The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1879-12-17
a sfB biographical sketch Of the
Life Of Lieut.. Daniel Booth.

Life Of Lieut.. DanieA sOOsh.
The subject OF This sketch was son OF
Jonathan and Esther Booth, born In the
town O: Stratford, C, lony of Connecticut,
January 18th, A. D., l704.
When he was about four or five years
OF age his parents, in company WIN
Others, moved twenty miles north OF
SLratfnrd, three miles from the Housa-
t,rir River, on whose banks there lived
n suall ribe OF Indians near the mouth
O a small stream called Pootltuck
Rrook. From these Indians number of
settlers from Stratford and Milford pui-
chased or th0m u large tract or territory
OF land FOR a nominal SUN, einigrated
thithor and settled on these lands III A,
ID I7nS-y aud i'm l7l0 it was incorpor-
nt,d into n town cal ed Newtown; site
To-. n viiInqa was selected at its earliest
co nmencyn,ent. and some dozen or more
Of tho settler5 touk up their residence on
the main street In lots about hye acres
,,u,.h. With tlsir land ia the rear, John-
than Baoth's lot was on the est SIDE, al
the upper und OF the street near INC
North Centre School House,
The hdiass cultivated their coch IN a
primitive wav with rude implements, but
zinc. the proximity OF the whites amolF
th.tn. they were greatly facilitated III
thaIr Inbors by the intro luction o, the
plough The father at yodhR Dantei u5ei
io ION with the Indians, ptouSh out their
cJfIl, and they, In tHrn, would core ana
hoe out his corn, young Daniel riding
horse u for his father TO plough; the In
,ians would como around Elm, stroke his
hnir. pat him Ell the head, and call him n
yoUng Marcaphuc.
Dan,l Booth was married to Eunice,
daughter OF Tl.omaS Bennett. Esq, W
the Rev. john Beach, then Il CohsreSa-
thonal minister, In the year w ny
his marriage he had eight chlidce''' three
sons AMI live daughters, all OF whom hVed
TO grow up, maray and have ialhlles' anu
settle around him. His father built him
"A house about half II mile east OF MS OWL
and uay. him deed OF the same In
MARCH, l72s-g with the orchard of young
nupl. trees thereon, and two OF them are
sill living at the present time, by his
industry and management, he acquired u
lnrre landed property, ana WAS AT one
time the largest land holder IN towh'
The inhaOitants of the colony were
sparssly settled Within its limils' anu
looked TO themselves TO keep up Il mill
i..ry organization in defence OF ltscli
agiInst any inroads of al enemy. EFerJ
nble-bodied man was enrolled To duty
hold himself ready in any emergency. ahd
cvery town had its organized company
Daniel Booth was chosen Ileutehaht III
the company at Newtown, ana helo
lieutenant commission, ana the buiner
Gus deeds o the town rtcotaS S|Ne urn
the title Of lieutenant.
TIE Pootatuck Indians, according te
their accounts, were once large trih.
an they had o. tradition handed dow
from generation to generation among
themselves, long before the white people
settled in this country, that the Iohaws
made war upon them, and they came
down ir IN their own country, ana al
tackled them, and they fought With a vlg
orous fury; tho Mohaws outnumheiius
them-driving them back to their fort OIL
the west side of the Housatonlc River
situated on a round knoll, formerly
known as Fort Hill: 1t was barricadeC
with round timbers, set upwrlSht clost
together, and to the inside OF this en-
closure they considered themselves safe
The Mohaws, a powerful and muscular
race. surrounded the fort ana began tc
shoot their arrows in showers against tht
Pootatuclls in so slauting II course thai
thcv na..sed over the fort without doing
amy harm, continuing this warfare untl
they had used up their arrows IheS
went to making new arrowS--lt TOOK then
two days to make what they wanted-aho
when they again aimed their arrows, they
nointcd them in a nearly straight course
up in the air. that in falling they fell up,
ON those In the fort, and killed several OF
them; the arrows were large and heavy
with barbed stone points, that when they
shot them with their athletic strength IT
large numbers at II time; came so FAST
and thick as seemingly to darken the air
AS the fort was an open enclosure without
any roof or covering to protect them
selves from the enemies arrows they
we're obliged to quit the fort. and save
their lives in the emergency or the mo-
mont. The Mohaws took the greatest
part OF them prisoners, and in returning
To their country, the prisoners were
tnl,en along with them, which came neal
breaking up the tribe o.. the Footatuch
Indians.
The Rev. John Beach, II Congregation
nj minister In Newtowu, visited this
tribe OF Indians for the purpose OF IN
slructing them In Christian religion. NO,
far from This time by diligent research
and examination he became convinced OF
the invalldity OF Congregational ordlna
tion and declared for the Church OF Eng
land. and ,rossed the broad Atlantic to
England for holy orders, where he was
ordained He was appointed mission
nry to Newtown and notwithstanding
in autumn of the same year. charged ny
the society for whom he was sent to ex-
t,nd his ILLUSTRATIONS among these In
.iIans. that when he first visited them on
his return, they refused to near MIN,
tantalizing him with the word, Church
Church which they had learned IRON
the Independents in the Immediate vi
cinity:" but by cheerful spirit anu
perseycranee, he conciliated many oil
these Indians with some show OF sue
cess" The Pootatuck tribe OF Indians
deteriorated IN numbers-nea:ly all OF
the remaining few Joined the Scattlcook
tribe OF Indians In Kent, Conn, leaving
only one or two huts behind.
Lieut.. Daniel became member OF the
Congregational society, or as they styleo
Themselves In that day, Presbyteriana,
and took promisent part In their meet
ings. From their records we IND the
following pertaining To him:
Voted, That Daniel Booth be mem
Der for furnishing and repairing oui
meeting house.
At legal meeting OF ye Presbyterian
society,
Voted, At above sd. meeting ye Mr.
Daniel Booth and Caleb Baldwin shall be-
added to ye standing committee OF sd
society to pay ye Reverend Mr.. Judson q
visit to discourse the matter, and see II
they can find out any way whereby the
Rev. Mr.. Judson and his people may Dt
easy, and make report to the next adj
journed meeting OF sd. society.
September, 20. A. D., 1850, ut churct
meeting Lieut.. Daniel Booth was chosen
messenger TO represent the cnurch a1 th'
annual convocation at Southbury, thu
first Tuesday In October next, and to b'
standing messenger for the year ensuing
A. D.. 1850 at church meeting MIR
BENZ. Northrop was chosen deacon o
this church, at which time also Mr.. Dan
Booth was chosen deacon OF thii
church.
Lieut.. Daniel Booth was faithful AM
nm honored member OF the society, Il
which he belonged. was man OF exten
sive reading, we'll versed In the Bible ant
had held the offlce Of deacon for thir
teen years, diligently studying the Scrip