9MMMMIMNNN
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 This imae of BACCHUS was carved in
 
 THE 
 
 STORY OF BACCHUS, 
 
 CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR. 
 
 BRIGHAM PAYNE. 
 
 What though no tower its ruined form uprears, 
 
 Nor blazoned heraldry, nor pictured hall, 
 Awake the ' memories of a thousand years ; ' 
 
 Yet may we many a glorious scene recall, 
 And deeds long cherished in the hearts of all 
 
 Who hail thee mother ; yet from mountain gray 
 And forest green primeval shadows fall 
 
 O'er lake and plain. The journeying stars survey 
 No lovelier realm than thine, free-born Hesperia ! 
 
 GEOHGE H. COLT< 
 
 itj) Illustrations. 
 
 HARTFORD, CONN. : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY A. E. BROOKS. 
 
 1876.
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by 
 
 A. E. BROOKS, 
 in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 
 
 THE CASK, LOCKWOOD & BRAINARD Co. 
 HARTFORD, CONN.
 
 F 
 
 MY FRIEND, 
 
 THE FAITHFUL CUSTODIAN OF THE BACCHUS IMAGE, 
 
 THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED, 
 AS A SLIGHT TOKEN OF HIS ACKNOWLEDGED WORTH, 
 
 AND A DESIRE TO 
 CONTINUE A LONG EXISTING FRIENDSHIP, 
 
 BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 602205 
 
 LIBRARY
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS, 7-34 
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS, 37~59 
 
 THE WINDHAM FROGS, . . . . . . . 60-63 
 
 THE FROGS OF WINDHAM (Poem), . . . 64-70 
 
 THE FROG BATTLE, . .... . 71-77 
 
 BULL-FROG SONG, . 77-83 
 
 THE BULL-FROG FIGHT (Poem), . . . 1 84-91 
 
 THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, . . 95-111 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 THE BACCHUS IMAGE, . . . . . Frontispiece. 
 
 WINDHAM FROGS BEFORE THE BATTLE, . Facing 37 
 
 AFTER THE BATTLE, "71 
 
 MAIN EXHIBITION BUILDING, .... 98 
 
 MACHINERY HALL 101 
 
 MEMORIAL HALL, 104 
 
 HORTICULTURAL HALL, 107 
 
 AGRICULTURAL BUILDING, no
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 BY BRIGHAM PAYNE. 
 
 N ' 
 
 
 
 /n HE war waged a century ago for the 
 independence of the American Colo- 
 nies, was beyond all question one of the 
 most remarkable contests in the history of 
 the world. It was remarkable in that it 
 was a contest of a few comparatively feeble 
 colonies against the strongest nation of the 
 earth ; it was remarkable in that it brought 
 to the surface men, else unknown, previous- 
 ly unheard of, who proved to be heroes, 
 and whose names still live and will live 
 while the world stands ; it was remarkable 
 for the number of its hard-fought battles 
 and their results ; it was remarkable for the 
 vigor, enthusiasm, endurance, and patriot- 
 ism of the colonists ; and it was most
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 remarkable of all in its final termination 
 that termination being, as all the world 
 knows, the complete vanquishment of the 
 British armies, and the complete indepen- 
 dence of America. Of the marvelous re- 
 sults which followed, which still exist, and 
 which are, by the blessing of Providence, 
 to continue, it is not necessary here to 
 speak at any length. The little colonies 
 have, in a century, grown to be a country 
 which leads the van of nations; the flag, 
 once despised, is respected wherever on 
 earth it floats ; the sails, once few in num- 
 ber, now gleam on all waters; its com- 
 mercial interests, once so feeble, are now 
 surpassed by none; it has given to the 
 world the most remarkable and useful in- 
 ventions ; and the names of its great and 
 honored sons are household words. 
 
 While this great contest was one of the 
 most remarkable, it was also one of the
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 most romantic and historically picturesque 
 in the world's record. Its whole narrative 
 is crowded with romance. What more 
 romantic than the midnight ride of Paul 
 Revere, starting from the shore opposite 
 Boston, at the gleam of the signal light in 
 the tower of the old South Church, and 
 dashing through village streets, across 
 rural lanes, over deserted highways, sound- 
 ing every where the note of alarm, and 
 rousing the country people to arm for the 
 approaching fray ? What more wildly roman- 
 tic and picturesque than the escape of 
 General Putnam from the pursuing British 
 dragoons, by dashing down the rocky slope 
 at Greenwich, in this instance " daring to 
 lead where none dared to follow " ? What 
 more grandly romantic and picturesque 
 than Washington's passage across the Dela- 
 ware, in the darkness of night, among the 
 floating blocks and floes of ice ? What more
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 touchingly and sadly romantic, than the 
 story of Capt. Nathan Hale, the " Martyr 
 Spy," the immortal words of whose dying 
 message to his compatriots " I only regret 
 that I have but one life to lose for my 
 country," were the conception of the 
 purest patriotism arid stiblimest devotion to 
 country which the world ever saw, or that 
 of John Andre, the heroic young British 
 officer, whose early death was demanded 
 by the stern necessities of war, while it was 
 lamented by those who could not but ap- 
 prove its justice. 
 
 The whole history of the memorable 
 struggle is full of romance, and there can 
 not but be much that history has not re- 
 corded. Much of this romance lives only 
 by tradition, but of some there remain visi- 
 ble and tangible tokens. We have still, in a 
 sense public property, the old South Church 
 in whose tower the warning lanterns were
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 hung; and the old bell at Philadelphia, 
 upon which the hands of age, at the bidding 
 of the voice of youth, rang out the signal 
 of the adoption of the Declaration; and 
 there are here and there preserved among 
 our countrymen, emblems not public, 
 swords which have a history; muskets 
 about which cling some romantic tale; 
 portions of uniforms, bullet-pierced and 
 blood-stained perhaps ; fragments -of shell, 
 each and all of which have their story. 
 And it is to one of these visible and tangi- 
 ble emblems of the romance of the Revolu- 
 tion that we wish to draw attention in this 
 article, sketching briefly its strange origin 
 and curious history, from the authentic and 
 reliable data which close research and 
 patient injury have brought to light. 
 
 Few residents of the goodly city of 
 Hartford, Connecticut, and few strangers 
 passing through its principal thoroughfare,
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 have failed to notice in the window of Mr. 
 A. E. Brooks' place of business, a quaint 
 and curious figure carved in wood. It is 
 the image of Bacchus, the jovial god of 
 wine ; naked, fat, chubby, and seated astride 
 a cask, holding in front and resting on the 
 cask a basket of fruits, grapes, lemons, 
 pears and plums, being among the varieties. 
 Grape leaves cover the crown and back of 
 the head, and the hair is composed of 
 clusters of grapes. The figure is painted 
 a buff or flesh color, the eyes are black, the 
 basket brown, the fruit of its appropriate 
 natural color, and the cask is of a dark red, 
 with black hoops. The face of the image 
 is striking in its expression, and the whole 
 figure, in view of the rude tools with which 
 it was carved, is remarkably life-like and 
 artistic. There are dimples in the cheeks and 
 chin, a roguish look in the eyes, and a jovial 
 half-smile on the parted lips. One arm
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 13 
 
 half-encircles the basket, and the hand of 
 the other arm rests upon the fruit. The 
 image is twenty-six and one-half inches high, 
 and the keg is twenty-one inches long. 
 The whole is cut from a solid log of pine, 
 and was supposed to be all in one piece 
 until a few years ago, when Mr. Brooks, 
 the owner, had the keg bored at each end 
 in order to introduce faucets, and found 
 that three hoops at the front of the keg and 
 two at the back had been added to the 
 block, which otherwise is entirely solid. 
 Well, this quaint and curious figure is an 
 emblem of Revolutionary romance, and has 
 its strange and eventful history. In the 
 year 1776, on the loth of June, there was 
 captured by the Americans in Long Island 
 Sound, a British ship, the " Bombrig." 
 Among the prisoners there taken, were 
 four of special interest in this sketch.
 
 14 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 The first, Edward Sneyd, was the com- 
 mander of the ship, and was born in the 
 village of Hadlow, in Kent county, Eng- 
 land, in July, 1740, On the I4th of 
 
 | 
 
 November, 1754, at the age of fourteen, he 
 joined H. M. S. " Belvidere," at Plymouth, 
 England, as a midshipman, and served in 
 this vessel for four years on the China 
 station. On his return to England he was 
 drafted to H. M. S. " Hannibal," the hulk 
 of which now lies in Plymouth harbor, and 
 having served in this ship for three years, 
 on the Spanish coast mainly, was again 
 drafted to H. M. S. "Asia," in which vessel 
 he distinguished himself, and was promo- 
 ted to be sub-lieutenant, and afterwards 
 lieutenant. After serving in these capaci- 
 ties on board several of the royal ships, 
 he was appointed commander of H. M. 
 S. " Bombrig," which was commissioned 
 at Portsmouth, in the month of Decem-
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 15 
 
 !775> an d after cruising about a 
 short time on particular service was dis- 
 patched to the American coast, where 
 the commander is said to have distin- 
 guished himself until the capture of his 
 vessel as above set forth. 
 
