The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Life of Henry Bradley Plant
Title: The Life of Henry Bradley Plant
Author: G. Hutchinson Smyth
Contributor: George Sherwood Dickerman
Release date: April 17, 2017 [eBook #54558]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024
Language: English
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Henry Bradley Plant.
THE LIFE OF
HENRY BRADLEY PLANT
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE PLANT SYSTEM
OF RAILROADS AND STEAMSHIPS AND ALSO
OF THE SOUTHERN EXPRESS COMPANY
BY
G. HUTCHINSON SMYTH, D.D.
G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
The Knickerbocker Press
1898
Compliments of
The Author.
Copyright, 1898
BY
G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London
The Knickerbocker Press, New York
PREFACE.
IF it be asked why another biography is added to the almost endless number now in our bookstores and libraries, an answer is found in the countless distinctions of individual character, and in the varied experiences which come to men in different walks of life. The botanist says that of all leaves in the forests of the world, no two can be found alike in every particular. The phrenologist says the same of the various forms of the human head, and the psychologist affirms it of the intellects and dispositions of men and women. Hence each life has its own peculiar experience to record for the pleasure or profit of others.
Biography is the most universally interesting and instructive branch of literature; hence the power of the novel and drama, which are merely biographies pictured and acted before us. A study of history shows that the nations’ great movements are the work of individual men and women. In illustration of this fact it is needful to mention such names only as Abraham, Joseph, Esther, Joan of Arc, Napoleon, and Washington.
The commercial and industrial occupations from which a nation now derives its strength should be honored as truly as the military exploit, or the scientific achievement. The record of a noble life which, in its sphere of quiet duty, has accomplished much for the good of others, is a lesson in patriotism and a legacy to posterity. The best period of the history of the Cotton States could only be written by taking into account the share which the subject of this biography has had in their development.
It is rare to find a man who has had dealings with so many of his fellows, and who, at the same time, has won the esteem and affection of his associates and employés, as has Henry Bradley Plant in every department of his great railroad system.
The writing of this biography is undertaken in the belief that there are many general readers to whom the record of such a life will be as welcome as it must be to those to whom, in his manifold activities, he has proved a benefactor and a friend.
G. H. S.
| CHAPTER I. | |
|---|---|
| PAGE | |
| The Plant Family—Birth of Henry Bradley Plant—Mr. Plant’s Parents—Ancestors Came from England in 1639—David Plant Occupied Many Positions of Honor and Trust—A. P. Plant’s Successful Business Career—H. B. Plant on his Mother’s Side is Descended from Joseph Frisbee, a Major in Washington’s Army—Reverend Levi Frisbee, Father of Professor Levi Frisbee of Harvard College—Connection with Sir William Pepperell, Bart.—The Historian of the Frisbee Family—Richard of the Second Generation Went from Virginia to Connecticut, and Settled at Branford, 1644—Sketch of Oliver Libby Frisbee, Historian of his Family—Senator Hoar’s Relations to the Frisbee Family—Frisbee Patriotism and Services to their Country—They Were Good, Church-going People, mostly of the Puritan Belief—Probability that the Frisbees Came from Wales | 1-14 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Branford, Connecticut, Purchased by the New Haven Colonists from the Totokett Indians in 1638—First Settlements Were Made in 1644—First Church of Logs Surrounded by Stockade to Protect from Indians—Guards at the Gate during Service—Church and Town Records Preserved at Branford—John Plum, the First Town Clerk—Style of the Second Church Building and Character of its Services—Rev. Timothy Gillett its Pastor—He Taught an Academy in Addition to his Pastoral Work—Prominent Families of Branford—Intelligent Character of the People—De Tocqueville’s High Estimate of this “Leetle State”—Branford in 1779 | 15-22 |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| The Blackstone Family—The Ancestor Came from England before 1630—His Name Was William Blaxton—Settled first in Massachusetts, afterwards Went to Rhode Island—His Beautiful Character and Numerous Descendants—Origin of Yale College of Branford—The Blackstone Memorial Library | 23-34 |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| The Plants Came from England to Branford, between