through with the usual course of collegiate studies with unusual reputation. In 1775, at the commencement of the Revolutionary war, he was appointed by Congress pay master in the northern department, and soon after secretary and aid to General Washington. He was for several years a member of the State legislature, and Speaker of the House. In 1790, he was chosen a representative in Congress from this State; and in 1791, he was appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives, in which situation he continued until 1794, when he was elected a Senator in the Senate of the United States. In 1796, he was chosen by the freemen Lieut. Governor of the State, and in 1798, Governor. He was annually re-elected to this office for eleven years in succession, and until his death, in 1809. He was 69 years of age. Governor Trumbull was a man of handsome talents, of very respectable acquirements, of amiable manners, and was distinguished for his social virtues. The confidence of his fellow citizens, which he so long enjoyed in a very eminent degree, affords the most satisfactory evidence of his talents and virtues."*

Guilford Dudley Young, was a native of this town. In the last war with Great Britain, he was a Major, and afterwards a Colonel in the U.S.army. On the 23d of October, 1812, with a small detachment of militia, Major Young surprised a party of the enemy at St. Regis, captured the two captains, 1 lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 35 privates, and brought off one stand of colors, the first taken from the enemy during the war. This officer, after the war, entered the Patriot service under Gen. Mina, and lost his life in the struggle for Mexican Independence, in 1817. The Patriots, 269 in number, had possession of a small fort which was invested by a Royalist force of 3500 men. The supplies of provision and water being cut off, the sufferings of the garrison, and women, and children in the fort, became intolerable; many of the soldiers deserted, so that not more than 150 effective men remained. Col. Young, however, knowing the perfidy of the enemy, determined to defend the fort to the last. After having bravely defeated the enemy in a number of their endeavors to carry the fort by storm, Col. Young was killed by a cannon shot from the battery raised against the fort. "On the enemy's last retreat, the Colonel, anxious to observe all their movements, fearlessly exposed his person, by stepping on a large stone on the ramparts; and, while conversing with Dr. Hennessey on the successes of the day, and on the dastardly conduct of the enemy, the last shot that was fired from their battery carried off his head. Colonel Young was an officer whom, next to Mina, the American part of the division had been accustomed to respect and admire. In every action, he had been conspicuous for his daring courage and skill. Mina reposed unbounded confidence in him. In the hour of danger, he was collected, gave his orders with precision, and, sword in hand, was always in the hottest of the combat. Honor and firmness marked all his actions. He was generous in the extreme, and endured privations with a cheerfulness superior to that of any other officer in the division. He had

Pease and Niles' Gazetteer.

been in the United States' service, as lieutenant colonel of the twenty ninth regiment of infantry. His body was interred, by the few Americans who could be spared from duty, with every possible mark of honor and respect; and the general gloom which pervaded the division on this occasion, was the sincerest tribute that could be offered by them to the memory of their brave chief."*

Tomb of the Trumbull family, Lebanon.

It is believed that no cemetery in this country contains the ashes of more Revolutionary worthies than the above. The remains of two governors, one commissary general, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, are deposited within its walls. The following inscriptions are on the pedestal standing on the tomb.

Sacred to the memory of Jonathan Trumbull, Esq. who, unaided by birth or powerful connexions, but blessed with a noble and virtuous mind, arrived to the highest station in government. His patriotism and firmness during 50 years employment in public life, and particularly in the very important part he acted in the American Revolution, as Governor of Connecticut; the faithful page of History will record.

Full of years and honors, rich in benevolence and firm in the faith and hopes of Christianity, he died August 9th, 1785, Etatis 75.

Sacred to the memory of Madam Faith Trumbull, the amiable lady of Gov. Trumbull, Born at Duxbury Mass. A. D. 1718. Happy and beloved in her connubial state, she lived a virtuous, charitable, and Christian life at Lebanon, in Connecticut; and died lamented by numerous friends, A. D. 1780, aged 62 years.

Sacred to the memory of Joseph Trumbull, eldest son of Governor Trumbull, and first Commissary Genl. of the United States of America, A service to whose perpetual cares and fatigues, he fell a sacrifice, A. D. 1778, Et. 42. Full soon indeed may his person, his virtues, and even his extensive Benevolence be forgotten by his friends and fellow men. But blessed be God! for the Hope that in his presence he shall be remembered forever.

To the memory of Jonathan Trumbull, Esq. late Governor of the State of Connecticut. He was born March 26th, 1740, and died Aug. 7th, 1809, aged 69 years. His remains are deposited with those of his Father.

This inscription is on a marble monument, standing in front of the tomb.