 The second person, John Coggin, boat- 
 swain of the " Bombrig," was born of Irish 
 parents at Killegan, County of Meath, Ire- 
 land, in March, 1731, and was, on entering 
 the royal navy at Portsmouth in July, 
 1750, described as a farm laborer. He 
 served in several of His Majesty's ships 
 with such fidelity that he rose to the rank 
 of boatswain and as such joined the " Bom- 
 brig" under the command of Sneyd, with 
 whom he had before sailed. 
 
 The third, John Russell, was born of 
 English parents near Ramsey, Hampshire, 
 England, in November, 1749, and was 
 apprenticed to a carpenter, and having
 
 1 6 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 served his full time, entered the dock- 
 yard at Portsmouth, in April, 1772, where 
 he remained until the Bombrig was com- 
 missioned at that* port, and then joined 
 the carpenter's crew of the ship, proceed- 
 ing to America as before related. A fine 
 figure-head was in those days the sine qua 
 non of a vessel, and a ship's carpenter 
 must have been practiced in the art of 
 designing and carving such work, to have 
 been considered qualified for the position, 
 and as Russell had served a full-time ap- 
 prenticeship, it is to him, undoubtedly, to 
 whom the credit of this production the 
 statue of Bacchus is mainly due. 
 
 The fourth and last man was William 
 Cook, who was born in March, 1744, near 
 Great Yarmouth, England. He joined 
 the royal navy at Chatham, Kent, in 1771, 
 and having served a full commission of 
 four years on board H. M. S. "Cocka-
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 17 
 
 trice," on the China Station, was drafted 
 to Portsmouth, to join the " Bombrig," as 
 an able-bodied seaman, and with her came 
 to America. These four men, as has been 
 said, were among the prisoners taken when 
 the "Bombrig" was captured. Of the fate 
 of the other prisoners taken at the same 
 time nothing is known, but these four were 
 taken to old Windham, (famous in history, 
 as the scene of that marvelous " Battle of 
 the Frogs,") and were confined there in 
 Windham jail. There they lay in durance 
 through weary months. Strangers in a 
 strange land, they ' were yet not wholly 
 friendless, for the ever-tender heart of 
 woman took pity on their captive condi- 
 tion, and extended to them tokens of kind- 
 ness and sympathy. The Widow Carey, 
 the landlady of the tavern on Windham 
 Green, had compassion on the lonely 
 prisoners, and her heart went out to them
 
 l8 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 in kind words and her hands with tempo- 
 ral favors. 
 
 Who the Widow Carey was we know 
 not, but it is safe to assume that her heart 
 was as big as the capacious fire-place 
 which yawned in her inn, and as warm as 
 the fires which glowed therein. It is like- 
 wise tolerably safe to assume that the 
 feelings of the Widow Carey toward the 
 prisoners, were those of pity rather than 
 affection, for we know that the widow 
 married none of them, but became after- 
 wards Mrs. John Fitch. Possibly however 
 the somewhat hasty departure which the 
 prisoners afterward took, nipped in the 
 bud a growing sentiment which might 
 have blossomed into a matrimonial alliance 
 between the commander and the widow. 
 Be all that as it may, two things are 
 certain, one that the widow was kind to 
 the prisoners, and the other that the
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 prisoners were grateful to the widow. 
 And to show their gratitude and appre- 
 ciation of their friend in a tangible form, 
 they, with nothing but their jack-knives 
 for tools, carved out that quaint and curi- 
 ous figure, concerning which this sketch is 
 written, and presented it to their benefac- 
 tress, who put it up as a sign in front of 
 her inn. What there was in their situa- 
 tion and circumstances to suggest to those 
 captives a figure of Bacchus, does not 
 appear. The reason for the generally 
 stout, English look about the figure is 
 evident enough, when the nationality of 
 the makers is considered, but why the 
 jovial god of the vine should suggest him- 
 self to them is not so evident. Was it by 
 force of contrast, as parched travelers in 
 the desert deceive themselves with illu- 
 sions of flowing streams and placid lakes, 
 and as starving men dream of groaning
 
 !0 
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 tables of luxurious viands? or were they so 
 well treated by their captors that Bacchus 
 himself, figuratively speaking, was some- 
 times allowed in their company? or did 
 they, simply knowing the Widow Carey's 
 occupation, design it as the most appropri- 
 ate gift for her. Whatever their views, 
 they wrought well what they set themselves 
 to do, and made for their benefactress a 
 very neat, expressive, and appropriate gift. 
 Little they dreamed then, as they wrought 
 upon it, that the war, in the fortunes of 
 which they had early fallen captive, would 
 result in the defeat of their nation, that the 
 colony within whose borders they were 
 confined would become one of the states 
 of a great republic, and that the image 
 which they carved would be kept for a 
 century, and attract the curious attention 
 of thousands of people, and that because 
 of their work, their names, and histories
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 would be searched out, recorded, and re- 
 membered, where otherwise they would 
 have been "unknown and unnoticed." 
 
 But whatever their thoughts, the image 
 was completed and presented to their ben- 
 efactress. Evidently the captives sighed 
 for freedom, for in a brief time, less than 
 six months after their imprisonment, they 
 managed to escape from the jail and made 
 their way toward Norwich, where they 
 secured a boat, and true to their national 
 instincts, and for which, perhaps, they have 
 not received sufficient credit from their 
 countrymen, endeavored to escape to Long 
 Island and rejoin the British forces. 
 
 Poor fellows ! their earthly freedom was 
 of short duration ! on the Sound, their boat 
 was overset, and all except Coggin were 
 drowned, and he was recaptured. In the 
 Connecticut Gazette, Vol. XIX, No. 68 1, 
 published at New London, on Friday,
 
 22 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 November 29th, 1776, appears the follow- 
 ing paragraph: 
 
 " Tuesday night last, one John Coggin, 
 late boatswain of the ' Bombrig,' (who 
 with the three other prisoners lately broke 
 out of Windham jail), was found on board 
 a brig in this harbor. He gives the follow- 
 ing account of said prisoners, viz : that the 
 night after breaking out of jail, they, with 
 the help of one Lewis, who was taken in a 
 prize vessel, [which was captured in New 
 York harbor by a party under command of 
 Capt. Nathan Hale, early in June, 1776; 
 the vessel, or sloop which it properly was, 
 lay near the New Jersey shore, and was 
 under the protection at the time, of the 
 sixty-four guns of the British war ship 
 "Asia," in which Commander Sneyd is 
 herein mentioned as having previously 
 sailed], stole a canoe near Norwich landing, 
 with which they attempted to cross the
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 23 
 
 Sound to Long Island, but at the entrance 
 of the Race, near Gull Island, the canoe 
 overset, when all of them except Coggin 
 were drowned. Their names are Edward 
 Sneyd, (late commander of the Bombrig,) 
 William Cook, John Russell, and Lewis." 
 It is to be presumed that Coggin's story 
 was true, and that his comrades perished as 
 disclosed, although he might possibly have 
 invented the tale for the sake of ending a 
 search after his companions, and throwing 
 their pursuers off the track. But inas- 
 much as the official records of the British 
 government, from which the previous 
 sketch of the lives of these men was com- 
 piled, say that nothing has been heard of 
 the prisoners since the capture of their 
 vessel in June, 1776, it is possible that they 
 were drowned as reported by Coggin, and 
 that they did not rejoin the British as 
 some accounts say, the more so as Sneyd
 
 24 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 was an officer of ability and of high rank, 
 and would have been certain to have re- 
 joined the navy or been afterward heard of, 
 if alive. 
 
 But while the men died their work 
 survived. The quaint figure of Bacchus, 
 carved by the prisoners and by them pre- 
 sented to Widow Carey, remained as a 
 sign in front of her tavern on Windham 
 Green until, as before stated, she married 
 Mr. John Fitch, when it was removed to 
 the "old Fitch tavern." It was afterward, 
 in 1827, sold by the heirs of Mr. Fitch, to 
 Lucius Abbee, the landlord of the Stam- 
 ford House, and was then enthroned on 
 the branch of an old elm hard by. In 
 1840 it passed into the possession of Mr. 
 Zaphney Curtis, and remained in the 
 family until 1856, when a cloud dimmed 
 the sunshine of its prosperity. The Sep- 
 tember gale blew it from its elevated
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 25 
 
 position on the great elm to the ground, 
 the fall breaking one of its arms and other- 
 wise injuring it. That fall came near end- 
 ing Bacchus' days. He was put, not into 
 the hospital as he deserved, but into the 
 wood-house, and for three years lay in dust 
 and gloom, and doubtless ere this would 
 have been used for firewood, had not he 
 been spied out by sons of Mr. William 
 Cummings, who begged their father to 
 purchase it. The negotiations were not 
 protracted, and for the pitiful, paltry sum 
 of twenty-five cents, poor Bacchus was 
 purchased. This was the hardest of all, 
 but the adage that " the darkest hours 
 come just before dawn," was true in his 
 case. His transfer for a paltry quarter, was 
 the turning point in his career. There- 
 after came brighter days. The figure was 
 taken to Willimantic, was repaired by M. 
 S. Bowdish, and painted first by Charles
 
 26 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 Lillie, and afterward by George Bottom, 
 who put it into its present shape. It was 
 purchased of Mr. Cummings by its present 
 owner in 1859, was taken to New York for 
 a few weeks in 1 864, to be gazed at by the 
 denizens of the metropolis, and was brought 
 to Hartford in 1872. For two years 1862 
 and 1863 it stood upon a bar, while ale 
 was drawn from a faucet at one end of the 
 keg, and porter from a faucet at the other 
 end, people coming long distances to quaff 
 a brimming draught from Bacchus' keg, 
 and through historical wood. Since then 
 its duty has been ornamental, rather than 
 useful. 
 