Two Hundred and Three Hundred Years ago—Still Own the Lands first Acquired—Henry’s Father Died of Typhus Fever when Henry Was about Six Years Old—His Tender Recollection of his Mother—Henry’s First Day at School—His Natural Diffidence—Mr. Plant’s After-dinner Speeches—His Mother’s Second Marriage—Stepfather Kind to Henry—Thrown by a Plough Horse and nearly Killed—Attended School at Branford—Engaged on Steamboat Line Running between New Haven and New York—On Leaving, Promised a Captaincy—Marriage—Express Business—Leaves New Haven and Goes to New York—Romantic Experience in Florida | 35-50 |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Mr. Plant Goes from New Haven to New York—Captain Stone’s Friendship—Mrs. Plant’s Health Fails again—Returns to the South—Is Appointed Superintendent of Adams Express Company—His Great Executive Ability—The Civil War—Mrs. Plant’s Death—Mr. Plant Buys out the Adams Express Company | 51-55 |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Relations to the Confederate Government—Jefferson Davis Gives him Charge of Confederate Funds—Mr. Plant Buys a Slave, who afterward Nursed him through a Severe Sickness—Impaired Health—Goes to Bermuda, New York, Canada, and Europe—Second Marriage | 56-67 |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Education from Books and from Experience—Keen Intuitions—Abreast of the Progress—Mr. Plant’s After-dinner Speech at Tampa Banquet Given him by Tampa Board of Trade, March 18, 1886—Location of Tampa—In Territorial Days Had a Military Reservation—In 1884 Population about Seven Hundred—Its Cosmopolitan Population now—Many Cubans and Spaniards in Tampa—Tobacco Industry—Phosphate Abounds in this Part of the State—Much of it Shipped to the North and to Europe—Plant System Gives Impetus to the Prosperity of the Place—Its Progress the Last Five or Six Years | 68-86 |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Florida Mr. Plant’s Hobby—Banquet at Ocala—Mr. Plant’s Speech—Sail on Lakes Harrison and Griffin—Banquet at Leesburg—Visit to Eustis—Cheering Words to a Young Editor—Make the Best of the Frost—It may be a Blessing in Disguise—Must Cultivate Other Fruits (and Cereals) besides Oranges—Importance of Honesty—Sense of Justice—Consideration for the Workmen—Unconscious Moulding-Power over Associates and Employees—Letter of Honorable Rufus B. Bullock | 87-101 |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Mr. Plant’s Industry and Power to Endure Continuous Strain—Labor of Examining and Answering his Enormous Mail—Letter from Japan—Mail Delivered Regularly to him at Home and Abroad—His Private Car, its Style, Structure, Hospitality, and Cheering Presence—Numerous Calls—The Secret of his Endurance—The Esteem and Love of the Southern Express Company for its President—Mr. Plant Enjoys Social Life—He is a Great Lover of almost all Kinds of Music—Mr. Plant a Medical Benefactor—Some of the Progress Made in the Healing Art—Bishop of Winchester’s High Estimate of the Value of Health—Dr. Long’s Opinion of the Gulf Coast as a Health Restorer—Unrecognized Medicines in Restoring Lost Health—Nervousness among the American People—The Soothing and Strengthening Effect of Florida Climate—Mr. Plant’s Part in Facilitating Travel and Providing Comfortable Accommodations for the Invalid | 102-116 |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| Reason for Submitting Press Sketches of Mr. Plant—Descriptive America, December, 1886—City Items, December, 1886—Railroad Topics—Home Journal, New York, March, 1896—F. G. De Fontain in same Journal—Ocala Evening Times, June, 1896—Express Gazette | 117-140 |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Mr. Plant’s Close and Constant Contact with the Great System as Seen in the Following Letters—Letter Written on Board the Steamer Comal—Letters on Trip to Jamaica, West Indies, March 15, 1893, and Published in the Home Journal | 141-149 |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| MANAGEMENT OF THE GREAT PLANT SYSTEM WORTHY OF ADMIRATION AND IMITATION | 150-156 |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| Plant Day at the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895 at Atlanta, Georgia—Preparations for its Celebration—Impressive Observances of Mr. Plant’s Birthday at the Aragon Hotel—Mr. Plant’s Remarks in Acknowledging Presentation of Gifts | 157-182 |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Tampa Bay Hotel, One of the Modern Wonders of the World—Its Architecture, Furniture, Works of Art, Decorations, Tapestries, Paintings, Inlaid Table and Three Ebony and Gold Cabinets from the Tuileries, a Sofa and Two Chairs once Owned by Marie Antoinette—The Dream of De Soto Realized—A Palace of Art for the Delight and Joy of Those who are in Health, and an Elysium for the Sad and Sorrowful | 183-203 |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| Programme of Plant Day Ceremonies—Ringing of the Liberty Bell—Presentation of Addresses to Mr. Plant in the Great Auditorium—His Reply—Resolutions from the Different Departments of the System, from the Savannah Board of Trade, etc.