History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

"Another party tliat came on were the American refugees, who, in revenge for their confiscated estates, carried on the same direful business. They were not, however, so abusive to the women as the fornu^r, but ap- ]ieared very furious against the town and country. The Britons, by what I could U'arn, were the least inveterate; some of the idhcei-s seemed to pity the nii?fortnnes of the country, but in excuse said that they had ni> other way to gain theirauthmity over us. Individuals among tbe British troops were, however, exceedingly abusive, especially to women. Some were forced to submit to tbe most iiuhdicate and rough treatment in de- fense of their virtue, and now hear tbe brniM's of lion id conflict. " .\bout an hour before sunset the conflagTati^m began at the house of Mr. Isaac Jennings,* which «as consumed, witli the neigliboiing build- ings. In the evening the house of Klijah Ahel,t Ksq., sbt^rift" of the county, was ctuisumed with a few otheis. In the night sevi'ral buildings in tbe luaiu street. Gen. Tryon was in various jjarts of the town-plat, with the gooil women begging and entreating him to spare their hoiii-es. 3Ir. Sayre, the Chnrch-of-England mis.-ionary, a gentleman fiindy and zealously engaged in the British interest, and who has sulTcred considei- ably in their cause, joinecl witli them in these entreaties; he begged the general to spare the town, but was denied. Ho then begged that some few Imiises might lie spari-il as a shelter fir those who could provide habitations nowhere else; this was denied also. At length Jlr. Tryon consented to have tbe buibliiigs of Ulr. CurrJ and the writer of this epistle. Both had been plundered ere this. He saiil, likewise, that tlie llou^*es for public worship should htt spared. He whs far from being in good temper during tbe whole affair. Gen. Garth, at the other end of the town, treated tlie iuhal itaiits with as nuich humanity as his errand \\<>uld admit. " At sunrise some consideiable part of the town was .--landing, but in about two bonis the flames becaUH! geni-ral. Tbe burning-parties ear- ned on their business with horrible alacrity, headed by one or two per- sons who Were horn ami bred in the neighboring towiiff. All tbe town, from the bridge by Col. Gold's to the .^lill River, u few houses excepted, was a heap of ruins. * The house on this site was the first rebuilt, and is occupied by Mrs. K. L. Huntington. f The house otrcupying Ibis ,'ile is known to-day (Is^ll) as the Benson House, I " he lionie of 0. V. Jones. Tse , o:cupics X\a\\ tlXi. 284 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. " About eight o'clock tlio CDcmy soutidod a rotrcat. Wo hod some eat- isfftctiun, aniiilHt our sorrow aiitl iliBlrc&s, to sco that tho nteeting-houso and a few other buildings ri'inuinud. But tlic n-ur-guanl, consisting uf a I'Uiiditti tho vilest that was evur h-t h>osc among men, set firo to every- thing which (Ion. Tryon had left,— tlie large and elegant meeting-house, tho minister'!* houses, Mr. IJurr's and several other houses which had receiveil protection. They tore tho protection to picccH, damned Trjoii, abused the women most shamefully, aud then ran off in a most disgrace- ful manner. Happily, our people came in and extinguished the llaiiic» ill several houncs*, so that we are not entirely destitute. "The rear-guard, whicli tiehavcd in so scamlalous a manner, were chietly German Iroopi', calh-d Yuugers. They carry a smiiH ritle-gun and Ught in a i^kulkiug niunner, like onr Indians. They may be prop- erly called sons of plunder and dcvaatatiou. " Our iKK)ple on tho heights back of tho town were joined by numbers, but not equal to the numters of the enemy. They were skirmishing all the evening, part of the night, and the next morning. Tho enemy were several times disconcerted uu'l driven from their outi>o8ts. Had they continued lunger in tho town it must have been fatal to them, for tho militia wore collecting from all parts. •■Our fort* yet stamls. The enemy sent a row-galley to t-ilence it, and there was constant tiring between them all night. One or two attempts were mmle to take it by paities of troops, but it was most bravely and ubstimitely defended by I.ieut. Isaac Jarvij,f of this town, who had but twenty-three men besidi'S himself. "Tho militia followe<l these blootly incendiaries to tlie place of em- barkatinn, and galled them considerably. The emtiarkatlon tottk placo about twelve oVlork, and they set sail for Long Island about two or three in the nfleriioon. " Many were killed on Uith 6idc:s. Tho numbers cannot be ascertained. They carried off some prisoners, but no person of distinction. "One particular I would mention. After Tryon had hegun to burn, he sent out the proclanuition which you havo in t)io Hartfurd paper. In the midst of hostilities, while the flames