others from the squadron and buried on the east side of that island. Over the grave of one was set a marker, upon which was inscribed the following epitaph:

"Safely at anchor here I lay

With several of our fleet,
And here will lie till I set sail

My Admiral Christ to meet."

Of course such wanton destruction of our beacon light had to be repaid in some way. So the Yankees bought an old square rigged vessel, and fixing a magazine in her hold, so connected that upon raising the hatches, it would explode, sailed her as near the fleet as they dared, and then under cover of darkness abandoned her. When the enemy noticed the vessel they put off in boats and brought her alongside of the fleet. Then a number of officers went aboard and started to raise the hatches, when the magazine exploded with terrific force, blowing the men into the sea to their destruction and the vessel to the bottom of the waters. The British were so incensed that they sent their barges up the Connecticut the next night and burned every vessel that they found as far up as Deep River.

Mr. Lodowick Havens, from whose personal record these facts have been culled, says the sound of that explosion was like an earthquake. The British sent an order ashore on this island for the people to immediately furnish a lot of provisions, but little heed at that time was given to it, as the people felt that the three companies of soldiers stationed at Sag Harbor were abundantly able to protect them. Every man, however, on the island, kept his gun and bayonet in the room where he slept, and carried it with him to meeting when there was one, which under such conditions was not often. When peace was again restored in 1814, the people once more assembled in jubilee, only this time instead of on Prospect Heights they met in the mansion of Gen. Sylvester Dering. It is not to be wondered at that in the presence of such a state of public affairs the attempt at procuring a new meeting house, set on foot in 1809, should have failed. The year following the restoration of peace, however, namely, 1815, the effort was renewed. Of this we shall speak later on.

A little more than two months after Mr. Hall's death, in 1812, this church took steps towards being fully organized according to

Presbyterian polity, with the view of being received into the Presbytery of Long Island. "At a meeting of the congregation of Shelter Island on Friday, March 27th, 1812, being a day of fasting and prayer, voted (the subject having previously been under considertion a suitable time) 'that it is their wish and desire that the church. should be regularly organized with officers upon Presbyterian principles, and become regularly connected with the Presbytery of Long Island.' They also proceeded to the choice of three Elders and two deacons, and General Sylvester Dering, Jonathan Doughlass and Lodowick Havens were chosen Elders, and the two former Deacons. The above persons having declared their acceptance of this appointment were at the same time solemnly ordained according to the Directory."

They were ordained by the Rev. Aaron Woolworth, D. D., pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Bridgehampton, who by request attended and presided on that occasion. Upon being duly elected and installed into their sacred office these elders the next day, March 28th, made application to the Presbytery of Long Island, on behalf of the church, "to be received into that body agreeable to the above resolution."

Presbytery met that year at Huntington on April 9th, 1812, when the application was received and acted upon as follows: "A communication from the Church at Shelter Island was received containing a request that they might be received into connection with the Presbytery. The Presbytery having ascertained that the proceedings of that church were regular, resolved to grant their request, and they are thereby accordingly received." And since that time down to the present, a period of eighty-six years, this church has maintained its relation with that great branch of the Christian Church with dignity and honor.

Dr. Woolworth has left on record a personal account of Mr. Hall's ministry and the organization of this church, which is of such importance that it may well be added here: "Rev. Daniel Hall's ministry, though short, was connected with salutary effects. The public worship was well attended and the moral state of society much improved. Nor were individual instances of conviction and hopeful conversion wanting. By Mr. Hall's exertion a church was first formed which had before been supposed that the number of professors was so small as to render such an attempt inefficient. This may be considered as the dawn of that brighter day which has since

opened upon you. The standard of the cross was now in manner and form erected, and the King of Zion sanctioned it, by many unequivocal tokens of his approbation which have followed. Some small additions were made to the church during Mr. Hall's ministry, and the little band walking in fellowship of the gospel were edified.

"His death, which took place in January, 1812, was considered as a severe rebuke of heaven, both by the church and congregation, by whom he was much esteemed and loved. This mournful event it is believed was sanctified and made the means of leading Christians to a more feeling sense of their dependence upon God, and exciting them to greater steadfastness in prayer. In the following spring the church was more completely organized by the choice and public consecration of elders, which from the smallness of its numbers had hitherto been delayed. Well, my brethren, do you and I remember the solemnities of that day. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper had just been administered, and after the ordination of the session they were publicly asked whether they would engage to maintain public worship on the Sabbath, when there should be no preaching, a thing which had never before been observed, to which under a deep and solemn sense of duty they consented on supposition that the people wished it. The proposal was made to the congregation, who by a unanimous vote expressed their desire of this arrangement and engaged to countenance and encourage it. Accordingly since that time the public worship has been uniformly kept up, and in general been well attended, and there is reason to believe the special blessing of God has accompanied it."

And now we have reached the time when our beloved church became fully organized as a Presbyterian church and in organic relation with the Presbytery of Long Island and the great Presbyterian Church of the United States of America. Thus far our review has been largely devoted to the birth and life of this island. as the charming abode of the white man. We have gone into its civil history with increased delight, and would find pleasure in pursuing it down to the present time. But that is not according to our purpose. That purpose is to trace out the record of Shelter Island down to the organization of this Society, and from that point. to confine the record to the Presbyterian church. We have therefore reached the time when ecclesiastical and civil matters becoming distinct from each other, we must bid the latter an affectionate

"good bye." We can say to the civil part of our research, that if we shall find the ecclesiastical as interesting, creditable, yea, glorious, we shall have lasting cause for thanksgiving to the Almighty, who shapes our ends, and in shaping them made those of the writer to run across this place, which when He formed He so lavishly beautified for the comfort, repose and rejuvenation of mankind.

CHAPTER V.

We will begin the ecclesiastical part of these historical papers with the erection of the present church building. Upon the close of the second war with Great Britain, in 1814, the effort begun in 1809 to procure a new meeting house, and which had been interrupted by the war, was once more taken up by the circulation of the following subscription paper, with its accompanying result:

"Shelter Island, September, 1815.

"Whereas the House of Public Worship on Shelter Island is too small comfortably to accommodate the Inhabitants, and so gone. to decay as to render it very uncomfortable in wet and cold weather, and it being judged unfit to repair and enlarge, we the subscribers do agree to pay on demand the several sums affixed to our names, to the Trustees of the Freeholders and inhabitants of Shelter Island, as a donation towards building a new Meeting House, or place of Public Worship on said Island, and that as soon as the Trustees judge that a sufficient sum is subscribed and collected to commence the building, they shall call a meeting of the Society for the purpose of agreeing upon a place for the Building, and the choice of a Committee to purchase materials, and to contract with persons to build the same. The House to belong to the Society, and to be regulated by them agreeably to the laws of this State, in such case made and provided, and in case more money should be subscribed and collected than is necessary, the overplus to be added to the fund for the support of the Gospel on Shelter Island."