USA > Connecticut > The history of Connecticut, from the first settlement of the colony to the adoption of the present constitution, vol. II > Part 25
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" STATE OF CONNECTICUT,
" BRANFORD, May 1st, 1777.
" To his excellency George Washington, commander-in-chief of the American army :
" May it please your Excellency-A lingering distemper, of which I have long felt the severe effects, has now so far prevailed over my constitution that I have no hopes of recovery, which lays me under the disagreeable necessity of begging your excellency's leave to resign the commission to which I had the honor of being appointed in this state. I would beg leave to observe to your excellency, that nothing but a consideration of my being so far reduced, that my longest space of living can be but short, and the improbability of my being of any farther service to my country, could induce me to quit a service which has ever been my delight, and in which, though laboring under a heavy load of infirmities, I have always been able to perform my duty whenever called upon. But as nothing is impossible with God, whom if it should please of his infinite mercy to restore me to health again, I shall think myself bound in duty to my country, again to enter its service.
" I am with great respect,
" Your excellency's most obedient humble servant,
" WM. DOUGLAS."
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
pied by the enemy, and when they saw a party advancing to meet them in front, they ran down the declivity, and, secreting themselves behind this breastwork, opened a brisk fire upon the Americans, but at such a distance as to do no harm. Colonel Knowlton, finding the British flank more exposed than the rear, soon advanced within musket range of them, and brought the guns of his rangers and Virginians, who were every one of them marksmen, to bear upon them with their deadly aim. The British returned their fire, and at such close distance that the officers who were in advance of their men were sadly exposed. In a few minutes Major Leitch was carried off mortally wounded. He was shot through the body with three balls. Knowlton pressed on with the same intrepidity that had impelled him to seek the post of danger at Bunker Hill, rushing into the thickest of the shower of random bullets that swept the field, until his body was pierced through and through, and he fell dead in front of his men. His death seemed to inspire the surviving members of his party with a courage quickened by revenge, that animated them almost to madness. They all knew the gallant soul who had thus fallen a victim, and fought around the pale and bleeding form like votaries defending a shrine that is threatened with desecration. The remaining officers and men all fought indiscriminately, and desperately main- tained their position till other detachments were sent forward to support them, when they advanced upon the enemy, and drove them from the wood into the plain. The action lasted four hours, and the loss on the American side was small in point of numbers, but heavy and never to be forgotten was the sorrow that bewailed the fate of the brave and gallant Knowlton of Ashford. Though Washington, and all the other officers of the army, lamented his untimely fate, yet the loss fell most heavily upon his native state, and every member of his regiment was a mourner. Yet his death, like that of every good man, was not without its sanctifying influence upon the cause for which he fell. It taught the Americans to forget their recent defeats and to look forward
287
WHITE PLAINS.
[1776.]
to the day of ultimate victory. It taught them, too, another important lesson, that American soldiers would not desert their lines and run from an enemy without cause, when under the command of officers who preferred rather to fall dead at their posts than to desert them.
About a month after this, Washington retreated from New York island, and marched to White Plains, where he encamped on a high elevation protected in front by two lines of intrenchments nearly parallel, and about five hundred yards from each other. Curving around the foot of this eminence, the river Brunx effectually guarded the right wing, the flank, and a part of the rear, while the left wing rested on the border of a pond that rendered it inaccessible to the approach of an enemy. Sir William Howe obviously meant to force Washington into a general engagement, for he fol- lowed him up as rapidly as he could, marching his troops in solid columns. On the 28th of October, his army appeared in its proudest array, spreading itself over the hill-sides that faced the American camp, and distant from it about two miles. The same day a detachment was sent forward to dis- lodge a party of Americans, mostly Delaware and Mary- land troops, from Chatterton Hill, and after a short action suc- ceeded in taking possession of the post. Sir William advanced toward the American left, and formed his encamp- ments in a semi-circle, keeping his troops lying on their arms all night. He evidently intended to make the attack in the rear ; but in the morning, after a careful examination of the American position and intrenchments, he came to the con- clusion that it would be unsafe to attempt to carry the works without more force. He therefore waited for two days, until Earl Percy should come up with his detachment that was at Harlem. The 31st of October was fixed upon for the attack, but there came on a heavy rain, that induced him to change his plan. It was then too late. General Washing- ton, who knew that his position was inferior to others that might be selected, did not deem it best to hazard everything by an engagement in such a place, and in the night removed
288
HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
the main body of his army in safety to a more elevated site, and early on the morning of the 1st of November, entirely deserted his camp .*
Sir William saw that he could never force Washington from his new position, and retired toward Kingsbridge. The retreat of Washington to the Jersey shore, and the fall of the fort that had been named after him, seemed to the com- mon soldiers to quench in darkness the few surviving sparks of hope. The fall of Fort Washington proved to be the source of many bitter sorrows to the people of Connecticut.
