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 26
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* Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 214.
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all the French possessions in America were to be undertaken by Great Britain. It was suggested that twenty thousand troops should be raised in the colonies to join a body of the King's troops for the invasion of Canada by way of Crown Point, and carrying the war into the heart of the enemies' possessions.
The Assembly voted, " to raise a larger body of men than it was able fully to complete upon a diligent trial & exertion," although many sent on the last expedition had died and become disabled; while others were engaged in making batteaux and carriage service, by which strength and treasure were exhausted, so that they had been obliged to issue large bills of credit and to borrow money of the neighboring provinces, without the means of refunding them, unless the King granted a liberal supply to the colony; but placing the utmost confidence in his encourage- ment, it was voted to raise three thousand six hundred men as soon as possible, which was as many as the colony was able to allow. These sol- diers were to be formed into four regiments of ten companies each. Every able-bodied man who had previously served in the army, and should again volunteer for the campaign, was granted a bounty of four pounds sterling. The colonels and chief officers were to impress men into the service if the companies were not filled before April .*
Major-General Phineas Lyman was commissioned colonel of the first regiment, Nathan Whiting of the second. David Wooster of the third and Eleazer Fitch of the fourth. Israel Putnam, who had com- manded the rangers, was made lieutenant-colonel of the Fourth Regi- ment, David Wooster was commissioned colonel. and James Smedley lieutenant-colonel of the third regiment and captain of the second com- pany, with Captain Josiah Walker for his first lieutenant, Ebenezer Couch, Jr., second lieutenant, and Stephen Thorp ensign of the second company. The Rev. Benjamin Pomeroy of Hebron was made chaplain of the Fourth Regiment, and Gideon Allen of Fairfield surgeon of the Third Regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Putnam was made captain, with John Cotton for his first lieutenant, and John Spalding, Jr., ensign of the second com- pany in the Fourth Regiment. Each surgeon was granted an assistant, called a surgeon's mate. Commissaries were appointed for each regi- ment of the colony, who were to be paid at Albany. +
Forty thousand pounds in bills of credit were ordered to be printed. bearing interest at five per cent., payable on or before March, 1764, to * Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, pp. 221-223. + Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, 1 2. 221-229.
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redeem which a tax of ten pence on the pound was levied on all polls and taxable estates in the colony, and with the additions to be paid into the treasury the last of December, 1763. In case timely and sufficient money reached America from the King before May, 1763, this tax was to be made null and void. For the immediate use of the soldiers, a further tax of seven pence on the pound was levied, to be paid before the last of December, 1763 .*
Mr. David Rowland was appointed one of a committee of four to examine the seven chests of money lately received from Great Britain and to return their lawful value to the Assembly. Mr. Jonathan Trumbull was appointed to assist them. t
The usual meeting of the General Assembly met at Hartford, May Ioth. Judge Ebenezer Silliman and Colonel Andrew Burr were present as Assistants, and Mr. David Rowland and Mr. William Burr as depu- ties from Fairfield. Judge Ebenezer Silliman was appointed one of the Judges of the Superior Court of the colony. Colonel Andrew Burr was appointed Judge of the County and Probate Courts of the district of Fairfield.
Although the colony had agreed to raise thirty-six hundred men in March, and gave encouragement for raising four hundred more, and although many in the colony had enlisted with his Majesty's regular troops during the past winter as rangers, batteaux-men and team-drivers, and many were in the pay of neighboring colonies by offers of large sums as substitutes, besides the loss of men by death and disability, it was agreed to push and exert their utmost endeavors to raise one thou- sand more men, in addition to the four thousand already agreed upon. Every able-bodied man, as well as non-commissioned officers, who had previously served in the late campaigns, who should enlist in the present campaign was granted full pay, to be computed from December Ist until May 5th, and every able-bodied man who now enlisted and had not hitherto served in the army should receive a bounty of seven pounds, besides thirty-five shillings to purchase a necessary outfit, one month's pay in advance before marching, and be supplied with a good blanket and knapsack.
Nehemiah Burr of Fairfield was commissioned ensign of a company in the Third Regiment, under Captain Samuel Whiting of Stratford.
* Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, pp. 235-237. + Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, pp. 237, 238. # Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 251.
