A historical collection, from official records, files, &c., of the part sustained by Connecticut, during the war of the revolution

Preface

IT was with reluctance that the compiler of this collection of Historical facts, undertook his herculean task ; he had to wade through an immense mass of records, old files of petitions, letters, depositions, reports, &c. &c., many of which papers had been illy preserved in the offices of the Secretary of State and Comptroller ; and many were mutilated and torn, and difficult to decipher. The compiler flatters A) himself that he has not performed a useless task to the State. Many of the facts contained in this collection, will be found new and inter- *• esting to most of the present generation ; the whole work will give a livelier character to the deeds of their ancestors during this eventful struggle for liberty and independence. The work contains about 100 pages of general history, so far as Connecticut was concerned in the war of the revolution. Then follows an epitome, not only of all the acts of the General Assembly, relating to the war, but also of the acts of the Governor and his Council of Safety, or Council of War, until May, 1778, as taken from the original records in the Secretary's office.

The language of the records and files, and in some instances the orthography, has been faithfully followed by the compiler.

Connecticut, though one of the great producing States during the war, not only of provisions, but of men and money to carry on the contest, has never had her full merit recognized, hi any historical notice yet published, of that eventful time that so thoroughly tried men's souls. It has, therefore, been the object of the compiler to rescue from oblivion, a sufficient amount of authentic facts, to place the citizens of our own State on their true ground, as among the earlier, most zealous, and efficient movers of that physical and moral machinery, which tore America from the cruel embrace of England.

207006 iv PREFACE.

The compiler is satisfied from the investigations he has already made, that no State supplied more men, money, and means of every kind, according to her ability, than did Connecticut ; or did more to hasten on the glorious issue of the revolutionary war. Her troops were found in nearly every action in all the States.

She not only furnished her full quota, and more than her quota of the materiel of war, but furnished some of the wisest heads, who planned and executed the great deeds of that important time. Her Putnam was on Bunker Hill ; her Spencer in Massachusetts, New

f*

York, and Rhode Island, &c. ; her Parsons, Wolcotts, Huntingtons, Griswolds, Shermans, Ellsworth, Davenports, Bishops, Wooster, Silliman, Dean, and a host of others, with Governor Trumbull at their head, were foremost in the service — in our State Legislature, and in the Councils of the Continental Congress.

Should errors be found in this work, the reader would readily excuse them, could he see .the perfect chaos from which the compiler has extracted the facts here published.

To such gentlemen in this city, and other parts of the State, who * have aided in collecting facts, for this work, the compiler tenders them his sincere thanks, because they have been instrumental in preserving some historical facts, for the benefit of their State and country.

R. R. HINMAN.

HARTFORD, April 28th, A. D. 1842.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

A GENERAL VIEW OP CONNECTICUT AT THE COMMENCEMENT OP THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

THE Colony of Connecticut, in 1775, was divided into the six following Counties : Hartford, New Haven, New London, Fairfield, Windham, and Litchfield. These were sub-divided into 76 townships, which by the census taken in 1774, were found to contain the following aggregate of inhabitants : — Whites, 191,448. Blacks, 6,562. Total, 198,010.

Westmoreland, it will be noticed, was included in this census. It contained only 1,922 inhabitants in 1774, but increased rapidly after that period. When the massacre of Wyoming took place (in 1778) the population was estimated at 5,000.

The General Assembly of Connecticut, at their session held at Hartford, in January, 1771, resolved that the lands west of the river Delaware, and in the latitude of that part of the colony of Connecticut east of New York were contained in the boundaries and description of the Charter of King Charles II. to the colony of Connecticut ; and as many people had settled on a part of the lands at or near a place called Wyoming, under a claim of the Connecticut colony, they applied to Connecticut to take them under her protection and government. As there were many persons of suspicious and bad characters, who had escaped from justice and resorted to said place to carry on their villainous designs with impunity, to the disgust and annoyance of the good people of the settlement ; the Assembly therefore, in January, 1774, enacted that the inhabitants within the bounds of Connecticut colony, on the west side of the river Delaware, were constituted a distinct town, with all the privileges of other towns in the colony of Connecticut. The town was bounded east by the Delaware 2 river, north by the north line of Connecticut colony, west by a north and south line across the colony at 1 5 miles distance west from a place in Susquehannah river called Wyoming, and south by the south line of Connecticut colony ; which town was also annexed to Litchfield county, and called by the name of Westmoreland. It was however provided, that no person who resided in any other town in the colony should be sued before any justice of the peace in Westmoreland, or the people of Westmoreland be sued in any civil action in any other town before a justice ; and that the sheriff or his deputies of Litchfield county should not be compelled to receive any civil writ to be served in Westmoreland.

