Connecticut's Part in the Lexington Alarm By
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The f thepomfrettimes1995.org PInformingom the local community retfor 22 years TVolumeimes 23 No.4 JULY 2017 By Connecticut’s Part in the Lexington Alarm Jim Platt n April 19, 1775 the British Perhaps Connecticut’s greatest troops marched contribution to the war was the fact into Lexington, that it furnished many supplies to Massachusetts the Continental Army. To General in an attempt George Washington, Connecticut was Oto capture what they thought “The Provision State”. was an arsenal of powder and shot. The local Militia resisted setts and the rest were sent home. them and the alarm went out A company of horse soldiers were for reinforcements. Throughout formed in Woodstock and they also New England the alarm was spread went to Boston. Each man reported by men on horseback. Israel Bessel to have with him 20 day provisions was charged with spreading the word and 60 rounds of ammunition. The throughout Connecticut and he, like men from Connecticut had on their the other alarmers, rode a horse and standards or flags the motto of “qui carried a drum. By the 27th of April transtulit sustinet” which translates to “God who transplanted us here will the word had reached as far south as It was reported in the diary of one support us.” General Ward was the troop commander in Roxbury and General Baltimore and by the 11th of May it of the local officers that about 1,000 Putnam was the commander in chief and in charge at Cambridge. During the rest of April and May there was no action on either side and had reached Charleston, South Caro- men assembled in Pomfret ready to lina. As the story goes Israel Putnam the troops became bored. General Putnam took care of this by putting the go to battle in Boston. It was decided was plowing in his fields when he men to work building fortifications protecting the only bridge over the Charles got the word, and he immediately by the officers in Pomfret that this River and the road from Charlestown Neck to Cambridge. On May 13 Putnam unyoked his team of oxen and told number was more than was needed marched 3,000 men onto Breeds Hill to taunt the British on the HMS Somer- his son to go home and tell his wife and only about 300 men marched on set which was anchored in Boston Harbor. On June 12 British General Gage declared martial law. On June 16 the decision was made to fortify Breeds Hill, where he had gone and he rode off to Massachusetts and the rest were to Boston. He managed to make the the name was later changed to Bunker Hill. A thousand men from Connecticut sent home. journey in twenty four hours which and Massachusetts including a company from Pomfret under the command of was quite a feat in those days. Lieutenant Grosvenor did the job in one night. At that time in Israel’s life he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the On June 17th the British came ashore and attacked the redoubt on Breeds Eleventh Regiment of the Connecticut Militia. He had previous military ser- Hill. History tells us that the Americans put up a good fight until their ammu- vice and in 1762 he had been in charge of a Connecticut Regiment in Havana, nition gave out. Putnam was in the middle of this battle commanding, plead- Cuba. During the French and Indian War he served with Roger’s Rangers in ing, cursing and swearing like a mad man. It was Israel Putnam who coined upstate New York. the phrase “Don’t shoot until you can see the whites of their eyes.” When the On April 21 soon after Israel arrived in the Boston area he attended a powder and shot ran out the British overran the fortifications and forced the “Council of War” to decide the next step as the British were generally con- Americans along with General Putnam to retreat to Charlestown. The Connect- fined to the Boston area. icut losses were 14 killed and 30 wounded. The British losses were 1500 killed He received word that the or wounded out of a total force of 3,000 men. The heavy losses and the unex- Connecticut Legislature pected fierce resistance put up by the American convinced the British to confine wanted to meet with him, themselves to the Boston area until their evacuation in 1776. One wonders what so he turned around and happened to the British wounded. There certainly was not enough room on the Those who won our returned to Hartford to re- ships in the British fleet to handle that large number of wounded men. independence believed liberty to be the port on the progress of the Putnam’s regiment remained in Cambridge until their enlistment expired in secret of happiness and courage to be battle. At that meeting he December 1775. In 1776 the regiment was reorganized into the 20th Continen- the secret to