History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

" Tho sadness had by that time been mollified, the people had begun again to provide means for living. They made new homes, some In warehouses or out-buildings that hail been spared, son\e rearing them again uiwn the old foundations. The large grant of State lands (on this occount called thi' burnt lands) in Ohio ti-mpted a few to find new homes in the West. Some of our own ix'rople thus changed their place of resi- dence, and their descendants arc there abiding to this day, adorning their nncestral teachings by lives of honor and usefulness; aiifl of the stock transplanted in this nmnner from our neighboring town of Norwalk sprung the two brothers Sherman, one presiding to-day over our nation's treasury, and the other commanding it^ army. " The life of Fairfield was not extinguished In its burning, nor did tho energy tif the town expire. Its source of strength was too deep to be reached by the kindled brands, too hish to be fatally affected by the ascending flames. The town rose from its asha-*, and has had an honor- able history down to tho present day. Fmm the fire that consumed Sir. Kliot's dwelling one l>ook was rescuetl, the church record, running l>ack tt» 101)4. In his clear handwriting he inscribed within it a brief account of tho events which, after the lapse of a century, we now recall. " As in concluding this address I reiwat h'a wonls, they may convey to us the spirit of submission unto (jod and trust in Ilim which tttrength- ened this ]>coplo to pass through the furnace of calamity. In subse- quent times of prosperity and safety these sentiments have mtt Ik-oii wholly lost. May they always prevail, and may the intelligence, sober- ness, and industry of our people render them fit dwellers in those plcasiuit places chosen more than two hundred and forty years ago by the founders of our beautiful town. By maintaining these principles In peace and purity, and through a wise and constant exercise of that public spirit which clinracteri'/ed our fathers, we will show how greatly wo prize this rich inheritance, made more precious by the refining fire. '*A Lint of the Persons icho suffered hi/ the encmt/ i"« burning the town of Fairjiefd, oti the 7th aud ^th dnyn "/ J'dy, 17711, and had their taxcn abated by the Committee njypoiitied by the (jciieral AsneiuUy fur that purpose. List, 1781. List, 1782. £ «. </. £ : d. Anthony Annibil 20 0 0 '^0 7 ti Pavid Annibil 18 0 0 .14 IJ 0 KlUah AIk-I 30 Vi 0 28 11 G tJeorgo Allen „ 33 7 6 '..'8 11 « David Allen 66 HA 77 2 li Eben Ihtrtiam 44 II U 42 15 U John Allen ^H t*. (I G 18 0 Nehenduh Huddlngton 23 0 0 21 0 U Andrew Bulkley 20 0 0 i:9 0 0 Jame» Bulkley 20 0 0 21 0 0 ^^aller Buddington 23 5 0 24 1.1 0 Peter Burr 70 1 0 81 7 (i Samuel Beein !.. 55 2 G t;0 8 G Joseph Ihers 31 19 0 37 19 0 Abipill Burr 3 12 0 3 8 0 Bavid Burr 22 10 0 28 6 0 William Ihiddingtuu 21 0 0 21 0 0 Bavid Burr 4 4 0 Wukeiiian Burr 25 0 0 21 0 0 Samuel lUirr 4J 17 G 44 17 r. Job Bjirtn.m U 12 7 (i II 19 Prif^illa Iturr 24 0 G 32 G C ThaddfUf. Burr 145 1 4 1G7 IG G David Been. 65 2 « C! 2 C Ann Bi n. 2fi lit 0 25 0 0 William Bimou „»... 