 There are many anecdotes related of 
 Bacchus, but this sketch would become 
 too extended were it to include more than 
 two or three, which belong to its different 
 situations, and which refer to its own 
 identity exclusively. While ensconced in
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 27 
 
 the big elm tree in front of Mr. Zaphney 
 Curtis' tavern, some wag is said to have 
 inserted a clay pipe into one corner of its 
 mouth, which became a target for the boys 
 of the village to stone. This proceeding 
 Mr. Curtis used to resent in a most deter- 
 mined and warlike spirit, and sometimes 
 to the discomfiture of his assailants. 
 
 A lady seeing it on board the train, the 
 head only being visible, on its return from 
 New York City, in 1864, supposing it to 
 be a living dwarf, or malformation, became 
 quite excited over its presence, and indig- 
 nant that it was allowed to occupy a place 
 in a public conveyance. But her pacifica- 
 tion was complete when the image and its 
 history were politely explained to her by 
 the gentleman in charge, and she acknowl- 
 edged the surrender with the classical ex- 
 pression, oh, my! 
 
 An old woman leaning upon a cane,
 
 28 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 passing leisurely up the street one day, 
 by the window where Bacchus may be 
 seen, stopped before the image and ex- 
 claimed, "Why, that is Bacchus ; I have not 
 seen him for years and years." She was 
 unknown to those standing by. and it was 
 supposed that she had known the work in 
 her early life, and was happy to once more 
 gaze upon the familiar figure. At all 
 events, she manifested the greatest interest 
 and emotion as she moved on repeating, 
 "for years and years." 
 
 Mark Twain's Old Traveler is no myth. 
 Similar spirits crop out in every walk of 
 life. Not long ago a couple of men were 
 seen standing in front of Bacchus, while 
 one more wise than the other was heard 
 to explain to his companion the object of 
 their inspection. " Why," said he, " that is 
 Bacchus. Don't you know about Bacchus ? 
 Why, he is something about war, and you
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 29 
 
 can always get a good drink wherever you 
 see him." Not a very intelligent descrip- 
 tion of the central subject, but at the same 
 time it partakes less of the poetical license 
 than would at first sight appear. 
 
 Such is the history, and has been the 
 life and experience of the Bacchus image. 
 And if we may be allowed to still further 
 endow him with spiritual capacities, by a 
 figure of speech, one may imagine, as he 
 looks at the half-laughing face, and happy 
 expressive eye, that the representative of 
 the jovial god is saying to himself, as he 
 looks out upon the passers by " Lo, I have 
 seen this country grow from a sapling to a 
 great tree; I have been in darkness and 
 gloom myself, but I have come out into 
 the sunshine; young as I look I am older 
 than the oldest man who walks about these 
 streets." Yes, true. A hundred years ago 
 this image was brought out in the little
 
 30 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 old town of Windham, at that time a place 
 of no mean importance; but, owing to a 
 decided tendency of people and capital to 
 concentrate in cities, a force which Bacchus 
 even has been compelled to obey, it has, 
 like nearly all New England country 
 towns, of late years declined in popula- 
 tion and influence. It is situated in one 
 of the easternmost counties of Connecti- 
 cut, being twenty-eight miles north of 
 New London, fourteen miles from Nor- 
 wich, thirty miles east of Hartford, and 
 forty-four miles west of Providence, R. I. 
 It .was originally settled in the year 1689, 
 by an Englishman who had served under 
 Cromwell, and fled to this country when 
 Charles II ascended the throne. At the 
 breaking out of the Revolution it con- 
 tained a population of 3800 inhabitants, 
 and was a strong hold of democracy, and 
 we believe has kept its record tolerably
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 31 
 
 clear to the present time. To this place, 
 picturesque and beautiful in all that nature 
 can do to please the most exacting taste, 
 there came one lovely June evening the 
 four champions of King George, of . whom 
 we have written. One may easily imagine 
 the excitement and commotion which such 
 an event would occasion in a village like 
 it, full of the strictest religious notions, 
 and with public feelings aroused to the 
 highest degree in favor of a war for free- 
 dom from British rule. But it is after all 
 purely an imaginary picture. Of all who 
 participated in the scene not one is left. 
 The years alone have been sufficient to 
 end their earthly careers. Many land-marks 
 even of those days have passed away. 
 
 The old historic jail, built of wood, has 
 decayed and mouldered to earth, the spot 
 of its location long lost. 
 
 The majestic old elm in which Bacchus
 
 32 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 kept watch and ward for so many years, no 
 longer sways its lithe limbs in the breezes 
 of heaven, or furnishes shade in which 
 man and beast may be refreshed ; its out- 
 stretched branches have been gathered up, 
 its trunk riven asunder, and whatever of 
 romance, or inspiration, or pleasurable emo- 
 tion its stately presence in its native earth 
 might have excited, for its connection with 
 the things which we chronicle, are gone 
 for ever. Time, arbitrary and inexorable, 
 has transformed what man has not in the 
 ancient town so that little of its early con- 
 dition is to be now seen. It is an interest- 
 ing, and to those advanced in life, a solemn 
 thing, to go back to the days in which 
 Bacchus first invited the weary traveler to 
 widow Gary's hospitality. It is indeed a 
 thing to stir the heart and to bring out the 
 finer feelings of our natures to stand by this 
 image to-day and go back over the inter-
 
 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 33 
 
 vening period of time, from the present to 
 the New England summer time when 
 Russell set to work with the help of his 
 companions to carve this figure, which in 
 this Centennial year becomes a historical 
 relic worthy, for its historical associations, 
 a place beside other emblems of the early 
 years, in the archives provided and main- 
 tained for their preservation. Interesting, 
 too, are the thoughts that mingle together 
 as we draw the curtain of the past and 
 review with the mind's eye this eventful 
 period. A hundred years! Look back 
 upon the world. Change is written upon 
 every thing. Nations have gone down 
 empires have crumbled dynasties been 
 ignored old administrations have given 
 place to new ones. In our own land won- 
 derful triumphs have been won. The war 
 which made us free established a system' 
 which grows fairer and stronger with each
 
 34 THE STORY OF BACCHUS. 
 
 recurring cycle and promises to increase 
 in its excellence, benefits, and purity, over 
 and beyond the time to which statues of 
 wood, brass, and marble can endure a 
 goodly heritage of a people worthy of their 
 ancestral sires.
 
 THE BATTLE 
 OF THE FROGS
 
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 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS, 
 
 AT WINDHAM, IN 1758. 
 
 WRITTEN BY WILLIAM L. WEAVER, IN 1857. 
 
 M^ H E town of Windham has been 
 rendered famous for all time, by a 
 memorable event which occurred within its 
 borders about a hundred years, ago, when 
 the inhabitants were greatly alarmed and 
 frightened by some unusual demonstration 
 among the bull-frogs. 
 
 This really singular affair has obtained 
 a wide-spread notoriety, and the story of 
 the Windham Frogs is well known all 
 over the country. Indeed, the fame of it 
 has been so extended, that a citizen of the 
 town can hardly go so far from home but 
 he will hear something about bull-frogs if 
 his place of nativity is known.
 
 38 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 This occurrence has been celebrated in 
 song, and sung in rhyme and doggerel of 
 all kinds of measure and metre ; it has 
 found a place in grave history; the most 
 exaggerated accounts have obtained cre- 
 dence in some quarters; various traditions 
 and anecdotes in relation to it have been 
 remembered with remarkable tenacity, 
 while it has afforded an inexhaustible 
 theme for the indulgence of wit and pleas- 
 antry at the expense of the inhabitants of 
 the town. 
 
 We may presume the actors in the 
 scene did not wish to hear much about it, 
 nor always relish the jokes and jibes to 
 which they were subject, but their descend- 
 ants have received the ridicule which has 
 been showered upon them from all quar- 
 ters, with great good nature. They have 
 laughed with those that laughed at the 
 ludicrous aspects of the affair, and have
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 39 
 
 not been disposed to get angry with those 
 who were inclined to "poke fun" at them on 
 this account. In fact, they have accepted 
 the bull-frog as a device, have stamped his 
 image on their bank-bills, and were it in the 
 days of chivalry, their heraldic devices and 
 coats of arms would blazon with bull-frogs. 
 
