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eventful period. The columns of the newspapers then aboundedwith animating and instructive essays, and dissertations on theabstract principles of justice, with examples taken from ancientand modern history. The three newspapers then published inthe colony, were all faithful to the cause of freedom; but theone in New London, called the “ Connecticut Gazette, and Uni-versal Intelligencer,” published by Timothy Green, was distin-guished for its superior devotion to the cause of liberty, and therights of America .
The delegation to the General Assembly which met in New Haven , in October, 1774, was of the most patriotic character,being composed for the most part, of men who had taken anactive part in the town meetings of the preceding summer, orbelonged to the association of the “ sons of liberty.” They weremen of determined spirit, devoted to the rights and liberties oftheir country. This Assembly held an adjourned session inMarch, 1775, and another in April of the same year. At theApril session, a law was enacted to raise one-fourth of the militiafor the special defence of the colony ; formed into companies ofone hundred men each, and into six regiments. A major general,two brigadier generals, and six colonels, were appointed. Thisforce was subsequently sent to Boston , after the affair of Lex-ington.* This Assembly also authorised the purchase of three
* The annexed companies marched from the following towns in Connecticut ,for the relief of Boston , &c., in the Lexington alarm, April, 1775.
Woodstock, Capt. Benjamin Lyon, with 35 men; East Windsor, Capt»Charles Ellsworth, 37, Capt. Matthew Grant, 28 ; Woodstock, Capt. E, Man-ning, 22 ; Branford, Capt. Josiah Fowler, 36 ; Hartford , Capt. Abraham Sedg-wick, 33 ; Woodstock, Capt. Daniel Lyon, 27 ; Windham, Capt. Win. Warner,41; East Haddam, Col. Joseph Spencer , John Willey, Capt., 43; Canterbury,Capt. Aaron Cleveland , 20; Somers, Capt. Emery Pease, 47 ; East Windsor,Capt. Arnasa Loomis, 43; Windham, Capt. James Stedman, 49, Capt. Return J. Meigs , 43; Norfolk , Capt. Timothy Gaylord, 24 ; New Hartford , Lieut . UriahSeymour, 5; Simsbury, Capt. Amos Wilcox, 25; Wethersfield, Capt. JohnChester, about 60 ; Lyme , Capt. Joseph Jewitt, 55 ; Canterbury, Capt. JosephBurgess, 20; Union, Capt. Thomas Lawson, 26 ; Enfield, Capt. NathanielTerry, 57 ; Wallingford , Capt. Isaac Cook ; Killingworth, Capt. Aaron Ste-vens, 26 ; Canterbury, Lt. Col. A. Johnson, Shrebiah Butt, Capt., 30; Ashford,Capt. Thomas Knowlton, 78 ; Chatham, Capt. Silas Dunham, 36 ; Fairfield,Capt. David Dimon, about 50; Glastenbury, Capt. Elizur Hubbard, 47 ; Brook-lyn, Gen. Putnam ; Milford, Capt. Peter Perrit, from different places, 73; Wind-sor, Capt. Nathaniel Hayden, Jr.; New Haven , Capt. Iiezekiali Dickerinan, 9 ;4