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 42
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* Rec. State Conn., II. 124. + Rec. State Conn., II, 133.
# Rec. State Conn., II, 135.
§ Rec. State Conn., II, 153.
CHAPTER XIV
(PART THIRD)
December 3d. The Governor and Council ordered that the prize money be paid in favor of Captain Smedley, due to the officers and crew of the ship " Defence," for the prizes sent into Carolina, and to draw on Mr. Eliott of Boston for the same. General Silliman at the same time was directed " to fit up a small vessel to cruise the Sound, & also to make suitable provisions to supply a proper guard for the battery at Fairfield."*
The battle at Newport had not been of any special advantage to either of the combatants. In November the British turned their atten- tion towards the valley of the Susquehannah. Wyoming was attacked by a body of British, Iroquois Indians and Tories. The barbarities practised upon the inhabitants of this beautiful town were horrible. Men, women and children were tomahawked, and endured the most frightful tortures until death came to their relief. Those of the inhabitants who escaped fled to other settlements for safety, but few survived the suffer- ings of their flight and some were lost and starved in the mountains and caverns, while children died from fatigue and exposure. Cherry Valley suffered in like manner before November ended. An expedition by General Clark of Virginia was undertaken against the western tribes, but he was forced by the British Governor of Detroit to give up the American post at Vincennes. Not long after General Clark succeeded in retaking Vincennes.
According to a resolution of Congress for a general thanksgiving throughout the country, Governor Trumbull appointed the 30th of December to be observed as a day of thanksgiving in Connecticut. He issued a most interesting proclamation to be read in all the churches within the State; "in which the ministers & public officers were called upon to exercise a fatherly, affectionate tenderness & compassion towards the people, by carrying on noble designs & views; to maintain the just honors God hath put upon his law, his gospel, his day, his institutions & the stewards of his house; & to suppress whatever was immoral &
* Rec. State Conn., II, 167.
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profane. The ministers were, as teachers of the law, the messengers of glad tidings of great joy, are to show the law to be holy, just & good; to thunder the terrors thereof against the wicked that they may be afraid to transgress; to sound the gospel trumpet loud & shrill that all may hear & rejoice; & to be examples by their lives & ministrations of the love of God, our Saviour & the Souls of men; that the Holy Spirit might quicken, enlighten & enliven them in their labor of love. Thus our Moses & our Aaron, walking hand in hand. will lead the people in the way of wisdom to happiness here & to everlasting life."*
1779. The General Assembly met at Hartford, January 7th. Stringent methods were adopted to compel correct returns of personal property and real estate to be taxed. An act was also passed to compel furnishing necessary supplies for the army to the Quartermaster-General. A tax of two shillings on the pound was levied on all polls and taxable estates given in for 1778, with the additions by April ist.t
Congress passed a resolution on the 2d of January that the United States should be called upon to pay in their respective quotas of fifteen million dollars in the year 1779. and six million dollars annually for eighteen years from and after the year 1779, as a fund for sinking the emission and loans of the United States to the 31st of December, 1778, inclusive. On the 5th of January Congress fixed the proportion of the loan to be raised by Connecticut at seventeen hundred thousand dollars. The Assembly resolved to comply with this adjustment when the quota of the other States should be adjusted; the money to be placed to the credit of the State on interest of six per cent. per annum, "although the sum was considered more than the just proportion of the State." In order to carry out this resolution, a tax of three shillings was levied on the pound on the polls and ratable estates within the State given in for 1778, with the additions, to be paid into the treasury on the 20th of May; and a further tax of two shillings on the pound on the said list of 1778, to be paid into the treasury December ist.
A tax of twelve pence on the pound was laid upon all the polls and taxable estates of 1777, to be levied and paid into the treasury by the first day of April. Abatements were ordered to be made for persons of small property not able to pay so large a tax.+
Prisoners of war confined in the jail at Fairfield, with those from
* Rec. State Conn., II, 165. + Rec. State Conn., 1, 172-175.
# Rec. State Conn., II, 177.
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other counties, were ordered to be removed to the Counties of Hartford and Windham, upon their bond with surety to pay, to be confined in such places with people to labor as the Governor and Council should direct.
