gentleman had studied the matter thoroughly, and satisfied his own mind as to the right and propriety of fighting it out; but we were not quite prepared to see him come forth in so gallant a style to carry his principles into practice. Giving him a hearty cheer as he passed, we turned down towards West Haven, at the foot of the Milford hills, while he ascended a little to the west, and took his station in a copse of wood, where he seemed to be reconnoitering the enemy, like one who was determined to "bide his time." As we passed on towards the south, we met an advance guard of the British; and taking our stand at a line of fence, we fired upon them several times, and then chased them the length of three or four fields, as they retreated, until we suddenly found ourselves involved with the main body, and in danger of being surrounded. It was now our time to run, and we did for our lives. Passing by Dr. Daggett in his station on the hill, we retreated rapidly across West bridge, which was instantly taken down by persons who stood ready for the purpose, to prevent the enemy from entering the town by that road. In the meantime, Dr. Daggett, as we heard the story afterwards, stood his ground manfully, while the British columns advanced along the foot of the hill,-determined to have the battle himself, as we had left him in the lurch-and using his fowling-piece now and then to excellent effect, as occasion offered, under the cover of the bushes. But this could not last long. A detachment was sent up the hill-side to look into the matter; and the commanding officer coming suddenly, to his great surprise, on a single individual in a black coat, blazing away in this style, cried out, "What are you doing there, you old fool, firing on His Majesty's troops?"

Exercising the rights of war," says the old gentleman. The very audacity of the reply, and the mixture of drollery it contained, seemed to amuse the officer. "If I let you go this time, you rascal," says he, "will you ever fire again on the troops of His Majesty?" Nothing more likely," said the old genThis was too much for flesh and a wonder they did not put a bullet

tleman, in his dry way. blood to bear, and it is through him on the spot.

However, they dragged him down

to the head of the column, and as they were necessitated by the destruction of West bridge to turn their course two miles farther north to the next bridge above, they placed him at their head, and compelled him to lead the way. I had gone into the meadows, in the meantime, on the opposite side of the river, half a mile distant, and kept pace with the march as they advanced towards the north. It was, I think, the hottest day I ever knew. The stoutest men were almost melted with the heat. In this way they drove the old gentleman before them at mid-day under the burning sun, round through Westville, about five miles into the town, pricking him forward with their bayonets when his strength failed, and when he was ready to sink to the ground from utter exhaustion. Thus they marched him into New Haven, shooting down one and another of the unoffending inhabitants as they passed through the streets, and keeping him in utter uncertainty whether they had not been reserving him for the same fate. When they reached the green, he was recognized by one of the very few tories in the place who had come forward to welcome the troops, and at his request was finally dismissed. His life was, for some time, in danger from extreme exhaustion, and from the wounds he had received. He did, however, so far recover his strength as to preach regularly in the chapel a part of the next year; but his death was no doubt hastened by his sufferings on that occasion. He died about sixteen months after." (Elizur Goodrich in Sprague's Annals, vol. i, pp. 480-2.)

BENJ. TRUMBULL, D. D., born in Hebron, Conn., Dec. 19, 1735; Yale College, 1759; ordained in North Haven, 1760; died, Feb. 2, 1820.

"He had been but a few years in the ministry when the War of the Revolution broke out; and, from its commencement to its close he took the deepest interest, and during much of the time, an active part in the struggle. And when the war was terminated, he labored to fix on an enduring basis, and transmit to posterity what had been so dearly acquired." (Sprague's Annals, p. 584, vol. i.

The following is an extract from a letter written by Prof. Benj. Silliman, LL. D.:

cut.

"His patriotism is conspicuous in his History of ConnectiHis historical researches made him familiar with the early struggles of the infant colonies, and especially with those of New England; and the earlier years of his life were cotemporary with the campaigns of the middle of last century, when, after the struggles of more than one hundred years against the combined power of the French and Indians, that power, so long the scourge of the colonies, was finally broken down by the surrender of Quebec, which took place in the very year (1759) in which he received his degree of Bachelor of Arts in Yale College.

