USA > Connecticut > The history of Connecticut, from the first settlement of the colony to the adoption of the present constitution, vol. II > Part 59
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WEBSTER, NOAH, LL. D., was born in West Hartford, October 16, 1758, and graduated at Yale in 1778. During his junior year, he enlisted into the army, and served for several months in a company commanded by his father. After graduating, he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1781. For some years he gave his attention to the subject of education, and published several elemen- tary works, which were used as manuals for a long period throughout the country. " Webster's Spelling Book," " Webster's School Dictionary," " Webster's His- tory of the United States," and " Webster's Grammar," have had a greater circu- lation than any works of the kind that have emanated from the American press more than 24,000,000 of the former having been issued from the press previous to 1847. His " Sketches of American Policy," published in 1784, and his other po-
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litical writings, had great influence in forming public opinion, at an important period in our history. In 1793, he commenced the publication of a daily paper in New York, which is still continued under the title of The Commercial Advertiser. In 1798, Mr. Webster settled in New Haven, where he continued to reside, except a few years spent in Amherst, Massachusetts, until his decease. In 1807, he en- tered upon the great business of his life, the compilation of a complete dictionary of the English language. He informs us in his preface that he " spent ten years in the comparison of radical words, and in forming a synopsis of the principal words in twenty languages, arranged in classes under their primary elements or letters." The first edition of this great work, which was published in 1828, con- tained twelve thousand words and between thirty and forty thousand definitions, which are not to be found in any preceding work. In subsequent editions the number of new words had been swelled to thirty thousand. The work has since gone through many editions both in this country and in Europe. In 1823, Mr. Webster received the degree of doctor of laws from Yale College. In 1843, he published " A Collection of Papers on Political, Literary, and Moral Subjects," in one octavo volunie.
Mr. Webster was for a number of years an alderman of the city of New Haven, and a judge of one of the state courts. He frequently represented the town in the legislature; and while a resident of Amherst, he was chosen to represent that town in the legislature of Massachusetts. He died in New Haven, May 28, 1843.
WHEELOCK, ELEAZER, D.D., was born in Windham, in April, 1711, and grad- uated at Yale in 1733. He was settled as pastor of the second society in Leba- non, (now Columbia,) and while in that place he opened a school for the purpose of fitting young men for college, to which he admitted several Indian youths. In 1764, he had under his instruction about thirty pupils, one half of whom were Indian lads. His institution he named " Moor's Indian Charity School," in honor of Mr. Joshua Moor, of Mansfield, one of its most liberal benefactors. Large sums were contributed to aid this school, in England and Scotland, which were placed in the hands of a board of trustees, at the head of whom was the Earl of Dartmouth. The institution was at last so well endowed that it was removed to Hanover, New Hampshire, and in 1769, it was incorporated by the name of Dart- mouth College .. In the act of incorporation, Eleazer Wheelock was declared to be its founder and president, with the right of appointing his successor. He died in 1779, and was succeeded in the presidency of the college by his son. He published several sermons and narratives. In 1811, his memoirs were published by Drs. McClure and Parish, in an octavo volume, with extracts from his corres- pondence. He received the degree of doctor of divinity from the University of Edinburgh, in 1767.
WHEELOCK, JOHN, LL. D., son of the preceding, was born in Lebanon, Jan- uary 28, 1754, graduated with the first class at Dartmouth in 1771, and was ap- pointed tutor in 1772. In 1775, he was elected a representative in the legislature of New Hampshire ; in the spring of 1777, he was appointed a major in the ser- vice of New York, and in November, he was commissioned as a lieutenant-colo- nel in the continental army. He remained in the army until the death of his
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father in 1779, when he succeeded him in the presidency of Dartmouth College, at the age of 25 years. He visited France, Holland, and England, in 1783, bear- ing with him letters from General Washington, Governor Trumbull, and others, and succeeded in procuring valuable donations for the college, in money and books. He published an eulogy on Dr. Smith, in 1809 ; and a history of Dartmouth Col- lege, in 1816 ; and left in manuscript a large historical work. He died April 4, 1817, aged 63 years, bequeathing about half of his estate to the Princeton Theo- logical Seminary.
WHITTLESEY, ELISHA, is a native of Washington, in the western part of the state. In early manhood, he settled in the " Western Reserve," Ohio, as a law- yer ; and in 1823, was elected to Congress-an office which he continued to hold for 18 years. Upon the election of President Harrison, Mr. Whittlesey was ap- pointed auditor of the post office department ; and in 1849, he received the ap- pointment of first comptroller of the United States treasury. He continues to reside in the city of Washington as general agent and director of the Washington National Monument Society.
