.
BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL.
As soon as intelligence of the battle of Lexington reached the ears of the ever watchful governor of Connecticut, he dispatched a messenger to Colonel Putnam, directing him to repair forthwith to Lebanon.
It was early in the morning, and Putnam was plowing in the field, when this special post arrived. He left the plow in the unfinished furrow, and after giving some hasty direc- tions to his servants, hurried home, mounted his horse, and rode off at full gallop. He found the "rebel governor" ready to receive him. The interview was brief. "Hasten forward to Concord, said his excellency, don't stay for troops. I will take care of that-hurry forward, and I will send the troops after you !"* Upon the back of the same horse that had brought him from home, Putnam instantly set out upon his journey. He pushed forward like a courier who bears dispatches on which is to hinge the fate of empires. He traveled all night without so much as halting to give breath to the tired beast who found it was no sinecure to serve such a master. As the sun rose the next morning, the veteran hero, then almost sixty years old, rode into Concord, having kept his saddle for eighteen hours, and made, over roads that would now be
* A very respectable authority states, that Putnam was digging stones for the purpose of making a wall upon his farm, when the messenger arrived, and that he started off into the neighboring towns to rally the militia without orders from any one. This is believed to be a mistake. Governor Trumbull was not only the nominal, but the real head of the military forces of the colony-was the authority from which such a movement would be expected to emanate. Besides, there are still in the Trumbull family the evidences that the governor was the first to take this step. Putnam was too good a citizen-too much a soldier to act without being properly authorized.
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
thought impassable, the distance of more than one hundred miles. The Connecticut militia who followed him, marched with a quick step until they reached their place of destina- tion. No sooner was it known that Putnam was in the field, than other patriots from all parts of the colony imitated his example. Sometimes in parties of ten or twelve, with a captain, a lieutenant, a sergeant, or a corporal ; sometimes in little squads of two or three officers, or privates, as the case might be ; they would come dropping into Cambridge, where his regiment was stationed, soon after his arrival ; gentlemen and yeomen, most of them clad in the same undistinguishable home-spun that had been made a common badge of all the true-hearted by the late oppressive acts of parliament ; all animated with the same spirit of resistance. As April waned and May slowly crept toward its zenith, these little hunting-parties began to be succeeded by larger companies, better armed, and presenting a more warlike array. At last a band of one hundred men marched from Norwich, under the command of Lieutenant Huntington. This company had been brought together and partly disci- plined by Major John Durkee .* It was made up of excel- lent marksmen, who proved themselves worthy to be com- manded by John Durkee, when at the battle of Bunker Hill the ranks of General Howe's regulars fell column after column before their fatal aim.
But let us not lose sight of the doings of the General Assembly. In March a short term had been held and a list of military officers appointed, embracing some of the bright- est names of the revolution.t In April was held the great session of that eventful year. News-carriers were selected,
* This company was in the battle of Bunker Hill, in camp during the succeed- ing winter on Prospect and Cobb's Hill, accompanied the army to New York in March, endured all the hardships of the retreat through the Jerseys, and fought at Germantown. Caulkins' Hist. Norwich, 226, 227.
t The following are the names of the regimental officers appointed at that ses- sion, viz : Colonels-Jedediah Elderkin, Andrew Ward, Jr., Isaac Lee, Jr. Lieutenant-Colonels-Experience Storrs, Increase Moseley, Jr., Matthew Talcott, Fisher Gay, William Worthington, and David Waterbury, Jr. Majors-Thomas Brown, Samuel Canfield, Thomas Belden, Simeon Strong, and Sylvanus Graves.
175
MILITIA ORGANIZED.
