USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > The history of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, from the settlement of the town in 1639 to 1818, Vol. II > Part 24
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operations, with almost unlimited power. He wasalso made Gosenior of Virginia and colonel of a royal regiment pt colonel force .
The General Council of War had arranged to make an suack ou Viagara and Crown Point with the northern forces and . body ofereg ulars, a detachment of which was to be sent up the hegreid Klyet . alarm Canada, and thus hold a check on the mam demien. The Endbern colonies were, with the assistance of several regiments of regalato to besiege Fort Du Quesne on the Ohio. Niagara was considered to be one of the most important posts in North America, as it Wasup the seeds side of Lake Ontario, at the entrance of the Strait which jomed if to Lake Erie, forming the only water communication between them, and " the only link which connected the colonies of Canada & Lohmenty Te was the only way by which the Indians for several hundred miles from the northwest could pass with safety to the southern parts of Vierten or by which the Indians south of the Lake could communicate north of it." Besides this, the holders of this valuable strategic position naturally held command of the five nations-the Indians on the north amit til-e along the banks of the Wabash and Mississippi, as well as the Idings in the western frontiers. By the success of this enterprise the English xw that they could not only control the Indians, but profe a sermus rock to the French on the Ohio and the Lakes.
Crown Point was the only passage into Canada, and secured the com mand of all Lake Champlain, through which the French and buydixos passed to make their fierce and bloody attacks on the frontier foisos of New England and New York. To secure this valuable entrare into Canada would end these attacks, and confine the French and their Indan allies within the bounds of Canada, and at the same time open a passage into the centre of Canada.
If General Shirley disappointed Great Britain and the clones with his unfortunate control of the New England forces, General Abercrombie. with one of the largest and best equipped armies ever seen in America. also sorely disappointed their expectations through debly, mactastig and ill management. He allowed the fort at Oswego, for want of renforce ments, to endure a protracted siege by the French under General Mont- calm. Colonel Mercer then in command was killed: ant on the path of August the garrison, consisting of sixteen hundred nien, capitu ted and were taken prisoners. One hundred and twenty-one pieces of cannon. fourteen mortars, two sloops of war, two hundred boats built on the
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lake, and all the stores and ammunition fell into the hands of the enemy, and were carried away to strengthen their other line of defences. General Bradstreet, while conveying food and provisions to Oswego, twice made vigorous and successful repulses upon surprise forces of the enemy Seventy of his men were killed and wounded. About twice that number of the enemy were killed and taken prisoners, and among them their general. Upon learning from them of the siege of Oswego, he resolved to return to Albany to give information of the siege and designs of the enemy. General Webb, who with one regiment had been ordered to pro- ceed to reinforce the forts at Ontario, was found on the 29th of July to be still at Albany. He did not advance until August 12th, when learning of the fall of Oswego, he leisurely returned to Albany .*
Meanwhile General Winslow, with about seven thousand New England and New York troops, had reached the southern landing of Lake George. His troops were in high spirits, awaiting with impatience. the word of command from General Abercrombie to advance up the lake to Crown Point. But General Abercrombie, with three thousand men under his command at Albany, delayed moving until after the middle of August, to the chagrin, indignation and humiliation of the colonial troops, and, although there were still three months of good weather, they were still further keenly disappointed by Governor Loudoun, who decided that the season was too far advanced to make any further attempt against the French until the following year. Fort Henry and Fort George were left strengthened and well garrisoned. The rest of the provincial troops re- turned home, and the regulars went into winter quarters at Albany. For want of a settled plan of action the southern colonies were not more suc- cessful than those of the north.
The colonial troops, however, had not been idle during all this annoy- ing and dispiriting delay. Under the energy and skill of their own officers they had made roads through the wilderness, erected forts, built vessels and a large number of boats.
Governor Loudoun, as commander-in-chief of the American forces, visited many of the principal towns in the colonies and was received with every degree of respect and hospitality. He undoubtedly passed through Fairfield on his way to New Haven, where he was most cordially and hos- pitably entertained by President Clap. The officers and troops of the army did not share in these outward demonstrations of respect. In the
* Trumbull's Hist. Conn., Vol. II, pp. 372-376.