WILLEY, CALVIN, born in East Haddam, September 15, 1776, read law with Judge Peters, of Hebron, and was admitted to the bar of Tolland county in Feb- ruary, 1798. He practiced for several years in Chatham and Stafford, but settled in Tolland in 1808. He was successively a representative, judge of probate, presi- dential elector, state senator, and senator in Congress.
WILLIAMS, ELISHA, son of the Rev. William Williams, of Hatfield, Mass., graduated at Harvard College in 1711. Having been for several years pastor of the congregational church in Newington parish, in Wethersfield, he was inaugu- rated president of Yale College in 1726, as the successor of Dr. Cutler. He re- signed in 1739, and was soon after appointed a judge of the superior court. In 1745, he was a chaplain in the expedition against Cape Breton ; and in the follow- ing year he was a colonel in the northern army. He afterwards visited England, where he married a lady of superior accomplishments. He died in Wethersfield, July 24, 1755, aged 60. Dr. Doddridge, who knew him intimately, represents him as uniting in his character " an ardent sense of religion, solid learning, con- summate prudence, great candor and sweetness of temper, and a certain nobleness of soul, capable of contriving and acting the greatest things, without seeming to be conscious of his having done them."
WILLIAMS, WILLIAM, son of the Rev. Solomon Williams, D.D., of Lebanon, was born in that town, April 8, 1731, and graduated at Harvard College in 1751. In 1776 and 1777, he was a member of the Continental Congress from Connecti- cut, and signed the declaration of independance. He married a daughter of Gov- ernor Trumbull. He made great efforts and sacrifices in the cause of his country. Mr. Williams died August 2, 1811, aged 80.
YALE, ELIHU, was a son of Thomas Yale, who came to New Haven in 1637, with Governor Eaton and the Rev. John Davenport. The family came from the vicinity of the city of Wrexham, in North Wales, where, for many generations, they had possessed an estate of the yearly value of £500. Elihu Yale was born in New Haven, April 5, 1648. At the age of ten years, he was carried to Eng- . land, where he received his education. About the year 1678, he went to the East
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Indies, where he acquired a great estate, was made governor of Fort St. George, (Madras,) and married a lady of fortune, the widow of Governor Hinmers, his pre- decessor. On his return to England in 1692, he was chosen governor of the East India Company. Some years after, hearing that a college had been estab- lished in his native town, he sent over at different times large donations of goods, books, and money, for its encouragement. On the 10th of September, 1718, the trustees gave to the institution the name of " Yale College," in commemoration of his generosity. He died, July 8, 1721, and was buried at Wrexham, the home of his ancestors.
YOUNG, EBENEZER, was born in Killingly in 1784, and graduated at Yale in 1806. In 1823, he was elected a member of the state senate and was twice re- elected ; in 1827 and 1828, he was speaker of the house of representatives ; and from 1829 to 1835, he was a member of Congress. He died at West Killingly, August 18, 1851.
NOTE .- In the foregoing biographical notes, it will be observed that only those persons are sketched who are deceased or who are residing out of the state. While the rule thus adopted must necessarily exclude from these pages many gen- tlemen of eminence and worth, it has seemed the only practicable course to be pursued. Indeed, but a few of the many distinguished sons and daughters of Connecticut, who have finished their course, or who have left their native state for other fields of usefulness or fame, could possibly be named in a work like this. The good deeds and public services of the living, will not be forgotten. With a full heart, I commend them to the historian and chronicler of the future.
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SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF COLONEL THOMAS KNOWLTON .*
THE subject of this brief memoir, Colonel Thomas Knowlton, was the third son of William, who emigrated from Ipswich, Massachusetts, to Ashford, Connecticut, at which place the former was born, about the year 1740. The father died early in life, leaving besides a widow, three sons, and four daughters.
When the war broke out between England and France, in 1755, Thomas com- menced his military career by joining himself to Captain Putnam's rangers, which composed a part of Lyman's regiment of provincials which were raised in Con- necticut. During the six campaigns in which he served in the vicinity of Crown Point, and on the Canadian frontier, he held successively the offices of sergeant, ensign, and lieutenant. He was promoted to the last rank in the campaign of 1760, which ended in the conquest of Canada by the English and provincials.
He was with Putnam at Wood Creek, in the campaign of 1758, when the latter was made a prisoner. On the morning of the 8th of August, some officers were incautiously engaged in firing at a target for a dinner. The enemy taking advan- tage of the firing lay in ambush and nearly succeeded in surrounding Putnam's division, which had just commenced its march, before they were discovered. Knowlton having become separated from his party found himself surrounded by eight or ten Indians who rose up on every side. Each being anxious to make him a prisoner made signs to that effect. He immediately shot down one of the num- ber and having fled over his body succeeded in reaching his company which at the time were engaged with the enemy at some considerable distance from this scene of peril. He often, on other occasions encountered dangers and endured hardships common in Indian warfare; but his courage and daring were equal to any emergency.
