henry ludington, the third child of william and mary (knowles) ludington, was born at branford, connecticut, on may 25, 1739. some records give the date as 1738, but the weight of authority indicates the later year. branford, originally called totoket, was a part of the second purchase at new haven in 1638, but was not successfully settled until two years later, when a dissatisfied company from wethersfield, headed by william swayne, secured a grant of it. together with milford, guilford, stamford, southold (long island), and new haven, it made up the separate jurisdiction of new haven, under an ecclesiastical government, until 1665, when all were merged into the greater colony of connecticut, branford being erected into an organized town with representation in the general court, in 1651. the place won lasting distinction in 1700, when it was the scene of the practical founding of yale college; ten ministers, who had been named as trustees of “the school of the church,” each laying upon the table in their meeting-room a number of books, with the words, “i give these books for the founding of a college in this[25] colony.” the next year the college was chartered and was formally opened at saybrook, and in 1716-17 it was permanently removed to new haven. at the time of henry ludington’s birth, therefore, new haven had become fully established as the metropolis of that part of the colony, and branford, which had at first been its peer and rival, had become reconciled to the status of a suburban town. the educational facilities of branford were similar to those of other colonial towns; to wit, primitive in character and chiefly under church control. to what extent young ludington availed himself of them does not appear, but so far as may be judged from his letters and other papers in after years he was an indifferent scholar, probably thinking more of action than of study.
such as his schooling was, however, it was ended at an early date and the school-boy became a man of action when only half-way through his teens. the epoch-making struggle commonly known as the french and indian war, which was really a part of the seven years’ war in europe, and which secured for the english absolute dominance in north america and transformed the maps of two continents, began when he was fifteen years old, and made a strong appeal to his adventurous and daring disposition; and at an early date, probably in 1755, though the meager records now in existence are not conclusive on that point, he enlisted in those colonial levies which formed so invaluable an adjunct to the regular[26] british army in all the campaigns of that war. no complete roster of the connecticut troops is now in existence, but the “east haven register” tells us that many men from east haven and branford were enlisted for service with the british army near the great lakes, of whom the greater part were lost through sickness and in battle. in these levies were several members of the ludington family, beside henry ludington. our genealogical review has already indicated the service in that war of james, ezra, timothy, samuel, jude, and amos ludington, uncles and cousins of henry ludington. as some of the ludingtons had, years before the war, removed from connecticut to dutchess county, new york, some members of the family were also among the troops from the latter region. old records tell that in captain richard rea’s dutchess county regiment were two young farmers, comfort loudinton and asa loudinton—obviously meaning ludington—respectively 19 and 17 years old; the former with brown eyes and dark complexion, the latter with brown eyes and fresh complexion.
henry ludington enlisted in captain foote’s company of the second connecticut regiment, a notable body of troops which was put forward to bear much of the brunt of the campaign. the regiment was at first commanded by colonel elizur goodrich, and later by colonel nathan whiting, one of the most distinguished colonial officers of that war. the regiment was assigned to duty under[27] major-general (afterward sir) william johnson, who, with a colonial army and numerous indian allies under the famous mohawk chieftain hendrick, was moving to meet the french at lake george. the march from new haven was made by way of amenia and dover, in dutchess county, new york, to the hudson river, and thence northward to the “dark and bloody ground” of the north woods. young ludington was of a lively and venturesome disposition and, as family traditions show, had a propensity to practical joking which more than once put him in peril of not undeserved punishment, which, however, he managed to avoid.