And during the same session (1774) the Governor of the colony was desired and authorized to issue a proclamation, to forbid all persons taking up, entering on, or settling any of the lands included in the charter of the colony, which lay west of the province of New York, without liberty obtained from the colony of Connecticut. The Assembly therefore appointed Roger Sherman, J. A. Hillhouse, and Thomas Howell, Esq'rs. (when applied to) to take into consideration the claims and settlements made on lands situate on or near the waters of the Susquehannah river within the boundaries of Connecticut by the charter, and settle the same with the claimants, and quiet their titles under Connecticut colony ; and to quiet the titles of all the settlers west of the Delaware river in the colony who had been settled there more than fifteen years, preceding January, 1774.

The Legislature of Connecticut at their May session, 1775, made the the town of Westmoreland a probate district, by the name of the district of Westmoreland. The town was incorporated in January, 1774, by the Legislature of Connecticut ; and in May, 1775, the bounds of the town were extended until it should meet with the line (then) lately settled with the Indians at Fort Stanwix, called the Stanwix line, north and south on the north and south lines of the colony of Connecticut, (with the families on said lands,) were incorporated with the town of Westmoreland, and in the same act it was annexed to the county of Litchfield.

As early as 1754, the inhabitants of Connecticut made a purchase of the natives of a large tract of land extending from the Delaware river westward about 170 miles, including the whole

REVOLUTIONARY AVAR, 1775. 7

breadth of the 42° of north latitude, and confirmed to Connecticut, April 23, 1662, by the charter from Charles II. In October, 1763, the settlers were dispossessed by the savages with the loss of many lives and much property, and did not resume their possession until 1769, and continued under the jurisdiction of Connecticut until 1782 ; during the period from 1774 to 1782 many of the peaceable citizens of Connecticut moved on to the lands, purchased small farms contiguous to each other for better defence, with their small farms for immediate use, and located other lands as a future dependence. And in the year 1776, they furnished the continental army with near three hundred officers and soldiers, to fight the battles of the country, which left the settlement at Wyoming, weak and unguarded. In July, 1778, the settlements were cut off by the savages, lories, and British troops, but they soon regained their position, by the zeal and prowess of those who escaped the carnage of the first attempt of the savages ; but by the great loss of men and property, the settlers were reduced and greatly distressed ; many widows and orphans were left destitute of the necessaries of life ; and the families of near two hundred officers and soldiers then in the army, became extremely helpless and needy, but were soon assisted by the return of their inhabitants and relieved only by the activity of the people of that section of country. They were continually harassed by the savages and tories until the close of the war, with immense loss of lives and property. The settlers of Wyoming were a most important and mighty barrier to the interior of the country, during the revolutionary war, with little compensation or reward.

REVLUT1ONARY WAR, 1775-

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The territory embraced in the colony of Connecticut, was one of the best and most compactly settled portions of the confederacy at the beginning of the revolution. There was very little wilderness in that portion of the colony east of the Delaware. That part of Litchfield, called the Greenwoods, comprising the townships of Colebrook, Winchester, and Barkhamsted, was the only section that was very thinly settled at that time.

Connecticut had sent forth several colonies previous to this period. She had contributed largely in settling the western townships in Massachusetts ; had furnished her thousands for the settlement of the up river country, both New Hampshire and the country on the opposite side of Connecticut river, since formed into the state of Vermont. She had also established considerable settlements in the eastern borders of the province of New York, and on the distant coast of Nova Scotia ; and finally, after a long struggle, had planted a favorite colony in the beautiful valley of the Wyoming. This last settlement, she had cherished with parental solicitude, and extended to it the protection of her government, and created a separate township, attached to Litchfield county.

