Recollections of a Lifetime, by Samuel Griswold Goodrich (New York & Auburn: Miller, Orton & Mulligan, 1856)

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APPENDIX.

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NOTE I.

Town of Ridgefield.

This town lies about sixty miles northeast of New York, and forty northwest of New Haven. There is, as I have elsewhere stated, in the Library of the Atheneum at Hartford, Conn., a manuscript work, entitled "A Statistical Account of Ridgefield, in the county of Fairfield, drawn up by Rev. Samuel Goodrich, from minutes furnished by a number of his parishioners, A. D. 1800." From this account I give the following extracts:

"Ridgefield was located to twenty-nine of the inhabitants of the towns of Milford and Norwich, by the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, on the 18th of May, 1708. Various patents were granted, and the soil rights of these were purchased of the Indians at different times. The first was made of Catoonah, the sachem, and others, the condition being one hundred pounds. The boundaries of the town, fixed about the year 1733, left it of an oblong shape, about fifteen miles long and three to five miles wide: including the two parishes of Ridgebury and Ridgefield proper.

"There is the appearance of several Indian graves at a place called Norron's Ridge; and one elevation retains its Indian name of Arproona--high or lofty. Several ponds also retain their Indian designations, as Umpewauge, Mammemusquah, Nisopach, &c. There is but one Indian man in the town. One died here two years ago, aged about 96. In 1799, there were ten common schools and four hundred and thirty-three scholars. There are three foreigners--all paupers; Jagger, an Englishman, ninety-five years old, who served under the Duke of Cumberland in the battle of Culloden, 1746, and was in Flanders, in the same regiment, previous to this battle.

"The general form of the land is in gently swelling ridges, extending from north to south. High Ridge, in the central part, called Candito by the Indians, is very elevated; from this the mountains west of

the Hudson, and West Rock, near New Haven--a view eighty miles in diameter--are to be seen in fair weather; Long Island Sound also, from fifty to sixty miles, is visible. The waters flowing from this hill, flow some southeasterly into the Sound, and some southwesterly into the Hudson, by the rivers Titicus and Croton. The latter, in fact, has its source here.

"The soil is generally fertile, though many parts are stony; the climate, owing to the elevation of the place, is somewhat severe, but it is salubrious. Formerly there were bear, deer, and wolves, but these have disappeared. Racoons, various kinds of squirrels, rabbits, &c., are plentiful, as also quails, partridges, &c. The flocks of wild-pigeons, formerly very abundant, now make their migrations more to the west than formerly."

Partly from this document, and partly from notes furnished me by Mr. A. Ressequie, of Ridgefield, I take the following memoranda:

Ministers of the first Congregational Church in Ridgefield.

Rev. Thomas Hawley, of Northampton, the first minister, and one of the first settlers, installed in 1714, and died 1739.

Rev. Jonathan Ingersoll, installed 1740, died 1778.

Rev. Samuel Goodrich, ordained 1786, dismissed 1811.

Rev. S. M. Phelps, [ordained] 1817, [dismissed] 1829.

Rev. C. G. Silleck, [ordained] 1831, [dismissed] 1837.

Rev. Joseph Fuller, [ordained] 1838, [dismissed] 1842.

Rev. Joseph A. Hawley, [ordained ----, [dismissed] ----.

Rev. Clinton Clark, [ordained] ----, the present pastor.

Some of the Inhabitants of Ridgefield, noticed in the preceding pages.

Rev. Jonathan Ingersoll was a native of Milford, graduated at Yale College in 1736, and died 1778, while in the ministry at Ridgefield. He joined the colonial troops as chaplain, on Lake Champlain, in 1758; he was much respected in the army, and exerted an excellent influence on the soldiers. He left behind him a name honored for purity, learning, eloquence, and devotion to his duty, in the village where the greater part of his life was spent. From an election sermon, which I find in the Library of the Hartford Atheneum, it would appear that he was master of a very felicitous style of writing.*

Rev. Jonathan Ingersoll died Oct. 2, 1778, in the 65th year of his age. Dorcas Morse, his wife, died Sept. 29, 1811, in the 86th year of her age. They had ten children, as follows:

Sarah, born Oct. 28, 1741--married ---- Lee.

Dorcas, born Oct. 15, 1743--married ---- Andrews.

Jonathan, born April 16, 1747--married Miss Isaacs.

Mary, born Dec. 20, 1748--married ---- Hooker.

Abigail, born May 7, 1751--married Col. D. Olmstead

Joseph, born Aug. 11, 1753--deaf and dumb--not married.

Hannah, born April 9, 1756--married---- Raymond.

Esther, born Aug. 10, 1760--married Lieut. Olmstead.

Morse, born June 9, 1763--deaf and dumb--married Miss Smith.

Anne, born April 6,1765--married Gen. Joshua King, died 1889.

Gen. Joshua King was born at Braintree, Colony of Massachusetts Bay, 24th of November, 1758. He entered the army of the Revolution, a mere boy, at the commencement of hostilities between the colonies and the mother country. On the formation of Sheldon's

regiment of dragoons, he was made a cornet, and afterward a lieutenant, in which capacity he continued during the war, ever sustaining the character of a brave officer. Being stationed on the lines of Connecticut and Westchester county, New York, he became attached to this part of the country, and after the peace of 1783, he settled in Ridgefield, in the mercantile business, commencing in company with Lieut. James Dole of the same regiment, and afterward marrying the youngest daughter of the late Rev. Jonathan Ingersoll, April 18th, 1784. He was several years a member of the Assembly, and was a member of the Convention in 1818, which framed the State Constitution. He died August 13, 1839.*

General King's children were as follows:

Catherine, married to William Hawley, of Ridgefield.

Frances, married to Rev. Wm. Neill, D. D., of Philadelphia; died October, 1832.

Sophia, married to William McHarg, of Albany; died March, 1848.

John Francis, not married; died 1838.

Charles Clark, not married; died July, 1854.

Rufus H., married to Miss Laverty, of New York, and settled at Albany.

Joshua Ingersoll, not married. Twice State Senator; resides in the family mansion at Ridgefield.