[1775.]
to carry tidings from town to town, and a committee appoint- ed to superintend them .* They next proceed, without nam- ing the word " Lexington," (for their own act against trea- son still kept its place upon the statute book,) to appoint a committee " to procure provisions for the families of those who had gone to the relief of the people at the Bay." Soon after, in language of a bolder import, it was ordered that one-fourth part of the militia of the colony, should " be forth- with enlisted, equipped, accoutred, and assembled for the safety and defense of the colony." These citizen-soldiers were to be distributed into companies of one hundred men each ; and formed into six regiments under the command of a major-general, assisted by two brigadier-generals, with sub- ordinate officers, whose rank and duties were particularly defined. Rates of pay were at the same time established, and provision made to procure fire-arms, and the other munitions of war.t To incite those to enlist who were fit to bear arms in defense of their country, a premium of fifty-two shillings and a month's pay in advance, was offered to the soldiers at the time of enlistment. t To give more
* Thaddeus Burr, of Fairfield, and Charles Church Chandler, of Woodstock, were appointed to employ, at the expense of the colony, two news-carriers, to perform regular stages from Fairfield to Woodstock, and back, so as to arrive in Hartford on Saturday of each week, and carry all proper intelligence through the colony, along the route, " with all convenient speed." Gurdon Saltonstall, of New London, was directed to engage two news-carriers, at the expense of the colony, to perform regular trips between Woodstock and New Haven, on the Fairfield stage, in such manner that they should severally arrive at New London on each Saturday, and forward all their intelligence on every Monday morning to Woodstock and New Haven.
t The salary of the major-general was fixed at £20 per month ; each brigadier- general was to receive £17 per month ; colonel, £15 ; lieutenant-colonel, £12 ; major, £10 ; captain, £6 ; lieutenant, £4 ; ensign, £3; adjutant, £5.10 ; quar- ter-master, £3 ; chaplain, £6 ; surgeon, £7.10 ; surgeon's mate, £4 ; sergeant, £2.8; corporal, £2.4 ; fifer and drummer, £2.4 ; and each private, £2.
The soldiers were to be furnished with good arms, belonging to the colony, if unable to furnish themselves ; or if they found their own arms, they were to be allowed ten shillings for the use of such arms. In case more arms should be required than could otherwise be obtained, they were to be impressed from house- holders not enrolled.
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
solemnity and more of the appearance of authority to this important act, forms of enlistment were adopted for the officers, and the governor was empowered and requested to give written orders to the officers whose duty it was to bring men into the service. Having provided all these prelimina- ries, they appointed the officers for the six regiments thus to be raised. The three general officers were, David Wooster, Joseph Spencer, and Israel Putnam, Esqrs .* The list of officers, whose names will be found below in a note, will doubtless interest the antiquarian and the reader of general history, who loves to read over the catalogue of illustrious men whose memories can never fade from the annals of the state or nation.
To provide these six regiments with whatever was neces- sary for the contemplated resistance, commissaries were appointed, at the head of whom stands the venerable name of Oliver Wolcott. Nor was the old expedient of issuing bills of credit, foreshadowing as it did a long and heavy train of all the evils attending taxation, forgotten on this occasion. As the people had burdened themselves in times past to aid in the extension of British power, much more now did they voluntarily tax themselves to raise money that they might resist unconstitutional laws that would have forced such a burden upon their shoulders. The first issue of these bills amounted to fifty thousand pounds.
Although the enemy's ships were hovering on our coast, which was sadly exposed to their depredations on account of our numerous harbors, still the Assembly nobly gave up for the defense of Massachusetts, four of the six regiments thus to be raised from her citizens, and to be maintained at her own cost.
On the 11th of May, with a vacation of less than twenty
* Colonels-Benjamin Hinman, David Waterbury, Jr., Samuel Holden Par- sons. Lieutenant-Colonels-Andrew Ward, Jr., Samuel Wyllys, Experience Storrs, George Pitkin, Samuel Whiting, and John Tyler. Majors-Jabez Thompson, Ist, David Welch, 2d, Roger Enos, John Durkee, Samuel Elmore, Thomas Hobby, Samuel Prentice.
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MILITARY CODE.
