river, north by the north line of Connecticut colony, west by a north and south line across the colony at 15 miles distance west from a place in Susquehannah river called Wyoming, and south by the south line of Connecticut colony; which town was also annexed to Litchfield county, and called by the name of Westmoreland. It was however provided, that no person who resided in any other town in the colony should be sued before any justice of the peace in Westmoreland, or the people of Westmoreland be sued in any civil action in any other town before a justice; and that the sheriff or his deputies of Litchfield county should not be compelled to receive any civil writ to be served in Westmoreland. And during the same session (1774) the Governor of the colony was desired and authorized to issue a proclamation, to forbid all persons taking up, entering on, or settling any of the lands included in the charter of the colony, which lay west of the province of New York, without liberty obtained from the colony of Connecticut. The Assembly therefore appointed Roger Sherman, J. A. Hillhouse, and Thomas Howell, Esq'rs. (when applied to) to take into consideration the claims and settlements made on lands situate on or near the waters of the Susquehannah river within the boundaries of Connecticut by the charter, and settle the same with the claimants, and quiet their titles under Connecticut colony; and to quiet the titles of all the settlers west of the Delaware river in the colony who had been settled there more than fifteen years, preceding January, 1774. The Legislature of Connecticut at their May session, 1775, made the the town of Westmoreland a probate district, by the name of the district of Westmoreland. The town was incorporated in January, 1774, by the Legislature of Connecticut ; and in May, 1775, the bounds of the town were extended until it should meet with the line (then) lately settled with the Indians at Fort Stanwix, called the Stanwix line, north and south on the north and south lines of the colony of Connecticut, (with the families on said lands,) were incorporated with the town of Westmoreland, and in the same act it was annexed to the county of Litchfield. As early as 1754, the inhabitants of Connecticut made a purchase of the natives of a large tract of land extending from the Delaware river westward about 170 miles, including the whole breadth of the 42° of north latitude, and confirmed to Connecticut, April 23, 1662, by the charter from Charles II. In October, 1763, the settlers were dispossessed by the savages with the loss of many lives and much property, and did not resume their possession until 1769, and continued under the jurisdiction of Connecticut until 1782; during the period from 1774 to 1782 many of the peaceable citizens of Connecticut moved on to the lands, purchased small farms contiguous to each other for better defence, with their small farms for immediate use, and located other lands as a future dependence. And in the year 1776, they furnished the continental army with near three hundred officers and soldiers, to fight the battles of the country, which left the settlement at Wyoming, weak and unguarded. In July, 1778, the settlements were cut off by the savages, tories, and British troops, but they soon regained their position, by the zeal and prowess of those who escaped the carnage of the first attempt of the savages; but by the great loss of men and property, the settlers were reduced and greatly distressed; many widows and orphans were left destitute of the necessaries of life; and the families of near two hundred officers and soldiers then in the army, became extremely helpless and needy, but were soon assisted by the return of their inhabitants and relieved only by the activity of the people of that section of country. They were continually harassed by the savages and tories until the close of the war, with immense loss of lives and property. The settlers of Wyoming were a most important and mighty barrier to the interior of the country, during the revolutionary war, with little compensation or reward. Counties. Return of the number of Inhabitants in Connecticut in the year 1774. Hartford County, Males under Females Females from Males from 20 to 70 y'rs. Females from 20 to 70 y'rs Males from 94 113 179 | 25,896 923 1,962 240 84 143 208 31,542 2,036 65 119 165 28,936 1,214 31,114 30,050 |222|24,049 697|28,860 28,866 9,941|29,026|10,486|1,436 554| 922 |1,264 191,448|6,562 The territory embraced in the colony of Connecticut, was one of the best and most compactly settled portions of the confederacy at the beginning of the revolution. There was very little wilderness in that portion of the colony east of the Delaware. That part of Litchfield, called the Greenwoods, comprising the townships of Colebrook, Winchester, and Barkhamsted, was the only section that was very thinly settled at that time. Connecticut had sent forth several colonies previous to this period. She had contributed largely in settling the western townships in Massachusetts; had furnished her thousands for the settlement of the up river country, both New Hampshire and the country on the opposite side of Connecticut river, since formed into the state of Vermont. She had also established considerable settlements in the eastern borders of the province of New York, and on the distant coast of Nova Scotia; and finally, after a long struggle, had planted a favorite colony in the beautiful valley of the Wyoming. This last settlement, she had cherished with parental solicitude, and extended to it the protection of her government, and created a separate township, attached to Litchfield county. THE MILITIA OF CONNECTICUT IN 1775. FROM the first settlement of the colony until 1739, the militia of Connecticut had only a company organization. This year, a law was enacted by the Governor, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, that the Governor of the colony for the time being, should be Captain General and commander in chief, and the Deputy Governor for the time being, 'should be Lieutenant General, of and over all the military forces within the colony; and that all the military companies in the colony, should be formed into regiments. That there should be in each regiment, appointed from time to time by the General Assembly, a colonel, lieutenant-colonel, and major, who should be commissioned by the Governor of the colony for the time being. It was further enacted, that all male persons from 16 years of age to 50, except those exempted by law, should bear arms, and duly attend all musters and military reviews of the respective companies. The companies in the colony at this time were organized into 13 regiments, and to each regiment was permission given to have one troop of horse. There was an annual inspection of arms on the first Monday in May, besides several trainings yearly, and a regimental muster once in four years. In October, 1756, it was enacted by the Governor, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, that there should be two company reviews; one in May, and one in October. In 1767, the 14th regiment of militia was formed from the towns of Cornwall, Sharon, Salisbury, Canaan, and Norfolk. In 1769, the 15th regiment was formed from the towns of Farmington, Harwinton, and New Hartford. In 1771, the 16th regiment was constituted from the towns of Danbury, Ridgefield, Newtown, and New Fairfield. In 1774, the 17th regiment was organized from Litchfield, Goshen, Torrington, and Winchester. The same year the towns of Simsbury, New Hartford, Hartland, Barkhamsted, and Colebrook were formed into the 18th regiment. In October of the same year, four additional regiments were organized. One comprising the military companies in the towns of East Windsor, Enfield, Bolton, and that part of Hartford on the east side of the Connecticut river; this was the 19th regiment. Another including the military companies in the town of Norwich, the 20th regiment. The military companies in Plainfield, Canterbury, Voluntown, and the south company in Killingly, formed the 21st regiment. And lastly, the companies in Tolland, Somers, Stafford, Willington, and Union, for the 22d regiment. So it seems that there were twenty-two organized regiments of militia in Connecticut at the commencement of the war in 1775. In May, 1775, two more regiments were formed, one beyond the Delaware, in Westmoreland, and the other in Middletown and Chatham. In 1776, the 25th regiment was formed from the military companies in East Haddam, Colchester, and the society of Marlborough. The troops of horse were this year organized into five regiments of light horse, so that the whole number of regiments in the State were thirty; twenty-five of foot, and five of horse. |