Anne Maria, married to Elisha W. Skinner, of Albany.

Mary Ann; died November, 1828.

Grace.

DeaconElisha Hawley was born March 14, 1759. He was the son of Thomas Hawley, Jr., and grandson of the Rev. Thomas Hawley, first pastor in that place, and one of those who settled it, and who removed from Northampton, where the family had been located since their emigration from England. Elisha Hawley lost his father at the age of fourteen, and four years afterward was drafted for service in the struggle with Great Britain, and was sent to New York for the defense of that city. His regiment was stationed at Corlaer's Hook, and the British sent up a part of their fleet to cut off its retreat. The colonel, however, refused to quit his post without orders from his superior officer. When they were received, their retreat was so hasty, as to oblige the men to throw away their muskets and knapsacks. The vigor of our young soldier, with an appreciative sense of their use, allowed him to retain his, which the colonel was glad to share with him, when at night, on the North River, without blankets, they were exposed to the peltings of a violent storm. At daybreak next morning, they took up their march for Harlem Heights, out of reach of the enemy. Here they made their first meal on flour cakes baked on the stones in the sun. Young Hawley was next engaged in cutting off the retreat of the enemy from Danbury, where they had been to destroy stores, &c.

In 1786, at the age of twenty-seven, he was married to Charity Judson, of Stratford. They had six sons, two only of whom are living. Shortly after their matrimonial alliance, he and his partner joined the Presbyterian church: he was afterward elected to the office of deacon, which he held during life. Being a man of very temperate and regular life, he enjoyed uninterrupted health, which, with his habits of industry, contributed to give him that vigor of body and mind which made him so remarkable in the later years of his life. In the summer prior to his death, at the age of ninety-one, he would work nearly all day with his men in the field. It was the desire of keeping himself employed that led to the exposure which caused his death. On a chill October day he accompanied his men to his woods, to direct the cutting of timber, taking with him his afternoon meal, and remaining until the day was far advanced. Here he caught cold from the inclemency of the weather, which resulted in his decease in the following April, 1850.

Not only was Mr. Hawley active in promoting his own interests, but he showed equal zeal in assisting his neighbors, visiting the sick, and working for the interests of the community in which he Iived. His faculties were unimpaired to the last: his retention of memory was such that he would quote passages from scripture, chapter and verse, and would delight his grand-children by singing to them the songs and hymns of his youth. On the celebration of the Fourth of July, 1839, in his native village, he was called upon to address the people, which he did, directing his conversation mostly to the young--telling them of their responsibilities to God and their country, and that upon them depended its future welfare; winding up with the kindly hint contained in that little verse--

"A little farm well tilled,
A little wife well willed,
A little house well filled," &c.--

and closing with singing, in an audible voice, "Hail Columbia," &c.

One of the leading characteristics of his life was his endeavor to follow strictly the golden rule of "Doing unto others," &c.; and in all his business transactions with his fellow-men, his constant exercise of mind was lest he should charge his neighbor more than the article was actually worth.

In relation to his piety, I quote from the obituary sketch written by Rev. Mr. Clark, of Ridgefield: "Throughout his whole life he was untiring and assiduous in the performance of every Christian and social duty. He was always abounding in the work of the Lord,

whether it consisted in visiting the sick, relieving the poor, promoting peace among his neighbors and brethren, contributing freely to benevolent objects, or in prayers and labor for the prosperity of the church with which he was connected, and Zion at large. The memory of his name will long be fragrant among the people where he lived and died. They feel as if their best friend and counsellor had been taken away, and many acknowledge his influence, under Christ, for their hopes which they are permitted to cherish."

Having at one time held the post of chorister in the church, he would often in his old age, in the absence of the leader, set the music for the hymn.

His widow, at the age of ninety-five, still lives (1856), and enjoys remarkably good health.

The children of Deacon Hawley were as follows:

Elisha, Judson, Irad, Daniel, Stiles,* Chauncey. Irad and Judson--now living--have been successful merchants in New York.

Col. Philip Bradley was born March 26, 1788, and died January 24, 1821. His commission as colonel was dated at Philadelphia, 1779, signed by John Jay, then President of Congress. His commission as Marshal of the District of Connecticut was signed by Washington, in 1794. He also held the office of Judge of the County Court of Fairfield county.

His children were as follows:

Molly, Jabez, Philip, Esther, Ruth, Betsey, Sally, Jesse S.

'Squire Timothy Keeler was born in 1769, and died in 1815. He was a Representative in the General Assembly, Justice of the Peace, and Postmaster for many years.

His children were as follows:

David, married to Esther Bradley.

Esther, married to James L. Crawford.

Walter, married to Hannah Waring.

Mary, married to Philip Bradley.

Sarah, married to Isaac Lewis.

William, not married.

Anna, married to A. Ressequie.

John Baldwin, "Ganther," born March 12th, 1728, died November 9, 1809.

Deacon Nathan Olmstead, died 30th of July, 1806, in the 89th year of his age.

Deacon John Benedict, died July 9th, 1814, in the 88th year of his age.

Dr.Perry, died May 21st, 1822, in the 73d year of his age.

Dr. Baker, died March 31st, 1828, in the 70th year of his age.

SamuelStebbins, died Aug. 18th, 1839, in the 8lst year of his age.

NOTE II.

Elizur Goodrich, D. D.* and his Family.

The following is extracted from the notes to Professor Fowler's sermon, which has been mentioned in a former part of this work:

"The Rev. Elizur Goodrich, D. D. the second pastor of the church in Durham, was a native of Stepney, since called Rocky Hill, a parish of Wethersfield, Conn., where he was born from a respectable line of ances-

tors, on the 18th of October, old style, 1784. He early evinced a strong love of letters; and so diligently did he pursue his cherished object, that at the early age of fourteen he entered as a member of Yale College. In 1755, on receiving his master's degree, he was elected a tutor in this institution. The ministry, however, being his chosen profession, he resigned the tutorship the following year, and on the 4th December, 1756, was ordained pastor of the church and congregation in Durham. Not long after his settlement, he became united in marriage with Catherine Chauncey, grand-daughter of his predecessor in the ministry at Durham. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by the

college of New Jersey. In 1776, he was chosen a member of the corporation of Yale College, and in the following year, on the occasion of an election to the presidency of that institution, consequent upon the resignation of President Daggett, he was a candidate for that office, as was also Dr. Styles. It is understood that there was a tie in the votes given for these two gentlemen, which coming to the knowledge of Dr. Goodrich, who had declined voting, he insisted upon the right to do so, thus turning the election in favor of Dr. Styles--an act of his life which ever after gave him pleasure, and which seemed to increase and perpetuate his regard for the institution.