The remains of the Hono. William Williams are deposited in this Tomb: born April 8th, 1731: died the 2d of Aug. 1811, in the 81st year of his age, a man eminent for his virtues and Piety,-for more than 50 years he was constantly employed in Public Life, and served in many of the most important offices in the gift of his fellow citizens. During the whole period of the Revolutionary war, he was a firm, steady, and ardent friend of his country, and in the darkest times risked his life and wealth in her defence. In 1776 and 1777, he was a member of the American Congress, and as such signed the Declaration of Independence. His public and private virtues, his piety and benevolence, will long endear his memory to his surviving friends,-above all, he was a sincere Christian, and in his last moments placed his hope with humble confidence in his Redeemer. He had the inexpressible satisfaction to look back upon a long, honorable, and well spent life.

Reader,

as thou passest, drop a tear to the memory of the once eminent Academic Instructor Nathan Tisdale, a lover of Science. He marked the road to useful knowledge. A friend to his country, he inspired the flame of Patriotism. A lover of liberty and Religion, he taught others to love Liberty and aspire to a happy immortality. Having devoted his whole life from the 18th year of his age, to the duties of his profession, which he followed with distinguished usefulness to Society, he died Jan’y 5th, 1787, in the 56th year of his age.

The Rev. James Fitch, the first minister in Norwich, died at Lebanon in the 80th year of his age. It appears that there were two brothers, Thomas and James Fitch, or in the ancient way of writing the name, Fytche, came from Bocking in the county of Essex, England, to America, in 1638. Thomas settled at Norwalk, and was father of Thomas Fitch, Governor of the colony of Connecticut. The Rev. James Fitch married for his first wife a daughter of the Rev. Henry Whitfield, of Guilford. His second wife was Priscilla Mason, daughter of Major John Mason, the celebrated commander of the expedition against the Pequots.*

By his two wives he had fourteen children; all except one lived to have families of children.-His history and character are given in the inscription on his monument in the Lebanon burying ground, viz:

IN hoc Sepulchro depositæ sunt Reliquiæ Viri vere Reverendi D. JACOBI FITCH; Datus fuit apud Boking, in Comitatu Essexiæ, in Anglia, Anno Domini 1622, Decem. 24. Qui, postquam Linguis literatis optime instructus fuisset, in Nov-Angliam venit, Ætate 16; et deinde Vitam degit, Hartfordiæ, per Septennium, sub Instructione Virorum celeberrimorum D. HOOKER & D. STONE. Postea Munere pastorali functus est apud Say-Brook per Annos 14. Illinc cum Ecclesiæ majori Parte Norvicum migravit; et ibi cæteros Vitæ Annos transegit in Opere Evangelico. In Senectute, vero præ Corporis infirmitate necessarie cessabit ab Opere publico; tandemque recessit Liberis, apud Lebanon; ubi Semianno fere exacto obdormivit in Jesu, Anno 1702, Novembris 18, Etat. 80.

Vir Ingenii Acumine, Pondere Judicii, Prudentia, Charitate, sanctis Laboribus, et omni moda Vitæ sanctitate, Peritia quoque et Vi concionandi nulli secundus.

Which may be rendered into English in the following manner.

In this grave are deposited the remains of that truly reverend man, Mr. JAMES FITCH. He was born at Boking, in the county of Essex, in England, the 24th of December, in the year of our LORD 1622. Who, after he had been most excellently taught the learned languages, came into New England, at the age of sixteen; and then spent seven years under the instruction of those very famous men, Mr. Hooker and Mr. Stone. Afterwards, he discharged the pastoral office, fourteen years at Saybrook. Thence he removed, with the major part of his church to Norwich; where

* Alden's Collection of Epitaphs, &c. 4th volume.

he spent the other years of his life in the work of the gospel. In his old age, indeed, he was obliged to cease from his public labors, by reason of bodily indisposition; and at length retired to his children at Lebanon; where, after spending nearly half a year, he slept in Jesus, in the year 1702, on the 18th day of November, in the 80th year of his age.

He was a man, as to the smartness of his genius, the solidity of his judgment, his charity, holy labors, and every kind of purity of life, and also as to his skill and energy of preaching, inferior to none.

LEDYARD.

LEDYARD, formerly North Groton, the north part of Groton, was incorporated as a town in 1836. It is about six miles square, bounded N. by Preston, E. by North Stonington and Stonington, S. by Groton and W. by Thames river, separating it from Montville. The central part of the town is 7 miles from New London, and 7 from Norwich. It is estimated that the population is about 2,000. The inhabitants are principally farmers. The principal village in the town, is at Gale's ferry, which may consist of about thirty dwelling houses, and is about 7 miles from New London. A remnant of the Pequot tribe consisting of about twenty persons, still remain in the north eastern section of the town.

