the house of Joseph Webb in Wethersfield, and there the conference was held. The object of the interview, was to concoct a plan of operations for the ensuing campaign. The minutes of the conference are in the form of queries by Rochambeau, which were answered by Washington. The conclusion of the matter, was an arrangement for the French army to march as rapidly as possible, to the Hudson River and form a junction with the American army encamped there, for the purpose of making a demonstration upon the city of New York, if practicable.

"October 4th.-The storm abating a little, about noon, I drove down to Wethersfield and sketched the Webb House,'returning in time to make the drawing of the Charter Oak.”

Tradition says, that the suites of the two commanders consisted of sixty-five persons; and that only Washington and Rochambeau, with one Aid-de-Camp each, slept in the house; while the other members of the two suites were billeted upon the hospitable villagers. I recently visited the old mansion; which like all Connecticut houses of that day of any pretensions, has its door in the centre, with a hall and rooms on each side. The two bedrooms in front were occupied by the two chiefs; and such is the veneration of the owner and occupant of this old mansion, Mr. Wells, a lineal descendant from one of the original companions of Hooker and his associates, that the rich crimson velvet paper which covered the walls in '81, and probably for years previous, has never been removed.

Opposite our old home in Wethersfield, is the graveyard; and in it is one of the finest monuments of that day, erected to the memory of my grandfather, Joseph Webb, born at Stamford, December 8, 1727, and died in 1761; and to his wife, Mehetable Nott. Adjoining his tomb, are the graves of my maternal great-grandfather, Captain Nott and of my great grandmother. My great grandfather, Joseph Webb, was born and died in Stamford; his great ancestor, Richard, having removed from Hartford to Stamford in 1650.

Before me are two of his letters, one written in 1780 and the other in 1781, when he was ninety years of age; and both of them are perfectly spelled and punctuated, a remarkable fact in view of the great age of the writer and the period at which he lived, when

the art of spelling was by no means prevalent. The handwriting is firm and clear and the letters present the appearance of having been written by a man in the prime of life. In the originals of the general letters, which follow in the body of the book, errors in orthography are the rule, while punctuation is almost totally disregarded. Such spelling as is merely old fashioned is allowed to stand as in the original, but errors indicating a defective education have of course been duly corrected.

At the first inauguration of Washington as President of the United States, my father was the Grand Marshal of the day; and Gen'l Morgan Lewis and Col. Richard Platt were his assistant Marshals.

The semi-centennial anniversary of that event, was celebrated in New York in 1839; and Mr. John Quincy Adams, ex-President of the United States, was the orator of the day. On that occasion, I republished in the Courier and Enquirer, the full proceedings of the inauguration of President Washington; and Colonel Platt informed me in 1819, that my father, in his official capacity as Grand Marshal, held, the Bible while Washington took the oath of office. I am aware, that this honor has been attributed to another; but in view of the fact that my father was the Grand Marshal of the day, and of the high character of Colonel Platt, his assistant marshal, there can be no doubt of the accuracy of the statement.

SILAS DEANE.

Every reader familiar with the events which led to our Declaration of Independence, recognizes the fact, that to Silas Deane, more than any other individual, is attributed the assembling of the Congress of 1774, which put forth that manifesto on the 4th July, 1776. It was as chairman of the Committee of Safety for the Province of Connecticut, that he published those stirring appeals to all the Colonies, which ultimately caused the assembling of the Congress of 1774; and in that patriotic body, he was the leading personage. He was unanimously elected as our sole representative to France, to negotiate with that government for the recognition of our independence of the mother country, and for material aid in carrying on our struggle, and although, subsequently, Franklin and Lee were sent to him as colleagues, he it was, who did the work, and finally accomplished the great object of his mission. His quarrel with Lee and the slanders against him, fabricated by that individual, are matters of history, and I do not deem it necessary, at this late day, to vindicate his purity and patriotism. His great work resulted in the capture of Cornwallis, and in an early establishment of our independence; and European historians have vindicated his fame,-if for such vindication were needed any necessity.

In 1852, the historian, W. Cooke Taylor, published in London, "Memoirs of the House of Orleans," from official documents in the archives of the French government; and in these memoirs is contained a history of Deane's negotiations with the French government. Without any allusion to the controversy between Deane and Lee, on this side of the Atlantic, Dr. Taylor makes the following interesting publication:

Extract from page 252 of Memoirs of the House of Orleans, by W.

Cooke Taylor, LL. D., published in London in 1852, Vol. II.

