History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

A few years later occurred an incident which the late Deacon David Sherwood was liind of relating as illustrating the uncommon jdiysical strength of his grandfather, .lolin Sherwo(jd, captain of tlie train- baml and the founder and first elder of the Strattield I'laptist C'liurch. On a certain training-day, among the spectators ]iresent was a party of Indians from the reservation on (iolilen Hill, who had been behaving ratlh'r insolently, and one of them, a burly, athletic- fellow, finally challenged the whites to cIkmisc their best nnui and he would defeat him in a wrestling- nuitch. None of the spectators, sturdy fiirmers though they were, felt able to cope with the Indian athlete, whose muscular frame jilainly showed him to be a very formidable antagonist; yet all felt it to be im)jortant that his challenge should be accepted, and that he should be defeated, for the .sake of the efi'ect upon the other savages. After some deliberation it was decided that Ca[)t. Sherwood was the only man capable of van- (|uishing him, but doubts were expressed whether he would be willing to engage in a wrestling-match now that he had become so active in religious nuittcrs. \ deputation came to him as he was drilling his men upon the parade-gnmnd, and after hearing their story he briefly answered that his present duty was to drill his company, but that afterwards he would attend to the matter. ,\ccordingly, when the parade was over and he bad laid aside his regimentals, he approached the Indian cham|)ion, who was naked to the waist and shining with grease, so that it would have been dilti- cult fi)r another man to lay hold of him. But, bring- ing his right hand down upon the shoulder of tbi' astonishe(l savage, Elder Sherwood crnniplcil it up in his vise-like grasp, and then, throwing bis left arm around him, he gave him snch a hug and mighty fall as to leave him almo.st senseless upon the field, while the air rang with the plaudits of the spectators. At some date unknown, but probably about the year 1700, the Golden Hill Indians sold half their reserva- tion to Samuel Hawley, of Stratfi)rd. .NL-. Hawdey subseciuently convev'ed one-half his purchase to Rich- aiil I'bickleach, the ])hraseology of the deed, omitting legal verbiage, being as fi)llows: " Kn.iw an men By tlira iiresciils tliat I Sam" Ilal.'.v, .if StiaU'..r.l In tilt' ciinntey of failfield ami loloiiy uf Colilircticut, have sold, alciiatcil ,fe confii-meil. and l)u by tlies piL-sLMits sell alieriaty set over ami irnilirlne unt" M' Rk-liaiil Blarkliilgt- ..f Sliiitf .i.l a,f.nv.sai.l liis lii-irs .ti- tin- .Iilhlo & E.iual halfc of a tiaLt of l.nii.l win. h I hav,. Ii..us;lit ..f tli.' I.ai.l.iis {Imliuii] iiroi)riet..rB. " Lyiiif; aii.l Beeirigon a place .■om.mly Lai.-. I j;..l.liim liill ; tli.- \\!i..lt. 'luanti'ty Beeing fortey acres Bee it iiioie or le^^s: B..iiti.lc.i ii.ulli with tlie Iii.len feli.e ; westerly iviUi Laii.l ..r.la.-.ili wa. leii (Waliel.yl; S.iutli- erly with land of Jacob wacleii, Capt Bardt.ley, aii.l Sum. is lii.s lanii ; Kasterly w itli a Spriugiug me.lo A highway: I (.ay I have loi a valuable Colisi.leiatioli to Dlee III hail.l Ke.-dd. s.d.l alienate.! ali.l ...iitiime.l the .•.inallhalfeof tlies.l.tra.t..f l.an.l I.. M' ni.liai.l Bla. Uli.lge ol Stiatlord his heir^ A assigns \e. for ever. . . . Witness niy ban.l ami seall this :<"' .lay of June IVdC Sel. "Sam" IIai.i.kv Senr. Q " This deed was witnessed by .lacoli Walker, and was duly acknowledged befin-e .lusfice Matthew Sher- wo.mI, but was not recorded until May ii, 17111. The iimount of the vtdutible I'onsideration ]iaid for forty acres of land on (ioblcn Hill is not stilted, but, ten months afterwards, Mr. Blaekleach sold sixteen acres in the same hicality to Beujamin Fiiyerweather for the sum of thirty-two poumls in provisions at market rates. The essential ]iortions of the deed, abbrevi- ating ;is before, are as follows: " K11..W all men pr. tlies piesent.s that I lii.har.l Blackled}; Sr. for a valuabh- .-..nsi.leration to nice in liaii.l allleady eolitente.l ,t pai.l pr, Benj fayerweather of fayerfiel.l Do pr these presents sell alinnte, set over A eoiilirine to the sd Benja. fayerweather his heirs .^-c. for ever; sixteen acres of land, bee it more or less, situate within the limit* of Stratf.u.l on l!..lding hill, conimonly soo cale.l ; & is the one halfeof a parcell ot Laii.l that Sam" Haley B.Hight of the ImhMis Bel.mging bi sai.l gohling hill, .■\. i-pt a small jiarcell that Lies on the south si.le of the high way that runs acros sd Hill now In the ocnpati.ui of Eliy.er fayerchil.l contaiiiiiig ab..ut three a.ivs. The sil. lan.l I have Bold bi sabi fayervveatlo-r Is Bonn.le.l S.aitherly with the Land of heiiery Sumens & .lolin Sum. -re; westerly with the Laud .if .Jacob Waden ; u.irtb.ilv with the Laml of B.I Iii.lens, or Ihomas Haley's Land whiLdi li.