History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Upon tlie heights above tlie west bank of the Pam- paskeshank are also the ruins of two lesser villages of the same elan. As there is no feasting- or burial- place in the vicinity, it may be inferred that they were places of defense or outposts of the main city. These promontories still indicate that they have been at some period fortified, from which is an outlook towards tlie east, south, and west of unsurpassed gran- deur, from whicli also is seen the entrance into Nor- walk Harbor, around which stand as sentinels Cack- enoes', Mamachimons', Chackanenos', and numer- ous other islands. Further to the east is " Cackenoes de Long Island Sea," over which the Indians passed in their frail canoes, but which is now studded with every species of vessel in the carrying trade between centres of commerce. Still farther on is seen " Cack- enoes or Long Island," which may also be seen on a cloudless day with the naked eye, its banks of pure white sand in contrast with its verdure of tbrest and cultivated fields, together with the church-spires of the town of Huntington and Eden's Neck Light- house, the headquarters of Governor Tryon in 1779, at which date a personage of large frame and ener- getic will resided at the base of the outlook described, who, though a professed religious character, rode sev- eral miles just to say to a relative, " Ask your wife if you may be rich." Indeed, he was literally lord of about all he surveyed. His j)ossejjsions were bounded east by the Pampaskeshank, south and west by Long Island Sound and llootou Kiver. In the year 17()!) he reared a new domicile on a rise of ground sloping towards the river, the chimney of which for more than a hundred years has been one of the ranges to designate "(Jreat Koeks," and not unknown in these days to i)ersons who angle in the tleep waters of the Sound, and to the harbor-masters who pilot vessels through the " Middle Passage." This Jiouse wa.s well protected from the cold winds of winter by the hills and forests on tlie north and west, and fanned by the gentle breezes of midsuninier from the " Cackenoes de Long Island Sea." Its locality is one of the pleas- antcst and most desirable places for a residence within the purchase made by Daniel Patrick of the chiefs of the country in 1(540. It will be nece.ssary to describe that new house. It was a two-story frame Imilding, with a long steep roof in its rear. The main timbers were oak, fourteen inches square and covered with chestnut shingles, with the butts four- teen inches to the weather. The chimney was situ- ated in the centre of the building and constructed of rough stone, with cross-sticks of oak. Its inside was plastered with lime made of clam- and oyster-shells found in the Indian graves in the vicinity of the city of Naramake. The windows were few and small. The main fireplace faced one of the front windows, from which its owner could see Long Island and the waters intervening, and the movements of any friendly or piratical vessels sailing up or down the coast. We have thus particularized this house and its owner, as both have a history in connection with the Ilevolu- tionary war. Ten years later Tryon's hcathpiarters were in the vicinity of Huntington, L. I., from whence his army raided upon the defenseless inhabi- tants on the west shore from Greenwich to Fairfield, destroying their dwellings and carrying away their jn'oduce and running off their cattle to replenish his commissariat. Tliough the dweller of Pampaskeshank had fre- quently been in communication with Tryon's com- missary, yet he had not had the pleasure of a per- sonal acquaintance with the British commander. His introduction to him was as follows: He was the owner of a trading-vessel. When returning from Boston with a cargo of general merchandise, he was met by Tryon's fleet midway of the Sound and his vessel captured and himself made a prisoner, where- upon he commanded his captors to take him before Tryon, the result, it is said, being he was soon re- leased, but not till the enemy had unloaded his cargo. Tradition says that he received therefor in British gold more than it wa-s worth. This incident brought the dweller of Pamp:iskcshank and Tryon's commis- sary into more intimate business relations, which the former used to bis pecuniary advantage. When for- aging upon the inhabitants of Long Island failed to furnish subsistence to the