USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > This is Fairfield, 1639-1940 > Part 13
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a shout we heard them plainly at the house; then all the cannon was fired off; & the same took place when he landed at the wharf. It was very pleasing to us at the house, as well as to your father, to see such testimonials of joy at his return; many of the people waited on him to his house . .. After this a sub- altern officer was at our house every night for a long time, & we had frequent alarms, & I was ever afterwards afraid of having the past disagreeable scene acted over again. The guard was ordered by the Governor. After this I don't remember that he ever went out on any campaign, but had the care as before, of all the coast in Fairfield County.
In March permission was given to the towns- people to carry grain, flour and provisions to the "eastward" in exchange for boards and glass for their new homes.
Money too was a problem for these people. Continental money fell from September 1, 1777 till March 1780 from full value to 40 to 1.
A Town Meeting Legally warned and held in Fair- field, June 19th A.D. 1780.
Voted yt Thaddeus Burr, Esqr. be moderator of this meeting.
Voted yt there be a Rate of one penny Lawful money on ye pound raised on all Polls and Rateable Estate of ye Inhabitants of this Town to be paid in Bills of Credit lately emitted at the Rate of forty for one: and yt ye Selectmen pay to each Soldier yt shall voluntarily enlist into the Continental service during the war or for three years the sum of ten pounds out of sd Rate: and ye remainder of sd Rate to defray ye necessary charges of ye Town.
If a person had $1000 in 1777, it would have been worth $25 in 1780.
A real depression was the result as one can well imagine.
The tax rate was payable in 1/2 pork and/or beef and the other half in flour that year.
The people demanded gold and silver or hard money as it was called and shop keepers refused to sell goods unless paid in coin.
Fairfield, however, with all this, still tried to carry its share of the needs for the Continental Army.
A Town Meeting Legally warned and held in Fair- field November 13th: Anno Domini 1780.
Voted that G. Selleck Silliman Esqr. be Modera- tor of this Meeting:
Voted yt the Tax granted by the Assembly in October Last past for the purpose of raising a Quan- tity of Provisions for the Continental Army &c. of six pence on the pound be raised in kind as stated by said Act.
Voted yt Mr. Nathan Seely, Major Elijah Abel, Moses Sherwood, George Burr Esqr., Mr. Daniel Duncan and Mr. David Silliman be the Persons to receive the Salt, procure Casks and receive the Pro- visions and inspect the same and to do everything
relating thereto required by an Act of the General Assembly passed in October last past: entitled an Act for Collecting and storing a Quantity of Pro- visions for the use of the Continental Army and the forces raised for the defense of the state.
Voted yt the present selectmen be a Committee to Class the Inhabitants and to do everything re- quired of them by ye Act & Resolve of the Last General Assembly for the purpose of raising Re- cruits for the Continental Army.
Voted that the Town Treasurer provide money Either by hiring upon Loan or otherways to pur- chase Clothing for the Soldiers in the Continental Army belonging to this Town, and deliver it to the Committee appointed to purchase said Clothing.
Also in November, Major Talmadge returned to Fairfield after a successful enterprise on Long Island, Caleb Brewster and others having as- sisted him. Much skirmishing and plundering continued in the community. There were raids by the Tories and the British, and retaliation by the Sons of Liberty. Moore's Diary of the Revo- lution tells us about a Mill raid on Mill River:
March 14th. Captain Hubbell of the Associated Loyalists, with his little band of true Englishmen, on the 28th of February, with four manned whale- boats, crossed the Sound to Compo, lying between Green's Farms, in the west parish of Fairfield, & landed his party. Being fired upon by the occupants of two guard houses, they attacked & drove their provincial occupants away. The militia of the neigh- borhood gathered quickly, & Hubbell with his men embarked & sailed towards Mill River on the "General Wolfe"; & on the morning of the 4th of March between 30 & 40 men manned the whale- boats & crossed to Kenzie's Point, where, leaving the boats with a safe guard, Captain Hubbell moved with the rest two miles up Mill River & destroyed two mills & about two hundred barrels of flour, col- lected there, as they were told, for the French at Rhode Island. After collecting a few sheep they returned to their boats. The mills belonged to the Perrys.