"The death of Dr. Goodrich occurred in November, 1797, and was sudden and unexpected. On the 17th of that month, he left home for the purpose of examining some lands which belonged to Yale College, in the county of Litchfield. On the Sabbath following he preached at Litchfield, and on Monday proceeded to Norfolk, where he was entertained by the hospitable family of Capt. Titus Ives. At this time he was in the enjoyment of good health. The evening was spent in pleasant conversation. On the following morning he rose early, as was his custom; he had dressed himself, with the exception of putting on his coat, which he was evidently in the act of doing, proceeding during the same time toward the door, when he fell in an apoplectic fit, and expired, in the sixty-fourth year of his age, and the forty-first of his ministry. His remains were carried to Durham on the succeeding Saturday, and were followed to the grave by his family, the church and the congregation, and a numerous concourse of strangers. President Dwight, of Yale College, delivered a solemn and affecting discourse from Ecclesiastes ii. 1--'The righteous and the wise and their works are in the hands of God.'

"Dr. Goodrich may justly be numbered among the distinguished men of his times. He possessed powers of mind adapted to the investigation and comprehension of every subject to which he directed his attention. In classical learning he greatly excelled, and so perfect was his knowledge of the original languages of the Bible as to enable him to dispense with the English version. In the exact sciences, as well as in mental and moral philosophy, he was distinguished. No exercise gave him more pleasure than to sit down to the solution of some difficult prob-

lem, as he was wont to do in his hours of leisure. Having the use of the valuable library of his predecessor, many of the works in which were written in Latin, he read extensively in that language. Divinity, however, was the great study of his life. He took large, comprehensive views of the doctrines of Christianity. He loved the Bible, and especially those truths which go to exalt and illustrate the grace of God. Salvation by a crucified Redeemer, without merit on the part of the sinner and the duties of the moral law, was the burden of his preaching. At the same time he occupied a commanding influence in the churches of Connecticut, as a friend and a counselor. In the language of President Dwight--'He was a man of unusual prudence, and of singular skill and experience in the concerns of congregations, churches, and ministers. His talents were not only great and distinguished, but they were also of the most useful kind, which we call practical. These eminently fitted him for the service of God and for usefulness among mankind, and in these respects he left a reputation which will be honored as long as his memory shall last.' Soon after his death a friend, who was well acquainted with him, thus truthfully and happily summed up his character: 'As a Christian divine, he was solid, judicious, and established with grace; equally free from the wildness of enthusiasm and the rigors of superstition. His reading was extensive, his memory tenacious; his piety substantial; his gravity commanding; his profiting appeared unto all men, and his praise is in all the churches. He was a wise counselor, a peace-maker, a friend and lover of his country and mankind.'

"Mrs. Goodrich survived her husband for many years, honored and beloved by a large circle of friends and relations. For the church and congregation of Durham she cherished the highest regard, and continued to receive from them the respect and affection to which, by her character, her love for them, and her example among them, she was eminently entitled. Her death occurred in the spring of 1830.

"As to the family of Dr. Goodrich, he left six children, five sons and a daughter, to mourn the loss of a parent whose character justly excited their veneration, and whose example they could, more than most others, safely imitate."

The following is abridged from Hollister's History of Connecticut, vol. ii. pp. 634-638:

"Chauncey Goodrich was the eldest son of the preceding, and was born on the 20th of October, 1779. After a career of great distinction at Yale College, where he spent nine years as a student, a Berkeley scholar, and a tutor, he was admitted to the bar at Hartford in the autumn of 1781.

"After serving in the State legislature for a single session, he was elected to Congress as a member of the House of Representatives, in

the year 1794. For this station he was peculiarly qualified, not only by the original bent of his mind and his habits of study, but also by the fact that an early marriage into the family of the second Governor Wolcott, had brought him into the closest relations with public men and measures, and made him investigate all the great questions of the day with profound interest and attention. His brother-in-law--afterward the third Governor Wolcott--held one of the highest offices under the general government. This led him, from the moment he took his seat in Congress, to become intimately acquainted with the plans and policy of the administration; and he gave them his warmest support, under the impulse alike of political principle and of personal feeling. A party in opposition to Gen. Washington was now organized for the first time in Congress, as the result of Mr. Jay's treaty with Great Britain. Mr. Goodrich took a large share in the debates which followed, and gained the respect of all parties by his characteristic dignity, candor, and force of judgment, and especially by his habit of contemplating a subject on every side, and discussing it in its remotest relations and dependencies. Mr. Albert Gallatin, then the most active leader of the opposition, remarked to a friend near the close of his life, that in these debates ho usually selected the speech of Chauncey Goodrich as the object of reply--feeling that if he could answer him, he would have met every thing truly relevant to the subject which had been urged on the part of the government.

"In 1801, he resigned his seat in Congress, and returned to the practice of the law at Hartford. The next year he was chosen to the office of councilor in the State legislature, which he continued to fill down to 1807, when he was elected to the Senate of the United States. During the violent conflicts of the next six years, he took an active part in most of the discussions which arose out of the embargo, the non-intercourse laws, and the other measures which led to the war with Geat Britain. The same qualities which marked his early efforts were now fully exhibited in the maturity of his powers, while the whole cast of his character made him peculiarly fitted for the calmer deliberations of the Senate. He had nothing of what Burke calls the 'smartness of debate.' He never indulged in sarcasm or personal attack. In the most stormy discussions, he maintained a courtesy which disarmed rudeness, No one ever suspected him of wishing to misrepresent an antagonist, or evade the force of an argument; and the manner in which he was treated on the floor of the Senate, shows how much can be done to conciliate one's political opponents, even in the worst times, by a uniform exhibition of high principle, if connected with a penetrating judgment and great reasoning powers. Mr. Jefferson playfully remarked to a friend during this period--'That white-headed Yankee from Connecticut is the most difficult man to deal with in the Senate of the United States.'

