his valise a bag of silver and deliberately proceeded to draw out and count from it, till he had reached the sum of nine hundred and some odd dollars,' the precise amount due the creditor 'in principal, interest and fees for the discharge of the mortgage,' which sum the astonished widow accepts from her illustrious visitor, and with it relieves her estate from the encumbrance."

Accordingly, after a careful inquiry, the following answer was returned, which explains itself:—

HON. HILARD HALL,

WOODBURY, CONN., April 20, 1865.

Dear Sir:-Your favor of the 6th ultimo was duly received, and would have been answered earlier, except for pressing professional engagements. You call my attention to the story, which is going the rounds of the press, in relation to Gen. Washington's paying, in 1789, a heavy mortgage on the homestead of Mrs. Esther Warner, widow of Col. Seth Warner, of this town. In reply to your inquiries, I have to state, that during the seven years I was engaged in collecting materials for the history of Ancient Woodbury, I never heard a word of the transaction referred to. As we have a strong local pride in the history of Col. Warner, and a national pride in and reverence for the character of Washington, I would be glad if the story were true. But a reference to our town and probate Records show, conclusively, that it is not true. By these records, it appears that Noah Frisbie deeded fifty-one acres of land, with the buildings thereon, in the Parish of Roxbury, in the south-west part of Woodbury, to Col. Seth Warner, of Bennington, Vermont, Oct. 16, 1783. Col. Warner died in December of the next year. Administration was granted on his estate Jan. 19, 1785, to his widow, Esther Warner, and Capt. David Leavenworth. The estate was represented insolvent, and proved to be so, paying only two shillings ten pence on the pound; from all his property, both in Connecticut and Vermont. The inventory of his estate included the fifty-one acres of land before mentioned, and was sold, subject to the widow's dower, the use during life of one-third of it having been set out to her at £118-14-4, including the avails of his few personal effects. Thus it appears that the whole value of his property was much less than the story has it. Of course there could be no mortgage on the widow's dower under this state of facts, and the records

show no mortgage either before or after Col. Warner's death, either of his or her interest in the land. The avails of the Col.'s Verment property is carried out as £71-2-3.

The inventory shows that at time of his death Col. Warner owned no horse, and therefore Gen. Washington could not have seen his son Seth, "grooming him." By a reference to the Woodbury History, and other authorities, it will be seen, that Col. Warner was disabled in service, in 1777, and it would therefore be singular that Washington should have seen him "on parade," and should, twelve years afterwards, have remembered his "war horse."

There is no tradition that Washington visited Woodbury after the close of the war for independene. During that war, there is a tradition that he, with his staff, passed through the town on several occasions, and houses are still pointed out where he is said to have lodged. This town was in the line of the regular route from Boston to the army on the Hudson River. The foregoing, I believe, answers all the questions you asked me. You are at liberty to use this letter in any manner you choose in aid of the truth of history. Yours very truly,

WILLIAM COTHREN.

Mohawk Indians, by Rev. Mr. Stoddard. While clearing out a lot of rubbish behind the huge chimney, in the old Parsonage house, which was built in 1700, an exceedingly large gun-flint lock was discovered, which is now in the possession of the writer.

Its proportions are enormous.

The base of the lock is some nine inches in width, height of cock about six inches, face, or width for holding flint, one and a half inches. The calaber of the gun needing so large a flint-lock, must have been of ungainly proportions, requiring the strength of a giant to wield it with such deadly effect, as it is related the good old parson did. There is a great deal of history in this old flint lock, successor of the matchlock. The latter was so ungainly a contrivance, it is difficult to see how any damage could have ever been inflicted upon any one but him who wielded it.

On page 148 is an account of several periods of alarming sickness, which carried off great numbers of people. We had another of the seasons of great mortality during the winter of 1870-71. The diseases of which the people died were not precisely epidemic, though fever was the prevailing disease; but men, women and children unaccountably sickened and died, without apparent reason for such mortality. A large number of the most prominent and useful citizens were taken, and many others grappled with

the fell disease. Within six months, 47 persons died, out of a population of less than 2,000. It was a sad season, well calculated to impress the heart of the most careless.