it was early in september, 1755, when he was in only his seventeenth year, that the young soldier received his “baptism of fire” in the desperate battle of lake george, near the little sheet of water afterward known as bloody pond because of the hue its water took from the gory drainage of the battlefield. general johnson, with his colonial troops and indian allies, was moving northward. baron dieskau, with a french and indian army, moving southward, embarked at fort frederick, crown point, came down the lake in a fleet of small boats, and landed at skenesborough, now whitehall. on the night of sunday, september 7, word came to johnson that the enemy was marching down from fort edward to lake george, and early the next morning plans were made to meet them. it was at first suggested that only a few hundred men be sent forward to hold the[28] enemy in check until the main army could dispose and fortify itself, but hendrick, the shrewd mohawk warrior, objected to sending so small a force. “if they are to fight,” he said, “they are too few; if they are to be killed, they are too many.” accordingly the number was increased to 1,200, comprising and, indeed, led by the connecticut troops. colonel ephraim williams, a brave and skilful officer, was in command, with colonel nathan whiting, of new haven, as his chief lieutenant. they came upon the enemy at rocky brook, about four miles from lake george, and found the french and indians arrayed in the form of a crescent, the horns of which extended for some distance on both sides of the road which there led through a dense forest. the devoted colonial detachment marched straight at the center of the crescent, and was quickly attacked in front and on both flanks at the same time. williams and hendrick were among the first to fall, and their followers were cut down in great numbers. thereupon colonel whiting succeeded to the general command, and perceiving that the colonials were outnumbered and outflanked, ordered a retreat, which was skilfully conducted, with little further loss. when the army was thus reunited, hasty preparations were made to meet the onslaught of the foe, and at noon the conflict began in deadly earnest. the forces were commanded, respectively, by johnson and dieskau in person, until the former was disabled by a wound, when his place was taken by general lyman, who[29] fulfilled his duties with singular ability and success. after four hours of fighting on the defensive, the english and colonials leaped over their breastworks and charged the foe with irresistible fury. the french and indians were routed with great slaughter, and baron dieskau himself, badly wounded, was taken prisoner.
old gun used by henry ludington in the french and indian war. now owned by frederick ludington, son of the late governor harrison ludington, of wisconsin.
(from sketch made by miss alice ludington, great-great-granddaughter of henry ludington.)
henry ludington was in the thickest of both parts of this battle, having been in the detachment which was sent forward in advance. he came off unscathed, but he had the heartrending experience of seeing both his uncle and his cousin shot dead at his side. these were probably his uncle amos ludington (called asa in the “east haven register,” as already noted), son of eliphalet ludington, and his cousin ezra, son of daniel ludington. the uncle fell first, pierced by a french bullet. the cousin sprang to his side and stooped to lift him, and in the act was himself shot, and a few moments later both died. soon after this battle the term of enlistment of the connecticut militia expired, but re?nlistments[30] were general. according to the french and indian war rolls, and the connecticut historical collections as searched by mr. patrick, henry ludington again enlisted on april 19, 1756, served under colonel andrew ward at crown point, and was discharged at the expiration of his term on november 13, 1756. again, he was in lieutenant maltbie’s company, under colonel newton, at the time of the “general alarm” for the relief of fort william henry, in august, 1757, on which occasion his time of service was only fifteen days. finally, he was in the campaign of 1759, in the second connecticut regiment, under colonel nathan whiting, being a member of david baldwin’s third company. in this year he enlisted on april 14, and was duly discharged on december 21, 1759. during this memorable period of service the young soldier marched with the british and american troops to canada, and participated in the crowning triumph at quebec, on september 13, 1759, and a little later was intrusted with the charge of a company of sixty wounded or invalid soldiers, who were to return to new england. the march was made across country, from quebec to boston, in the dead of the very severe winter of 1759-60, and the labors and perils of the journey were sufficient to tax to the utmost the skill and resourcefulness of the youth of only twenty years. for many nights their camp consisted of caves or burrows in the snowdrifts, where they slept on beds of spruce boughs, wrapped in their blankets. provisions failed, too,[31] and some meals were made of the bark and twigs of birch trees and the berries of the juniper. through all these hardships young ludington led his comrades safely to their destination. then, in the spring of 1760, he proceeded from boston to branford, and thus terminated for the time his active military career. in recognition of his services he received from king george ii the commission of a lieutenant in the british colonial army, which he held until, in the succeeding reign, news came of the enactment of the stamp act, when he resigned it. later, on february 13, 1773, he accepted a captain’s commission from william tryon, the last british governor of new york, which he held until the beginning of the revolution. this commission was in the regiment commanded by beverly robinson, that eminent british loyalist who was the intermediary between sir henry clinton and benedict arnold. it was at robinson’s country mansion that much of arnold’s plotting was done, and it was there, while at dinner, that the traitor received the news of the failure of his treason through the capture of his agent, major andré.
reduced fac-simile of the commission of henry ludington as captain in col. beverly robinson’s regiment.
from william tryon last british governor of the province of new york.