Washington had written a letter to General Greene, expressing an opinion that this fortress ought to be abandoned, but still left it discretionary with him to decide whether to quit it or defend it. That brave officer was of the opinion that the fort was in no danger. On the 15th of November, Sir William Howe summoned Colonel Magaw, who com- manded the garrison, to surrender. He replied, that he would defend himself to the last extremity. Washington hastened to Fort Lee, as soon as he heard of the summons, procured a boat, and was crossing over to Fort Washington, when he met Putnam and Greene, who were returning from the gar- rison. They told him that the troops were in high spirits, and would make a good defense. It was late at night, and he was persuaded to return. There can be no doubt but General Greene attributed too much importance to this post, and that Washington was right in his first view, that the place ought to be abandoned. The argument of Greene was, that the evacuation of the fort would give the enemy free access to the navigation of the Hudson-an event that Con- gress and the New York Convention seem to have particu- larly depricated. +
At this critical time, Fort Washington and the works on
* In the action at White Plains, on the 28th, the Americans lost three or four hundred, killed and prisoners. Hildreth, iii. 154. In this, and the preceding skirmishes at or near White Plains, the Connecticut regiments under Colonels Chester, Douglas, and Silliman, were actively engaged. See Hinman, p. 91. + Gordon, ii. 124.
289
FORT WASHINGTON.
[1776.]
Harlem Heights were held by Magaw's and Shea's Penn- sylvania regiments, Rawlin's Maryland riflemen, some of the militia of the flying camp, and a few companies of picked men, who had been detailed from the Connecticut regiments for purposes of defense. Among the latter was a company of thirty-six soldiers from Litchfield county, who were placed under the command of Captain Bezaleel Beebe, of Litchfield .*
On the 16th, the assault on the fort commenced at four different points at nearly the same time. The first division, under General Knyphausen, consisting of Hessians and the troops of Waldeck, attacked the north side ; the second, on the east side, composed of English light-infantry, and two bat- talions of guards, was conducted by General Matthews, sup- ported by Lord Cornwallis, with a body of grenadiers, and the thirty-third regiment ; the third attack on the south, intended chiefly as a feint, was directed by Colonel Sterling, with the forty-second regiment ; the fourth, under Lord Percy, a very strong corps, was ordered to aim its assault against the western flank of the fortress. These several assailing parties were provided with excellent trains of artil- lery. The fighting commenced along the lines outside the walls of the fort. The Hessians under General Knyphausen, who were first to commence the assault, suffered most severely,
* Of these thirty-six men, four-Corporal Samuel Coe, Jeremiah Weed, Joseph Spencer, and John Whiting, were killed during the assault. The remain- der were taken prisoners and confined on board the prison-ships, in Livingston's sugar-house, and in the North Church, where twenty of their number died, viz., Sergeant David Hall, Elijah Loomis, Gershom Gibbs, Timothy Stanley, Samuel Vaill, Nathaniel Allen, Enos Austin, Gideon Wilcoxson, Alexander McNiel, Daniel Smith, Isaac Gibbs, Solomon Parmelee, (supposed to have been drowned,) David Olmsted, Jared Stuart, John Lyman, Aaron Stoddard, John Parmelee, Joel Taylor, Amos Johnson, and Phineas Goodwin. On the 27th of December, an exchange of prisoners took place ; but only twelve of the survivors were able to sail for Connecticut, viz., Sergeant Cotton Mather, Timothy Marsh, Berius Beach, Thomas Mason, Noah Beach, Daniel Benedict, Oliver Marshall, Elisha Bronson, Zebulon Bissell, Remembrance Loomis, James Little, and Oliver Wood- ruff; six of these, (viz. Marsh, Marshall, Loomis, Bissell, Bronson, and B. Beach,) died on their way home. Six only out of the thirty-six lived to reach home.
