USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Derby > The history of the old town of Derby, Connecticut, 1642-1880. With biographies and genealogies > Part 25
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Ebenezer Heeney,
Nathaniel French,
Ebenezer Durand,
John Prindle,
Thomas Yale,
Abel Pierson,
Henry Tomlinson,
Francis French,
Joseph Bassett,
Zephaniah Tucker,
Eleazer Hawkins,
Robert Pope,
Beeman Hall,
Eli Hawkins, Levi Hotchkiss, Dan Tomlinson, David Tomlinson,
Moses Clark,
Moses Wheeler,
April 8, 1782.
Charles Whittlesey,
Jonathan Lyman,
Samuel Pierson,
Abraham Smith, jun.,
William Grinnell,
Jonah Tomlinson,
Nehemiah Candee,
James Bassett,
Eleazer Wooster,
John Churchel, Edmond Clark,
Several of these last names were new-comers in the town, or young persons.
March 9, 1780. Voted, that Abraham Hawkins, James Beard, Esq., John Humphrey, Capt. Nathan Pierson, Noah Tomlinson, Major Nathan Smith, David Tomlinson, Lieut. Levi Hotch- kiss, Walter Wooster and Ebenezer Warner, be a committee to assist the officers of the several companies in the town of Derby in raising their quota of men that shall be requested in this town for the continental and state service at the expense of the town, with discretionary orders to give such premiums as said committee in their wisdom shall judge reasonable.
Although the prospect of the final success of the Colonies be- gan to look more hopeful, yet the heaviest burdens of the war came during this year and the one following ; the great difficulty in obtaining soldiers, made it necessary to offer high premiums ; and to supply the soldiers with equipments, food and clothing, cost a very great effort, and after all that was done there was much suffering for want of these things, by the soldiers. The following efforts put forth during the year 1780 will show that the town of Derby was not indifferent to the soldiers' comfort nor slow to support the effort of the colonies for freedom.
"July 3, 1780. Voted, that the town will give each man that shall enlist as a soldier into the continental army during the
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BOUNTIES AND DIFFICULTIES.
war, as a bounty, the sum of £20, to be paid in bills of credit of this state at the time they pass the muster, and £20 at the commencement of the second year of their service, and £20 at the commencement of the third year of their service ; and all such as enlist for three years into the continental army, shall receive in bills of credit of this state, £20 at the time of passing mus- ter, and £15, at the commencement of the second year, and £10, at the commencement of the third year of their service ; and also all such persons as have, or shall enlist into the con- tinental service for one year and seven months from the date of these presents, shall receive £10, at passing muster, and £5, at the commencement of the second campaign, including what shall have already been given by the town."
The following vote passed at the same time shows the re- strictions, perils and difficulties through which the inhabitants passed to secure home necessities while they worked to pro- vide and maintain the soldiers required of them :
" Whereas the inhabitants of the town, viewing themselves imposed upon by the eastern boatmen trading up our river, and said town having resolved not to trade with them unless they trade at a more moderate rate; and considering salt a necessary article ; whereupon the town by their vote request the civil authority and selectmen to petition his excellency the Governor of this state to grant a permit to some meet per- son of this town to carry provisions from this town to other parts of this state or the neighboring states to purchase salt necessary for the use of said town, and said persons and provis- ions to be under the civil authority and selectmen of said town."
Derby being a seaport town where centered the products of a large region of country, it was looked to by the Assembly for great assistance in extremities ; and hence special commissions were sent to be executed in behalf of the state in addition to the town's proportion of war support. Not only so, but Derby had become celebrated through its officers and men in the army for efficiency and success in business transactions, so that much confidence was placed in it in the time of special need.
" Nov. 13, 1780. The town appointed Eliphalet Hotchkiss, Esq., to receive the state salt and to receive and put up the provisions for the army agreeable to a late act of the Assembly.
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HISTORY OF DERBY.
"The town by their vote direct the selectmen to draw out of the town treasury a sufficiency of money to defray the charges of purchasing barrels, and receiving and putting up the above- said provisions.