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Earl of Loudoun and General Abercrombie the colomes had placed the greatest expectations and confidence. They had get out with the highest hopes of success, only to have all their plans dashed at the very time they expected to meet only with success, while ten or twelve thousand men had spent the summer in awaiting the action of two Engh h commander . who had proved wholly unfit for the duties with which they had been up- trusted. It is not surprising that the troops and people should have con cluded that their own officers were far better able to command them and to defend the country.
Meanwhile the French had triumphed everywhere and strengthened themselves. The winter was one of deeds of massacres and horrors 1 many of the frontier towns.
The General Assembly met at Hartford on the 8th of September to consider a letter received from the Earl of Loudoun, who had written that the enemy were approaching, and " that he considered it advisable that all the commissioners of the colonies should agree that he should take all the stock of provisions at Fort William Henry, Fort Edward aml & Albany, the posts between those forts and Albany, for the use of the pro- vincial forces at the same rate and allowance that his Majesty's forces received, and to give a receipt therefor, and to pay a just value for all such as he should receive." While the Assembly " thought it expedient to agree with his lordship's proposal." it was considered more advisable to fulfil their engagement made with the colony troops, " at the same rate & allowance they had received." That the matter might be duly trans acted. Jabez Hamlin and Hezekiah Huntington were sent as a committee to Albany to fully settle the matter and " to confer with the Earl of Loudoun touching the reimbursement of the whole expense of the stores and provisions supplied by the Connecticut colony. & to charge & rcke a receipt for the same." *
The Assembly having received notice that the money granted by Parliament " as a free gift & reward to the Colony of Connecticut for past services," sent by his Majesty's ship " Sterling Castle," had arrived. and the moneys conveyed to Messrs. Charles Apthorp & Son of New York. out of which Governor Shirley demanded that the money which Con necticut had borrowed from him should be paid. It was. therefore. ordered by the Assembly " that ten thousand pounds sterling " out of time money should be paid to Governor Shirley and a receipt taken for The
* Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. V. p. $ 15.
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same. It appears that over and above this sum there still remained for Connecticut, " fourteen thousand eight hundred & twenty-eight pounds, ten shillings & one penny." This sum was to be paid to Governor Fitch in gold ; but the colony, unwilling to part with the silver sent over, refused to receive it all in gold, and desired Messrs. Apthorp & Son to send in- stead of the order already sent, "another including the silver & small money sent to this colony, & the remaining balance in gold." In all. there were " twenty-three chests of silver & two chests of gold sent to Connecticut." The full proportion sent to the colony after deducting necessary expenses, fees, etc., was " twenty-six thousand pounds," out of "one hundred & fifteen thousand pounds," sent to the colonies from Great Britain .*
An act was passed that all prisoners should be sent to the county jails and a due allowance be made for their maintenance.
All grains and provisions were prohibited from being sent out of the colony under penalty of confiscation until the following June, and special care to be taken to prevent the French from receiving such provisions.
The Governor sent out a proclamation to the ecclesiastical societies of all the colonies, appointing the first Thursday in October a day of fasting and prayer. +
On the IIth of October the General Assembly met again at New Haven. A report having reached the Governor from the Earl of Loudoun of his lordship's expectation of the speedy approach of the enemy to attack the army at Lake George and vicinity, eight companies of one hundred men each were ordered to be sent without delay to the relief of the forces in Lake George and parts adjacent. Each man enlisting was granted a bounty of eighteen shillings.
The men raised for the Fourth Regiment were to be under the com- mand of Captain Joseph Hoit of Stamford. Samuel Adams of Strat- ford was commissioned first lieutenant and Jedediah Hull of Fairfield second lieutenant. +
Mr. Joseph Squire was made ensign of the first train-band of Fair- field. §
The taxable estates of Fairfield were valued at £50.761 15s. 4d.
An annoying letter was received and read from the Earl of Loudoun after the troops had been raised and made ready to march for Lake
* Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. X, pp. 546-548. + Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. X, p. 550.
# Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. X, pp. 556, 557. § Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. X, p. 645.
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George, that their services would not be required at that time, but that they should be held in readiness to march. The Assembly, however, did not think it advisable to maintain troops at such great expense, and ordered them to be disbanded. The colonels and captains of each com- pany were ordered to take pains that every enlisted soldier and house- holder should be provided with arms and ammunition and to holl al the soldiers in readiness, in whole or in part, to march upout the shortest notice.
The well kept parish records of Green's Farms contain the deaths of five young men of their inhabitants who fell in the expedition against Crown Point. Their names were Thomas Sherwood, Phineis Squire, Jethro Morehouse, David Hendricks and Abel Fountam.