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" For the good order of the army," it was voted to place a brigade major over the troops of the colony, and also an armorer for cach regiment .*
Ten thousand more pounds in bills of credit were ordered to be printed, bearing interest of five per cent., payable before May, 1763. to redeem which a tax of two pence one farthing on the pound was levied on all polls and taxable estates in the colony, with the additions to be paid into the treasury the last day of December, 1762.
David Rowland, Esq., was appointed one of a committee " to repair with convenient speed to Albany," and apply to General Amherst for a settlement of the former accounts for billeting his Majesty's troops, and to pay all bills and money borrowed on treasury notes with interest. +
Mr. Nathaniel Burr, Jr., was commissioned captain, Mr. Ebenezer Osborn lieutenant, and Mr. Talcott Buckley ensign of the second train- band of Fairfield.+
A committee was appointed to receive and adjust the charges of the town of Fairfield and neighboring towns " for quartering his Majesty's 48th regiment of foot during the past winter, providing fire-wood, &c., and for a guard-house & hospital in each of said towns."x
It appears that his Majesty's regiment of foot made some trouble. and as their officers did not give information against them. Sir James Cockburn and William Edmondston, captains in the 48th Regiment, were brought before the Court of Fairfield and New Haven for transgressing the laws of Parliament in not delivering over to the civil authorities such soldiers as were complained of for misdemeanors upon proper and legal demand, and held reprehensible for their lack of respect to the civil au- thorities of the colony. ||
Upon the opening of spring the sokliers of Connecticut and the other northern colonies under General Amherst were eager to march against the French. The colonies having in a measure been reimbursed by Par- liament toward the previous year's expenses, now nobly responded to Sir William Pitt's design for the conquest of Canada, and placed twenty thousand men in the field fully armed and equipped. The main expedition against Quebec was placed under the command of General Wolfe, a young general of much gallantry and great promise, who had reached America
* Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 254. + Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 259. & Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 205.
# Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI. p. 263. | Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 296.
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with a large fleet under Admirals Saunders, Holmes and Durel, and an army of eight thousand regular troops. The expedition under Gen- eral Amherst was to march by way of Ticonderoga against Montreal. While a third, under General Prideaux, was designed against Fort Niagara.
Although hampered in his march for want of boats, General Amherst passed Lake George early in July, and with his spirited colonial forces marched to Ticonderoga. The French, after a brave defence, on the 27th of July blew up their magazines and marched hastily to Crown Point. Remaining there but a short time, they evacuated that post and retired to the Isle of Aux Noix. On the first of August General Am- herst sent his light rangers forward, and on the fourth he, with his army, took possession of that island. The conquest of these important posts gave great satisfaction to the army, and incited them to further efforts to clear the country of their enemy and their Indian allies on Lake Champlain, where the French had four large vessels well mounted with cannon and manned with the pickets of several regiments, under the command of Captain Le Bras and a number of French officers. The Isle of Aux Noix was occupied with a strong force of three thousand five hundred men, and well mounted artillery under the command of General de Bourlemaque, who regarded his position strong enough to command the lake and prevent the English army from passing into Canada. To capture the French vessels, General Amherst ordered a sloop to be built of sixteen guns and a radeau of eighty-four feet long to carry six twenty- four pounders. While these vessels were being built by Captain Loring, who had superintended the building of all the boats on Lake George, the army was employed in repairing and strengthening the fort at Ticon- deroga and making the fort at Crown Point impregnable against the scalping and burning parties which had been so destructive to the set- tlements on the frontiers of the northern colonies. A detachment of troops were sent to attack and burn the Indian village of St. Francis, from which many Indian scalping parties had desolated the frontiers.
General Prideaux having been reinforced by Indians under Sir Wil- liam Johnson, marched to the siege of Niagara, but was killed on the zoth of July by the bursting of a gun. He was succeeded by Sir William Johnson, who, with a force of seventeen hundred regulars and provin- cials, with their Indian allies, advancing upon the fort, so vigorously pressed the siege that the garrison surrendered on the 25th of July.
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The women and children were sent by their request to Montreal, and the prisoners to New York and New England.
The reduction of Quebec now became the chief aim of the English, but one of the most hazardous of all these undertakings and the most difficult to be achieved. General Wolfe, with a well-disciphned army outnumbering that of the enemy under the command of Montcalm, was chosen to lead in this undertaking.