liberty. LOUIS D. BRANDEIS. was promoted to Brigadier tal Regiment under Colonel Durkee of Norwich. General. He left word for One major Revolutionary War battle was fought in Connecticut. This was at the nearly 4,000 Con- New London and Groton. On September 6, 1781, British forces under General Happy necticut troops to follow as Benedict Arnold and Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Eyre landed at New London quickly as possible. It was on both banks of the Thames River. On the west bank in New London, Arnold’s reported in the diary of one troops met no resistance and destroyed goods and naval stores. Many building Fourth of of the local officers that in the town were burned. On the east bank in Groton, Colonel Eyre’s forces at- about 1,000 men assembled tached and captured Fort Griswold which was commanded by Colonel William in Pomfret ready to go to Ledyard. Colonel Eyre was mortally wounded in the battle. Colonel Ledyard was battle in Boston. It was killed after he had surrendered the fort, and became a martyr to the American decided by the officers in cause. The town of Ledyard Connecticut was named for him. JULY Pomfret that this number Perhaps Connecticut’s greatest contribution to the war was the fact that it was more than was needed furnished many supplies to the Continental Army. To General George Washing- and only about 300 men ton, Connecticut was “The Provision State”. Items supplied included beef, salt, marched on to Massachu- flour and gunpowder.n The Pomfret Times The Pomfret Times is published 12 times yearly and P.O. Box 72 NON-PROFIT Pomfret Center is mailed to every household in US POSTAGE Connecticut 06259 Pomfret. It is also distributed and PAID available at various businesses Postal Patron Permit 401 within the towns of Putnam, Putnam, CT Woodstock and Danielson Connecticut. It is a Non-profit 06260 entity that relies soley on advertisers and donations for its existence. The Pomfret Times | JULY 2017 | Page 2 | The Pomfret Times | JULY 2017 |Page 3 | First Selectman Craig Baldwin Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection The Pomfret Times Letters to the Editor irst Selectman Craig Baldwin stunned the Pomfret Republican Town Committee Thursday www.thepomfrettimes1995.org Patrick McCarthy, Longtime Pomfret resi- Leaders, Vestry members, and volunteer musicians for evening saying that he would not run for reelection in 2017. The Town Committee was sur- The Town Committee endorsed the following candidates to prised by his decision. The Pomfret Times is published twelve times a year, dent, to Run for Board of Selectman with the Rectory School service each weekend. F present to the Republican Caucus on July 20, 2017. Town the last week of each month, at Pomfret Connecti- Nicholson. Until a couple of years ago, I felt quite comfort- He said, “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of the Town of Pomfret. This Treasurer, Cheryl Grist; Board of Finance, Elizabeth Cartier; cut, by the Woodbridge Foundation, Inc. Dear Friends and Neighbors, able with the leadership of Pomfret and the direction has not been an easy decision.” He went on to explain that an opportunity has come up to lead The Pomfret Times is distributed free of charge a research team in near Washington, DC, which will mean that he would have to leave Pomfret. Board of Education Full Term, Whitney Bundy and Brent to every home in Pomfret and mailed to out of town My name is Patrick McCarthy, and I am running for the town had taken in education, economic decision- subscribers within the U.S. for a contribution of the office of Selectman in the upcoming November making, land preservation, and controlled develop- Members of the Town Committee expressed their thanks to Baldwin for his service to Pomfret, Tuttle; Board of Education Two Year Term, Tony Emilio; $25.00. This non-profit venture, is supported soley by 7th election. My wife Gail and I moved to Pomfret in ment. Over the last two years, however, I realized moving Pomfret forward, and maintaining a stable tax levy. Board of Assessment Appeals, Nick Gardner, Zoning Board advertisement revenues and contributions. The Pomfret Republican Town Committee had called a special meeting to endorse candidates 1992 and have been residents of the town since that that the leadership of the town had lost its sense of of Appeals, Robert Andrews and Jamie Robbins; Zoning time. In the course of these 25 years, we have been direction and focus, and that my neighbors and I for the upcoming Caucus on July 20, 2017. After Baldwin’s announcement, current Selectman POMFRET EDITORIAL BOARD Board of Appeals Alternate, John Lewerenz; Constables, blessed to have this community as a place to work, were not the priority of many of our elected officials.