The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-03

New YORK MY m0tuer ana strained our eyes 10 xeS
sight OF Justin but he was with another division and
didn't him. Peter WAS my own brother, my
father being married twice. He was apprcntced 10
tory shoemaker. When tho British came to Norwak
and burned the town he was sixteen years old. They
burned tho place on Sunday. Peters master was ~
joined the company that went To defend
the place. He served until the close OF the war.
Justin In all the big battles and never lost an
hours duty until peace declared None OF EN- was
wounded In the battle OF Bunker Hill Justin had
buc. holes through every garment but never had any
DO you remember any incident connected with the
burning oil Norwalkf
rux BURNING ov soRwALx, CONN.,
" 1ncdcnts. As well If they had happened to-
DAY. II there Is anything in the world can remem-
Der u 10 the burning Of Norwaik. What . time there
was when the news came that the British were coming
The women ana children ali aed to the woods and bid
behind stumps and bushes. Ny mother took me on
her back and left the house for the woods. Gideon
then home sick from his life the prison ships
and could not DO moved and father stayed with HIM
the house. The men formed into company and went
s 70 se Inc s.pnse ns
tories Betz and Hoyt; their houses were not burned
The Episcopal churches were all loyal and every minis
ter got from the British. before the burning, to
leave the parishes They all went on with the british
except Rev. Mr.. Avery, of Stamford Tho Episcopal
church Norwak did not got ON nre untis after she
British left, and IL thought that tho Americans
fired It. Ny fathers house not burned he
lived about two miles from the landing and the British
did get up that far IL made terrible times In Nor
pASnuRy WAS BURNED
shipping the and childrcn returned from the
woods Ny mother and went home. We had been
there but few minutes when we saw 2 company Of
lieved thcy TO continue the work OF destruction
Ny mother hurried with me out OF tho house again
and got down behind the bushes. The company
stopped as supposed, TO get some beer. l remem-
Der il just well as can DO how frightened
ns % onS rea
saw during tho war; ! was six years old when tbs
occurred"
h-,rb 4 uir A., o1d
entered tho She spoke to Mr.. st. John, and then
trpped the old aran's side and placing
her hand on his knee, looked up In his face
who Is this ~ inquired tho old man, laying his
hand on the child's head.
That's Florence, father" answered the wa.chful
.Ahi Arc you WE'LL dear p, said the centenaran as
he s.rokcd The little ones hair Havc you kiss for
meyn
He bent bis venerable face toward the child and she
kissed his lips II touching picture, this saluta
ton between just ut lies dawn and one around
whom the shades Of It's evening had long since
gathered. The dismissed the child with tender
blessing. and SAID "a greatgreat grandchid Of mine
..He has lived to see I'VE generations added Mrs
st. john land that child IL Que oil the hfth."
s.YoU RExExBER WHEN PEACE WAS pEclAREDf'
ssOh yes. was ten years old when the British left
the country. remember Roger N. Sherman, OF
the signers OF the Declaration"
.Was there much demonstration mRdo by the people
when peace was dcclaredy"
II guess you'd "a thought 50 II you'd been thcrei
don't know that ever saw such . universal turnout
There was great doings for the number OF people, tell
you-nothing like IT since Such bonhres! They'd
take log big they could raise up on lis endsay
twenty feet high when It was up. Around this they
piled clean to the top, and as big around this
Then they put barrels OF tar on top Of the pile
and nred H. when Inc Tar msGd ran aown over
bazed That was the fall altcr WAS ten years old.
The British want quartered at any time at Norwak.
They had possession Of Long Island, aud used 10
over often they was mind 10, In spite Of vi"
"DID YOU EVER SEE wAsHISGrONf'
"No,'' no replied, laughDgly; :" / am centena-
pin xcho CAV Ash as
know Shortly after he got his commission no passed
through Norwalk, but don't remember seeing him.