"Voted, to grant a rate of sixpence half penny on the pound in good pork, beef and wheat flour, on the list of 1779; beef of the best quality to be computed at fivepence per pound, and that of an inferior quality, being good and merchantable, at four and a half pence per pound ; the pork not exceeding five score pounds per hog, at fivepence per pound; and between five and eight score, at five and a half pence per pound ; and that above eight score, at sixpence per pound ; and the flour at twenty-four shil- lings per hundred gross weight ; the beef to be paid by the fif- teenth of December next, and the pork and flour by the fifteenth of January next ; and if not paid by the time above set, then each person so neglecting, to pay double the value of said prov- isions agreeable to a late act of the Assembly entitled an act for collecting and storing a quantity of provisions.
"Again, voted, that Mr. Jonathan Hitchcock, Capt. Thomas Clark, Capt. Micah Pool, Mr. John Howd, Capt. John Tomlin- son, Mr. Jonathan Lumm, jun., and Lieut. John Bassett, class the people agreeable to a late act of the Assembly for filling up and completing the state's quota of the continental army.
"Again, voted, that the committee for purchasing clothing be directed as soon as possible to collect two shirts, two pairs of stockings, one pair of shoes, and one pair of mittens for each continental soldier whose time does not expire before the first day of March next, and send said clothing to them taking a receipt therefor." Hence the whole town were set to work knit- ting stockings, and mittens, and making clothing, just as they had done considerably already for four years, but now more systematically than before, and also by the requirement of law.
At this time also a large committee was appointed to take care of the soldiers' families, since that class was fast increasing in the town. Think of the number there must have been to require seventeen committee men to look after them and see that they received and did not waste the appropriations made to them ! and these families too, who had never before known what real want meant!
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CLOTHING FOR THE SOLDIERS.
"Dec. 25, 1780, voted, that the following persons be collectors to collect the rate and assessment in each class to raise recruits for the continental army, viz .: for the first class, David Hitch- cock; second class, Gold Bartholomew ; third class, John Howd; fourth class, Levi Tomlinson ; fifth class, Dan Tomlin- son ; sixth class, Bradford Steele ; seventh class, Webb Tomlin- son; eighth class, Jonathan Lumm, jun. ; ninth class, Abraham Downs; tenth class, Ebenezer Plant ; eleventh class, Ebenezer Buckingham ; twelfth class, Naboth Candee.
" Voted, that the town will raise recruits for state guards by classifying agreeable to a late act of the Assembly.
Jan. 15, 1781, voted, that the town will classify the inhabitants into forty-one classes on the list of 1780, to procure clothing for the soldiers, and Eliphalet Hotchkiss is appointed to classify accordingly."
It is probable that each class was required to furnish the material and make the clothes, since the classes were to be arranged by, or according to the grand list, as is indicated in another vote ; or if the cloth was furnished by the general com- mittee, still they must have appointed certain persons to the spinning and weaving of the same before they could furnish it to the makers of the clothes. There were no large manufac- turers then to take contracts, and make large sums of money for themselves and turn off shoddy clothing for the soldiers to freeze in.
The whole town of Derby became a manufacturing shop with twelve apartments, each with its regularly appointed overseer ; and the general overseer of all these apartments or different por- tions of the town was Deacon Eliphalet Hotchkiss, the master house builder of the town. This turning Derby into one great manufacturing shop was almost prophetic of what it should become in less than one hundred years, and what it now is ; only the variety of productions is greatly enlarged. If Eliphalet Hotchkiss, the general "Boss " of 1781, could have gone through the various departments of manufacturing in his old town in 1876, one hundred years after the I. eclaration of Independence, how astonished and amazed and bewildered he would have been. And then also would he have known what Freedom meant; and what the incalculable value of the struggle, work and sufferings
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HISTORY OF DERBY.
of the people in the American Revolution. But he could not live a hundred years to see the results which were destined to follow that great conflict He was the general at home in pri- vate life, while William Hull was general in the army, winning laurels in the sight of men. What was the contrast of life expe- rienced by the two ? The Deacon passed on in the even tenor of his way, to a quiet, peaceful, but victorious end ; while General Hull was betrayed by public officials, disgraced and dishonored and forsaken of his own countrymen, of whom he deserved better things, but they knew it not, but finally history vindicated him and restored him to higher honor still, when in the satis- faction of his righteously earned vindication he departed to the sleep of his fathers.
