Letters Written by Ebenezer Huntington
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The pleasure of havi ng come into possession of this extremely important collection of letters a nd my inter est i n seeing them preserved for the historica l u se and reading of future generations are sufficient reasons for issuing this volume . In maki ng up a sketch of the life of General Eben u i no i s i ezer H nt ngton , claim made of ntroducing any new facts or original matt er . I induced Mr . G . W . F . of c Blanchfield Hartford , Conne ticut , who discovered these letters to write this introduction although he is a new man in this field of literature . I think the mere fact of his discovery of these letters entitles h im to the honon Chr istmas 1 9 1 4 HA FRE D H EARTMAN C S . FORE WORD Ebenezer Huntington was born December of ededi a h o f son J Huntington Norwich , and Faith Trumbull , of Le banon " and grandson of Gen . Jabez i u of . Hunt ngton and Elizabeth Back s , both Norwich o ne His grandfather , Gen . Jabez , was of the two f Maj or Generals o the Militia , after the death of Gen . 7 w s i n 177 a . Wooster , May , he appointed sole Maj Gen . of the State forces . His father was appointed Co ". at the beginning o f the of War , and at the close it he received the appointment 1777 of Maj . Gen . , having served from as Brig . Gen . ’ n n of Little is k ow Ebenezer Huntington s earlier life , and all accoun ts published begin with his leaving Col 2 1 ’ 75 f lege , on Friday , April , , when the tidings o the of battle Lexington were brought to New Haven . The o f vi i tradition his ha ng left College w thout permission , n is show to be true by his letters dated Roxbury Camp , 25t h 23rd 177 . June , July , 5 On 25t h hi s July , two days later than last letter of complaint on this subj ect , he received his degree from 8 Yale College , and on August th , following , he received an Honorary Degree of B . A . from Harvard College , and 1 7 . in 85 an M . A . from Yale and Harvard Colleges f A ter leaving New Haven , he went direct to Wethers hi s -i h - w h o field , where brother law , John Chester lived , a s of w Captain an Alarm Company , and enlisting 22 . April , marched from there to Boston In the Cincinnati Society Records , he dates his 2 177 . career from April 1 , 5 , the day he left New Haven On his arrival at Boston , he served as a private until Sept . 8th , when he received his appointment as first ’ lieut . in Capt . Chester s Company , in Gen . Joseph ’ On l st 1776 Spencer s Regiment . January , , he became 1 ’ ll s s . 0 . W first lieut in C Samuel y y Reg t , which was ’ 1 775 Spencer s regiment of , and served with it to the close of the Boston siege , when he marched under s Washington to New York . In June he w a appointed captain taking part in the battle of Long Island , and near the close of the ca mpaign performed the duties of n B rigade Maj or under Ge eral Parsons . 26 1 776 O . Soon after ( ct , ) he received the temporary appointment of Deputy Adj t . Gen . to the troops stationed on the North River , under Maj . Gen . Heath , f or the defence of the Highlands . He also received the appointment of Deputy Paymaster . Letters dated this year are from New York , Westchester , Peeks Kill , and Paramus , N . J . 1777 . In , Congress authorized Gen Washington to raise sixteen ( 16) regiments in addition t o those which one were to be raised by the respective states , and in of ’ these , that of Col . S . B . Webb s , he was promoted l st 1777 of . January , , to the rank Maj or During the ’ ’ year it formed part of Gen l Putnam s force on the n on 4t h 1777 Hudso , and December , , he writes from of t o Norwalk , Conn . an expedition Kings Street " l 1t e fo r December h finds him at Guilford , pr paring an t o expedition Long Island , which met with failure , the n O regiment losi g its Colonel and other fficers , Hunting t on getting back safely . of 177 During the summer 8 , he was with the troops i n of 29 t h Rhode Island , taking part in the battle August , and the Lieut . Colonel leaving the service presently Maj or Huntington commanded the regiment for more than two years . 