USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Norwalk > The romance of Norwalk > Part 12
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Honoring the memory of Nathan Hale, the Norwalk chapter of the D. A. R., on April 19, 1901, placed a large and handsome memorial drinking fountain at the foot of Armory Hill, where it is said the brave soldier stopped for a few moments to get water for his mount. Later, when Armory Hill was widened, the memorial was removed and placed on the grounds at the rear of the present D. A. R., headquarters in the old Town House on Mill Hill. On one side the trough bears the words : "In memory of Nathan Hale. The path of duty was the way to glory. Erected by the Norwalk Chapter of the D. A. R., and patriotic friends." The inscription on the other side reads : "Children of the town of Norwalk have given this tablet in loving memory of him whose last words were: 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.' "
Oliver Wolcott was a brigadier general in the Revolution- ary war and it was at his home in Ridgefield that the gilded leaden statue of King George was melted into bullets. Oliver was the son of Roger Wolcott named governor of Connecticut in 1750. Oliver was himself named governor in 1796. His son, also named Oliver, after himself, was the third governor of the Wolcott name in Connecticut. Briga- dier General Wolcott assisted in the defense of Norwalk in I779. Samuel Holden Parsons, general, who also figured in local history, was born in 1737, the son of Jonathan Par- sons, one of the founders of the Methodist Episcopal church in America. During the Revolutionary War, the year 1778 found him in command in the New York Highlands. In July, 1779, he gave battle to the British here in Norwalk, forcing them to retire. In 1780, Parsons was made a major general and assigned to the command of the Connecticut line, where he served until the end of the war. The general
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was drowned in Big Beaver River while returning from a mission to the Indians on Lake Erie, 1789.
RIDGEFIELD, DANBURY BURNED
Hearing that large quantities of provisions, war munitions, clothing and medicines were being stored in Ridgefield and Danbury, Sir William Howe ordered General William Tryon to either burn or else bring back with him, those pro- visions and supplies. April 25, 1777, 26 British ships ap- peared off Compo Point and 2,000 armed troops, with Tryon in charge, landed on the sandy beach. In the en- counter that followed with the natives, one American soldier was killed and one British major and three soldiers were wounded. The latter four were taken back to the British boats.
Arrived in Danbury, Tryon proceeded to destroy every- thing on which he could lay his hands including: 1790 tents, 700 barrels of flour, 2000 bushels of grain, much clothing, 1800 barrels of pork and beef, and "ankle deep ran the fat from the smoldering meats" according to Rockwell's "His- tory of Ridgefield." shores and shops.
Nineteen houses were burned and 20 In Ridgefield, General David Woos- ter, patriot was killed, and General Benedict Arnold, who had come down from New Haven with a force of his own, fought the fight which earned for him unstinted glory. During the battle of Ridgefield, nine bullets went through his horse and he narrowly escaped death. Whatever else may be said of Arnold, and Fiske the historian maintains that he was shabbily treated long before any thought of treason entered his mind, the fact remains that he was an uncommonly brave soldier.
Just before Arnold died, a broken-hearted old man in England in 1801, he asked, not for his smart scarlet British uniform, but for his American "old blue and buff one." One of the last entries in his diary says: "It is the only
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uniform I have ever worn with honor and I would be buried in it." The very last entry in his diary follows :
"June 14th, 1801 (Note by an unknown hand, probably Miss Fitch) General Arnold expired at half past six this morning. His last moments were unconscious, but at dawn
he was heard calling to his body-servant, Sage. He lay across the bed, half dressed, his lame leg in the buff breeches, the other still unclothed, as if he had fainted while drawing it on; on his body an old blue coat they told me had been his American uniform."- - The End."
Before leaving Ridgefield, the British burned six houses, killed a number of cattle, robbed homes of clothing and destroyed two mills. On the return journey to the coast, through the outskirts of Norwalk, the British helped them- selves to cattle, horses, clothing and provisions.
Captain Ozias Marvin was in command in Norwalk at the time. From the moment that Tryon and his men landed at Compo, to the time they embarked for Long Is- land again, he watched every move of the British, and with his soldiers, hung upon their rear and harassed their march. He took part in the battle of Ridgefield. Captain Marvin supplied many of the continental soldiers with refreshments for which he was later allowed by the General Assembly, 28 pounds, one shilling and four pence lawful money. This was in pay for 45 gallons of rum, 60 pounds of dried beef, eight pounds of sugar, and 25 cases "bottles."
