reached Compo," says Dr. Dwight, "they were hard pressed by the Americans; and probably would not have escaped from complete destruction, but by the following expedient, said to have been proposed by Sir William Erskine. They landed a body of marines, and moving them into the van of their army, charged the Americans with so much vigor, that they were driven from the ground. The British then embarked in their boats, with the utmost expedition, and reached their ships in safety, but so fatigued with their march, that many of the soldiers fell, it was said, upon the decks of the vessels, and there lay for a considerable time immovable and torpid. The Americans, also, were most of them exceedingly weary. The marines being fresh, took the place of their exhausted countrymen, and were an overmatch for the fatigued Americans." Ball Mountain, a conical eminence, covered with large trees from its base to its summit, is situated a little south of the village, and is a striking feature in the landscape.

WILTON.

WILTON was incorporated as a town in 1802. It was previously a society in the town of Norwalk, organized as such in 1726. The town is about 6 miles in length, and 4 in breadth; bounded N. by Ridgefield, E. by Reading and Weston, s. by Norwalk, and w. by New Canaan and Salem in the state of New York. The surface of the township is broken, there being two ridges running northerly and southerly through the town. The soil is a gravelly loam, considerably productive, and best adapted to a grain culture. The lands are also well adapted for fruits of various kinds. Agriculture is the principal business of the inhabitants. There is a satinet factory in the town. There are four churches, 1 Episcopal, 1 Congregational, and 2 Methodist. The central part of the town is seven miles north of Norwalk.

Wilton Academy is a classical school of high repute. The students are generally from the different states of the Union. It was instituted about the year 1818, by Hawley Olmstead, Esq., and is still under his direction. The number of students is limited at about forty.-Professor Stuart, of the Andover Theological Seminary, is a native of this

town.

A silver mine has been discovered in this town. It was worked by some Englishmen during the Revolutionary war. After having worked in the mine for some time, they suddenly absconded, and took off their treasure with them. Since this period the mine has been neglected.

WINDHAM COUNTY.

WINDHAM COUNTY is bounded N. by Worcester County in Massachusetts, E. by the state of Rhode Island, s. by New London County, and w. by Tolland County. It averages about 26 miles in length from north to south, and is about 19 miles in width. This county is uniformly hilly, yet no part of it is mountainous or very elevated. The prevailing soil is a primitive gravelly loam. The greatest portion of the county is stony and considerably rough, and the lands generally best adapted for grazing, and many sections afford some of the richest dairy farms in the State. The Quinnebaug and Shetucket, with their branches, intersect this county, and afford many valuable water privileges for mills and manufacturing purposes. The valley of the Quinnebaug river comprises the best land in the county. The inhabitants of this county are more extensively engaged in the manufacturing business than in any other county in the State. Cotton and woolen goods are the principal articles manufactured. Windham County originally belonged to the counties of Hartford and New London. It was incorporated as a county in May, 1726.

The following is a list of the several towns in the county, with their population in 1830.

Population of the county in 1820, 31,684; in 1830, 27,077.

BROOKLYN.

THE town of Brooklyn was incorporated in the year 1786, previous to which period it was included within the limits of Pomfret and Canterbury. The boundary line between these two towns ran about half a mile south of the present village of Brooklyn, extending from the Quinnebaug river in the east, to a small stream nearly a mile east of the village of Hampton, which was then called Kennedy or Windham village.

"In the year 1703, Richard Adams, Esq., then residing in that part of Norwich which now constitutes the town of Lisbon, purchased of James Fitch 3,000 acres of land, lying in the south part of Pomfret, where the village of Brooklyn now stands. This land he divided into five narrow lots, which he deeded to his five sons. The first lot was bounded south by the line between the two towns, extending in length from Quinnebaug river on the east, to land owned by Daniel Cady,

about a mile west of the village. Directly north of this was situated a tract of land owned by a Mr. John Blackwell, comprising 5,750 acres, who willed it to his son John. It was afterwards sold to Governor Belcher of Massachusetts, who divided it into farms and sold them to different individuals, among whom was the well-known Gen. Putnam. This tract of land went by the name " Mortlake;" it extended further west than the Adams.purchase. A beautiful stream, which rises in the western part of this tract, received its name from the proprietor, viz, "Blackwell's;" it empties into the Quinnebaug. In the year 1747, the inhabitants of Mortlake sent a petition to the General Assembly, to be made a town. But the petition was slighted, and it was then resolved that it should be afterwards called Pomfret. In the north part of Canterbury, (that part of it which is now included within the limits of Brooklyn,) the land was owned by Edward Spalding; on the west of the Adams and north of the Spalding purchase, the land was owned by Daniel Cady. All of these tracts together were called the "Two Additions." There was, at that period, no particular village. In the year 1724, Daniel Cady deeded to the Two Additions one acre of land for a burying ground; it lies nearly half a mile south of the village of Brooklyn.

