dertook the revision of Dr. Watts' version of the Psalms. His edition was published in 1786, and comprised several devotional pieces of his own composing.

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About the time of these publications, he disposed of his interest in the paper to Mr. Babcock, and opened a bookstore, the principal object of which was to effect the sale of his poem and edition of the Psalms. About this time, the Anarchiad was published at this place, in which Mr. Barlow is said to have taken a conspicuous part. On the 4th of July, 1787, and whilst the Convention which framed the Constitution of the United States was in session at Philadelphia, he delivered an oration to the Connecticut Cincinnati. Not being satisfied with his prospects in his profession, the next year he embarked for England, as the agent of a Land Company, called the Ohio Company, from whence he soon proceeded to France. Whilst in France the Revolution commenced, which led Barlow to an intimate acquaintance with most of the leaders of the republican party, and particularly with those which were afterwards denominated Girondists. His philanthropy and enthusiasm in the cause of liberty led him to enter warmly into their plans, which received the support of his genius and political intelligence and experience. In 1791, he returned to England, and near the close of that year, published his Advice to Privileged Orders,' a work of solid merit, exposing, in a forcible manner, the abuses and evils of the feudal governments of Europe. In 1792, he published a small poem, entitled the Conspiracy of Kings.' From these publications, being of a political nature, and from his intimacy with the leaders of opposition, or friends of reform, in England, he had become very obnoxious to the ministerial party. Near the close of the year 1792, he returned to France, as one of a committee of the London Constitutional Society, with an Address from the Society to the National Convention. He was received in France with great respect; and, soon after his arrival, had conferred upon him the rights of a French citizen. The year following, he was employed, in connection with a deputation of the National Convention, to assist in organizing the territory of Savoy, as a department of the Republic. Whilst at Chamberry, in this territory, he wrote a political address to the people of Piedmont. In this place he amused himself in writing a mock didactic poem, called 'Hasty Pudding.' From Savoy he returned to Paris, where he resided for about three years. During this period, he translated Volney's Ruins; being shocked at the atrocities of the Revolution, he withdrew from political affairs.

"In 1795, he was appointed by Pres'nt Washington consul at Algiers, with powers to negotiate a treaty with the Dey, and to redeem all American prisoners held in slavery by any of the Barbary powers. He immediately set out upon his mission, and, crossing through Spain, arrived at Algiers, where he soon succeeded in negotiating a treaty with the Dey, although surrounded with numerous difficulties. Early the succeeding year, he negotiated a similar treaty with Tripoli, and liberated all the American prisoners held in captivity. In 1797, he resigned his consulship and returned to Paris; and having engaged in some commercial pursuits or speculations, was very successful, and accumulated a handsome fortune. In the rupture which took place between France and the United States, Barlow exerted his influence and talents to promote an amicable adjustment; for which end he addressed a letter to the people of the United States, upon the measures of the party then in power. This was soon followed by another, which was more abstract, and examined, in that clear and forcible manner peculiar to its author, various political topics, and particularly certain established principles of maritime law and the rights of neutrals. His views were novel and bold, and founded upon the principles of abstract right, which he regarded as the only true policy. In 1805, after an absence of seventeen years from his native country, Barlow resolved upon re-visiting the scenes of his youth. He accordingly sold his real estate in France, which he had regarded as his adopted country, as long as it continued the country of liberty. After visiting different parts of the country, he purchased him a delightful situation in the vicinity of Georgetown, within the limits of the district of Columbia. Whilst in this situation, he enjoyed the society, friendship and esteem of Mr. Jefferson, then President of the United States; and of the other important functionaries, and characters of distinction, who were residents, or engaged in public employments at the seat of Government. In 1806, he published a prospectus of a national institution, or university; to establish which, a bill was introduced into the Senate; it met with considerable opposition; was referred to a select committee, who never reported, and thus this great national object ended. He now devoted his attention to the revision and improvement of his favorite poem; and in 1803, the Columbiad made its appearance in the most magnificent volume which ever issued from an American press. The high price of this edition prevented its circulation; and the subsequent year, it was re-printed in two volumes. The same year, it was re-published in London, in an elegant royal 8vo. The Columbiad has been attacked in the severest manner, by critics of every rank; but Barlow, relying upon the solid merits of the poem, and the impartial award of posterity, either treated them

