History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Thf, first reference to the war of the Revolution found iu the old town records is under date Oct. 11, 1774, its follows : "At a Town meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Oreenwich, legally warned and llol.len im Teusday, the lltli day of Oct.d>er, Anno Dom. 1774, ,\ Letter is Read from the IIonoTable Klipljalet Dyer and Roger Sherman, Esq., from ye Continental Congress, at Philadidphia. It is proposed to this meeting w hetlier there shall be a committee ajtpoiuted to Draw a set of Resolves and an answer to said letter from said Con- gress, and to lay the same before the next meeting of this town for their approbation. Resolved in the affirmative, .and Dr. Amos Mearl, Slessrs. .John Mack.ay, .lesse Parsons are per vote app<dnted a committee for the jmrpose aforesaid, on which the town per vote adjourned ttieir meeting to the 17tli day of Instant October, to the place where their annual Town meetings are lieM in said Town. " .\t a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Greenwiidi, in the County of Fairtield, & Colony of Connecticut, holden on the 17th <iay of llctober, 1774. " This fleeting takeing into their Serious consideration the alarming state of .\meiicau Liberty, do nnauimously approve of and adopt as the Sentiments of the Inhabitants of this Town the Resolves of the Honora- ble House of Repiesentatives i>f this Colony, jiassed in their sessions at Hartford, in May last. I Ami Wheretif, Certain Acts of the British Parliament have appeared since the above re.solves were entered int^i ; Particularly an act for alter- ing the Government of JIassachusetts Bay, and another for Establishing the Roman Catholic Religion in Canada, etc. ^^Resolceil hij this mri'ting, that those .acts are repugnant to (he free prin- ciples of the English Constitution, and in a High Degree Dangerous to the Civil ami Religious Liberty of both Biilish ami American Protestant subjects, and that notwithstanding the Torrent of False and malicious aspersions poured fiu-th by designing men. We beli.-ve and declare the Contrivers and Devisors of these and all such unconstitutional acts Their Dupes and Emissjtries, ttj be the only enemies to our Gracious Sovereign, and the Illustrious House of Hanover that we know of in his majesty's dominions. ••lle'olntl, That this meeting hereby ajiprove of the Honmable Cimgress of Delegates from the several American Colonies, and will acpiiesce and abide by their Iiual determination. "Ili^s'iheil, That as the Province of Slassachusetts Bay, especially the T.iwn c»f Boston, is now suttcring under the Iron Hand of DesjKitic Power and nuuisterial Inliuence, it is the Indispensable duty of this town, in Imitation of ye noble Examides set up by most of the Colony to con- tribute t(t the relief of the oppressed and suffering Poor in s«id Town of Boston, and that Messrs. David Rush,,Iohii Maekay, Benjamin Me.ad, .Ir., Dainel Merritt, James Ferris, Nathaniel Mead, .Ir., Joseph Hobby, Jr., i be a ('ommittee to receive and keep an exact account (if all djuuitions ' that shall be Given by the Inhabitjints of this town, ami Transmit the j same to the Select men of the Town of Boston, to be by them appropri- ] ated for the purpose aforesaid. "Ordered by this meeting, that Dr. Amos Jlea<l, Messrs. John Maekay, and Jesse Parsons be Desired to write to the Honorable memboi-s of < 'on- gress for this Colony an answer to theirs of the 10th ultimo, Intdosing a Copy of the Present Doings of this meeting, and transmit another copy thereof to the Printer, at New Haven, in order to be published. " Recorded by un-, "JESSE PAKSOXS, "jTou'il CterA." HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. COPY OF THE LETTER TO THE DELEGATES. I "Gextlkmks, — Wo ncknowleJge tlio receipt of your favor of tlie 10th «U., iuelosiiig tlio RcsohitloiiH of tlio IIonomMo Congress, ami witii tlio Higliebt gmttitudti receive tlio as8urai)cu of ttio earlieitt intelligence of tlio proccciliiigH of your IlonontUti Ilonnl, ub soon us tliey sliiill l>o made Public. yVv liavc called a meeting, and eonimnnicated tothent your let- ter and ttio»e proceedingi*, and do now inclose their re^iolulions thereon " AVe are, Ciuutlcmcn, your tnont ulie4iitiit, Humlde Hervanls, *'AMOS MEAD, "JOHN MACKAY. "JESSE PAHSOXS. "P. 8. Upon enquiry into tlie Present Stote of the ningazino of this Town, the Inliahitants arc much »ur)irl8cd to And that tlie price of that most uecoswiry article for our defence, viz., Gunpowder, is ni)w doubled, which wo arc Desired to inentioti as worthy tho uoticc of your llonora- ble Board. "Tho Honomblo EHphalit Dyer and Roger Sherman, Esqs." At the same meeting it was ftirther voted that " As tho Town Stock of ammunition want« a supply, there be n Com- mittee appointed to examine the state of the Town Stock of Powder, Load, Ac, and the Selectmen are appointed u committee for that puriKvso and to take care to s^upply what h wanting at tbo expense of tho town." On the 8th of Febniary, 1775, it was " Proposed to this meeting whether they will send Delegates to attend u County Congress at Faii*fleld on tho 10th of Febniar>- instant pursuant ' to a letter from Fairfield Committee agreeable to tho Association of tho ' Continental Congress, entered into and adopted by the Honorable House of Be preventatives of this Colony ami wild Committee to attend on their own expenses. Restdvcd in the allirnuitive, an<l that Doctor Amos Mead and John Mackay be their Delegates for the purpose aforesaid.