Connecticut Historical Collections

" Wantiiis some supplies, \vc cruised tlie Soiiiui to Hunlingdon, and tlicre continn- ed till the Uth, and repassing that day, anchored live miles I'roni tjie bay of Norwallc. The sun being nearly set bel'oie the 5ith, the Landgrave's regimen!, and the Jagers were in the boats, it was near nine in the evening when I landed them in the Cow jiasture, a peninsnla on the east side of the harbor, witliin a mile and a hall' of the briilge, which I'oi nied the comnriinication between the east and ivcst parts of the vil- lage, nearly equally divided by a salt creek. Tlie king's American regiment being unable to join us before three next morning, we lay that night on our arms. In our match at the first dawn of the day, the MtJi led the column, and soon fell in with the rebel outpost, and driving the enemy with great alacrity and spirit, disp(jssessed them ol' Dnunmond hill, and the heights at that , end of the village, east and commanding the bridge. It being now but 4 o'clock in the morning, and the rebels having taken post within random cannon shot upon the hills oh the north, I resolved to lialt until the second division, landed at the Old IMlls, had advanced and formed the jitnction. 50 394 N 0 R AV A I. K Gen. Garth's division passed llie biiil^-c by 0, and at mj^ desire proceeded to the north end of the village, from whence, especiallj' I'roni the houses, there had been a fire for five liOLirs, ii))oa our advance guards. The fuziliers, supporteii by tlie light infantry of the guards, began the attack, and soon cleared the quarters, pu.->hing the main body and 100 cavalry from the northern heights, and taking one piece oi' their cannon. After many salt pans were destroyed, whale boats carried on board the lleel, and the mnga/iines, stores, and vessels .set in flames, witli the greater part of the dwelling houses, the advanced corps were drawn back, and the troops retired in two columns- to the place of our first debarkation, and, u^;l,■^saulte^l, look ship and returned to Hun- tingdon bay." The loss of the Brilisli forces at Norwalk, according to Tryon's ofil- cial account, was 20 killed, i)6 wontided, and l}-2 missing. I'rovi the. Wijllh Names of the freemen of IS'oiwal Mantifniits. i, taken October lOth, 1GG9. tlaiidlbrdc Lieut. Ulmstede, Richard floines, Thomas Benedict John Benton, Joseph Pfenn, Daniel l\elloL'e, Maliliew Atarvi AUiltliew Marviu, jiu Thomas Kfiich, Richaids, George ALI.cl, llailc, Mark Winiiion, sen. Fourteen names illeiiible and omillec ,•11, I .M,.iK Sent Sanuicl II; llrinv \V1 John Hail! Thomas B Midi. l.M.k lod, S:niiue! Seiilioii, ll(jberl Steward, Thomas l.'iich, jr. .Seiiliun, Cliarley riouistuck, Tiioinas Seamer, Thomas Benedict, jr. The following Is copied from the inscriplioii on the monument of Gov. Fitch, in Norwalk. According to infurmalion recently received from Norwalk, from three grandchildren of the (Governor, viz. Mrs. Belden, (now over 70 years of age,) Airs. P'itch, Mrs. Raymond, all intelligent and respectable ladies, there were three brothers who came to this country, viz. Elijah, who settled in Norwich, Hooker in Stam- ford, and Samuel in Norwalk, who was the falher of the Governor. luny.of (" The Hon'ble Thomas Fiti ii, K.su. Govr. ul the and distinguished among moiials for great ubiliiies, character; a clear, strong, sedate mind; nu areii hiw, and civil guvernmciil ; a liappv talent ol pif,ii fidelity in the discharge of im|ioiiaitl iruihs ; nu Um voice of the people, in the chiel olhces ol'siaie, and at the head of the colony, flav ing served his generation, by the will of God, fell asleep, July Ibih, Ann. Dommi, 1771, in the 75th year of his age. •luM.appl. .(ticut. Eminent nts and a virtuous ic(|uaintaiice m ith ion, and stiict oyiiieiils, by the READING. Readincj was Incorporated in May, 1767. The township is said to have derived its name from Col. John liead,* one of its early and principal settlers. It is bounded north by Danbury, east by Newtown and Weston, south by AVeslon, and west by Ridgefield. Its length averages from east to west nearly 6J miles, its breadth about 5 miles. The face of the township is characteristically diversified with hills and • His monument is in a small burying ground a little west of the town house. He died in 1780, aged 85. He had a park of 10 or 15 acres, in which he kept deer, up- wards of a mile noith of the town house. i; K A n I N n . 