The latter, having the advantage of strong fortifications along the banks of St. Charles River, frustrated all the attacks of Wolfe. Nothing daunted, Wolfe planned to secretly pass up the river and scale the Heights of Abraham, upon which lies the upper town of Quebec. His men pulled themselves up the lofty, precipitous banks of the river, and clinging to projecting roots and stones gallantly made their way to the heights. Montcalm, finding the enemy in his rear, drew out all his forces and resolved to make a desperate fight for the city; but his undisciplined and half famished troops, after a few rallies, fled and were pursued to the gates of the city. Both General Wolfe and General Montcalm fell mortally wounded on the field of battle; and although the French made a brave resistance, in less than a week, on the 18th of September, Quebec surrendered. Although Montreal was not taken until the next year, the war in North America was virtually ended .*
Meanwhile General Amherst energetically prosecuted his plan for the destruction of the French vessels on Lake Champlain. On the 11th of October he embarked his whole army in batteaux under cover of the vessels Captain Loring had built for him. Assailed with tempestuous storms, three of the French ships were driven into a bay, two of which were sunk, while the other ran aground, and was seized by Captain Lor- ing, repaired and added to his fleet. As the storm continued with vio- lence, General Amherst decided to end the season's campaign and go into winter quarters. He, therefore, landed his army and spent the remainder of the season in building up the walls of the fort at Crown Point and erecting three smaller forts for its defence. He also opened roads between Ticonderoga and the colonies of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He quartered his troops so as to protect the frontiers from the assaults of the enemy.
These victories filled the hearts of the colonists with great pride, and helped them to forget, in a measure, the mortification of their previous * Trumbull's Ilist. Conn., Vol. II. pp. 396-416.
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humiliating defeats. The French army in Canada were now totally sur- rounded and cut off from all communication with France. Their armies in Montreal, Trois Rivières and the Isle of Aux Noir were in this way cut off from recruits and provisions. Thus hemmed in, active measures were arranged for a spring campaign, by way of Lakes Ontario and Champlain, and through the St. Lawrence to Montreal.
On the IIth of October, the day in which General Amherst set out on Lake Champlain for the destruction of the French fleet, the General Assembly met at Hartford. Judge Ebenezer Silliman and Colonel An- drew Burr were present as Assistants, and David Rowland as deputy.
The first act passed was for a more liberal allowance than the British Parliament had granted for quartering his Majesty's regular troops in the colonies, and in case the officers and soldiers thus billeted should not pay their rates of allowance, all orders to do so were to be made null and void, and the persons upon whom they were quartered were to be paid by the Assembly in full, " for refusing to entertain any longer such officers or soldiers." For the protection of the inhabitants of the towns in which the privates might be quartered, "which at other times had been the occasion of notorious breaches of the peace, to the terror & dis- quiet of his Majesty's good subjects," an act was passed that soldiers should only carry arms when called into active duty.
Mr. Ezra Hawley was commissioned captain, Ichabod Lewis lieu- tenant, John Moss cornet. and Joseph Tomlinson quartermaster of the troop of horse in the Fourth Regiment of the colony.
Mr. Samuel Wakeman was commissioned lieutenant of a military company in Stratfield. Mr. Ichabod Wheeler was commissioned cap- tain, Mr. Abraham Gold lieutenant, and Mr. Samuel Silliman ensign of the first military company in Fairfield. Samuel Hill was commissioned lieutenant and Stephen Hull ensign of the military company in Green- field parish in the Fourth Regiment. Daniel Hull was commissioned cap- tain and Stephen Mead lieutenant of the military company of the parish of Reading in the Fourth Regiment .*
The taxable estates of Fairfield were valued this year at £53,358 7s. 6d. being larger than any other town in the colony except Norwich, not even Hartford or New Haven excepted.t This furnishes some idea of what Fairfield did in keeping up and maintaining its civil, ecclesiastical and military affairs in the colony.
* Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 336-339. + Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 340.
1759]
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It was ordered that the inhabitants of the town of Fairfield who had quartered his Majesty's regiment during the past winter, should be paid the sum of £491 15s. 6d. Milford, Norwalk, Stratford and Stamford were also reimbursed for quartering parts of the same regiment.
The officers and soldiers engaged in the last campaign were made exempt from poll taxes.
A committee was appointed to receive the money granted by Parlia- ment for the last year's campaign.