—Mr. Morton F. Plant’s Acknowledgments | 204-226 |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| Banquet at the Aragon Hotel Ends the Festivities of the Day—Sketch of the Southern Express Company—Distinguished Callers on President Plant during the Day—Many Telegrams and Letters of Congratulation Received—Many Press Notices of the Day, and many Tributes of Respect and Esteem for him who Called it forth | 227-263 |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| Some Changes that have Taken Place in the Configuration of the Globe—Islands Born and Buried—French Revolution—Napoleon’s Influence on Europe—England’s Long Wars—Barbarous Treatment of Prisoners—Slavery Abolished—English Profanity and Intemperance—Temperance Movements—Duelling—Penny Postage—Expansion of the Press—Canals, Erie and Suez—Railroads in England and the United States—First Steamer to Cross the Atlantic—First Steamship Line | 264-278 |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| Railroads Established—Engineering Progress—Steel, Iron Steamships—Horse Railroad—Kerosene Oil in Use 1830—Sewing Machines—Agricultural Implements 1831-51—Sanitary Progress—Philanthropic and Christian Progress—Higher Education—Medical Progress—Humane Care of the Insane—Sailors’ and Seamen’s Home—World’s Fairs—Religious Reciprocity—Arbitration—Numerous Inventions and Discoveries—Henry B. Plant in War and in Peace—Testimonial Presented to Mr. and Mrs. Plant on the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of their Wedding | 279-306 |
| Plant Genealogy | 307-337 |
| Index: A, B, C, D, E, F, N, P, R, S, T, W. | 339-344 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
The author takes pleasure in acknowledging his indebtedness to many of the Southern Express and “Plant System” officials for their prompt and valuable assistance in the preparation of a biography of their able and esteemed President. Chief among those to whom thanks are due may be mentioned Messrs. A. P. C. Ryan, M. J. O’ Brien, D. F. Jack, B. W. Wrenn, and G. H. Tilley. The last named furnished not only much material in manuscript and print, but many valuable suggestions as to their use. The letter of Ex-Governor Bullock of Georgia, published in the volume reveals the noble nature which penned it, far more eloquently than any words which can be written here, and is alike honorable to its distinguished subject and its eminent author.
Acknowledgment is due also to the papers from which extracts have been taken.
THE LIFE OF
HENRY BRADLEY PLANT.
CHAPTER I.
The Plant Family—Birth of Henry Bradley Plant—Mr. Plant’s Parents—Ancestors Came from England in 1639—David Plant Occupied Many Positions of Honor and Trust—A. P. Plant’s Successful Business Career—H. B. Plant on his Mother’s Side is Descended from Joseph Frisbee, a Major in Washington’s Army—Reverend Levi Frisbee, Father of Professor Levi Frisbee of Harvard College—Connection with Sir William Pepperell, Bart.—The Historian of the Frisbee Family—Richard of the Second Generation Went from Virginia to Connecticut, and Settled at Branford, 1644—Sketch of Oliver Libby Frisbee, Historian of his Family—Senator Hoar’s Relations to the Frisbee Family—Frisbee Patriotism and Services to their Country—They Were Good Church-Going People, Mostly of the Puritan Belief—Probability that the Frisbees Came from Wales.
HENRY BRADLEY PLANT was born October 27, 1819, at Branford, Connecticut. His paternal great-grandfather was attached to Washington’s army as a private, when Washington was at Newburg, and he was one of the guard of the unfortunate Major André at the time of his execution. His great-grandfather on his grandmother Plant’s side was a major in General Washington’s army at the same time.
Mr. Plant’s father was Anderson Plant and his mother was Betsey Bradley. They were married December 23, 1818, and were of good old Puritan ancestry who came from England about two hundred and sixty years ago. According to a genealogical table at the end of this volume, it will be seen that John Plant was in Hartford, Connecticut, in the year 1639,—some give the date three years earlier,—and his son, John Plant, is granted a tract of land at Branford in 1667. These people possessed the characteristics that distinguished their race. They loved freedom, were thrifty, energetic, self-reliant, patriotic, and devoutly religious. Many of them were officers, and most of them members in the Congregational Church, which was the only church in the town for the first hundred years of its history.