51
290
HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
and lost in killed and wounded about eight hundred men. One after another, the American corps were driven within the fort, where they defended themselves with great bravery, until resistance became fruitless. The besiegers then sum- moned Magaw to surrender. After consulting with other officers, he at length agreed to capitulate. The garrison, amounting to two thousand six hundred men, surrendered as prisoners of war .* The Americans had about four hundred killed and wounded ; the loss of the enemy was not less than twelve hundred.t
The reduction of Fort Washington thus gave the royal army entire possession of the island of New York. Wash- ington's army had become so enfeebled that it now scarcely amounted to three thousand effective men, who, in conse- quence of their recent defeats, had lost their usual courage and energy.
The American prisoners were treated with the greatest inhumanity. Some were sent on board the prison-ships, while others were confined in churches, and in the sugar- house. They were crowded together in dense masses, deprived of food, drink, and fresh air, and made to suffer the horrors of disease, famine, and suffocation, besides the brutal insults of the petty officers who had them in charge. Their treatment is without a parallel in the history of the wars of any civilized nation.
* Botta, i. 289.
t Gordon, ii. 224-226. While the enemy were advancing to the attack, Generals Washington, Putnam, and Greene, and Colonel Knox, with their aids, crossed the river and approached towards the fort. They were warned of their danger, and after much persuasion were induced to return. The garrison was, however, watched with intense interest by Washington, who, from Fort Lee, could view several parts of the attack ; and when he saw his men bayonetted, and in that way killed while begging for quarter, he cried with the tenderness of a child, denouncing the barbarity that was practiced.
# A letter from a Connecticut gentleman, dated 26th Dec., 1776, says-“ The distress of the prisoners cannot be communicated in words. Twenty or thirty die every day-they lie in heaps unburied ! What numbers of my countrymen have died by cold and hunger, perished for the want of the necessaries of life ! I have seen it."
291
NEW YORK CONVENTION.
[1776.]
During these operations, the New York Convention was thrown into serious alarm, Jest the tories of that state should rise in arms and openly join the British forces. That body was obliged to remove from place to place, in order to avoid the enemy ; and sat successively at Harlem, Kingsbridge, Phillip's Manor, Croton, and Fishkill. A committee was appointed, with John Jay for its chairman, "for inquiring into, detecting, and defeating conspiracies." This committee was well provided with funds, had an armed force at its dis- posal, and was invested with unlimited powers. Many tories were seized by its order, and sent into Connecticut for safe keeping .*
On the 3d of May, 1777, Lieut. Thomas Catlin, of Litchfield, made a deposition before Andrew Adams, Esq., J. P., as follows :
" That he was taken a prisoner by the British troops on New York island, Sept. 15, 1776, and confined with a great number in a close jail, eleven days ; that he had no sustenance for forty-eight hours after he was taken, and that for eleven whole days they had only about two days' allowance, and their pork was offensive to the smell. That forty-two were confined in one house, till Fort Wash- ington was taken, when the house was crowded with other prisoners. After which they were informed they should have two-thirds allowance, which consisted of very poor Irish pork, bread hard, mouldy and wormy, made of canail and dregs of flax-seed. The British troops had good bread. Brackish water was given to the prisoners, and he had seen $1,50 given for a common pail of water. Only between three and four pounds of pork was given three men for three days. That for three months, the private soldiers were confined in the churches, and in one were eight hundred and fifty. That about the 25th of December, 1776, he and about two hundred and twenty-five others, were put on board the Glasgow at New York, to be carried to Connecticut for exchange. They were on board eleven days, and kept on black, coarse broken bread, and less pork than before. Twenty-eight died during the eleven days. They were treated with great cruelty, and had no fire for sick or well. They were crowded between decks, and many died through hardship, ill-usage, hunger and cold." See Woodruff's Hist. of Litchfield, 38, 39.