It was about this period that a climax was reached between the Old Lights and the New Lights. It appears that several worthy students of divinity were denied ordination on account of their Calvinistic tendencies. Meetings of the ministers of the established church had been held from time to time in several parishes, protesting against the ordination of New Lights at the Divinity School as illegal and contrary to the regulations of the consociation of the established church. Strong and bitter were their controversies. During this year a council, composed of some of the ablest ministers and literary gentlemen of the colony, met at Walling- ford, to receive the complaints and excommunication of the Rev. James Dana of Cambridge, who was to be ordained as pastor over the first church of that town. Mr. Dana refused to be examined by the consocia- tion, as he, with his church as his ordaining council, had taken the mat- ter into their own hands without consulting the Old Lights or Old Divin- ity School. This was a bold step on the part of the New Divinity School. The consociations of Hartford and New Haven were called in to unite with that of Wallingford in council. Mr. Dana and his church were, upon delib- eration, pronounced " guilty of scandalous contempt." Finding it impos- sible to prevent his ordination, his followers separated themselves from the first Society, and were made a distinct society by the consociation.
The Rev. Noah Hobart took an active part in what was then called the famous Wallingford Controversy, and he set forth in eloquent lan- guage necessity of council in churches, and that offending churches should submit to examination, or be removed from all Christian com- munion with other churches.
A general association met at the house of the Rev. Ebenezer White in Danbury, June 19, 1759, and expressed their approval of the consti- tution, as they interpreted it, in the following resolutions :
" Resolved by this association that as the consociation of churches is one great thing that the composers of the platform have in view. as they expressly declare that what affects
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all ought to be managed by all; so the ecclesiastical constitution of this colony knows of no other council whatever, but a council of the consociated churches of the districts, or in some cases a consociation of a particular district, united with a neighboring consociation, called in according to the direction of the constitution."
"Resolved, That it is most expedient for preventing the introduction of unsound & disqualified men into the ministry, & entirely agreeable to our ecclesiastical constitution, that the council for the ordination of ministers, to whose province it belongs, over which a pastor is to be ordained; & as this has for sundry years been practiced by several associa- tions in this government, so we recommend it to universal practice, as the accepted plat- form for the government of the established churches."
In October the General Assembly ordered :
"That a certain book, entitled, 'A Confession of Faith,' owned & consented to by the Elders & messengers of the Churches in this Colony of Connecticut, in New England, assembled by delegation at Saybrook, Sept. 9th, 1708: printed at New London anno Dom. 1710, be (inclusive of the preface thereof) in all the parts of it carefully & exactly re- printed; & that the same to the number of two thousand copies be bound with sheep-skin & distributed to the several towns in this colony; according to their public lists given in to this Assembly in its present session; & that Hezekiah Huntington, Esqr., Mr. David Gardener & William Williams, Esqr., or any two of them, be a committee to procure the same to be done accordingly, at the charge of this government." *
* Col. Rec. Conn., Vol. XI, p. 333. Trumbull's Hist. Conn., Vol. II, Chapt. XXV.
CHAPTER XIII
1760-1770
SEVEN YEARS' WAR AND REVOLUTION
Quebec taken .- 1760 .- Political and military officers .- Bills of credit and taxes .- Boston fire col- lection in churches .- Renewed attack on French possessions .- Montreal taken .- Congratula- tions to the King and to General Amherst. - Money sent from England .- Thanksgiving day throughout Connecticut '-War with Indians .- 1761 .- England calls for more troops. - Troops raised .- Officers .- Bills of credit and taxes .- King's proclamation .- Ecclesiastical laws sent to towns .- Money from England .- Bridge across Saugatuck river .- Pitiless war against Indians .- Peace declared .- England's drain upon American colonies .- Answers to England about trade, etc .- General Amherst calls for troops to protect forts .- Industry of troops .- Taxable estates .- Ecclesiastical controversies and taxes .- Northfield parish .- New meeting- house at Greenfield Hill, and call of Rev. Mr. Pomeroy .- 1762 .- England calls for more troops .- Troops raised .- Bills of credit and taxes .- Military officers .- Colonial forces take the place of English regulars .- More troops raised .- Civil and military officers .- Large bounty offered .- Embargo on food and grain .- AAttack on West Indies .- War against Spain declared. -Attack on Havana .- Great mortality among troops .