[1775.]
days, the Assembly again met. Their very first act was to issue bills of credit of the same amount as the issue in April, thus making in a few days the enormous sum of one hundred thousand pounds. Guns, tents for officers and soldiers, camp equipage and furniture, medicine chests, and standards, were ordered to be procured .* For each regiment the new stand- ard was to be of a particular color. That of Wooster's was to be yellow, Spencer's blue, Putnam's scarlet, Hinman's crimson, Waterbury's white, and Parsons' azure. Then they proceeded to digest and enact a military code for the government of the army thus to be made up of their sons and brothers, that is still extant to bear witness to their wis- dom and self-sacrificing patriotism.t In the preamble to these military rules are to be found passages of a high order of eloquence. The causes that led to the settlement of the colony are touched upon with great delicacy, and the virtues of those emigrants are commemorated, who, in the language of the Assembly, " bravely encountered the dangers of untried seas, and coasts of a howling wilderness ; barbarous men and savage beasts, at the expense of their ease and safety, of their blood, their treasure, and their lives ; transplanted and raised the English coustitution in these wilds, upon the strong pillars of civil and religious liberty." In this paper too an enumeration of the causes of complaint that the colo- nies had so much reason to urge, was set forth in the fol- lowing stately and graphic language : "All our loyal peti- tions to the throne for redress of grievances have been treated with contempt, or passed by in silence, by his majes- ty's ministers of state, and the refusal to surrender our just rights, liberties, and immunities, hath been styled rebellion ; and fleets and armies have been sent into a neighboring colony to force them to submit to slavery and awe the other colonies into submission, by the example of vengeance inflicted on her."
* Hinman, 172, 173.
+ For an exact copy of this code, see Hon. R. R. Hinman's " American Revo- lution," from pp. 174 to 181.
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
At this session also the first committee of safety was appointed to advise with the governor during vacation .* On the records of the same session we find a resolution to the effect that the committee of the pay-table should give orders on the treasurer for the payment of all the money actually expended, or for obligations given therefor, in obtain- ing the possession of Ticonderoga and Crown Point. The committee is directed to liquidate the accounts of the costs and expenses for men and provisions, in taking and securing said fortress, by any of the inhabitants of this or any other colony acting in the employ of Connecticut.t They also took measures to keep the forts, the capture of which she had conceived and executed, as appears by the following para- graph from the records of that session :
" Resolved, That five hundred pounds of powder shall be forthwith borrowed by the committee of pay-table, from the town stocks of the adjacent towns, and be transported by Colonel James Easton, with the utmost expedition, to Crown Point and Ticonderoga, and to be there used for the immedi- ate defense of those posts, until the resolves of the Continen- tal Congress should be carried into execution ; directing the committee of pay-table to draw on the colony treasurer in favor of Colonel Easton for the sum of £200, to be expended in defraying the expenses of transporting said powder, and other necessary purposes, for the immediate support of said fortresses."
How any honest man in his senses, can presume, in the face of this record, and the other evidences adduced, to deny that Connecticut was the originator of the capture of those forts, is inexplicable.
On the 1st of July, Governor Trumbull called the Assem- bly together again, by a special order. The first act of importance provided for the raising and equiping an addi-
* This committee consisted of the Hon. Matthew Griswold, Hon. Eliphalet Dyer, J. Huntington, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, R. Wales, Jr., J. Elderkin, Joshua West, and Benjamin Huntington, Esqrs.
+ Hinman, 182.
# Hinman, 183.
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CONNECTICUT PROTECTS NEW YORK.
[1775.]
tional body of fourteen hundred men, exclusive of commis- sioned officers, " to serve during the pleasure of the Assem- bly, not exceeding five months, to be led and conducted as the Assembly should order." The new recruits were direct- ed to be formed into two regiments of ten companies each ; and each company was to consist of seventy non-commis- sioned officers and privates, with the usual number of com- missioned and staff officers. Charles Webb and Jedediah Huntington were appointed colonels of these regiments ; Street Hall and John Douglas, lieutenant-colonels ; Jona- than Latimer, Jr., and Joel Clark, majors.
Nor did the General Assembly, in protecting the forts and in extending a fostering care over Massachusetts, forget to provide, as she had long been in the habit of doing, for New York. The governor was requested to draw from the treas- ury and forthwith deliver to Walter Livingston, Esq., at the request of General Philip Schuyler, fifteen thousand pounds, in bills of credit, together with as much ammunition as they should judge necessary .* How this generous act was requited by General Schuyler, not long after, in his treat- ment of General Wooster, will be dwelt upon as it deserves.
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