can subjects, contrary to the great charter of English liberty, and destructive of one of their most darling rights that of trial by jury-which is justly esteemed one chief excellence of the British constitution, and a principal land. mark of English liberty. 6th. That the apprehending and carrying persons beyond the sea to be tried for any crime alleged to be committed within this colony, or subjecting them to be tried by commissioners, or any court constituted by act of Parliament or otherwise within this colony, in a summary manner without a jury, is uncon. stitutional and subversive of the liberties and rights of the free subjects of this colony. 7th. That any harbor or port duly opened and constituted, cannot be shut up and discharged but by an act of the Legislature of the province or colony in which such port or harbor is situated, without subverting the rights and liberties and destroying the property of his majesty's subjects. 8th. That the late act of Parliament inflicting pains and penalties on the town of Boston, by blocking up their harbor, is a precedent justly alarming to the British colonies in America, and wholly inconsistant with, and subversive of, their constitutional rights and liberties. 9th. That whenever his majesty's service shall require the aid of the inhab. itants of this colony, the same fixed principles of loyalty as well as self-preservation which have hitherto induced us fully to comply with his majesty's requisitions, together with the deep sense we have of its being our indispensable duty, in the opinion of this House, will ever hold us under the strongest obli. gations which can be given or desired, most cheerfully to grant his majesty from time to time our further proportion of men and money for the defence, protection, security and other services of the British American dominions. 10th. That we look upon the well being and greatest security of this colony to depend (under God) on our connexion with Great Britain, which is ardently wished may continue to the latest posterity. And that it is the humble opinion of this House that the constitution of this colony being understood and prac. tised upon, as it has ever since it existed till very lately, is the secret bond of union, confidence and mutual prosperity of our mother country and us, and the best foundation on which to build the good of the whole, whether considered in a civil, military or mercantile light, and of the truth of this opinion we are the more confident, as it is not founded on speculation only, but has been verified in fact, and by long experience, found to produce, according to our extent and other circumstances, as many loyal, virtuous and well governed subjects as any part of his majesty's dominions, and as truly zealous, and as warmly engaged to promote the best good and real glory of the grand whole which constitutes the British empire. 11th. That it is an indispensable duty which we owe to our king, our country, ourselves, and our posterity, by all lawful ways and means in our power to maintain, defend, and preserve these our rights and liberties, and to transmit them entire and inviolate to the latest generation-and that it is our fixed determination and unalterable resolution faithfully to discharge this our duty. In the Lower House. The foregoing Resolutions being read distinctly three several times and considered, were voted and passed with great unanimity. And it is further voted and requested by the House, that the same be entered on the Records, and remain in the File of the General Assembly of this colony. Test, In the Upper House. WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Clerk, D. R. The consideration of the request of the Lower House, that the aforesaid Resolutions should be entered on the Records of the Assembly, &c., is referred to the General Assembly, to be holden at New Haven, on the second Thursday of October next. Test, GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary. General Assembly, on the second Thursday of October, A. D., 1774. In the Upper House. On further consideration, &c., it is agreed and consented to, that the foregoing Resolutions, according to the request of the Lower House, be entered on the Record, and remain on the File of the General Assembly of this colony. GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary. Test, At the March Term of the General Assembly, 1775, the following officers were commissioned for the several military offices attached to each, most of whom afterwards proved themselves the flower of the American army, viz.:Jedediah Eldorkin, to be colonel of the 15th regiment of militia. Experience Storrs, to be lieutenant colonel of the 15th regiment. Thomas Brown, to be major of the 15th regiment. Increase Mosely, Jr., to be lieutenant colonel of the 13th regiment. Matthew Talcott, to be lieutenant colonel of the 6th regiment. William Worthington, to be lieutenant colonel of the 7th regiment. Charles Webb, to be colonel of the 9th regiment. David Waterbury, Jr., to be lieutenant colonel of the 9th regiment-all of the militia of the colony of Connecticut. At the April Term of the General Assembly, 1775, a Resolution was passed, that an embargo should be forthwith laid upon the exportation out of the colony by any water carriage, of the following articles, viz. :-" Wheat, rye, Indian corn, pork, beef, live cattle, peas and beans, bread, flour, and every kind of meat, except necessary stores for vessels, bound to sea." And the Governor was desired to issue his proclamation laying such embargo, and prohibiting the exportation of such provisions, which embargo was ordered to continue until the 20th day of May then next. • As clouds of danger were constantly now gathering over this country from the throne, it became necessary to prepare to meet the crisis, particularly to be able to communicate with each other in the different parts of the colony, over a mountainous and rough country, and rougher roads. To do which, the Legislature passed a resolution at said April term, that Thaddeus Burr, of my, not more brave, but far more numerous and familiarized to war, in many battles, sprung forward, raised their horrid yell from one end of the line to the other, rushed in with their tomahawks and spears-defeat followed. They richly merited a better fate. One of the men yielded a little ground, Col. Dorrance, a few moments before he fell, with his accustomed coolness, said to him, "stand up to your work, sir." After the enemy was in the rear, " see," said an officer to Capt. Hewitt, "the enemy