"In 1813, he was chosen lieutenant-governor of the State, and con-

tiaued to hold this office until his death. At the meeting of the legislature in 1814, he was appointed a delegate to the celebrated Hartford Convention. Though in feeble health, he took a large share in the deliberations of that body, and especially in those healing measures which were finally adopted. During its session, he received communications from distinguished men in other States, touching the various questions at issue, and particularly from Mr. Daniel Webster, who had previously sent him an extended argument to show that the provisions of the embargo law, 'so far as it interdicts commerce between parts of the United States,' were unconstitutional and oppressive in the highest degree. Mr. John Randolph, also, addressed him under date of December 16, 1814, forwarding a pamphlet which he had just published against the administration, in the hope of promoting 'the welfare of the country in these disastrous times.' At an earlier period, Mr. Randolph had been one of the strongest political opponents of Mr. Goodrich; but he now says--'Unfeigned respect for your character and that of your native State, which like my own is not to be blown about by every idle breath--now hot, now cold--is the cause of your being troubled with this letter--a liberty for which I beg your excuse.' In reference to the Convention, he remarks--' I make every allowance for your provocations; but I trust that the "steady habits" of Connecticut will prevail in the Congress at Hartford, and that she will be the preserver of the Union from the dangers by which it is threatened from the administration of the general government, whose wickedness is only surpassed by its imbecility.'

"Early in 1816, it was found that a hidden disease under which Mr. Goodrich had for some time labored, was an affection of the heart. His death was probably near--it would unquestionably be sudden--it might occur at any moment! He received the intelligence with calmness, but with deep emotion. He expressed his feelings without reserve to his pastor, the Rev. Dr. Strong, and at a later period to the writer of this sketch. From his youth, he had been a firm believer in the divine authority of the Scriptures. He read them habitually even in the busiest scenes of his life. So highly did he prize public worship, that he once remarked, he would attend on preaching of a very low intellectual order--which was even repulsive to his taste, and that he always did so, if he could find-no better, when away from home--rather than be absent from the house of God. As the result of all his studies and reflections, he had become more and more fixed in his belief of those great doctrines of grace, which had been taught him by his father, and which are generally received in the churches of Connecticut. His life had, indeed, been spotless, and devoted to the service of his country. But in speaking of our ground of acceptance before God, he said in substance--'A moral life is of itself nothing for the salvation of the soul. I have lived a moral life in the estimation of the world; but no language can express my sense of its deficiency in the sight of a holy

God. If there was not an atonement, I must be condemned and miserable forever. Here my hope is stayed. A sense of imperfection often sinks my spirits, but generally I have a hope that supports me, and at times I have rejoiced in God without fear, and have wished only to be in his hands and employed in his service.' In this state of mind his summons found him. On the 18th of August, 1813, in the midst of the family circle, while walking the room and engaged in cheerful conversation, he faltered for a moment, sank into a chair, and instantly expired, in the fifty-sixth year of his age.

"In his person, Mr. Goodrich was a little above the medium height, of a full habit, slightly inclining to corpulency. He had finely turned features, with prominent and rounded cheeks, and a remarkable purity of complexion, which retained throughout life the flush of early youth. His countenance was singularly expressive, showing all the varied emotions of his mind when excited by conversation or by public speaking. His eye was blue, and deep-sunk under an ample forehead. He had the habit of fixing it intently upon those to whom he spoke in earnest conversation, and no one who has felt that look, will ever forget its searching and subduing power.

"In domestic and social life, he was distinguished for his gentleness and urbanity. He had a delicacy of feeling which was almost feminine. A friend who had conversed with him intimately for many years, remarked that he had one peculiarity which was strikingly characteristic: 'Not a sentiment or expression ever fell from his lips in the most unguarded moment, which might not have been uttered in the most refined circles of female society.' He had, at times, a vein of humor, which shows itself in his familiar letters to Oliver Wolcott and others, as published by Mr. Gibbs, in his 'Memoirs of the Administration of Washington and John Adams.' But, in general, his mind was occupied with weighty thoughts, and it was perhaps this, as much as any thing, that gave him a dignity of manner which was wholly unassumed, and which, without at all lessening the freedom of social intercourse, made every one feel that he was not a man with whom liberties could be taken. He could play with a subject, when he chose, in a desultory manner, but he preferred, like Johnson, to 'converse rather than talk.' He loved of all things to unite with others in following out trains of thought. The late Judge Hopkinson, of Philadelphia, in a letter to Mr. Gibbs, classes him in this respect with Oliver Ellsworth, Fisher Ames, Uriah Tracy, Oliver Wolcott, and Roger Griswold: of whom he says, 'You may well imagine what a rich and intellectual society it was. I will not say that we have no such men now, but I don't know where to find them.'

"His crowning characteristic, that of integrity and honor, was thus referred to a few days after his death, by a writer in one of the leading journals of Hartford. 'His judgment was so guided by rectitude, that of all men living he was, perhaps, the only one to whom his worst ene-

my--if enemy he had--would have confided the decision of a controversy, sooner than to his best friend.'"

Elizur Goodrich, LL. D., the second son, was born 24th of March, 1761. In the year 1775, he entered Yale College, at the age of fourteen. During his senior year, his life was brought into extreme danger at the time when New Haven was attacked by the British. On the landing of the troops, July 5th, 1779, he joined a company of about a hundred in number, who went out, under the command of James Hillhouse, to annoy and retard the march of the enemy: toward evening, when the town was taken and given up to ravage and plunder, he was stabbed near the heart by a British soldier, as he lay on his bed in a state of extreme exhaustion, and barely escaped with his life.