This town derived its name from Col. Ledyard, and his brother John Ledyard, the celebrated traveler, who was a native of Groton, which at that time, included this town within its limits.-The following account of his life, is from Allen's American Biographical Dictionary.

"John Ledyard, a distinguished traveler, was a native of Groton in Connecticut. His father died while he was yet a child, and he was left under the care of a relative in Hartford. Here he enjoyed the advantages of a grammar school. After the death of his patron, when he was eighteen years of age, he was left to follow his own inclinations. With a view to the study of divinity he now passed a short time in Dartmouth college in New Hampshire, where he had an opportunity of learning the manners of the Indians, as there was a number of Indian pupils in the seminary. His acquaintance with the savage character gained in this place, was of no little advantage to him in the future periods of his life. His poverty obliging him to withdraw from the college before he had completed his education, and not having a shilling in his pocket to defray the expense of a journey to Hartford, he built him a canoe, fifty feet in length and three in breadth, and being generously supplied with some dried venison for his sea stores, he embarked upon the Connecticut, and going down that river, which is in many places rapid, and with which he was totally unacquainted, he arrived safely at Hartford at the distance of one hundred and forty miles. He soon went to New York, and sailed for London in 1771, as a common sailor. When Captain Cook sailed on his third voyage of discovery, Ledyard, who felt an irresistible desire to explore those regions of the globe, which were yet undiscovered or imperfectly known, accepted the humble station of corporal of marines, rather than forego an opportunity so inviting to his inquisitive and adventurous spirit. He was a favorite of the illustrious navigator, and was one of the witnesses of his

tragical end in 1778. He surprised his friends in America, who had heard nothing of him for ten years, by a visit in 1781. Having offered his services to several merchants to conduct a trading voyage to the north west coast, and meeting with no encouragement, he again embarked for England in 1782. He now resolved to traverse the continent of America from the north west coast, which Cook had partly explored, to the eastern coast, with which he was already perfectly familiar. Disappointed in his intention of sailing on a voyage of commercial adventure to Nootka sound, he passed the British channel to Ostend with only ten guineas in his purse; determined to travel over land to Kamschatka, whence the passage is short to the western coast of America. When he came to the gulf of Bothnia, he attempted to cross the ice, that he might reach Kamschatka by the shortest way; but finding that the water was not frozen in the middle, he returned to Stockholm. He then traveled northward into the arctic circle, and passing round the head of the gulf, descended on its eastern side to Petersburgh. There his extraordinary appearance attracted general notice. Without stockings or shoes, and too poor to provide himself with either, he was invited to dine with the Portuguese ambassador, who supplied him with twenty guineas on the credit of Sir Joseph Banks. Through his interest, he also obtained permission to accompany a detachment of stores, which was to be sent to Yakutz for the use of Mr. Billings, an Englishman, who was intrusted with the schemes of northern discovery, in which the empress was then engaged. From Yakutz, which is situated in Siberia, six thousand miles east of Petersburgh, he proceeded to Oczakow, or Ochotsk, on the Kamschatkan sea; but as the navigation was completely obstructed by ice, he returned to Yakutz, intending to wait for the conclusion of the winter. Here in consequence of some unaccountable suspicion, he was seized in the name of the empress by two Russian soldiers, who conveyed him in the depth of winter, through the north of Tartary to the frontier of the Polish dominions; assuring him at their departure, that if he returned to Russia, he should certainly be hanged, but if he chose to return to England, they wished him a pleasant journey. Poor, forlorn, and friendless, covered with rags, and exhausted by fatigue, disease and misery, he proceeded to Konigsberg, where the interest of Sir Joseph Banks enabled him to procure the sum of five guineas, by means of which he arrived in England.

"He immediately waited on Sir Joseph, who recommended him to an adventure as perilous as that from which he had just returned. He now was informed of the views of the association, which had been lately formed for promoting the discovery of the interior parts of Africa, which were then little known. Sparrman, Paterson, and Vaillant had traveled into Caffraria, and Norden and Bruce had enlarged the acquaintance of Europeans with Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia. In regard to other parts of this quarter of the globe, its geography, excepting in relation to its coasts, was involved in darkness. Ledyard engaged with enthusiasm in an enterprise which he had already projected for himself; and receiving from Sir Joseph a letter of introduction to one of the members of the committtee appointed to direct the business, and promote the