Connecticut Historical Collections

" I therefore directed the troops to retire and form on a hill a little distance from Iloise neck, while I proceeded to Stanford and collected a body of militia and a few coniuiental troops which were theie, with which I returned immediately, and found that the enemy, (after plundering the inhabitants of the principal part of their eflects, and destroying a few salt works, a small sloop and store,) were on their return. The ollicer commanding the continental troops stationed at Horse neck, mistook my orders, and went much farther than 1 intended, so that he could not come up with them to any advantage. I however ordered the few troops that came from Stanford to pursue them, thinking they might have an opportunity to pick up some stragglers. In this ] was not mistaken, as your Excellency will see by the enclosed list of prisoners. I'.e- sides these, eight or nine more were taken and sent off, so that I cannot tell to which particular regiments they belonged, one ammmiition and one b.iggage wagon were taken. In the former there were about two hundred rounds of canister, grape and round shot, suited to three pounders, some slow matches, and about two hiuidred lubes; the latter was filled with plunder, which 1 had the satisfaction of restoring to the inhabitants from whom it wns taken. As I have not yet got a return, I cannot tell exactly the number we lost, though 1 ilon't think more than ten soldiers, and abuut that number of inhabitants, but a lew of which were in arms. lAst, nf prisinirrs taken at Horse neck, the M/h nil. — ITih Regiment, 15 privates ; 'Mih do. 5 privates, 57th do. 3 privates. Loyal American Uegimeul 5, Emmerick corps d. First battalion of Artillery 1, Pioneeis, 1 — 'J'olul 38. N. B. Seven deserters (runi Eiiimerick's corps. The following account of Gen. Tryon's expedition to Horse neck, 1779, is from the New Haven Journal. " Extracts from luw letters from Fairfield county, dated March \st. " The enemy have made an excursion within four miles of Stamford, by the best flccounis of about llUUor 1500, under the command ot Gov. Tryon ; they reached Horse neck on Friday morning about 9 o'clock; at Stainfotd they were not alarmcil till 10 o'.-luek, notwilhsiamling the enemy were di>covei<'d at 1) ociock the preceding evening bv a small guanl nf e(iiitiiuMii;il troo|)S at East Chester, iiiuier the comm.ind of I'apl. Titus Walsuii, who were uidiged to give way, ihough they fought on their retreat, and some of them were wnunded aiui laiu'U jirisoners. Capt. Watson was closely pursued by a light horseman, whom he had the good fortune to kill, and by the made his escape. Cien. Putnam was accidentally at Statnfoid, but ihe coii- j, tinental troops were too much seattereil to be collected in season to oppose the enemy. ', About 200 militia and a lew continental troops, full in with the enemy's rear, just us i . they were leaving Hoise neck, about the middle of the afternoon, who killed K oi 10 I of them, and look about fitly prisoners, who had made too fiee with the strong li(]Uor ; they had plundered. They destroyed a small salt work, and burnt a schooner which j lay at Miauos creek. 'I'hey plundered the inhabitants of e\'ery thing they could lay ( their hands on, broke windows, &c._and many I'ainilies are strip't of every thing but t the cliithes they had on ; even the house where Gov. Tryon had his head quarters was } not spared. They retreated to Rye on Friday evening, and next day to King's bridge. • Their ictreat was so precipitate, that they left behind two wagons loaded with plun- der. We had not a man killed." New Haven, January 2Slh, 1118. On the 25th ult. Lieut. Burlier, of Grotoii, in company with another oOicer, walked out a few miles from our camp near the Sawpitts, and on their return a party of Tories concealed, rose and fired on them with buck shot, wlien Lieut. Barber was shot through the body, and died iininediatei} . I ,„ 11 U N T I N O T 0 N . 383 HUNTINGTON. Huntington was incorporated as a town in 1789 ; and at that time included two parishes, Kipton and New Stratford. Since the forma- tion of Monroe, llipton constitutes the town of Huntington. It is bounded northwest by Monroe, east by the Housatonic, separating it from Derby and Orange, south by Stratford, and west by Trumbull. It averages about five miles in length and breadth. The surface is un- even, being diversified with hills and valleys ; the soil is generally fer- tile, being adapted to a grain culture. Agriculture is the principal business of the inhabitants. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ S. view of the Episcojinl and Coiigrci!;ationa[ Churi/ua, Jluidiii^tun. The above is a south view of the Episcopal and Congregational churches, in the central j)art of the town. The Episcopal church is seen on the right, and the Congregational church, recently erected, is seen on the left. The Rev. Jedediah INIills appears to have been the first minister in this place ; he was ordained in February, 172-1. The first meeting house was erected on Fanton hill, an elevation SO rods or more northeast of the churches represented in the engraving. The ancient burying ground is near the jilace. The second Congregational church stood about 25 rods n. e. of the present building, which is the third. The first Ejiiscopal church was erected in 1740. The church or society was under the care of Dr. Johnson until the year 1755, when the Rev. Christopher Newton was api)ointed their missionary. About 20 years since the Episcopal church, which stood on the foundations of the present building, was burnt down. It was set on fire by a gun, which was discharged at some doves on the building. Tliis place is four miles west from Derby Landing, and twelve fi'om Fairfield. ■ K 381 M () N ROE, MONROE Was incorporated as a town in 1823. It was formerly the parish of New Stratford, in the town of Huntington. It is bounded north by JN'ewtown, east by the Ilonsatonic, south by Huntington and Trundjull, and west by Weston. The town is about six miles in length from east to west, and four and a half in breadth. The surface ol" tlie township is uneven, and in many parts stony and rough. The soil is good, anil generally adapted to grazing. Orchards tlourish well, and there is gen- erally a profusion of the common fruits of the country. Agriculture is the principal business of the inhabitants. laailiiiaiiiiiiiBaiiginiiiiiiiiiiilmiwml iSuuth view of (he cent ml part of Monroe. There arc two post ofiices in this town, one at the center, and one called the Stepney post ollice, in the western part of the town, about 11 miles north of Jiiidgeport. The principal part of the mechanical business of Monroe is performed in this vicinity. In the central part of the town, there is a small village, consisting of a dozen or more dwelling houses, two churches, one Congregational and 1 E|)iscopal, and an Academy or classical school. These buildings arc situated around a small, open square or green. The building seen in the central part of the engraving, on the north side of the square, is the Congregational church ; the first building seen east of the church is the Academy ; part of the Episcopal church is seen on the left. The classical school mentioned above was connnenced in 1828, by I\]r. Sam- uel Beardslee, a graduate of Yale College, and has been sustained by a respectable number of pupils, from various places. This |)hice is on an elevated situation, and the air is generally pure and salubrious. The township abounds in good springs of water, and is considered unusually healthy. There are 4 houses of worship ; 1 Congregational, 1 Ej)is- copal, 1 Baptist, and 1 Methodist. N K \V C A N A A N . 385 Monroe is much celebrated for its extensive deposit of minerals. jMore than (ifteen years since, a shaft was sunk a few feet, on the farm of Mr. Ephraim Lane. This revealed a ricli variety of interesting min- eral suhstanees. Among them were tungsten, telhirium, native bismuth, native silver, n)agnetic and conuiion iron pyrites, copper pyrites, galena, blende, tourmaline, &,c. It is greatly to be desired, that this locality should be farther explored. Four miles south of this spot, is a vein of fluor spar, about two feet in width. "The vein is nnicli peiielialed by quartz, mica, feliispar and talc, but it lias been hitherto examined only on the Mirface. It i.s principally massive, and il.s structure fo- liated or coarsely j^ranular, but it presents uell delined cubical crystals. Its colors vary from while to deep violet and purple, and are principally various shades of the two latter. But the inosl miereslinj,' circnmsiance relaling lo it, is its splendid phos- phorescence. 'J'he li^ihi emiued when it is ihiown, in a dark place, upon a hot shovel, /.•; l/ic punal cmcrul,! green; pieces of an incii in dianieier becunie in a few seconds fully illuminated, and the Vv^hi is so siron^ and endurinfr, that when carrieil into a room lii,'hted by canUles, or by the dill'irse (not direct) light of the sun, they still continuo distinctly luminous, and the light dies away very gradually as the mineral cools." Mr. Lane has also discovered on his land a locality of beryls, some of which are very large. Native sulphur has been found, near the sur- face of the earth. N i: \V CANAAN.