The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-06-27
THE COMING CELEBRATION
AT FORT TV0OSTER PARR ON JULY
 9TH NEXT.

AT BOIGT WOOSTER PAHA ON OgGK 9TH NEXT.
 United States Senator PIatt, Who is to De- liver the Grafton, and Congressman N. ID. Sperry Take Tour of the Route Taken by the British Invaders of New Haven in l 1779, Who Landed on the East Shore. The preparations for the coming big celebration at Fort Wooster park July
 are fast approaching completion, It
 will be notable event in New Haven
 and one of special and marked historic interest. The celebration, as is now we'll known in town, Is to appropriately
 commemorate the gallant defense of New Haven by the patriots at the Brit ish invasion of New Haven in 1779. The historic tablet which Is to be erected is
 about completed and is at the store of
 General George H. Ford, who, together
 with General Greeley who Is chairman
 of the tablet committee, has been very
 active in preparing and consummating
 the preparations for this notable his
 toric affair. The tablet bears an in
 scription appropriately commemorating
 the brave deeds of the patriotic defend-
 CTS of New Haven at the invasion.
 United States Senator o. H. Platt. who
 Is to be the orator of the day, was i'm
 town yesterday, the guest of Captain
 Charles H. Townshend, who met the
 senator at the railroad station and ac-
 companied him to the Morris Cove cleo
 trlc cars, where Congressman N. D.
 Sperry Joined them. The party then
 proceeded on the car to Raynham, in
 the annex, where they were joined by
 Hon. James M, Townsend, who took the
 party in his private carriage over the
 route which the detachment of British
 invaders, which landed at Lighthouse
 Point, took en route to the city. Light
 house Point was visited, where the in-
 yaders landed, in returning the party
 passing .he Morris house, where shots
 were fired on the enemy, killing and
 wounding some, the Britishers then
 burning the house, leaving naught but the stone walls, which are still there, the house having been rebuilt Then the party visited old Fort Hale, where the patriots i'm the old fort with couple of small cannon annoyed the invading force so much that the latter sent some howitzers up on to the top of the pali- sades and with heavy cannonading captured the fort. Next Senator Platt and Congressman Sperry were taken past tine other Morris house which was also burned by the British, and next were taken to the Forbes house, where Mine Host Forbes served one of his tempting sea food dinners. Later the party were entertained by the Messrs. l George H. Townsend and James M Townsend at their beautiful home, the | old Townsend homestead Then the party proceeded to historic old Fort | Wooster and viewed the circular earth 1 works still to be seen there which were l erected and used in the defense of New 1 Haven by the patriots, They viewed l also the big boulder to the right of the | to what is left of Fort Wooster l on the eminence, It is in the circle of ] the old earthworks.
 General Greeley, chairman of the tab- let committee, says that the speakers | platform where the oration will be de- | livered will be erected to the left of the boulder, and facing the north, and that the space in front of the stand will be the spot reserved for the people who attend the celebration. Chairs will be provided for the ladies and the infirm as far as possible. General Greeley 1 says the procession win enter the park from the north side on East Haven ave- nue, as the entrance can be more easily made there than from Townsend ave- aue.
 The tablet will be unveiled July un- Ter the auspices of David Humphrey Sons of the American Revolu- ion, and the Second company, Govern ,r's Foot Guard, the latter headed by he Foot Guards band.
 An interesting historical reminlscence n connection with the landing of the British detachment at Lighthouse Point vas related by gentlemen yesterday.
 As the red coats were landing a Brit sh officer, seeing rebels at hand anxious 0 dispute the landing of the invaders, itood up in his boat and shouted, Dis ,erse, ye rebels; lay down your arms md disperse." The response was bull ct which laid the officer low, killing i'm instantly. The officers body was ,uried in the sand and twenty years ater, owing to the action of the waves, he bones of the deceased officer were washed out of their resting place. The ones were discovered and the remains identified as those of the unfortunate I ficer and were transferred to the care f the Yale college authorities.