TORIES IN NORWALK
CHAPTER XIV
Rowayton and South Norwalk Suffer From Marauding Ex- peditions-Tories Here Send Cattle and Grain Across Sound to Enemy-Rev. Moses Mather of Darien Carried Off by British-Fairfield Is Sacked and Burned.
During the next few years, marauding expeditions by the British along the coast in this vicinity, were frequent. Squads of the enemy had the habit of coming across from Long Island, landing in Ring's End, Stamford, and then helping themselves to anything on which they could lay their hands, in Stamford, Darien, Rowayton, West, East and South Norwalk. Darien and Rowayton fared the worst. The Britishers would creep up through the villages after dark, attempting to lead the cattle away without creating any dis- turbance. If caught, they were quick to shoot down the townspeople, or to fire their homes, were protests made.
The colonists protected themselves as best they might. Oscar Mills of Highland Ave., has in his possession an American cannonball which he says was fired by the Nor- walkers from a point about 200 yards south of a stone house on Wilson Point (Mrs. Belden Wilson's old home), at an- other house down on the edge of Hoof and Horn creek (Wilson's Cove). This house was known to be the refuge of certain thieving British. The ball struck the ground in front of the house to the right of an underground passage which led from the house out to the shore edge. Here the British used to load on the cattle they had taken from the Norwalk farms. Mr. Mills has in his possession also, a hand- made, hard steel, British knife believed to have been used by the English for the slaughter of the Norwalk cattle, and
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to have been lost off a British ship at the mouth of the Creek.
HOMES PILLAGED
At one time during marauding trips to Rowayton the British ransacked a house and then proceeded to set fire to it by stuffing live coals in the mattress. A neighbor saved the place. The tale is told of Mrs. Phineas Waterbury of Rowayton, who, one dark night, hearing the British driving off her cattle, threw open the window and yelled as loud as she could : "Turn out the Guard !" "Turn out the Guard !" Neighbors almost a mile away later insisted they heard her cry. The British fled. Poor Mrs. Waterbury had an unhappy time of it during the Revolutionary War. Her husband was taken by the British as a prisoner to New York and her 20-year-old son was brought in dead one night, having been shot by the enemy while on guard duty.
Sometimes the British offered pay for the provisions they wanted. One Goodman Wood who lived in the Flaxhill neighborhood was so approached but he declined to do busi- ness. One morning Wood awoke to find most of his feath- ered friends gone. Around the neck of a gander he found a note and a bag of coin. The note read as follows :
"Deacon Wood, your geese are good
And stealing is but slander ;
We've bought your geese for a penny a piece,
And paid it to the gander."
The exposed condition of Norwalk meant not only that the town's militia must be retained for defense, but also that an additional guard must be stationed here. So in July, 1777, Colonel Roger Enos of New Haven was ordered to send "the fullest company under his command to the town of Norwalk, to be posted there as guards for the defense of that part of the coast." In October of the same year, after the Norwalkers had suffered serious losses at the hands of the marauders, 71 of the inhabitants sent a memorial to the General Assembly which asked that an armed sloop of
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about six or eight guns be sent to cruise in the Sound for their protection.
In May, 1778 the Norwalkers complained again to the Assembly concerning the raids on their farms and cattle. At the time there were numerous Tories in Norwalk who kept up intercourse with the British on Long Island and acted as their agents in the stealing and selling of cattle. The hus- band of Mrs. Sally Selleck of Rowayton for some time served as middleman for the British in Five Mile and in Darien. But perhaps the most ardent Tory of all in Nor- walk, at least the one who made the most money here during the Revolution was Esaias Bouton, descendant of an old Norwalk family. This Tory, known as the "Dweller of the Pampaskeshank" lived midway between Wilson Point and Rowayton on a knoll on Wilson Cove, close to the Pampaskeshank river. His home was a two story frame structure whose main fireplace faced one of the front win- dows. The reflection of the hearth, when a fire was burning, could be seen far out on the water. Only when the British were able to sight the glowing signal did they land and creep up to Bouton's home. There the owner proceeded to "drive sharp and profitable bargains for produce and cattle from his domain, which could only be designated by his mark, that of a "crop of the lefft eear."