Some of them occupied positions of honor and responsibility in the State and country.
David Plant was born at Stratford, prepared for college at the Cheshire Academy, graduated at Yale College in 1804, studied law at the Litchfield Law School, and was a classmate of John C. Calhoun. In 1819 and 1820, he was Speaker of the House of Representatives, and in 1821 was elected to the State Senate and twice re-elected. He was Lieutenant-Governor of the State from 1823 to 1827, and from 1827 to 1829 he was a member of the United States Congress. In politics he was a staunch Whig. He was an influential man in the political circles of his day in the State of Connecticut, and Calhoun, when Secretary of State, offered him any position within his gift; but he refused to hold office under the dominant party.
Another successful man of the Plant family was A. P. Plant, son of Ebenezer and Lydia (Neal) Plant, born at Southington in the year 1816.
Early in life he began to earn his own living, and by industry, economy, and business tact he became in time the head of a large manufacturing establishment. He settled in that part of the town known as the “Corner,” a part which rapidly increased in population and soon grew into a prosperous village. It bears the name of Plantsville in honor of A. P. Plant and his brother E. H. Plant. His biographer says: “He made a profession of religion in 1833; and from that time was an influential member of the Baptist Church. In 1850, he was elected a deacon of the church in Southington, and held the office until 1872, when he transferred his relations to the new enterprise started in his own village. To this church he gave liberally, and left it a legacy in his will.” He is described as a most faithful and consistent Christian, an esteemed officer in the church, and a firm believer in the presence of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Christian.
Henry Bradley Plant, on his grandmother’s side, is a direct descendant of Joseph Frisbee, a major in Washington’s army. The Frisbees were a numerous family, and many of them occupied positions of honor and influence in the history of the country. One of them writing to Mr. Plant says:
“I suppose you have often wondered what has become of my history of the Frisbee family. I have been diligently at work on it since you heard from me. It has grown from a very small beginning to be quite an affair, namely, from looking up my ancestors so that I could join the hereditary societies of the United States, to writing a history of over one thousand of the lineal descendants of Edward Frisbee, the first settler. I find them a noble race, worthy of history. I have also looked up my maternal ancestors and can trace them back to 1497, thirteen generations, among them Sir William Pepperell.”
The fitness of the writer, Oliver L. Frisbee, for his task of searching the records of his long line of progenitors may be gathered from another paragraph in the same letter where he says: “My Alma Mater, Bates College, gave me the degree of Master of Arts, last Commencement, for eminent success in business and proficiency in the studies of genealogy, heraldry, and colonial history.”
The following sketch, with some slight corrections, is taken from a carefully prepared account, by the same writer, of the descendants of Richard Frisbee, the first-named ancestor of this family.
“Richard Frisbee came from England to Virginia, in 1619, when he was twenty-four years old. In 1642, the Governor of Virginia ordered all those who would not join the Church of England to leave the Colony, and hundreds went to Eastern Virginia, now the State of Maryland. Among these refugees were Richard Frisbee and his two sons, James and William. They purchased plantations in Cecil County and resided on Kent Island, the northern part of Chesapeake Bay.
“At first the Governor of Virginia claimed this island; later, Lord Baltimore and afterwards, William Penn. The latter wrote to James Frisbee, from London, in 1681, instructing him to pay no tax to Lord Baltimore. James Frisbee was a member of the House of Representatives of Maryland, and held other important positions in the State. In addressing a petition to His Majesty, in 1688, he, with others, began their petition thus: ‘We the undersigned Englishmen though born in America,’ etc. James went back to England, the land of his birth, in his old age.
“Richard, son of Richard the emigrant, came from Virginia to Connecticut, and settled at Branford in 1644, when his brothers went to Maryland. His son John had several children, among them Edward and Joseph. The former was the ancestor of Major Philip Frisbee, of Albany County, New York. He was in the War of the Revolution, and his grandsons belonged to the Sons of the American Revolution, of the State of New York. President Edward S. Frisbee of Wells College, in New York State, is his descendant. The latter, Joseph, your ancestor [referring to Mr. Plant], married September 14, 1712, had a son Joseph who married Sarah Bishop, August 25, 1742. Their son Joseph married Sarah Rogers, March 11, 1773. Their eldest child, Sarah, born May 15, 1774, was your grandmother.