* Hildreth, iii. 156. It was the wise policy both of committees and of the gov- ernment to send their prisoners as far inland as possible, in order to prevent their forced liberation. Hence, the jails and many of the private dwellings in Litch- field, Hartford, Norwich, &c., were frequently used for the safe keeping of tories and of prisoners taken in battle. Dr. Church, who was detected in a treasonable correspondence with the enemy, was long confined in the Norwich jail; and prisoners of war, occasionally in large bands, were carried thither for confinement. Mr. Matthews, the mayor of New York, Governor Franklin, and others, were
292
HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
Washington was at this time encamped on a level plain between Hackensack and the Passaic river. The army had no intrenching tools, and Cornwallis was rapidly approach- ing. Exclusive of Heath's division in the Highlands, and the corps under Lee on the east side of the Hudson, the Ameri- can army did not exceed four thousand men. On the 22d of November, Washington retreated to Newark, with the entire force under his immediate command; from thence he again retired, first across the Raritan to Brunswick, and then to Princeton, where a corps was left under Sterling, to check the enemy's advance, while Washington continued his retreat to Trenton-at which point he transported the remainder of his stores and baggage across the Delaware .*
The news of Washington's retreat produced the greatest excitement in Philadelphia, where Putnam had been placed in command. Some fifteen hundred of the city militia were sent forward and joined Washington at Trenton, and he advanced again upon Princeton. As the rear guard of his army left the Jersey shore, Cornwallis with a superior force was in sight. Indeed, during the whole course of the retreat, the American rear guard, who were employed in pulling up bridges, were almost constantly within sight of the advance corps of the British army. Boats having been removed from the Delaware, the enemy found no way of crossing, and accordingly encamped near Trenton.t
Inasmuch as the movements of the enemy had made Phila- delphia the seat of war, Generals Putnam and Mifflin strenuously advised that Congress should retire from the city ; and that body finally resolved to adjourn to Baltimore, in Maryland, to meet on the 20th of December. Until further orders, Washington was invested with full power to direct all things relative to the operations of the war.Į
On the evening of Christmas, with two thousand five hun- dred of his best men and six pieces of artillery, including
confined in Litchfield. See Woodruff's Hist. of Litchfield ; Caulkins' New London.
* Gordon ; Hildreth. t Hildreth. # Gordon, ii. 142.
293
MORRISTOWN.
[1776.]
the New York company under Alexander Hamilton, Wash- ington commenced crossing the Delaware about nine miles above Trenton-at which place he had resolved to strike a decisive blow by attacking the fifteen hundred Hessians stationed there. It was eight o'clock before he reached the town; but the Hessians were overcome by the night's debauch and were completely surprised. About a thousand of their number were taken prisoners, who were immediately sent to Philadelphia, and paraded through the streets in triumph. The victory at Princeton soon followed, by which three hundred prisoners fell into the hands of the Americans, besides a severe loss to the enemy in killed and wounded. The American loss was about one hundred, including several valuable officers.t
Huts were erected at Morristown, and there the main body of the American army remained during the winter. The right wing was at Princeton, under Putnam ; the left in the Highlands, under Heath; and cantonments were established at various places along this extended line. Occasional skirmishes took place between advance parties, but for six months no important movement took place on either side.
In the mean time, the enemy under Sir Guy Carleton were making desperate efforts to recover their supremacy on Lake Champlain. A fleet of above thirty armed vessels of differ- ent sizes and varieties had been set afloat by them, some of which had been framed in England and brought over in detached parts. Besides these, a gondola weighing thirty tons, with above four hundred batteaux, had been dragged up from the rapids near Chamblee. The whole were manned by seven hundred seamen. The Americans had also exerted themselves to their utmost in building and fitting out a little fleet on the lake, which, when completed, mounted fifty-five cannon and seventy swivels, and carried three hundred and seventy-five men. These had been placed under the com- mand of General Arnold, who was soon reinforced with three galleys, three gondolas, and a cutter. On the 11th of October,
* Gordon ; Hildreth ; Botta.
