The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-13

| James H1llhOuse was descended Irofl
 an ancient and noble family in the North of Ireland, near Londonderry where their estates 250 years ago were 1 large and important and members ot the family were distinguished by hav- | ing received degrees from the famous University of Glasgow in Scotland. The l Hillhouse name appears among the signers of an address to William and
 Mary, and one of the family was Mayor 1 of Londonerry.
 l The original American Hillhouse. Rev. erend James, came to this country and <, settled in New Hampshire in 1719; af- terwards at Montville (meaning Hill- house) between New London and Nor | wich. Cotton Mather refers to him as, 'The hopeful young minister lately ar rived in American" His son, James Abraham, the foster father of the sub ject of our sketch, graduated from Yale in 1749. and became distinguished lawyer in New Haven. He built and
 resided in the large and stately old
 mansion, now known as Grove Hall. Having no children, and his brother William, (the father of our James, hav- ing many sons, James was adopted by
 his uncle, and at the age of seven was installed in the old big, but childless
 home, corner of Whitney avenue and Grove street, where he resided the greter part of his life. He inherited his uncle's or foster fathers fortune and the aunt's property. The combined real estate he thus acuired covers large section beyond Grove street towards
 i,o Hill
 The father, William, was a striking character in the Connecticut Legisla- ture, where he served during 106 semi annual sessions. The picturesue de- scription of the man as left by his grandson, James A. Hillhouse, the poet, (son of James,, who resided in the Hill- house mansion in Sachems woods, is as follows: venerable image of the olden days, stupendous shoe buckles, long gold headed cane kept only for great occasions, conspicuous watch fob; high and classical forehead, heavy eyebrows, lifted only long enough to express an opinion and then relapsing. As the old est man on the governors council, he sat at his right. At his leave taking and retirement at 80 years there was not dry eye among the council board. At this advanced age it was his custom to journey to and from Hartford on horseback; and was major of the Sec ondd Regiment of Cavalry. On Christ mas Day it was his custom to roast an OK and distribute it to the needy Alp plications were received with care and discretion, then our Board of Chari- ties" on a more extended scale stands for to-day.
 Young James was in Hopkins Gram mar School in 1771 with Roger Sherman and David Wooster He was prominent in advocating and encouraging move ment towar the formation of city which eliminated in 17S4. He was stu dent in Yale in 1773. While in college his name appears with Nathan Hale as one of the actors in the Liaonion plays. President Dwight father of the pres- dent Dwight of our day, then tutor, saw in him the elements of his after greatness, took great interest in the stripling and it is said that Hillhouse referred in after life with great emo- tion to President Dwight as his great benefactor.
 The uncle and foster father died in 1775. Anticipating the ambitions of his foster son and nephew, he forbade him to leave his studies and embrace the cause of the Continental Army, which at that time was engaging the attention of these young men. They afterwards became famous in the contest following.
 Upon the records of the first meeting for the organization of the Second Com pany of Governors Footguards in 1774, as we'll as upon the application of the State Legislature for charter the fol- lowing winter, appear the name of James Hillhouse. There was a division of opinion in those days, as now, and when few months later the news of the Lexington alarm reached New Ha- ven, and his company of which he was a member, under Benedict Arnold, ap piled for permission to march to Cam bridge, the authorities opposed it and refused not only the application but Arnold and his command however took the keys, secured the am and marched to Lexington under the name of the New Haven Ca dets. Not being permitted to use the charter name, three weeks afterward all but twenty returned to New Haven. Arnold remained receiving an appoint ment to another command in the army.
 Hillhouse was entrusted by Governor 1 Trumbull to promote the enlistment of a brigade in "A stirring appeal to all | friends of American freemen' urging !, them to go forward without hire or re- ward and never lay down their arms until they have driven every invader l from the land"
 1779 finds him the third commander 1f the Second Company of Governors | and on the morning of the ;tb of July when the British landed on )ur shore, summoning his own men and such volunteers as had presented them selves, including a body of students with President Daggett at their head, 1e marched his command across the and meadows at the West River bridge and attached the advanced guard of the English Army. It was n this engagement that Adjutant Campbell was shot and killed, on Mill ord hill, by soldier named Johnson, n Hillhouse's command,
 The records of that campaign show Iillhouse and his band of 150 followers IS resisting an army of 1,500 men under General Tyron, and in close contact with the enemy, delaying them for