“The name Joseph has been in our branch of the family a long time. My father’s name was Joseph. I had a brother Joseph, and my son born this summer is also named Joseph.
“The youngest child of the first Edward was Ebenezer, my ancestor, brother to John, your ancestor. He had two sons, Ebenezer and Elisha. The latter was the father of the Rev. Levi Frisbee who settled at Ipswich, Massachusetts, and was the father of Professor Levi Frisbee of Harvard College, who died in 1820, one of the most talented men that ever passed through that institution. Senator Hoar was named for him, George Frisbie Hoar. Ebenezer’s son James, born in 1722, was lieutenant with Captain Paul Jones, and was killed one hundred and fifteen years ago to-day, September 23d, in the engagement between the Bonne Homme Richard and Serapis in the English Channel. This was my great-grandfather and by right of descent from him I joined the Sons of the American Revolution. His son Darius (born in 1769), my grandfather, settled in Kittery, Maine, and married Dorothy Gerrish, a great-granddaughter of Colonel William Pepperell, a well-known merchant and the father of Sir William Pepperell, Bart., the hero of Louisburg. Dorothy Gerrish was also related to some of the most distinguished colonial families in New England.”
The subjoined letters from John B. Frisbee and Senator Hoar will be of interest in this connection.
“Lakewood, N. J., December 16, 1894.
“My dear Mr. Plant:
“This tardy reply to your favor of the 6th inst. is occasioned by illness since its receipt, and which prompted my coming to this place to recruit. I am now rapidly recovering from quite a severe attack of grippe, and hope to be able to leave for Mexico this week.
“Referring to the subject of your letter, I can only give you meagre information. My great-grandfather, Philip Frisbie, was a major in the New York Militia and served under Washington, and I have no doubt was closely related to the Joseph Frisbie you mention.
“I have a first cousin, Mrs. Farman, the wife of Judge Farman, formerly United States Consul-General in Egypt, who has devoted much time and research in obtaining an accurate history of our family. Recently, she went to Europe for the purpose of educating her children in the French and German languages.
“I have written to her, requesting her to advise you directly in regard to the information you desire, hence I feel assured that you will in due time receive a letter from her upon the subject.
“Since we last met I have visited New York several times, and upon each occasion you have been absent from the city, thus depriving me of the coveted pleasure of paying my respects to Mrs. Plant and your good self; with best regards to both, I remain,
“Yours very sincerely,
“John B. Frisbie.”
“United States Senate.,
“Washington, D. C., January 26, 1895.
“My dear Sir:
“I know very little about the Frisbie family in this country. I have no relatives of that name. I was myself named for a very intimate friend of my father, Prof. Levi Frisbie, who was an eminent scholar in his time, a graduate at Harvard in 1802, and afterwards filled two professorships there. His writings, as I dare say you know, were collected with a brief memoir and are occasionally to be found in bookstores. He was son of the Rev. Levi Frisbie, of Ipswich, who delivered several addresses that have been published. Prof. Frisbie wrote some articles for the North American Review which you will find referred to in Cushing’s lists of the articles. Dr. Holmes wrote me some years ago an account of Prof. Frisbie’s personal appearance, which I suppose I can find when I am at home in Worcester, if you desire. Prof. Frisbie was nearly blind and instructed his classes and pursued his studies without being able to read
“I am faithfully yours,
“Geo. F. Hoar.[1]
“To O. L. Frisbie,
“Portsmouth, N. H.”
The Frisbee family was patriotic and promptly responded to the call of freedom and independence. There were thirty-five of them from Connecticut in the War of the Revolution. Eleven of them spelled their names Frisbee; seventeen, Frisbie; and seven, Frisby. They continued in the service of their country from the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1776, until the disbanding of the army, by Washington, on the Hudson in 1783. A regiment marched from Connecticut towns, in 1775, to the relief of Boston. John Frisbee, son of Titus Ebenezer, represented Branford in the Legislature from 1690 to 1692. O. L. Frisbee writes to Mr. Plant: “Your ancestor was a good churchman. From him, there is a long list of Frisbees in the records of the church of Branford. In 1700, the annals of Branford say that among the families prominently identified with the church, town, and business from 1700 to 1800, the Frisbees, Bands, and Plants head a long list in the order in which I have written their names. This religious element seems to have been with the Frisbees. Rev. Levi Frisbee, father of Professor Levi of Harvard College, was a very pious man.