(original in possession of charles h. ludington, new york city.)
one other incident of henry ludington’s service demands passing attention. in one of the returns of his regiment, in connection with the fifteen days’ service in august, 1757, he is recorded as “deserted.” generally speaking, no worse blot than that can well be put upon a soldier’s record. but it is quite obvious that in this case it is devoid of its usual serious[32] significance. it is certain that he did not actually desert in the ordinary present meaning of that term. this we know, because there is no record nor intimation of any steps ever being taken to punish him for what would have been regarded as a heinous crime; because soon after that entry against him he was serving with credit in the army and continued so to do; because thereafter he was intrusted with the important march to boston which has been described; and because, after having honorably completed his service in the army, he received a royal commission as an officer. in those early days, when an army was campaigning in an almost trackless wilderness and warfare was largely of the most irregular description, it was not difficult for a soldier to become detached and practically lost from the rest of his army, and perhaps not be able to rejoin it for some time. such a mishap might the more easily have befallen an impetuous and adventurous youth such as henry ludington was. and of course the record “deserted” might naturally enough have been put against his name when he failed to respond to roll-call and no explanation of his absence was forthcoming.
in the french and indian war the colonial troops were paid for their services by the various colonial governments, which latter were afterward reimbursed for such expenditures by the british government. it was, however, with a view to compelling the colonies to bear the cost of the war, by levying taxes upon them at the will of parliament, that the[33] british government entered upon the fatal policy which a few years later cost it the major part of its american possessions. because of that change of government, no pension system was ever created for the veterans of that war. in 1815, however, near the close of henry ludington’s life, such pensions were proposed, and with a view to establishing his eligibility to receive one, in the absence of the authoritative records of the connecticut troops, he secured from two of his former comrades in arms the following affidavits—here reproduced verbatim et literatim:
state of new york
putnam county
jehoidah wheton, of the town of carmell in said county, being duly sworn doth depose and say that he is now personally acquainted with henry ludington, who lives in the town of fredericks in said county and that the deponent has known him for many years past. the deponent knows that the above named henry ludington was in the service in the years 1756 and 1757 under the king’s pay, and belonged to the state troops of connecticut, and that the deponent was personally acquainted with the said henry ludington during the service above stated, and the deponent was with him the two campaigns, and further the deponent saith that from certain information which he the deponent knows to be true from the above named henry ludington of certain transactions which took place in the year 1759 to me the deponent now[34] told he verrily believes that the said henry ludington was in the service that year, and that the deponent places confidence in the truth and veracity of the said henry ludington, and the deponent saith that he together with the above named henry ludington was under capt. foot in colonel nathan whiting’s ridgement in the service aforesaid; and further this deponent saith not.
x
jehoidah wheaton
his mark
sworn and subscribed the 14th day of september 1815 before me john phillips, one of the masters in the cort of chy. in and for sd. state.
i, john byington, of redding in fairfield county and state connecticut, of lawful age depose and say
that i am well acquainted with henry ludington of fredericks, state of new york, that he enlisted under the king’s proclamation and served with the connecticut troops in the war with france, three campaigns, in the company of capt. foot, under whom i also served; that he rendered the above service between the year 1756 & 1764, and further say not.
john byington.
state connecticut, county fairfield, ss. redding the 15th day of september 1815 personally apperd john byington the above deponent & made oath to the truth of the above deposition.
lemuel sanford, justice peace.
