- -------- THE Milford Grenadiers. - ___...._.~--··- JoHN W. FowLER. AUG 6- 19 06 113 I HISTORY OF THE Milford Grenadiers. Their Origin, Progress mzd Disbandment, zvith a List of the Officers and Members. BY JOHN W. FOWLER. Reprinted from the MILFORD, CoNN., SENTINEL, Feb'y 24th, r 876. Charles D. Page, Editor. - - ···-­ MILFORD, CONN. : THE SENTINEL OFFICE, 1876. THE MILFORD GRENADIERS. Amon~ the noto!·ieties with which Mil­ name of a soldier who hurled 2:renades fo rd was honored towards the close of the (bombs!Jells). In some armies a soldier last century. ll.nd which grew to become of the first companr of"' batallion of foot­ the pride and glory of hl'l' people. was the t -oops. Grenadiers are chosen for their tall First Flank Compauy of Light Infantry of stature and line appearance." I have l.Jeen the then 32d Regiment ofConnectient Mili­ informed that no man could join our Gren­ tia, which in 1816, by a re-organizati~n of adier company who did not mcast•re ~orne­ the Militia system became known as the where between 5 feet9 inches, and 6 feet 2cl Regiment. 6 inches, for several years after their or­ It has seemed to me eminently proper ganization. that this centennial year should require The followlug voluntary enlistment, every man to endeavor to rescnc from ob­ ori.ginally drawn up, with the signatures livion-b) placing upon record-the his ­ of these twenty-five in their own hand­ tory of the men and institutions of the cen­ writing, is in my pgssession: tury just passing away, whose memory We, the subscribers. hereby acknowl­ deserve to be thus perpetuated. edge ourselves to be voluntarily enlisted The pruncl record of the men of 1\iilford into a company ot Grenadiers, to serve In in the selections, by their respective Gov­ the thirty-second Regiment, in the Second ernors Jonathan 'l'rnmbull, Roger Gris­ Brigade of Militia in this State; to choose our own officers. am! dress onrsP.lves in a woltl, ,Tohn 'l'readwell. John Cotton Smith, uniform to b'l a2:rePd on by the FielJ of­ Oliver Wolcott, anu Gitieon Tomlinson, to ficers of snid Regiment anti the commis­ fill the position:< of Brigade and H.eg-imcn­ FJOned officers of saict company; and,we do tal Conuuamlers; of such men as Col. hereby acknowledge ourselves hound and obliged to do military dnty as l1 Grenadier Daniel S•.ckett. Col. Benjamin Bull, Col. Company in said Regiment, flnd to subject William Fenn, Col. Stephen B. Fonl, Col. and conform ourselves to the rules and reg­ Andrew BeRni Col. William Platt, Col. ulations thereof, ll.nd to the Jaws of this Stnte antl the United States. from time to Abel R. Hine, and Col. I~aae T. Rogers; time, relative to the ordering or ,!!Ovem­ 1\Iajor Samuel Higby. i\Iaj . Barnabas ing the tllilitia of this State, until "'e are 'Vootlcock. and )Jrrj . Samuel H. Gunn, regnlll.rly dischargetl acconling- to law. (and others perhap> inadvertentlv omit­ In witne~s whcr;; of we h:we hereunto set our halllls and seal..;. State of Connecti­ ted) is ~ufllcient evidence of the high esti­ cut, Milford. April 15tk day, 1'795. mrrtion iu whil'h they were heltl for their superior attainments in efUciency and dis­ The foregoin.g appears to have been cipline, written on a half sheet of foolscap, and I llave no tlist,osition to appropriate all folded in the centre, which in course of the ll.buve, to the credit of the Grenadiers, time became worn and separated, aud the some of them, it will be observect. a-ose lower half became lost. That probably to the distinction from the ranks of the embraced the signatures of many origmal militia. members; and Gn rhe back of the half I Webster defines the name Grenadier, as now have, apparently in continuation, are "a foot soldier, wearing a high cap," and the following si,gnatures in their own Johnson's Cyclopedia saYs, "once the hand writing: 4 The Milford Grenadiers. Joset>h B. Barlow, \Villinm Atwater, Jr., assemblies, sociable~, and parties of Samuel Merwin, Daniel i;acket, Zabulon Gillett. Jireh Platt. pleasure, which some of our older citizens David Beech, Asnhel Stebbins, Daniel Allen, Joseph Smith, Jr., can remember n.ncl better describe tlJan I Nathnnicl Humiston, .Joseph Summers. can. He died in 1822. aged 63. Abram Isnac Buckingham, A1nos Baldwin, Samuel Stone, Benajah Nettleton, Van Horn DeWitt, the First Lieutenant Fisk Platt, Dnvid Prince. Treat ~cnn, Benedict Bull, was said to be the handsomest officer of David ::~rues. Jr., ,Jireh Bull, his day. lle livc1l in the house now oc­ Ethel Bnldwln, I sane Mallett. Snmuel Treat, cupied by .John 1\. 