Morning journal and courier., 1891-01-15
2 SOCIETY OF THE cINo1nNArI.

SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI.
A Paper Read Before the New Haven
3 Colony Historical Society Monday
Evening, December 20, 1890.
BY REV. A. N LEWIS. n \.
: NO. III.
.[Errata-In No. !, second foot note, for s'Weet-
pert" read west Point" No. H,paragraph,
seven line seven for ''breast" read "breasts.,1 i
The election of officers Of the general
society, which had been deferred, then
took place. Washington was unanimous
ly elected president-general and held the
Office by successive re-eiections until his
death. He lived to see that the dangers
he had feared were only imaginary, and
retained his interest in the order until the
last. From 1888 to 1900 all the diplomas
issued to members bear the autograph sigt
nature of George Washington, president
general"
The presidents-general have been as fol-
lows: 49,
/. George Washington, Va. 17SS-18oQ
dbslles eetssnortb N q 1sss
Thomas Pincknsy, s. 1ss5 1sss
:. william Pophan, n. Y........,.... .1s44-1s4s
8. Henry A. s. Dearborn, Mass $3.50. .1846-1S64
y. Hamilton Fish, N T.. .......... .1eo4-
All the above, except the last, wore Off
GERS of the revolution. Mr.. Fish is the son
of revolutionary officer, Major Nicholas
Fish,
The New York society in 1888 celebrat-
ed the centennial of the order by an excur4
sion to the Verplanck house at Fishkin,
where the society was organized May IL,
| 1888.
Major Robert Burnett, the last survivor
of the original Cincinnati in New York,
died in 1854, near Newburg, HARDLY the
| spot where the society was organized
seventy years before +.
The city of Cincinnati was named from
! the society by General St. Clair and Colo
| mel Sargent Not one in a thousand of its
enterprising citizens who brands his bar
! rels Of tfprime middlings" or stencils the
cases of his Cougar cured hams dreams
| that he is spreading over this and other
| lands the name of society that at one
time, in the apprehensions of many veneer
able people, threatened the liberties of this
country!
| The Connecticut society was organized
/ in the camp at West Point, July 4, 1888.
| Its presidents have been
/ /. Major General Jedidiah Huntington, 1888
2. Major General S. H Parsons, 17s4-17s7.
oo o0ns Ebsnezer MuHtngton
| 5. Major Benjamin Tallmadge, 1796-18O1.
6. General David Smith, 1SOl-18O3
T. General Joseph Walker, 1s03-1804.
| The anniversary meetings. were heli
alternately at Hartford and New Haven or
the 4th of July. The members appeared
in Continental uniform and side arms, will
1 powdered hair. A procession was formed
/ oh tod 1Nyr+ bo ,4or ID =,
one of the churches, where a sermon Of
Grafton was delivered. They then ga
down to banquet at one of the hotels, a
which ga tankard of generous Hquort wa
passed around from mouth to mouth"
The funds of the Connecticut societ
amounted in 1904 to $15, 212.66. Larg
sums were annually voted to benefciariei
From the first there was deep-seate
hostility to the Cincinnati in Connecticut
At the first general meeting in 1874
Colonel Humphreys reported that the1
the people," The legislature repeated
refused to pass an act of incorporation t
enable the society to hold it's funds. A
the Anniversary meeting, July 4, 180t
! | q motion was made and seconded for th
dissolution of the society" After g
lengthy and critical discussion of the sui
ject, the previous question was moved an
taken-voted in the affirmative" Th
reasons offered were that Opposition 81
dangered the funds of the society,"" an
there was ''no hope of eradicating tt
prejudices and jealousies of the people, {
of obtaining an act of incorporation
The books and papers were ordered to l
placed in the hands of the secretar,
: Colonel John Mix of Pennington, and Il
Y funds to be divided, pro rata, among Il
, members, the undistributed balance to
lodged, in trust, as place of safe keepin
for the members, or their legal represe
tatives, with the treasurer of Yale collsg
And thus, after an honorable existence
81 years tho Society of tho Cincinnati
Connecticut became dormant.
Il The books, papers, and other documen
are now in the custody of the Connectic
Historical society at Hartford.
The following is a list of the membe
10 from New Haven.
NEW HAVEN.
. l. Lieutenant Stephen Alling, 1857.
u 2. Chaplain A. Baldwin.
3. Lieutenant Nathan Beers.
If 4, Surgeon Ebenezer Beardsley, 1888.
=, s. Lieutenant Henry Daggett.
r 6. Major Eli Leavenu orth.
& Z. Lieutenant John Miles, 1887.
II 8. Captain William Munson.
9. Surgeon Mate Aeneas Munson.
10. Ensign Solomon Pinto
II. Captain Jonas Prentice.
IL. Lieutenant GU. s. Nd David Phfpps, 1887
IS. Surgeon Nate John Rose.
IA. lieutenant Colonel Commander Isaac Sh