The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-09
JUST BEFORE TIE '76 DAYS.
THE OMINOUS DAYS WHICH PRECE-
 DIED THE RETOLUTIO ONIRY TIR.
Extracts From Henshaw's Journal.

the grand American Congress, viz: Col onel Fulford and Major Sullivan, lodge in town tonight on their way home, A number of gentlemen, with myself, waited on them at MT. Bigelow's this evening and spent it very agreeably
 Thursday, November Sd, 1774-Set off about noon With Captain Henshaw towards New Haven to meet ye Boston delegates on their return from ye grand congress; met them in North Haven a little after sundown; turned about, lighted from my chaise and wei comed them thus far on their way home; then rode back as far as Phile- mons Johnson's to ye house formerly kept by Captain Cook, where they put out Captain Henshaw and I spent ye evening with them, viz, Houble, Thom- as Cushing, Messrs. Samuel and John Adams. MT. Payne returned home by way of Rhode Island. They told us they would come through Middletown; would come in about eleven o'clock, but could make no tarry, as they intended to dine at Wethersfield. I urged them much to dine with me- which they en- gagged to do if anything happened that tHSy ulI lOL ScI lO AlluuitlONll II bSlOlt dinner; We set off between eight and nine o'clock, rode very slow. as it was dark and dangerous travelling, and ar rived home between one and two o'clock at night; going, stopped at Doolittles; spent Sd, returning at Cook for oats, 2d.. and at Halls, Cap tain Eliakinson, 1-6.
 Friday. November 4th, 1774.-Gave Captain Mortimer and MT. Alsop mo- tice early this morning that ye dele gates would be here at eleven o'clock, and desired Captain Meigs to muster his company to escort them, but he said the notice was too short to get any considerable number together; in short there seemed a general back wardness to show that respect that such worthy patriots deserve, which l am very sorry for; however, l ordered my ensign hoisted on our south liberty pole and ye swivel fired, which was done as they entered ye town, two, and when they passed ye pole three and two as they left ye town; ye flag was also hoisted up ye north pole; the dele gates went right through ye town without stopping.
 Saturday, November 11th, 1774.- Went with Captain Mortimer and Es- quire Talcot on board Esquire Talcot's sloop and Captain Slows schooner and ordered all the sheep on shore as being contrary to ye seventh article of ye as sociation, which prevents any being exported to the West Indies; we then l wrote circular letters to ye committee l of correspondence of Haddam, East | Haddam, Saybrook and New London advising them to be very Yigilant in searching ye vessels that escape us and others and prevent their carrying off any sheep, and Lieut.. Samuel Johnson, lieutenant's son, with them on my little brown mare.
 Thursday, November 17th, 1774.- Asked consent for John Gotten to MT, Elisha Sears for his daughter.
 Saturday. November 18th, 174.-Ben- jamin Miller told me to-day he met if | ty-fve fat cattle going to Boston, a present from Litchfield county to ye poor of Boston besides they were col i lecting butter and cheese to send down. | Wednesday, November 23d. 1774-A large bear was killed at Chatham last Monday; Captain Henshaw brought over a piece which We had for supper this evening. I hear another was killed at Wethersfield last week.
 Friday, November 18th, 1774.-Yester- day was public Thanksgiving, when Mir Jarviss thought proper to open his church doors, and either preached or read prayers, his not doing it on our late Fast gave great umbrage to many in his own parish and almost all in ours
 Saturday, November 26th, 1774,- Had a long talk with Colonel Hamlin and Major Talcot (alias Esq. TalcoO this day about seating the meeting house, as they were part of the com mittee l told them that I was fifteen years seated in ye gallery while I paid great rates, and in that time had chil- dren grown up near old enough to take my place before l was removed, which l often informed ye seaters of, and when I was removed, notwithstanding I had always paid considerable great rates and had done as much as any of my age for ye town and society yet l would not be gratifed with either seat or seat mates, though my mates were not disagreeable to me, yet I should be more happy with others. l now told them that as I paid a great rate and had never been gratified before, I now expected to be gratified and desired to have the seat where Captain Loveland and MT Adkins sits, or ye next below it at least. i. e., where Elihu Stamlits sits, and that my seatmates might be
 MT. William Green (whom I could not bear to be separated from), MT. Hobby
 and MT Elisha Clark, or Captain
 Brown, which of those they in theii wisdom thought best, and suppose the
 women would be equally content with either, unless for ye sake of Mrs Clark
 to whom they might give the prefer.
 ence.
 Monday, November 2Sth, 1774-Wrote
 a petition and carried in to ye seaters
 of ye meeting house to-day praying
 they would assign me ye seat where Captain Loveland sits. and MT Green
 MT. Hobby, Captain Brown or MT
 Clark, with their wives and Miss Chris.
 tian Trott or Mrs. Taylor to be my 1 seatmates, and procured my list las
 year above G145, and this year above
 SIS. but they refused me both sea and seatmates, at which I am mucl
 grieved, as I asked q think) muci
 within ye limits of what I had a righ
 to; they gave me the pew opposite, ant instead of Mir Green or Captain Browr
 T. Il.