 Before noticing the different accounts 
 and traditions relating to the affair, or 
 attempting any explanation of it, a few facts 
 will render the subject more intelligible to 
 those unacquainted with the geography and 
 topography of the town. 
 
 Windham is situated in the eastern part 
 of Connecticut, about thirty miles from 
 Hartford, and was at the time of the occur- 
 rence, (1758,) and for many years subse- 
 quent, the most important town in that 
 section of the State. It had been settled 
 about sixty years and contained a thousand 
 or more inhabitants.
 
 40 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 The village of Windham is located on a 
 hill or considerable elevation, which rises 
 to its highest point a short distance east of 
 the public green, called, " Swift Hill," be- 
 cause the residence of the celebrated Judge 
 Swift was situated on it. 
 
 From the summit of this hill, the ground 
 gradually descends eastward to the Frog 
 Pond, which is just a mile from Windham 
 village on the Scotland road. The inter- 
 vention of this hill may in a measure ex- 
 plain the confusion of noises heard at the 
 time of the alarm, w r hich appeared to many 
 to be in the air. The Frog Pond, or 
 rather pond of frogs, at the time of the 
 occurrence, was a moderate sized mill- 
 pond, caused by damming a small stream. 
 The pond is somewhat larger now than 
 formerly, caused by raising the dam, and 
 when full, covers a surface of about twenty 
 acres. This pond was of a marshy kind,
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 41 
 
 well adapted to the taste of frogs, and must 
 at the time have contained a large number, 
 of all sorts and sizes, with excellent voices. 
 It is not necessary, however, to suppose it 
 contained as many as Peters, in his History 
 of Connecticut, would have us believe; for, 
 at a moderate estimate, his account would 
 give more than Jive millions ; but there 
 were enough to make a great deal of " noise 
 and confusion " when they became excited. 
 There are not probably as many frogs in 
 the pond now as formerly, yet there are a 
 " few left." A friend, sometime since, fish- 
 ing in its waters, had a powerful bite, when 
 he " hauled in " and found he had caught 
 a big bull-frog. 
 
 It was, according to most accounts, in 
 the month of June or July, 1758, on a 
 dark, foggy night, the wind easterly, with 
 an atmosphere favorable to the transmis- 
 sion of sound, that the event happened.
 
 42 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 It was past the midnight hour, and the 
 inhabitants were buried in profound sleep, 
 when the outcry commenced. There were 
 heard shouts and cries, and such a variety 
 of mingled sounds, which seemed to fill the 
 heavens, that soon roused the people from 
 their slumbers and thoroughly alarmed 
 the town. 
 
 To the excited imaginations of the sud- 
 denly awakened and startled inhabitants, it 
 is not strange that some thought the day 
 of judgment was at hand, while others 
 supposed that an army of French and 
 Indians was advancing to attack the town. 
 
 We are not about to draw upon the 
 imagination, to depict the scenes that then 
 and there transpired, as others have done, 
 our only object being to give such facts 
 and incidents as will enable the reader to 
 arrive at a correct solution of the affair. 
 But the alarm and turn out of the whole
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 43 
 
 town at the dead hours of night, the dark- 
 ness and confusion in consequence, the 
 cries and screams of the terror-stricken 
 women and children, the running hither 
 and thither of the half-naked inhabitants, 
 the continuance of the strange and per- 
 fectly unaccountable noises, must, without 
 any exaggeration, have produced a scene, 
 in common phrase, "more easily imagined 
 than described." 
 
 It should be remembered, that it was 
 then comparatively a new country, and 
 during the time of the French and Indian 
 war that resulted in the conquest of Can- 
 ada. Col. Dyer* had just raised a regiment 
 
 *Col. Eliphalet Dyer, the same for whom the frogs called 
 so loudly, was one of the most eminent men in the town and 
 State. He was agent for the Colony to England, member of 
 the first and second Congress, Chief Justice of the State, &c. 
 It is related of him, that on one occasion his arrival in the city 
 to attend Congress was greeted with shouts of laughter ; when 
 alighting he discovered the cause of merriment to be a mon- 
 strous bull-frog, dangling from the hinder part of his carriage, 
 appended probably by some wag on his route.
 
 44 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 to join the expedition against Crown Point, 
 and many of the brave men of the town 
 belonged to it, and were at this time on 
 the banks of Lake George, under the he- 
 roic Putnam, battling with their savage 
 foes. 
 
 Many incidents of the fright are related, 
 and the names of some of the prominent 
 men of the town have been immortalized 
 by this affair, but we do not choose to 
 give any, except such as are brought out 
 in the following accounts and ballads, and 
 those are probably pure fictions, or greatly 
 exaggerated. 
 
 Towards morning the sounds began to 
 die away, and order and quiet was restored 
 to this unusually peaceful town. To those 
 who took the trouble to go to the pond 
 and we presume many did go the next 
 day the scene of the disturbance was 
 manifest. Dead frogs by hundreds, some
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 45 
 
 say thousands, were lying on the shores of 
 the pond or floating on its surface, either 
 killed in battle, or by some dire catastro- 
 phe. The mortification and chagrin of 
 the citizens, when the facts became Jmown, 
 ma,y well be imagined, and we presume 
 they never heard the last of it. To be 
 frightened half out of their senses by a 
 parcel of contemptible bull-frogs, was too 
 ludicrous an affair not to make them the 
 butt of ridicule ever afterwards. 
 
 That the people of Windham were 
 aroused from their midnight slumbers ; 
 that the town was thoroughly alarmed 
 and many terribly frightened; that there 
 was great confusion and consternation, 
 caused by some extraordinary tumult a- 
 mong the frogs, as has been stated, all this 
 is undoubtedly true ; but the occasion of 
 this unusual outcry in frogdom, the why 
 and how of it are not so clear, there being
 
 46 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 many versions and explanations of the 
 affair. 
 
 The account of Peters, given in the fol- 
 lowing pages, in his veracioiis History of 
 Connecticut, which has probably been more 
 widely published than any other, is that 
 the frogs finding their pond becoming dry, 
 left in a body for the river, and were so 
 numerous that, in his own language, " They 
 Jilted a road forty yards wide four miles 
 in length" and the noise and clamor made 
 by them in passing through the town at 
 midnight, caused the alarm. This account 
 has obtained extensive belief, especially 
 abroad, and the first ballad following is 
 founded upon it. The absurdity and evi- 
 dent exaggeration of this statement are 
 truly laughable, and were it not that his 
 narration has been, and still is considered 
 by many, a veritable history of the affair, it 
 would be unworthy a moment's notice.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 47 
 
 Mr. Peters resided at Hebron, Conn., 
 only about a dozen miles from Windham, 
 soon after the occurrence ; he had evidently 
 been in the town and describes its appear- 
 ance; he might then have easily obtained 
 the facts ; his account is apparently candid, 
 and were there nothing else incorrect or 
 untrue in his book, his statements, how- 
 ever wonderful, would seem to be founded 
 on fact. 
 
 But his whole book is most grossly and 
 unpardonably inaccurate and reckless in its 
 statements, besides its downright false- 
 hoods. As a specimen or two of his in- 
 correctness, he says the Frog Pond is Jive 
 miles from Windham, whereas it is only 
 one ; that it is three miles square, when it 
 never was a fourth of a mile in extent. 
 
 From this and other exaggerated state- 
 ments with which his book abounds, it is 
 plain that no reliance whatever can be
 
 48 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 placed on his account, clergyman though 
 he was, unless sustained by other testi- 
 mony, and his object probably was to make 
 out a large story to add to the attractions 
 of his book. 
 
 There are, however, some traditions that 
 the frogs left the pond and started towards 
 the town and were met by the "armed 
 men," and a battle, or rather a massacre did 
 take place, when the frogs were slaughtered 
 without mercy by the enraged inhabitants, 
 whose slumbers had been so much dis- 
 turbed. But these accounts seem to be all 
 founded on the statement of Peters, or 
 ballads based on the same. 
 
 The other and more favorite theory is, 
 that there was simply and literally a " battle 
 of the frogs," or a fight among themselves, 
 caused by a short supply of water, owing to 
 a severe drought which had prevailed. 
 This view of the matter is fully set forth,
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 49 
 
 suitably embellished, in the account given 
 in the following pages, and first published 
 as a preface to the song, entitled " Lawyers 
 and Bull-frogs." It is probably more gen- 
 erally believed by the present inhabitants 
 of the town than any other, as giving the 
 most rational explanation of the affair ; yet 
 it is not by any means established, as we 
 shall see. 
 
 Supposing the facts and particulars 
 would be better known, and the traditions 
 more reliable by those living in the imme- 
 diate vicinity of the pond, we have taken 
 some pains to learn the views of those on 
 the spot, as obtained from their fathers, 
 living at the time of the occurrence. 
 