39c valleys, with a soil frenerally f^rood. Agriciihure is almost exclusively the husiness of the inhahitants, who live scatterefl ahoiit on their farms. The two principal roaris throu^Mi the town pass, one through the west- ern part, the other through the eastern jiart. There are four houses of worsl)ip, 1 Episcopal, 1 Methodist, 1 Congrei^uitional, and I Baptist. The Episcopal church is situated in the eastern part of the town, on what is called Reading ridge. Perhajis the most compactly settled part is in the vicinity of this church, which, is 15 miles n. w. from ]>ridgeport, and 8i n)iles from Danhury court house. The town house, jMethodist and Congregational churches, are on a cross road, upwards of two miles westerly fiom the Episcopal church. House in licailiiii(, (Joniurli/ (Jen. rutiiani''s (Quarters.) During the IJexoIutionary \var, in the winter of 1770, in order to cover the counir}^ atljoining the Sounil, and to support the garrison at ^Vest Point in case ol' an attack, Waj. Gen. l*utnam was stationed in Reading. The engraving ahove is a repi'esentation of the house used for his head-quarters. It is situated on the Norwalk and Danhury road, ahout 15 miles north of Norwalk, and 3 west Irom the Congrega- tional church. I'uinam had under his orders Cen. Poor's hrigade of New Hampshire, the two hrigatles of Connecticut, the corps of infan- try commanded hy IIazen,and that of cavalry hy Sheldon. " The troops, who had been liadly fed, badly clothed, and worse paid, by brooding over iheii giievances in the Icisiuc and inactivity of winler-quarlers, began to think them inlolerable. The ConneciiciU brigades foimed a design of marching to Hart- ford, where the General Assembly was then in session, and of demanding redress at the point of the baynnct. Word having been bronght to General Putnam, that the second Liigade was umlfr aims for this jiurpose, he mounted his horse, galloped to Ihe can- tonment, and thus addressed them; ' My brave huls, whither are you going? Do 3'ou inlenij lodc.■^ert youi' olliceis, and to invite the enemy to follow you into the coun- try ? AVhose cause have you been tighiing and sutfering so long in — is it not your own? Have you no property, no |)aienis, wivesor children ? You liave behaved lilfe men so far — all the world is full of your praises — and posterity will stand astonished al your deeda : but not if you sjioil all at last. Don't you consider how jnuch the 396 n E A p I N 0 . country is Jistressed by the war, nm) that your oHlcers liave not been belter pnid than yourselves! But we all expect better times, and that the country \vili do us ample justice. Let us all stand by one another, then, and tight it out like brave soldiers.- Think" what a shame it would be lor Connecticut men to run away I'rom their otlicers.' After the several regiments had received theGeneral, as he rode along the line, witk drums bc<tti)ii(, and presented arvts, the sergeants who had then the command, brought the men to un order, in which position they continued while he wasspeuliing. When he had done, Ue directed the acting major of lirigade to give the word lor them to shoulder, march to their regimental parades, and lodge arms ; all which they ex- ecuted with promptitude and apparent good humor. One soldier, only, who had been the most active, was confined in the quarter-guard; from whence, at night, he aiiempted lo make his escape. But the sentinel, who had also been in the mutiny, sihoi him dead on the spot, and thus the aH'air subsided." While the troops lay at Reading, two executions took place ; one was a soldier, who was shot for desertion — the other was a Mr. Jones, of Ridi^efieUi, a royalist, who was hung as a spy; both suffered on the same day. These exccuiions look place on Gallows Hill, a mile or more from Putnam's head-quarters. The scene which took place at the execution of these men, is described as shocking and bloody. The man on whom the duty of hangtnan devolved left the camp, and on the day of execution could not be found. A couple of boys, about the age of twelve years, were ordered by Gen. Putnam to perform the duties of the absconding hangman. Tlie gallows was about twenty feet from the ground. Jones was compelled to ttscend the ladder, and the rope arotmd his neck was attached to the cross beam. Gen. Put- nam tlien ordered Jones to jumj) from the ladder. " No, Gen. Put- nam," said Jones, " 1 am innocent of the crime laid to my charge ; I shall not do it." Pulnam then ortlered the boys before mentioned to turn the ladder over. These boys were deeply alTected with the try- ing scene ; they cried and sobbed loudly, and earnestly entreated to be excused from doing any thing on this distressing occasion. Ptitnam, drawing his sword, ordered them forward, and compelled thetii at the sword's point to obey his orders. The soldier that was shot for deser- tion, was but a youth of U) or 17 years of age. Three balls were shot through his breast ; he fell on his face, but itmnediately turned over on his back ; a soldier then advanced, and putting the muzzle of his gun near the convulsive body of the youth, discharged its contents into his forehead. The body was then taken up and put into a coflin ; the soldiers had fired their pieces so near that they set the boy's clothes on fire, which contintied burning. An officer with a drawn sword stood by, while every soldier of the three brigades, who were out on the occa- sion, was ordered to march by and look at the mangled remains.* The bones of this young man were dug up a few years since for anatomical puri)oses. They were known to be his from the fracture of the skull ; the bones however were of little or no use, for on exposure to the air they soon fell to pieces.