While many interesting events were being accomplished for the pro motion of well-governed institutions of learning in the colony, the par ishes throughout Fairfield were in a most flourishing condition.
The people living at Northfield, now called Weston, had mereased in numbers to that extent that they found themselves well able to sup- port a minister of their own. Accordingly, at the October session of the General Assembly, they presented the following petition :
"Upon the memorial of Cornehus Ditman & other mhabitants of the northern part of the West Parish & north-western part of Greenfield parish in Faireed. & a small part of the parish of Wilton in Norwalk bounds, praying to be made into an sodeur nel society ; representing their being at great distance from any place of publis wordup & of their ability to uphold & maintain the ministry among themselves, die - by the memorial on file may more fully appear :
The Assembly appointed Jonathan Maltbee of Stamford. John Read of Fairfield and Samuel Olmstead of Ridgefield a committee " to inquire into the motives of said petitioners, & at the call & cost of the memorial- ists, to repair to the said place, view the same, & the lands & parts ad- jacent, & having heard all parties concerned, to report their opinion of what they thought best should be done, to the Assembly in May next."t
The Baptists at Stratfield fell into trouble at this time. From an old paper dated July 10, 1756, it appears that three of those who organ- ized the society were excommunicated :
" Samuel Beardsley claimed that God had made him an eye of Zijon; " but. bong tried by the rule that Christ himself hath left us where he tells us, ' Every tree is known
* Rev. J. B. Relyea's Ilist. Dis, at Green's Farms, Oct. 20th, 1505. t Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. X, p. 562.
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by its fruits,' then if this gift was the gift of God, surely Life, Love, Joy & Peace would have been the consequences; but instead hereof, it hath been manifestly spiritual death, hatred, strife, & debate, contrary to the Gospel. To use which he declared it a false gift, according to the 25th Chapt. of Proverbs, 14th verse, ' Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, is like the clouds & winds without rain.'"
Another serious charge was that those who were to be excommunicated as well as all unconverted persons should be denied the validity of marriage. At the same time it was asserted that the marriages of Christians were lawful and their children holy. Mar- riage was called the "doctrine of devils," which was denied by the examining committee, who claimed, according to St. Paul's Epistle to Timothy, and cited as sound doctrine, tliat "marriage is honorable to all." The guilty parties were then charged with "breaking their Covenant vows & admonished to repent of their errors, while Zion sits with tears on her cheeks & mourns over you; & with sorrow of heart is called to draw the sword of the spirit, & cut the cord of fellowship, & let the coat fall off rather than all perish to- gether."
The Baptist church not having a settled minister relied only upon the visits of Mr. Morse, who did not reside at Stratfield, and as they had neither deacon or clerk, this paper of excommunication was signed by several leading members of the parish by way of giving it weight.
At a town meeting held in Fairfield May 20th, 1756, it was "agreed that the people called baptists have liberty to erect a house of public worship at Elbow-hill, so called; said house to extend twenty-six feet in width from the west side of the highway."
Beside forming new parishes within the town limits, several other matters of interest took place. On May 20th, at a town meeting, it was voted : " to open a highway from Silliman's bridge to Penfield's mill on Ash-creek." It was also voted " that all the Greenfield & Stratfield so- cieties lying below Sport-hill, should work one day at the bridge pro- posed to be made over the Ash-House creek, a great creek, so called."*
Dr. Gideon Wells of Fairfield was given liberty to produce inocula- tion against smallpox in the towns.
Every householder was required to keep a good ladder upon his house from the month of December, in case of fire, under a penalty of ten shillings.
By a vote passed July 23d, the court-house and jail bounds are given as follows: "That piece of land lying south-east of the Rev. Noah Hobart's parsonage, having been a part of his home-lot which he hath sold to Isaac Tucker is bounded on the south-east by the new jail & south-west by the court-house & the pound, & on the south-east by the land of Justin Hobart." Thus the jail at that date stood between the houses of Mr. Isaac Tucker and Mr. Justin Hobart, a nephew of the Rev. Noah Hobart.
* Town Records.