 The Frog Pond was then owned by a 
 Follett family, and the premises have been 
 in possession of their descendants ever 
 since. The privilege is now owned by 
 Abner Follett, Esq., who has very kindly
 
 50 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 given the writer of this article his views of 
 the affair, founded on traditions preserved 
 in the family. He says that his father, 
 though young, remembered the occurrence, 
 was on the ground at the time, and he has 
 often heard him relate it. 
 
 These traditions are briefly as follows : 
 The event occurred in the month of JUNE, 
 though whether O. S. or N. S., Mr. Follett 
 does not know. The pond was not dry, 
 nor had there been any drought, as is so 
 generally believed ; there was plenty of 
 water at the time in the pond, it being sup- 
 plied by a never-failing stream. The frogs 
 did not leave the pond, as many now sup- 
 pose, and there was no evidence of fighting, 
 though many dead frogs were found about 
 the pond next morning, yet without any 
 visible wounds. The outcry was loud and 
 very extraordinary, the noises seemed to 
 fill the heavens, and are described as thun-
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 51 
 
 derlike. Some near by declared that they 
 could feel their beds vibrate under them, 
 yetr knowing from whence the sounds came, 
 and that they were made by the frogs, they 
 were not frightened, as were the inhabitants 
 of the village. The real cause of the out- 
 cry is unknown. Various opinions were 
 entertained at the time; some attributed it 
 to disease, as so many dead frogs were 
 found on the shores of the pond. 
 
 Such is the substance of Mr. Follett's 
 statement, and coming so direct, and from 
 such a source, is entitled to the greatest 
 weight. To those who know Mr. F., it is 
 unnecessary to say that nothing exagger- 
 ated or savoring of romance would be 
 stated or entertained by him. No man has 
 had better opportunities to learn the facts ; 
 no one, we think, would be more likely to 
 discard all fiction, and if these statements 
 can not be credited, we can place no
 
 52 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 reliance on any traditions relating to the 
 affair. 
 
 From the lapse of time since the occur- 
 rence, the few reliable facts preserved, and 
 the conflicting accounts, it is not so easy 
 to decide positively as to the cause of the 
 disturbance. 
 
 It occurred when newspapers were scarce, 
 and no account, so far as we can learn, was 
 published at the time. It is very certain 
 that the sounds heard were not the ordi- 
 nary croakings of the frogs, for their usual 
 notes could hardly be heard a mile, under 
 favorable circumstances ; besides, their com- 
 mon sounds would not have caused alarm, 
 or attracted any particular attention. It 
 must have been something unusual and 
 very extraordinary to have produced such 
 an excitement. 
 
 The statement of Peters, and others, that 
 the frogs left the pond, is rejected, not only
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 53 
 
 from its inherent improbability, but as not 
 warranted by the circumstances, or sus- 
 tained by the most reliable traditions. 
 
 The other and more favorite theory is, as 
 has been stated, that owing to a severe 
 drought, there was a short supply of water, 
 and that the frogs fought among themselves 
 for the enjoyment of what remained. 
 
 The writer, with many others, has be- 
 lieved that the frogs did have a fight, that 
 they " fought like dogs," and that many did 
 not live to fight another day. 
 
 This view would certainly seem to be 
 inconsistent, or at least not sustained, by 
 the account of Mr. Follett. If the occur- 
 rence was in June, it is not probable that 
 there was a drought so early in the season, 
 and if there was no drought, the cause uni- 
 versally assigned as the origin of the fight 
 did not exist. Yet notwithstanding these 
 statements, we think the possibility of a
 
 54 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 fight is not absolutely precluded, though 
 rendered less probable. But if the frogs 
 did not have a fight, what caused them to 
 make such a terrible outcry? Was it a 
 disease, as suggested by some, at the time ? 
 It is hardly probable that an epidemic 
 would have been so sudden in its attack, 
 have produced so great mortality, and have 
 been so soon over. 
 
 Was there a shock of an earthquake, or 
 some convulsion of nature in connection 
 with the affair that proved such a catastro- 
 phe to the frogs ? The jarring thunder- 
 like sounds would indicate that it is possi- 
 ble, yet there are no facts or traditions 
 besides to warrant such a supposition. 
 Were there thunderings and lightnings, 
 and were the frogs somehow affected and 
 killed by electricity ? There is nothing to 
 justify such a conclusion. What was it 
 then that killed the frogs ? The two facts
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 55 
 
 undisputed are, that there was an unusual 
 outcry and a large quantity of dead frogs 
 found about the pond next morning, which, 
 taken together, we think plainly indicates 
 that the noise had some connection with 
 the death of the frogs. It has been sug- 
 gested that when the frogs make the most 
 noise, they are in the highest state of enjoy- 
 ment, and if the traditions are correct, the 
 sounds made were of the same kind as 
 heard from frogs on ordinary occasions. 
 This would show that they were having a 
 high time, were very happy, and therefore 
 vociferous ; perhaps striving with all their 
 might to excel each other. But in this 
 case, what killed the frogs ? Is it possible 
 that it was the excitement or over-exertion 
 on that memorable night? 
 
 We may tax the imagination to any ex- 
 tent, yet if the frogs did not fight among 
 themselves, we are left entirely to conjecture
 
 56 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 as to the cause of the disturbance. But, 
 will frogs fight? We believe they are not 
 naturally very belligerent, yet like other in- 
 offensive creatures, they can and sometimes 
 do fight, and it is also said that the big 
 ones will destroy and eat up the little ones. 
 Some facts with regard to the habits and 
 peculiarities of frogs, would be interesting, 
 and perhaps help solve the difficulty, but 
 we can only allude to them. 
 
 That a frog is not exactly a fighting ani- 
 mal, is shown from the fact that he is not 
 possessed of any formidable means of 
 offense or defense, and has no teeth, only 
 a hard membranous gum, extending around 
 the mouth. Their mode of combat is 
 peculiar. They grapple each other with 
 the fore paws, get hold with their mouth, 
 and when firmly fastened together, will 
 kick with their hind feet at the most vital 
 parts. Besides their capacity for making
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 57 
 
 their usual sounds, they will, when injured, 
 at times, utter a cry like that of a young 
 child. We should suppose that in this 
 mode of fighting they would make a good 
 deal of fuss and noise, and it is a fact that 
 while so engaged they do sometimes cry 
 out or "squall," as a person remarked 
 who had often observed them. In such 
 a contest the strongest would most likely 
 prove the victor, and as the frog is rather 
 tough-hided, death by such a process 
 might not leave any visible wound on the 
 victim. It has been suggested that had 
 there been a battle, there would have been 
 profound silence, but we have it on good 
 authority, that frogs do at times, when 
 engaged in fighting, make more or less 
 noise; yet whether they would, or did, 
 make such a racket as was heard on this 
 occasion, while having a general melee, is 
 a question. But as frogs will fight, and
 
 58 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 do sometimes make a noise when engaged 
 in combat even if there was no lack of 
 water in the pond, and no cause known for 
 a conflict can we not more rationally 
 account for the outcry, and the dead frogs, 
 by supposing that for some reason or other, 
 there was a battle, than on any other 
 hypothesis ? 
 
 But we can devote no more space to the 
 consideration of this " strange eventful his- 
 tory." It was certainly one of the most 
 remarkable events that ever occurred in 
 the country, the like of which was never 
 known before or since. With the facts 
 and speculations given above, and the ac- 
 counts following, we leave our readers to 
 form their own opinions of the occurrence, 
 and its cause. 
 
 As many have a desire to preserve the 
 old songs and traditions relating to this af- 
 fair, the writer has collected the following
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 59 
 
 accounts and ballads, which are " Curiosi- 
 ties of Literature " in their way, and pre- 
 sents them as amusing relics of the olden 
 time, in a style and form suitable for 
 preservation.
 
 60 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 THE WINDHAM FROGS. 
 
 BY REV. SAMUEL PETERS. 
 
 [The following marvelous account of the Windham Frogs, 
 is extracted from Dr. Samuel Peters' General History of 
 Connecticut. 
 
 Mr. Peters resided at one time in Hebron, Conn., previous 
 to the Revolutionary War, and living so near the scene 
 described, and it being so soon after the event happened, 
 it is rather strange that he should give such an exaggerated 
 account of the affair. 
 
 But Dr. Peters was a decided Tory, and found it convenient 
 to leave for England soon after the breaking out of the war. 
 In 1781, he published in London his famous History of 
 Connecticut, in which he attempted to show up the people 
 of the colony, with their manners, customs, laws, &c., in no 
 very enviable light. This extract is a fair specimen of its 
 correctness. No wonder President Dwight called it- " a mass 
 of folly and falsehood."] 
 