51 0 0 60 2 0 KliwilH-Ih (iold 48 8 0 39 1 C Peter Weiidzieh 22 8 0 27 8 0 David Jennings 39 GO 61 18 0 liuuic JarviH 4^1 9 0 22 0« 0 3I1W.H Jennings 70 6 0 02 18 0 AhiK'iil Jennings 4 2 0 2 14 9 Steploii J.nniugv _ 70 2 0 9<J 0 0 Jenniiidi Jennings 4<» 6 0 50 10 O I.»ttir..p l^wid 40 10 0 48 10 0 Sliirnet. Lewis 72 19 « 73 7 0 Johulhan Lewis 130 19 0 132 12 G lle/.ekiah Mrholls 64 19 0 CO 11 0 Tl aKT. Mdudls 20 16 0 19 3 0 KI<ii7.or ((■•N)rn, Jr 12 6 0 .Marble tMnmi :W 0 0 2<i 2 2 Daiiitl th.tH.rn 9t( 5 9 74 0 G John Parnua 18 0 0 21 0 0 FAIRFIP^LD. 283 List. 1781. List, 17S2. £ «, 'I £. ». d. Nathaniel Parsons ]H 5 0 1 .'» o John Piinitt 24 (I (t 2:J 0 0 Samiii-I IViifii-Iil bi S ;i M M :t Jolin KnliertBoii 2G 0 0 :i'J 0 0 Sariim-1 Kowland 35 VA 0 W.\ Hi :i Aii.liew Kulaiui 4S ;i 0 HI HI 7 Samuel S'luicr IS 0 0 '1\ 11 0 .Inhn Stu.-.IIry >i7 Vl 0 S7 12 i» Seth StiiT^'-,> 44 7 0 -M 10 G .Ii».-I.li S.|iiiei- 25 14 0 :t-". 1 O Tli..iiiii.sSlai.U'S 74 10 0 r.i; 4 0 Kliciiezer Stiirges 21 Hi 0 .Inhii Sijiiier, Jr ?,! 5 C 'M 17 o Jii.Noii Stuitjes ti;i 10 71 2 n .InM-|.li stiir;i<-s (children) :U Hi 0 :J5 l:', n .h.tmthaii Sting*?8 00 2 0 l-'tT 18 M Saimi«-1 S.|iiier S5 4 H K-'i IS (i H.'/,rKi;ili Siiiitrc-s 157 4 II Hi 5 o SamiM-l Stiir-es l:i 4 0 li fi O Samu.l Siiir.ilcy i:i T." « l-t 1'' o .lus.'ph Smith.." 40 14 C. 4il 5 )1 Klii'hali't Tlmrp 3o 4 0 M 14 o AmhI Tnilv 19 H) o 2S 0 1 Isaac Tucker 18 0 0 Steiilii-ii Thorp 30 4 0 31 14 o Juliti Turiiev f'.l 1 (1 5S 2 ti Ehcii \Vakr'i,,an II'.) IS 0 i;7 S i; Aii.ln-w Walieman 124 17 0 IH'. 4 li .Tal-e/. Tht.rp 52 13 ti tin s r, lH:ia.- Turiwv 34 8 0 :'.7 S (I lU-uhcu Ilurr 27 2 U 31 3 li \Vak.-mau liurritt S5 11 o .Inhn \VilH:nu8, Jr 14 0 27 .''. 0 \Vii;;ht WWiiv 4 o 0 31 II 0 John ."MiisMii 25 lU 0 2S S o TliiiiiKis H. Wakcmau 0 17 G GREEN'S FAK3I8. List, 17SI. List, 1782. £ s. <l. £ .-. d. LSiirali Andrew.s S 10 o 7 14 0 Ahraham Ainhews 72 o G GO n 3 Ge.T^'e I'altersoii 21 0 0 21 It o Walter ('arson 'J U 0 13 IS 1 Natlian Gmifri-y r.2 S G '.IJ 15 3 KI..-ii--7.or .Ifssup 141 3 o Hil 10 0 Moss Kent IGl 0 O 105 8 (I Eunice Mou'house 05 G ti S4 0 o El.cn Moicliouse Ill G G '.U 17 3 Grunian Morelioiise 21 14 U 4:i 0 0 Samuel Smith 21 0 0 27 2 G Giih'on I^Iorehoiise 45 GO 0 35 HJ 0 .Ie?;sup Wak email 32 5 It John Mniehuuse 57 14 0 C4 18 C " Alate.l i.y the Assembly the sum of £4088.12 in the year 1781. TIio sum of £4088.12 tu be apportioned to the sufferers of s;iid town." The following highly interesting account of the burning of Fairfield is from the pen of lU'V. Au- <lrcw Eliot, being a copy of a letter written to his brother, Rev. John Eliot, of Boston. Kev. Mr. F/liot at that time was pastor of the Fairfield church : "Fairfikld, July 15, 1770. " I>F:\n Buothf.r, — I sit down to write to yon some aecumt of the f:ad and awful scenes wiiich have been exhibited in this once ph-a-sant and delightful town, now, alas ! a heap of ruins, — a sad spei taclc of dejiola- tion and woe. " It wa.s in the hej^inning of wheat-harvest, a season of c.xtraoi-dinary ljilK)r and festivity, — a season which promised the greatest plenty that has been known for many years, if within the memory of man. Never 'lid our tields hear so ponderous a load, never were our proMpects w illi regard tt> su-stenance so bright. " The IJriti.sh fleet and army, with the American refugees that had possessed and plundered New Haven, set siul from that distressed place on the Ot!i iiistant. About four o'clock tlie ne.xt morning the approach of the