Supplies for the families of the soldiers as well as the soldiers themselves continued to be a worry.
A Town Meeting held in Fairfield on Thursday the 28th of December Anno Dom: 1780.
The former Moderator Jonathan Sturges, Esqr. being present.
Voted yt David Jennings 2d. be Constable ye year ensuing.
Voted yt John Squier 3d., Benjamin Banks, Jr., Wm. Bennett, Deliverance Bennett, Humphrey Og- den, Silv. Middlebrook, Peter Perry, John Silliman Andrews, Nathan Seely and John Hide be a Com- mittee to supply necessaries for ye families of such Soldiers as belong to this Town that are in the Continental Army.
On January 9, 1781 it was:
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Voted yt the penny half penny tax ordered to be paid in provision by the General Assembly be paid in kind.
Also
Voted Sturges Lewis, Moses Sherwood, Eben'r Burr 2nd, Nathan Seeley, David Silliman & Dan'll Duncan be receivers of sd Tax.
A Town Meeting held in Fairfield & Legally warned March 13th: 1781
Voted yt the Selectmen be Appointed & impow- ered to hire for the deficient Classes such Recruits as are wanting to make out the Quota of soldiers in the Continental Army agreeable to an Act of Assembly inade in October Last.
Voted yt Richard Hubbell Jr. be Appointed a purchasing Commissary for the Town of Fairfield to supply the Coast Guards with provisions of the Meat kind.
Voted yt the Rotation Guard that are Classed for Mr. Kinsey's point shall receive out of the Town Treasury three Shillings Lawful Money pr night for each and Every night they shall serve agreeable to the Direction of the Authority & Selectmen or their Substitute.
A Town Meeting Legally warned & held in Fair- field, March 27th, 1781.
Voted yt Thaddeus Burr Esqr. be Moderator of this Meeting.
Voted yt Major Elijah Abel take the minutes of the proceedings of this Meeting.
Voted yt Capt. Seth Silliman, David Allen, Doct'r David Rogers, Nathan Wheeler, David Morehouse and Jonth. Squier be a Committee in addition to them already appointed to purchase Clothing for Soldiers in ye Continental Army.
Voted yt ye Selectmen be desired to proportion out to the Committee for purchasing Clothing in the several societies the Quantity they are to procure, according to their List.
Voted yt Dan'll Banks & Josiah Brinsmaide be a Committee in addition to them already appointed to provide for soldiers families.
Voted yt Hez. Hubbell, Esqr. be agent for the Town to attend the assembly's Committee to lay in the claims for disputed Soldiers in the Continental Army.
Voted yt Maj'r Abel be the Officer to Conduct the Recruits for the Continental Army: to Danbury.
Voted yt the Resolves now read in this Meeting Draughted by Thads. Burr be desired to cause sd Resolves to be Printed or Inserted in the Publick News Papers.
There were also other matters of immediacy pressing these townspeople.
A Town Meeting Legally warned & held in Fair- field March 25th: 1782.
Voted yt G. Selleck Silliman Esqr. be Moderator of this meeting.
Voted yt a Committee be appointed to inquire into the number of the Deficient Classes (ordered to provide Men for the Continental Army the year last past for this Town) and the reasons of such de- ficiencies and to do everything in their power in a
Legal way to Oblige such Classes to do their Duty. Also voted yt Jonathan Sturges & George Burr Esqrs. and Mr. Seth Seely be a Committee for ye purpose aforesaid.
Voted yt a Committee be appointed to hire Men for one year to fill up the Quota of Soldiers re- quired of this Town for the Continental Army-and yt Major Elijah Abel, Messrs. Albert Sherwood, Deliverance Bennett, Capt. Benja. Dean and Mr. David Silliman be a Committee for that purpose.
