Middletown 150 Yrs. Ago: Middlesex Turnpike Controvery

From The Constitution, Wednesday, July 22, 1863 (volume 26, number 1334)

War News.

The attack on Charleston is progressing favorably. All the fortifications on James Island as far as Secessionville, are in our possession.  Gen. Gilmore has commenced engineering approaches before Fort Wagner, and its capture is expected soon. It is reported that the iron clads made a breach on the south side of Fort Sumter on the 13th.

At Port Hudson, Gen. Banks took five thousand prisoners, fifty pieces of artillery, and small arms in proportion. The citizens of New Orleans had a torch-light procession and general jubilation on the night of the 11th.

There are important movements in North Carolina towards a reconstruction of the Union. The Raleigh Standard is in favor of a reconstruction on the basis of a gradual emancipation system.

Gen. Dix has been ordered to New York to relieve Gen. Wool, and Gen. Hooker succeeds Gen. Dix at Fortress Monroe.

Gen. Lee is making his way to Culpepper and Gordonsville with all possible speed. Our whole force is across the Potomac.

On Saturday morning Morgan’s forces were overtaken near Pomroy by Generals Hobson and Judah, who had formed a junction, and completely routed and dispersed. 1,300 were captured.

General Bragg is retreating precipitately into Georgia followed by Gen. Rosecrans’ forces.

General Banks at Port Hudson.

General Banks has fairly earned the reputation of being one of the most successful and capable Generals of the republic. He has never yet failed in any enterprise committed to his care, although the means placed at his disposal may have seemed entirely insufficient for his purpose. His masterly retreat before Jackson in the valley of the Shenandoah marked him as a great General. It was equivalent to a victory. His administration in Louisiana was distinguished by surpassing ability, and his military campaign in that State was a complete success. When he undertook the reduction of Port Hudson, it was found that the place was much stronger than had been supposed, and that the forces at his command were in numbers apparently insufficient for the work. A large part of his army was composed of nine months men, and the time of their service would soon expire. But the army which encamped before Port Hudson were New Englanders—their leader was General Banks, and the rebel fortress was doomed. While Grant with an army of not far from a hundred thousand western man besieged Vicksburg, Banks with little more than one tenth that number sat down before Port Hudson, which was little inferior in strength to Vicksburg itself. The task at one time seemed impossible. But it has been accomplished : Port Hudson has fallen—thanks to the bravery of our New England boys and to the unsurpassed genius of their leader. If the fall of Vicksburg is an honor to the west that of Port Hudson is an honor to the east, and in this our own state has no small share.

The Seventh Connecticut.

This regiment had six companies in the attack on Morris Island. A dispatch from Washington, July 16th, says :

An assault was made upon Fort Wagner by a portion of the 7th Connecticut, which actually charged over the works and succeeded in spiking three of the rebel guns. They should have been supported by one New York and one Pennsylvania regiment, but they failed to come up in time, and the Connecticut boys were repulsed and driven out of the fort with the loss of about one hundred killed, wounded and captured.

The Draft.

A further draft was made in this Congressional district on Saturday, for two sub-districts in New Haven. As will be seen considerable time will be required to complete the draft in the whole district, and it may be two or three weeks, or even longer, before a draft is made in this section.

Various Matters.

The town long since voted an appropriation for completing Pameacha Bridge, and the contract was given out several weeks ago. The Bridge, however, remains as it was left last winter, nothing having been done towards finishing it. What is the reason?

Whortleberries are plenty, and have been selling at twelve cents a quart.

Mr. F. J. Hackman is doing a good thing for the public and we hope for himself too. He runs a baggage express wagon to all parts of the city, and will carry trunks, bundles, &c., to and from the cars and boats. Orders left with him will be faithfully executed.

A collection for the Middletown Orphan Asylum was taken in the North Church last Sunday.

Rev. Mr. Hubbell preached a sermon in the Methodist church on Sunday afternoon on riots.

A military company has been formed among the workmen of Savage Revolving Arms Co., as a home guard.

The Middlesex Turnpike.

To the Editor of the Constitution :

Will you please inform the public again, that the gates belonging to the Middlesex Turnpike Company, at Rocky Hill, Middletown and Haddam were ordered open for free travel on July 11th. This order was given by the old commissioners on the refusal and neglect of the company to repair the road as ordered by them.

The President of the company, Orrin Freeman, refuses to open them and still continues to take toll, giving as a reason that new commissioners have since been appointed, and that they have taken no action in the matter. The order to repair the road was given by the old commissioners and the time to do it limited by them. The new commissioners if any are appointed, (of which there is a doubt) cannot act until they are officially notified of their appointment. No one has as yet, July 20th, received such a notice but myself. Of course they have not acted for the reason they have no power. Whenever they are officially notified I shall call them together to view the road, and I presume such orders will be given as will assure the proprietors of the concern, that they intend to do their duty to the public.

In the meantime, I trust every person who goes through these gates will refuse to pay toll, and those who have or may hereafter pay will do themselves and the public a favor by suing the company for the amount thus paid.

Let it be tested whether the company shall do as it pleases, or obey the law as required by their charter. In behalf of the Commissioners,

--Augustus Putnam, Chairman.

The Weather.

Rain has fallen nearly every day during the past week. The weather has been warm and close. Average temperature at 6, A. M., 66 degrees.

Library Fund.

The Library of the Wesleyan University has during the past year seen some changes for the better. The librarian, Prof. Van Vleck, has with much labor made an entirely new catalogue on an excellent plan ; and the arrangement of the whole library is very complete. At the late commencement, the alumni did precisely what was needed—they subscribed a library fund of six thousand dollars. The most of this amount was subscribed at the alumni meeting on Wednesday, and the remainder just after commencement dinner on Thursday. Two gentlemen subscribed $1000 each. The rest was in sums mostly of $100 each. The $1000 subscriptions were by Prof. H. A. Wilson, of the class of 1838, and Rev. J. Colder of the class of 1849. A few who were not graduates of the University subscribed as follows : Cornelius Walsh, $250 ;Henry Dekoven, D. D. of this city, $100 ; Rev. William T. Gilbert, of Yale College, $100 ; Rev. Edward Otheman, Brown University, $100.

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The Troy Whig says different sounds travel with different degrees of velocity. A call to dinner will run over a ten acre lot in a minute and a half, while a summons to work will take from five to ten minutes.

A lady editor says if the men want their children to look like them, the fewer jaunts they make to California the better.

Mrs. Burgett, the fashionable Chicago lady, whose shoplifting operations created such a sensation in the “good society” of the Lake city, has been sentenced to hard labor in the penitentiary for one year.

They mean to raise tall students out in Wisconsin. An exchange paper says “its Board of Education has resolved to erect a building large enough to accommodate five hundred students three stories high.”

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For more articles from The Constitution, go to the Middlesex County Historical Society blog.