 "Windham resembles Rumford and 
 stands on the Winnomantic River. Its 
 meeting-house is elegant, and has a steeple, 
 bell and clock. Its court-house is scarcely 
 to be looked upon as an ornament. The
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 6 1 
 
 township forms four parishes, and it is ten 
 miles square. Strangers are very much 
 terrified at the hideous noise made on 
 summer evenings by the vast number of 
 frogs in the brooks and ponds. There are 
 about thirty different voices among them ; 
 some of which resemble the bellowing of a 
 bull. The owls and whip-poor-wills com- 
 plete the rough concert, which may be 
 heard several miles. Persons accustomed 
 to such serenaders are not disturbed by 
 them at their proper stations ; but one 
 night, in July, 1758, the frogs of an artifi- 
 cial pond, three miles square, and about 
 five from Windham, finding the water 
 dried up, left the place in a body, and 
 marched, or rather hopped, towards Win- 
 nomantic River. They were under the 
 necessity of taking the road and going 
 through the town, which they entered 
 about midnight The bull-frogs were the
 
 62 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 leaders, and the pipers followed without 
 number. They filled a road forty yards 
 wide, for four miles in length, and were for 
 several hours, in passing through the town, 
 unusually clamorous. The inhabitants 
 were equally perplexed and frightened; 
 some expected to find an army of French 
 and Indians ; others feared an earthquake 
 and dissolution of nature. The consterna- 
 tion was universal. Old and young, male 
 and female, fled naked from their beds with 
 more shriekings than those of the frogs. 
 The event was fatal to several women. 
 The men, after a flight of half a mile, in 
 which they met with many broken shins, 
 finding no enemies in pursuit of them, 
 made a halt, and summoned resolution 
 enough to venture back to their wives and 
 children ; when they distinctly heard from 
 the enemy's camp these words, Wight, 
 Hilderken, Dier, Pete. This last they
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 63 
 
 thought meant treaty; and plucking up 
 courage, they sent a triumvirate to capitu- 
 late with the supposed French and Indians. 
 These three men approached in their 
 shirts, and begged to speak with the gen- 
 eral, but it being dark, and no answer 
 given, they were sorely agitated for some 
 time betwixt hope and fear; at length, 
 however, they discovered that the dreaded 
 inimical army was an army of thirsty frogs 
 going to the river for a little water. Such 
 an incursion was never known before nor 
 since ; and yet the people of Windham 
 have been ridiculed for their timidity on 
 this occasion. I verily believe an army 
 under the Duke of Maryborough would, 
 under like circumstances, have acted no 
 better than they did."
 
 64 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 The following ballad is from an old Providence Gazette, 
 and appears to be founded on Peters' account of the affair. 
 
 THE FROGS OF WINDHAM. 
 
 AN OLD COLONY TALE FOUNDED ON FACT. 
 
 BY ARION. 
 
 When these free States were colonies 
 
 Unto the mother nation, 
 And, in Connecticut, the good 
 
 Old Blue Laws were in fashion, 
 
 A circumstance which there occurred, 
 
 (And much the mind surprises 
 Upon reflection,) then gave rise 
 
 To many strange surmises. 
 
 You all have seen, as I presume, 
 
 Or had a chance to see, 
 Those strange amphibious quadrupeds, 
 
 Call'd bull-frogs commonly.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 65 
 
 Well, in Connecticut 'tis said, 
 
 By those who make pretensions 
 To truth, those creatures often grow 
 
 To marvelous dimensions. 
 
 One night in July, '58, 
 
 They left their home behind 'em, 
 Which was an oak and chestnut swamp, 
 
 About five miles from Windham. 
 
 The cause was this : the summer's sun 
 
 Had dried their pond away there 
 So shallow, that to save their souls, 
 
 The bull-frogs could not stay there. 
 
 So in a regiment they hopp'd, 
 
 With many a curious antic, 
 Along the road which lead unto 
 
 The river Willimantic. 
 
 So they in sight of Windham came, 
 
 All in high perspiration, 
 And held their course straight t'wards the same, 
 
 With loud vociferation. 
 
 You know such kind of creatures are 
 
 By nature quite voracious ; 
 Thus they, impelled by hunger, were 
 
 Remarkably loquacious.
 
 66 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 Up flew the windows, one and all, 
 
 And then with ears erected, 
 From every casement, gaping rows 
 
 Of night-capped heads projected. 
 
 The children cried, the women scream'd, 
 
 " O Lord have mercy on us ! 
 The French have come to burn us out ! 
 
 And now are close upon us." 
 
 A few upon the first alarm, 
 
 Then arm'd themselves to go forth 
 
 Against the foe, with guns and belts, 
 Shot, powder-horns, and so forth. 
 
 Soon all were running here and there, 
 
 In mighty consternation ; 
 Resolving of the town to make 
 
 A quick evacuation. 
 
 Away they went across the lots, 
 
 Hats, caps, and wigs, were scatter'd ; 
 
 And heads were broke, and shoes were lost ; 
 Shins bruis'd and noses batter'd. 
 
 Thus having gain'd a mile or two, 
 
 These men of steady habits, 
 All snug behind an old stone wall 
 
 Lay, like a nest of rabbits.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 67 
 
 And in this state, for half an hour, 
 
 With jaws an inch asunder, 
 They thought upon their goods at home, 
 
 Exposed to lawless plunder. 
 
 They thought upon their hapless wives, 
 
 Their meeting-house and cattle ; 
 And then resolv'd to sally forth 
 
 And give the Frenchmen battle. 
 
 Among the property which they 
 Had brought with them to save it, 
 
 Were found two trumpets and a drum, 
 Just as good luck would have it/ 
 
 Fifteen or twenty jews-harps then 
 
 Were found in good condition, 
 And all the longest winded men, 
 
 Wert put in requisition. 
 
 Straightway, in long and loud alarm, 
 
 Said instruments were clang-ed, 
 And the good old one hundredth psalm, 
 
 From nose and Jews-harp twang-ed. 
 
 Such as were arm'd, in order ranged, 
 
 The music in the center 
 Declar'd they would not run away 
 
 But on the French would venture.
 
 68 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 There might have been among them all, 
 
 Say twenty guns or over- 
 How many pitchforks, scythes and flails, 
 
 I never could discover. 
 
 The rest agreed to close the rear, 
 
 After some intercession, 
 And altogether made a queer 
 
 And curious procession. 
 
 Some were persuaded that they saw 
 The band of French marauders ; 
 
 And not a few declared they heard 
 The officers give orders. 
 
 These words could be distinguished then, 
 " Dyer," " Elderkin," and " Tete," 
 
 And when they heard the last, they thought 
 The French desired a treaty. 
 
 So three good sober-minded men 
 Were chosen straight to carry 
 
 Terms to the French, as ministers 
 Plenipotentiary. 
 
 These, moving on, with conscious fear, 
 
 Did for a hearing call, 
 And begged a moment's leave to speak 
 
 With the French general.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 69 
 
 The advancing foe an answer made, 
 
 But (it was quite provoking,) 
 Not one of them could understand 
 
 The language it was spoke in. 
 
 So there they stood in piteous plight, 
 
 'Twas ludicrous to see ; 
 Until the bull-frogs came in sight, 
 
 Which sham'd them mightily. 
 
 Then all went home, right glad to save 
 
 Their property from pillage j 
 And all agreed to shame the men 
 
 Who first alarm'd the village. 
 
 Some were well pleas'd, and some were mad, 
 
 Some turn'd it off in laughter ; 
 And some would never speak a word 
 
 About the thing thereafter. 
 
 Some vow'd if Satan came at last. 
 
 They did not mean to flee him ; 
 But if a frog they ever pass'd, 
 
 Pretended not to see him.
 
 70 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 God save the State of Rhode Island 
 And Providence Plantations ; 
 
 May we have ever at command 
 " Good clothing, pay, and rations." 
 
 One good old rule, avoiding strife, 
 I've followed since my youth 
 
 To always live an upright life, 
 And tell the downright truth.
 
 THE FROG BATTLE. 
 
 ANONYMOUS. 
 
 [The following account of this singular event is undoubt- 
 edly much nearer the truth than the narration of Peters. It 
 was published as an introduction to the ballad following. 
 
 The latter is said to have been composed by Master Ebene- 
 zer Tilden, of Lebanon, father of the somewhat noted Col. 
 Tilden, of the same town. The most ancient looking copy the 
 writer can find, has the following long and rather quaint title : 
 " A true relation of a strange battle between some Lawyers and 
 Bull-Frogs, set forth in a new Song, written by a jolly farmer 
 of New England." This song, under the titles of "Lawyers 
 and Bull-Frogs," and " Bull Frog Song," has been extensively 
 published, and has been very popular. In fact, it has been 
 considered the Bull-frog song. In it an attempt is made to hit 
 off some of the magnates of the town, and we presume it was 
 not very well relished by them on its first publication. 
 
 The cause assigned in it for the disturbance among the frogs, 
 is of course purely fanciful, and the description of the scenes 
 occasioned by the alarm, probably contains more poetry (or 
 rather rhyme ) than truth.] 
 