A law was again passed for the maintenance of the families of officers and soldiers serving in the battalions by the towns in which they enlisted.
In order to induce seamen to sail on the ships "Oliver Cromwell " and " Defence," it was agreed to pay them out of the prize money they should take, the same dividends after the deduction of necessary expenses, etc., which has been usual " among the crews of private vessels of force of the same burthen."*
Owing to the enhanced prices for the necessities of life, and the com- plaints of officers and soldiers throughout the army, who had been but scantily clothed and provisioned, the Assembly ordered that forty-five thousand pounds lawful money be paid out of the treasury by April Ist to the officers and soldiers serving in the State infantry and artillery in- cluded in the State quota, " & not that of any other State "; and a further sum of sixty thousand pounds be paid them by the first of December. +
Companies of volunteers for the protection of the sea-coast were ordered to be stationed in each town, who should do the duty of artillery- men, or any other necessary duty. One company of fifty men, with officers, was ordered to be stationed at Fairfield; and, as an encourage- ment to enlist in this service, a bounty of eight pounds was offered to each non-commissioned officer and private soldier who should furnish himself with a blanket, firearms and a bayonet. They were also to be exempt from taxes until August. The monthly pay was fixed, for a captain, at £18; a lieutenant, £12; a sergeant, £7 4s .; a corporal, £6 12s .; a drummer and fifer, £6 12s., and a private, £6.+
Two armed vessels were ordered to be fitted out as soon as possible, to cruise the Long Island Sound.
A premium of forty shillings was ordered to be paid to the non- commissioned officers and soldiers who had been in actual service since October of 1777.8
While these heavy taxes were laid upon the inhabitants of Fairfield and the other towns in the State, the inhabitants of Connecticut were solicited to help the impoverished and starving people of Rhode Island,
* Rec. State Conn., II, 179. + Rec. State Conn., II, 179.
# Rec. State Conn., II, 181, 182.
§ Rec. State Conn., II, 183.
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who had fled into Connecticut from the cruelties and oppressions of the British in and around Newport. Donations for their relief were ordered by the Assembly to be taken up by the ministers in each congregation throughout the State. These contributions consisted of clothing, grain or articles of produce of all kinds. Fairfield furnished 1,500 bushels of grain .*
Stephen Tucker was commissioned lieutenant, David Flint cornet. and Abel Grosvenor quartermaster of the second troop of light horse in the Fourth Regiment.t
During the winter of 1778 and 1779 General Putnam took up his headquarters at Redding, which he regarded as a safe and desirable place in which to winter his forces and enable him to hold communication with the forces stationed on the Hudson, the towns bordering Long Island Sound and the castern part of the State. His men suffered greatly for want of clothing and comfort, but Putnam inspired them with his own spirit of self-denial and courage.
At a meeting of the Governor and Council at Hartford, February Ist. two lieutenants were appointed to be raised for the company of artillery- men at Fairfield.+
Captain Samuel Smedley of the ship " Defence " was ordered Feb- ruary 17th to accompany the ship " Oliver Cromwell" to sail on an expedition on the Sound against the enemy in company with the Con- tinental ships and troops. "And that the share of plunder, etc., shall be the same as other ships."
On March 22d Brigadier-General Silliman was given an order for 3.000 flints and five hundred pounds of lead; and to be furnished with material for repairing the battery at Black Rock .¿
The General Assembly met at Hartford, April 7th. An act was passed for supplying the army with provisions and necessities. The selectmen were ordered to take and send in from the heads of families. under oath, the number of members in each family and the amount of grain and flour in their possession : and after allowing a liberal supply for each family, the rest was to be held by the State commissaries of each town for the use of the army and such of their families as were in need.| In fact, the commissaries were allowed to seize, without oppress
* Rec. State Conn., II, 187. t Rec. State Conn., II, 192.
# Rec. State Conn., II, 213.
$ Rec. State Conn., II, 216, 219,
| Rec. State Conn., II, 224.
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ing the people, any necessary articles or provisions needed for the army, always allowing a just compensation.