Voted and Agreed yt there be a Rate of one penny Lawful Money on the pound raised on all the Polls and Rateable Estate of the Inhabitants of this Town and that the same be Collected forthwith and paid to the Town Treasurer for ye purpose of hiring men for ye Continental Army.
Voted & Agreed yt ye Persons Chosen to Collect the Town Rate granted in Decm'r last past be Col- lectors of this Rate.
Voted yt ye Report of the Committee appointed ye last Town Meeting to agree upon some well Con- certed & regulated Plan for keeping Coast Guards in this Town the present year; and now read in this Meeting is approved & accepted of by the Town Excepting out of said plan ye appointing of Capt. Josiah Lacy Captain of said guards.
And also at:
A Town Meeting Legally warned and held in Fair- field June 25th: 1782.
Voted yt G. Selleck Silliman Esqr. be Moderator of this Meeting.
Voted yt a Committee be appointed to inquire into the facts that laid a foundation for granting Two Executors against ye Town by the General Assembly at their last session respecting the defi- ciency of the Town in raising soldiers for Sundry Services the last year.
Voted & Agreed yt Gen'll Silliman, Jonth. Sturges Esqr., Thads. Burr Esqr. and Hez. Hubbell Esqr. be a Committee for ye purpose aforesaid.
Also voted yt ye Committee proceed in their In- quiries with all convenient speed and when they have completed the same that they inform the select- men thereof yt they may warn a Town Meeting to hcar the report of their Committee.
Voted & Agreed yt a Committee be appointed to hire men to fill up our Quota of ye Continental Army as reasonably as they can and that such men as have enlisted into ye Continental service this year or have been draughted for yt purpose and have joined the Army or have hired others to serve in their place be Entitled to receive the same bounty from ye Town as those shall have that may be hired by the Committee.
Voted yt Capt. Daniel Lacy, Capt. Andw. Wake- man, Capt. Jos. Bennett, Capt. George Burr, Capt. Dan'll Duncan and Mr. David Silliman be a Com- mittee for purpose aforesaid and that they make re- port to the Selectmen of their doings on the fifth day of July next.
And too at :---
A Town Meeting Legally warned and held in Fair- field August 30th: A:D: 1782.
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Voted yt Jonth. Sturges Esqr. be Moderator of this Meeting.
Voted yt ye doings of the County Convention held at Greenfield on the 12th Day of Instant Aug- ust be approved of by the Town.
Voted yt a Committee be appointed carefully to inspect the behavior of Persons respecting the carry- ing on an illicit Trade with the enemies of the United States of America; and to assist the inform- ing officers in their Duty in carrying into execution the Law of this state against illicit Trade.
Voted yt Mr. Nathan Seeley, Capt. Dan'll Lacy, Mr. Seth Seely, Mr. David Allen, Capt. Andw. Wakeman, Mr. Peter Perry, Mr. Albert Sherwood, Mr. Nehemiah Banks, Mr. Hezekiah Bradley, Capt. Ichabod Wheeler, Mr. Eben'r Banks, Mr. Stephen Gwier, Capt. Thos. Nash, Capt. Joseph Bennett, Mr. Moses Sherwood, Mr. Jehiel Whitehead, Mr. Sam'll Hazard, Mr. John Chapman, Mr. Dan'll Meeker of Greens Farms, Major Albert Chapman, Capt. Eben'r Hill, Capt. Elip't Thorp, Mr. Samuel Rowland, Capt. Ephm Lyon, Mr. Dan'll Andrews Jur., Mr. Nehem- iah Beers, Mr. David Silliman, Mr. Sam'll Bennett, 3d., Mr. Elnath. Williams, Mr. Sam'll Thorp, Jur., Mr. David Bradley, Jr., Mr. Sam'll Taylor and Mr. Sinion Couch by a Committee of inspection for ye purpose aforesaid.
Voted yt there be a Rate of one half penny on the pound raised on all the Polls and Rateable Estate of the Inhabitants of this Town to be applied to the sole purpose of making up deficiency of the penny Rate granted by the Town at their Meeting on the 25th day of March last past for the purpose of hir- ing men for the Continental Army and that the same Persons Chosen to Collect said penny Rate be Col- lectors of this Rate.
