In the autobiography of the Rev. Lyman Beecher, his son Charles Beecher writes the following: “Judge Tapping Reeve, for over half a century a citizen of Litchfield, was the founder of the celebrated law school, which for forty years was resorted to by young men of talent from nearly every state in the Union. Judge Reeve’s first wife was a granddaughter of President Edwards, and sister of Aaron Burr, who for about six years regarded Litchfield as home.”[23] “No less distinguished in point of literary cultivation was the family of Judge Gould for many years associated with Judge Reeve in the law school, and afterwards its principal. He was of fine personal appearance, polished manners, extensive acquaintance with the English classics, and in all matters of rhetorical or verbal criticism his word was law. His wife was in no way inferior to him in general information and brilliant conversational powers.”[24] To this institution came Edward D. Mansfield, from whose “Personal Memories,” published in Cincinnati in 1879, we extract the following passages: “It was about the middle of June, 1823, that my father and I drove up to Grove Catlin’s tavern, on the ‘Green’ of Litchfield, Conn. It was one of the most beautiful days of the year, and just before sunset. The scene most striking. Litchfield is on a hill, about one thousand feet above the sea, and having fine scenery on every side. On the west rises ‘Mount Tom’ a dark frowning peak; in the southwest, ‘Bantam Lake,’ on whose shores I have often walked and ridden. In the north and east other ridges rolled away in the distance, and so, from Litchfield Hill, there is a varied and delightful prospect. One of the first objects which struck my eyes was interesting and picturesque. This was a long procession of school girls, coming down North Street, walking under the lofty elms, and moving to the music of a flute and flageolet. The girls were gayly dressed and evidently enjoying their evening parade, in this most balmy season of the year. It was the school of Miss Sally Pierce, whom I have mentioned before, as one of the earliest and best of the pioneers in American female education. That scene has never faded from my memory. The beauty of Nature, the loveliness of the season, the sudden appearance of this school of girls, all united to strike and charm the mind of a young man, who, however varied his experience, had never beheld a scene like that.