I8Q8. SECOND COMPANY GOVERNOR'S FOOT GUARD. NEW HAVEN, CONN. ORGANIZED MARCH 2, 1775. Y THE ARMORY—NEW HAVEN SECOND COMPANY GOVERNOR'S FOOT GUARD ( Showing Large Attached Drill Hall, 2(1 Reg't, in Rear DIGEST OF THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND COMPANY GOVERNOR'S FOOT GUARD OF CONNECTICUT. 1774=1898. COMPILED FROM RECORDS OF THE COMPANY, AND FROM STATE RECORDS". AND STATISTICS, By JASON P. THOMSON, HISTORIAN OF THE COMPANY. NEW HAVEN: THE PRICE, LEE & ADKINS CO., PRINTERS. 180S. -UA OFFICERS—1898. Major, BENJAMIN E. BROWN. Captain, ALBERT M. JOHNSON. Lieutenant, LEONARD BOSTWICK. Lieutenant, EMIL A. GESSNER. Lieutenant, EDWARD J. MORSE. Ensign, RUSSELL THOMPSON. HONORARY COMMISSIONED STAFF. RANK. JAMES M. TOWNSEND, . Paymaster and Chief of Staff, . Captain CHARLES B. WARE, . Assistant Paymaster, .... Lieutenant Rev. JUSTIN E. TWITCHELL, D.D., Chaplain, Captain EDWARD M. CLARK, . Quartermaster Captain JOHN H. DILLON, . Assistant Quartermaster, .... Lieutenant EWEN MCINTYRE, . Commissary, Captain GEORGE T. WHITE, . Assistant Commissary, .... Lieutenant HARVEY S. MUNSON, . Inspector Rifle Practice, .... Captain WILLIAM NEELY, . Judge Advocate, Captain N. R. HOTCHKISS, M. D., . Surgeon, Captain JOSEPH B. SAYLES, M. D., . Assistant Surgeon, Lieutenant E. B. BAKER, .... Signal Officer Lieutenant HONORARY NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF. SMITH G. WEED, Sergeant Major ELI MIX, Quartermaster Sergeant FRANK E. STODDARD Commissary Sergeant LUTHER E. JEROME, Secretary, Post Quartermaster Sergeant LOREN H. STANNARD, Treasurer, Post Quartermaster Sergeant EDWARD D. HENDEE, Hospital Steward EDWARD C. BEECHER, Ordnance Sergeant BENJAMIN JEPSON, Signal Sergeant JOSEPH J. WOOSTER, Color Sergeant FRED L. LEHR, Color Sergeant • S THE ARMORY—NEW HAVEN SECOND COMPANY GOVERNOR'S FOOT GUARD Interior Views DIGEST OF THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND COMPANY OF GOVERNOR'S FOOT GUARD OF CONNECTICUT. 1774. HE first meeting for the organization of the Second Company T of the Governor's Foot Guard was held in New Haven, Connec- ticut, on the evening of December 28th, 1774, as the first entry in the Company's Record Book shows, viz.: "NEW HAVF.N, December 28th, 1774. As we, the subscribers, are desirous to encourage the Military Art in the town of New Haven, and in order to have a well-disciplined _ * Company m said town, have agreed with to teach us the military exercise, for the consideration of three poiinds lawful money per month, till such time as we shall think ourselves expert therein. We then propose to form ourselves into a Company, choose officers, and agree upon some uniform dress, such as a red coat, white vest, white breeches and stockings, black half leggins, or any other dress that may then be thought proper. We also agree that we will endeavor to fur- nish ourselves with guns and bayonets, as near uniform as possible, and other accoutrements as may then be thought necessary. (But no person shall be obliged to equip himself as above, by signing this agreement, if he desires dismission before he signs other articles.) This agreement only obliges every signor to pay his proportional part of the expense of instructors, etc. Hezekiah Sabin, Jr., John Townsend, Samuel Greenough, Ezra Ford, Elias Stillwell, Nathan Beers, Jr., Thaddeus Beecher, Nathaniel Fitch, Aner Bradley, Barnabus Mulford, Amos Doolittle, Parsons Clark, IO DIGEST OF HISTORY SECOND COMPANY James Prescott, Archibald Austin, Hanover Barney, Eliakim Hitchcock, Stephen Herrick, William Atwater, Jonathan Austin, James Higgins, David Burbank, John Beckwith, Daniel Bishop, Jonathan Mix, Jr., Elijah Austin, Jeremiah Parmerle, Samuel Nevins, Joshua Newhall, Amos Morrison, Russel Clark, Rossiter Griffing, William Lyon, Gold Sherman, Eleaser Oswald, Ezekiel Hayspin, John Thatcher, William Noyes, Benoni Shipman, Abraham Tuttle, Jr., Hezekiah Bailey, Isiah Burr, Samuel Willard, Jabez Smith, Jesse Leavenworth, Seabury Champlin, Timothy Jones, Jr., James Hillhouse, John Sherman, Jr., William Larman, Elisha Painter, Hezekiah Augur, Benedict Arnold, * Pierpont Edwards, Hezekiah Beecher, James Warren, Amos Gilbert, Nathan Oaks, Kiersted Mansfield, Daniel Ingalls, Elias Townsend, Elias Shipman, Joseph Peck, Jonas Prentice, Caleb Trowbridge." Francis Sage, 1775. At the meeting held on Thursday evening, February 2d, 1775, Samuel Greenough, moderator, the following vote was passed, that the dress coat for the Company be as follows, viz.: a scarlet coat of a com- mon length, the lapells, cuffs, and collar of buff and trimmed with plain silver wash buttons, white linen vest, breeches, and stockings, black half leggins and small, fashionable, and narrow ruffled shirt. On March 16th, 1775, Col. Leverett Hubbard in the chair, the per- manent officers of the Company were elected as follows: fii GOVERNOR'S FOOT GUARD OF CONNECTICUT. 