Connecticut Historical Collections

1100 acres of poor land reserved to tliem in Grolon, on wliich lliey live. They are more mixed than the INIoheagans with negro and white blood, yet are a distinct tribe and still retain a hatred to the Moheagans. A short time since, I had an opportunity ol" seeing most of the tribe to- gether. They are more vicious, and not so decent or so good looking a jjcojile as the Moheagans. This however may be owing to their be- ing more mixed with other blood. It is very rare that there are any intermarriages with either of the tribes to each other; they still, as far as ciicumstances admit, letain their old grudge. The most common name amongst them is J)lutzcn : nearly half call thui))selves by that surname."* jSuichtu^tcJii View oj i'ui i IJill, iiroton. l'\)rt Hill is situated four miles east from Now Lontlon, ami is ron- d(;rcd men)orabIe on account o{ its being the seat of the roval fortress of Sassacus, the haughty chieftain of the Pequots. The buikling seen on the summit of the hill is the Baptist church ; the other building seen to the south is the residence of the Rev. IMr. Burrows, an aged ]>aptist clergyman, who has resided on this spot from his childhood. The fort of Sassacus is sup|)osed to have stood between the house of Mr. B. and the church. This supposition is strongly confirmed, by the remains of human bones, shells, fish bones and paiched corn, being found eighteen inches below the surface, JNIr. l^urrows states that he found a quantity of com in a coal state, some of which he preserved many years ; he also found a pipe of soft stone, with abundance of arrow heads, is^c. "The body of the Petjuots," (says Dr. Trumbull,) "returning from the pursuit of Cajjt. Mason, repaired to Sassacus, at the royal forti'css, and related the doleful story of tlieir misli^rtunes. They charged them all to his haughtiness and misconduct, and threatened him and his, with •» Cummnnicaiion of Wia. 1'. Williams, Esq. in 1832. 3d series, p. 134. IfiM. Coll. 3d vol. 3. 13 LEBANON, immediate destruction. His fiiends and chief counselors iiitei'ceded for him ; and, at their entreaty, his men s()ared his hie. Then, upon con- suUalion, tiiey concluded that they could not, with safety, remain any longer in the country. They were indeed so panic-struck, that burn- ing their wigwams and desCroi/ing their J'urt, they fled and scattered into various parts of the country. Sassacus, ]\Iononotto, and seventy or eighty of their chief counselors and cliief wairiors look iheir route towards Hudson river," The prospect from ]\Ir. Burrows' house is one of the most command- ing, beautiful and extensive on the coast. Among the various objects to be viewed from this site, are 15 towns, 4 counties, 3 states, :20 isl- ands, part of the city of New London, the whole of Stoningion borough, Fort Griswold and the Monument, and 7 light-houses, with rivers, bays, &:c. At the storming of Fort Griswold in the Revolutionary war, the women and children in the vicinity lied to this place, their husbands and fathers having hastened to the fort on the landing of the enemy. From I\Ir. Burrows' house the firing of each gun could be distinctly seen. It must have been an awful moment with such spectators, one of fearful and agonizing suspense, when they saw those whom they held most dear surrounded by an infuriated enemy, amid the "roar of death," engaged in murderous strife : added to this, the conflagralion-of New London be- yond, sending upward majestic columns of smoke and flame, must have rendered this a scene of indescribable interest and fearful sublimity. LEBANON LiiBANoN is bouniled n. by Columbia, k. by Wiiulhain and Franklin, w. by Colchester and Hebron, and southeast by Bozrah antl Fraiddin. The average length irom northeast to south we-^L is upwartis of 7 miles, and it a\cragcs about the same distance in brcadlh. The surface is un- fVLMi, bi'ini^ modt'iauily iiilly. The soil is gtMierally a ricii, deep, mie- luous mould, nearly ol" a chocolate color, i'erlile, and well adapted for grass. Agriculture is almost universally the business ol"ihe inhabitants. Theie are three societies in the town, Lebanon, Fxeier and Goshen, in each of which there is a Congregational church ; there is also a Baptist church in Lebanon, or the first society. The central part. of Lebanon, (seen in this view,) is 10 utiles n. w. of Norwich city, and 30 s. e. from Hart lord. The follow ing is a stnilh view of the Congregational church,* and other buildings in the vicinity, in the first society in Lebanon. The village ♦ This biiiUliiVL,^ w liicli i.s uf biiek, stands on the site of the old ineelinjj liouse; at the ei'cctiDn ol' ihis liousc theie was a great controversy and division ol' the society. It appears that the inajorily ol" tlie society wislied to liave the churcli erected 3,00 rods north of its preseni hicaticin, and accordingly it was decided by a vote oC about two thirds of the society to take down the old house, and erect a new one at t-lie dis- tance mentioned. The