[35]
both of the foregoing affidavits or depositions are taken from copies of the originals, made by lewis ludington, son of henry ludington, on september 19, 1815, and now in possession of lewis ludington’s son.
we have seen that henry ludington, at the age of twenty-one, escorted a company of invalided soldiers from quebec to boston in the winter of 1759-60, and thereafter returned to civil life. one of his first acts was to get married, his bride being his cousin, abigail ludington, daughter of his father’s younger brother, elisha ludington. as already noted, elisha ludington upon his marriage had removed from connecticut to dutchess county, new york, and had settled in what was known as the phillipse patent. the exact date of that migration is not recorded, but it was probably some years before the french and indian war. as the connecticut troops on their way to that war marched across dutchess county, through dover and amenia, it is to be presumed that henry ludington on that momentous journey called at his uncle’s home, and saw his cousin, afterward to be his wife, who had been born on may 8, 1745, and was at that time consequently a child of about ten years. whether they met again until his return from quebec is not surely known, but we may easily imagine the boy soldier’s carrying with him into the northern wilderness an affectionate memory of his little cousin, perhaps the last of his kin to bid him good-by, and also her cherishing[36] a romantic regard for the lad whom she had seen march away with his comrades. at any rate, their marriage followed close upon his return, taking place on may 1, 1760, when he was not yet quite twenty-one and she just under fifteen. soon afterward the young couple, apparently accompanied by the rest of henry ludington’s immediate family, removed to dutchess county, new york, to be thereafter identified with that historic region.
old phillipse manor house at carmel, n. y.
(from sketch made in 1846 by charles henry ludington)
dutchess county was one of the twelve counties into which the province of new york was divided on november 1, 1683, the others being albany, cornwall (now a part of the state of maine), duke’s (now a part of massachusetts), king’s, new york, orange, queen’s, richmond, suffolk, ulster, and westchester. dutchess then comprised what is now putnam county, which was set off as a separate county in 1812 and was named for general israel putnam, who was in command of the forces there during much of the revolutionary war. in 1719 dutchess county was divided into three wards, known as northern, middle, and southern, each extending from the hudson river to the connecticut line. again, in 1737, these wards were subdivided into seven precincts, called beekman, charlotte, crom elbow, north, poughkeepsie, rhinebeck, and southeast; and at later dates other precincts, or towns, were formed, to wit: north east in 1746; amenia in 1762; pawlings in 1768; and frederickstown in 1772. fishkill and rombout were also constituted[37] in colonial times. frederickstown, where the ludingtons settled and with which we have most to do, was a part of the phillipse patent, in the southern ward of dutchess county, now putnam county. it derived its name from frederick phillipse, a kinsman of adolphe phillipse, the patentee of phillipse manor or patent. it has now been divided and renamed, its old boundaries comprising the present towns of kent, carmel, and patterson, and a part of southeast, the present village of patterson occupying the site of the former fredericksburgh. the name of kent was taken from the family of that name, of which james kent, the illustrious jurist and chancellor of the state of new york, was a member. it may be of interest to recall at this point, also, that a certain strip of land at the eastern side of dutchess county was in dispute between new york and connecticut. this was known as the oblong, or the oblong patent, from its configuration, and comprised 61,440 acres, in a strip about two miles wide, now forming parts of dutchess, putnam, and westchester counties and including part of the westchester town of bedford, and also quaker hill, near pawling, in dutchess county, which was once suggested as the capital of the state, and which gets its name from having been first settled by quakers. the dispute over the new york-connecticut boundary and the consequent ownership of this land arose before 1650, when the dutch were still owners of new york, or new netherlands as the latter was[38] then called, and it was continued between the two colonies when they were both under british rule. the settlement was effected by confirming new york in possession of the oblong, and granting to connecticut in return a tract of land on long island sound, eight miles by twelve in extent, which was long called the “equivalent land,” and which is now occupied by greenwich, stamford, and other towns. the final demarcation of the boundary was not, however, effected until as late as 1880.
carmel, putnam county, new york.
from a painting by jamee m. hart, 1858.