1\fer\\'in; was the father The company was organized 111 1796. in-law of David L. Baldwin; was a lawyer The officers were, Daniel Sacket, Captain; and an active man in all legtslative mat­ Abram V. IT. DeWitt, Lieutenant; and ters. Benjamin Uull, Ensign. Benjan1in Bull, the second Captain. was In 1797, Daniel Sacket wa.s promoted to the genial, jovial man of that day. He Major, and Benjamin Bull was chosen lived on the place reC'ently purchaSell by Captain, Samuel Higby, J_,ientenant, and Col. Payne, of S. A. Blake, and served as Joseph B. Barlow. Ensign, and continuell member of the Legi81arurc for many so till 1801, when Major Sacket was elect­ years, and Deacon of the First Congrega­ ed Colonel of the Regiment, and Beujamin tiomtt church from 1798 till his death in Bullfcllosen Major, Samuel Higby Captain, 1826. aged 64. Joseph B. Barlow, Lieutenant anll Wm. San: nel Iligb.r. third captain. lived H. Fowler Ensign. The btter was ap­ where his grandson ot the same name now pointed b_v Col. Sacket as his Adjutant and lives, was deacon of the 2d Congregation Samuel I-eck was elected En~ign. al church for some 30 years, and Town In 180!, Joseph B. Barlow disappears, Clerk from 1812 till1835 and died in 1843, and Samuel Peck became Lieutenant and aged 84. Jireh Bull, Ensign. 1n 1807 Col. Sac:.:et Wm. H. Fowlet· was my honored (a•her, resigned, and Maj. Bnll was promoted to who died in 1S63, aged 88. lle was the Col. and Samuel lligby Major. Samuel last surviving officer ot the corps previous Peck was chosen Captain, William Fcnn to Nathaniel Smith. Captain Alfred Mal­ Lieutenant, all(} Joseph Platt Ensign. let is now the sole survivor. Bamabas Woodcock was appoimed Major Jireh Bull was an active and enterpris and was Dol. Bull's adjutant. ing merchant, much esteemed, and was In 1807 Samuel Peck disappears and postmaster 20 years, nearly opposite my William Fenn was promoted to Captain, present residence. Joseph Platt Lieutenant, and Michael Barnabas ~Voodcock was the fatl.er in­ Peck Jr., Ensig~1, anti S<tmucl B. Gunn Jaw ofJohn Bums and lived where he was at)pointed ~[ajor from the ranks. In now resides. Ile was a facetious mau 1810 \Villiam Fenn was appointed Second and very popular. It is told of him, that Major and Joseph Platt was elected Cap­ when acting as moderator ot State elections tain, Michael Peck Lieutenant. and Na­ (which were always held in the ohlmeet­ thaniel Smith Ensign. In 1816 \Vm. Feun ing house) he would frequently call, became Colonel of the Regiment, which "gentlemen prepare your votes for Ben­ bad been changed to the 2d Regiment. jamin Bull a.s your first representative." I>aniel Sacket was the leading man in Col. 'William l!~enn was :Llso deacon of raising t!Je company, and was just the man the First Congregational Church for 40 for the first commander. Ile was a gen­ rears, was chairman of the building com­ tlP.man of tho old school, and his personal mittee for the present church; sever:tl popularity was L&nboundell. rre lived times elected to the Legislature and filled where the house ot Joseph W. Fisher now many responsible and honorable positions. stand~. ana his house was the resort of He die•l in 1825, aged 79. the gaiety and fashion of the day. The Samuel B. Gunn was the father of our spacious East room was uevoted to balls present townsman of the s:1me name, and Tlze llfi!jo1'd Grenadiers. 5 Jived on the same spot. He was an active to g-ive them notice agreeable to t:1e fore­ man in all legislative matters, wa3 select­ ~oing. Richard T. David~on, David L. Balcl­ man and repn·~entative in the General win, .John Brnw, .Jr., Willl:tln Smith. Assembly for many years. Caleb Camp ~orthrop. ;\IichaPl PPrk :3d. Joseph Platt lived where hi~ son Elliot Zenas Peck, Amos XPttleton, \Villhnn B. Platt now livo?s, was a leading agricul­ ~Iallett. ~athan Bri.,tol,Jr.. RaJ ph Bnrns. turist. antl an ,tctive. entcrpri;;ing lll:UJ. WrLI.IA3I FENN. Captain, Ile died in 185!>. aged 77. ·ro X ATUANII;;f, ~3IITll. Sel·_geant, With Rnch matcri>tl is it any wonde1· Milford. Augnst 3d, 180i, that not only thP company itself. bnt tlu• PerhrrpR some of Oil!' olcle~t inhabitants He_gim~1t nntler its inllncnce and the ef­ m:.ty be able to explain the purport of the ficacy of its officers. soon ranked without above. a peer. I have thon~ht the <le8CCilllants of thPse Iu 1807 William Fenn was captain, and noble f..:llow~ would rPjoic•· to rentl thP. T have the following original" rn-pection names of their sires, who left so glorious a Retnrn of the l~t Company of Grenadiers reconl.