5 Voted, That the following be elected officers by the vote of the Com- pany, viz.: Benedict Arnold, Captain. Jesse Leavenworth, Lieutenant. Hezekiah Sabin, Jr., Ensign. Samuel Greenough, Eliakim Hitchcock, Nathaniel Fitch, \ Sergeants. Jeremiah Parmerle J William Lyon, Clerk. The choice of corporals was postponed. APPLICATION FOR CHARTER. The following is a true copy of the original manuscript which was presented to the General Assembly, by the Hon. Pierpont Edwards, as Company agent, the day after it was by them accepted. " To the Honorable General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut now sitting at New Haven, in New Haven County: The memorial of us, the subscribers, inhabitants of said New Haven, many of us inde- pendent of any military Company, humbly showeth, that your memo- rialists, anxious for the safety of our country and desirous of contrib- uting all in their power to the support of our just rights and liberties, have formed themselves into a military Company, have hired a person to instruct them in the military art, which they are daily practicing, and have been at much expense in providing a uniform, dress, etc. Your memorialists, therefore, humbly pray your honors to constitute them a distinct military Company, by the name of the Governor's Second Company of Guards, with power to choose their proper officers, to be commissioned by your honors, and that they may be under the same regulations and enjoy the same privileges and exemptions as the military Company in Hartford, called the Governor's Guards, or under such regulations as your honors shall seem meet, and your memorialists as in duty bound, shall ever pray. NEW HAVEN, March 2d, 1775. Signed. Hezekiah Sabin, Jr., Aner Bradley, Samuel Greenough, Amos Doolittle, Elias Stillwell, Daniel Ingalls, Thaddeus Beecher, Jonas Prentice, IO DIGEST OF HISTORY SECOND COMPANY Francis Sage, James Warren, Archibald Austin, Nathan Oaks, David Burbank, Eliakim Hitchcock, Daniel Bishop, James Huggins, Elijah Austin, Parsons Clark, Amos Morrison, James Prescott, Rossetter Griffing, Hanover Barney, Benoni Shipman, Stephen Herrick, Hezekiah Bailey, Jonathan Austin, Jesse Leavenworth, Gold Sherman, Timothy Jones, Jr., William Noyes, Amos Gilbert, Abraham Tuttle, Seabury Champlin, John Sherman, Jr., Caleb Trowbridge, Elisha Painter, Pierpont Edwards, Benedict Arnold, Elias Townsend, Hezekiah Beecher, Joseph Peck, James Hillhouse, Ebenezer Huggins, William Sauman, William Lyon, Kiersted Mansfield, Joshua Newhall, Llezekiah Augur, Jonathan Mix, Jr., William Jones, John Townsend, Eleaser Oswald, Ezra Ford, Josiah Burr, Nathan Beers, Jr., Jeremiah Parmerle, Nathaniel Fitch, Jabez Smith." The same day on which the memorial was referred to the Assembly it was made special business and the following charter granted:— " At the General Assembly of the Governor and Company of the Colony of Connecticut, holden at New Haven (by special order of the Governor of said Colony) on the second day of March, A. D. 1775. Upon the memorial of Hezekiah Sabins, Jr., and others, living within the limits of the town of New Haven, showing that they have formed themselves into a military company, and have with great pains and expense endeavored to advance military skill and exercise, and praying that they may be made a distinct military company by the name of the Second Company of the Governor's Guards, as per memo- rial on file. " Resolved, By this Assembly that the memorialists be and are hereby constituted a distinct military company, by the name of the Second Company of Governor's Guards, consisting of sixty-four in !3 GOVERNOR'S FOOT GUARD OF CONNECTICUT. number, rank and file, to attend upon and guard the Governor and Gen- eral Assembly, at all times as occasion shall require, equipped with proper arms and uniformly dressed, with power under the direction of the field officer, to elect and choose their own officers, viz., Captain, Lieutenant, and Ensign, and other subordinate officers that shall be necessary, and that the chief officer in said Company shall have power in case of death, dismission, or removal of any of said Company, to enlist, receive, and enroll others in the room of those so dismissed or removed, provided the number of men in the several companies in the town of New Haven, be not thereby reduced below the number by law established; and said Company shall be subject to the general law as to days and times of their training and mustering, and are hereby exempted from being called upon and from doing any military duty in any other company. And the Colonel of the Second Regiment of militia in this Colony, shall cause them to be duly warned, and lead them to the choice of the Captain, Lieutenant, and Ensign, etc., and that the commission officers of said Company