The following indicates the consequences of not performing the work of making clothes as assigned :
" Dec. 25, 1780. Voted, that each class or any individual of said class be notified of such persons as are classed for the pur- pose aforesaid in their class and the number of clothing and when notified they are to furnish the full complement of clothing required of them by the 30th day of March next and in case any class or any individual of either class shall neglect or refuse to procure said clothing by the time aforesaid they shall be emerced or doomed to pay double the value thereof in gold or silver on the list of the year 1780, which forfeiture from each neglecting class shall be delivered to Mr. John Howd, treasurer of this rate, who is hereby empowered to collect such clothing as is wanting and when any individual shall neglect or refuse as aforesaid the forfeiture shall be paid to such of said class as shall procure the said clothing."
This indicates the extremity of the government, and of the soldiers in the field, and the wonderful, marvelous spirit of con- secration to the cause of freedom, or independency from the op- pressive and tyrannical acts of the British government professed by the American people; and it is no wonder that that spirit has become the criterion for the judgment of all parties and nations, as to heroic endurance, from that day to the present, for liberty.
Well done, ye first-born sons and daughters of liberty !
The year 1781 opened with a call for more soldiers, and
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FREEDOM AND SOLDIERS.
Derby proceeded to meet the claims on her in the following manner :
"Jan. 15, 1781. Voted, that the authority and selectmen be empowered and directed to give certificates to Capt. Daniel Holbrook and Capt. John Wooster, to free and emancipate their servants, negro men, on the condition that the said negro men enlist into the state regiment to be raised for the defense of the state, for the term of one year."
These two captains did well in freeing their slave men, even on such conditions, but there was another man who did better apparently, some years before, as indicated by the following deed of freedom without any conditions :
"Derby, Sept. 16, 1777. This may certify all persons, that I, Ebenezer Johnson of Derby, do hereby free my negro man named Roger from my service forever, and give him his time to deal and act for himself, as witness my hand.
" EBENEZER JOHNSON."
This was the grandson of Colonel Ebenezer Johnson, who freed Tobie sixty years before, and was an act worthy of the grandson of such a colonel. This slave Roger when made free may have enlisted and received a good bounty with which to begin the world for himself, but the deed did not require it, but says he was to " deal and act for himself forever." .
"Jan. 15, 1781. Voted, that Charles French, Thomas Clark, Esq., and Capt. Micah Pool, be appointed a committee with full power to doom such inhabitants that have not paid the full of the six and a half pence tax in provision due by act of Assem- bly, double the value thereof, and take out warrants for said collector who is to collect the same and dispose thereof accord- ing to law in whole or in part, and the committee aforesaid to abate such of the inhabitants which they shall judge to be un- able to pay the said provisions or an equivalent in value, agree- able to the provision made by this town for the relief of the needy and indigent inhabitants of said town."
" April 2, 1781. Voted, that the four soldiers ordered to be raised for the state service in addition to what has already been raised, be raised by classifying the town into four classes.
" Voted, that the four classes heretofore ordered to raise one
25
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HISTORY OF DERBY.
man from each of said classes for the post of Horse Neck, be directed to raise one man in each of said classes in addition to the former.
" Voted, that the selectmen be empowered and directed to pro- cure the horsemen and horses and the accouterments for the said service ordered from this town."
THE LAST DRAFT.
"Feb. 25, 1782. Voted, that the town be classified into seven classes to raise seven men to be state guards for the post of Horse Neck, and that Eliphalet Hotchkiss, Esq., be ap- pointed to classify the town for the purpose of raising the seven guards."
