Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-19
JUDGE cowELL KNEW HIM
Talks Interestingly of the Late Briga-
 dier-General Lynch.

Brig. Gen. Lynch, who died in Phila- delphia last week, is not very well re- membered here. where, according to the dispatches, he was born. Judge Cowell of tine district court remembers something of him, but even the judge has not much to say about him. 1t is evident that the dispatches were wrong in stating that he was born i'll this city for on this point Judge Cow ell is certain he was not 3 native, or if he was he must have left here with his people when he was quite young.
 Judge Cowell is reasonably certain that Bennett Ball, grandfather of the milk dealers Of that name. was also Brig. Gen. Lynch's grandfather. and that if he was born in this city his birth must have taken place on Bucks hill. in which place Bennett Ball lived at that time. MT. Balls house is still standing and is occupied by Fred Fa- ber
 The earliest recollection that Judge Cowell has of the deceased brigadier- general is when he was about 10 years old. At that time he .-.ea with his parents in Philadelphia and was ac- customed to visit here every summer and remain until early winter. Then the Methodist church was on Union square and there young Cowell and young Lynch attended Sunday school. Lynch was an extraordinarily strong boy for his age and though not quar- relsome, never shirked an opportunity to scrap He was not boastful of his proyess as a fighter, but never took s,back talk" from any boy larger or smaller than himself.
 Eventually the future soldier ceased his visits here and only through the mails did his friends hear of him. No surprise was expressed when he wrote to a Miss Pratt that he had Joined the volunteer federal army and was aching to go to the front. When he began active service he wrote a friend here and for long time following nothing was heard of him and many thought he had met the fate of thous- ands, a soldiers grave.
 But Miss Pratt surprised Judge Cow elrs mother one day by announcing that she had received letter from the soldier and for some brave act (the judge could not recall it) he had been promoted lieutenant-colonel. This leaves Judge Cowell under the impress sion that Mir. Lynch entered the army as an officer.
 The letter told of an adventure Of
 
 the lieutenant colonel which seemed to have caused him a great deal of merri- ment. It was to the effect that during a battle his horse had been killed while he was on an errand of great inn portance to the tide of the conflict and that he had to go into the next battle with a horse that limped. The day s fighting was nearly over when bullet ploughed through the crown of his helmet and Lieutenant Colonel Lynch was certain that. had he been riding horse that did not limp he would have been shot through the head.
 'sThere are only few in town now who recall those days" concluded Judge Cowell. 'aThey are Edward Raof. the insurance and real estate agent and Henry I. Boughton. They may remember more about General Lynch than do. But when he ceased his visits here to his, grandfather, MT Rail, and we used to 20 no more to the old Methodist Sunday school, he dropped out of my memory.