“He was invited to deliver an oration on Washington at his death. My grandfather was a very pious man; he founded a church at Kittery, Maine. My father, Joseph Frisbee, was a deacon in the church. He and Caleb Frisbee were in the regiment from Branford. I found Noah and Edward Frisbee were members of the company that marched to the relief of Fort William Henry, August, 1757, from Connecticut. I found your ancestor Joseph Foote Frisbee was in the Revolutionary War. He lived to be ninety-eight years of age. About 1700, Samuel Baker and Samuel Frisbee, Jr., bought land for a wharf at Dutch House Point, from Joseph Foote at Branford. Joseph Foote Frisbee might have been named for this man.
“In the church records of Branford there is a great deal about Joseph Frisbee, in connection with the church from 1743 to 1746. I find all the Frisbees good church (Congregational) people, from the first Edward who settled at Branford, July 7, 1644. He and his wife Abigail joined the Congregational church soon after settling in Branford. I should say the Frisbees were good fighters in war, and good church and law-abiding people, with Puritanic principles that helped to build the nation.”
In a history of the Wolcotts of Connecticut, it is stated that John Frisbee and Abigail Culpepper, his wife, came from Wales. This may be correct, although in the genealogical sketch already given it is stated that the first of the family, Richard Frisbee, came from England to Virginia in 1619, but the same sketch says that in 1642 the Governor of Virginia ordered all who would not join the Church of England to leave the Colony, and that hundreds went to Eastern Virginia, now called Maryland, and that among them was Richard Frisbee, who with his sons settled in Cecil County, living on Kent Island, the northern part of Chesapeake Bay. Now it is quite common, in the early accounts of immigration to America, to describe the people as English, or as coming from England, when in fact they were Scotch or Irish. But coming from any of the British Islands they were often called English. This would be more likely to be the case with those coming from Wales, which is, geographically speaking, a part of the island of Great Britain. Be this as it may, it is not of great importance. The spirit of dissent from the Established Church was just as strong in England as in Wales. The name Frisbee or Frisby, as its terminal denotes, is of English origin, but it is quite possible that the family came from one of the border countries.
Whether this family came from Wales or England may be only a matter of historic accuracy and personal interest; certain it is the Frisbees are a people who have done honor to their country both in war and in peace. They bore a prominent part in the victorious struggle for the freedom and independence of the American Colonies. They have been the promoters of education, peace, piety, and “the righteousness that exalteth a nation.” We have given this account of this people, for four reasons. First, because the historian of the family, with a commendable pride, has collected and preserved the family record of his people, from which the material for this brief notice was placed at our disposal. Secondly, because the family histories of the people who have combined to form the American nation are only beginning to receive a slight part of the attention which they justly merit. Thirdly, because a knowledge of the numerous and varied races that have formed the nation is essential to a correct understanding of the American people. Fourthly, because in the present case, owing to the early death of Mr. Plant’s father, the widowed mother was especially dear to him, and is still cherished in his memory with the most tender and affectionate regard.
Mr. Plant’s connection with Washington’s army during the Revolutionary War was one of the family traditions, but he was not the man to accept honors unless he knew they rightly belonged to him. So after an extensive correspondence, and a thorough investigation of the military register in several States, and at the national capital, he received the following communication, which I have carefully copied from the original.
“Records and Pension Office, War Department, Washington, November 15, 1895. Respectfully returned to Mr. Oliver L. Frisbee, A.M., Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It appears from the records of this office, that Joseph Frisbee was enlisted September 3, 1780, and served as a private in Lieutenant-Colonel Sherman’s Company (also designated as Captain Sylvanus Brown’s and Lieutenant Joseph Hait’s Company), Eighth Connecticut Regiment, Revolutionary War, and was also discharged October 29, 1780.” On transmitting the above to Mr. Plant, Mr. O. Frisbee writes from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, December 24, 1895: “Enclosed please find the record from Washington of the service of your grandmother’s father, Joseph Frisbee, in the Revolutionary War. He was born August 17, 1745; married, March 11, 1773, Sarah Rogers; had a daughter Sarah, born May 15, 1774, married Samuel Plant, February 11, 1795. These records will enable you and your sons to join in ‘The Sons of the American Revolution.’