1 7 7 In December , 9 , he writes from Danbury , of the 1 0 t he Je rsi es in 1780 march into , and Feb ruary , , from i i Morr stown where they were in w nter quarters , and in 1 780 i n Jun e , , the regiment took part the action at i ’ Spring field un der Hunt ngton s command . In the w a s O 0 0 n . 1 178 following autum he commissioned ( ct , ) Lieut . Col . He had received the appointment before " that but a dispute arose between himself and Lieut . r of C o l. Ebenezer Gray as to the senio ity rank which ’ ih caused a delay , resulting , however , Huntington s . h ’ favor " is commission antedating Gray s by five days . The case w a s warmly contested , and was referred su c essi v l n of c e y to the Governor and Cou cil Connecticut , of to the Board War , to Washington , and by the latter r i i of - to a cou t of nquiry , cons sting Maj or Generals . C OGates , Heath , and St Clair, and Colonels reaOton and gden . A final decision was not reached until ctober , 7 w a s a a s . 1 82 . Huntington det iled to serve Lieut ’ nf Colonel of Col . Scammell s Light I antry regiment , r which fo med the van of the army , and marched with Washi ngton to Yorktown . c m ll f After the death of Col . S a me at the opening o l the siege , Hunting ton commanded one ha f the regi ment as a separate corps and Col . Lau rens the other l ’ ha f , both being assigned to Lafayette s Light Division on the right of the Line . He also served a s volunteer aid to Gen . Lincoln during the siege at Yorktown , and in that capacity wi tnessed the magnificent spectacle o f the surrender of Cornwallis to the soldiers of liberty . ’ In T rumbull s historical picture of the Surrender of Cornwallis , Gen . Huntington is represented in the f O i o group American fficers , his portrait hav ng been taken by the artist from li fe . He remained on duty with the army till the troops " 6 S ee Le A 7 7 . o f 1 0 1 tter ugust . 1 1 were disbanded , having served through the whole war 1775 from April , , to May, 1 783 . General Huntington retired from the army to the f i peaceful pursuits o merchandise . But h s experience and tact in military evolutions and discipline (he being considered one of the best disciplinarians of the army) made it desirable that he should be retained in the home 1792 service , and in , Congress having evolved a system of for the Militia the states, his Excellency , Governor Samuel Huntington , appointed him a General , which f r position he held o 3 0 years , under the successive Governors , Wolcott , Trumbull , Treadwell , Griswold , Smith , and Wolcott . 7 In 1 99 , he was appointed by President Adams , on the f recommendation o General Washington , a Brigadier General in the United States Army , raised upon the apprehension of a War with France . 18 10 18 17 a s In , and again in , he w elected Member of Congress . He w a s noted for his fine manly form and military deportment . He was twice married . His first mar ri a e 10 1 79 1 g , December , , to Sarah Isham , of Colchester , . one son Conn , by whom he had , Alfred Isham Hunting 1793 . 2 1793 . t on , who was born June , His wife died in O 17 5 7 9 He married again ctober , , Lucretia Mary M l ll cC e a n , of Woodstock , who died November by this marriage he had nine (9 ) children as follows : 20 1796 . Wolcott , born Aug . , 20 1798 . Louisa Mary , born Feb . , 22 1799 . George Washington , born Nov . , 1 1 . Au . 6 80 Emily , born g , L 6 1803 . Nancy . , born April , 1 1 1 804 . Walter , born Nov . , 0 . I . 1 18 6 Sarah , born May , 24 1808 . M . Elizabeth , born Aug , 12 13 18 10. Dec . Maria H . , born , - 17 18 4 i n . u 3 Brig Gen H ntington died June , , the 80t h year of his age . The editor acknowledges hi s indebtedness to the followin g works for the facts relating t o the life of n . Gen . Hu tington P . Johnson , H . , Yale in the Revolution of . Caulkins , History Norwich - 1659 1848 . Vita l Records of Norwich , Huntington Family Memoirs . A CHF . G . W . F . BL N IELD f Hart ord , Conn . 13 To ’ H E H N BLE E T E s T O JAB Z HU NTING ON q , Mercha nt . Norwi ch S . Favored b v M R ROBIN ON New Haven Apri l 1 5t h 17 74 Hon ’ d Sir In your last by E sq Sherman you w rote me that yo u Intend to send a h ors e for me next M a y shou ld b e glad i f i n s t o f t is not Inconve ient you would Plea e send o your o w n family wi th it for I have Several old Clothes th at I want to hav e at Home and C annot Carry them myself w ith other N ecesa ri es.