The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-20

dence at Fairfield, immediately sent
 out his expresses to alarm the country
 and collect the militia. Heralds on
 swift relays of horses transmitted the
 message from hand to hand village to
 village, the sea to the hills and it
 was not suffered to drop until the
 state was aglow. The call met with
 such a loyal response. that early on
 Saturday morning, General Silliman
 was on his way to Bedding with 300 men. As the patriots wound their way
 up the steep hills. they were overtaken
 ments, who filled their hearts with
 hope, for, one was General Wooster,
 commander of the Connecticut militia
 and the other General Arnold, who had fought many battle on sea and land. Sheridans ride a good broad highway from Winchester Town has been
 made immortal. Over rough roads for fully thirty miles had pressed these two officers.
 Upon learning that the enemy was
 retreating toward Ridgefield, on Sun day morning Arnold and Silliman were
 detached with four hundred men to cross the country and take post in that town, while General Wooster with two hundred men were to attack the flank and rear of the retiring col umns.
 As the British entered Ridgefield, 1SH0IdI WOOSIGI IIldO0 IWO dSSduIIo and captured in the first forty prison CTS. Encouraged by his success, Woes ter urged his men to press on. ex- claiming, Come on, boys. never mind such random shots.'' As he thus led them on he fell mortally wounded and the noble patriot was borne from the conflict.
 Arnold and Silliman had constructed across the village street a barricade and here 800 men held the 1000 troops of the king in check for an hour. Col Gould of Fairfield commanding the Fourth Connecticut Militia was killed with many of his men. The battle that opened on the hills that Sunday morning extended to the sea. The minute men continued to pour in from the distant parts of the State, and when Tryon left Rfdgefield on Monday morning. points of advantage were oc- cupied by continentals from which deadly missels were sent into the re- treating battalions, the hills resound- ing with the roar of the cannon and the rattle of musketrY.
 "As the farmers gave them ball for From behind each fence and farm yard
 wall"
 Colonels Huntington and Oswald with five hundred men and Lambs artillery from New Haven occupied the hill to the west of the Saugatuck it would be impossible to advance in that direction, he turned his horses and forded the river and at a double quick step made for his shipping.
 General Tryon finding it impossible to escape without assistance. ordered Sir William Erskine to land the ma rines from the boats (six ships having the yoi0hf hnfnrol nd fol sition on Compo Hill with field guns and check the advance of the patriots. Probably not far from 2,500 British troops were on the hill when Colonel Lamb, who had just ridden in some sixty miles from Southington, propos- The troops readily advanced, receiving the grape shot whichswere cutting down their ranks. AS they reached the fence Col. Lamb fell seri- ously wounded. the progress of the continentals was checked and the Brit pressing them closely. Af ter the engagement a house on the plain was taken for a hospital where many of the wounded from both arm les received surgical aid. Many of those who fell were borne to their own towns for sepulture. but in a long grave more than a score of patriots were laid to rest; among whom was Lieut.. Samuel Elmer who came from Sharon and fell at the fence. His father had his remains removed to the cemetery in Greens Farms where the ancient stone bears this quaint in ton:
 Our youthful hero, bold in arms His cOuntry's cause his bosom warns To save her rights, fond to engage And guard her from a tryant's rage to field nf And gloriously resigns his breath
 We noticed on the arrival of the British they were some of the finest troops bearing the royal standard
 We will now consider those who gave them battle. Major Gen Woes ter, who was born at Stratford and fell at Ridgefield. was nearly three score and ten years of age. Upon earning of the coming of the British ,e mounted his horse and rode fifty niles to lead the attack on the invad- srs. He had rendered valuable ser vice in the French and Indian wars and in Canada They who die in a | good cause are redeemed from death | each place grows proud for them who were born there. AS God musters hem out on earth he enroIls them above." Arnold was very brave and seceived the thanks of Congress; he vas also presented with a horse hand ;omely caparisoned for his service at | his time. Gen. Silliman. Cols Gould. | H Huntington, Oswald and Lamb had i seen service. and many who took part l n the battle on Compo Hill were des- ined to hold important positions in l he new nation.
 Washington placed Lamb in com nand at West Point and after the war le appointed him Collector General of l he port of New York.
 Sixteen-year-old Oliver Wolcott. 1 whose father was one of the signers