THE MILITIA OF CONNECTICUT IN 1775.

FROM the first settlement of the colony until 1739, the militia of Connecticut had only a company organization. This year, a law was enacted by the Governor, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, that the Governor of the colony for the time being, should be Captain General and commander in chief, and the Deputy Governor for the time being, should be Lieutenant General, of and over all the military forces within the colony ; and that all the military companies in the colony, should be formed into regiments. That there should be in each regiment, appointed from time to time by the General Assembly, a colonel, lieutenant-colonel, and major, who should be commissioned by the Governor of the colony for the time being. It

1Q REVOLUTIONARY WAR, 177o.

was further enacted, that all male persons from 16 years of age to 50, except those exempted by law, should bear arms, and duly attend all musters and military reviews of the respective companies. The companies in the colony at this time were organized into 13 regiments, and to each regiment was permission given to have one troop of horse. There was an annual inspection of arms on the first Monday in May, besides several trainings yearly, and -a regimental muster once in four years.

In October, 1756, it was enacted by the Governor, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, that there should be two company reviews ; one in May, and one in October.

In 1767, the 14th regiment of militia was formed from the towns, of Cornwall, Sharon, Salisbury, Canaan, and Norfolk.

In 1769, the 15th regiment was formed from the towns of Farmington, Harwinton, and New Hartford.

In 1771, the 16th regiment was constituted from the towns of Danbury, Ridgefield, Newtown, and New Fairfield.

In 1774, the 17th regiment was organized from Litchfield, Goshen, Torrington, and Winchester. The same year the towns of Simsbury, New Hartford, Hartland, Barkhamsted, and Colebrook were formed into the 18th regiment. In October of the same year, four additional regiments were organized. One comprising the military companies in the towns of East Windsor, Enfield, Bolton, and that part of Hartford on the east side of the Connecticut river ; this was the 19th regiment. . Another including the military companies in the town of Norwich, the 20th regiment. The military companies in Plainfield, Canterbury, Voluntown, and the south company in Killingly, formed the 21st regiment. And lastly, the companies in Tolland, Somers, Stafford, Willington, and Union, for the 22d regiment. So it seems that there were twenty-two organized regiments of militia in Connecticut at the commencement of the war in 1775. In May, 1775» two more regiments were formed, one beyond the Delaware, in Westmoreland, and the other in Middletown and Chatham. In 1776, the 25th regiment was formed from the military companies in East Haddam, Colchester, and the society of Marlborough. The troops of horse were this year organized into five regiments of light horse, so that the whole number of regiments in the State were thirty ; twenty-five of foot, and five of horse.

The regiments were formed in the following manner in 1776. The military companies in the towns of Hartford, (that part on the west side of Connecticut river,) Windsor, Suffield, and that portion of Farmington, lying in the parish of Wintonbury, constituted the 1st regiment ; those in the towns of New Haven, Milford, Branford, and Derby, the 2d regiment ; those in New London and Lyme, the 3d regiment ; those in Fairfield, Stratford, and Reading, the 4th regiment ; those in Windham, Mansfield, Coventry, and Ashford, the 5th regiment ; those in Wethersfield and Glastenbury, the 6th regiment ; those in Say brook, Guilford, Killingworth, and Haddam, the 7th regiment ; those in Stonington, Preston, and Groton, the 8th regiment ; those in Norwalk, Stamford, and Greenwich, the 9th regiment ; those in Wallingford, Waterbury, Cheshire, and Durham, the 10th regiment ; those in Pomfret, Killingly, and Woodstock, except the south company in Killingly, the llth regiment ; those in Lebanon, Hebron, and the company in the society of Maryborough, in Colchester, formed the 12th regiment; those in Woodbury, New Milford, and Kent, the 13th regiment ; those in Cornwall, Sharon, Salisbury, Canaan, and Norfolk, the 14th regiment ; those in Farmington, exclusive of the parishes of Wintonbury and Southington, formed the 15th regiment ; those in Danbury, Ridgefield, Newtown, and New Fairfield, the 16th regiment ; those in Litchfield, Goshen, Torrington, Harwinton, and Winchester, formed the 17th regiment; those in the towns of Simsbury, New Hartford, Hartland, Barkhamsted, and Colebrook, the 18th regiment ; those in East Windsor, Enfield, Bolton, and that part of Hartford, on the east side of Connecticut river, the 19th regiment ; those in Norwich, the 20th regiment ; those in Plainfield, Canterbury, Voluntown, and the south company in Killingly, the 21st regiment ; those in Tolland, Somers, Stafford, Willington, and Union, the 22d regiment ; those in Middletown and Chatham, the 23d regiment ; those in Westmoreland, the 24th regiment ; those in East Haddam and Colchester, except the company in Marlborough, in Colchester, formed the 25th regiment.

