Awakened at mid-night by the summons to repair to the rendezvous of the mil-itia, he armed himself, and his mother furnishing his knap-sack, with provisions and a blanket, hastened his departure and dismissed him with the charge to 'conduct like a good soldier.'" Wolcott took part in the skirmish at Wilton, and fought on the same day under Lamb, along with the Litchfield volun-teers at Compo where his file leader was shot. The Hawley family at Reading-on-the-ridge furnished at

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this time an instance, not unusual in civil commotion, of the manner in which brethren sometimes separate in allegiance. Of four brothers two declared for the King and two for Con-gress. William, who captured General Agnew's horse, con-cealed his prize safely, as he supposed, in a cellar, but his brother Samuel discovered the steed, and delivered him on the same night to his former owner at Danbury. On the ensuing day these two brothers met each other, face to face, in the hostile ranks at Ridgefield. While pushing on to come up with Tryon, both Wooster and Arnold accosted such persons as they encountered, by the wayside, urging them to turn out and join in the pursuit. A brief harangue was generally sufficient to set their patriotism in a blaze. They had just heard of the invasion. Appeals to the heart from leaders of such distinction, themselves press-ing forward to the field, were irresistible. Leaving ploughs and workshops, these men of Connecticut ran to their arms, and some on foot and some on horseback, followed the two generals to the war. Throughout the 27th and 28th days of April, great enthus-iasm prevailed among the inhabitants of the country, and the male population, capable of bearing arms, everywhere aban-doned their pursuits, and leaving their homes to female care, turned out in battle harness.