were raging and bullets Hying, wlio should Come out with the Hag but Mr. Sayrel A spirited answer was sent in, and the people wero so enraged that hostilities should be going on in the time of negotiation, iind that Mr. Snyre should be the bearer of such an insulting i)roclHnuition and at such a time, that tho said gentleuuiu w;is ulligcii to quit the town when the enemy left it. His whole family wero obliged to got with him, leaving the greatest part of their substance behind, which became fuel for the flumes indis- crimiiuUely scattered by tho rear-guard. The reply which Gen. Tryon made to Mr. Sayro when he asked to go with him was, ' You may go on board the ships, sir, but I cannot pn>miHe you any help or assistance.' * ThU was on Orov. [ ii : : n Gcorgc'e Hotel. t He lies In the old bur^ inj^-gixiund with this above him : "This monument is erected In memory of Isaac Jarvis, who deiMirtcd this Life 20th June. a.d. 1788. Aged 32 years A 5 months. •* Let fmntic Mtrth be pensive hero, Let mortals mourn their tlnal doom. Let friendship |my the tribute's tear. For Isaac moulders in the Tomb," t Dr. E.E. Rankin, in his Falrfleld historical dlsconrsc, states that "Mr. Say re with his wife and eight children, stripped of every i<arthly poe- sctsiou excepting the clothen they were wearing, found refuge on tHwrd the Ittllish fleet, and after serving a church in Nova ^k'otia he closed his earthly ministry. According u> their tombstones, they must have ro- lurneil to and resided in Kalrfield, iis in the old burylug-grxtund am the fidlowing: "^Tliocomiptihleof James Donnic Snyre, son of Jiimes Sayre, Minister of the Gospi-I. A, Samh his Wife, who fell asleep on tho 25th Day of Mny, A. P. 1703. Aged almost 17 years. "'Young man I Trust not thy youth, heulUi.orntrength. Trust In the lA>Tt) with all Uiy Heart, aud remember thy Creator, who is alto thy Bo lecmer.' " " Tlie Church-of-England buildlngg was consumed, but by whom or at what time I am unable to say. '* L'nconneried with them, unsolicited on my part, through the inter- ceshion of Mr. Sayre, my house and projMirty received a protection in Gen. Tryon's own handwriting. A sentinel was plucinl there some part of the time. Ilut sad experience convinces mo to how little pnriiosu all this was. My proju-rty was plundered, my house and furniture all consumed,^] though a Imly was so kind as to show them the protection which, like others, was torn in pieces by the rangers. "Our friend, Joseph Itertram, mos shot through the breast; old B!r. Solomon Sturgis,*! an Iiish servant of Mr. IVntleld, and a negro man belonging to Mr. Lewis, were put to deiith by the Itayonet. "The distress of this poor people is inexpressible. A most pleasant and delightful town in flames ! What a scene did the Sth of July pre- sent ! " But I must forbear! Everj'thing I have written you may depend upon as a fact: my pen has not been guided by prejudice, whatever my feelings arc; aud should you publish the letter, every reader may l>e assured that there is not the least deviation from what actually took place upon this melancholy occasion. " Yours, etc., " Anorew Emot." CHAPTER XXIX. FAIRFIELD (Continued). Witclicroft — Goodwifo Kiiu|>ii — Iler Trial — Hpr Execution— The I>aHt IVnwn CondciiiiHMi for Witclicmfl in Colincclicut — Mercy Dinbrow Tried at Fairfield in 1G92 — Sentenced to Death — Parduneil — "Annt Nab," the Witcli. In the cnnfci-sion of Goody Basset, of Stratford,** slie spoke vajjuely of others who " lield their heads full high," but who were in truth equally guilty with lierself. This was thought to have reference to a woman in the neighboring village of Fairfield, who tlionccforward became the subject of suspicion, and in October, 1(J53, about two years and a half after the death of Mrs. Basset, was arraigned for trial. Her case caused great e.\cit«ment throughout that portion of the colony, and Mr. Ludlow, with three other Another stone i« to " Mrs. Sftrah Sn)Te, raiuort or Rev, James Sayre and daughter of Jantes Dennic, who died in 1707." Anottier ie very ]ihtin and to " Rev^ James Sayre, departed ttiin Life Fcbl IS"", 17D8. .ait. 63." Wliile tlio fourtli stone is to " Mi>s Elizabeth Sayre, Daughter of Kct' James & M" Sarah Sayre, departed tills Life FelJ 27, not. JEt. 18." Uriah Bulklcy (ace "Colonial 18") marrle<l Jane Sayre, one of this family, aod they were tho parents of eleven chlldrun. ^ This dtoiMl by Mr. Henry Rowland's. t Mr. Jonathan S. Burr, of DrvH>klyn, stales of hi.^ Rranilfiithcr (Rer. .\ndrfw Eliot) that " directly after the condagration he rvmove<l with his family to Holland Hill, where he taught ncluxd and remained a con- siderable length of time. Tho house where he lived stood almost directly opposite tho dwelling of Mrs. Mary Bibhins." f Has numerous descendants in' Falrfleld to-day (1880). (Sco"Colo- I nial No. 0.") I "SeeStiatfordhlstoo'. FAIRFIELD. 285