Having been fitted for the bar, he established himself at New Haven, and soon acquired an extensive practice. In 1795, he was elected a representative to the State legislature, and in 1799, a member of Congress. This station he resigned, and was appointed Collector of the port of New Haven, and was soon after removed by Mr. Jefferson to give place to Deacon Bishop, as elsewhere related (vol. i. page 122). He was immediately elected to the State legislature, and then to the council. His habits of mind fitted him peculiarly for the duties of a legislative body. He had great industry, clearness of judgment, and accuracy of knowledge in the details of business. He was much relied on in drafting new laws, as one who had been long conversant with the subject, and had gained a perfect command of those precise and definite forma of expression which are especially important in such a case. He was, also, judge of the County Court for the county of New Haven thirteen years, and judge of Probate for the same county seventeen years, down to the change of politics in 1818. In the latter office, he endeared himself greatly to numerous families throughout the county, by his judgment and kindness in promoting the settlement of estates without litigation, and by his care in providing for the interests of widows and orphans. He was also mayor of the city of New Haven, from September, 1808, to June, 1822, being a period of nineteen years, when he declined any longer continuance in this office. For nine years he was Professor of Law at Yale College, and repeatedly delivered courses of lectures on the laws of nature and nations, but resigned the office in 1810, as interfering too much with his other public duties. His interest in the college, however, remained unabated. For many years he was a leading member of the corpora-

tion, and was particularly charged with its interests as a member of the prudential committee; and was secretary of the board for the period of twenty-eight years, until he tendered his resignation in 1846. It is a striking circumstance, that from the time of his entering college in 1776, he was uninterruptedly connected with the institution, either as a student, Berkeley scholar, tutor, assistant to the treasurer, professor, member of the corporation, or secretary of the board, for the space of seventy-one years! He received from the college the honorary degree of LL. D., in the year 1880. His death took place in 1849.

After what has been said, it is unnecessary to give any labored delineation of Mr. Goodrich's character. He was distinguished for the clearness and strength of his judgment, the ease and accuracy with which he transacted business, and the kindness and affability which he uniformly manifested in all the relations of life. His reading was extensive and minute; and, what is not very common in public men, he kept up his acquaintance with the ancient classics to the last, being accustomed to read the writings of Cicero, Livy, Sallust, Virgil, and Horace, down to the eighty-ninth year of his age, with all the ease and interest of his early days. He professed the religion of Christ soon after leaving college, adorned his profession by a consistent life, and experienced the consolations and hopes which it affords, in the hour of dissolution.

The following is copied from Professor Fowler's Notes, already mentioned:

Samuel Goodrich, the third son, was born on the 12th of January, 1763. He graduated at Yale, in l783, and after a course of theological study, was ordained at Ridgefield, Conn., on the 6th of July, 1786. Under his pastoral care the church and society of Ridgefield flourished, and he became an instrument of extensive good. He was often called to aid in the settlement of ecclesiastical difficulties, for which he was peculiarly fitted by his extensive knowledge of mankind, and by his plain practical sense. On the 22d of January, 1811, he was dismissed from his charge at Ridgefield, at his own request, and on the 29th of May following he was installed at Worthington, a parish of Berlin.

In 1784, Mr. Goodrich married Elizabeth Ely, daughter of Col. John Ely of Saybrook. She survived him about two years. Their children were ten in number. For several years Mr. Goodrich had been occasionally afflicted with gout, which in its attacks were more frequent and more serious as he advanced in life. His last sickness

was short, and as the disease early affected his brain, he was favored with but few lucid intervals. But during these he manifested a full knowledge of his danger, and a willingness to depart. A short period before his death, he revived so considerably as to distinguish his friends, and to express his strong confidence in God. "My soul," said he, "is on the Rock of Ages, and my confidence in God is as firm as the everlasting mountains. Yet," he continued, after a short pause, "in myself I am a poor creature." On Sabbath evening, April 19th, 1835, he expired.

Mr. Goodrich lived and died a Christian. As a pastor he was greatly beloved; as a minister of Jesus Christ he was eminently successful. Several seasons of revival occurred under his ministry, both during his residence at Ridgefield and Worthington. Many still live to whom he was a spiritual father, and who cherish his memory as "a good man," and a kind and faithful shepherd. In the language of one who knew him well--"He possessed many excellent qualities as a man and a minister. His judgment was accurate, being founded on an extensive acquaintance with men and manners, and a long study of the human heart. He readily discerned the springs of action, and knew well how to approach his fellow-men in regard to objects which he wished to accomplish. He did not misjudge in respect to means or ends. He was remarkable for his practical good sense, and an acquaintance with common and therefore useful things. His understanding was rather solid than brilliant, and his knowledge seemed to be in wide and diversified surveys, and was gathered from many a field, rather than contracted to a point, or derived from prolonged investigation of particular subjects. Hence his sermons were plain, instructive exhibitions of truth, and shared his varied information and practical good sense." During the last years of his life he preached with increased fervency, spirit, and solemnity.

How highly Le prized the scriptures may be gathered from a memorandum in his family Bible, as follows: "1806, began to read the Bible in course in the family, and completed it the thirteenth time, October 29, 1833." The years are specified in which he each time completed the reading: "1809, 1812, 1814, 1816, 1821, 1823, 1825, 1827, 1828, 1830, 1832, 1833." Such a man we might well expect to hear say, as he said on the eve of his departure--adopting the language of the Psalmist--"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

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I, p. 533

Elihu Chauncey Goodrich, Esq.--a name derived from his maternal grandfather--was the fourth child of Dr. Goodrich, and was born September 16th, 1764. He also received his education at Yale College, from which institution he graduated in 1784, with the reputation of a sound scholar. He devoted himself to the profession of law, engaging at times, as interest and inclination prompted, in the purchase and sale of western lands. His residence was at Claverack, New York. His death occurred in 1802, and was occasioned by fever induced by injudiciously bathing, during an excursion on the western lakes. He was never married.

Charles Augustus Goodrich, the fifth son, was born March 2d, 1768. Like his brothers, he was educated at Yale, and took his bachelor's degree in 1786. In constitution he was less vigorous than the other sons, but to a fine taste and poetical genius he united a disposition the most affectionate, and manners the most persuasive. Before leaving college he had chosen the ministry as a profession, for which he was well fitted, both on account of his piety, his love of learning, and the native kindness of his heart. Soon after, however, and by reason of too close application to study, his nervous system became seriously affected, and which in a few months induced a permanent derangement of his mental powers. His death occurred in 1804.

