Two Centuries of New Milford Connecticut: An Account of the Bi-Centennial Celebration of the Founding of the Town Held June 15, 16, 17, and 18, 1907, With a Number of Historical Articles and ReminiscencesVarious
History
Two Centuries of New Milford Connecticut: An Account of the Bi-Centennial Celebration of the Founding of the Town Held June 15, 16, 17, and 18, 1907, With a Number of Historical Articles and Reminiscences
Various
New Milford (Conn. : Town) -- History
Four years later Major Jones wrote to Daniel Everett of New Milford, his
sweetheart’s brother-in-law and his near friend, from Yorktown, during
the siege, shortly before the surrender of Cornwallis. Even that
exciting and arduous time seems not to have made him forget the young
lady, for he says: “She is never out of my mind, though it seems Fortune
has not been so favorable as to allot us to the possession of each other
in this short transitory life, or if she has, parents seem to clash....
I wish I had time to write you fully on a subject that floats in my
head, the last when I go to bed and the first when I awake, but must
omit it till a future opportunity.”
After the war was over and the country had become settled, Major Jones,
with his body servant, journeyed on horseback from his Virginia home to
New Milford; but the journey was in vain, and he went sorrowfully home
alone. Pretty Temmie Taylor seems not to have been inconsolable, for she
was happily married later to the Hon. Nicholas Masters of this place.
Mrs. Carr still cherishes the ring and locket given her grandmother by
the earlier lover; and when we touched the ancient tokens, the long
years fell away, and we, too, seemed to live in the love story of olden
time.
New Milford was on one of the regular post roads from Philadelphia to
Boston, and, if the old highways could speak, they might tell many
stories of distinguished men who have travelled over them. We read in
the letters of John Adams of his going through this town on his way to
the Congress in Philadelphia. During the war there was frequent passing
through the place of both British and Continental troops.
When the war was over there was still further expression of the
patriotic sentiments of the people in a vote “that none of those persons
who have voluntarily gone over and joined the enemy, shall be suffered
to abide and continue in the town during the present situation of our
public affairs.” A committee was appointed to carry out these
resolutions, with the result that several never came back, and their
lands were confiscated by the State.
We learn of much pleasant social life in the peaceful days following the
war. There were the “assemblies.” An invitation card for one of these
functions is for “Friday Evening, July third next, at six o’clock.” What
would the young people of our day think of that? Another is for a
“Quarter Ball, at Mr. G. Booth’s Assembly Room, on June 3d at three
o’clock, P. M.”! In winter there were merry sleighing parties to
neighboring towns. Often large companies in twenty or thirty sleighs
enjoyed an early supper together, getting safely home before ten
o’clock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account