fleet was announced by the firing of a gun from a small fort we liavo on Grover's Hill, contiguous to the Sound. They seemed, however, to he passing by, and about seven o'clock we with plea-surc beheld them all to the wo:*tward of us. steering, as we thought, to New York. A very thick fog came on, wliich entirely deprived ns of the sight uf them till between the hours of nine and ten, when, the mist dealing away, we beheld the whole fleet umler our western shore, and some of them close in Kenaie's Point. They presently came to am^lior, and lay till aboitt four in the afternoon, when they began to land their troop-t a little to the east of Kcnsie's Point, at a place called the Pines. From thence the troops marched along the beach until they came to a lane opposite the centre of the town, through which tliey pDceede!, ai;d in about an hour paraded in their divisions on the green, between the meeting-house and court-house. From thence they detached their guards, ami, dividing into small parties, began their infernal hui^iness. Their commanding otficens were Sir George Collier by sea, Gens. Tryon and Garth l>y land. "The approach of the fleet was so sudden tluit hut few men could be collected, though the alarm-guns were firtMl imniedialely on the di>sipa- tiou of the fog. There was no thought of opjiosing their landing, as our force wjis nothing to theii-s. Our Utile [laity, liowevei, putted themselves so jls to annoy them to the best advantage, expecting they would land at the I'oint. WIk'Ii our people found them landing on tbe left, and niaii-h- ing in the rear to take po-se.-rsion of the town, they inuiiediately retiealetl to the com t-honse ; and, as the enemy advanced from the beach lane, they gave them such a waiin reception with a licbl-piece, which threw both round and giape-^hot.and with their nun-ketry.as quite flisconcerted thein for.s)me time. The column, liowi-ver, quickly recovereil its soliiiity, and, advancing rai'iily. liuced cmr .--mall boily to retieat to tlie heights I'ack of tlie town, where tliey were joined by nunibe:s coming in from the country. The enemy were likewise gaHed very much, as they turned fn>in tlie beach to the land, by the cannon which played from Grover's Hill. "The town was almost cleared of inhabitants. A few women, sume of whom were of the most respectable families and charactere, tarried with a view of saving their property. Tliey imagined their sex and character would avail to such a purjiose. They put some confidence in the generosity nf an enemy whi) were once famed for generosity and jio- liteness, and tliought that kind treatment and submissive beliavi^r Would secure tliem against harsh treatment ami rough nsnge. Alas! they were miseraldy mistaken, and bitterly repented their confiilenco and ]ii'L'Sumption. " Tbe He&sians were first let l.tose for rai'ine an<l plunder. Tiiey en- tered the houses, attacked the peisons of Whig and Tory indiscrimi- nately ; breaking open desks, trunks, closets, and taking away every- thing of value. They robbed wnnien of their buckles, rings, bonnets, aprons, and handkercbiers. They abused ttieiu witli the foulest and nijst jirofane language. thre;iteneil their lives without the least regard to the nuist earnest cries and eutreaties. Looking-ghisses, china, and all kintls of furaiture were suun dashed to pieces.