Catherine Chauncey Goodrich was born December 2, 1775, and died A. D. 1845, in the seventieth year of her age. She married Rev. David Smith, D. D., who succeeded to her father's pulpit, as has been elsewhere stated.

NOTE III.

Col. John Ely and Family.*

Col. John Ely, son of Daniel Ely, was a native of Lyme, Conn., and born in 1737. He devoted himself to the practice of medicine, and speedily became eminent. He was particularly success-

ful in the treatment of small-pox, and he erected several buildings for the reception of patients to receive inoculation for that disease. Two of these, constituting a regular hospital, were upon Duck Island, which lies off the shore of the village of Westport, where he established himself in practice. He married Sarah, daughter of Rev. Mr. Worthington of this village, then a parish of Saybrook, and bearing the name of Pachoug. He had a decided military turn, and engaged with patriotic ardor in the revolutionary struggle. As early as 1775, he mustered and marched with a company of militia to Roxbury, under his command. In 1776, he performed a tour of duty at Fort Trumbull, New London, as major, also officiating as physician and surgeon. Among the few of his papers which remain, I find a copy of a pithy letter, which he sent, as commandant of the fort, to a suspicious ship, lying at anchor at the mouth of the harbor; in consequence--as is said in a note--"she disappeared, and we hope to see her no more." "In July, he was sent to visit the northern army, and employ his skill in arresting the small-pox, which was then raging in the camp with great virulence."* In 1777 he was again the commandant of Fort Trumbull, with the rank of colonel, his regiment having been raised by his own exertions, and many of the men having been fitted out with his own money. He was at this time wealthy, and the country was poor, and with the liberality of his nature he devoted not only his services but his means to the cause which filled his breast.

His subsequent military career may be told in the report of the committee on revolutionary claims in the House of Representatives, January 23, 1833:

"Colonel Ely, at the commencement of the Revolutionary war, was a physician of great celebrity, residing at the town of Saybrook, in the State of Connecticut; that, in the early stages of the conflict, he abandoned his profession, and raised a regiment of regular troops, and was commissioned as a colonel; and, at the head of his regiment, he entered into the service of his country.

"On the 9th of December, 1777, he was captured by the enemy, and became a prisoner of war, and was paroled at Flatbush, on Long Island, where were also, prisoners, several hundred American officers. Among these officers a distressing sickness prevailed, and Col. Ely, from the humanity that belonged to his character, from the day of his captivity to the day of his exchange, faithfully and exclusively devoted his time and retention to them as a physician. In discharging this duty, he encountered great hardship and much expense, as the residences of the sick officers were scattered over a considerable space of country, many of them being as much as twenty miles apart. Col. Ely, when unable from bodily infirmity or the state of the weather, to perform his long tours on foot, hired a horse at an extravagant price, and paid the cost out of his own private means. He was also frequently compelled to purchase medicine for the sick at his own cost.

"Soon after he became a prisoner, his son, Captain Ely, in conjunction with other friends, fitted out, at their own expense, a vessel, and manned her, for the purpose of surprising and capturing a British force, with which to effect the exchange of Col. Ely. The object of the expedition succeeded, so far as regarded the surprise and capture of the enemy, and the prisoners were delivered to the proper authorities, to be exchanged for Col. Ely. This, however, was not done, by reason of the earnest entreaties of the sick American officers, who considered their lives as greatly depending upon the continuance, attendance, and skill of Col. Ely. He was induced to forego his right to an exchange, and consented to remain, for the comfort and safety of his sick brother officers. It appears, from a certificate of Samuel Huntington, President of Congress, that still, subsequent to the time when his exchange might have been effected, through the valor of his son and friends; and when he became entitled to an exchange, by the regular rule, that a deputation of exchanged officers, who had been his fellow-prisoners, was appointed to wait on Congress, by the sick officers who still remained in captivity, and to urge the continuance of Col. Ely as their physician and surgeon. At the head of this deputation was Col. Matthews (since a member of Congress, and Governor of Georgia), and Col. Ramsay, of the Maryland line. Col. Ely was, in consequence of this representation, not exchanged, although entitled to an exchange. He remained, and acted as physician and surgeon till the 25th of December, 1780, when he was released--a period of more than three years."

On his final return to his family, early in the year 1781, Col. Ely found himself broken in health and constitution, his lands run to waste, his house in a state of dilapidation, his property dissipated, and a considerable debt accumulated against him. With good courage, however, he set himself again to his profession. He rose in the morning early, cut his wood, carried it in, built his fires, fed the

cattle, and then went forth upon his professional duties. In those days of depression, the great staple of the family for food was hasty pudding--Col. Ely cheering his wife by saying that the children of the poor were always the healthiest, because of the simplicity of their food. By these efforts and sacrifices he partially recovered from his difficulties. His health, however, gradually gave way; and when the country had risen from the chaos of the war under the new constitution, he, with others, applied to Congress for remuneration for his extraordinary services. Gen. Knox, then Secretary of War, made a highly favorable report, and the House of Representatives immediately adopted it by passing a bill in favor of Col. Ely, granting him twenty thousand dollars. He was at Philadelphia at this time, and wrote to his daughter at Ridgefield that in a few days he should be able to give her the marriage outfit which his poverty had hitherto prevented him from doing. Not doubting that the Senate would ratify the action of the House, he returned to his family.

In a short time he received the mortifying intelligence that his claim had been thrown out by the Senate. Oliver Ellsworth, a man of great pertinacity of character as well as wisdom in the conduct of affairs, had acquired immense influence in that body--it being said by Aaron Burr that if he should chance to spell the name of the Deity with two ds, it would take the Senate three weeks to expunge the superfluous letter! He was generally opposed to money grants, from a just anxiety as to the means of the government, and hence was called the "Cerberus of the treasury." This formidable senator opposed the bill in Col. Ely's favor, and it was consequently defeated.

