History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Whittlesey, M. B. ; Whittlesey, Elisha; Wood, Elijah; Wood, Bcnj.; Wood, David; Wood, Daniel; Wood, Jr., Daniel; Wood, John; Wood, Jr., John ; Wood, Nathan ; White, Jos. M. ; White, Widow Alary ; ^Vliite, Ebenezer B. ; White, Thos. V. ; White. Ebenezer .1. ; White, Russel; Wildman, Timothy; Wildman, ,lr., Tlios. ; Wildman, Libbeus; Wildman, David; Wildman, Ezekiel; Wildman, Jr., Isaac; M'ildman, Elia- kini ; Wildiium, .Jr., Samuel; Wihlnian, Abraham; Wildman, Daniel; Wildman, Noah; Wildman, Nirum; Wildrium, .Ir., Timothy; Wildman, Eli; Wildman, Isaac; Wildman, Nathan; Wildman, Joruithan; Wildman, Samuel; Wildnum, Jo.seph; AVildman, Thoma-s; Washburn, Ephraim ; Wash- burn, Edmond ; Wilks, Matthew; Wilks, Jr., Matthew ; Wicks, Benj. ; Wildman, Benj. ; Wihl- nian, .Jr., Abraham ; Wildman, .leilediah ; Whit- ney, Nathan; Wylleyj .\braham; Whitinfr, F. ; Whittock, Samuel ; Weed, Timothy ; \VeeJ,'Sam- uel ; Weed, David ; Weed, Bartholomew ; Weed, Eleazor ; Weed, Ephraim ; Weed, Asa ; Webster, ■Jonathan. The whole list amounted to £16,863, 12«. 5jrf. ClI.Vl'TEK XVII. DANBUHY (Continued). THE WAU OF THE REVOLUTION.* Tlip IliiriihiKur Diitilmrj— Sir Willliiiii Iluwc'8 Offlcial Boport— Killuil, Wouiiiied, nnil ?tlltvtiiig — Tht' CouiU'Ctli-llt .Aiurti'irA Account— Tlio Al>- pruach tu Diiiibury— Tryott'i* lleiLiJ<piiirfun« — .\iiui(iltig Inclilent — The Prisuiicni — n«.stnicti(iii uf Itiim— n«nHirnli/.nlii>ii of To'on't* Trxwiie — The AuxioUfl Guneruls— Ik'iijiiiiiiii Kna|))>'i4(llHlinguiHhe(l Giieubt — Tho Rflrral— Thu IliiUlu— Ocii. Wixwtor Mortiill.v Wmiiidpil— Hi» Death ill Danbur]'— I-i>t of Siifferere— Total Lims— I'olillon for Bt'lii'f— Kull of RvTuhitioiiury Suldien. "When this section ol' country," says the News, "was called I'ahquioque, or Pahquaige, it presented a • Tlio following hiitor; of ^nl>ur.v in tlio Itt-voliition la rrpnMlucml, b.v p4<niilM*ion, from Uio coUimnR of tlio Dnntnirj/ Seta tliroiigli the cour- t«..v of J. 51. Jkdlc}-, Ksq., "The Ptuiliur)- Nov. Jinn." somewhat different appearance from what it does now. We can easily understand that. But the iinafriiiatinn must be an active one, enjoyiii)^ very excellent health, to picture our neighborhood as it was in lti84, when, according to Mr. Kobbins, the firr't settlement was made. " It is reasonable to .suppose that the original eight families came to Danbury by what was since the turn- pike between here and Norwalk. It is the most direct and presents le.ss obstacles in the matter of high gnmnd than any other way. So long ago a.s that there could not have been more than a trail, if as much, to direct and aid them. AVhat inu.st have been their thoughts as they forced their way we cannot know. .Judging the asjiect of nature to be then considerably more for- bidding than it is now, we must admire the courage of the original eight, even if we cannot respect their judgment. " Presuming there was a trail, its location through here must have been the i)resent Main Street, and W'ould naturally present to the new-comers a place of residence jirincipally because it defined something. "According to Jlr. Kobbins' account they located close together, four on one side and four on the oppo- site side. Their object was to start a village. This with a view to sociability and protection, would de- mand concentration. The lands on who.se cultivation they de|iendcd they sought here and there as the rich- ness of the soil made necessary, and these locations varied so much that to resiih- upon the tracts would have so scattered the .settlers as to have made the nucleus of a village 'a barren ideality,' and to have put social intercourse and mutual protection beyond the iiale of jiossibility. It is likely enough that the eight families' liomestcads did not cover more than the ground between South Street and the court-house. "The land was got from the Indians, and some of it remains in the po.s.ses,sion of the families to this day, never having been sold or bought since the day the Indians, beguiled by the glitter of new jackkiiives, swapped it for the bright treasures. "Mr. Eli T. Hoyt owns a ]iiece intireat Plain Dis- trict, known as ' I'nity Hocks,' which came from the Indians. Mr. Philo White, in the same di.strict, occu- pies ground that his grandfather, the Rev. Ebenezer, mentioned in the sermon, got from the Indians. The homestead of Mr. Kussell Jloyt came into his family from the same source. "In May, 1684, the (ieneral Court empowered Thomas Benedict, Thomas Fitch, and John Burr to plant a town at this point. What Messrs. Fitch and Burr did in the matter we do not know. Mr. Bene- dict's two sons, Samuel and James, were of the 'origi- nal eight." The Mr. Beebe of the same party was a brother-in-law. The Dr. Wood was also a brother- in-law. Mr. L. Starr Benedict ami Mr. Charles Bene- dict are direct descendants of James Benedict. Per- haps the Danbury man of to-day who holds the most immediate connection with the first families is Mr. DANBUlir. 