with neglect or contempt. The Columbiad is an epic poem, abounding in philosophical discussion, and in enlarged political and national views. It was expanded from the Vision of Columbus which it comprises, and is the offspring of the labor of half a life. It is a great national work, and cannot fail of geing down to posterity, to the latest generation. The name of Barlow will long be known and revered, when all those who have attempted to asperse it will be forgotten. After the publication of his Columbiad, he was employed in collecting materials for a general history of the United States, a work which he had long meditated; but whilst thus occupied, in 1811, he was appointed minister plenipotentiary to the French government: whereupon he soon embarked again for France, clothed with authority and distinguished honors. He applied himself with great diligence to the duties of his new station, and made every exertion to effect the negotiation of a treaty of commerce, and indemnity for spoliation. In October, 1812, he was invited to a conference with the Emperor at Wilna. He immediately set off upon this mission, and travelled day and night, exposed to the severe weather of a northern climate; subject to great fatigue, and accommodations at the public Inns being the most wretched, scarcely being able to obtain a wholesome meal, his constitution was unable to withstand these severe trials; he sunk into a state of debility, from which he never recovered. He died, December 22d, 1812, at Zarnawica, an obscure village of Poland, in the neighborhood of CraCow. America has produced few men, more justly deserving of immortality than Barlow; and none, it is believed, who have made their title to it more sure. He lived in an eventful period, and acted a conspicuous part in both hemispheres; and as a poet, a man of science, a politician, a philosopher and a philanthropist, his name will long be revered by the friends of civil liberty and of science, throughout the civilized world."

RIDGEFIELD.

THE tract of land now Ridgefield, was called by the Indians Caudatowa, a word signifying high land, from its elevated situation affording a prospect of Long Island for forty miles. In 1708, John Belden, Samuel Keeler, Matthew Seymour, Matthias St. John, and other inhabitants of Norwalk, to the number of twenty five, purchased a large tract between that town and Danbury. The purchase was made of Catconah the chief sachem, and other Indians. The deed is dated the 30th of September, 1708, and at the ensuing session of the General Assembly, it was incorporated as a town by the name of Ridgefield.

This township is of an oblong shape, about 13 miles from north to south, with an average breadth of about three miles. It is bounded north by New Fairfield, west by the state of New York, east by Danbury and Reading, and south by Wilton. The face of the township is characterized by a succession of ridges and vallies running northerly and southerly towards Long Island Sound. On some of these ridges the observer has a fine prospect of the Sound, although situated at a distance of fourteen miles; likewise the East and West Rocks, in New Haven, and the Highlands on the Hudson. The soil of the township is good for grain and grass. There are two societies or parishes, Ridgefield, and Ridgebury. Ridgebury comprises the north part of the town. In the first society, (Ridgefield,) there is a pleasant village on one street within the limits of about a mile, of about 60 dwelling houses, 3 churches, 1 Congregational, 1 Episcopal, and 1 Methodist. There is an extensive carriage factory in the village; also one for manufacturing

cabinet furniture. There are some beds of limestone in the town. Ridgebury society is a very long but narrow tract of land gradually diminishing in width to the north, the extreme end of which is but about half a mile in width. The Rev. Samuel Camp, the first minister in Ridgebury, was ordained in January, 1769, the church being organized at the same time.

The place represented above, is perhaps 80 rods north of the Congregational church in Ridgefield, at the north end of the village, on the road to Danbury. It was at this spot that the Americans, under Gen. Arnold, made a stand against the British forces, as they came down from Danbury. The house standing on the right, and fronting the south, is upwards of one hundred years old. At the settlement of the town, the proprietors gave Mr. Stebbins, the ancestor of the late Mr. Stebbins, who occupied the house, half an acre of land, in order to induce him to build upon it. This house has remained in possession of the family ever since.

In order to stop the advance of the British, a barricade was thrown across the street from Mr. Stebbins' house, extending to the place where the house opposite is now built. The place where Gen. Arnold's horse was shot, and where he killed the British soldier who was advancing towards him, is seen on the left of the engraving, the man and boy are seen standing on the precise spot. Many of the dead and wounded were carried into the house of Mr. Stebbins, and the floors were literally covered with blood; a number of the wounded died in the house. Fifteen of the British and fifteen Americans were buried near the first house now standing south of Mr. Stebbins.' Gen. Wooster received his mortal wound about one and a half miles north, and Col. Gould was killed about eighty rods east of the house; his body

was carried to Fairfield. The British encamped over night on the high ground nearly a mile south of the Congregational church, and when they left the place in the morning, they fired a house near by, which was supposed to be for a signal for their shipping lying on the coast near the Norwalk islands.

Sarah Bishop, the hermitess, resided just over the boundary line of Ridgefield, in the state of New York. She lived on Long Island at the time of the Revolutionary war. Her father's house was burnt by the British, and she was cruelly treated by a British officer. She then left society and wandered among the mountains near this part of the state, where she found a kind of cave near Ridgefield, where she resided till about the time of her death, which took place in 1810. She sometimes came down to Ridgefield to attend public worship on the Sabbath. It is said that the wild animals were so accustomed to see her, that they were not afraid of her presence. The following account of a visit to this hermitess, is taken from a newspaper printed at Poughkeepsie, in 1804.