Bouton was a firm friend of the Rev. Jeremiah Leaming, pastor of St. Paul's Episcopal church, termed "as big a Tory as could be on earth, who continued to pray for the King as long as he dared to." Workmen repairing Bouton's house in 1798 found between the roof boards and the rafters, the following copy of an order in Tryon's own handwriting : "Deliver the beef, grain and vegetables, previously ordered, to my commissary. Send them to the usual place of ship- ment. Gen. Tryon."
So annoying did the Tories in Norwalk become after a while, that the inhabitants finally called a special meeting when they voted to raise 90 men to serve six months in the protection of the town. These men were to be distributed
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as follows : Eighteen east of Norwalk river; eighteen at "Ketchum's"; eighteen at the "going on of Stephen's Island"; eighteen at Old Well; eighteen at Flax Hill; and eighteen in Darien. These men were ordered not only to guard the coast but to keep in subjection non-patriotic people within the Norwalk territory.
REV. MATHER CAPTURED
It is quite probable that this action was partly the result of the white hot fury to which the patriots were aroused by the capture of the Rev. Moses Mather of the Darien Congrega- tional church. Rev. Mather, be it known, is ancestor to the Norwalk Mathers and was a descendant of Rev. Increase Mather, theologian and of Cotton Mather, noted Puritan author. Rev. Mather's capture occurred July 22, 1781, when a company of British landed on the west shore of the Pampaskeshank and traveled down to Darien with the in- tention of taking prisoners certain members of the congrega- tion whom they disliked. According to the Connecticut Jour- nal under date of July 26, 1781 : "The enemy's party con- sisted of about 40, who came over the night before, from Lloyd's Neck in seven boats, which they carried into a thick swamp near the meeting house."
Just before the Sunday morning service, July 22, 1781, in the Darien Congregational church, the Tories arrived at the church. Discovering that all the people they wanted had not attended the morning session, the British decided to wait until the afternoon service. As soon as all had taken their seats inside the church, the English surrounded the place and dared anyone to come out. The Rev. Mather accepted the challenge, leaped, it is said, over the bayonets guarding the door and was promptly taken prisoner. Various others of the parishioners were also captured, in spite of the efforts of the hurriedly gathered coast guard and of sundry inhabitants who exchanged shots with the enemy. Barber, the historian, who states that it was the refugees, or Tories who attacked
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the church, says also "the son of Dr. Mather was more for- tunate than the rest; as the refugees entered the church he sprung under the seat, and the women sitting before him their clothes hid him from observation."
The Connecticut Journal in speaking of the raid says that the surprise was so complete that only four or five escaped, one of them being a son of Mr. Mather who was slightly wounded in the leg as he was running away. The parishion- ers were tied in couples and marched down the shore road. The route taken by the captors led over the old Five Mile road to a point west of the head of the Pampaskeshank In- let (Wilson's Cove ) near "Witch Lane" where all embarked for Long Island. The next stop was New York where the captives remained in the horrible Provost prison for many a long week, some of them dying. Mather, who might have fared as badly as the rest, while behind the bars, found his lot much lightened by the mother of Washington Irving, novelist, who, hearing of his plight, saw to it that he had necessary food, clothing and comforts.
Only one entry appears in the Norwalk town records, dealing strictly with the Tories. This was in February 24, 1783 and had to do with the matter of returning Tories who had previously gone off with the enemy. The townspeople "put to vote whether those persons which have gone off and joined themselves with the enemy, should return back and inhabit in this town." "Past in the negative."
At an adjourned meeting, two weeks later, the good peo- ple of the town made their decision in the matter a little more emphatic. They had decided not only to keep out of the town all Tory sympathizers known to them, but to in- vestigate the actions of all suspicious looking people who might attempt to make settlement in Norwalk.
December first of the same year, Hezekiah Rogers, Job Bartram, Isaac Keeler, Saml. Deforest, Justus Hayt, Mat- thew Gregory, Saml. Comstock, Stephen Betts, Eli Reed, were named a committee "to take directions from the select- men of this town, and deal with those persons who have
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been to the enemy and returned, according to their direc- tions."
