Norwich bulletin., 1916-09-02

tributton was taken up in the several parishes of Norwich. for the benefit longed to said town: when they col- lected: sS6 pr. of stockings. 227 pr. of shoes. 11S shirts, 7S jackets, 4s pr. of overalls, POS pr. of mittens, Il buff caps. 15 pr. Of brooches, coats, 22 rifle frocks.
 All these articles, besides fs hand- kerchiefs and $ 25s 1Ts. 3d. in money, which were forwarded to the army Also collected quantity of pork cheese, wheat, rye. Indian corn. sugar, rice, flax, wood. etc, to be distributed to the needy families of the officers and soldiers. The whole of which amounted to the sum of 6 400"
 About $7,O00-which would be con-
 sidered a pretty liberal amount even in these days of large ideas and gen. erous giving!
 doubtless The Norwich Courier dated Feb. 18th, 17T9. reads:
 Yesterday contribution was made at the Rev. Dr. Lords meeting for the distressed inhabitants of Newport which have lately arrived from Provi- dence. when the sum of three hundred dollars was collected for their relief
 Showing that charity was not re- stricted to purely local objects or in- terests, in the days when the town was young!
 Our modern Red Cross workers evil dently had their prototypes in the good women of old Norwich, judging from another newspaper item:
 March, 17So-Mrs. Corning (wife of
 MT. Joseph Corning, now a prisoner with the enemy) being destitute of necessary clothing for her children, a number of the ladies of Chelsea. of the first cha rapfar eDd rasnactah hiIitU Gn- pointed Q day on which they assembled and spent the time in spinning, after which they presented Mrs. Corning with the yarn to considerable amount
 At that date they did not have the benevolent Judge John M. Thayer, o1 Norwich, to place at their disposal 8 finely lighted room in his handsome building on Franklin Square as head quarters and workroom. an advantage enjoyed by the later Red Cross-bu1 no doubt the men of the earlier time
 were helpful in their own way, second ing the efforts of the tender -heartet housewives, *'of the first character anG responsibility" in thus aiding a cap tured soldiers wife.
 Not only did individuals help during the times of war, but Norwich wa: ever ready to lend her militia to de.
 fend neighboring towns more exposed to the enemy's attacks.
 New London sometimes makes face! at Norwich-but it has no right to For during Revolutionary and late, times. the situation of New London was one of constant alarm, in whic1 all the surrounding towns participated so that Norwich militia frequently re ceived hurry calls to aid the Whaling Town.
 lt was n1enaced during December 1776, Miss Cau1kins tells in her His tory, when the hostile fleet found ,; rendezvous among tho small islands il the Sound, previous to taking posses sion of Newport. All the militia in tn eastern part of the state turned ou to oppose the expected descent. IL was observed, as band after bant of the sturdy colonial soldiers marches into New London, that no company il order and equipment equaled the Ligh Infantry of Norwich, under commant of Col. Christopher LefHngwelI. Many times during the war, the mil 1 itia from here was summoned to Ney i London or Stonington, or Lyme, on tn runor of one.
 # hostile vessel entered the Sounc ] no one knew it's commission, so tn 1 alarm was quickly spread from tn 1 seaboard into the country. Tn | dreaded foe perhaps hovered near tn coast a few hours, made some startlin 1 feints, and then sailed on. Orders wer ! given and countermanded, and tn wearied militia, hastily drawn fror i their homes, returned again withou 1 having the satisfaction of seeing tn 1 enemy, or arriving on the spot befor l the danger was over.
 l Tn those stirring times, there was Il 1 discussion as to whether militar 1 training was advisable or not. Thos 1 who remained at home. as well a
 those who went into actual service | were often called on to perform mil itary duty, when most of the able bod 1 jed men were drawn off, a Reformad
 Corps was established. consisting C l those whose age, infirmities or othe l circumstances would not permit the4 1 to become regular soldiers and endur ] the fatigue of the camp, but wbo wer willing and ardent to go forth in an | sudden emergency.
 1 THE DTCTAGRAPH. i