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1757. The General Assembly met agam at Hartford, January nth. to take into consideration and arrange by the order of the Fat of Lop floun for another expedition agaist Canada. Colonel Andich Pi was present as an Assistant and Mr. Lothrop Lewis as a representative
The Assembly appointed Governor Fitch and four contorsioners po meet the Earl of Loudoun and commissioners from the other colonies at Boston during the month of January. They were given full power to agree upon the number of men to be raised by Connectiont . always observing such instructions as shall be given them by this Assendily, which instructions were not to send more than twelve hundred ami lote men; that the Assembly would appoint officers for the Connections troop- to ask his lordship for provisions and other necessaries, pay for the fortes to be raised for him, as well as for such provisions as he had already re ceived; and also that he should request his Majesty to refund the compe and expenses of the past year.
The colony treasury being nearly exhausted, a tax of two pair of the pound was levied on all the polls and taxable estates in the color in the same manner as it was levied in 1755-
After the meeting of the governors and commissioners from the several colonies with Earl Loudoun at Boston, a special Assembly coll vened at Hartford, February 9th. when the Assembly voted to Tale fourteen hundred men to act in his Majesty's service, under the Far of Loudoun, in the next campaign. Handsome bounties were given to old and new volunteers, and the usual sim paid them while in service .*
Samuel Hubbell was commissioned and served as captain. Jonah Walker as first lieutenant. Ezra Stephens second heutenant, and Abel Prindle ensign of the fifth company of volunteers in the Fourth Rego ment.+
The serious drain of raising and maintaining the forces of the pre vious year so impoverished the colony that the Assembly apporter the 20th of March for a collection of five of six thousand pounds, to be taken up in all the churches. They especially urged the wealthy inhabitants of the towns to contribute liberally towards maintaining English supre macy in America. The Assembly also voted that a public lottery sitobyl be drawn at Hartford June 1st to raise the sum of eight thousand pomod- towards defraying the colony expenses. The sale of the lottery tickets * Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. X. p. 599. + Col Re Cante. V. X. 1. 001
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were to be paid in bills of the late emission, or in gold or silver on or before February 20, 1758 .*
An order was issued to collect all the arms and accoutrements be- longing to his Majesty in the last campaign by appointed officers in each company. Colonel Andrew Burr was chosen to collect those held among the soldiers of Fairfield County. They were to take special care of them and to either sell or bring back those found at Albany, Fort Williams and Fort Edward, to the colony commissary appointed to receive them.
Jonathan Trumbull and John Ledyard, Esq., were appointed to ad- just the sums owing the colony, with the Earl of Loudoun.
The General Assembly met at Hartford May 12th, when Judge Eben- ezer Silliman and Colonel Andrew Burr were present as Assistants, and Captain Thomas Hill and Mr. Lothrop Lewis as deputies from Fairfield. Judge Ebenezer Silliman was chosen one of the Judges of the Superior Court of the colony, and Colonel Andrew Burr Judge of the County and Probate Court of Fairfield.
An act was passed requiring the chief military officers of each town to examine on the first Monday in May and October, the arms and ammunition of each company under their command and in their vicinity, and also those of the other inhabitants. The colonels and captains of each company of soldiers were commanded to see that the forces were fully prepared to march on the shortest notice.
A man-of-war was ordered to be provided for the protection of the
* Under the head of " The judgment of the ministers, met at Boston 11th of May, 1699, upon a case unto them concerning Lotteries," Cotton Mather thus wrote : "Great is the difference between a lottery set up by persons acting in a private capacity, & a lottery set up by the govern- ment, who have power to lay a tar upon the people, but choose to leave unto the more easie deter- mination of a lottery, the person who shall pay the summ which the necessities of the public require. A parliamentary lottery takes only from the voluntary what the government might have demanded with a more general imposition ; & only when the people are plunged into such distress, that a more general imposition would be grievous ; & it employs for the welfare of the public, all that is thus raised by the lottery. Whereas a more private lottery is managed by those that have no antecedent claim unto anything of their neighbors, & is designed merely for private advantages."
" 2d, It is a principle embraced among all well informed christians, that no calling is lawful but what is useful unto humane society, in some of its interests, except there be in a calling, some tendency to make an addition unto the enjoyments & interests of humane society, no christian may set it up. The oracles of heaven tells us, christians must learn to possess honest trades for neces- sary uses. To set up a lottery is to set up a calling. But though this or that particular man may be a gainer ; yet it would puzzle any man to tell what necessary or convenient uses of humane society, where the lottery is opened are at all served. The mind, the bodies, the riches, the defence, or the regular delights of humane society have by this lottery, no addition made unto them."-Cot- ton Mather's Magnalia, Book V, Chapt. XVII.
