boats and canoes. It would have been madness to have crossed it, if there had been canoes, when they had found, that, by all the means and exertions in their power, they could not procure provisions for the army on this side of the lake. Leisler, however, took the advantage of the general, after the army had crossed Hudson's river, and lay encamped on this side of it, to arrest and confine him, that he might try him by a court martial of his own appointment. He was some days under the arrest. But when he was brought upon trial, the Mohawks, who were in the camp, crossed the river and brought him off, with great triumph, and to the universal joy of the army. Leisler, Milborn, and their party, were so enraged with some of the principal gentlemen in Albany, who were of the general's council, that they were obliged to flee to Connecticut for safety. Mr. Livingston and others resided some time at Hartford. Leisler confined the commissary of the Connecticut troops, so that the army suffered for want of his assistance.

This was viewed, by Connecticut, as an entirely lawless proceeding; not only highly injurious to general Winthrop and the colony, but to all New-England. The governor and council remonstrated against his conduct, and demanded the release of general Winthrop and their commissary. They certified him, that it belonged not to him to judge of the general's conduct, but to the colonies in general; that it was inconsistent with the very instructions which he had subscribed with his own hand; and that, if he proceeded in his unprecedented and violent measures, they would leave him and New-York to themselves, without any further aid from Connecticut, let the consequences be what they might.1 They observed, that he needed friends and assistance, but was pursuing measures not only to make the powerful friends of general Winthrop, but all New-England, his enemies; and, that the character of the general was too good, and too well known, to be drawn into question or disrepute by his conduct towards him.

At the general court, in October, a narrative of the conduct of the general was exhibited, attested by the officers of the army, and by numbers of the principal gentlemen of Albany. Attested answers of the Indians to the several councils of war, with such other evidence as the assembly judged proper to examine, were heard. Upon a full examination of the affair, the assembly resolved: That the general's conduct, in the expedition, had been with good fidelity to his majesty's interest, and that his confinement, at Albany, on the account thereof, deserved a timely vindication, as being very injurious and dishonorable to himself, and the colonies. of New-England, at whose instance he undertook that difficult service." The court appointed two of the magistrates in their name, "To thank the general for his good service to their maj1 Appendix No, XXIV.

esties, and to this colony, and assure him, that, on all seasonable occasions, they would be ready to manifest their good sentiments of his fidelity, valor, and prudence." The assembly made him a grant of forty pounds, as a present, which they desired him to accept, as a further testimonial of their entire approbation of his services.

Besides the troops employed in the expedition against Canada, Connecticut maintained a company upon the river, for the defence of the towns in the county of Hampshire. Upon an alarm in the winter, the governor and council dispatched a company to Deerfield, for the protection of that and the neighboring towns.

At the election, May, 1691, all the former officers were reelected.

On the account of the death of the deputy-governor, James Bishop, Esq. a special assembly was convened, on the 9th of July, 1691; when William Jones, Esquire, was chosen deputy-governor, and captain Caleb Stanley, magistrate.

The Rev. Increase Mather, of Boston, was a most faithful. friend to the liberties of his country; and though he was agent for the Massachusetts, yet he was indefatigable in his labors, and, as opportunity presented, performed essential services for the other colonies. At the accession of William and Mary he had prevented the bill for establishing the former governors of New-England. He had united all his influence with Mr. Whiting for the benefit of Connecticut. One Mr. James Porter, who was in London, had been very serviceable to the colony. The assembly, therefore, ordered, that a letter of thanks should be addressed to those gentlemen, for the good services which they had rendered the colony. They were, also, desired to use their influence to obtain, from his majesty, a letter approving of their administration of government, according to charter, as legal; and expressing his determination to protect them in the enjoyment of their civil and religious privileges.

The violation of the charters, in England, had been declared illegal and arbitrary. The charter of the city of London, and those of other corporations, in Great Britain, had been restored. The case of Connecticut, respecting their charter, had been stated, and the opinions of gentlemen, learned in the law, had been given rela1 Records of the colony.

** James Bishop, Esq. died June 22d, 1691. He appears to have been a gentleman of good ability and distinguished morals. The time of his coming over to America is uncertain. His first appearance upon the public records, was about the year 1648. In 1661, he was chosen secretary of the colony of New-Haven; in which office he continued until the union of the colonies of Connecticut and NewHaven. In May, 1668, he was chosen one of the magistrates of Connecticut, in which office he continued until May 10th, 1683, when he was elected deputy-governor. To this office he was annually re-elected until his death. His family has continued respectable to the present time. Samuel Bishop, Esq. chief judge of the court of common pleas, for the county of New-Haven, and mayor of the city, is one of his descendants.

tive to the legality of the government assumed by the colony. They are thus expressed.

Query, Whether the charter belonging to Connecticut, in New-England, is by means of their involuntary submission to Sir Edmund Andross's government, void in law, so as that the king may send a governor to them, contrary to their charter privileges, when there has been no judgment entered against their charter, nor any surrender thereof upon record?"

“I am of opinion, that such submission, as is put, in this case, doth not invalidate the charter, or any of the powers therein, which were granted under the great seal; and that the charter not being surrendered under the common seal, and that surrender duly enrolled of record, nor any judgment of record entered against it, the same remains good and valid in law; and the said corporation may lawfully execute the powers and privileges thereby granted, notwithstanding such submission, and appointment of a governor as aforesaid.

"2d August, 1690.

"I am of the same opinion.

"EDWARD WARD.

J. SOMERS.

"I am of the same opinion; and as this matter is stated there is no ground of doubt.

"GEO. TREBY."