workujen having assenibleti to lulvC down the old building, the minority, about eighteen in number, lesisted the aiiempl. For this proceeding, liiey were lined to the extent of the law, as rioters; this was in 1604. This added fuel to L E J; A N 0 N 310 Soiith Ditto of the Congrc''iUiuiuil Church, Ltbanon. is prinnipally s'iIlkiKmI on a street about 30 rods broad and upwards of a mile in length. Tlicre were formerly more bouses on this street than there are at the present time, there having been a tide of emigration ■kept up frotn this town since the llevolutionnry war. The house, a part of which is seen on the extreme left of the engraving, is the resi- dence of \Vm. T. Williams, J'ls(j. a son of the signer of the Declaration of Independence. This house is situated on the spot where Jonathan Trumbull, the patriotic governor of Connecticut, was born. The house in which the Governor resided, was situated on the spot where the lirst bouse north of i\Ir. Williams's now stands. The house of the (Gov- ernor is still in existence, being removed a few rods north, and is the bouse seen in the distance, nearest the church. The following is a representation of (lov. Trumbull's house and (he old " War Oj/ice,''^ so called ; this latter building is seen on the left, and is now occupied as a post oflice ; the projection in bont is a modern addition. This was the building in which Gov. Trumbull transacted his public business during the Revolution. In those days traveling was generally perfoi'med on horseback ; the marks of the spurs of the horsemen, expresses, he. are still seen on the side of the counter on which they sat, while waiting the Governor's orders. The Trumbull bouse is quite an ancient building, it is the bouse in which Colonel Trumbull, the painter, was born, and many distinguished personages ll\e llama; ihe iiinjiiriiv nimli' ilwce nld-uipls before ibey were nhlc to £;et ilic biiiliiinc. Al tlii^ pciiiiil paiiv spirit in-uil to a i^u-.n o.xtrut. Cu\. TiKlcii. niu/ol' the ui:i|.uily, vns reinov-e.l liuni ilie ]>n]>]:r ni',\.:v> wliu-li lie li.'M, on acconni ol ilic pa;i l;e \i<nk in llie conhdversy. The iii.^joi iiv erected thepieNent Baptist chiii eh, al.oiit iJiiO loils north of lln; hiiek rhiireli. IJ ipli.-,t cleri;-yinen were invited into the phi^e to pu-ach for (hem, and the l!a|itis'. soeiei\- is now ilse lar;,'esl m tlie phue. 'i'he J.e,;,'isl:;iure, who favored ihe views of thi' ininoiity, t;i niited iliein a iolieiv, m ordei to eie. t a church. Tlie opposite paitv were fully oiihe opinion that ti;e Lc-islutitie iinpiupeilj interfered in the eonccrns ul the society. '.m) I. r: H A N o i\ . " JVar Oj/lcc'" and Gov. TmmbuWs House, Lebanon. Imve been within its walls. Gen. Washington, Dr. Franklin, Jeficr- son, Rochambeaii and La Fayette, have all, it is helieveci, been lodged ill this house. The Governor generally had a guard of about hall a do/en men to protect his ]K'rson, as ther(3 was some danger at that pe- riod of being seized in the night season and carried off to the enemy. Some alarm was caused at one time by a tra\'eler coming into the iiouse, in the garb of a beggar, and insisting upon seeing the Governor, who at that time was unwell. JMrs. Hyde, his housekeeper, not liking his appearance and actions, seizing the shovel and tongs, drove him out of the house, and called the guard, who cau)e to her assistance, but the beggar was no where to be found. This town rendered most eliicient aid to the American cause during the Revolution ; upwards ol' 500 men from this town alone (which then included Columbia and a small part of Hebron) were in the army at one time. — De. Lauzun's legion, consisting of about 500 horsemen, win- tered here ; their encampment was a little west of the church. Jiocham- bi'au with five regiments stayed here about thrt.'e weeks, and while here Gen. Washington arrived, stayed three days, and revieweil the French troops, who were under the most peifect disci[)line. AVhile the I''rench were here one of their numbej- was shot lor desertion. The court mar- tial was held in the guard house, after 9 o'clock at night, and the soldier executed before day. It is supposed that they were fearful, that if Gov. Trumbull came to the knowledge of the soldier's being condemned to death, he would endeavor to save his life. The town of L(;banon originally consisted of a number of pieces of land, purchased by diirerent persons at dilferent times, but afterwards united into one town. There were four proprieties ; the first was a pur- chase of five miles in length and three in width, extending froin Wind- ham line on the northeast part, southwesterly to the bounds of Hebron and Colchester. This tract was purchased of Owanecho, sachem of the IMohegans. The grant was dated 1G98, and is called the five mile purchase. The second [)ropriety was a tract of five miles in length and one in breadth, l\ing south and adjoining the five mile i)urcl)ase. It was a grant made by Owanecho to the Rev. ]\Ir. Fitch and the fa- I. K B A N 0 N. 3-2 1