On the last Monday in December, 1783, the town fathers evidently relented the stern position they had hitherto taken and while the Christmas spirit was still upon them passed the following: "Voted that the selectmen and committee are to act their discretion respecting those persons which have joyned the enemy, notwithstanding any former votes."
FAIRFIELD BURNED
Wednesday afternoon, July 7, 1779, British ships, consist- ing of two large men-of-war, and 48 row galleys, tenders and transports, appeared off the Fairfield shores. About 10 in the evening General William Tryon landed on an out- jutting piece of coast, with some 2,600 men. With him was Brigadier General Garth, who had special charge of the Hessian regiments, the Landgraves and the Yaegers. The British immediately advanced on the town, although some- what bothered by the firing from a small fort on Grover's Hill.
Scenes of debauchery and cruelty, worse than Fairfield had ever witnessed, continued throughout the night. The Hessian soldiers went from house to house, plundering and burning, taking the very buckles and jewelry from off the women, whom they grossly insulted. Some of them went around in bands, staggering up and down the pretty streets, drunk from the effects of the strong liquor and cider they had stolen. Others danced on the village green and showed off the choice bits of plunder which they had taken.
Fairfield suffered a loss by fire of three churches, two schoolhouses, a court house, a jail, 97 homes, 48 stores, and 67 barns. The burning of Fairfield was followed by the burning of Greens Farms. The British then returned to Huntington Bay, L. I.
BURNING OF NORWALK
CHAPTER XV
British Come to Norwalk-Terrified Women and Children Hide in Woods-"Battle of the Rocks"-Town Reduced to Ashes-Only Thirty Homes Escape Torch-Norwalk- ers Who Served in Revolution-D. A. R. Monuments.
LATE on a warm, sunny, lazy Saturday afternoon, July 10, 1779, when the majority of the local men and women were ending their week's work, at peace with the world, the British fleet of 26 sail piloted by a Norwalk Tory carrying a land force of about 2,500 men under Generals Tryon and Garth, appeared off the shores of Norwalk. The news travelled like wild fire among the terrified citizens of the little town.
Who first spread the alarm of the coming of the British, through Norwalk, is not definitely known, although various historians have given various theories, Dr. T. S. Childs maintaining that the hero was one Onesimus, a slave owned by the New Canaan Comstocks. It is quite probable that a number sighted the vessels when they sailed into the harbor, and broadcast the news. It is more probable that it was the coast guard, stationed at various lookout points along the Sound, who first warned the people of impending disaster.
Hysterical terror seized the women of Norwalk when the full import of the presence of the British in the harbor grew on them.
Mothers corralled their offspring, snatched up whatever precious bits of household goods they could carry and hur- ried off to "The Rocks," above France st., to Wilton, to New Canaan or to whatever hilly or woody spot they believed might temporarily be safe.
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Meanwhile, the militia and the guard were mobilizing and planning out a campaign which would effectively hamper the enemy if not completely frustrate its purposes. All the men, with their muskets, met at the parade ground, where they were divided into companies, given their orders, and sent to various sections of the town to watch the movements of the British.
About 9 in the evening, General Tryon landed at Calf Pasture beach with 2,500 men from his fleet of 26 sail. At the time, the Norwalkers did not know the exact number of British, or they might have been more disheartened. There were in town only about 400 patriot troops, 150 of whom were Continentals, commanded by General Samuel Parsons, while the rest were members of the town militia or were volunteers, headed by Captain Stephen Betts and Captain James Richards. After landing very quietly at Calf Pasture, Tryon did nothing further that night. The men just slept on the beach on their arms.
Early the next morning, Sunday, about 3 o'clock, the Brit- ish moved across to Fitch's Point, where they were joined by the King's American regiment, the Tories. The latter re- ceived orders to cross over in flat boats to Old Well, now South Norwalk. This they did, under the command of General Garth, who had been told by Tryon to burn a house at a point just south of Washington st. immediately upon his arrival. This would notify those watching from Fitch's Point that he had disembarked and was ready to carry out the orders of his superior.