The people at the eastward, in New-Hampshire and the province of Maine, had been extremely distressed by the war, and a very great proportion of them driven from their settlements. It had also been found exceedingly difficult to persuade men to keep garrison for the defence of that part of the country. The general court of Connecticut, therefore, appointed a contribution, through the colony, for the encouragement of the soldiers, who should keep garrison there, and for the relief of poor families, which had kept their stations, or been driven from them by the ravages of the enemy. The clergy were directed to exhort the people to liberal contributions for these charitable purposes.1

At the election, May, 1692, William Jones, Esq. was chosen deputy governor by the freemen. Mr. Cabel Stanley and Mr. Moses Mansfield were chosen magistrates. Governor Winthrop and the other magistrates were the same they had been the year before.

The French, the last year, while the troops were employed in the expedition against Canada, made a descent upon Block-Island, plundered the houses, and captivated most of the inhabitants. This greatly alarmed the people of New-London, Stonington, and Saybrook. Detachments of the militia were sent to the seaport towns for their defence. The assembly therefore, about this time

1 The number of persons, this year, ratable in the colony, was 3, 109, and the grand list £183, 159.

ordered, that New-London should be fortified; and that the fortifications at Saybrook should be repaired.

The country had been alarmed with reports, that a large body of French and Indians were about to cross the lakes and come down upon the frontiers. Consequently it was ordered, that scouts, from the several counties should range the country, and make discovery of the enemy as they made their approach. Officers were also appointed to command such parts of the militia as it might be necessary to detach, in case of an invasion.

Upon the 29th of February, 1675, Joshua, sachem of the Moheagans, son of Uncas, by his last will, gave unto captain John Mason, James Fitch, and others, to the number of fourteen, commonly called Joshua's legatees, the tract containing the town of Windham. It was, the next year, surveyed and laid out into distinct lots. In May, 1692, it was vested with town privileges. By Joshua's will, the lands in the town of Mansfield, no less than those in Windham, were given. The settlements, at both places, commenced about 1686, nearly at the same time. Canterbury originally belonged to the town of Windham,1 though it was some years after made a distinct town. The township of Windham comprises a fine tract of land, nearly ten miles square. Its situation is pleasant, and it is now one of the principal towns in the state." Count Frontenac, finding that he could not, with all his arts, accomplish a peace with the five nations, determined on the destruction of the Mohawks, who, of all the Indians, had been by far the most destructive to the settlements in Canada. He collected an army of six or seven hundred French and Indians, and, having supplied them with every thing necessary for a winter campaign, sent them against the Mohawk castles. They began their march from Montreal on the 15th of January, 1693. After suffering incredible hardships, they fell in with the first Mohawk castle, about the 6th of February. The Mohawks were entirely secure, not having the least intimation of their approach. The enemy took four or five men at this castle, and proceeded to the second. At this they were equally successful. A great part of the inhabitants were at Shenectady, and the rest were perfectly secure. When they advanced to the third castle, they found about forty warriors, collected at a war dance, as they designed the next day to go upon an enterprise against their enemies. A conflict ensued, in which the French, after losing about thirty men, were victori

1 This palpable error is corrected by a statement of the author himself at page 405, where he correctly states that the town of Canterbury was originally a part of Plainfield.-J. T.

Mr. John Cates, one of the first planters, a gentleman from England, who died July 16th, 1697, by his last will, gave a generous legacy, in plate, to the church. He also gave two hundred acres of land for the use of a school, and two hundred more for the use of the poor of the town forever. Windham was made a county town in May, 1726. The grand list, in 1768, was about £30,000, and the number of inhabitants 3,500.

ous, and the third castle was taken. The French, in this descent, captivated nearly three hundred of the allied Indians, principally women and children. The brave colonel Schuyler, of Albany, at the head of a party of volunteers, of about two hundred English and Dutch, pursued them. On the 15th of February, he was joined with about three hundred Indians, and, with this force, he fell in with the enemy, whom he found in a fortified camp. They made three successive sallies upon the colonel, and were as often repulsed. He kept his ground, waiting for provisions and a reinforcement from Albany. Meanwhile, the enemy, taking advantage of a severe snow storm, on the night of the 18th, marched off for Canada. The next day, captain Sims, with eighty regular troops, arrived with provisions for the army, and the day following the colonel resumed the pursuit. The French, however, luckily finding a cake of ice across the north branch of Hudson's river, made their escape. Nevertheless, they were so pressed, that they suffered most of their captives to escape. They all, except nine or ten, returned. Colonel Schuyler lost eight of his party, four christians, and four Indians. He had fourteen wounded. According to the report of the captives, the enemy lost forty men, three of whom were French officers, and two were Indian leaders; and they had thirty wounded. The Indians found about thirty corpses of the enemy, whom they scalped, and afterwards roasted and ate them, as they were exceedingly pinched for want of provisions.1

While these affairs were transacting, dispatches were sent to Connecticut, acquainting governor Treat, that the French had invaded his majesty's territories, and taken the fortresses of his allies. A demand was made of two hundred men, complete in their arms, to march forthwith to Albany.

A special assembly was called on the 21st of February, 1693, and it was ordered, that one hundred and fifty men should be sent immediately to Albany, or any other place where the governor should judge to be most for his majesty's interest. Fifty of the troops marched for Albany the next day.

Scarcely had the assembly dispersed, before another express arrived, from Sir William Phipps, requiring a corps of a hundred English men, and fifty Indians, to assist in the defence of the eastern settlements, in the province of Maine and Massachusetts. On the 6th of March, another special assembly was convened, and the legislature granted a captain's company of sixty English men, and about forty Indians, under the command of captain William Whiting.

Major-general Fitz John Winthrop was chosen magistrate at the election, May 11th, which was the only alteration made among the magistrates this year.

1 Governor Fletcher's letter, on file.