 " On a dark, cloudy, dismal night in the 
 month of July, A. D., 1758, the inhabitants
 
 72 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 of Windham, a small town in the eastern 
 part of Connecticut, (family prayer having 
 been duly and reverently performed around 
 each altar,) had retired for rest, and for 
 several hours all were wrapt in profound 
 repose when suddenly, soon after mid- 
 night, the slumbers of the peaceful inhabi- 
 tants were disturbed by a most terrific 
 noise in the sky, right over their heads, 
 which, to many, seemed the yells and 
 screeches of infuriated Indians, and others 
 had no other way of accounting for the 
 awful sounds, which still kept increasing, 
 but by supposing that the day of judgment 
 had certainly come, and to their terrified 
 imaginations, the awful uproar in the air 
 seemed the immediate precursor of the 
 clangor of the last trumpet. At intervals, 
 many supposed they could distinguish the 
 calling out of the particular names, as of 
 Col. Dyer, Elderkin, two eminent lawyers,
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 73 
 
 and this increased the general terror. It 
 was told me by my reverend grandmother, 
 and I do not doubt the fact in the least, as 
 it has been confirmed by many other aged 
 and venerable standbys of the town, both 
 male and female, that the minister of the 
 parish, surrounded by his trembling family, 
 fell on his knees in an agony of prayer, and, 
 (as expressed in the verses which follow,) 
 in his garden among the bean-poles, (but 
 this probably is an embellishment of the 
 poet,) and that by a simultaneous move- 
 ment, a great proportion of the inhabitants 
 resorted to the same expedient for succor. 
 But soon there was a rush from every 
 house, the tumult in the air increasing. 
 Old and young, male and female, poured 
 forth into the streets, " in puris naturali- 
 bus" entirely forgetful, in their hurry and 
 consternation, of the nether habiliments, 
 and with eyes upturned, tried to pierce the
 
 74 
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 most palpable darkness. My venerable 
 informant, who well recollects the event, 
 says, that some daring spirits, concluding 
 there was nothing supernatural in the 
 hubbub and uproar overhead, but that 
 rather they heard the yells of Indians com- 
 mencing a midnight attack, loaded their 
 guns and sallied forth to meet the invading 
 foes. These valiant heroes, on ascending 
 the hill that bounds the village on the east, 
 perceived that the sounds came from that 
 quarter, and not from the skies, as at first 
 believed ; but their courage would not per- 
 mit them to proceed to the daring ex- 
 tremity of advancing eastward, until they 
 should discover the real cause of alarm and 
 distress which pervaded the whole village. 
 " Towards morning the sounds in the 
 air seemed to die away, and the horror- 
 stricken Windhamites, discovering that no 
 Indians made an attack, and that for that
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 75 
 
 time they had escaped from being called 
 to their account, (a general impression pre- 
 vailed for a time among the females and 
 the more timid of the male population, that 
 the day of judgment was at hand,) retired 
 to rest, but not until the two robust 
 Colonels had planted sentinels in every 
 place where there was the least danger of 
 an attack from the Indians. 
 
 "In the morning, the whole cause of 
 alarm, which produced such distressing ap- 
 prehensions among the good people of the 
 town, was apparent to all who took the 
 trouble to go to a certain mill-pond, situ- 
 ated about three-fourths of a mile eastward 
 of the village. This pond hereafter in 
 the annals of fame forever to be called the 
 FROG POND in consequence of a 
 severe drought which had prevailed for 
 many weeks, had become nearly dry, and 
 the Bull-Frogs it was densely populated
 
 76 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 with, fought a pitched battle on the sides 
 of the ditch which ran through it, for the 
 possession and enjoyment of the fluid 
 which remained. Long and obstinate was 
 the contest maintained. Several thousands 
 of the warrior hosts were found dead on 
 both sides of the ditch the next morning. 
 It had been remarkably still for several 
 hours before the battle commenced, but 
 suddenly, as if by a preconcerted agree- 
 ment, every frog on one side of the ditch 
 raised the war cry, COL. DYER! COL. DYER! 
 and at the same instant, from the opposite 
 side shouted the adversaries, ELDERKIN 
 TOO ! ELDERKIN TOO ! 
 
 " Owing to some peculiar state of the 
 atmosphere, the awful noises and cries 
 appeared to be directly over their heads ; 
 and, considering all the circumstances, it is 
 not at all surprising that many ludicrous, 
 and even distressing events, should have
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. JJ 
 
 occurred on that eventful night, among 
 the affrighted inhabitants of the city of 
 'BULL FROGS.'" 
 
 BULL-FROG SONG, 
 
 ORIGINALLY ENTITLED " LAWYERS AND BULL-FROGS." 
 
 Good people all, both great and small, 
 
 Of every occupation, 
 I pray draw near and lend an ear 
 
 To this our true relation. 
 
 'Twas of a fright happened one night, 
 
 Caused by the bull-frog nation, 
 As strange an one as ever was known, 
 
 In all our generation. 
 
 The frogs we hear, in bull-frog shire, 
 
 Their chorister had buried ; 
 The saddest loss, and greatest cross 
 
 That ever they endured. 
 
 Thus being deprived, they soon contrived, 
 Their friends to send to, greeting, 
 
 Even to all, both great and small, 
 To hold a general meeting.
 
 78 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 Subject and lord, with one accord, 
 Now came with bowels yearning, 
 
 For to supply, and qualify, 
 And fit a frog for learning. 
 
 For to supply immediately, 
 The place of their deceased, 
 
 There did they find one to their mind, 
 Which soon their sorrow eased. 
 
 This being done, the glorious sun, 
 Being down and night advancing, 
 
 With great delight they spent the night, 
 In music and in dancing. 
 
 And when they sung, the air it rung, 
 And when they broke in laughter, 
 
 It did surprise both learned and wise, 
 As you shall find hereafter. 
 
 A negro man, we understand, 
 Awoke and heard the shouting, 
 
 He ne'er went abroad, but awak'd his lord, 
 Which filled their hearts with doubting. 
 
 They then did rise, with great surprise, 
 
 And raised the town or city, 
 Although before unto the poor 
 
 They ne'er would show pity.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 79 
 
 With one accord they went abroad, 
 
 And stood awhile to wonder, 
 The bull-frog shout appears no doubt 
 
 To them like claps of thunder. 
 
 Which made them say, the judgment day, 
 
 Without a doubt was coming ; 
 For in the air, they did declare, 
 
 Was very awful drumming. 
 
 Those lawyers fees would give no ease, 
 Though well they're worth inditing ; 
 
 To pray they kneel alas ! they feel 
 The worm of conscience biting. 
 
 Being thus dismayed, one of them said, 
 
 He would make restitution 
 He would restore one-half or more 
 
 This was his resolution. 
 
 Another's heart was touched in part, 
 
 But not pricked to the centre, 
 Rather than pay one-half away, 
 
 His soul, he said, he'd venture. 
 
 Then they agreed to go with speed, . 
 
 And see what was the matter ; 
 And as they say that by the way 
 
 Repenting tears did scatter.
 
 8o THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 They traveled still unto the hill, 
 
 With those men they did rally, 
 Then soon they found the doleful sound 
 
 To come out of the valley. 
 
 Then down they went, with one consent, 
 And found those frogs a-singing, 
 
 Raising their voice for to rejoice, 
 This was the doleful ringing. 
 
 Home those great men returned then, 
 Now filled with wrath and malice, 
 
 And mustered all, both great and small, 
 From prison and from palace. 
 
 Swearing, I say, thus in array, 
 
 To be revenged uporrthem ; 
 Thinking it best, I do protest, 
 
 To go and fall upon them. 
 
 Then armed all, both great and small, 
 With guns and swords and hatchets, 
 
 The Indian king could never bring 
 An army that could match it. 
 
 Old Stoughton he ran and charged up his gun, 
 
 And flourished his sword in the air, 
 " But not being stout," he at last gave out, 
 And fell on his knees to prayer.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 8 1 
 
 Then armed with fury, both judge and jury, 
 
 Unto the Frog-Pond moved ; 
 And as they say, a fatal day 
 
 Unto the frogs it proved. 
 
 This terrible night the Parson did fright 
 
 His people almost to despair, 
 For poor Windham souls, among the bean-poles, 
 
 He made a most wonderful prayer. 
 
 Lawyer Lucifer called up his crew, 
 
 Dyer and Elderkin, you must come too. 
 
 Old Col. Dyer you know well enough ; 
 He had an old negro, his name was Cuff. 
 
 Now massa, says Cuff, I'm now glad enough, 
 
 For what little comfort I have, 
 I make it no doubt my time is just out, 
 
 No longer shall I be a slave. 
 
 As for Larabie, so guilty was he, 
 He durst not stir out of the house ; 
 
 The poor guilty soul crept into his hole 
 And there lay as still as a mouse. 
 
 As for Jemmy Flint, he began to repent, 
 
 For a Bible he had never known, 
 His life was so bad he'd give half he had 
 
 To old Father Stoughton for one.
 
 82 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 Those armed men, they killed them, 
 And scalped about two hundred ; 
 
 Taking, I say, their lives away, 
 
 And then their camp they plundered. 
 