- General Amherst reinforced. - Officers from Fairfield .- Fall of llavana .- Fatality of the New England troops .- Money from Eng- land .- Abatement of taxes .- Officers commissioned .- 1763 .- Peace declared and concessions made .- Great rejoicing .- Men of Connecticut .- Fairfield's brave course .- Wave of great prosperity .- Affection and pride of the colonies for England .- Honored men of Fairfield. Law for debtors .- Bills of credit issued to pay officers and soldiers .- Taxes levied .- Money granted by England used for billeting her soldiers, etc .- A day of thanksgiving appointed - Col. Andrew Burr inspector of army accounts .- 1764 .- Fresh Indian conspiracy .- Civil and military officers .- More troops ordered ont .- Bills of credit .- English taxation burden- some .- Check upon industrial prosperity .- Protest against stamp duties, etc .- Peace with western Indians .- Intellectual impetus .- Stamp Act .- Benjamin Franklin's discovery of electricity .- Church officers .- Protest against Stamp Act .- Jared Ingersoll's English appoint- ment of Stamp Distributor .- Colony expenses laid before parliament .- 1765 .- AAccount of war and colony taxes sent to England, etc .- Civil and military officers .- Golden Hill Indians .- Congress of colonies held in New York .- Resolution .- Treatment of Stamp Act Commissioner. -Public protests .- Rise of Sons of Liberty .- Great excitement .- Refusal to use English importations .- Ilome industries used only. - Proceedings of Congress indorsed by General Assembly .- Petitions to king and parliament signed and sent to England .- Golden Hill Indians .- A public fast .- Stamp Act ignored .- 1766 .- Stamp Act repealed .- Ecclesiastical controversies at Fairfield .- Connecticut refuses Stamp Act Oath .- Governor Fitch and four others take the oath .- Their mistake .- Civil and military officers .- Repeal of Stamp Act .- Letter of gratitude to king and parliament .- Public day of thanksgiving .- Oath of allegiance to George III, rejecting pretensions of James III .- Taxes for schools .- Act to preserve shell- fish .- Church of England convention at Stratford .- Petition for bishop .- 1767 .- General Gage requested British troops to be quartered in Fairfield and towns adjacent .- Civil and military officers .- Increase of school money .- Reading petitions for a distinct township to
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be named Redding .- King's troops quartered in the colony .- Mile-stones .- 1768 .- Civil and military officers .- Guardian of Golden Hill Indians .- British renewal of taxes .- Resistance, riots, and indignation .- American patriots .- Non-importation .- Rise of Sons and Daughters of Liberty .- Petition to the King and Colonial Secretary .- Letter to Massachusetts Assembly. -Death of David Rowland, Esq .- Fairfield jail and court-house burned by Frazer .- New court-house and jail on the Meeting-house Green .- Draining salt marsh at Green's Farms .- Church of England purchased Glebe land .- 1769 .- Separate troops of horse in Fourth Regi- ment .- Civil and military officers .- Effort to remove court-house and jail to Norwalk defeated. -New military exercises .- Death of Governor Pitkin .- Jonathan Trumbull elected governor. -Resolutions to sustain colonial rights and liberties .- Search for land titles .- Death of Col. John Burr .- Powder-house.
1760. THE victories gained during the past decade over the French in Canada had not fully conquered them. The English and colonial forces retired into winter quarters, feeling that the frozen condition of the lakes and rivers would hold the French in check; but this proved to be a mistake, as the latter's ambition to regain their lost possessions led them with great energy and courage to undertake the recovery of Quebec. General Murray, in command of the English forces, while a brave man, resorted to rash measures in an attempt to give open battle to the French forces, rather than risk the hardships of a siege. A severe battle was fought on the 28th of April at Sillery, where the English were de- feated with the loss of most of their artillery, and at least one-third of their army. General Murray, however, resolved not to be defeated in the end, and marched with his forces to the relief of Quebec, where, with his soldiers, he greatly strengthened its fortifications, and mounted on the ramparts one hundred and thirty-two pieces of artillery. In vain the French endeavored to dislodge him. With his brave army, he awaited with impatience the arrival of reinforcements from the English fleet, upon which his safety depended. This succor came on the 22d of April, when the English fleet, under the command of Lord Colville, sailed up from Halifax, and, after many detentions from fogs and wind, anchored off Point Levi. The whole French fleet succumbed to the fire of the British guns, and was entirely destroyed. On the 16th of May, in the darkness and silence of the night, the French forces retreated, leaving "their whole camp, artillery, implements & provisions behind them." This signal victory gave great courage to the colonists that the whole of Canada would soon be conquered and the French driven from the country .*
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