Orders were issued to fill up the several battalions belonging to the State. A bounty of sixty pounds was offered to six hundred volunteers by Congress, who should enlist on or before May; " & be entitled to the same wages, clothing & refreshments as those in the Connecticut Line in the Army of the United States." The State also offered a bounty of twenty pounds to each volunteer. These troops were ordered to be raised by the commanding officer of each regiment and by the officers of each company out of the train-bands and alarm lists of each town.
A general complaint of neglect by Congress to supply the army with money, clothing and provisions had dampened the ardor of the soldiers to re-enlist; and the depreciation of Continental money was a still further cause of complaint.
It was resolved by the General Assembly, in April, to pay the officers and soldiers of the State in service or those who should enlist in the army for three years, "either in gold, silver coin, Continental bills or other articles equivalent, so as to make their respective wages equal in value upon the whole to gold or silver, as such wages were affixed & stated by the resolutions of Congress, September 16th & October 8th, 1776." Larger pay was also granted to the officers and seamen of the naval ships .*
At the same time Governor Trumbull was asked to request Wash- ington to station one or two regiments of Continental troops in Con- necticut for the defence of the sea-coast.
On Monday morning, May 2d, the town of Fairfield was thrilled with the alarming news that General Silliman had been taken prisoner and carried to Long Island. This event is most interestingly told by Mrs. Silliman in her journal to her son Gold Sellick, as follows :
" In the year 1779 he (General Silliman) was by the Capt. Gen. or Governor sta- tioned to guard the coast in the vicinity of Fairfield-having the care of all the out-posts in that county-& his own home was allowed to be his headquarters. In this situation he continued until the Ist of May, when Gen. Clinton, the commanding officer at New York, sent a whaleboat of Tories to surprise & take him. At a midnight hour, when we were all asleep, the house was attacked. I was first awakened by his calling out, 'Who's there !' At that instant there was a banging at both doors, they intending to break them down, or burst them open, & this was done with great stones as big almost as they could lift. They left them at the door. My dear companion then sprang up, caught his gun, &
* Rec. State Conn., II, 228, 229, 230, 231.
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ran to the front of the house, &, as the moon shone, saw them through the window, & attempted to fire, but his gun only flashed & missed fire. At that instant the enemy burst in a window sash & all jumped in, seized him & said he was their prisoner & he must go with them. He asked if he might dress himself. They said yes, if he would be quick. All this time I lay quaking. They followed him into the bed-room, where I & my dear little boy lay, with their guns & bayonets fixed. Their appearance was dreadful, & 1 feared the consequences to myself as well as to him, as it was but three months before the birth of my last child. It was then their prisoner addressed them in mild terms & begged them to leave the room, & told them their being there would frighten his wife. They then withdrew for a minute or two & then returned, when he asked them out again; they hurrying him he went out & shut the door. After that I heard them breaking the windows, which they wantonly did with the breeches of their guns. They then asked him for his money ; he told them he had none but continental & that would do them no good. Then they wished his papers ; he said his public papers were all sent abroad, & his private ones would do them no good. Then some wanted one thing & some another; he told them mildly he hoped he was in the hands of gentlemen & that it was beneath them to plunder. With these arguments he quieted them so that they plundered but little. They then told him he must go. He asked if he might go & take leave of his wife. They said yes, if he would make haste. He then came in & dropped a bundle of his most valuable private papers under something on the table, took leave of me with great seeming fortitude & composure, & went away with them. As soon as I heard the door shut I arose & went to the bed-room of our son, Wm. Silliman, & found he was gone, although I did not hear anything of their taking him. I then went to the door & saw them bearing away their prisoners. 