The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-05-06
AS IN OLD COLONIAL DAYS
MEETING OF SOCIETY OF COLONIAL
WARS or CONNECTICUT.

MEETING OF SOCIETY OF COLONIAL
WARS or CONNECTICUT.
Elccted-Many Distinguished Men Pres
ent-Elaborate Banquet--Historioal Pa
per on Uncas by Editor Chapin-Ad-
dresses by Isevs. Douglas and Love.
The Society of Colonial Wars OF Con-
necticut met In this city yesterday af-
ternoon, and in accordance with COL
onial precedence, held general court,
followed by the annual banquet.
Both the general court and the ban
quet were largely attended by the mem
bers Of the society, including many men
Of prominence from all parts of the
state.
The business transacted by the gen.
eral court is given at the close.
The banquet was held at Harmonic
hall at 6 o'clock and was an elaborate
affair.
The nall was appropriately decorated
for the occasion. The walls were en-
tirely concealed behind draperies Of red
and white, while at regular intervals
were hung national flags with the thir-
teen stars of the original states.
From the ceiling about the center of
the hall were suspended two beautiful
silk banners, one the United States flag
with it's full quota Of stars, the other
t1,A on1o ~ioJ 90 ~
colony, red cross on a white back
ground with the grapevine at the CEN
ter.
Palms and flowers were also used
with fine artistic effect in the decora-
tions.
Further suggestion of the historic
character Of the occasion was furnished
by Robinson's orchestra, which dis
coursed such music as America" "Star
Spangled Banner" Columbia" and like
lipatriotic pieces with fine effect as the
members Of the society dined The
dinner was served by Sherry, the ia
nous New York caterer.
The speakers of the evening were
seated at the table on the platform.
James Junius Goodwin, governor of
the society, presided. He introduced
Charles F. Chaplin, editor of the Water
bury American, who read a paper on
"Umcas." This paper details the part
which the old Indian sachem played In
early Connecticut history, together
with a critical estimate of his character
and services. The paper Is as follows:
The story of Uncas is the history Of
Connecticut for the fifty years that fol-
lowed the coming Of the first white man
| to stay Not more than two or three
native figures stand out as conspicuous
| ly as his, and no Indian is SO plainly
and persistently visible in the moving
! picture from 1880 to 1880 as he. During
that time, it may be said almost liter
ally, he was engaged on the side of the
white man in all the wars they waged
against his red brethren. Leaving out
of consideration at this time all dispute
as to motive, that fact is the measure
of his faithfulness and consistency.
He was Pequot The Pequots came
traditionally from further west, and,
with power enough to have their own
way and settle where they pleased, they
had the good sense to choose the fertile
lands of Connecticut and to pick the
richest part Of them. 1t was a blessed
country even then. The catalogue of
Its natural beauties, products and ca
pacities makes one of the finest chap
| ters in Trumbull's noble history of the
state. The elaborate enumeration Of
trees, vegetables, fruits, berries, plants,
| flowers and roots of varied virtues sat
| isfies the love of plenty and stimulates
the desire of appetite. OF the incredi-
| BILE number of wild animals supplying
food and fur, of the vast variety of food
| inhabiting the air and the water, and
of the multitude of fish that populated
| the rivers, an historian has said: "It
passeth credit, If but the truth were
written
The Mohegans were 9, faction III re-
volt from the Pequots under the Lead
ership of Uncas, who inherited tile roy
al blood of the Pequots from both his
father and his mother, and acquired
new claim to power and sachemship
through his wife's royal connection.
Ira dition tells Of the repeat ted revolts
of this faction under his command. Of
repeated defeats and repeated submis-
sions, and attributes them to his rest
less ambition, disappointed of the pow
er to which he laid claim. The fact
| that Uncas was able to establish and
maintain Independence Of the all-ruing
Pequots, and dared to defy the dreaded
Sassacus. is proof Of his courage, enter
prise and individuality. Note needs to
| be taken at the beginning Of his career
of the exhibition Of these qualities, since
the development of stiffness and dip
! lomacy, called out by the difficulties of
the unnatural policy which he followed
consistently throughout his life, as the
ally of the enemies of his people, has
obscured the elements of character
originally revealed. He set up for him.
| self when it required native force to do
| So and was self-reliant before ease and
safety taught him to rely on the Eng
| lish.
! At the opening Of the Pequot war in
| 1887 the Indians of the state numbered,
according to different estimates, from
10000 to 10000. The whites of Connecti-
cut numbered about 800, of whom about
275 were men. Within three years after
| the coming of the English in 1893 and
1884 the Pequots made life unbearable
| Uncas Joined the first military expedi-
| tion against his blood relatives, the Pc
quots, that of John Mason, which sail
| ed down the Connecticut river from
Hartford in May. 1887, and on May &c