The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-15
Mira Ira Mead, Of Greenwich, Conn,
log Years Old.
o0 Recollection Of Warrington, Putnam and
The Briiish Cow Boys"
HIDING TREASURE.


sExk>wfcu. Conn. NAY IL. lssu
Three miles northwest or this village. within the
borders Of the town. " sSht q the village church
ssspss. overlooking Tie palaiia ecansry residence Of
william ~ Tweed. OF TanuA4ny fame. on the Sound,
and islands grc4s island beyond, surround
ed BY The diversified and lovely scenery. dwelis
the oldest IN New EEgisnd. and without doubt
thu years Of any IN TIE United States
The name OF this most remarkable woman 10 Mrs. Ira
Mead, born Greenwich according % reliable records
ME statements OF friends and her statements. on
August Is ls7o old house long since replaced by
more modern style Of structure at point within
aoDes throw OF the New York and New Haven Railroad
rack, north OF the passenger station she has passed
her long ite with the exception Of year. the year
800, Ave years alter hor marriage with Mr.. Mead In
Greenwich Before that period she had gone
outside the town limits, and since, during nearly
scventysix years. she has "kcpt the honest tenor Of
her way" satisfied remain among her children and
heir descendants Mrs. Mead's maiden
Nancy Marshall. her fathers name Thomas Marshall,
that Of her mother Charity Abrams Both the latter
attained great age, natives or lived, died and
wore buried in Greenwich. Mr. Marshall took part In
the defence Of his country during the Revolution,
though not as a regularly enlisted soldier, and hi
grave and its antquated tombstone In tho old comes
Very Putnam Heights Is often visited by those los
sering associations or carly history Of this place
mons souls" For moro than thirty years past Mrs
Mead has lived at the house Of Mr.. Joseph Jefferson
not tho actor, but genial gentleman well known 20
everybody in Greenwich Mira Jefferson, herself
nearly nfty years old great niece OF Mrs. Mead has
aad the caro- OF the aged lady during tho time OF
aer tarrying at her house. Her kind at
entions havo tended in a large degree TO protract
MrS. Mcads years, afford the world OF the
MOST EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCES LONGEVITY.
Mr. Jc1ersons house stands on tho crest OF a hill,
Eith many hills large and small Tor ncghbors. II IL
lcat and rather attractive farm house fronting high
way The impression tho visitor gets looking u
Is that the occupant owner is thrifty,
wellto-do farmer, and It Is worry near
The truth. In an upper room Of this house,
fom the single window Of which may DO seen the OBJ
Iccts referred TO- Mrs Mead has made her home for
moro than fvc years. never having left It to 90 into
adjoining rooms to descend to tho floor below since
her ono hundredth birthday in August, 1870 The fur
nttnre consists Of two chairs bcdsead Of ancient pat
term washstand bookshelf clothing chest serving the
pAce OF bureau and drawers and looking gass Neat
ness in everything s the feature Of the apartment
Mn Mead occupies tho chair the window and
being an carly riser, grees the
daily as he comes forth In the morning
and follows his declining rays at evening
Regular always In habits tidy in persoa she has
naturally strong constitution for when she should
AsSe passed her centennial year. and sho pride
y stating that she never has experienced day OF
nctpal bodily sickness This Is corroborated by Mrs.
Jefferson far her recollection goes and by those
who have known Mrs. Mead since grlhood. Her eyes,
Of alght gray, bright when she sixteen
and she 10 able TO plainly without the Of spec
tacle& For person who has passed her hundred
and NTH year her memory wonderfully retentivc
peculiar language which happened when tho grand
parents OF most of the Greenwich residents chill
dren At times she laxative and will readily
questions put her in regard the past Again the
thrcads oil her memory to be broken and the
close questioning by those most familiar fail to draw
satisfactory answers. For many years she has been
afflicted with almost adder's Deafness the inter
viewer who Is fortunate enough TO be admitted hor
presence has exercise the full power Of his vocal
organs TO make her understand what he saying. BY
tho aid of Mrs JeGerson's shrill voice your corre-
spondent able obtain the and "reminiscences
following
REcoLLEcTIoNS
In reply 10 a question she said she had never seen
General Washington, though she thirteen years
sId when peace declared, twenty-five when WASH
Ington was first elected President and twenty ninc
when he died. but she remembered distinctly when
Washington passed through tho village with his reti.
nue.. Tho produced the greatest excitement and
the people OF the whole town. young old went 10
got sight OF him 'Oh, he was a good man. said
shc; 1--WE don't have many such nowadays If he
President there wouldn't be the janglng, pulling and
hauling In politics they tell me as is goin' on now
Mrs. Mead's husban. had seen Washington often,
fought under him. and alter tho restoration Of peace
and the adoption OF constitution vote Tor him
1t his first and second election Her mind was rather
the when Washington passed through
near the IN, but she satisfied he was
equal 10 the emergency Of settling with any
soldiers the Crown might send over here to interfere
with our rights
GENERAL PUTNAM
When asked II she had ever seen General Putnam
Il guess ought to- I was old enough when be was
there, that in 117y. IL just finished
goin 10 school to Cos Cob didn't go there long ami
don't think learned much, but remember the cir
cumstance, because the teacher wouldn't let writo
with pen when to, he there was no
use OF It. was lett handed didn't Ike that much,
:astens tho date Of General Pu,nans vist ana sha,
the old church which stood top Of the hill where he
rode down the steps whenthe Drtshcrs chased, hop
lug 10 catch, and ired. expecting TO Kill him. But he
was too smart tor the whole OF EN- lie dashed down |
with hts horse where no other mortal would o. Jared
70 90, and before they knew il was out OF sight and
hearing d place OF safety. Yes, in that church, i
whom was ittlc girl, more than hundred |
yenrs ago h. many and many a pleasant
time Rev sir. D.Un.c Used to preach remembered /
him because he used to talk loud. He was good
naan. That part OF The town Was then called Horse
Neck II was the only church anywhere round. All
tho Greenwich folks used 20 there I'm the only
one le that went there church at that time Most
Of cm lie buried IN the old yard close w. by father
my mother and an uncle--ycu'll nnd 'cm all there"
s.cow noys.n
AZ ono time, Mrs Mead sau, the British soldiers
whom tho Americans used call "cQw boys = on ac
count Of their red coats which had become dirty aud
somewhat shabby were very numerous around Grecn-
wcn She declares that on certain occas ion she saw
no less than one thousand Of them, that their
scts nasn,ng IN the sun scared the villagers almost
death When General Putnam aud his llle band Of
men we're forced 10 retire the people thought they
going 70 lose everything they had. t.cy began
take measures looking secretion OF treasure Mr.
Thomas Marshall, Mrs Acad's father had ilrc horse
which cost u large sum OF money according as horses
we're vnlucd ~ those days. He expected every hour
that some red coats eye would fan on the
horse, and that at the point Of the bayonct he woud
be compelled 70 surrender the property In order that
such circumstance might not happen he called on
his neghbors ior assistance, and by supcrhuman
efforts they lifted the animal up steep stairway into
bedroom Of tho second story OF the house where he