The Newtown bee., 1903-08-28

Editor A. P Smith of The BEE
passed Friday night at New Preston,
the guest of Hon Charles Whittlesey
Pickett, the talented editor of the
New Haven Leader. Editor Pickett
and wife are delightful entertainers,
and the evening passed at their home
will long remain pleasantly in mind.
One of the busiest and most success
full of the Elm City journalists, Mr.
Pickett told the writer he was taking
his first real vacation in II years. His
country home at New Preston is one
of the historic points of interest in
that section, Gen Washington having
stopped there during the Revolution
where the humble country newspaper
scribe retired for rest was the very
apartment, tradition says, Washing
ton occupied. Col Pickett is fortunate
in having a talented cO-wOrker on the
Leader in his charming wife, whose
interesting articles under the nom de
plume of "Rbea" are popular feature
of that paper. AS lecturer her serv-
ices are much in demand by women's
civic and literary clubs. We under
stand she has in preparation for the
season of 10000, a new lecture enti-
tied: "Mark Twain in Petticoats:" ="
DpCdkluS VI wi lChcUU . 1ColOCuOC1 ~
should be said that in Revolutionary
times it was known as Cogswell's s
Tavern. In the book entitled, 1.-THE
Cogswells in America, Major William
Cogswell, for whom Cogswell tavern
was built, prior to 176O, is referred to
as follows: "William Cogswell was
the youngest Of 13 children. While an
infant his parents removed in 1875 to
Preston, and later settled in the north
east part of New Milford, Conn. His
father purchased large tract of land
and was the first settler in that region.
William, when 2l years old, purchas-
ed of his father, August 20, 1855, 80
acres of land. To this he added from
time to time until he became the own
er of about 1000 acres of land in and
merous buildings and appurtenances.
He had a tavern, country store, an
iron foundry, saw and grist mill, a
potashery, a distillery and malt house
From his orchards were. made thou
sand barrels of cider per annum. He
kept 20 COWS, 100 sheep and employed
20 men. At the age Of % he married
Anna Whittlesey. Her father was the
grandson Of the immigrant, Johr
Whittlesey, of Saybrook, Conn, who
married Ruth Dudley, the grand
daughter of Gov Thomas Dudley o1
Massachusetts,. Mr. Cogswell was
the first to initiate revolutionary
measures in resistance to English Op
preston. At a meeting held Septem
ber 20, 1774, he was one of a committee
chosen to collect and communicate al
necessary intelligence of movement!
of the country. He was selectman O.
New Milford from 1774 to 1777, elected
moderator Of the irst meeting held il
Washington in 1779, the first select
man and elected the first representa-
tive of the new town to the Genera
Assembly of Connecticut. He was re
elected each succeeding year, and wa
serving his eighth term as membe
of the assembly when he died. NJ
COgswell was justice of the peace
ajOr in the state militia and captain
in the army of the Revolution. FL
was in command under Washington
in the retreat from Long Island. Ma
Cogswell died in the prime Of life, leav
ing widow and nine children. Il
the New Preston cemetery the stOn
that marks the place of his burial bear
an inscription as follows:
Crost at noon, he is gone. he is gone.
He sIlined in acts of peace to still y storm.
Skillful to advise and vigorous to perform,
Distress and want on him did fix their eyes.
llere lies his body blended wi tn the dust,
Waiting the resurrection OF the just.
Gen Washington and many Of th
chief officers of the Revolution wer
often entertained at Maj Cogswell
tavern, and soldiers by the scores an
hundreds. When the treason Of A
mold was communicated to Washing
ton, as he was at point where b
must pass through New Preston earl
the next morning, he dispatched
pass to Maj Cogswell's to have breal
fast ready promptly at O'Clock. H
reached there at that time and gay
his staff Is minutes for breakfas
Washington's agitation was SO gret
that he did not sit down but took
bowl of bread and milk and walked tt
floor as he ate it. One morning, tt
previous day having been one Of gre:
fatigue, the cooks were sitting dow
to breakfast and one said: 81 hope Y