When the war occurred between Great Britain and Spain, in 1762, Lieutenant Knowlton joined the expedition against Cuba, and was present at the reduction of Havana.
A campaign in 1764, under General Bradstreet, into the Indian country ended his military course till the commencement of hostilities with England in 1775.
He married April 5, 1759, Miss Anne, daughter of Samson Keyes, of Ashford.
Having served his country faithfully for a long period in the field, he now re- tired to private life, and to the quiet and peaceful pursuits of agriculture, in the bosom of a happy and rising family.
In the beginning of the year 1775, he held no military command. Yet he was often honored by his townsmen with civil offices, and was at the time of which we speak one of their selectmen.
* This interesting sketch from the pen of Mr. Ashbel Woodward, of Franklin, was received too late to be inserted in the text, or even in its alphabetical place in the appendix. Rather than fail to present it to the public I have placed it here. It is due to Mr. Woodward, to say, that every sylla- ble of it is the production of his pen. He has been indefatigable in collecting the few fragments that remain of the personal history of a hero of whom Washington said that "any country in the world might well be proud."
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When the news of the battle of Lexington reached Connecticut, the militia company of Ashford, was without a captain. The members of this company spontaneously assembled on the eastern border of the town, and unanimously selected Lieutenant Knowlton for their commander. He immediately proceeded with one hundred brave men to Cambridge. This was the first body of armed men that entered Massachusetts from a sister colony.
While at Cambridge, Putnam and Knowlton, held frequent consultations. The latter ever enjoyed the confidence of the former.
The provincial officers having been apprised of the design of the British com- mander-in-chief to occupy the heights on the peninsula of Charlestown, detached a large body of men on the night of the 16th of June, 1775, to proceed there and throw up entrenchments. About one hundred and fifty of the one thousand who were engaged in constructing these fortifications, were taken from the Connecticut regiments. These men with Captain Knowlton at their head, were the first that commenced throwing up the redoubt on Bunker Hill.
When the fighting commenced, Captain Knowlton left the redoubt, and took a position behind the rail-fence which extended from thence to Mystic river. His division having been reinforced, numbered now about four hundred men, all from his own state. This constituted the left wing of the provincial army, the imme- diate command of which was entrusted to him.
The troops from behind this temporary breastwork fought with such terrible effect as to almost annihilate the force directly opposed to them. On the third attack when the enemy carried the Hill, the commander of this division so formed his men, as to use their arms with effect while on the retreat. In this way they kept the enemy at bay till the main body of the American army had left the heights, being himself the last officer that retired from the field.
Soon after the battle of Bunker Hill, he was promoted by the commander-in- chief, to the rank of major, with the privilege of selecting his battalion from the New England troops.
After distinguishing himself in several acts of great personal daring and bravery in the vicinity of Boston, at the end of seven months he returned to Connecticut, and paid off his men in scrip.
In the campaign of 1776, he was raised to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and given the command of a regiment of rangers. His military operations were now in the vicinity of the city of New York, under the immediate observation of the commander-in-chief, whose friendship and confidence Colonel Knowlton fully enjoyed.
Being anxious to wipe off the stain which rested on the Connecticut militia in the affair at Kip's Bay, and to revive the flagging hopes of Washington, he made a daring attempt to gain the rear of an advanced detachment of Highlanders and Hessians under General Leslie, at Harlem Heights, where he fell mortally wounded at the head of his regiment on the 16th of September, 1776.
Thus fell this war-worn soldier full of honors, after faithfully fighting the battles and defending the rights of his country, during ten successive campaigns, at the early age of thirty-six.
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Of his family it only remains that I should add, that he left eight children, born as follows :
1, Frederic, born December 4, 1760. 2, Sally, born November 23, 1763. Thomas, born July 13, 1765. 4, Polly, born January 11, 1767. Abigail born June 20, 1768. 6, Samson, February 8, 1770, died September 10, 1777. 7, Anne, born June 8, 1771, died June 4, 1772. 8, Anne, 2d, born March 19, 1773. 9, Lucinda, born (after the death of the father,) November 10, 1776. His widow Anne, died May 22, 1808.
His eldest son Frederic, was with his father on the fatal battle field at Harlem Heights. He soon after received a discharge from Washington, and returned to the care of his father's family.
Lieutenant Daniel Knowlton, was an elder brother of Colonel Thomas, and served with the latter through the old French war. Of him it was said by Gen- eral Putnam, " that such was his courage and want of fear, that he could order him into the mouth of a loaded cannon." Captain Miner Knowlton, of the army, is a grandson of Lieutenant Daniel Knowlton.
Yours, ASHBEL WOODWARD. G. H. HOLLISTER, Esquire.
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