“O. L. Frisbee.”
CHAPTER II.
Branford, Connecticut, Purchased by the New Haven Colonists from the Totokett Indians in 1638—First Settlements were Made 1644—First Church of Logs Surrounded by Stockade to Protect from Indians—Guards at the Gate during Service—Church and Town Records Preserved at Branford—John Plum the First Town Clerk—Style of the Second Church Building and Character of its Services—Rev. Timothy Gillett its Pastor—He Taught an Academy in Addition to his Pastoral Work—Prominent Families of Branford—Intelligent Character of the People—De Tocqueville’s High Estimate of this “Leetle State”—Branford in 1779.
SOON after New Haven was settled, the people negotiated with the Indians for an additional tract of land, some ten miles in length from north to south. It extended eight or ten miles east of the Quinnipiac River. The purchase of this land occurred in December, 1638. It was bought from an Indian sachem named Sorsheog of Mattabeseck. The territory included the land on which the town of Branford was built, and its Indian name was Totokett. It was several years before the purchasers went to live at Totokett. It was early in the year 1644 when the first settlers located upon their lands at Branford. By the first of October of that year, the society was so far organized that their minister could gather them for regular service. The people soon built him a house and a meeting-house, or church. This latter stood in the front of the old burying-ground; it was built of logs and had a thatched roof, and was surrounded by a cedar-wood stockade twelve feet high. A cedar-wood vase made from the wood of this stockade is still in the possession of Mrs. Samuel O. Plant.
During the hours of worship, one or more of the men stood guard near the entrance of the stockade. All carried firearms to church, or when going any distance from home. They were not afraid of the Totokett Indians, but of raiding bands of other Indian tribes who attacked both the whites and Indians. The fierce Mohawks from the neighborhood of the Hudson were often the assailants. The first thing that appears on the ancient records of Branford is the division of lands among the first settlers in the month of June, 1645. It has been said, and often repeated, that in 1666, when so many people went from Branford to settle at Newark, New Jersey, they took the records of Branford with them. These in some way were burned, and thus much valuable history was lost. But such was not the fact.
The town and church records have always
remained at Branford. They are quite full and in a reasonably good state of preservation. In a manuscript history of Branford from which the above account is taken, the name of the first town clerk, John Plum, in 1645, and a list of his successors, are given with the date of their service. It is interesting to note how much alike are the ways and customs of this old Puritan town to those of the town of Harlem, built by the Dutch a little later and now part of New York City. In both places the history of the town and the history of the church are one. They are so interwoven that they can hardly be separated. The division of the meadow-lands is the same; mutual protection from the Indians, and the manner of defence are also alike. The official appointment, by the town, of a man to gather in all the cows of the settlers, take them out to graze in the morning, and bring them back at the proper time to be milked, and many other such customs, are very much alike in both settlements.
The second church, or meeting-house, was built on the common, of wood, and was succeeded by the present house of worship, which is built of brick. Mr. Plant remembers the high galleries in the old church where the seats were arranged in slips, the boys on one side, and the girls on the other; neither could see the minister, and it is very doubtful whether any of them heard him. There were no children’s sermons in those days. The babes, of whom Paul writes, were not fed on milk, but on strong meat, which even the rigorous doctrinal appetites of the fathers sometimes found hard to digest. Some of the modern church movements, such as women preaching, and Salvation Army barracks, would have sufficiently alarmed those good orthodox people to make them call for a day of fasting and prayer. Nevertheless they were a noble race, among whom misappropriation and embezzlement of funds, trust swindling and corporation stealing and political corruption were unknown.
The pulpit was the old-fashioned barrel-shaped structure, and, like some of the sermons, was high above the heads of the people. There was a great sounding-board over the head of the preacher, and it used to be a subject of calculation with the boys, whether this board would not some day fall on the devoted head of the speaker and stop the sound altogether. This church had the old family square pew, and in front of the pulpit was a bench for the deacons. The people were classified in their pews according to age, and the oldest, perhaps on account of their difficulty in hearing, occupied the seats nearest the pulpit. The church building was not warmed, save by the fervid sermons of those grand old Puritan divines. That, however, reached only the head and heart, hence, for the feet, they made stoves of sheet iron, over which was a perforated tin casing, and over this a hardwood casing. Coals from corncobs, or seasoned hickory, as being the most durable, were placed in this stove, which was carried in the bottom of carriage or sleigh to church, where its heat would last all forenoon. At the close of the forenoon service, the people went to the neighboring church house, which was warmed by a log fire. Here they ate their luncheon, and then returned to the church for another two hours’ devotion.