As well as at :-
A Town Meeting Legally warned and held in Fair- field September 25th: 1782.
Voted that Hezekiah Hubbell Esqr. be Moderator of this Meeting.
Voted and Agreed yt the Town will prefer a Memorial or Memorials to the next General Assem- bly respecting the Dooms against the Town for neg- lecting to raise men for the service of the Last year agreeable to the Acts of the General Assembly.
Voted & Agreed yt Elijah Abel and Hezekiah Hubbell Esqrs. be Agents for the Town to prefer a Memorial or Memorials to the General Assembly in October next respecting the Dooms against the Town for neglecting to raise or forward their Quota of new Men for the Service of the last year Agreeable to an Act of sd Assembly made and passed for yt purpose.
Voted yt the Town will Save the Sheriff harmless from any Damage & Costs that he may suffer by delaying to Serve Two Executions (he has against the Town) till the rising of ye General Assembly October Next.
1781 brought Cornwallis' surrender and the American triumph was at last real. In 1782 the provisional articles of peace were signed at Versailles and at Paris and on January 20, 1783
the final treaty of peace was concluded.
The Town Meeting minutes tell of the years immediately after the War. Fairfielders were anxious to do their part to help the needy but had little sympathy for those who had gone to the aid of the British or those who had failed to do their duty.
A Town Meeting Legally warned and held in Fair- field April 10th: A:D: 1783.
Voted yt Jonathan Sturges Esqr. be Moderator of this Meeting.
The Inhabitants being called principally for the purpose of Considering what measures they would wish to have taken with respect to those Persons who during the war between Great Britain & Ameri- ca have gone to and joined the enemy and put themselves under their protection.
The question was put whether this Meeting is will- ing that any of those Persons who have gone to and joined the enemy and put themselves under the pro- tection as aforesaid should be permitted to return to and reside in this Town and passed in the nega- tive.
Voted yt a Committee be appointed to remove all such Persons from this Town who are now in it or may hereafter come into it, who have gone to and joined the enemy and put themselves under their protection during the war between Great Britain and the United States of America.
Also voted yt David Allen, Daniel Osborn, Capt. Thomas Nash, Albert Sherwood, Daniel Lacey, Dan- iel Wilson, Capt. Josiah Bennett, Moses Sherwood, Nathan Seeley, Ezra Seely, Hezekiah Hubbell, Esqr., Nehemiah Banks, Colo. Jonathan Dimon, Dudley Baldwin Esqr., Ebenezer Banks, Capt. Benja. Dean, John Squier 3d., Joseph Smith, Daniel Andrews, Jr., Capt. Ephraim Lyon, Zubulon Fanton, Nathan- iel Seeley 3d., David Silliman, Nathan Wheeler, Jr., Samuel Wakeman Esqr., Samuel Bennett 3d., Rob- ert Wilson and Peter Perry be a Committee for the purpose of aforesaid.
Then at:
A Town Meeting held in Fairfield May 14th: 1783.
The Former Moderator G. Selleck Silliman Esqr. being present.
Voted yt a Memorial be preferred to ye General Assembly now sitting at Hartford respecting those persons yt have gone to and joined the enemy and put themselves under their protection during the War between Great Britain and the United States of America and have already returned or may here after come back to reside among us.
Voted yt the Memorial drawn and now read in this Meeting by Dudley Baldwin Esqr. be preferred to the General Assembly.
Voted yt G. Selleck Silliman Esqr. the Moderator of this Meeting be desired to sign said Memorial in behalf of the Town and forward and lay the same before the General Assembly now sitting at Hart- ford.
And at :-
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A Town Meeting Legally warned and held in Fair- field June 26th, 1783.
Voted yt G. Selleck Silliman Esqr. be Moderator of this Meeting.