"Before he had reached his meridian, the American Revolution summoned to its support the prime of the intelligence, and moral and physical power of the country. In this cause he was ardently engaged. I have heard my father say that Dr. Trumbull, having fulfilled his appropriate duties as chaplain in his regiment, was not satisfied with the use of spiritual weapons alone, or willing to remain in safety with the other non-combatants of the army. At the battle of White Plains, in the autumn of 1776, he shouldered his musket, performed a soldier's duty, and encountered a soldier's dangers, in the ranks. On that occasion, and on other occasions of the same kind, he was seen to load and fire with coolness and courage, as my father distinctly observed. The country has long been familiar with the story of the accident which left both him and the late Colonel Tallmadge in the river Brunx, when the horse of the latter, surprised by the sudden load of another rider, leaping in his flight from the enemy, upon the crupper of the animal which had just descended the bank, he slipped from under them both, and left them to a cold bath in the stream. This anecdote I had from my father, and also another, which evinces equally the zeal and vigilance, if not the discretion, of the devoted patriot :

"In an anxious moment of one of the battles, in the autumn of 1776, in the vicinity of New York-in most of which my father was engaged-Dr. Trumbull, perceiving, as he

thought, that there was great danger to one division of the army, hastened to General Washington, and zealously communicated the information, when the Commander-in-chief, doubtless observing his clerical garb, replied in a kind and calm manner, "Good gentleman, you seem to be very much frightened," and said no more, having, doubtless, before understood perfectly the state of things.

"When, in July, 1779, a British army invaded this town, Mr. Trumbull was among the volunteers, (not amounting, I believe, to one hundred,) who, under the late Hon. James Hillhouse, then commander of the Governor's Guard, checked the advance of the hostile army by firing from behind fences and coverts of trees, upon the advanced guard. They came up from the village of West Haven, along the heights contiguous to the salt meadows, and the bridge being taken up, they were obliged to march up to the West Rock-proceeding with great caution in a day of intense heat; and they arrived in town only at night-fall, and so much exhausted that the town was saved by the delay; for, by the next morning, the country around was aroused, and the army hastened to reembark, and burned only a few buildings. instead of kindling a general conflagration, as they intended. I have been told by a person who was among the volunteers, that Mr. Trumbull was on horseback, and fired from his saddle, and that when the enemy fired, he secured himself by dropping his head along the horse's neck."

REV. MARK LEAVENWORTH, Son of Thomas, of Stratford, born in Stratford, 1711; fitted for college by Rev. Jedediah Mills, of Ripton; Yale College, 1737; licensed to preach by the New Haven Association in 1738; settled in Waterbury, June, 1739, and ordained March, 1740.

In 1739, when Mr. Leavenworth first came among his people, so great was the dread of Episcopacy, that they required him to give a bond for £500-a sum equal to his "settlement "-to be paid to the society, "if he should within twenty years from that time become a Churchman, or," as was added, "by immorality or heresy render himself unfit for a gospel

minister-to be decided by a council." In 1748-9, he had so gained the confidence of the society that they released him from his £500 bond.

In 1760, in the old French War, he served as chaplain to the 2d Connecticut regiment (under Colonel Samuel Whiting), and endured with spirit the hardships of the campaign.

"In December, 1776, when extraordinary efforts were made to reinforce the Continental army, and a committee was appointed by the General Assembly of Connecticut to arouse and animate the people to use and exert themselves with the greatest expedition,' upon this committee was placed the Rev. Mark Leavenworth." (His. p. 339.)

He was on the State committee for raising troops in the Revolution, and on the 16th of September, 1777, when the oath of fidelity was administered to the freemen of Waterbury, he was the first to receive it, or at least, the man whose name heads the list.

It was in 1784, that a law for securing the "Rights of Conscience" was passed, which permitted a man to join any denomination of Christians he pleased, and thus was a series of reforms inaugurated, which has resulted in the complete separation of church and state.

Mr. Leavenworth died August 20, 1797, in the 86th year of his age, and 58th of his ministry.

A.

ENOCH HUNTINGTON was born in Scotland, Conn., December 15, 1739, and was graduated at Yale College in 1759; ordained pastor of the church in Middletown, Jan. 6, 1762; died, June 12, 1809.

At a general Fast, ordered by Congress, and kept July 20, 1775, Mr. Huntington preached an eloquent sermon, in which he uttered these words:

"It is now a day of peculiar trial, and every good man and lover of his country, under the present aspects of divine providence, and the political and martial movements that have taken place, must feel a very sensible degree of affecting apprehension and concern, and the man ought to be pitied for his weakness, or shunned for his wickedness, whose bosom