Sick at heart, borne down with a sense of neglect, if not injustice, the more keenly felt because he had sacrificed his fortune and his health in the most generous manner for his country; indignant at the refusal of compensation for his extraordinary services, promised by letters from Washington addressed personally to himself, and placed before Congress, he turned his back upon the hope of further success in life, and after a few years--October, 1800--he was numbered with the dead. About forty years later, the heirs of Col. Ely presented his claims to Congress, and they were readily recognized. Most of his papers, however, had been lost, and only a small portion of his claim--about five thousand dollars--was allowed.

The character of Col. Ely may be inferred from what has already been said. In person he was tall, erect, and of a manner marked with dignity and ease. In conversation he was lively, full

of wit, and abounding in illustrative anecdote. As a commander, he was the idol of the soldiery, and uniting to his military office the skill and practice of the physician, with a tenderness of humanity which knew no weariness, he acquired a degree of love and friendship which few men ever enjoy. It is painful to reflect that it was owing to these amiable traits of character, and to the confidence and affection they inspired, that his days were shortened and the latter part of his life darkened with comparative poverty and gloom. It was in consequence of the earnest solicitations and representations of the invalid soldiers and officers that remained in captivity on Long Island, and who felt that they could not part with his services, that he was induced to forego his privilege of restoration to his family, and continue on in captivity--and that too after his son, a youth of twenty years of age, by his enterprise, had provided the means of deliverance--devoting himself to arduous duties, which finally resulted in breaking down his vigorous constitution and his elastic spirit.

A friend has furnished me with the following notice of my great-grandfather on my mother's side, and the progenitor of some of the leading families in Connecticut:

"Rev. William Worthington was the son of William Worthington, first of Hartford and then of Colchester, Conn., and grandson of Nicholas Worthington, the emigrant ancestor, probably, of all who bear the name of Worthington in the United States. The last resided in Liverpool, England, where he was a great farmer. He was wounded in the Cromwellian wars, lost a part or all of his estate by confiscation, and came to this country about 1650. He settled first in Hatfield, Mass., and afterward removed to Hartford, Conn.

"Rev. William Worthington was born, probably in Colchester, Dec. 5, 1695. He graduated at Yale College in 1716, preached for a time in Stonington, Conn., and was settled in Saybrook, west parish, then called Pachong, in 1726. He was the first minister of the parish, and was ordained in the dwelling-house built for himself, but then unfinished, the people sitting on the beams and timbers to witness the ceremony. He died Nov. 16, 1756, in the sixty-first year of his age, in the language on his gravestone, 'much lamented by all who were happy in his acquaintance.' He was a popular preacher and a most faithful pastor. His influence was eminently persuasive to love and good works, and was long visible after his death, in the religions character of his people, and in the tone of feeling prevalent in the business and courtesies of life. He preached the election sermon in the year 1744. The following is the title-page: 'The Duty of Rulers and Teachers in unitedly leading God's People, urged and explained in a Sermon preached,

before tie General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut, at Hartford, on their Anniversary Election, May 10th, 1744.'

"The sermon is a logical and well-written discourse. In his social and ministerial intercourse, he was a gentleman of great blandness, gracefulness, and urbanity of manner--attributes which he transmitted to many of his descendants. Some of his people said that they had but one thing against him, and that was, 'he walked as if he were a proud man.' But Mr. Lay, one of his parishioners, seeing him walking in the woods, and supposing himself alone, with the same dignity and gracefulness of bearing as when in the presence of others, came to the conclusion that his 'manner in public was natural to him.'

"His four daughters were celebrated in their day for their accomplishments. The traditions of their superiority of air, manner, and appearance, still linger among the old people of Westport. Their father's mode of educating them was to keep one of them, in succession, at domestic employments with their mother, while the others were at their studies with himself.

"The following is told among the legends of the family. Mr. Worthington had a slave named Jenny. After his death she lived with his children, one after another. When she died, it was ninety years from the time that the first bill of sale was given. She had two children in Guinea before she came to this country, and must therefore have been considerably over a hundred years old. When she was on her death-bed, at Mr. Elnathan Chauncey's, in Durham, Mr. Goodrich conversed with her. 'Jenny has strange notions,' said he, when he came out of the room. 'She said to me, "I shall go to heaven. I shall knock at the door, and ask for Massa Worthington; and he will go and tell God that I had always been an honest, faithful servant, and then he will let me in, and I will go and sit in the kitchen."'

"Mr. Worthington's first wife was Nancy Mason, the second Temperance Gallup. The children of Mr. Worthington were--

I. Mary, who married Col. Aaron Elliot, of Killingworth. Her children were, 1. Dr. William Elliot, of Goshen, N. Y.; 2. Dr. Aaron Elliot, who removed to St. Genevieve, La.; 3. Mary, who married a Mr. Ely, of Lyme. Sybil, who died young. Elizabeth, who was the oldest daughter by his second wife: she married Col. Samuel Gale, of Goshen, N. Y., for her first husband, and Rev. Elnathan Chauncey, of Durham, Connecticut, for her second husband. By her first husband she had--1. Asa Worthington Gale; 2. Benjamin Gale. By her second husband she had--1. Nathaniel William Chauncey; 2. Catharine Chauncey, who married Reuben Rose Fowler; 3. Worthington G. Chauncey.

"II. Sarah, who was married to Col. John Ely, of the army of the Revolution. Her children were--1. Ethlinda, who married her half-cousin, Dr. William Elliot, who settled at Goshen, N. Y.; 2. Worthington, who graduated at Yale College in 1780, and who was a physi-

cian at New Baltimore, on the Hudson, and the grandfather of the present Mrs. Recorder Smith, of the city of New York, Mrs. Waddell, &c.; 3. Betsey, who married the Rev. Samuel Goodrich, of Berlin, Conn; 4. Amy, who married Dr. Cowlea; 5. John, a physician, and member of Congress, established at Coxsackie; 6. Edward, a lawyer, settled at Goshen, N. Y.; 7. Lucretia, who married Dr. Gregory of Sand Lake near Albany.

