Dickman, Daniel
John M. McDonald interview — 1846-09-10
Daniel Dickman is likely Daniel Dikeman, who is listed as an 89-year-old resident of the Town of Westport, Connecticut, in the 1850 United States Census. His interview discusses British General William Tryon’s Raid on Danbury, Connecticut, in April 1777. The beginning of the interview discusses the Battle of Ridgefield, which took place on April 27, and concludes with a description of the mortal wounding of American General Daniel Wooster. The second paragraph describes the positions of American General Benedict Arnold and Colonel John Lamb during the Battle of Compo Hill, which took place on April 28. The final two paragraphs discuss various aspects of the battles of Ridgefield and Compo Hill.
Manuscript page facsimiles
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Transcription
- Hufeland Index Page 457 -
Septr. 10. Daniel Dickman, of Wesport: “British crossed two and a half or three miles above the old bridge – a little above Poplar plain, and near which is a factory now. About one mile above the bridge the Americans threw up a breastwork across the road [just by my house] a (little south of it) and prepared to stop their march. General [Wooster] had his horse wounded. He then mounted his aids horse, and was shot by a
- Hufeland Index Page 458 -
and fell off his horse. At Compo our people got all around them. Colonel Lamb, I think, attacked on the west side of the hill. Arnold was on the east or north. Mather was the only one of the D[arien] Congregation that escaped. He lives at Ridgefield [Stamford]. The American extended beyond the British flanks fifty or sixty rods east and west of the main road. After the battle at Bridgefield the Americans marched around the British east and west and got in their rear marching in the night and threw up the entrenchments above mentioned which were flanked on both sides by a thick wood which came close to the road. It was understood that the tories informed T[arleton X] of the breastworks, &c, and they then crossed the river. Ezekiel Wilson, of Ridefield, piloted the British from that place.
[X] Tryon?