The Town taking into Consideration the Distress to which a number of the Inhabitants are reduced by the burning and plundering of the enemy during the late War with Great Britain and the great Injury done the Town thereby and that it is brought on the Town during the Course of a War undertaken for the Defense and Security of the Common Liberties of the State in which it was understood and expect- ed that the whole Body should bear the Extraordin- ary Burdens accidentally thrown on any particular part and Considering that it is altogether just so to be: have there upon agreed and voted that Jona- than Sturges Esqr. be Agent for the Town to make use of such Measures by Memorial to the General Assembly or otherwise to obtain redress of the Town's grievances in this behalf and for a repair of the Damages done by the enemy to be made to the individual Sufferers; Excepting to those sufferers who are known to be inimical to the Liberties and Independence of the United States of America.
Voted yt George Burr Esqr., Doctor David Rog- ers, Mr. Richard Hubbell, Jur. and Mr. Joseph Hide be a Committee to designate and make out a List of the sufferers of this Town who are friendly to the Liberties and Independence of the United States of America within the meaning of the foregoing vote and deliver the same to the Agent of the Town.
Voted and Agreed yt Mr. Israel Bibbins be Col- lector of State Taxes the present year in the room of Mr. Richard Hubbell, Jr.
And too at :-
A Town Meeting Legally warned and held in Fair- field August 18th: 1783.
Voted yt Gold Selleck Silliman, Esqr. be Modera- tor of this Meeting.
This Meeting taking into consideration the Dan- gers and inconveniences that the Town are exposed to, now the War is brought to a close; arising prin- cipally from the Numbers of Persons, of disorderly ungoverned dangerous and vicious conversation, who are frequently thrusting themselves in, and en- deavoring to gain a settlement in the Town. It is therefore resolve and voted that the civil Authority and Selectmen of the Town (whom we conceive to be vested with full Power and Authority to prevent such mischiefs and Dangers) be desired and re- quested to put the Law respecting those matters into vigorous Execution. And that the Selectmen be de- sired and directed, diligently to inquire after all Strangers, and other transient Persons whatever, and from whencesoever they have come or shall hereafter come, that have come into the Town, & whom there is reason to suppose intend to remain among us, who come within the above descriptions, or who are Persons dangerous in their political principles to the Town or the state and forthwith to warn every such Person to depart out of the Town and to cause all such as do not, to be prosecuted ac- cording to Law. And that all Persons that were for- merly Inhabitants here, that have been so long gone
from this to any other Town or State, as that they ought to be presumed to have gained a settlement there, who come within any of the above descrip- tions and that have or shall return to live in this Town again, shall be treated in the same manner.
The Peace had been made final but there were the standing troops still to be cared for and this order was issued:
To the Sheriff of Fairfield County, his Deputy or to Either of the Constables of the Town of Fair- field within said County
Greetings:
Whereas the Civil authority and Selectmen of Said Fairfield at a meeting held in said Fairfield on the 30th day of December last past did appoint Nehemiah Banks as a Barrack-Master for the Town of Said Fairfield and did there and then designate a number of families in said Fairfield to receive a number of Soldiers now in winter quarters in said Fairfield into their houses and did also order the said Barrack-Master to put the troops into the houses designated by said authority subscribing that several of the Persons designated by said authority and Selectmen hath refused to receive said troops designated to them as aforesaid whereby the said troops are not provided for according to law .. .
These are therefore in the name of the Governor and Company of State of Connecticut to Command you forthwith to impress the following Rooms or apartments in the Dwelling houses of the Persons hereafter named viz from Nathaniel Adams one Room or apartment, from John Hide, Jr. one Do* from Eben. Redfield, one Do from Joshua Oyster- banks, one Do from Daniel Burr, Jr., one Do from Moses Sherwood, one Do from Thad. Whitlock, one Do from Jacob White, one Do from Jean Ogden, one Do from Peter Perry one Do-one Do from David Barlow and Do from Elizabeth Hull.
And you are to take those rooms that are suitable and convenient for the accommodation of Said troops and cause the said troops to be put therein according to the Directions of the said Barrack- Master hereof you are not to fail and Due return make.