1S3 Eli T. lldvt, wlici is tlio frre:it {rnmilsiui nfjolm Hciyt, of the ' (irigiiial eiglit.' Mr. Hnyt luis tlu' nire distinc- tion of having lived uikKt the administnitidii of every President, and of having voted for sixteen of them. "By a careful wrench of the iiuaginati<m we can see Danbury something as it existed then. We know from the quality of the land that the eminences were full of fir-trees. We deduce, also, from the lay of the laud, that along the streams alder.s grew in profusion, and that in that portion east of Main ^^treet and west of the Town Hill ridge there was a rather Consiilera- ble .swamp. "We are pretty confident that thesw;inip must have been a prominent feature in the tojiograpliy from the fact that the first settlers set their heart upon calling their town Swam|ifield, and were only deterred there- from by the arbitrary action of the General Court, which substituted the iiamr l)anbury." THE BIUNI.NH; of 1).\NB1 hv. "The Ameri<'an view of the night of terror which has gone down in history as the burning of Danbury has been :dready given in Mr. Robbius' sermon, on a previous page. The following is the English version of the affair, being !Sir William Howe's olticial rejiort: "'Tliii tiMolw lariiluJ ..n tlio idtiini.«.ri i.f the -i'.tli ..f April (Fricl;i_v), four miles to the eastward of Nurwalk ami twenty miles frnni Daiihur.v. In the afternoon of the '2Gth the lietachnient reaehect Danhui-y, meeting only small parties of the enemy on their march, but Gen. Tryon having intelligence that the whole force of the country was collecting to take every advantage of the strong ground he was to pass on his return to the shipping, and tinding it inipossihle to procure carriages to hiing otf any part of the stores, tliey were effectually destroyed ; in the execution of which the villnge was vnavo'uhihly hurnt. '"On the tiTth. in the morning, the troops gutted I>anbury, and met with little opposition until they came near to Ridgefield, which was occu- pied by Gen. Arnold, who had thrown up intrenchments to dispute the passage, while Gen. Wmister hung upon the real' with a separate corj'S. The village was forced and the enemy driven J)ack on all sides. " ' Gen. Tryon lay that night at Kidgeiield, and renewed liis march on the morning of the l^Mth. The enemy, having been reinforced with troops and cannon, disputed every advantageous situation, keeping at the same time small parties to harass liie rear, until the general lia<l formed his detachment upon a height witliin cannon-sliot of the shipping, when, the enemy advancing seemingly with an intentii)ji to attack him, he ordered the troops to charge with their bayonets, wliicli w;is executed with such impetuosity that the rebels were totally put to tlighl, and tlie detachment embarked without further molestation : '*'The inclosed returns set forth tlie loss sustained by the king's troops, and that uf the enemy from the best information : *' ' Return of the rtorcti, onltinnce, proviswiis, etc., foinnl at the rc/n7s' stores , and destroyed hy the khttfs troops in Donlmry. — .\ quantity of onlnance Stores, with iron, etc. ; 4111111 barrels of beef and pork ; KKIO barrels of flour ; loo large tierces of bisket; S'.l barrels of rice ; 12CI puncheons of rum; several large stores of wheat, oats, and Indian corn, in bulk : tlie quantity thereof could not possibly be ascertained ; 30 pipes of wine ; 100 hogsheads of sugar ; 50 ditto of mola-sses ; 2lt casks of cuffce ; I.t large casks filled with medicines of all kinds; 10 liarrels of saltpetre; 1020 tents and marquees ; a number of iiun boilers; a large quantity of hos- pital-bedding ; engineei-s', pioneei>', and carpentei^' tools; a printing- press complete ; tar, tallow, etc. ; ."lOilo pairs of shoes antl stocking; at a mill between Ridgebury and Kidgehrdd, 100 barrels oflbjur, and aipian- tity of Indian corn. ^' * Returned of the kiJIed, jrounded. iinil Hi(.v.s/»y. — One drummer and fifer and twenty-three rank ami tile, killed; throe ticlil-olticers, six captains, three subalterns, nine sergeants, ninety-two rank and file, wounded ; one drummer and fifer and twenty-seven rank and file, missing. Koyal artil- lery, two .'ulditional killed, three mutrossos and one wheeler wounded, and one niatross nnssing. " ■ Ui'lnni of the r.l.rh lulled and n;innded.—lii\U;\ : li|.ii. W,„,sler, f',d. liuiild, <ol. Landi, of the artillery, Cul. Ilenman, Or. Atwati-r, a nuu/of .lUK-iiderabb- intlucni e, Capt. C.oe, l.ieut. Tli..mps..ii, liundred pri- vates. W.iunded : Ccd. Whiting, Cai.t. Benjamin, Lieut. Cone, two hun- dred an. I fifty ]irivates. Taken: filty privates, including several coin- ndttee-nien.' "The Coiiiiectieut Jmir/id/ ,>f t\vAt time, :ifter speak- ing of the landing of the liritisb and their march to ]):inbury, in which there are no particulars other than those given in the preceding accounts, says, —