Hawley, Elisha, c.1759-1850
John M. McDonald interview — 1846-09-03
Elisha Hawley (c.1759-1850) discusses British General William Tryon’s raid on Danbury in April 1777. Tryon’s force landed at present-day Westport, Connecticut, on April 25, 1777. Hawley, who witnessed the landing, notes that it was raining. He participated in the Battle of Compo Hill on April 28, 1777, during which an American force under Benedict Arnold unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the British force from reaching its ships at Compo Beach.
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Transcription
469 23 127. [margin: PARIS] Sept. 4. Joshua S. King, of Ridgefield, Conn. The morning the British left they fired a house on the top of a high hill to give their friends notice of who they were. Their encampment was by the road side on the east, with guards on the hill west of the village of Ridgefield, and on a hill to the east near where Colonel Gould fell. They retreated in haste, without plundering. — Joshua King and others.
Sept. 3. Elisha Hawley, of Ridgefield. I belonged to the coast guard in April 1777, on the Norwalk side of Saugatuck river. It rained, I think, when the British landed there that night. Josiah Gregory of Poplar Plain, was my messmate and knows more than I. We were stationed on the west side of Saugatuck river. British encamped half a mile from Ridgefield Village. We were much exhausted. At Compo our party marched two thirds of the way up the hill when the British charged down the hill. Arnold at this time was west of us trying to get a column in order to attack the British. He was encouraging and haranguing the militia and urging them on. (Thomas Wilson, aged 90, lives about three miles north of this, and, I think, can recollect
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24 470 128. [margin: PARIS] a good deal.) Arnold began skirmishing with the British when they left Ridgefield about 10 or 11 o'clock.
Sept. 4. Mr. Davis and others, and our observations: "Old Mill seems to be about one mile and a half from the old bridge at [Saugatuck]. The cross or by-road which the British took in fording the river is about one mile from the bridge, or less than a mile."
Capt. Ebenezer Disbrow of Compo (Westport) promises to correspond with me and collect facts.
Capt. Ebenezer Disbrow and Mrs. Couch. (Mrs. Couch:) The British on the 28th of April 177, were attacked at Compo by Lamb and Arnold on the west side of the hill (Compo Hill). They advanced and retreated by E or W. My husband (Mr. Couch) was with Arnold who ordered his men forward over the bridge when the British advanced. They attempted to cross but the fire of the British threw them into confusion
See page 123. 126