Morning journal and courier., 1889-12-11
tage we possess in the frst war of the colony. l On this mute sentinel in the city of the dead
MosEs BRocKKTr, who died at camp Lske George
 175e
 ~AA 40


 Lsts asors.
 Aged 4s.
 His father was Noses Crockett, sen., one of the earliest settlers of Muddy river and an active member of the Ecclesiastical society. Pres. Ezra Stiles records his name in his msnuscript notes. He died 1764. Moses Crockett, jr., was . middle-agsd man at his enlistment, the date of which is unknown. Whether others of his acquaintance accom- panied him is uncertain, or whether alone he sought soldiers grave in. that cold soil. There are some indications there was . small company of comrades and that their course was marked by apprehension and anxiety on the part of their friends at home.
 In "The Journal of Hannah Heaton," Reference to which has been made in these papers) occurs this remarkable entry.
 November g, 1753
 Just as the day broke. this word was borne into told my husband of it, but know not what was coming, but few hours after heard an amazing nose s n sRe all around us heard it with surprise and some said earthquake and feard the place was sunk, butt believe 1t was an alarm or sign of war with the Northern French and Indians which soon began.
 And again. "Now it being in September, 1755, about month after lay in [birth of her son Calvin], one Saturday night about midnight was walked out of my sleep by a s'larum of war; One rid by and cryed sWake! Wake! Waksl' The drum was beat ing, guns was shooting, the bell 8 ringing, [probably referring to New Haven. Now my first tho't was that the french and indi- ans was at my door @ coming to kill me. for our New England Army was gone to Grown Point, and we was fearing day by day how ophilusl went out and brought the news; it was supposed all our army was cut on and more men must 20. Now we had certein news from our camp there had been fight at Grown Point, and some of our men was killed and o how terrified everybody was with fear that New England was going to be destroyed"
 The quaintness and vividness of this rare narrative of century and half ago makes life intensely real in those days of doubt and uncertainty. One cannot otherwise say than that its language betrays the unrest and fever ishness common to any community whose sons are exposed to the hardships of war. The patriot who died at Lake George prob ably lies where he fell. He is northernmost of the line of heroic dead stretching south ward from the pines of Crown Point to the palms of Pocotaligo, under which Eaton sleeps. Crockett was the advance guard of . brotherhood forevsrmore honored by civ- ilized world. Not Bassett, Bishop, Barnes, Thorp, Todd, slain on the fields of the Revo- lution, not Blair at Cedar Mountain, nor Hoadley at Kingston, nor Mccormick at Peach Orchard ,nor Smith at Darbytown died more in obedience to their country's laws and for their country's honor than Crockett for his land and for his king.
 THE ouRTEw BELL.
 In the resumption of the parish records in 1750 occurs this entry: "Further voted that they will give Isaac Thorp three pounds for ringing the bell anights the year past: voted by the society that they will have the bell rung nights the year ensuing" No mention is made of an re. enactment of this vote at the next annual meeting or for the succeed ing twelve years. After the Rev. MT. Trump ble was fairly settled, or in 1762, the parish voted: "The Prudential Committee arc en- powered to order how the bell shall be rung and employ man to do it." This vote may or may not argue the continuance of the cus- tom of 1750, but 1t is altogether probable that it does. It is certain it prevailed in 174o and quite likely originated when the bell was set in the "terrett" of the old mest- ing house.
 The custom was an English one. The hour in England for ringing the curfew was sunset in summer and about eight o'clock in winter. The time set here was nine o'clock in the evening the year round. It is current that the venerable Isaac Thorp (son of Ma thanael who beat the drum for church ser- vices in 17l8l, who died at the age of seven- ty-two in 1771, was never absent from his post, and rang this curfew bell almest up to the day of his death.
 The object of this ringing was to apprise people of the hour of night, warning them to carefully cover their fires and retire to rest. Time pieces were expensive and un- coMmon. The "neon mark" and the chine o'clock bell" were in most instances the sole indicators of time Even as late as 1788 there were but nine watches and six clocks in our community. There those living who clearly recall the ringing of this bell as late as 1920, indeed some assert the practice was continued as long as the old meeting house stood in the cAssta~ af Alss -Gs~e>s,- Dor the iaf0xL ma ton of the curious, @ list of these "bell ringsrs' beginning with the year 1900, and the compensation for their services, is here appended.