In the autumn of 1776, another organization of the militia took place. All the regiments in the State were formed into six brigades. It was enacted that there should be appointed by the General Assembly, from time to time, two major generals to command as first and second over the whole militia of the State, who were commissioned to said office by the Governor, and had at all times power to call forth the militia, or any part of them, as should from time to time be ordered by the Assembly or Governor, for the immediate defence of this State, or the United States. It was further enacted, that there should be appointed by said Assembly, from time to time, one brigadier general to the command of each of the brigades aforesaid, who should be commissioned by the Governor, and have the same command over the respective brigades, as the major general had over the whole militia, and should be subject to the command of his superior officer in calling forth or marching the militia for defence ; and every brigadier should review each regiment of his brigade once in a year, and oftener, if the Assembly ordered. It was also enacted that the colonel, or chief officer of every regiment, should nominate and appoint a suitable person, to serve as an assistant in their respective regiments, and commission them accordingly.

The male population of the colony, in 1775, from sixteen to fifty years of age, were subject to military duty, and may be estimated, from a careful examination of the census of 1774, to amount to about twenty-six thousand persons. Of these there were nearly one thousand beyond the Delaware, and near two thousand disaffected persons, so that the whole military force in the compact settled part of the colony, that could be relied on for its defence, did not much exceed twenty-three thousand men.

THE GOVERNMENT, AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE COLONY, AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.

THE Government of Connecticut, founded on the Charter of Charles II. contained in its structure some of the most liberal provisions that ever received the sanction of royal authority. The administrators of government, chosen by the governed, had possessed for a long period of time the unbounded confidence of their constituents. The Governor, and both branches of the legislature, having derived their authority from the same source.

exercised their functions in the utmost harmony, and were content to co-operate together for the public welfare. This was not the case in most of the other colonies, where the governors received their appointments from royal authority, and were often engaged in violent contests with the legislatures, whereby the influence of both governors and legislatures for usefulness, was much lessened.

Nearly all the constituted authorities of the colony were carried along with the people in the popular movement in 1775, so that the measures of the colony were more effective than those of any other, (except, perhaps, Rhode Island,) at this period, which of course added much to the strength of the first movement in commencing the great struggle.

The municipal institutions of Connecticut, at this time, (*75) were in many respects superior to those of any other colony, and highly favorable to the cause of liberty. The town meetings were schools where the people were instructed in the art of self-government. Here they learned to resist oppression, and co-operate mutually for their own defence. The town system of government, with the annual election of selectmen to manage the town affairs ; the cheap and convenient method of recording deeds in the town clerks' offices ; the district probate court system, were, most of them, organizations peculiar to this colony, and added much to the comfort and convenience of the people.

TAXATION, VALUATION OP PROPERTY, COMMERCE, AGRICULTURE, AND MANUFACTURES OF THE COLONY.