Though the ancient burial ground south of the Episcopal Church was used for the purposes of sepulture from the founding of the town in 1672, it was never formally laid out till 1741. By a vote of the town it was in that year laid out, by the Committee of common and undivided lands. By its description, we learn that Deacon Zechariah Walker, son of the first pastor, lived on the lot now occupied by widow Burton Candee.

Twenty-five years ago, this ground, though burials were frequent, had become much neglected. Briars and weeds covered the whole area. The south-eastern part, now the most beautifully adorned, was the receptacle of the waste of the ground, including the ravine, now so beautiful. The western border was occupied by the town pound, and the refuse of the neighboring manufactories were piled along the western borders. The whole thing was an insult to the ashes of six generations. This state of things struck some of the people very unpleasantly, and, accordingly, the matter was brought before a special meeting of the town, May 22, 1868. A committee was appointed to investigate the subject, and report the action desirable for the town to adopt. The committee accordingly reported, that the pound should be removed to the river, the whole of the land cleared of rubbish, and enclosed to the highway on the west, and cleared also on the east. The west side was to be graded. This report was accepted, and its recommendations carried out. At the same time it was voted, that though heretofore this ground had been common land, any householder might take up a lot in the unoccupied ground thus reclaimed, and have a title to the same, on improving it. Under this provision the forlorn and desecrated south-east corner has become the most ornamented and beautiful in the cemetery. The southwest, or "pound " corner, has been also beautified, and has become very desirable for the resting place of our deceased loved ones.

At the same time, a lot containing about one and three-quarters acres of land, adjoining the north burial ground, was purchased by the town as an addition to that cemetery, and a lane between the two was discontinued, so as to form a continuous ground. Then immediately began a fierce contest among the inhabitants, on the question of whether the addition should be "free ground," as it was called, that is, every one to have the right to occupy any lot

in the ground without question, or whether the inhabitants should have a right to purchase family lots, and take an indisputable title to the same, that they might beautify and hold them with immunity from trespass, as any other real estate is held. Although the old rule had been, that the family that first occupied a lot, should be enabled to retain the same as a family burial lot, without molestation, yet in point of practice, there were continual encroachments, by other burials, on the appropriated family lots. Strange as it may seem, there was a little controversy, and the town was nearly equally divided on the question, whether the old plan of inevitable encroachments should be continued, or whether each head of a family, on paying an assessed price, should have title to a lot, to beautify and adorn as private property, according to his individual taste. Meeting after meeting was called; contrary determinations were arrived at; suits for mandamus and injunetion followed, till the town was in quite a turmoil of excitement. It was finally determined, in a special meeting of the town, that one third of the addition should be "free ground," after the old fashion, and that the remainder should be sold, as called for, at assessed prices, the money to go into the town treasury, and the purchaser to have a deed of the same, for the purposes of sepulture alone, with full covenants. The effect has been, that the families have taken an increased interest in the several lots, and the two cemeteries present an improved and tasteful appearance, creditable to the people, and in accordance with that delicate taste we should ever bestow upon the lonely resting place of our be loved dead.

In 1748, 1751 and 1768, (see pages 153-4) there were efforts to establish a new county of Woodbury, with Woodbury for its shire town. Litchfield County was however selected instead, with Litchfield for its County seat. The matter rested there till the spring of 1871, more than a hundred years, when, on account of the fact that railroads had been built on either side of the County, and the shire town had become more difficult of access than many other towns, an application was made to the Legisla ture for a new County, its seat to be at Waterbury.

A town meeting was held and a vote passed, that the town was in favor of a new County, and appointed a committee of five to advocate the measure before the Legislature. But, with the commendable prudence in the expenditure of money which has characterized the town every time this subject has been agitated