(in possession of charles h. ludington, new york city.)
the precise date of henry ludington’s settlement in dutchess county is not now known. neither his nor his father’s name appears in the 1762 survey of lot no. 6 of the phillipse patent, and it has been assumed that therefore his arrival there must have been at a later date than that. this reasoning must, however, be challenged on the ground that—as we shall presently see—on march 12, 1763, he was officially recorded as a sub-sheriff of dutchess county. it is scarcely likely that he would have been appointed to that office immediately upon his arrival in the county, and we must therefore conclude that he settled there at least early in 1762, if not before that year. he made his home on a tract of 229 acres of land in frederickstown, at the north end of lot no. 6 of the phillipse patent, on the site of what was afterward appropriately, though with awkward etymology, called ludingtonville. this land he was not able to purchase outright, but leased for many years from owners who clung to the old feudal notions of tenure;[39] but at last, on july 15, 1812, he effected actual purchase and received title deeds from samuel gouverneur and his wife. on that property he built the first grist- and saw-mills in that region, there being no others nearer than the “red mills” at lake mahopac and those built by john jay on the cross river, in the town of bedford, westchester county—which latter, by the way, remained in continuous operation, with much of the original framework and sheathing, until 1906, when they were destroyed to make room for one of the croton reservoirs. ludington’s mills were of course operated by water power, generated by a huge “overshot” wheel, supplied with water conveyed from a neighboring stream in a channel or mill-race made of timber.
near-by stood the house, which was several times enlarged. the main building was two stories in height, with an attic above. through the center ran a broad hall, with a stairway broken with a landing and turn. at one side was a parlor and at the other a sitting or living room, and back of each of these was a bedroom. the parlor was wainscoted and ceiled with planks of the fragrant and beautiful red cedar. beyond the sitting room, at the side of this main building, was the “weaving room,” an apartment unknown to our modern domestic economy, but essential in colonial days. it was a large room, fitted with a hand-loom, and a number of spinning wheels, reels, swifts, and the other paraphernalia for the manufacture of homespun fabrics of different kinds.[40] this room also contained a huge stone fireplace. beyond it, at the extreme east of the house, was the kitchen, with its great fireplace and brick or stone oven. the house fronted toward the south, and commanded a fine outlook over one of the picturesque landscapes for which that region is famed. years ago the original house was demolished, and a new one was built on the same site by a grandson, george ludington. the location was a somewhat isolated one, neighbors being few and not near, and the nearest village, fredericksburgh, on the present site of patterson, being some miles distant. the location was, however, important, being on the principal route from northern connecticut to the lower hudson valley, the road leading from hartford and new milford, connecticut, through fredericksburgh, past colonel ludington’s, to fishkill and west point—a circumstance which was of much interest and importance to colonel ludington in the revolution, as we shall see. the population of the county at that time was small and scattered. in 1746, or about the time when elisha ludington went thither and abigail ludington was born, the census showed a population of 8,806, including 500 negro slaves. by 1749 the numbers had actually diminished to 7,912, of whom only 421 were negroes. in 1756, however, there were 14,148 inhabitants, including 859 negroes, and dutchess was the most populous county in the colony, excepting albany, which had 17,424 inhabitants. the county was at that time able to contribute[41] to the army about 2,500 men. it had enjoyed exemption from the indian wars which had ravaged other parts of the colony, and its situation and natural resources gave it the advantages of varied industries. it had the hudson river at one side for commerce, it was well watered and wooded, its open fields were exceptionally fertile, it had abundant water-power for mills, and it had—though this was not realized until after the colonial period—much mineral wealth.
such was the community in which henry ludington established himself at the beginning of his manhood and married life, and in which he quickly rose to prominence. the extent of his holdings of land, and the fact of his proprietorship of important mills, made him a leading factor in business affairs, while his bent for public business soon led him into both the civil and the military service. at that time, from 1761 to 1769, james livingston was sheriff of dutchess county, and early in 1763 henry ludington became one of his lieutenants, as sub-sheriff. the protestant dynasty in england was so newly established that elaborate oaths of abjuration and fealty were still required of all office-holders, of whatever rank or capacity, and on march 12, 1763, henry ludington, as sub-sheriff, took and subscribed to them, as follows:
i, henry ludington, do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of god, profess, testify,[42] and declare, that i do believe, that in the sacrament of the lord’s supper, there is not any transubstantiation, of the elements of bread and wine, in the body and blood of christ at or after the consecration thereof, by any person whatsoever. and that the invocation, or adoration, of the virgin mary, or any other saint, and the sacrifice of the mass, as they are now used in the church of rome, are superstitious and idolatrous, and i do solemnly in the presence of god, profess, testify, and declare, that i make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sence of the words read to me, as they are commonly understood by english protestants, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatsoever, and without any dispensation already granted to me for this purpose by the pope, or any other authority whatsoever, or without thinking that i am acquitted, before god or man, or absolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the pope, or any person or persons, or power whatsoever, should dispence with or annul the same and declare that it was null or void, from the beginning.