IT was enacted that all rates and taxes that were granted by the general court, should be made in proportion to the general list of polls and rateable estate. It was subsequently enacted that the several towns in the colony should be chargeable and responsible for the full amount of the colony rates or taxes that were at. any time granted by the general court, in proportion to the sum total of the respective lists of said towns. The subjects of taxation wore — all maje persons in the several towns in the colony, from 16 years old to 70, except those exempted by law ; also, lands, dwelling houses, ships, ware houses, mills, shops, and work houses, cattle, horses and swine. There were occasionally other subjects of taxation. The grand list was made from the returns of the several towns to the general court, in October, annually. In 1775, the returns were the following:

Grand List of the Colony, in 1775.

Ashford,

£17,273

New Haven,

£73,210

6 2

Bolton,

10,526

New Milford,

28,169

18 3

Branford,

23,472

New Hartford,

8,837

18 6

Coventry,

20,856

35,528

17 6

Canterbury,

20,730

Norwich,

66,678

19 2

Canaan,

15,212

Norwalk,

41,955

18 1

Chatham,

22,881

New Fairfield,

12,273

3 6

Cornwall,

9,358

Newtown,

23,737

11 11

Colchester,

34,762

Plainfield,

14,216

16 0

Durham,

12,205

Preston,

25,272

14 11

Danbury,

28,501

Pomfret,

27,711

12 4

Derby,

19,315

Redding,

14,263

4 4

East Haddam,

26,674

Ridgefield,

17,491

8 6

East Windsor,

27,409

Stonington,

38,213

5 10

Enfield,

12,478

Simsbury,

30,631

8 0

Fairfield,

51,278

Suffield,

19,140

9 0

Farmington,

66,577

Salisbury,

17,087

16 0

Greenwich,

24,632

Stratford,

52,611

16 7

Groton,

26,902

Stafford,

10,412

10 0

Glastenbury,

18,752

Say brook,

26,304

8 0

Guilford,

36,406

Stamford,

34,078

2 9

Goshen,

11,348

Sharon,

17,325

16 0

Hartford,

48,120

Somers,

9,153

19 0

Hebron,

23,815

Tolland,

1,432

8 0

Haddam,

16,591

Torrington,

5,816

15 0

Harwinton,

8,023

Voluntown,

13,801

4 0

Killingly,

27,907

Windham,

32,222

10 7

Kill ing worth,

20,221

Wethersfield,

32,674

0 3

Kent,

16,971

Waterbury,

37,064

3 3

Lebanon,

41,632

Wallingford,

51,504

2 9

Litchfield,

23,396

Windsor,

24,095

2 11

Lyme,

28,570

Woodstock,

20,800

0 0

Milford,

29,181

Willington.

8,660

7 1

Middletown,

42,567

Woodbury,

56,495

14 10

Mansfield,

22,077

The commerce of the colony was very extensive and valuable at this time. The colony afforded continual supplies of cattle, sheep, hogs, wheat, rye, and indian corn, besides salt provisions, which it furnished to its neighbors on every side ; New York and Albany, westwardly ; the northern settlements, with Newport and Boston, east.

In addition to her extensive trade with the neighboring colonies, Connecticut had nearly two hundred sail of vessels, engaged in the West India trade, whose cargoes, more or less, consisted of provisions, with horses and cattle on deck. The West India trade had greatly enriched many of the inhabitants of the colony. There are said to have been three individuals at that time in Hartford, each of whose estates was estimated at 16,000 pounds sterling. Connecticut was at this time as celebrated for its sea captains as Nantucket is now. The agriculture of the colony was in excellent condition ; it was called the " provision colony." Its manufactures were chiefly of the domestic or household kind, and were very productive, furnishing a large supply of woollen and linen clothing for the use of the inhabitants.

THE EXTENT, COMPARITIVE INFLUENCE OP THE COLONY IN 1774 AND 1775, AND ITS FINAL DISMEMBERMENT.

CONNECTICUT was one of the most important of the American colonies at the commencement of the revolutionary war. The territorial claim beyond the Delaware had been of long standing. For more than twenty years the people and government t)f Connecticut had been engaged in investigating and establishing a title to the extensive region thsft lay between the Delaware and the Mississippi, in the same parallels of latitude as the old settled part of the colony. This region comprised an extent of territory of more than 700 miles in length from east to west, with a breadth from north to south, of about 70 miles, embracing an area of more than 50,000 square miles. This extensive region possessed a salubrious climate, and a soil equal to any part of North America in point of fertility. It was watered on the west by that great artery of the continent, the Mississippi, on the north by the waters of lake Erie and lake Michigan, all affording great and numerous navigable advantages.