Briti.sh army, Tryon siMit to the main land trading-parties who usually landed at midnight at Wilson's or Belden's Point, and the house at Pampaskeshank became their rendezvous. But they were exceedingly cautious when approaching the shore. Unless the signal indicated that the coast- guard were at a resjiectful distance they remained in the otKng. But if a light from the fireplace rcHected through the window, they ventured to land and en- tered the house, when its owner proceeded to drive sharp and jirofitablc bargains for produce and cattle from his domain, which could only be designated by his mark, that of a "crop of the Iclll ecar." Tryon found in his new-made friend a loyal subject of the British crown. So he iiijtructed his commissary not to molest his friend's property or run o(f cattle upon which his mark was found. It may be inferred from what has been said that the dweller of Pampaske- shank was no friend of the patriots of the Revolution. He stood in the same attitude towards them and the government that many stood in the late Kebellion, neutral or indifferent, but used every device to pro- NORWALK. 503 cure contracts, or became blockade-runners, l)y which nieaiis they became suddenly wealthy at the expense of the blood of the patriots of the government. The personage reforre<l to was not really an enemy of the country, as his eldest son served in the Continental army. Tlie followinji is a copy of an order, in Tryon's own handwritintr, found by workmen, when repairinj; his house in 1798, between tlie roof-boards and ralters, and decides his status in the Revolutionary war: "Pfliver tho Iwf. sniin, iiiij v.-gctiiMcs, j.Kviuiisly ..nl.Tt-il, to my commissary. Srinl tlu-m to the iisiial plui c of siiiiimrnt. "llRS. Tiivnx." Upon the territory lying between the P;im]iaske- shank River anil " Rooton Point" resideil iti tlie Rev- olution certain persons whose sym]i;itiiies were with the British troverninent, and whose residences were the rendezvous of the Tories, Cow-l?oys, ami the for- aging-parties from Tryon's army. Here congregated the Tories and the disatfected towards the patriots for several miles south and west of it. This was the centre from which radiatecl the jiartii's which plumlered the inhabitants of the mtiin land. Here originateil the frequent false alarms that cxciteil the fctirs of the patriots. Here also congregated after nightfall dis- loyal men from Cranberry Plain and from thethickly- settleil jiart of the town and from the jiarish of Jlid- dlesox, whose plottings made the ptitriot^ feel tluit their lives and property were insecure. This state of affairs led the inhabitants of the town, tit a .special meeting, reliriniry, 1782, to devise measures to meet the exigency. The meeting voted to raise ninety men to serve si.K months, who were distributed ;is follows: Eighteen east of Norwtilk River, eighteen at the going on of Stephens Island, eigliteen at Old Well, eighteen at Flax Hill, tind eighteen at Jliddle- sex, the aUotment of which shows that the objective point was not only to guard the coast, but to keep in subjection the disaffected persons-residing within the territory jiurchased by (."apt. Patrick of the Indians. The men for this special duty were cnrolleil in their respective localities by men appointed for that [tar- ticular duty. But said rolls were never put upon the town records, liut were left in the hands of the com- inanclers of the companies and were lost. The writer, when a lad, saw in tho garret of the house in which he resided a roll of the guard stationed on Vhis. Hill, — viz.: Walter, Thomas, Daniel, and John Hoyt, Eliahim, (Jeorge, Hezekiah, John, and Nathaniel Raynnmd, Eliahim Smith and Eliahim, .Jr.. Hoi>kins and Jloses By.Kbee, Joseph, Joshua, and AN'illiam Houton, Nathan Knapji, and Bte]ihen Wood. The following are the ntimcs of the gutird of IMiddlesex, as rehearsed to the writer by old people who died titty years ago : Daniel, Eli, and Moses M. Warren, John and William Reed, Nathan, Nathaniel, and Josiah Hoyt, Eliahim, Joseph, Niithan, Joseph, Jr., Warren, David, Gershom, and Samuel Richards, Nathaniel Street, and Paul Ravniond. The oeeupation of the j coast between tho Panipaskeshtuik and Roottm Point by the British army from Long Island w;is fur strateg- ical reasons, as they were not only :ible to gather su))- plit's for their army, but to communii'iite with their main force on the line of the Hudson River by relays.