^' I On the 3d of December of the same year (1775) the i following persons were appointed a committee of in- spection and safety. They, besides their duties as a vigilance committee, were empowered to appoint two or more from their own nunil)er to attend the next County Congress, should any be culled: Amos Mead, Samuel Peck, James Ferris, John Mackay, Tk*njaniin Mead, Jr., Nehemiah Mead, Col. Jolin Mead, Koger , Brown, Bezaleel Brown, David Wood, Maj. Thomas Hobby, Odcll Close, Nathaniel Mead, Jr. It was also 'MWtfff, That no body of men preaume to afisemblo together and go upon nny expedition, utdess by onler of tho Honorable tho Continental CongresH, tlio Honorable the General AB!»embly, tho County Congress, or Committee of Safety for this town, either of whom arc to ascertain tho numWr and dirmt the measures." "At u Hperiid meeting of the inhabitants of tho Town of Greonwich^ legally waniinl and Imhlen on tho 15th day of January, Anno Dom. 177fi, Tho Town per vole Add to their Committee of Safety the following per- sons,— viz: Israel Knap)>, Jr., Samuid Seymour, John Hobby, Mi^sseiigor Palnior, and Peter Meail, Esq. " In this mooting comes Jvage UalloCk and presonts himself to sot up the Salt Peter worlvs in this town, on oncourogomont Given by act of A»- Bcnibly." ^lareh 11, 1777, the town voted to send for the six- pounder and shot for the same, which had been jrranted to them on account of a memorial addressed to the General Assembly. At a special town-meeting of the inhabitants of Greenwich, legally warned and lield at the town- house in said (Jreenwieh, on ^londay, the 14tli day of April, 1777, the town, by vote, made choice of Ne- hemiah Mead to be4noderator for this present meet- ing. Further, the town, by vote, made choice of Messrs. Titus Mead, Nehemiah Mead, John Mackay, James F' : li-. r.u- l.dckwood, Roger Brown, Daniel Merritt, to be a committee to inspect into and str that the families of tI»ose who enter into the Conti- nental army shall be supplied with the necessaries of life at the prices as stated by law according to the Governor's proclamation. Further, that this meeting: assist and support the ministers of justice in putting: into execution the act of the Assembly re-"^i>ecting tin- stating prices. Same was repeated at the next regu- lar town-meeting. During this year, Col. Enos, of Hartford, was sta- tioned in this town with Connecticut troops. Hi- quarters were during a part of the time at Palmer'> Hill, and a part of tlie time at the old Ksquire Knai)p place, now occupied by J. K. Stearns, Esq. Tlie for- aging of Col. Enos' troops was so excessive that tie town, at a legal meeting, voted : *' Wheroaa tho troops of Col. Enos regiment quartered in thit towtt have committed great outrages upon tho property of some of tlie Inhatit- antdof thi^ town (viz.), in burning rails, cutting young growth of tinitxr. etc. Therefore, it is prcqiosed to this nu-eling, whether lliey will rea.'iri mend uulo the SeloL-t men of this Town, to apply t«i tho Field Offlcn- for utdresB of the aforesaid grievances. Voted in the offlrmalive." "At H special Town meeting of tho inhabitants of tlm Town uf Green- wich, legally warneii and held in said Greenwich, on Blonday ye I'Jtii day of Jan narj', 1778, in pursuance of the Requisition fn>m his Exc-l- lency tho Governor, of ye l.')lh of December, 1777, communicato to tl. Inhabitants tho Intmduction to. ami the A i tides of Confederation Ji: P- : pctnal Union between the State?' of America, that the sense of tla' T«'\\ might bo known ther(?i>n, the town by vote uia^le choice of Bc/jilf 1 Urown to be Moderator of this present meeting. The saiil Anicb-s Inmii^- in said meeting deliberately read and considered, were by vote, AVta. O-i. (ho one oj)jK»itrnj), accepted and approved. *' It is pr\>iKMed whether this meetingis willing, that non-tomml»!(ion<'d officer and soldier who is draughted and voluntarily ser\'es in this t\M> months ovpedition, receive a pmiMirtio liable part of all the fint-s iiUd in consequence of said <lraught. Voted in the aftlrmatlvi', and that C Seloctmon receive the said flues of tho Town Tre^isurer and |>ay them ■ ■ accordingly. "VutL-d that the artillery men may have tho Town House for a guartl- house, ami \m\v liWrty tu buihl a chimney to it, and that the Town v ill bo at tho cost of having Blasons fur that purp'.we. Tho Town, by T-t mode choice of IWzaleel Brown to l>c Ilarmck-Moster, to supply the tro--i ~ with W(xmI and other necessaries. Meeting then uiUourncd."