The Romance of Norwalk

Troubled Rumblings Reach Town — Nullifiers Bring Terror Here — King George Comes to Norwalk — Prominent Fig¬ ures On Battlefield Here — British Land In Westport — Danbury and Ridgefield Burned. Troubled rumblings and sinister mutterings reached the Norwalk people from the outside world during the next few years, 1770 to 1775, informing them that all was not well between King and colonies. They themselves took no part, however, in the loud outbursts and wild demonstrations against the Mother Country, which were prevalent in Amer¬ ica at the time. Norwalk citizens did meet, however, in Au¬ gust, 1770, to name a committee to attend the New Haven meeting called for the purpose of discussing affairs relative to the importing of goods. Captain John Cannon, Colonel Thomas Fitch and Captain Benjamin Isaacs were so chosen. By this time, all the former, heavy and unfair taxes levied on the colonies by Great Britain had been abandoned with the exception of the tax on tea. The latter tax naturally affected the price of tea in Norwalk. Many of the local people refused to drink tea at all, moved partially by patriot¬ ism and partly by the outrageous prices. Others changed the size of their cups, and tea became a distinct luxury served in receptacles even smaller than the demi-tasse. Story has it that there was one lady in Norwalk who wasn’t concerned either with patriotism or money where her tea was concerned. This was Mrs. St. John who lived in the old Josiah St. John House on Cannon street, near the ancient sawmill. Mrs. St. John was immensely fond of her “little sip” and neighbors who dropped in of an afternoon, to enjoy an hour or so by her comfortable hearth were i34 REVOLUTIONARY WAR BEGINS 135 always rewarded by a bowl of the fragrant, steaming tea. It was said that good Mr. Moses St. John, her father-in- law, tried to argue Mrs. St. John out of her life-long habit, and even went so far, in his patriotic wrath, as to dump the boiling water out of the kettle. But all to no avail. Mrs. St. John calmly continued her tea drinking. Norwalk’s first real measure savoring of war was passed February 6, 1775, and concerned those persons which the “committee of inspection” newly appointed, had ordered for particular reasons, to bring in their arms. At the same meet¬ ing, the townsfolk voted that “they disapprove of ye unneces¬ sary use of gun-powder, and recommend it to the committee of inspection to take care of the matter.” The committee included Phinehas Hanford, Stephen St. John second, Thad- deus Betts, Nathaniel Benedict, Osias Merwine, Lemuel Brooks, Thomas Fitch, Uriah Rogers, Jabez Gregory, Seth Seymore, Timothy Fitch, Daniel St. John, Blackleach Jesup, Daniel Betts, Jr., Clap Raymond, Ezra Gregory, James Richards, Moses Comstock, Samuel Cook Silliman, Samuel Richards and Jesse Raymond. The town was thrown into a panic in January of the year 1776 when there broke out in the vicinity of Norwalk and Fairfield, an uprising fostered by men who called themselves “The Nullifiers.” These men opposed all taxes and the payment of all obligations for the raising of funds for soldiers. They announced that persons in debt should not be liable to be sued for the same, nor be liable to pay any interest on obligations; and that justices of the peace should not sign any writs nor grant any executions, nor should offi¬ cers serve writs. The townsmen, terrified by the idea that such an outlaw group might gain control in the community, immediately called a town meeting and vigorously voted : “that the same (the nullifiers) have a direct tendency to set aside all law, and leave us in the hands of a merciless set of men, and to throw us into confusion and distraction and to deprive us of all our valuable and constitutional rights. We therefore do hereby vote and agree to use our utmost ROMANCE OF NORWALK 136 influence, power and strength, to disapprove and to discoun¬ tenance every such illegal measure; and do everything in our power, unitedly, to aid and assist the authority in sup¬ pressing the same in every proper and legal way.” In December, 1781, at another town meeting, the Fath¬ ers passed an act entitled “Judgment Against Inimical Per¬ sons.” Included among these ‘inimical persons” were all those who might be classed as outlaws, “riotous” or “dan¬ gerous to the liberties and the independence of the United States of America.” On the list were: Obadiah Wright, Nathan Burwell, jr., Thomas Hanford, Nathan Jarvis, Thomas Fairweather, David Bolt, Peter White, Hezekiah Whitney 2nd, Nathan Gregory, Phillip Scribner, Hezekiah Belden, John Beldin, Edward Nash, Gershom Raymond, James Fillio, William Bolt, Ebenezer Church, David Lam¬ bert, Goold Hoyt, Abraham Whitney, John Saunders, jr., Garner Olmstead, Richard Patrick, Nathan Fitch. Their names were duly enrolled on a list labelled: “Inimical and dangerous” and placed in the hands of the town clerk. Norwalk turned patriotic with the signing of the Declara¬ tion of Independence, July 4, 1776. Committees of inspec¬ tion were appointed, watches were set, and in December, 1776, on application of Thaddeus Betts, Esq., there were brought here, six cannon, including two four-pounders and four three-pounders, one hundred round shot to suit them and grape shot in proportion, from the Salisbury furnace. The latter were stored in a magazine erected early in the year “on the hill between Mr. Learning’s house and Ebe¬ nezer Lockwood’s,” near St. Paul’s church. KING GEORGE IN NORWALK A few days after the signing of the Declaration of In¬ dependence, King George came to Norwalk. His visit was entirely unexpected but .he was heartily welcomed just the same. Not all of him came to Norwalk, of course, just REVOLUTIONARY WAR BEGINS i37 small portions, for there were many other towns in the country which demanded a part of him. It could hardly be said that he came here of his own volition, but rather that his visit was the result of the actions of well-meaning citizens. It so happened that on August 21, 1770, a fine lead statute of King George had been placed at Bowling Green, New York, in honor of the King’s father’s birthday. It was an excellent piece of work and pictured the sovereign seated majestically astride a noble horse. But, after the signing of America’s Declaration, the statuary did not appear in the citizens’ eyes as a very decorative piece of scenery. On the contrary, they looked upon it as something quite offensive. And so on the night of July 11, 1776, they promptly de¬ throned His Majesty and when the morning of the 12th dawned, only the pedestal remained as evidence of the once noble piece of art. King George was forthwith unhorsed, his body and his animal hacked to bits and part of him was shipped to sea, while the rest traveled across the country wrapped in paper packages. One John Cannon, New York merchant, formerly of Norwalk, who lived right near Bowl¬ ing Green, sent some of the statute by sloop to this harbor. The rest of the statue was brought to Connecticut on horse¬ back, under cover of darkness and finally taken to the home of Major General Oliver Wolcott, in Litchfield. Here in an old shed, at the back of the ancient house on South st., built in 1754, under the shade of a comfortable apple tree, the remains of the King were melted in a huge pot. Crowds of the villagers stood around and watched the features of their Sovereign slowly change to the blurriness of a molten mass. More than 42,000 bullets were made out of His Majesty, King George. They proved a godsend to Connecticut, sadly lacking in adequate ammunition and cannon with which to carry on its end of the war. HARD TIMES HERE Lack of bullets did not by any means constitute the whole of Connecticut’s troubles in the beginning of the Revolution- ROMANCE OF NORWALK 138 ary war. Several other hoodoos mocked her footsteps. Most important of all was the difficulty in raising fast enough the required number of men for the army. The second problem was concerned with clothing and feeding the men, after the battalions were filled. Thirdly, there was the smallpox scourge. Last but not least, there was a continual shortage of salt in Connecticut from the time the war commenced until it ended. Since salt was used in those days by all housewives, not only for seasoning, but for “salting down” all meat and fish in lieu of iceboxes, the shortage was a very serious one. The scarcity and high value of salt in Norwalk is revealed in town meeting under date of October 14, 1776, when one Donald McAuley on whose farm there was a large quantity of the precious mineral, was called before the town fathers and did promise to sell his salt at a price not more than 12 shillings, (about $3) a bushel. Of course, even Mr. Mc- Auley’s generosity couldn’t supply the whole of Norwalk with salt, and so, many of the residents resorted to making their own salt, even as the people in most of the Connecticut coastal towns were doing. Large pans or kettles were filled with salt water and then left for hours, simmering over slow fires until the water had entirely evaporated and only the salt remained. Meanwhile, Connecticut was offering boun¬ ties to those who would produce 500 or more bushels of salt. In June, 1777, the government commenced making salt pans for the use of those who were evaporating the salt water, the pans to be made “as fast as they can consistently, with the casting of cannon, which must not be interrupted.” In September of the same year, Nehemiah Benedict, Na¬ thaniel Benedict and David Comstock were appointed a committee to go to Boston and receive a quantity of salt, about 70 bushels, which had been set aside for Norwalk. The town fathers, August 10, 1778, voted the selectmen power to distribute among the inhabitants, a certain quantity of salt purchased by the state for Norwalk. After the divi¬ sion had been made and it was discovered that a small REVOLUTIONARY WAR BEGINS 139 amount of salt was still left, it was decided that the re¬ mainder should be given the families of soldiers who were then fighting at the front.