Connecticut Historical Collections

♦ The particulars of the execution of these two persons, were derived from an aged inhabitant of Reading, who vvas present on the occasion, and stood but a few feet from Jones when he was executed. READING. 397 Joel Barlow, LL. D. was a native of this town. The following biographical sketch of his life is horn Pease and Niles' Gazetteer ol' Connecticut : " He was born ia or about the year 1755. His father, who was an independent far- mer, but in moderate circumstances, died whilst he was a youth, leaving him a small patrimony, scarcely snllicient to defray the expenses of a liberal education, which he liad contemplated. Having been placed in Dartmouth College in 1774. he was soon after removed from thence to Yale College, at New Haven, where he graduated in 177S. The class into which he entered was remarkable for the great promise of tal- ent which many of its members disclosed, among whom Barlow always ranlcetl con- spicuous. The laie Asa Spalding and Uriah Tracv, his Excellency Oliver Wol- cott, Alexander Wolcott, Abraham Bishop and Josiah Meigs, were members of this class. He passed through the usual course of academic studies with great leputa- lion, and at the public commencement in 1778, delivered or recited an urii^inal poem which was the first time he had appeared before the public in his p(jetical chaiacier! This edusion of his muse was soon after printed, and has been preserved in a collec- tion entitled 'American Poems.' Previously to this period, and whilst Barlow was in college, the Revolutionary war commenced, and the natural ardor and enthusia.sui of his mind, stimulated by the pervading spirit of liberty which chaiactenzed the times, led him to lalce a deep interest in a contest in which both the cause of civil lib- erty and the dearest interests of his country were so intimately concerned. During Ihe early period of the war, the militia of Connecticut constituted an impoitani pail ol the army. Barlow had four brothers in the service ; and more than once during vacations, he armed himself with a musket, and joined them in the ' bloody strife ' as^a volunteer. It is said he was in the battle at White Plains. ' Upon his leaving college, he commenced the study of law ; but, at the urgent soli- citation and recommendation of some of his friends, he was induced to abandon this .situation, and to (jualily himself for, and accept the appointment of chaplain to tlie army. Whilst in this situatiun, he wrote .several poetical allusions, sirongly marked with patriotic and liberal sentiments, and calculated to encourage and animate the ar- my, in various hardships, privations and diliiculties with which ihev iiad to contend. And whil.st in the army, he conceived, planned, and in part composed, the celebrated j)oem which he alterwards published, entitled the ' Vi.mou of Columbus,' and which wa-, subsequently enlarged into iiis great national poem, the 'Colimibiad.'" In 1761, he look the degree of A. M. at New Haven, on wliich occasion he delivered a piMin 't-n- mled the ' Prospect of Peace,' which was principally embodied in the Vinonol (Jul'iiin- biis. About the same time, he married Miss Baldwin, of New Haven, a sister of Abraham Baldwin, for many years a distinguished member of Congress from (Jeor- gia. After |he peace in 1783, Barlow being out of emplovnient, resolved to resume the study of law, for which ])nrpi/se he removed tu Harifoid, witli the expeclaiion luobahly, oi making it his residence /ur lite. Whilst in this silnation, to aid hnn iii his liiuinces, he, in conned ion with Elishu Babcock, established a weekly newsiiapcr called the ' Ameiic.an Mercury.' ' t > " In 1787, whilst engaged in this business, lie published his ' Vision of Columbus ' n patriotic and popular poem. It was dedicated to Louis XVI. and met with very flattering success, being reprinted in London within a few months ; it has since gone through a second edition in America, and one in Paris. About this period, in pursu- ance o( the request of the General Association of the clergy of this Slate, he un- <lertook the revision of Dr. Watts' version of the Psalms. His edition was published in 178(), and compri.sed several devotional pieces of his own compo.sing. " About the time of these publications, he di.sposed of his interest in the paper to Mr. Labcock, and o|)ened a bookstore, the piincipal object of which was to eiiec't the Kale ot his poem and edition of the Psalms. About this time, the Anarcliiad was published at this ])lace, in which Mr. Barlow is said to have taken a conspicuous pait. On the 4th of July, 1787, and whilst the Convention which framed the Constitution of the United States was in session at Philadelphia, he delivered an oration to the Ccm- necticui Cincinnati. Not being satisfied with his prospects in his profession, the next year he embarked for England, as the agent of a land company, called the Ohio Company, Irom whence he soon proceeded to France. Whilst in France the Revo- lution commenced, which led Barlow to an intimate acquaintance with ino.^t of the leaders ol the Republican party, and particularly with those which weie afterwards denominated Ginmdisls. His philanthro|jliy and enthusiasm in the cause of liberty led him to enter warmly into their plans, which received the support of his genius and political intelligence and experience. In 1791, he returned to England, and near the close of that year, published his ' Advice to Privileged Orders,' a work of .solid merit, exposing m a forcible manner, the abuses and evils of the feudal governinciiTs 3.93 READING. of Europe. In 1792, he published a small poem, entitled the ' Conspiracy of Kings.' From these publicalion.s, being of a political nature, and from his intimacy with ihe leaders of oppo.sition, or friends of reform, in England, he had become very obnox- ious to ihe ministerial party. Near the close of the year 179*2, he returned to France, as one of a committee of the London Constitutional Society, with an address from the society to tlie National Convention. He was received in France with great re- sipect : and, soon after his arrival, had conferred upon him the rights of a French cit- izen. The year following, he was employed, in connection with a deputation of the National Convention, to assist in organizing the territory of Savoy, as a department of the Republic. Whilst at Chamberry, in this territory, he wrote a political address to the people of Piedmont. In this place he amused himself in writing a mock didac- tic poem, called ' Hasty Pudding.' From Savoy he returned to Paris, where he resi- ded for about three years. During this period, he translated Volney's Ruins; being shocked at the atrocities of the Revolution, he withdrew from political atl'aiis.