Guess l never did We probably didn't know he was
coming until he got here. News didn't fly then as II
does now.
They held slaves in Connectcut when was boy, and
every year the colored people had what they called
thuckeberry irolic and danced and had grand times
for two days. There was man named Church lived
tho road half way between Norwalk and Fairfield.
He was a strong tory, and
ARNOLD AFTER He TURNED TRAITOR
used to frequently visit Churchs. Church had black
man who used to wait Arnold, ana his master gave
him to The traitor, who took him away. Alter the war
Arnold gave the slave his freedom and went
of with the British. Shortly after tho the black
people In vicinity had one of their huckcbcrry
He had plenty OF money. Church ut claimed the
block man. saying hat he had ran away. He also pre-
tended that he had lost some money$300 or $4O0-and
that the negro had stolen Church took the and
locked HIM up in his garnet and fed him on bread and
water, trying 10 force hum to give up tho money The
black refused, and then Church took him TO Fair
field Jail and had him locked up. The darby got ac-
quainted with the jaer and finally told him 10 go and
tell Church that II he would acknowledge his freedom
he would pay him the money. Church did SO ana re-
ceived the amount Tho black then told where he got
the money He said II was some Of the money Arnold
received from the British, and that him and Arnold
had over In the night and buried Il under
an apple tree. There several thousand dol
,ar ne sau sre "acx man narcs rS
offered TO buy her. but Church wouldn't sell her. He
finally got the consent OF Church 70 marry her. and the
slave holders subsequently learned that by giving his
TO the marriage he had freed his slave womaL
at the time. The black couple bought farm and
settled down thore."
The old man Law back in his chair and II was evident
that his thoughts had wandered back the century
he had lived to Speaking TO himself than TO
ne mna
changes, there have been since thsn!"
MARRIAGE no. j.
81 was married the first time the 2lst OF Deem
bcr 1896, to Polly Seymour, IN Norwalk She the
daughter OF Samuel and Anna Seymour, and was ono
OF twelve children. My hrst child was born on the
25th OF November. 1877, and tho second In March,
1900 In 1902 left Connecticut with my family TO
come 70 this place. II on the LIST Of March. We
came IN sIeghs and we're eight days making the jour-
ney. The snow was so deep that we were three days
going the first thirty miles. II was nearly all woods
here then. bought a farm up tho East Brook and
cleared up 200 acres In 1904 my first wife died. leav
ing three children.
l married Anna Benedict, daughter OF Deacon Ezra
Benedict In January, 1905, and In 1907 sold my farm
and built the grist mill in East Brook The next year
bought farm four miles from here, on the 'Sopus
turnpike, where lived until my second wife died In
1850 Since then have lived here and had nothing
but kindness from everybody. l lived years
with my nrst wife, over nfty with my second and
twenty-five with my daughtcr-n-iaw, and have YET 10
say that any OF them ever gave me an unkind word
There's something remarkable for you to put down.
I've had every malignant disease there ever was, be-
licve and no man ever suffered from sickness more
than have. Besides and tho merry expression
fitted among hrs wrinkles, .ivc been scared to
death once and drowned once and I'm alive
yet was scared to death when was SIX years old
NY mother sent me errand one night about q
mile away II was bright moonlight, but the road was
lonely. man named Albert Clinton hid behind some
rocks in turn Of the road, and when came by him
he Jumped out and caught IN his arms and held me
up. So" lholdlng his hands up above his hcadl
.'lhat scared inc 80 didn't know anything Tor good
while. Forty-nine years ago
WAS DROWNED ~ TIM NORTH RIVER
was being rowcd out TO the steamer from the dock
At Catskll, and the boat riding in upset In
way. was taken out OF the water inseneibc,
and wasn't brought till the boat reached Ncwburg,
which was four hours" Changing his subject sud.
denly, the Old man SAID :--"You said you would read
me what you took down this morning Have you got
IL ready ~
/ a.