CONNECTICUT. OUTLINE HISTORY. THE precise time when the country now comprising Connecticut* was first visited by Europeans, cannot now be ascertained. It is probable, however, it was first visited by the Dutch, soon after they began their settlement at New Amsterdam, now New York, in 1615. Whether the Dutch at New Netherlands, or the people at New Plymouth, first discovered the river Connecticut, it is not now known. Both the Dutch and English claimed to be the first discoverers, and both purchased and made a settlement of the lands upon it nearly at the same time. In 1633, William Holmes and others of the Plymouth colonists, having prepared the frame and other materials for erecting a house, put them on board a vessel and sailed for Connecticut. When he came into the river, he found that the Dutch had got in before him, proceeded up the river, made a light fort, and planted two pieces of cannon on Dutch Point, in Hartford. Although the Dutch threatened to fire upon him, Holmes proceeded up the river, landed on the west side of the Connecticut, near the mouth of the little river in Windsor. Here he erected his house and fortified it, being it is said the first house erected in Connecticut. In 1635, a number of people from Massachusetts came into Connecticut, and made preparations for settlements at Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield. In October of the same year, about sixty men, women and children, came through the wilderness from Massachusetts to Connecticut river, and arrived at the places of their destination on the 9th of November,† after a journey of fourteen days. In November, Mr. John Winthrop, who had a commission from Lord Say and Seal, Lord Brook and others, sent a party of twenty men, in a small vessel of about 30 tons, from Massachusetts, took possession of the mouth of the Connecticut, and thus prevented the Dutch from ascending the river. The first Court in Connecticut was holden at Hartford, April 26th, 1636. It consisted of Roger Ludlow, Esq., Mr. John Steel, Mr. Wm. Swaim, Mr. Wm. Phelps, Mr. Wm. Westwood, and Mr. Andrew Ward. Mr. Ludlow had, in 1631, been chosen lieutenant governor of Massa * Connecticut derives its name from the river by which it is intersected, called by the natives Quonektacut; (Hoyt's Indian Wars, &c. p. 37.) This word, according to some, signifies the long river; it has, however, been stated by others, that the meaning of the word is, River of Pines, in allusion to the forests of pines that formerly stood on its banks. + Dr. Hawes' Centennial Address, 1835. chusetts colony. The Connecticut planters at first settled under the general government of Massachusetts, but they held courts of their own, which consisted of two principal men from each town. On great occasions, these were joined with committees, (as they were called,) consisting of three men from each town. These courts had the power of transacting the common affairs of the colony; they also had the power of making war and peace, and forming alliances with the natives within the colony.* There were three courts held in 1636; the principal business done in them related principally to their military affairs, as "their circumstances were such, that it was judged necessary for every man to be a soldier." The first court was held in Hartford, as has been related; the second was holden at Windsor, June 7th; the third at Wethersfield, on the 1st of September. In the month of June, 1636, Messrs. Hooker and Stone, with their company, came through the wilderness to Hartford. There were, at the close of this year, says Dr. Trumbull, about two hundred and fifty men in the three towns on the river, and there were twenty men in the garrison at the entrance of it, under the command of Lieut. Gardiner. The whole consisted, probably, of about 800 persons, or of one hundred and sixty or seventy families. The year 1637 is memorable in the history of Connecticut, on account of the Pequot war and the destruction of that warlike tribe. In the year 1634, a number of Indians, in confederacy with the Pequots, murdered Capt. Stone and Capt. Norton, with the whole of their crew, consisting of eight men, and plundered and sunk the vessel. Captain Stone was from the West Indies, and came into Connecticut river, with a view of trading at the Dutch House. In 1636, Capt. Oldham was killed at Block Island, where he went to trade: several of the murderers fled to the Pequots and were protected by them, and were therefore considered as the abettors of the murder. The murder of Capt. Oldham induced Massachusetts to send ninety men, under Capt. Endicott, to reduce the Indians on Block Island, and then to demand of the Pequots the murderers of Capt. Stone and his crew, and a thousand fathoins of wampum for damages, and a number of their children as hostages. Capt. Endicott sailed from Boston Aug. 25th, and landed on the island, but the Indians secreted themselves in swamps and other places, where they could not be found. He however destroyed about sixty wigwams, and about 200 acres of corn. The party then sailed to Pequot, now New London harbor, and demanded satisfaction for the murders they had committed. In a few hours, nearly three hundred Pequots collected upon the shore, but after having fully learned the object of the visit they withdrew, and instead of treating with the English, they shot their arrows at them. He landed his men on both sides of the harbor, burnt their wigwams, and killed one or two Indians. This expedition gave great dissatisfaction to the Connecticut settlers, as nothing had been done to subdue, but enough to exasperate, a haughty and warlike enemy. * Dr. Trumbull. The Pequot prince Sassacus and his captains were men of haughty and independent spirits; they had conquered and governed the Indian tribes around them without control. They viewed the English as intruders, and they were determined to extirpate, or drive them from the country. For this purpose they endeavored to unite the Indians against them he spared no pains to make peace with the Narragansetts, and to engage them against the English. The governor of Massachusetts, to prevent a union between these tribes, sent for Miantonimoh, their chief sachem, with some other chief men of the nation, who came to Boston, and made a treaty of peace with the English. The Pequots continued hostile during the year 1636, and killed a number of persons in various places, and during a great part of the winter following kept the fort at Saybrook in a state of siege. When the spring came on, they became still more troublesome. They waylaid the roads and fields, and kept the whole colony in a state of alarm. The settlers could neither hunt, fish, or cultivate their fields, but at the peril of their lives, and their prospects were dark and gloomy in the extreme. In this important crisis, a court was summoned at Hartford, on Monday the 1st of May. As they were to deliberate on matters which concerned the very existence of the colony, the towns for the first time sent committees. The magistrates were Roger Ludlow, Esq. Messrs. Wells, Swaim, Steel, Phelps, and Ward. The committees were Messrs. Whiting, Webster, Williams, Hull, Chaplin, Talcott, Geffords, Mitchell, and Sherman. The court, considering that the Pequots had killed nearly thirty of the English, determined that offensive war should be immediately carried on against them. For this purpose they voted that 90 men should be raised forthwith; 42 from Hartford, 30 from Windsor, and 18 from Wethersfield. The report of the murders committed by the Pequots, roused the other colonies to spirited exertions against the common enemy. Massachusetts determined to send 200, and Plymouth 40 men, to aid Connecticut in prosecuting the war. Capt. Patrick, with 40 men, was sent forward, before the other troops from Massachusetts and Plymouth could be ready to march, in order to effect a junction with the soldiers from Connecticut. On Wednesday the 10th of May, 1637, the troops of Connecticut fell down the river to Saybrook, on board a pink, a pinnace, and a shallop. Their force consisted of 90 Englishmen, commanded by Capt. John Mason, and accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Stone as chaplain. They were also accompanied by Uncas, sachem of the Mohegans, with about 70 friendly Indians. The troops arrived at Saybrook fort on Monday the 15th. As there was some delay in passing down the river, the Indians desired to be set on shore, promising to join the English at Saybrook. On their way they fell in with about 40 of the enemy, near the fort, killed seven and took one prisoner, whom they put to death in the most barbarous manner. On the 19th of May, Capt. Mason sailed for the Narragansett country, where he arrived the next day. Being joined by 200 Narragansetts, he proceeded to the Pequot country, and on the 26th of May attacked the Pequot fort by surprise. This fort |