These and other advantages combined to render it fully as desirable for settlement as any other portion of that vast and then unpopulated tract lying west of the settled part of the colonies.

Some of the most sagacious of the inhabitants of Connecticut had at an early period, with a prophetic eye that does honor to their intelligence, seen, in the vast region beyond the Delaware, the germs of future greatness, and had fondly hoped to see the swarms of emigrants thaf had then begun to leave the parent hive, accommodated with homes in this western region where they might enjoy, under the excellent municipal institutions of the parent colony, much comfort and tranquillity.

A spirit was soon awakened in Connecticut as to the importance of this western tract of country, and after many years of patient exertion in quieting Indian titles, and many laborious efforts to effect settlements — attended with various contests both with Indians and with people in the interest of the proprietary government in Pennsylvania, success finally crowned the efforts of the projectors of this enterprise. In 1774, the colony had become so numerous, that it was taken under the protection of the government of Connecticut, and organized into a township as a part of Litchfield county, by the name of Westmoreland. In 1775, the , township was made into a probate district, by the name of Westmoreland. In the same year the militia of the township were formed into the 24th regiment of Connecticut militia. In 1776, it was enacted that the town of Westmoreland, lying on the west side of the river Delaware in this State, should be a distinct county, and be called the county of Westmoreland, and should have and exercise, the same powers, privileges, and authorities, and be subject to the same regulations as the other counties in this state, except in cases limited by this act. By this act Westmoreland became the seventh county in Connecticut, and fully under its jurisdiction.

This section of Connecticut prospered1, flourished, and increased in population, until the fatal massacre and devastation of the settlement, in 1778.

In 1778, at the time of its destruction, the settlement extended over eight townships, and was estimated to contain about a thousand families, and five or six thousand inhabitants. The settlement was scarcely resuscitated, when by the unjust decree of Trenton, in 1782, it was torn from Connecticut, and subjected to the authority of Pennsylvania, contrary to the wishes, and without the consent of the inhabitants. By this unrighteous act, Connecticut which had held rank in the confederacy of 1775, as a colony of the first magnitude, and had been literally the keystone State of the confederacy during the revolutionary struggle; had met every crisis with the greatest promptitude and vigor, and had made such great sacrifices to establish the cause of liberty and independance, underwent the mortification of seeing the integrity of her territory violated, her size diminished, her laws solemnly enacted nullified without her consent, and her rank in the Union reduced.

THE SPIRIT OF '74 AND '75, IN CONNECTICUT.

THE remote predisposing causes of the American revolution, were various and numerous ; but the prominent and immediate cause of this great and memorable popular movement, was undoubtedly the Boston Port Bill. This act of the British Parliament, to destroy the trade of Boston, excited universal sympathy for Massachusetts throughout the colonies, but in no colony was the sympathy manifested stronger than in Connecticut. The people of Connecticut were connected with those of Massachusetts by the strongest ties of blood, friendship, and interest, and the veneration for the parent colony was almost universal. Boston was the great commercial emporium of the New England colonies, and the seat of refinement and intelligence. The misery and distress brought on this town by the unjust act of the British Parliament, raised such a spirit of resistance as had never before been witnessed in the " land of steady habits." " The House of Representatives, then in session at Hartford, on the receipt of the intelligence of the" passage of the Boston Port Bill, passed strong resolutions against the unjust act, and the towns expressed their disapprobation of it, and their sympathy with the people of Boston, by calling large meetings, and passing Resolutions. New Haven took the lead, and was followed by most of the towns in the eastern and central sections of the colony, who adopted, most unanimously, resolutions of the most patriotic character, pledging every aid to their suffering brethren in Boston. In these town meetings was generated the spirit of enquiry and resistance to tyranny so essential to that future progress of the war of independence.