294
HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
a warm action ensued, which was continued for some hours. The Americans behaved with great gallantry, as their enemies were free to admit. General Waterbury fought with great intrepidity, walking the quarter-deck during the entire engagement. All his officers were either killed or wounded, excepting a lieutenant and the captain of marines. The action resulted in sinking a gondola belonging to the British, and in the blowing up of another with sixty men. - The Americans had a schooner burnt, and a gondola sunk. The latter now retreated in the night, hoping to find a shelter under the guns of the fort at Ticonderoga; but they were overtaken, and again brought into action near Crown Point. The vessel in the rear was taken by the enemy ; and to save the rest, from a similar fate, Arnold ran them ashore and set them on fire. The Americans lost eleven vessels and ninety men. The British lost three vessels and fifty men .*
Carleton having thus obtained command of the lake, took possession of Crown Point, and soon retired to winter quar- ters. Ticonderoga was still held by General Gates, though his army had been greatly reduced by the departure of the militia, and the expiration of the terms of service of the regulars. The humane conduct of Carleton was highly commended by the American officers. As his predeces- sors had done, and as the Americans were then doing, he for a time employed the savages as his allies ; and while he allowed them to take prisoners, he strictly forbade them either to kill or scalp them. When he found he could not deter them from scalping, he dismissed every one of them, saying he would sooner forego all the advantages of their assistance than to make war in so cruel a manner.
Before he commenced his operations on the lake, General Carleton had prudently shipped off the American officers
* Hildreth, iii. 145; Gordon, ii. 146. " The Washington galley, commanded by General Waterbury, had been so shattered, and had so many killed and wounded, that she struck after receiving a few broadsides." Arnold kept his flag flying, and did not quit his galley till she was in flames, lest the enemy should board her and strike it.
295
BRITISH HUMANITY.
[1776.]
who had been made prisoners in Canada for New England,* supplying them at the same time with everything requisite to make their voyage comfortable. The other prisoners, amounting to about eight hundred, were returned by a flag, after being obliged to take an oath not to serve against the king unless regularly exchanged. Many of these being almost naked, he supplied them with clothing. Thus, by his tenderness and humanity, he gained the affection of those Americans who fell into his hands. His conduct in this respect affords a striking and happy contrast to that of nearly all the British officers who served in this country during the revolution.
* Four transports arrived at Elizabethtown, from Quebec, October 5th, 1776, with four hundred and twenty Americans who had been prisoners in Canada. The officers from Connecticut were, Major Return J. Meigs, Captains Samuel Lockwood, E. Oswald, O. Hanchett, A. Savage, and B. Chatten.
" On the 16th of September, 1776, the following persons from Connecticut, were confined with others, in one room at Halifax, among felons, thieves, and negroes, viz., Sergeants Levi Munson, of Wallingford, Zachariah Brinsmade, of Woodbury ; Corporal Charles Steward, of Stamford, Roger Moore, of Salisbury, Samuel Lewis, William Gray, David Goss, and Adonijah Maxum, of Sharon, Ebenezer Mack, and Levi Barnum, of Norfolk, and Flowers, of New Hartford. In the hospital-Amos Green, of Norwich, J. Matthews, of Goshen, and Wm. Drinkwater, of New Milford." Hinman, 89, 90. These men were taken prisoners with Colonel Ethan Allen, in his attempt upon Montreal.
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CHAPTER XII.
BURNING OF DANBURY. DEATH OF WOOSTER.
SIR William Howe had been informed that the Ameri- cans had large depositories of military stores in Danbury and its neighborhood. He determined to destroy them without delay ; and in casting about him for a faithful operator, in this most invidious of all employments-who would be remorseless in the use of the torch-he hit very readily upon his excellency, Governor Tryon, of New York, who, since about the time of his gallant exploits at Mrs. Murray's side-board, had added to his administrative title of governor of New York, the fanciful addition of major-general. Sir William Howe could hardly have made a more admirable selection. He was a shrewd judge of character, and knew well that nothing so effectually calls out the latent energies of a man of genius, as a sudden appeal to old and cherished recollections. Now there was no part of the world, that could awaken in the mind of William Tryon, so many lively and searching associations as Connecticut. The name of the little republic made his excellency's hair bristle with certain sensations, that a soldier ought not to entertain. From the time when that irreverent company of Connecticut dragoons had scattered the type belonging to the administration organ, through the streets of New York, and driven off his pet, Rivington, with hundreds of tories- that were worthy of being elevated to the dignity of gov- ernor's horse-guards-he had felt the liveliest emotions at the very sound of the word Connecticut. In some way, it was inseparably connected in his mind with that charming society called the "Sons of Liberty."
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