No words are necessary, even if they could add any force to the impression made by this long record of struggle, sacrifice, suffering and mighty effort to obtain justice, righteousness and freedom. The record itself, viewed in all its parts and with all the attendant circumstances, is simply amazing and bewilder- ing
A somewhat erroneous impression has been accepted by pub- lic writers in regard to the position of the members of the Epis- copal churches in Connecticut towards the Revolution and those who supported it. It is maintained that a large proportion of the communicants of that church were loyalists or tories through the war, and that there were no tories except Episcopalians. Both of these suppositions are quite erroneous. There were many tories who had no particular sympathy with the Episcopal church. There were numbers of Episcopalians who were strong patriots, and supported valiantly the American cause. The fol- lowing language is recorded in regard to Derby people :
" The Rev. Mr. Mansfield of Derby, the guileless pastor, who thought he must do his duty to his country in every emergency, undertook, as soon as ' the sparks of civil dissension appeared,' to inculcate upon them, both from the pulpit and in private con- versation, a peaceful submission to the King and to the parent state ; and so successful were his efforts and his influence, that out of one hundred and thirty families which attended divine ser- vice in his two churches, he reported (December 29, 1775, ) one hundred and ten to be 'firm, steadfast friends of the govern-
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EPISCOPALIANS NOT ALL TORIES.
ment,' having no sympathy with the popular measures, and de- testing the ' unnatural rebellion.' Five or six persons, professors of the Church of England, plunged themselves into it, guided, as he thought, by the influence of Captain John Holbrook, who for many years past had entertained a disgust against him and his brethren of the church, and seemed to have meditated re- venge, merely because they did not gratify some private views he had about the place on which to build the Oxford church."9
This Captain John Holbrook was the one who with his wife gave the land for the site of the first Episcopal church and graveyard, who left that church at the opening of the war and united with the old church and stood among the foremost sup- porters of his country. It was an imputation of a very small spirit to suppose that Capt. Holbrook would leave all he had done for the Episcopal church, under such pretenses, to gratify " some private views " about the location of Oxford church.
In December, 1774, the whole town was loyal as is indicated by their vote, as seen on page 168, and in December, 1775, many people besides Episcopalians were still unwilling to enter- tain the thought of a full separation politically from the old country, but when the Declaration of Independence was passed and the question became one of loyalty to England or America, there was a great change in favor of their native homes. This was true not only in Derby, but elsewhere. Captain Holbrook left the church and all he had done for it, but many others re- mained in the church and at the same time supported the Revo- lution. It would have been morally impossible for the whole town of Derby, then including Oxford, to have sustained the war as she did if one hundred families had remained loyal to the king ; and it would have been very difficult if half that number of important families had so continued.
William Clark's family were Episcopalians, but his son Shel- don, a merchant, was a prominent man on committees for the support of the war.
Samuel Hull, junior, was the son of one of the first Episcopal families, but he sustained the war by being on the committees.
When the list of those who took the oath of loyalty in 1777-8
9 Beardsley's History of the Church in Conn., p. 308.
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HISTORY OF DERBY.
is examined closely, it will be seen to contain so large a propor- tion of the men of the town as to make the idea of one hundred remaining tories quite ridiculous. Dr. Mansfield's son Nathan was among the first to record his name in that honorable list. That list received seventy names at the first meeting, Decem- ber, 1777, an "open Freeman's meeting." In the next April, ninety-nine more were added, and the war was not half through at that time.
In 1766, when the whole town was laid into school districts, the number of families was reported to be 256, which number may have been increased twenty families, to the year 1775. This would give the Episcopalians in 1775, [according to Doctor Mansfield] one hundred and ten families, and the Congregation- alists one hundred and sixty-six, or only fifty-six over half of the families in town who gave their support cheerfully to the American cause. That such was the state of the matter during the Revolution is opposed by all tradition and all records. When the true feeling of the English government toward the colonies became manifest in 1777, it is not probable that in the whole town of Derby including as it did, the parish of Oxford, there were over thirty families that definitely assumed the tory platform. It is quite certain that quite a number of the most influential Episcopal families were true patriots to their native country.
At first (1774) the whole town was loyal to the king, and en- tertained no thought but reconciliation ; in December, 1775, a large majority were strongly in favor of supporting the war ; in 1777, a little over one year after the Declaration of Independ- ence, only a fraction-not to exceed one-eighth was found in the tory ranks.
It is true also, that in other places the Episcopalians, in large proportion supported the war. We are told10 that " as early as 1774, not a man in Stratford was ready to dissent from revo- lutionary measures, and from the movements in various places, expressive of sympathy for those who suffered from the oppres- sive acts of the British government. Undoubtedly, the influ- ence of Johnson, the patriot and statesman, [son of the first
10 Beardsley's Hist. of the Church, 310.
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THE KING THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.