"Franklin, a little intoxicated by the unusual honors heaped upon him, did not press forward the negotiations as rapidly as Silas Deane, his neglected colleague in the Embassy, thought necessary. Worn out by the excuses and delays of M. de Sartieres, Deane wrote word to that Minister, that unless the treaty between France and North America was signed within twenty-four hours, he would commence negotiations for reconciling England with her Colonies. 'All is lost!' exclaimed Franklin, when Deane told

him of the decisive step he had taken; you have mortally offend-
ed France and ruined America.' Tranquilize yourself until
you hear the answer,' was the diplomatist's cold reply. The an-
swer,' cried the philosopher, will be an order for sending us to
the Bastile!' 'We shall see that,' said his unmoved colleague.

"After the lapse of a few hours, one of M. de Sartieres' Secre-
taries waited on the Ambassadors and said, Gentlemen, you are
requested to hold yourselves in readiness for an interview; at mid-
night you will be sent for.' At midnight!' exclaimed Frank-
lin, when the Secretary left the room, then my prediction is
verified. Mr. Deane, you have undone us.'

"At the hour appointed, a carriage came for the Envoys and conveyed them with great and mysterious secrecy, to the country residence of M. de Sartieres, about four or five leagues from Paris. They were introduced to the Minister; and the declaration, so imperiously demanded by Mr. Deane, was signed on the instant, to the great surprise and satisfaction of Franklin.”

Memoirs of the House of Orleans, by W. Cooke Taylor, LL.D.

Copud

SIR: The Committee of Correspondence for the Town of
Boston, have had before them a Letter signed by yourself, in Be-
half of the Committee of the Hon'le House of Representatives for
the Colony of Connecticut; and I am desired, by our Committee,
to return them their hearty thanks for the Readiness they discover
to support this Town, now called forth to stand in the Gap, and
suffer the vengeful stroke of the Arm of Tyranny! God forbid,
they should succumb. I trust in Him, We shall never be so ser-
vile, as to submit to the ignominious Terms of the cruel Edict.
Aided by our Sister Colonies, we shall be able to acquit ourselves
under so severe a trial with dignity. But that aid must be speedy;
otherwise we shall not be able to keep up the spirits of the more
irresolute among us, before whom the crafty adversaries are al-
ready holding up the grim Picture of Want and Misery.

It is feared by the Committee, that a conference of the Com-
mittees of Correspondence, from all the Colonies, cannot be had
speedily enough to answer for the present emergency.
If your
Hon'le Committee shall think it proper, to use their influence with
the Merchants in the several seaport Towns in Connecticut, and

um in

prevail with those of each Town for themselves, to withhold their Trade with Great Britain and Ireland, and every Part of the West Indies, to commence at a certain time (say the 14th of June next), it will be a great sacrifice indeed, but not greater than Americans have given the World to expect from them, when called to offer it for the Preservation of the publick Liberty. One year's virtuous forbearance, would succeed to our wishes.

Your sentiment that "Boston is suffering in the common cause," is just and humane. Your obliging Letter has precluded any Necessity in me, to urge your utmost Exertions, that Connecticutt may, at this important juncture, act her Part in support of that common Cause, though the Attack is made more immediately on the Town of Boston.

Being at present pressed for time, I cannot write so largely as
I feel disposed to do. I must, therefore, conclude with assuring
you, that I am with very great Regard for the Hon'le Committee,
Sir,
Your Sincere Friend

Mr. SILAS DEANE.

& Fellow Countryman, SAMUEL ADAMS.

Coun. Histor. Soc4
I,143

Silas Deane to his wife.

(From New York.)

MY DEAR:-We left the Bridge,* where I closed my last, after dinner, and baiting by the way, arrived in Town at six. Wm. Hubbard and Doc't Turner, overtook us at the Bridge, bound for Philadelphia; so that we now make a considerable string on the road. Instantly on our alighting at Hull's, Mr. Bayard came up, and without allowing us to shift our linen (apprehensive of something like this I shifted mine at the Bridge, before dinner), he forced us directly to the Exchange, where were the Boston Delegates, two from S. Carolina, and all the gentlemen of considerable note in the City, in the mercantile way, where they had dined, and were then passing round the glass. They appeared in

* King's Bridge.

+ Thomas Cushing, Samuel and John Adams, and Robert Trent Paine, who arrived in New York, Aug. 20. They went first to "Hull's, a tavern the sign the Bunch of Grapes,'' and afterwards "to private lodgings at Mr. Tobius Stountenburg's, in King Street.”— J. Adams' Diary; Works ii, 345.

"We dined (Thursday, Aug. 25th), in the Exchange Chamber, at the invitation of the Committee of Correspondence, with more than fifty gentlemen, at the most splendid dinner I ever saw; a profusion of rich dishes, &c., &c."