Tryon's plan appeared to be to have Garth and his men reach "The Bridge," now Norwalk, through South Norwalk, while he would make the trip through East Norwalk. Garth set out immediately, on landing near Washington st., for his goal. He had not progressed very far, however, before he discerned some patriots on the hills above South Norwalk, in the direction of Flax Hill. He decided that he had better dispatch these soldiers first, before proceeding to finish those up at "The Bridge." Accordingly, he divided his men so
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that the left wing charged through the fields at the back of South Norwalk, up Spring st., and Flaxhill road, then called West st., while the right wing hurried along Water st. and came out on West ave., by way of Marshall and Ann sts.
At Trinity church, the patriots and the British came to- gether and engaged in a few moments of severe fighting. The latter were somewhat confused, yet they succeeded by force of superior numbers in gaining the summit of the first rise of hill, some of them coming up the steep cliff now known as Crescent Terrace. At the second ascent, up Flax- hill, the British were met by sharp and rapid fire from a large squad of patriots under Captain Richards, secreted be- hind a stone wall, on a slope leading from the main road to Round Hill. This Round Hill appears to have been situated in what is known as Highland Park, in the woods between Flaxhill Road and the Post road, almost opposite "Shaw's" restaurant on the Post road. On the slope mentioned, the enemy lost three men and several more were wounded. The British thereupon retreated into a nearby field and under cover of another pretended attack, unknown to the patriots, buried their dead. The remains were not found until many years later during excavation work for a new house.
With eagle eye the patriots crouched behind any conceiv- able protection, wall, tree, house or barn and waited further developments. Suddenly they saw a British officer appear on the brow of Flaxhill road, grandly flourishing a sword as though to urge his men on to battle. Several random shots were taken at the officer who disappeared again as quickly as he had appeared, evidently in haste, "his cocked hat and tall plume appearing as if transferred from the head of the rider to that of the horse," according to description.
After burying their three dead comrades, the British pro- ceeded to Round Hill where they placed a field gun. Noth- ing happened. General Garth merely remained in position for about an hour and then marched his men down to West ave. again, through Cedar and Garner sts. Up West avenue the British continued their march through Norwalk until
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they reached the turnpike, now Armory hill. Very shortly they arrived at the home of Deacon Thomas Benedict, to which place they were attracted by the sight of a large tub of wine and another of cider, on the front stoop. On the site of Thomas Benedict's home, Dr. and Mrs. Frederick J. Morrison, 502 West ave., formerly lived. They still own the property. More and detailed reference will be made to the Deacon's home later.
General Garth had not intended to pause until he reached Norwalk. As a matter of fact, he had been so intent on gaining this point that he had not even paid attention to the random shots of the patriots on the rear flank of his men. However, it was a warm day and Garth and his men felt that they needed a little stimulation, and so invitation, or no invitation, a number generously helped themselves to both the wine and cider which had been set out for the patriots, who had been on guard all night.
While the British soldiers were indulging themselves, urged on by Deacon Benedict who felt that if only enough of them became insensibly drunk, a little less harm would be done, the patriots had changed their position from the rear of Garth's men to the front, slipping around a back road. Very shortly they were crossing a ford which was north of the present bridge in Norwalk, at a double quick pace, and were hurrying to the aid of their comrades who had held their own against Tryon's forces for hours in the business section of the town. Meantime, much had occurred uptown during the time when the British and the patriots were battling downtown at Trinity church, near Flaxhill.
Tryon, after moving his men from Calf Pasture to Fitch's Point at 3 in the morning, commenced the march to Norwalk. He followed the shore and about 4 reached the downtown road, East avenue. Here he met continental troops and militia both slowly retreating before his mass of men, to Grumman's hill, East avenue. This hill, which has been al- most cut away during the last few months to make way for a new road, was situated in the vicinity of the Sunset Hills real
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estate development, on East avenue. Some of the British continued to force the patriots down East avenue into the center of Norwalk; the majority remained with Tryon.
When the Sabbath dawn broke, the colonists saw Grum- man hill "all red" with British. General Tryon sat on a large chair at a table writing orders, on the summit of the hill, where he could readily view the operations of his men and the carrying out of his orders. With what despair and heavy hearts must the people of Norwalk have gazed at the gathered enemy up on the hill! How they must have trembled for their homes, built through the sweat and toil of many years, and trembled for their very lives !
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