- now improves in right of al.ov.' s.l Sam" Haley his father, B.-.ung the K.'uiaiu.ler of his above s.l. piiulics: easterly ^v^th sd. luil.-us laii.i or the liighuay. .s..utli.-astrrly with tlie highway and so ranging t.'ll y.-u .■..iii t.. li ry Sum.-rs.'s Land us tlu' highway Kniis. . . . •■witn.'ss my haii.l * s.-al this firsl ,lay ..f .Vl.i.d 1701. Th.' valuablo .-.uisi.l. -ration ab.ive was thirty two p.mn.ls In i.ay. S.-all. "Iti.nAiii. ISi.i.i.T.A.ii a " This deeil was witnessed by Samuel Ilnbbcll ;ind .lohn Edwards and ackiiow leilg.'d before Justice James Bennett, anil was jiut on record May b'l, 1710. About the year 17(iO, the tiolden Hill Indians having become much reduced in numbers by death and liy removtd, the neighluning white ]iroprielors began to encroach upon their rcservtition ami t.i tear down the unoccu|)ied wigwams. Three of the In.li- ans, mimed respectively .lohn, JMiiiice, and Sarah Slioran or Sbermau, petitioned ihe Legislatnri' lor redres-;. The matter wtis investigtited, and became the stibject of litigtition, which resulted, in I7<;.'i, in till order for the parties who had encroached upon the luditins to vaciite the ]ireniises ttnil restore the land they had unlawfully occupieil. A compromise was, howcM'r, finally elfectcd, by which the Liditins gave up all right and title to their (lolden Hill prop- 68 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. erty, receiving in cxiliaiiirc twelve acres of land on the west bank of tlio l'i'i|nonn(K-k River, eight acres of woodland on Rocky Hill, thirty bushela of corn, and three pounds' worth of blankets. The tract upon the river to which they removed was after- wards known a.s the " Indian Lot," and was upon the eastern side of Main 8treet, not far from the junction of Washington Avenue. Within the recollection of men now living an Indian wigwam stood upon this lot. A clear spring of water in the same vicinity was also known as the " Indian Spring." The Rocky Hill tract was north of the present reservoir. lu tlie manuscript records of the proceedings of the (Jeneral Assemby at Hartford are a preamble and resolution showing, like the incident just mentioned, that, however unjustly the Indians may have been treated by unworthy individuals among the whites, the Legislature of Connecticut was ready to redress their wrongs. Following is the text of the preamble and act referred to : "Upon complaint of Aaron Havvley, of Hartford, relative to certain abuses and injuries done to Tom and Eunice and other Indians of Golden Hill, in said .Stratford, a committee w'ere appointed by the As.sembly to examine into the subject-matter of said complaint and report make; which said committee having reported to this Assembly, " lie-iohed by tim Assembly, That the accounts of Daniel Morris, of said Stratford, late guardian of said Indians, have been overcharged, as exhibited annually to the judge of Probate, and that the credits for the use of their land fall much short of their real value; and for a full settlement of all affairs of said Indians, said guardian, Daniel Morris, do pay and .satisfy to said Indians the sum of £86 l-")?. lawful money and the costs of the suit, and that execution issue accordingly. " Costs taxed and allowed at X2.5 (is. SJrf. " Execution granted Oct. 31, 1783." The successors of Daniel Morris as guardians of the Golden Hill Indians have all been men of high stand- ing in the community, who have taken an interest in their welfare and carefully managed their affairs. TIic record iloes not show the date of their ap])oint- nient, but their names, beginning with the century and coming down to the present time, are as follows: Josiali Lacey, Elijah Burritt, Smith Tweedy, Daniel O. Wheeler, Dwight Morris, Russell Tomlinson. In 1S02 the Cieneral Assembly in session at Xew Haven, upon |)etition of Thomas Sherman, Eunice Sherman, and others, called Golden Hill Indians, setting forth that their land was yielding but little income, directed their agent, Josiah Lacey, to sell both of the above-named tracts at public auction or otherwise, which was accordingly done, and the ])ro- ceeds invested for their support. In 1S41, Huby Mansfield and Nancy Sharp, alias Nancy Pease, jietitioned the Legislature, alleging tluit they were the solc^survivors of the tribe, and asking that a portion of the money in care of their agent. Smith Tweedy, be used to purchase a dwelling-house and sufficient land for their use and benefit. The Legislature by vote authorized Mr. Tweedy, with the advice and consent of the judge of Probate for the District of Bridgeport, to expend a sum not exceeding six hundred dollars for this object, and in November he purchased from Samuel Ed- wards about twenty acres of land, with a small house upon it, situated in Trumbull, at a place called Turkey Hill Meadow, where Ruby and Nancy took up their abode. Their statement, however, that they were the sole survivors of the tribe was not strictly accurate.