Connecticut Historical Collections

The naval ofllcer who had charge of the lleet, which conveyed the British forces under Tryon to this place, and acted as pilot, was brother to Mrs, Buckley. Before Tryon landed his Ibrces, he re(|uested that the house of his sister mii:ht be saved, and its inmates protected. Tryon, after his ariival, informed iMrs. Buckley that if she wished any other houses spared, it should he done ; acconliiigly the four neighboring houses were saved by her means. Tr}oii li;i\iiig (ireasion to leave the house for a short lime, a Hessian soldier, taking advantaue of his ab- sence, came into the house, and seeing a gold ring on the finger of Mrs. Buckley, demanded it of her, with the threat that if she refused he would cut olF her linger: she refusing, he seized her hand, and tore oft' the ring with such violence that part of the llesh was stripped from her finger. When Tryon returned, being informed of this transaction, he ordered the Hessian to be severely punished. The British landed in the morning, and stn)ed during the day and night. The town was (ired very early next morning. As they left the place, the Hessians remainetl behind and set fire to the buildings. It seems to have been the policy of the l^iitish commanders, to en)ploy this part of their forces to perform all acts of a barbarous and savage kind, which they wished to inflict. The inhabitants generally (led, but not expecting to have their houses burnt, left most of their furniture. There was but little opposition, there being but few militia and no regular troops in the vicinity, at the time of the landing. Among the barbarous trans- actions of the enemy was the following, which was related by Capt. Levi Burr, an eye witness, who was then a lad, ten years oi age. _„ F A I U F I i: L D . 355 A shot was fired from one of the houses, which killed a Britisli sol- dier; his comrades rushed into the house, seized the man who they supposed had fired the shot, wrapped him up in a sheet, which had been dipped in rum, and set it on lire. An aged colored man, it is said, also suli'eied death in the same manner. The following elegy on the burning of Fairfield was written by Col. Humphreys, in 1779, on the spot where the town stood. Ami t'ivt; lluwplc^ liose tliy How ,,111 At ycMidi' JIullhou A siloiil .- ,Mthy; lis: Suve ui.rrc sioicli'il elms lU' uiUiniLly lull; BhevI, Whicli rustling, liovcrs lounj the failiil grcfn «iive where, at Iwilislii, iiioariK'rs frtiiin'iit tn Mill recent finives, e'er ilcsolaticm's sciio. Fh.w chiiii^'M thr hiis.slul |in)si.,>i-t wl,<-n ci.iiipi 'J'h.s,' ul,,„i„s I leul, with lliy luruirr hhn'u 'riiy hcispiiulile rifrhts whni 'I'ryuii sliiirM ■ri n. Ml ii ■Irss 'll(,li hehi Wilhsll, Ai a sii \'; ill u IS the Wl tdlK h his (,■<■ \'.l 11 th ■ r.iirihv ^'il 111 It • iliilhb tl Ri'si.-t.iiirr grow'iiiu ;is Ihi: il,iii;;rr f,'ri'ws. J{. a ill Ilieir wouiiTs, ,iih1 |M,iiiliii- tn the plain, hluini- baltle hums IV. iiiis.ni nil the St 111 Ih T) taai, n spleiulor M streams i s, rouna ih Ivs, the li^l, 1 crash the- years i.i gl 1 ihy saiiKu WlthdRS i, iaeas'd the ruin yhit II no Ilaiiies as iiul.-rahly hr lilhifie wrapl M With the J •, aiul the Cii _ Southport is situated at the mouth of I\lill river, and is a nourishing village, about l\so miles s. w. of Fiiirlield court house. Ten years since it c^ontained only about l\\ enty buildings ; at this lime there are from (JO to 70 dwelling houses, S stores, an academy, jiost ollice, a bank, and an Episcopal church. Forty years since there were but eight build- ings m this i)lacc, and but one sloop owned, which run to ]>os^lon ; now more shipping is owned in this place in proportion to its size, than in any other phice between New York and IJoston. It has the advantage of a considerably extensive and fertile back country. The produce fro'in Greenfield, and the country adjacent, is brought here, to be shipped for New York and the southern ports. The harbor is small, but of suffi- cient depth to fioat vessels of about 100 tons burthen. It has an ad- vantage over most other harbors on the coast, in its being rarely frozen sufficiently to obstruct navigation. Ten thousand dollars have been granted by the IJ. S. government for the improvement of the harbor, and an extensive breakwater was erected at its entrance, in 1831. Im- mediately opposite the village there are very extensive tlats, which sometimes are ovurllowed by freshets. One of the most prominent objects in the following view, is the Episco- palc hurch, which stands on elevated ground ; the small spire on the left stands on the Academy, near which is seen the Southport Ixmk, with pillars in front. The building in the distance on the extreme right is a 356 F A 1 R F I E t. n 'it-} ■ South view of the Borough of Suiithjjurt, l\iirfitlJ. flour mill, situated on tlie ?ie\v York turnpike, uhont one fourth of a mile from the vilhiye. Tlie spire of the {episcopal church in Fairlieki, is seen above the mill. Immediately back of the village is the celebra- ted Pequol swamp,* where this once powerful and warlike tribe of sav- ages, in July, 1637, made their last stand against the forces of Connec- ticut and IMassachuselts, under the command ol Capt. I\Iason. In this, their last conflict with the English, the Pe(]uots received their final overthrow, and their existence as a distinct tribe was annihilated. Dr. Dvvight, in his poem entitled " Greenfield Hill," says, after the Pequot fort at Mystic was destroyed by Capt. iMason, a large body of the Pe- quots found refuge in this swamp. '-One ol" lliiir number loitering be- hinil the rest, was discovered by the Ijigh.