i, henry ludington, do sincerely promise & swear, that i will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his majesty king george the third, and i do swear that i do from my heart abhor, detest, and abjure, as impious and heretical, that damnable doctrine and position, that princes excommunicated and deprived by the pope, or any authority of the see of rome, may be deposed by their subjects or any other[43] whatsoever, and i do declare that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate hath or ought to have, any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence, or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm, and i do truly and sincerely acknowledge and profess, testify and declare, in my conscience before god and the world, that our sovereign lord king george the third of this realm, and all other dominions and countrys thereunto belonging, and i do solemnly and sincerely declare, that i do believe in my conscience that the person pretended to be prince of wales during the life of the late king james the second, and since his decease, pretending to be and taking upon himself the stile and title of king of england, by the name of james the third, or of scotland by the name of james the eighth, or stile and title of the king of great britain, hath not any right or title whatsoever, to the crown of this realm, or any other dominions thereunto belonging, and i do renounce, refuse, and abjure, any allegiance or obedience to him, and i do swear, that i will bear faith, and true allegiance to his majesty king george the third and him will defend, to the utmost of my power, against all traiterous conspiracies and attempts whatsoever, which shall be made against his person, crown or dignity, and i will do my utmost endeavors to disclose and make known to his majesty and his successors all treasons and traiterous conspiracies which i shall know to be against him, or any of them, and i faithfully promise to the utmost of my power to support, maintain and defend the successors of the[44] crown against him the said james and all other persons whatsoever, which succession by an act entitled an act for the further limitation of the crown limited to the late princess sophia, electress and dowager of hanover, and the heirs of her body, being protestants, and all these things i do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to the express words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sence and understanding of the same words without any equivocation, mental evasion, or sinister reservation whatsoever, and i do make this recognition, acknowledgement, abjuration, renunciation and promise heartily, willingly and truly, upon the true faith of a christian. so help me, god!
thus qualified by the taking of these oaths, henry ludington began public services which lasted, in one capacity and another, for more than a generation in the colony and state of new york. the first entry in his ledger bears date of “may, a.d. 1763,” and runs as follows: “james livingston sheriff dr to serving county writs (seven in number) the price for serving each writ being from 11s. 9d. to ￡1—10—9.” there follow, under dates of october, 1763, and may, 1764, entries for serving other writs. among the names of attorneys in the suits appear those of cromwell, livingston, jones, snedeker, ludlow, snook, and kent; and among those of parties to suits, etc., are those of joseph weeks, jacob ellis, uriah hill, jacob griffen, george hughson,[45] ebenezer bennett, and joseph crane. in 1764 first appears the name of beverly robinson, as the plaintiff in a suit against one nathan birdsall. there is also mention of a suit brought in the name of the “earl of starling” as plaintiff before the supreme court of the colony—probably william alexander, or lord stirling, the patriot soldier of the revolution.
at this home in frederickstown the children of henry and abigail ludington, or all of them but the eldest, were born. these children, with the dates of their births, were as follows, as recorded by henry ludington in his family register, which was inscribed on a fly-leaf of the ledger already quoted:
sibyl, april 5, 1761.
rebecca, january 24, 1763.
mary, july 31, 1765.
archibald, july 5, 1767.
henry, march 28, 1769.
derick, february 17, 1771.
tertullus, monday night, april 19, 1773.
abigail, monday morning, february 26, 1776.
anne, at sunset, march 14, 1778.
frederick, june 10, 1782.
sophia, may 16, 1784.
lewis, june 25, 1786.
of these it is further recorded in the same register that sibyl was married to edward ogden (the name is elsewhere given as edmund or henry ogden) on[46] october 21, 1784; that mary was married to david travis on september 12, 1785; that archibald was married to elizabeth ? on september 23, 1790; and that rebecca was married to harry pratt on may 7, 1794.