"In the year 1731 the first society meeting was holden, and in the succeeding year the first ecclesiastical society was formed, having the same limits with the present town of Brooklyn. From 1732 till 1754, this society went by the title of Mortlake; it was then changed to Brooklyn, and was called Brooklyn society until 1786, when it was made a town. The first church was built in 1734, about 10 rods northwest of the site of the present one; the second was built in 1771. The first minister was ordained in 1735, whose name, was Rev. Ephraim Avery. He died in 1754, and was succeeded by the memorable Dr. Whitney, who continued his ministerial duties until 1824, during a period of 68 years. The society divided in 1817; and in 1820 a chapel was built by the Congregationalists: the Unitarians held the old church. The court house was removed from Windham to Brooklyn in 1820. The principal streams in Brooklyn are the Quinnebaug river and Blackwell's brook. The hills are the Gray Mare, which is situated about one fourth of a mile northwest of Brooklyn; (it derives its name from the circumstance of an old mare and colt having been caught among the ledges, and confined there until the colt had eaten off the old mare's mane ;) and Tetnuck hill, which is situated in the south part of the town. On the southeast side of this hill, there is quite a celebrated cave, called Lyon's Den; it derives its name from this circumstance, viz, during the Revolutionary war, a man by the name of Lyon deserted his post, and concealed himself in this cave until the pursuit was over. There is a mineral spring in the northeast part of the town, which is often resorted to in the summer season for medical purposes."

Brooklyn is bounded N. by Pomfret, E. by the Quinnebaug, separating it from Killingly and Plainfield, s. by Canterbury, and w. by Hampton. The town is nearly six miles in length from north to south,

and five in breadth. It is uneven, consisting of hills and valleys, and somewhat stony; but it is fertile, and admirably adapted to grazing. The dairy business, and the raising of sheep and swine, are the leading agricultural interests of the town. There is a cotton factory in the town, on the Quinnebaug, near the village of Danielsonville in Killingly.

The above is a northern view of the central part of the village of Brooklyn. The village consists of about 40 or 50 dwelling houses, 3 houses for public worship, a court house, and 4 or 5 mercantile stores; it is about 20 miles from Norwich, 40 from Hartford, and 30 from Providence. The building which is seen on the right is the court house. The Unitarian church is seen in the central part of the engraving. The Congregational church, recently erected, is seen farther to the south. The Baptist church is the small building with a steeple, seen a little west of the Unitarian church. The Brooklyn bank is the building seen on the extreme left, under the trees. A few paces north of this, and opposite the Unitarian church, was the residence of Gen. Putnam: the house in which he lived has been taken down within three or four years past. The field in which he was ploughing when he first heard of the Lexington battle, is in full view, about 100 rods distant. He left his plough in the middle of the field, unyoked his team, and without waiting to change his clothes, mounted his horse and set out for the theatre of war. His first place of residence in these parts, was about two miles north, where he had a farm; at the time of his noted wolf exploit, his house here was very near the boundary line between Brooklyn and Pomfret. Gen. Putnam, in the decline of life, publicly professed the religion of the gospel, and in the opinion of the respectable clergyman of Brooklyn, the Rev. Dr. Whitney, died hopefully a Christian. "During the gayest and most thoughtless period of his life," says Dr. Dwight," he regarded religion with profound reverence, and read the scriptures with the deepest attention."

The Episcopal church in this town is situated about 14 miles east of the court house. This was the first church erected, and for a long period the only church for that denomination in this county. It was erected before the Revolutionary war, by Mr. Godfrey Malbone, a gentleman from Rhode Island, who had been educated at Oxford, England. He married a lady from the south, who for part of her patrimony brought 50 or 60 slaves on to the large estate on which he resided in this town. The state of Connecticut, after the Revolution, having abolished slavery within her borders, Mr. Malbone's servants became dispersed, and a great proportion of the colored people in this part of the state are their descendants.

Gen. Putnam's Monument.

The above is a representation of the monument in the grave yard south of the village of Brooklyn. The following is the inscription on the marble slab forming the top:

"This Monument is erected to the memory of the Honorable ISRAEL PUTNAM, Esq., Major General in the Armies of the United States of America; who was born at Salem, in the Province of Massachusetts, on the 7th day of January, 1718; and died at Brooklyn, in the state of Connecticut, on the 29th day of May, A. D. 1790.-Passenger, if thou art a Soldier, go not away till thou hast dropped a tear over the dust of a Hero, who, ever tenderly attentive to the lives and happiness of his men, dared to lead where any one dared to follow. If thou art a Patriot, remember with gratitude how much thou and thy country owe to the disinterested and gallant exertions of the Patriot who sleeps beneath this marble. If thou art an honest, generous and worthy man, render a sincere and cheerful tribute of respect to a man whose generosity was singular; whose honesty was proverbial; and who, with a slender education, with small advantages, and without powerful friends, raised himself to universal esteem, and to offices of eminent distinction, by personal worth. and by the diligent services of a useful life."

The following sketch of the life of General Putnam, is from Allen's American Biographical Dictionary :

"Israel Putnam, a major general in the army of the United States, was born at Salem, Massachusetts, January 7, 1718. His mind was vigorous, but it was never cultivated by education. When he for the first time went to Boston, he was insulted for his rusticity by a boy of twice his size. After bearing his sarcasms until his good nature was exhausted, he attacked and vanquished the unmannerly fellow, to the great diversion of a crowd of spectators. In running, leaping and wrestling, he almost always bore away the prize. In 1739 he removed to Pomfret in Connecticut, where he cultivated a considerable tract of land. During the French war, he was appointed to command a company of the first troops which were raised in Connecticut, in 1755. He rendered much service to the army in the neighborhood of Crown Point. In 1756, while near Ticonderoga, he was repeatedly in the most imminent danger. He escaped in an adventure of one night, with twelve bullet holes in his blanket. In August, he was sent out with several hundred men to watch the motions of the enemy. Being ambuscaded by a party of equal numbers, a general but irregular action took place. Putnam had discharged his fusee several times, but at length