^h troops, then eoumianded by Capt. Stoughton, of iMassachusells ; and was com])clled to disclose their retreat. One hundred of them, it is saiil, surienclered. The rest, bravely resolving to live and die together, were attacked and chiefly destroyed." Tlie following is extracted from the fourth part of the poem. This part is entitled, "The Destruction of the Pequots." " Amid a circling maisli, c.xpamlrd wide, 'J'o a ioMc! liiil Ihe Pcqiiols wcJiind ilicii' Viay; And none, but Heaven, llie uian.si(jn had deseiied Clu.se-lan;^Med, wild, iinpiM\'ioiis lo the i\.iy; But one poor wanderer, l(iiterini( loni; a.-lia\'^ Wilder'il in Iah3'nnili8 orpalldess w.jud, In a tall Uee eruhowpr'd oliseiirely lay: Sliaight .suninioii'd down, the ireniblinLr suppliant Where lurkM his vanisiied liiends, wuliin iheir d: ow'd * A new road was made two or three years since thi'ou'^'h the Peqiiot swamp, pass- ing over some remains of an Indian fort, which it ajipears foiincrly stood on an ele- vated piece of ground in the nudsl of the swamp. In order to lower the ground where the fort stood, (the surface of the ground being liozeii,) an e.\ca\atiou was made, in doing which the earth above fell, and one man was inManily killed. FAIRFIELD, 35"; Academy and Cungregational Church on Greenfield UiU, Fairfield, The building on the right is the Congregational church, in which President Dvvight, of Yale College, preached a number of years. He resided a few rods south of the church, in a house which he built, now the mansion of Isaac Bronson, Esq., a gentleman of great wealth and respectability. The Academy* is seen on the left ; it is a small build- ing, about the ordinary size of a school-house. It was established and its reputation maintained by Dr. Dwiijht for twelve years. It is still a respectable seminary, where young ladies are taught the higher branches of female education. On the extreme left is seen the spire of the Con- gregational church in Fairlield, about three miles distant, beyond which the Sound and Long Island ap|)ear. This place is most justly celebrated for the prospect which is obtained from the belfry of the cliurch. No other spot in Connecticut can show such a commanding, extensive, and beautiful prospect. Seventeen churches can be seen, viz. two in Fair- field, three in Bridgeport, two in Stratford, two in Milford, two on Long Island, and one in each of the following places, viz. New Canaan, Rea- ding, Northfield, Green's Farms, Southport, and Canaan. Five light- * Tins academic school and its preceptor, (Dr. Dwiglit,) are thus referred to in the poem "Greenfield Ilill." " Wiieie yonder humble spire salutes the eye, Iii vane slow turning; in the liquitl sky, Where, in light gambols, heallliy striplings sport, Ambitious learning builds his outer court ; A grave preceptor, there, her ii.iher stands. And rujes, without a rod, her little bands, Some half-grown sprigs of learning graced his brow; Little he knew, though much he wish'd to know, Enchanted hung o'er Virgil's honey'd lay, And smil'd, to see desipient Horace play ; Glean'd scraps of Greek; and, curious, trac'd afar. Through Pope's clear glass, the bright Ma;onian star, Yet oft his students at his wisdom star'd. For many a student to his side re])air'd, Sur[)rised they heard him Dilworth's knots untie, And tell, what lands beyond the Atlantic lie." 358 F A 1 R F I E I, n . houses are also seen from this place, viz. one on Norwalk Island, Ea- ton's Neck, Black Rock, Slratibrd Point, and New Pasture light. In a clear day, the East Hock near New Haven is distinctly seen. The society or parish of Greenfield is about four miles square, and contains about 1200 inhabitants. It is believed that some of the best farmers in the state are in this place and its vicinity ; they live scattered about on their farms. Tlie average amount of land improved by each farmer is about 150 acres of fine soil, the average price of which Is about one hundred dollars per acre. Dr. Dwight, while the minister of Greenfield, wrote t]je poem enti- tled Greenfield Hill. " On this height," he says, " the writer is sup- posed to stand. The first object there offering itself to his view, is the Landscape; which is accordingly made the governing subject of the first part of the poem.f The following is an extract.