New Britain herald., 1916-01-27

son of Major John Patterson. He was brigadier general who, though for many years a citizen of New Britain, entered the army in 1775 from Mas sachusetts. He was at first commis- stoned as colonel and commanded regiment from Berkshire county, first near Boston before the battle of Bunker Hill. He was afterward or dered to New Y York, and then to Can ada to take part in the contemplated attack upon Quebec. He returned by way of Crown Point and Ticonderoga, and soon after joined the army of General Washington, and was engaged in active service at the battles of Tren- ton and Princeton in 1776-7. Being commissioned brigadiergenera soon after, he was stationed at MorrfstoWn, and then at West Point, and partici- pated in the battle of Saratoga, and the capture of Burgoyne. He also took part in the battle of Monmouth, and was a member of the court which tried Major Andre"
 There was self denial and fortitude shown by those in the ranks as well, and none the less by those who re- mained at home. It is said that when one Seth Judd had been killed, his unCle, SlXly-lWO years oI boS' enlisted and went to the front
 Little has been said here of wom- ans part; she also was doing her duty. though as her place was at the fire side. But the sword and spinning wheel have gone down into history to- gether and the first would not have been possible without the other.
 Lydia Root Andrews was the moth CT of nine sons, seven of whom grew to manhood. Of these seven, during the early part of the war, she fitted out five "by patience and industry" are the words of Alfred Andrews but we need no others to paint the pic ture of those days of trial and hard ship. She sent them forth to pur- chase the liberty which they held so dear.
 When the oldest son died in the ser vice at twenty-seven, this mother pre- pared her youngest son, then but SIX teen, and bade him take his brothers place.
 Corporal Joseph, the third son, re- l ceiyed as his share of the spells or victory at White Plains, the red coat l of a British officer now owned by his 1 granddaughter and great grand l daughter of Moses and Lydia Root 1 Andrews, Mrs. Annie Andrews Johns- 1 ton.
 There was one son, Jesse, who did not go to war but was to a degree
 it's victim. He had bespoken in mar
 riage Anna, daughter of Dr. Smalley,
 and it was Jesses brother, who in his
 hot headed way compared George the 1 III to a serpent, and greater 1nd1gnlty | in the presence of pr. Smalley. Jeese l hrf Q suffer 1 his brothers words, for the bans were 1 forbidden and Jesse's death recorded l a few years later unmarried tells the sad story.
 One engagement with a redcoat took place here, that of Thomas Sug- den, a soldier in the British army who deserted, came to New Britain and married Percia Mather, whose home was in the Mather house at the june ton of Elm and South Main streets. One incident must close this rambling attempt to reproduce the fibre of the men who made our past and still in- f1uence it's present.
 At the close of the war a regiment of French soldiers passed along Stan ley Quarter street on their way to Hartford. They were in worn and faded uniforms and they walked haltingly on that summer afternoon. But they were part of the 25,O00 men who had held the key to the sit uation, coming to our assistance when the days were darkest and had saved us from being crushed by our com mon enemy.
 New Britain at the Time of the Civil
 War.
 To one who remembers well the appearance of New Britain at the outbreak of the Civil war and to whom that event seems only a few swift years ago the growth and change in the city have been full of interest.
 In '61 it had been ten years since Berlin had been set off from New Britain. Contrary to common under standing Berlin was set off from New Britain and not New Britain from Berlin. This accounts for the fact that New Britain has two representa- tives in the legislature while Berlin, the parent town, has but one.
 In 1861 there were five brick stores on Main street between the South church and the Strickland House on East Main street corner. These were the Thomson building, now occupied by the Dickinson Drug Co.,, the Miller building adjoining the Humphrey House, now occupied by Cohen, the Hale block where Storrs Drug store is and two smaller brick 1 buildings on the west side near the 1 railroad crossing, one now owned by 1 John J. Walsh and the other occu- | pied by Morgan & Kingsley.
 On the west side of the park, at | the corner of West Main street, was a wooden house with a brick base l ment. This house had been used as a school for young ladies. Between | this and the corner of Arch street 1 were four old-fashioned low-ceilinged l hn