1 then sent to inform those at the next house, when they fired a gun which frightened the enemy very much, as they had not got above a quarter of a mile from our house. They took them down about two miles to their whaleboat, where they had left one man, & proceeded on their voyage to Long Island. This event took place May Ist, 1779, & I heard nothing from them in three weeks. After three weeks of great anxiety I received a letter from your father informing me where he was.' I think they were then at Flatbush, on Long Island. In that he told me where to send my letters to him for inspection, as no letters were suffered to pass without. After this we corresponded, but wrote under such restraint that it did not seem to be the thing, but it was better than not to have done it at all. My next step was to look for an asylum in case of an invasion of the town, as we expected. Your brother William coming home on parole, I had the benefit of his assistance. lle went with me to North Stratford, & there engaged part of a good house, in case we were obliged to quit our own. But to return & be a little more particular about matters that relate to the capture of your father & brother. There were nine that came over in the whaleboat ; one stayed with the boat, & eight came to our house : the eight went down to the boat with their captives, & embarked aboard their boat between the hours of 1 & 2 o'clock in the morning of the Sabbath. They had a boisterous time over, but that did not prevent some of them from casting their eyes on some matters they had plundered from the house, especially a beautiful fusee, a pair of elegant pistols inlaid with silver all over, & an elegant sword, which one of them, who had worked at our house, took much pleasure in flourishing about, & he it was supposed who piloted them to our house. When they arrived at Long Island shore, they were hailed by a Col. Symes, who commanded there. 'Ilave you got him?' ' Yes.' 'Have you lost any men? ' ' No.' ' That's well !' said Symes. 'Your Sillimans nor your Washingtons are not worth a man!' He then ordered his men to the guard- house with the prisoners. Says your father, 'Am I going to the guard-house? ' 'Yes.' When they came there, says your father to the adjutant, 'Is it thuis you treat prisoners of
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my rank?' He said, 'We don't look on you as we should on a continental General, but a militia 'General.' 'But how will you view me when my exchange is talked of?' 'I under- stand you, sir,' & walked out & suppose reported to his commanding officer. Soon after that your father & brother had an invitation to breakfast at a neighboring house, where they went & refreshed themselves. Soon after a horse & carriage was sent for them to ride to New York, escorted by a guard of dragoons. When they arrived there, there was a great flocking to see the rebel General; but by & by a gentleman came & whispered to him to go with him, for fear he would be insulted by the rabble. He conducted them to good lodgings, where he was kept until ordered to Flatbush, on Long Island, where he remained until he was exchanged for Judge Jones, the circumstances of whose capture were some- what singular, & very interesting to us. By all my investigation & that of my friends we could not find any in the possession of the Americans the British would accept for your father. I wrote to the Governor for direction & assistance in the matter; he, too, felt him- self much interested, not only for his personal friendship for the prisoner, but for the people, as he said he had not a more faithful officer than he; but he knew of none the enemy would accept for him. At length it was thought best to attempt a capture for that purpose, & Judge Jones on Long Island was thought a proper person, as he was a great Tory; once, I believe, Judge of their Supreme Court. Capt. David Hawley of Newfield kindly offered, I think, to undertake the enterprise. He soon manned a whaleboat, of which he was commander, & set off for Long Island. When they reached the shore of that place they had about fifty miles to go by land before they reached the seat of the Judge, which, I think, was in Southampton. They were now in the enemy's land & must not be seen travelling, so they drew their boat up & hid it in the weeds, & they lay con- cealed in the day & traveled in the night. When they came to the house they were struck with the appearance, for the Captain said it looked like a castle. I forget how long they were going, but it was about 9 o'clock Saturday night when they came to the house, when they heard music and dancing. Capt. Hawley rapped at the door, but none heard; he then burst a panel out & jumped in & laid hold on the Judge, whom he found in the entry, & told him he was his prisoner. And, as Providence ordered it, there was there a young gentleman on a visit whose name was Hulet; him they took, too, & he served very well to exchange for your brother. They soon hurried them out of the house, & had to pass nigh a guard. When they came here the Judge hemmed very loud. Capt. Hawley, who held him by the hand, told him he must not do so, but he repeated his hem. Hawley told him if he hemmed again he would run him through. He afterwards desisted, & they went on through the night, & when the morning came they conducted the Judge to such lodgings as they had, which was among the bushes, until the next night, when they went on & reached the whaleboat, I think, the third night, & glad were they to find it, for had it been taken off in their absence they would have been in a woeful case. They then went aboard & proceeded unmolested until they arrived at Newfield. News