History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

"But Wooster, at Bethel, soon got word of the move and prejiared to meet it. Wooster was a resident of New Haven, and was in that city when the news of the enemy landing at Compo reached him. Immwli- ately he started for Danbury with what force he could get there. He was joineil on the way by .\ruold and Silliman, and the men under their commands. Poor Woo.ster! He little realized when he started for this insignificant hamlet that it would become his ever- lasting home, so far as this world is concerned, and that here the only substantial honor he should ever receive would be given. "Gen. Wooster sent .Vniuld and Silliman, as we have already indicated, direct to Kidgefield, across the country from ISethel, while he struck out in a more northerly direction, intending to strike the foe before he reached Ridgefield. In this he succeeded. He came upon the enemy while they were breakfasting, about eight o'clock in the morning of that eventful Sunday. He appeared from a piece of woods, and struck a rear regiment with such unexpected force that he captured forty of the men before the comuumd was fairly aware of liis presence. He witlidrew as rapidly as he came, but shortly after made another dash, while the enemy were in motion, and it wius then the light took place in which he lost his life. "There are so many eontlicting accounts of this engagement that we are ]>owerless to determine which is right. It is not a nuitter of any moment, however. Wooster and his two or three hundred men were alone in it, as Arnold and Silliman's force were in Ridge- field Village, barricading the road and waiting for a chance to do their share. Out in the country, amid the rocks and the pine scrub lying between Ridgefield Street and Ridgebury church, the brave and ill-fated man was waging the unequal battle. It was at the DANBURY. 189 first of the second attack that he received the fatal wound. The Uritish must have heeii on tlir rctreatj or his friends would not have been able to ret'over liis person, as lie fell where he was shot. The frreat sash* which he wore was mnvntiiid, and, being spread uut as a blanket, lie was put in it and carried fnini tlie field. Tlien lie was ]daced in a carriage and slowly briinght back to Danbiirv. "In the Dibble niansimi. where Trvnn but a few hours betbre had hail his lu'adc|uarters, the unfortunate general was placed. .V local surgeon dressed the Wduml as well a.s he was able, and shortly after a iiinre experi- enced man came from Xew Haven to attend him. The bullet, which is said to have lieeii tired by a Tury, en- tered his back oldicpiely just as he turned to wave on his meu, and, cutting the spinal cord, was buried in his stomach. Tlie nature of the wound ]irecluded recovery even had he received the best skill on the momeut. His wife arrived frmii New Haven, Imt a delirium had seized him, ami be did leit recognize her. Fur three days he lay in tlii' old Sniitli Street house, sulfering untcdd agony, and then he lell into a stupor. This was Thursday morning of that eventful week'. "' ft was noted by her who, faithful to the last, un- remittingly watched his ]iillow that during this and the following day (as is frecpiently the ease in the clos- ing .scene of an active life) his mind was busied in ex- citing reminiscence. By the feelile light of flickering reason he was tracing the long and weary ]iilgrimage, the cruises, sieges, battles, marches, through which be had passed, only to reach his grave. The hiniie of his childhood, the cabin of liis slii|i, tlie old maiisioii by the 8ound, pass in a bleiide(l image before his fading vision. The dash of waves, the rattle of musketry, the roar of cannon, ring confusedly in his deafened ear. His hand cannot respond to the gentle jircssure of all'ectioii. His breathing grows shorter and shorter, while the icy chill advances nearer ami nearer to the heart. As his wife wipes the di-ith-damp from his brow his eyes, hitherto closed, open once more, ami in their clear dejiths, for one glad moment, she discovers the dear, the old. the familiar expression of returned consciousness; his lips gasji in vain to utter one |ire- cious word of tiual adieu, and the last effort is to throw on her one farewell glance of unutterable tenderness and love.'t "On Friday, May 2, 1777, he ilied. On Sunday the funeral was held. It was a quiet affair, althougii the body was that of a major-general and id' a soldier who for courage and patriotism had no superior, lint Dan- bury wa.s sorely afflicted. .Many of the bouses were in ruins, and nearly all the able-bodied men were away. "Miss Betty Porter, aged sixteen, daughter of one of the men killed and burned in Maj. Starr's house, and * Tlie sash and swoni are now in Yale r.»llegf. t Ileury C. Dcniirig'a oration at llo- \V<iimn r ]ii..ijiiiii subsei]Uently the wife of Cnjit. Nathaniel (iregory, grandfather of our ('ol. (iregory. was at the funeral. She says there were lint six men ]n-eseiit, and they bore the body to its resting |dace. The remains were buried in the graveyard on Wooster Street. " Bcv. Samuel Feters, in his ipuiint work 'A I ieneial History of ( 'onnecticut,' stiys, 'David \\'oostcr, the rebel general, Benedict .