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colony sea-coast, fully armed and provided with officer. I doctor and seamen. The officers and seamen were to have one half of all pose. taken, to be divided among them according to their grade
The Assembly ordered that the mhabitants within the limits described by the memorial of Cornelius Dikeman and other inhabitants of the northern part of Green's Farms, Greenfield and Wilton, bould be made and constituted a distinct ecclesiastical society and endowed with all the privileges and immunities of such societies in the colony under the name of Norfield.
The bounds of the parish were as follows, via ch gaming at ulu munsty in the western line of Fairfield township twenty rods above Joli Mirilor Jestang house, & from tence running etter to the wod w , Feu ds including the same, & so on to Greenfield parth hey there weresent with and The Aspetuck River: thence running northerly by said refer to Gilbert hallways non about half a mile west of the mile of common, thence northjeily hy and l-disse 10 10 Reading south line, & thence westerly to sand south line et F ibel trvalo; southerly as to the perambalation line between the town of harald & Normal rom the west branch of Sagatuck River, & then by said branch tof af come to santalis sanne line again. Provided, nevertheless that nothing herem e stamed mail he con avent 1 exempt those persons included in this society & taken out of the eye their proportionable part to perform the covenant sad songty of Greenland lately mente with Mr. Goodsell, their late pastor, to pay to him a certain sum di nefes is & in let it his maintenance." *
A tax of three pence on the pound was levied on all the polls and ratable estates in the colony, and also a tax for all clearing soups out of the seaport, for the support of the colony man of war. \ duty of six pence was levied on every pound of tea brought into the colors 1 It was also enacted that after July a duty of five pounds should be re- quired for every hundred pounds worth of goods, wares and menenun-e. except such as were exempt from taxation, under fine and confection. if neglected. An act was also passed taxing each peddler, In. vier wald petty chapman five pounds for a license and four shillings for i ice and reward for the year.
Captain John Read of Reading was commissioned Leutenon solonet. and Robert Walker. Esq., major of the Fourth Regiment in the ebony
It has been seen that Connecticut nobly responded to Fart Longform's call for another year's campaign. Fourteen hundred men were quick v made ready to march at a moment's warning. Great, therefore, nos the
* Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 35. + Col. Rec. Conn .. \I, II.
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surprise and disappointment when it was learned that instead of march- ing against and reducing Crown Point Great Britain had made a change f in her plans, and the reduction of Louisburg was to be undertaken with- out delay.
Meanwhile Great Britain had made great preparations to carry on the war in America. A large fleet of ships, boats and transports bearing sixty thousand troops sailed in May, from Cork, under the command of Admiral Holbourn and Commander Holmes, with General Hopson to command the land forces. Loud were the murmurings of disappoint- ment and indignation among the colonists. The danger of sending the troops to Louisburg, instead of marching direct to Crown Point and reinforcing the forts on Lake George, gave them serious reason to fear that the enemy would entirely sweep away the frontier posts. Nor was it deemed safe to draw off any large body of troops from the colonies. The enemy having strengthened their fortifications were stronger than the previous year, and were flushed with pride, having been victorious against an army of twelve thousand men. However great the vexations of the magistrates and the officers and troops were at the turn of events, they were obliged to submit to the dictation of their recently acquired General-in-Chief. On the 9th of July the Earl of Loudoun sailed from New York for Halifax with a land force of six thousand men. There he formed a junction with the forces of General Hopson, who, with six thousand more men, swelled the army to twelve thousand, besides hav- ing a powerful fleet. Again mortification and disappointment awaited the colonial troops. Delay on the part of the Earl of Loudoun in mak- ing an early attack with his forces gave the French fleet an opportunity to reach Louisburg and to reinforce the garrison with nine thousand men. The news of this gain to Louisburg led the Earl of Loudoun and his chief officers to believe an attack would be unadvisable. The expe- dition was relinquished, and the ill-conducted campaign ended in the army returning to New York without having made one advantageous stroke. Mr. Trumbull remarks: "The British generals in America did more in two years by the pusillanimity, weakness and inconsistency of their councils to injure the colonies, than the French could have done with all their forces." Meanwhile the French took possession of the main forts, destroyed the fortifications south of Lake George and cut off communications with the five friendly Nations. Under General Montcalm Fort William Henry was reduced August 9th, with all the
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