Episcopal pastor] was felt in shaping the popular sentiment of his native town, and in guiding the course of churchmen there to a quiet, inoffensive neutrality." [If none "dissented from revolutionary movements," it was scarcely an " inoffensive neu- trality."]
As to the church at Hartford it is said : "A permit was granted James's Church at Hartford, to send to Providence by water three hundred bushels of wheat to be ground for the army at Boston, which was done with great doubt of its expe- diency, lest it might fall into the hands of the British. Aug. 24, 1775."11
In the years 1776 and 1777, there were other special permits to this church, for the execution of like efforts in the support of the war.
It should be remembered also, that at the time of the Revo- lution it was supposed by Episcopalians as well as others, that as the king was the head of the Church of England, that church could have no existence except where the king held political reign, and hence that, if the colonies should become independent of the king, the Episcopal church could not maintain its exist- ence here, from the very nature of the relations of the church to the government. If it had been supposed that the church of England could have existed as it now does in America, with- out the king at the head, there is but little doubt but that the support of the war by the Episcopalians would have been more general and earnest than it was. Under this view they chal- lenge our respect and honor, for all that a true Christian hath will he lose, if need be, for his church.
It is more evident that this was the belief of many in the Episcopal church, from the fact that at the close of the war quite many removed from the jurisdiction of the United States into British dominions, not only to live under that government but to enjoy the services of that church. Mordecai Marks, with some others, removed to St. Johns, New Brunswick, although all ties of kindred feeling were confined to Derby.
The following anecdote is furnished by Doct. A. Beardsley from most authentic sources :
11 Hinman's Hist. of Conn. in the Revolution.
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HISTORY OF DERBY.
During our Revolutionary struggle the commerce of Derby, in rather a clandestine manner furnished aid and comfort to the enemy. While the British were stationed on Long Island, Capt.12 Joseph Hull, eldest brother of General William Hull, though true to the interests of the American Colonies tried a dangerous experiment by acting as a sort of spy and at the same time extorting money from the British.
He had command of some boats on the river and the sound. Poultry, fish, and especially salt shad caught in the Ousatonic were tempting to the palates of His Majesty's subjects. Hull with a gang of picked men in the night season left Derby in a small boat laden with chickens, turkeys, salt shad, and the like, and sailed for the nearest point on Long Island where lay encamped a detachment of the British army. The experiment proved a success and gave encouragement for future trials. On his second adventure Hull became intimate with a British officer, who invited him to play a game of cards. He accepted the in- vitation and being an adept in that line, after playing until morn- ing, the officer found himself pretty well drained of "the one thing needful." A little exasperated over his loss, he accused Hull of cheating. He denied the charge, when after some warm words the officer challenged Hull to fight a duel, Whereupon Hull said " I am your man." " Choose your weapons," replied the officer. " Kings arms and two balls." " State your distance," said the officer. "Eight paces-face to face -- then at the word fire." The officer was dumfounded, and seeing the Yankee pluck in the flashing eye of Derby's hero, replied, " Well I guess we won't fight."
In " Lambert's History of Milford " the following is found : 13
"A company of twelve cow boys was captured in 1780, on an island in the Ousatonic, against Turkey Hill." This was Two- mile Island, and was coming very near Derby. The cow boys were men, who received their name in Westchester county, from their stealing and driving off cows and cattle and selling them to the British, while in occupation of New York. They, or per- sons of this description, were feared on Long Island as well as in Westchester and Connecticut.
12. He was a sea captain, but lieutenant in the army.
13. Lambert, 135.
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YORKTOWN FLAGS.
It is a matter of particular honor to Derby that in the great event which was virtually the closing of the Revolutionary war, General David Humphreys had a conspicuous part. In the battle of Yorktown, which was concluded by the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, General Humphreys particularly distinguished himself, and, "As a mark of the approbation of General Wash- ington, Colonel Humphreys was dispatched to Congress with copies of the returns of prisoners, artillery, arms, ordnance, etc , which had been surrendered, and twenty-five stands of colors." General Washington in his letter to the President of Congress, says, "These returns and colors have been committed to the care of Colonel Humphreys, one of my aids-de-camp, whom, for his attention, fidelity and good services, I beg leave to recommend to Congress and to your excellency."
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