"Yesterday I went in the company of two Capt. Smith's of this town, (N. Y.) to the mountain, to visit the hermitage. As you pass the southern and elevated ridge of the mountain,and begin to descend the southern steep, you meet with a perpendicular descent of a rock, in the front of which is this cave. At the foot of this rock is a gentle descent of rich and fertile ground, extending about ten rods, when it instantly forms a frightful precipice, descending half a mile to the pond called Long Pond. In the front of the rock, on the north, where the cave is, and level with the ground, there appears a large frustum of the rock, of a double fathom in size, thrown out by some unknown convulsion of nature, and lying in the front of the cavity from which it was rent, partly enclosing the mouth, and forming a room: the rock is left entire above, and forms the roof of this humble mansion. This cavity is the habitation of the hermitess, in which she has passed the best of her years, excluded from all society; she keeps no domestic animal, not even fowl, cat, or dog. Her little plantation, consisting of half an acre, is cleared of its wood, and reduced to grass, where she has raised a few peach trees, and yearly plants a few hills of beans, cucumbers, and potatoes; the whole is surrounded with a luxuriant grape vine, which overspreads the surrounding wood, and is very productive. On the opposite side of this little tenement, is a fine fountain of excellent water; at this fountain we found the wonderful woman, whose appearance it is a little difficult to describe: indeed, like nature in its first state, she was without form. Her dress appeared little else than one confused and shapeless mass of rags, patched together without any order, which obscured all human shape, excepting her head, which was clothed with a luxuriancy of lank grey hair depending on every side, as time had formed it, without any covering or ornament. When she discovered our approach, she exhibited the appearance of a wild and timid animal, she started and hastened to her cave, which she entered, and barricadoed the entrance with old shells, pulled from the decayed trees. We approached this humble habitation, and after some conversation with its inmate, obtained liberty to remove the pallisadoes and look in; for we were not able to enter, the room being only sufficient to accommodate one person. We saw no utensil either for labor or cookery, save an old pewter basin and a gourd shell, no bed but the solid rock, unless it were a few old rags, scattered here and there; no bed clothes of any kind, not the least appearance of food or fire. She had, indeed, a place in one corner of her cell, where a fire had at some time been kindled, but it did not appear there had been one for some months. To confirm this, a gentleman says he passed her cell five or six days after the great fall of snow in the beginning of March, that she had no fire then, and had not been out of her cave since the snow had fallen. How she subsists during the severe season, is yet a mystery; she says she eats but little flesh of any kind; in the summer she lives on berries, nuts, and roots. We conversed with her for some time, found her to be of a sound mind, a religious turn of thought, and entirely happy in her situation; of this she has given repeated proofs by refusing to quit this dreary abode. She keeps a Bible with her, and says she takes much satisfaction, and spent much time in read. ing it."

SHERMAN.

SHERMAN, originally the north part of New Fairfield, was incorporated as a town in 1802. It is bounded north by Kent, west by the State of New York, east by New Milford, and south by New Fairfield. It exceeds nine miles in length from north to south, and has an average breadth of only between two and three miles. "Its surface is uneven, being characterized by elevated and lofty hills, and deep and extensive vallies. The soil is various, according to the local situation of the lands, but is generally a gravelly loam. The hills, which are not suffered to remain for the growth of timber, afford grazing; and the vales (most of which are warm and fertile) are well adapted to the cultivation of wheat, rye and Indian corn, considerable quantities of which are annually raised." Iron ore, to some extent, has been discovered in this town. The central part of the town is 60 miles S. W. from Hartford, and about 13 miles north of Danbury.

The population of the town in 1810 was 949, in 1830 it was 947.

STAMFORD.

THE Indian name of Stamford was Rippowams. It was purchased of the Indians by Capt. Nathaniel Turner, agent for New Haven, of Ponus, Sagamore of Toquamshe, and of Wascussue, Sagamore of Shipan. A reservation of planting ground was made for the Indians. Turner gave for the purchase "twelve coats, twelve hoes, twelve hatchets, twelve knives, two kettles, and four fathom of white wampum." A part or the whole of this tract was purchased of New Haven by some of the inhabitants of Wethersfield for thirty pounds sterling. The purchasers agreed to join the New Haven Colony in their form of government. Twenty men agreed to settle here by the last of Nov. 1641; but before the end of the year, there were thirty or forty families established. "The inhabitants were, however, frequently alarmed by the threatenings of invasion, both from the Indians and the Dutch; and for a considerable time were at great expense in fortifying and guarding themselves; and once in 1653, their troubles became so great, that they were on the point of a revolt, but were quieted by the prudent measures of the colony."

Stamford is bounded on the north west by the State of New York, on the west by Greenwich, on the east by Darien and New Canaan, and on the south by Long Island Sound. Its mean length from north to south is upwards of nine and a half miles, and its average breadth between three and four. This is a pleasant and fertile township, rich in the resources of agricultural opulence, abounding in the means of subsistence, with the advantages of a ready and convenient market. The surface of the town is undulating, exhibiting a pleasant diversity of moderate hills and vallies. The soil is a rich gravelly loam, adapted both to tillage and grazing.