Dated at Fairfield the 1st day of January A.D. 1783.
George Burr, Justice of Peace
The entries in William Wheeler's Journal for this period help us to see that troubled day of July 7, 1779 and the reoccuring difficulties which followed for the next few years. These are the entries just as they appear:
From William Wheeler's Fairfield Journal, Ser 2 Vol. 1-5 1740-1844. State Library in Hartford
July 7, 1779- Seven in the morning the fog clear- ing off the enemy fleet just returned from plundering N. Haven appeared. Their guns an- nounced an alarm. 1600 regular troops about 11 o'clock on that day land at the foot of the
* Do means ditto.
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bar on Town beach. As they approached the Green a field piece (6 pounder) let slip a ball and a bunch of grapes down the lane by the burying place and then retracted till they got to round hill top.
July 8-A row Galley with 18 pounder brass lay firing 3/4 mile from ye Battery and the battery on them-some shot went over Grover's Hill. About noon the Enemy firing the jail, Court and Meeting House returned on board at Ken- sey's point under cover of a cannonade from their shipping-leaving 40 dead of their own and 8 or 10 of ours. Hogs, sheep, dead men, flaming houses or stacks of chimney met the eye at every step-several women stayed in town the whole time. 80 dwelling houses be- sides stores, barns were consumed.
July 8-Greens Farms with the Meeting house and Mill River Village were burnt at the same time. About a fortnight after my father was drafted to go on Guard two weeks in town. Alarms almost every night till winter and carry- ing away furniture.
1780-A vast quantity of light snow fell-a strong N.W. wind blew it incessantly for 3 or 4 days -thicker than any snowstorm. Very hard win- ter-1/2 foot thick in the Channel of the Har- bor. Jo Bartram came across Sound at White Stone after his escape from old Jersey prison ship.
March 18-Cap't Try, Lieut Willard and 20 soldiers went to town having been here 46 days.
May 19-Dark day-candles were lighted and fowls went to roost.
November 21-8 boats and 100 men went to L. I. November 23-Returned having burned 400 tons of hay-took a fort with 50 men.
November 28-Came to Mill River 20 men took 3 sheep and an ox.
December 9-60 men landed at Compo. The mail was taken at Stratfield.
1781
February 18-A boat came to Mill River and took 2 of the inhabitants prisoners.
March 1-This week the enemy burnt 2 houses and a barn-one of them was Dr. Hill's.
March 4-They burnt 2 tide mills on Mill River. March 22-A boat came to Mill River and plun- dered 2 houses.
April 13-A brig fired ashore at Greens Farms.
May 16-Two of the enemy brigs drove Cap't Sturges in, killed cattle at Stratford Point, took 37 sheep and 15 lambs of T. Burney at Kin- sey's Point.
May 31-At daybreak 4 of the enemy armed ves- sels landed at Compo 200 men where they drove on board å number of cattle, sheep and swine and burnt the guard house. Our people drove them off at noon with the loss of one man killed and 2 wounded.
June 27-Near this time a great number of whale boats go to L. Island to plunder.
July 11-Three French Frigates one of them 44 guns and a Brig and a Sloop came off against this harbor and got some pilots and went to
L. Island.
July 12-They returned having effected nothing. August 25-2 sloops and a Brig having taken a guard at W. Haven-off Stratford Point-the Brig being upset and sunk. Two of the prison- ers were drowned with some of the hands.
September 1-A great flight of pigeons 30 doz. at a time taken.
November 6-Off ye Cows a vessel upset-6 drowned.
1782-Salt is 4 dollars per bushel.
May 1-A Privateer of 8 guns takes many vessels on this shore.
June 24-Cap't Parks with 10 guns and 21 men fired at a boat with 10 men-it is thought they killed most of them-Off Black Rock.
May 6-Let the noise of War no more be named. There is a Peace once more proclaimed.
According to record John Dimon was taken prisoner by the enemy during the Danbury Raid and carried to New York. The place of his cap- ture has been located as just below Aspetuck Corners on Redding Road. The story goes like this:
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