who were commissioned to said office by the Governor, and had at all times power to call forth the militia, or any part of them, as should from time to time be ordered by the Assembly or Governor, for the immediate defence of this State, or the United States. It was further enacted, that there should be appointed by said Assembly, from time to time, one brigadier general to the command of each of the brigades aforesaid, who should be commissioned by the Governor, and have the same command over the respective brigades, as the major general had over the whole militia, and should be subject to the command of his superior officer in calling forth or marching the militia for defence; and every brigadier should review each regiment of his brigade once in a year, and oftener, if the Assembly ordered. It was also enacted that the colonel, or chief officer of every regiment, should nominate and appoint a suitable person, to serve as an assistant in their respective regiments, and commission them accordingly.

The male population of the colony, in 1775, from sixteen to fifty years of age, were subject to military duty, and may be estimated, from a careful examination of the census of 1774, to amount to about twenty-six thousand persons. Of these there were nearly one thousand beyond the Delaware, and near two thousand disaffected persons, so that the whole military force in the compact settled part of the colony, that could be relied on for its defence, did not much exceed twenty-three thousand men.

THE GOVERNMENT, AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE COLONY, AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.

THE Government of Connecticut, founded on the Charter of Charles II. contained in its structure some of the most liberal provisions that ever received the sanction of royal authority. The administrators of government, chosen by the governed, had possessed for a long period of time the unbounded confidence of their constituents. The Governor, and both branches of the legislature, having derived their authority from the same source,

exercised their functions in the utmost harmony, and were content to co-operate together for the public welfare. This was not the case in most of the other colonies, where the governors received their appointments from royal authority, and were often engaged in violent contests with the legislatures, whereby the influence of both governors and legislatures for usefulness, was much lessened.

Nearly all the constituted authorities of the colony were carried along with the people in the popular movement in 1775, so that the measures of the colony were more effective than those of any other, (except, perhaps, Rhode Island,) at this period, which of course added much to the strength of the first movement in commencing the great struggle.

The municipal institutions of Connecticut, at this time, (75) were in many respects superior to those of any other colony, and highly favorable to the cause of liberty. The town meetings were schools where the people were instructed in the art of selfgovernment. Here they learned to resist oppression, and cooperate mutually for their own defence. The town system of government, with the annual election of selectmen to manage the town affairs; the cheap and convenient method of recording deeds in the town clerks' offices; the district probate court system, were, most of them, organizations peculiar to this colony, and added much to the comfort and convenience of the people.

TAXATION, VALUATION OF PROPERTY, COMMERCE, AGRICULTURE, AND MANUFACTURES OF THE COLONY.

It was enacted that all rates and taxes that were granted by the general court, should be made in proportion to the general list of polls and rateable estate. It was subsequently enacted that the several towns in the colony should be chargeable and responsible for the full amount of the colony rates or taxes that were at any time granted by the general court, in proportion to the sum total of the respective lists of said towns. The subjects

of taxation were-all male persons in the several towns in the colony, from 16 years old to 70, except those exempted by law; also, lands, dwelling houses, ships, ware houses, mills, shops, and work houses, cattle, horses and swine. There were occasionally other subjects of taxation. The grand list was made from the returns of the several towns to the general court, in October, annually. In 1775, the returns were the following:

The commerce of the colony was very extensive and valuable at this time. The colony afforded continual supplies of cattle, sheep, hogs, wheat, rye, and indian corn, besides salt provisions, which it furnished to its neighbors on every side; New York and Albany, westwardly; the northern settlements, with Newport and Boston, east.

In addition to her extensive trade with the neighboring colonies, Connecticut had nearly two hundred sail of vessels, engaged in the West India trade, whose cargoes, more or less, consisted of provisions, with horses and cattle on deck. The West India trade had greatly enriched many of the inhabitants of the colony. There are said to have been three individuals at that time in Hartford, each of whose estates was estimated at 16,000 pounds sterling. Connecticut was at this time as celebrated for its sea captains as Nantucket is now. The agriculture of the colony was in excellent condition; it was called the "provision colony." Its manufactures were chiefly of the domestic or household kind, and were very productive, furnishing a large supply of woollen and linen clothing for the use of the inhabitants.

THE EXTENT, COMPARITIVE INFLUENCE OF THE COLONY IN 1774 AND 1775, AND ITS FINAL DISMEMBERMENT.

CONNECTICUT was one of the most important of the American colonies at the commencement of the revolutionary war. The territorial claim beyond the Delaware had been of long standing. For more than twenty years the people and government of Connecticut had been engaged in investigating and establishing a title. to the extensive region that lay between the Delaware and the Mississippi, in the same parallels of latitude as the old settled part of the colony. This region comprised an extent of territory of more than 700 miles in length from east to west, with a breadth from north to south, of about 70 miles, embracing an area of more than 50,000 square miles. This extensive region possessed a salubrious climate, and a soil equal to any part of North Amer

ica in point of fertility. It was watered on the west by that great artery of the continent, the Mississippi, on the north by the waters of lake Erie and lake Michigan, all affording great and numerous navigable advantages.

These and other advantages combined to render it fully as desirable for settlement as any other portion of that vast and then unpopulated tract lying west of the settled part of the colonies.

Some of the most sagacious of the inhabitants of Connecticut had at an early period, with a prophetic eye that does honor to their intelligence, seen, in the vast region beyond the Delaware, the germs of future greatness, and had fondly hoped to see the swarms of emigrants that had then begun to leave the parent hive, accommodated with homes in this western region where they might enjoy, under the excellent municipal institutions of the parent colony, much comfort and tranquillity.

A spirit was soon awakened in Connecticut as to the importance of this western tract of country, and after many years of patient exertion in quieting Indian titles, and many laborious efforts to effect settlements-attended with various contests both with Indians and with people in the interest of the proprietary government in Pennsylvania, success finally crowned the efforts of the projectors of this enterprise. In 1774, the colony had become so numerous, that it was taken under the protection of the government of Connecticut, and organized into a township as a part of Litchfield county, by the name of Westmoreland. In 1775, the township was made into a probate district, by the name of Westmoreland. In the same year the militia of the township were formed into the 24th regiment of Connecticut militia. In 1776, it was enacted that the town of Westmoreland, lying on the west side of the river Delaware in this State, should be a distinct county, and be called the county of Westmoreland, and should have and exercise, the same powers, privileges, and authorities, and be subject to the same regulations as the other counties in this state, except in cases limited by this act. By this act Westmoreland became the seventh county in Connecticut, and fully under its jurisdiction.

This section of Connecticut prospered, flourished, and increased in population, until the fatal massacre and devastation of the settlement, in 1778.