The Rev. Timothy P. Gillett was pastor of this church in Mr. Plant’s boyhood. He taught an academy—Mr. Plant being a scholar for several terms—in addition to his ministerial duties of preaching, visiting, and catechising the church people. He was a sober, solemn, orthodox clergyman of the old school, scholarly and dignified both in and out of the pulpit. It is only a hint of the changes that time brings, and no reflection on this good man’s charity to say that, had he seen one of the modern ministers visiting his flock on a bicycle, he would have had him deposed from the sacred office. Some unfortunate misunderstanding came between him and his congregation in the latter part of his ministry, so that his wife refused to have his remains interred in the church burying-ground. She afterwards relented, was herself buried in the church cemetery, and left in her will two thousand dollars to defray the cost of removing her husband’s remains thither, and for erecting a suitable monument to his memory. The sacred dust of both pastor and wife rests, as it should, among the people to whom they ministered for some fifty years or more. The town of Branford was composed of an intelligent, industrious, and religious people, mostly farmers and well-to-do citizens. The academy presided over by the Rev. Timothy P. Gillett constituted a centre of intellectual, moral, and spiritual development that inspired the life and elevated the character of the people.
The following account from, the Branford Annals is only one of the many testimonies that might be recorded of the patriotism and courage of this people:
“No town in New Haven County was more important during the war of independence than old Branford. Her citizens proved very patriotic. She had a few royalists who were somewhat troublesome. But most of her people were self-sacrificing in a special degree in sustaining the federal cause. No town surpassed her in furnishing men and means. Most all of her able-bodied men were in the army, responding promptly at every call. Col. William Douglass’ regiment, which did most effective service, was largely recruited from Branford. The coasts and harbors of Branford exposed her to visits from the vessels of the enemy. Coast-guards were needed, and were kept night and day at Stony Creek, Indian Neck, Town Neck, and at Branford Point. At the approach of the enemy, two reports of a cannon were to call out all the people to repel invasion. Expresses were kept in readiness to hasten to the remote parts of the town with the alarming news. When New Haven was invaded, patriots from Branford were quickly on hand to help. A company of her men were in the battle at Milford Hill. Two Branford men, Goodrich and Baldwin, were killed, and several others wounded at that battle. The attack of the British on the east side of New Haven harbor was repelled by the Branford home guard mostly. Those from Branford were supported by men from Guilford, who hastened to the rescue.
“At that time a new vessel, a brig named the New Defence, was at Branford wharf almost ready to sail against the enemy. She had been built and manned at Branford. Her future history was tragical. At the first alarm of the landing at New Haven the guns of this vessel were taken out and hurried over the hills to East Haven. There mounted and vigorously used and well supported by the brave minute-men with their muskets, the invaders were compelled to hasten a retreat. One of the reports made by the British officers speaks of the strong force and ‘great guns’ encountered in that direction. There is an old record at Branford showing that Mason Hobart, of that place, was paid £5 for carting two cannon to East Haven from the brig New Defence, July 5, 1779.”
Connecticut, though one of the smaller States of the Union, has ever maintained a high standard of patriotism, education, and moral power in the progress of the country. De Tocqueville was in the habit of saying, “All de great men in Amerique comed from dat leetle State dey call Connecti-coot.” Branford is an old seaport town. Its shipbuilding, fisheries, West India trade, two hundred years ago, were quite extensive for that day. It is also a seaside resort in summer, being half-way between Boston and New York.
Branford was for many years the Governor’s seat of the colonial government of Connecticut. The house of Governor Saltonstall is still standing. Many of the useful and prominent men of the country were born and reared in this quiet yet enterprising little town, founded more than two and a half centuries ago by the Puritans of old England. Among its noted and worthy families were those of the Plants and Blackstones, of whom we shall speak in the following chapter, as the two families became connected by marriage, and are still warmly attached to their native town.