"III. Temperance, who was married first to Moses Gale, of Goshen N. Y., and afterward to Rev. Samuel Mather Smith. She had one son named William, by her first husband, and she had by her second husband, John Cotton Smith, who was governor of Connecticut; a daughter, who married Judge Radcliff, of New York; another daughter, who married the Rev. Mr. Smith, of Stamford, Conn.; and another daughter, who married Mr. Wheeler.

"IV. Mehitabel, who married Michael Hopkins. Her children were--1. George, a well-known printer and publisher; 2. Stephen Augustus, who removed to Richmond, Va.; 3. Silvia, who was a celebrated beauty; 4. Belinda.

"V. William, who was a colonel in the army of the Revolution."

NOTE IV.

The Clergy of Fairfield County.

Rev. Amzi Lewis, D. D., son of Deacon Samuel Lewis, of Naugatuck, graduated at Yale College, 1786, settled at Horseneck, and died in 1819.

Rev. Justus Mitchell* settled at New Canaan, and died in 1808.

Rev. Matthias Burnet, D. D., was installed over the First Congregational Church of Norwalk, 1785, died 1806, aged fifty-eight.

Rev. Elijah Waterman was graduated at Yale in 1791, ordained at Windham in 1794, installed at Bridgeport in 1806, and died in 1825, aged fifty-six.

Rev. Boswell Swan, settled over the First Congregational Church in Norwalk, 1807, died 1819, in the forty-first year of his age.

Heman Humphries, D. D., was born in Simsbury, Conn., March

26, 1779; he was brought up in West Britain, now Burlington, under the preaching of the Rev. Jonathan Miller, and was received into his church when about twenty years of age. He had few early advantages of education, but he mastered all difficulties, and by his own efforts passed through Yale College, graduating in 1805. He studied divinity, and was settled at Fairfield in 1807. Being dismissed, at his own request, in 1817, he was settled at Pittsfield in the autumn of the same year. In 1823 he became president of Amherst College. In 1845 he resigned this situation, and has since made Pittsfield his residence. Enjoying excellent health and a wide fame, he has devoted his time and attention to the promotion of good and useful objects, chiefly of a religious nature.

Rev. Jonathan Bartlett is son of Rev. Jonathan Bartlett, who was settled over the church in Reading, March 21st, 1733. He succeeded his father, being first ordained and installed as his colleague in 1796. In a recent letter to me he says: "I can truly say that they--the clergymen of the Association of 'Fairfield West'--were all, not only in my own, but in the general estimation, highly respectable as men, and some of them were considered as possessed of uncommon abilities."

NOTE V.

Revival of Education.

J. G. Carter,* of Lancaster, Mass., was one of the first and most efficient of the promoters of the revival of education in New England, which commenced about thirty years ago. He began to write upon the subject as early ae 1821, and from that time, for about twenty years, he devoted his attention with great energy to this object. He published various pamphlets, written with vigor, in behalf of the necessity of better text-books, the more vigorous administration of schools, and the thorough training of teachers. He laid open the philosophy of teaching with great ability, and was in fact a pioneer in the path of progress and improvement which bas since been so happily followed. He promoted the lyceums founded

by the indefatigable Josiah Holbrook, and in 1830, delivered two addresses before the American Institute of Instruction, of which he was an active promoter--one on the "Education of the Faculties," and another on the "Necessity of Educating Teachers." In 1835, chiefly through his influence, he being then a member of the legislature of Massachusetts, a grant of three hundred dollars a year was made by the State to that excellent institution, and which has since been continued. In 1837 Mr. Carter, still being a member of the legislature, was chiefly instrumental in causing an act to be passed constituting the Board of Education, which has since been the source of so much good in rousing the public throughout the whole country, to the importance of the extension and improvement of education.

Of the Board of Education, thus constituted, Horace Mann became the secretary, and by his eloquence contributed to stimulate into life the good seed that had been sown. Rev. Charles Brooks, of Bingham, devoted himself with great zeal and success to the founding of normal schools, and to him Massachusetts is largely indebted for her excellent institutions of this nature.

Henry Barnard, of Connecticut, has devoted his life to the promotion of education, and bas contributed more than any other person in the United States to give consistency and permanence to the efforts of enlightened men in behalf of this great cause. He is eminently practical, and at the same time by his various writings, he has largely diffused among all classes, true views of the nature and necessity of thorough instruction, especially in a country where the political institutions rest upon the people.

Among other early and efficient promoters of the movement which has resulted in the present enlightened state of public opinion on the subject of education, were Thomas H. Gallaudet, William C. Woodbridge, A. B. Alcott, W. A. Alcott, George B. Emerson, D. P. Page, Josiah Holbrook, Ebenezer Bailey, Gideon F. Thayer, Warren Colburn, Francis Wayland, William Russell, Rev. Samuel J. May[,] Rev. George Putnam, and indeed many others.

The "Journal of Education" was founded in 1825 by Thomas B. Waite, of Boston, originally a printer, but then a publisher--a son of a member of the firm of Lilly, Waite & Co. In 1828 it came into my hands, Mr. W. Russell being its editor, but I parted with it after about a year.

It is to be remarked that many of the leading men of Massachusetts have readily lent their aid to the cause of education; among whom we may specially mention Daniel Webster, J. Q. Adams, Rob-

ert Rantoul, Jr., Edward Everett, Levi Lincoln, John Davis, &c. &c., all being convinced of the supreme importance of the subject, and desirous of lending their influence to enforce it upon the attention of the people.

Among the benefactors of special education, we may mention Thomas Handyside Perkins, of Boston, "a merchant who accumulated a princely fortune, and whose heart was still larger than his wealth," and who, aided by the skillful labors of Dr. Howe, was the chief founder of the Massachusetts Institution for the Blind. Abbott Lawrence, who rose by means of his fine person, his agreeable manners, his liberal feelings, and his strong practical sense, not only to great wealth, but to high social and political consideration, was a most munificent benefactor of various educational establishments. His two brothers, Amos and William, followed his noble example, and the public appreciation of their conduct may, it is hoped, lead others to devote a portion of their surplus wealth to the beneficent cause of general or special education.

END OF VOL. I.