came to me in the morning that Capt. Hawley had arrived with Judge Jones. Although I was glad the event had taken place, my heart was full of sympathy for him & his family, whom I well knew how to pity, as I had so recently gone through the same trial. And wishing to make his captivity as easy as possible, I sent your brother to invite him to our house to breakfast. He came under a guard. I was introduced to him & he to me. I observed to him that the fortunes of war had brought him here under disagreeable circumstances, & as I could so well sympathize with him & his family, I wished to do everything in my power for his accommodation until the purpose of his capture was effected, when I hoped Mrs. Jones, myself & our partners would be made happy in seeing each other again. But to my disappointment I found him insensible & void of complaisance, & a sullen discontent sat on his brow. He made no
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reply, but asked this question, Did they plunder when they took your husband? I told him not much. He said, 'They have plundered my house. I don't believe they left my wife a second sheet.' This I was sorry to hear, & afterwards, inquiring of Capt. Hawley, he told me that he held up the idea to his men that there should be no plundering, but when they landed on the other side the men said : ' What are we to get if we take Judge Jones? We run a great risk ; we don't know but we may be killed. Unless you give us leave to plunder we will go no farther.' Then he saw that the expedition would be frustrated, & he was obliged to tell them that they might plunder. But to return. I got as good a dinner for my captured guest as I could, & my family paid him every attention, but he was very un- sociable all the time lie stayed, which was only two or three days: whence he was ordered by the Capt .- General to Middletown, thinking our house an unsafe place. Mr. Hulet, who was taken with him, was paroled by Capt. Hawley, & did not come when the Judge did, but came on afterwards, & was exchanged for your brother & went home. After that I received a very genteel billet from Mrs. Jones expressing her great thankfulness for my politeness to her dear Mr. Jones, & begged me to accept of a pound of green tea; but to return to my own situation. After your honored father was taken I had a large family, & the care & weight lay on me, but I was enabled to get along front day to day & lived in a constant alarm. The dreadful fright I had the night of his capture made me feel like the timorous roe, & I started at every noise, fearing the enemy, who were often infesting our coasts ; but I endeavored to put my trust where I ought. My dear parents then were living, & your brother Joseph was with them when your father was captured, & your brothers John & James were at college ; & it was happy that they were not here, or they would doubtless have shared the same fate with your father & brother."
Another account is given as follows :
April 25th, 1779. A boat with 8 or 10 men landed against Old Fort at the head of B. R. harbor in the night & marched up to Gen. Silliman's (Ilolland hill) & took him & his son William through the broken place in the beach to Long Island, then in possession of the enemy. They were piloted by one of our own (Tories). As they passed over the beach the old 12 pounders at the battery three times distinctly in a calm night made the windows of my chamber shake. We were soon out, expecting the next moment to be a prisoner, but sending to the battery we learned the cause. The next morning the tracks of 8 men were discernible ; 2 traced to the house of Ezra Wheeler, the next neighbor, who was tried for life before." *
The General Assembly met May 13th, at Hartford. Captain Samuel Squire and Mr. George Burr represented Fairfield. Jonathan Sturges was appointed Judge of the Probate Court, and Abraham Davenport of Stamford Judge of the County Court of Fairfield.
A rate of taxes was fixed upon all males from sixteen upwards, and on lands, buildings, cattle, horses, swine, crops, timber, ships, coaches, etc., moneys, merchants and manufacturers, traders, attorneys, physicians, surgeons, mill-owners and tavern keepers.t
An act was passed to regulate the town votes to be given for the election of delegates to the Continental Congress.
* William Wheeler's Journal.
+ Rec. State Conn., II, 256-263.
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Dueling was prohibited in the State by an act punishing duelists, " or a challenge to fight a duel should be tried before the General Court, a fine imposed of one thousand dollars, & be forever prohibited from hold- ing any office of profit or honour in this State "; and if unable to pay this sum be imprisoned for one year. Persons acting as seconds and conveying any written challenge were ordered to suffer the same punishment .*
Owing to the enhanced prices of labor and the necessities of life, " the Assistants' fees for attending the General Assembly were increased to three pounds twelve shillings per diem, & four shillings per mile for travel."
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