is in force behind us, shall we retreat?" "I'll be d-d if I do," he replied, and fell at the head of his men. "We are nearly alone," said Westbrook, "shall we go?" "I'll have one more shot first," replied Cooper;" that instant a savage sprung towards him with his spear; Cooper stretched him upon the earth, and re-loaded his gun before he left the ground. Then followed the most dreadful massacre, the most cruel and horrid slaughter, that took place in any State during the war. One of the Gore family was away in the army, five brothers and two brothers-in-law were in the battle; at evening five of them lay dead on the field, one returned with his arm broken by a rifle ball, and one unhurt-Silas and Asa Gore, both (ensigns) fell; the widow of Asa, with an infant son in her arms, fled on foot to Preston, where the orphan son resides. From the farm of a Mr. Weeks, (of Fairfield county) seven went out to the battle, five sons and sons-in-law, and two inmates-not one of them escaped, but all perished. About two-thirds of those who went out fell. John Abbott, of Windham county, was in the action and escaped, but was murdered by the Indians when trying to save a portion of his crop of harvest; and his house, barn and furniture, were all burnt; his cattle lost, his widow and nine children, the eldest a boy aged nine years, begged their way back to their friends in Windham county, in a state of utter destitution. Anderson Dana, Esq., had just returned from attending the General Assembly of Connecticut, (as a member) he went into the battle with Stephen Whiting, his son-in-law, wrapped in bloody garments, the field of death was the resting place of both; the family fled, Anderson Dana, the son, nine or ten years old, their only protector; their whole property was left to savage destruction; they also begged their way to Ashford in this State; the loss was estimated from two hundred and fifty to three hundred men. The day after the massacre, Col. Z. Butler retired from the settlement, and Col. Denison entered into articles of capitulation with Col. John Butler, in which security to the inhabitants was stipulated; but the British commander, either could not or would not restrain the savages, who continued to rob and burn, and with very few exceptions, all the inhabitants were expelled from the valley, and their property given up a total prey to pillage and conflagration. It would be nearly impossible to estimate the amount of damage sustained, but the list of assessments in 1777-8, amounted to £20,322 17; and in November, 1780, the list of Westmoreland, was £2,353, making the difference of £17,969 17. The miserable state of destitution in Wyoming, was such that in August, 1781, that all the males from sixteen to seventy years of age, were only 143; they all had but 24 yoke of oxen, 14 three year old steers, 18 two year old steers and heifers; while at the same time Connecticut counted sixty-one soldiers from Westmoreland in the army. It should be remarked here, that the people of Westmoreland were the greatest sufferers in this State, though not the least meritorious, but did not participate in the 500,000 acres of reserve lands, to indemnify the sufferers of New London, and other towns in Connecticut, who had been injured by the common enemy. When no part of the State drank more deeply of the afflictions of the revolution than Westmoreland, neither was the rich school fund of Connecticut divided with its fellow citizens at Wyoming, and though peace was made with Great Britain and the savages, it brought no peace to Wyoming, as they continued to be harassed by new and distressing conflicts; their chief men, soldiers in war, and their counsellors in peace were slain, and most of such as remained were widows and orphans. But the sufferings did not close with the bloody battle of July, 1778. It appears by a manuscript journal kept by Col. John Jenkins, that in August, 1778, he joined Capt. Spalding's company, under Col. Butler, and marched on the 3d to Lehigh, and 4th to Wyoming, and found Indians driving off cattle, fired upon them and took the cattle with some horses. On the 5th had a skirmish with the Indians and took a number of blankets, &c.; 7th, began to fortify with pickets, and continued till the 18th of August, when a party were discovered on Jacobs' plains, where John Abbott and Isaac Williams were killed and scalped. On the 19th, a widow Utly and her son, were killed; on the 22d, Esquire Tripp and Lieut. Keys, with six others, were taken prisoners, three of whom were released. September 14, Capt. Spalding marched with one hundred and thirty men to Muncy for an expedition up the river, and on the 29th were attacked by the Indians, and lost three men, but killed four Indians; and on the 1st of October, they returned to Wyoming. On the 2d three of Col. Morrows' men were killed on the west side of the river, the fourth man was scalped, but he recovered; Col. Hartly marched with a part of his troops for Shamokin, and began to work on the walls of the fort. On the 8th, Capt. Bush marched down with five prisoners. On the 14th, Wm. Jameson was killed near Capt. Stewarts. November 2d, the enemy at Slocum killed Nathan Kingsbury, and carried off two children. Nov. 5th, a party of the enemy at Nanticoke, burnt houses and grain, killed Jackson and Lester, and took off or killed Franklin; took Lester's family; murdered Hagaman; took old Kelly, but dismissed him ; six fires at Lackawana, or near to it. Nov. 7, John Perkins was killed on the lower end of Shawney flats; Captains Carr and Goss were killed. Dec. 16, Esquires Tripp and Slocum were killed in Town Plot, and Young Slocum wounded. On the 10th of February, the Indians came down on the west side of the river in Kingston, and killed Lieut. Buck, Lieut. Williams, Stephen Pettibone, and speared and scalped Follet, (who recovered.) March 21, 1779, the Indians were discovered on the west side of the river in Kingston, where they took Capt. Bidlock; killed and carried off a number of horses and cattle; burnt houses and barns, when a skirmish of two hours was fought, but lost no men, though several were shot through their clothes, and their ramrods shot out of their hands. On the 24th of March, a party were discovered on the side near the fort, which they surrounded, and an engagement ensued for three hours; two men were wounded but soon recovered the enemy withdrew in the evening after burning a number of houses, barns, grain, hay, &c. On the 26th, a number were discovered on the west side of the river, burning and plundering. |