\rnold"s old friend and mob- bing confederate, received a fatal ball through his bladder as he was harassing the rear of the royal troo]is, of which, riffi'i- brinr/ carried fort y iiiilin tn NfW Hurt II. he died, mid irux hiiriri] nf tin' sidr of llnrid Ih.rirr//, one of tile judges of Ch.irles 1,' " The firing of our people upon the British, with the return fire of the enemy, marked as distinctly as sight lould have done to the refugees the progress of the march. Besides, there were messengers, in the person of boys, who kept track of the course and re|iorted hourly. Long before the royal I'olumn |iasseil Ridge- bury church the ]ieople who bad fled began to return to the village, some to undisturbed lionies, others to smoking ruins. Befiire night the most of them had got back, although it was not until the next day that all had returiu'd. The jiarents of the venerable Mrs. Fhebe Benedict, who is still abiding with us, went to New Fairfield. " With the returning Daiiburians came a host of sight-seer- IVoiii Kedding, Bethel Village, Brookfield, Newtown, New Fairfield, and other places. It was a great spectacle for outsiders, and they Hocked here just as peo[)le do to the scene fd' an overwdielniing distister. .\lltliat Sunday afteruoon the main street and South were full of peoide, viewing the ruins, sym- pathizing with the sufferers, cursing the enemy, and delivering opinions of reckless wisdom, as is common with the dear ma.sses in matters they know nothing id'. ( )ne of these visitors used to relate that the w heels of his wagon sank above their felloes in the cold grease on South Street, which came from the burnt pork. There were three taverns here at the time, and the business they might have done, bad they the lii|uiil fiicilities, would have been immense. "Dr. Jabcz Starr, grandfather of Mr. Fred Starr, kept one of the taverns. His place stood on the cor- nel- of ^lain and Flm Streets, near where is now T/ic Xeirs building. (.)n the ap[iroacli of the enemy ho iiiovcd his goods out of town and harm's way. Mr. Starr was the only doctor in Danbury at the time. "The house now occupied by Nathaniel Baruuni, a few doors south of T/ir ynm office, was a tavern at that time. < bi a sign swinging from ;i post it bore ti copy of the arms of King George W., wbieh gave the tavern its muiie. It was kei>t by .lolin Trowbridge, who was Mr. Barnum's great-grandfather. ( >wiiig to its sign it was saved from destruction, but its furniture was piled up in the street and burned. Mr. Barnum has coni]detely (diangcd the outside appeanince of the building, so that to-day it looks but little like it was at that time. 190 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. " Mr. Trowbridge was a lieutenant in the rebel army. He was away with his regiment at the time. His peoj)k' removed themselves and what furniture they could get togetlier to Natlian Cornwall's tavern, in Ik'aver Urook Distriet, tlie tavern standing on what is now Henry Starr's place. The royal troops did not interfere with the jiropcrty, but the furniture that was destroyed was the work of Tory neighbors. "Maj. N. M. Taylor in 1777 lived in a house which stood at the junction of South Street with Dumpling Hill road. On the news of the coming of the British he hurried home and told his wife to make ready to fly. She was of the genuine Revolutionary material. She had a baking of bread ready for the oven, and she declared she would not leave until it was done. Before it was done the enemy came into town, and Taylor's tavern wa? inundated by soldiers. She told thcni that she had a batch of bread in the oven, and if they wanted some she would give it to them. Hot fresli bread is a toothsome bit to a soldier, and when the bread came out they took it all. Fortunately for Taylor's proi)erty, his wife was a good baker, and the soldiers, whose stomachs had been delighted by her skill, left the building undisturbed. "Ten years later Mr. Taylor put up a guide-stone in front of his place, which- contained the following information : '"ti" wiled to II(artfor»l). 01! miles tu N. Y. Tliin stone erected by N. M. Taylor, 1787.'