 Those lusty frogs, they fought like dogs, 
 For which I do commend them ; 
 
 But lost the day, for want, I say, 
 Of weapons to defend them. 
 
 Then with a shout they turned about, 
 And said we've now been crafty, 
 
 Our city's peace shall now increase, 
 And we shall dwell in safety. 
 
 Home those great men returned then, 
 
 Unto the town with fury, 
 And swore those frogs were saucy dogs, 
 
 Before both judge and jury. 
 
 I had this story before me 
 
 Just as I have writ it, 
 It being so new, so strange and true, 
 
 I could not well omit it. 
 
 Lawyers I say, now from this day, 
 
 Be honest in your dealing, 
 And never more increase your store, 
 
 While you the poor are killing.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 83 
 
 For if you do, I'll have, you know, 
 
 Conscience again will smite you, 
 The bull-frog shout will ne'er give out, 
 
 But rise again and fight you. 
 
 Now Lawyers, Parsons, Bull-frogs, all, 
 
 I bid you each farewell ; 
 And unto you I loudly call 
 
 A better tale to tell.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 [ The verses following were published in the " Boston 
 Museum" in 1851, and it is supposed were written by a native 
 of Windham.] 
 
 THE BULL-FROG FIGHT; 
 
 A BALLAD OF THE OLDEN TIME. 
 
 A direful story must I tell, 
 
 Should I at length relate 
 What once a luckless town befell 
 
 In " wooden nutmeg " state. 
 
 'Twas in the days of old King George, 
 The Dutchman, who did reign 
 
 O'er England, and her colonies, 
 And islands in the main. 
 
 The Frenchmen, in those troublous times, 
 
 With Indian tribes did strive 
 To shoot, and scalp, and tomahawk, 
 
 And burn our sires alive. 
 
 And many a village was burned down, 
 
 And many a shot and scar 
 To our forefathers oft was given 
 
 In the French and Indian War.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 85 
 
 But the direst fray in all that war 
 
 To shake King George's crown, 
 Was when the BULL-FROGS marched by night 
 
 Against old Windham town. 
 
 These bull-frogs lived a mile away, 
 
 Beyond the eastern hill, 
 Within a rich and slimy pond 
 
 That feeds an ancient mill. 
 
 And there, at night, their concerts loud 
 
 Rolled up from stump and bog, 
 As bass and treble swelled the throat 
 
 Of bull and heifer frog. 
 
 But " on a time " the greedy sun 
 
 Had drunk their lakelet dry ; 
 The reckless mill had drained it out, 
 
 With grinding corn and rye. 
 
 And they but met an angry glare, 
 
 When they reproached the sun ; 
 Their bitter tears moved not a mill 
 
 Nor broke its heart of stone. 
 
 The drinking sun and mill had drained 
 
 A domain wide and rich 
 And dissipation, not their own 
 
 Brought the frogs to a narrow ditch.
 
 86 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 Nature a living owed to them 
 
 'Twas very plain and yet 
 They watched in vain for clouds to come, 
 
 And liquidate the debt. 
 
 They often gasped and prayed for rain, 
 
 And she did oft refuse, 
 And each dark eve conviction brought 
 
 That she grudged them their dews. 
 
 At length, one night, when human kind 
 
 In sleep had settled down, 
 They had Shetucket rolling on, 
 
 Beyond old Windham town. 
 
 The murmur of that rushing stream, 
 
 Borne on the western wind, 
 Filled them with frenzy, and they left 
 
 Their native pond behind. 
 
 They sallied forth, a mighty host, 
 They swarmed upon the hill 
 
 Beneath whose front the village lay, 
 In slumbers deep and still. 
 
 And now Shetucket's gurgling roar 
 Came freshly from the wood, 
 
 And maddened them with strong desire 
 To leap into the flood.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 87 
 
 They piped, and screamed, and bellowed forth, 
 
 In accents loud and deep, 
 Their frantic joy, and like the ghost 
 
 Of Banquo, " murdered sleep." 
 
 The villagers whose rest was slain 
 
 By this advancing crew, 
 Awaked from horrid dreams, in fear 
 
 That they'd be murdered too. 
 
 For ne'er did angry foemen raise 
 
 So loud and fierce a din 
 Nor Scotch, nor Dutch, nor mad Malay, 
 
 Nor ancient Philistine. 
 
 The frightful sounds were now like yells 
 
 From painted savage grim, 
 And now more terrible than that 
 
 Like Cromwell's battle hymn. 
 
 Then forth the people rushed, to hear 
 
 Those noises rend the air ; 
 And some resolved to meet the foe, 
 
 Some, refuge sought in prayer. 
 
 Some thought the judgment day at hand ; 
 
 But their fears were banished quite, 
 By a funny black, who 'clared 'twas strange 
 
 That that day should come in the night.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 And soon were gathered on the green, 
 
 Old Winclham's valiant sons, 
 Some armed with pitchforks, rakes, or scythes, 
 
 And some with rusty guns. 
 
 And there, in hurried council met, 
 
 They trembled and stood still, 
 To listen to the cruel foe 
 
 Who thundered from the hill. 
 
 The fiendish jargon that so loud 
 
 From throats discordant rung, 
 They doubted not conveyed fierce threats 
 
 In French or Indian tongue. 
 
 But how their warmest blood was chilled, 
 
 To hear -the foe demand 
 The lives of their best citizens 
 
 Much noted in the land. 
 
 How quaked their very souls with dread, 
 
 As, mid the grievous din, 
 The foe, remorseless, bellowed forth 
 
 The name of " ELDERKIN." 
 
 Their very hearts within them died, 
 
 When, as the host drew nigher, 
 They heard resound, in guttural notes, 
 
 The name of " COLONEL DYER ! "
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 89 
 
 But fiery Mars inspired a few, 
 
 Who stalwart were in frame, 
 To meet the enemy in fight, 
 
 His insolence to tame. 
 
 They girded on their armor strong, 
 They charged their guns with lead ; 
 
 Their friends gave them the parting word, 
 And mourned o'er them as dead. 
 
 And then this gallant company 
 
 Marched boldly up the hill, 
 Resolved to quell the raging foe 
 
 His fevered blood to spill. 
 
 They reached the spot from whence was heard 
 
 The fearful hue and cry, 
 And, though no murderous foe was seen, 
 
 They let their powder fly. 
 
 Ensconced behind a granite wall, 
 
 They poured a leaden rain 
 From blunderbuss and rusty gun, 
 
 At random o'er the plain. 
 
 But strange to tell, the stupid foe, 
 
 Returned no answering fire ; 
 They only bellowed louder still 
 
 The name of Colonel Dyer !
 
 90 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 
 
 And when another volley spoke, 
 And cut through thick and thin, 
 
 They bawled more loudly than before 
 The name of Elderkin ! 
 
 The courage of the Windham men 
 
 Now rose exceeding high, 
 And so they blazed away till dawn 
 
 Lit up the eastern sky. 
 
 The enemy dared not assail 
 
 This valiant band at all, 
 But screamed and groaned and shouted still, 
 
 Behind the granite wall. 
 
 "Pe-ung," "pe-ung," "go-row," "go-row, 
 "Chug," "chug," "peep," "peep," and " 
 
 " Cease firing, boys," the Captain said, 
 " The dogs desire a treaty." 
 
 Our heroes rested on their arms, 
 Till morning's light revealed, 
 
 The bodies of the prostrate frogs 
 Stretched out upon the field. 
 
 But when they saw their waste of shot 
 
 And fright had been in vain, 
 Some made a solemn vow that they 
 
 Would ne'er bear arms again.
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS. 91 
 
 And they all returned with wiser heads 
 To the heart of Windham town ; 
 
 While the remnant of the frogs went home, 
 And soon the rains came down. 
 
 And at this day when evening shades 
 
 Envelope brakes and bogs, 
 The tenants of that pond rehearse 
 
 The battle of the frogs. 
 
 And to this day, each Windhamite 
 
 Unto his little son 
 Relates how on a summer's night, 
 
 The BULL-FROG FIGHT was won. 
 
 This tale is true, and years far hence 
 
 It must be current still, 
 For bull-frogs two are pictured on 
 
 Each current Windham bill.* 
 
 *See bills of all denominations on the Windham (Conn.) Bank.
 
 THE CENTENNIAL 
 EXHIBITION BUILDINGS.
 
 THE CENTENNIAL 
 EXHIBITION BUILDINGS. 
 
 BY BRIGHAM PAYNE. 
 
 r~l\ H E eminent and much lamented 
 -*- HORACE GREELEY, on his return to 
 America after visiting the World's Fair 
 at London in 1851, in an article giving 
 a general summary of his impressions of 
 that Exhibition declared that, " the Crystal 
 Palace remained to the end the greatest 
 wonder of all." And such will undoubt- 
 edly be the intelligent judgment of thous- 
 ands who shall have visited our own 
 Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, in 
 reference to the wonderful buildings within 
 whose walls so many treasures of art and
 
 96 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 
 
 science, industry and nature are displayed. 
 It cannot well be otherwise when we con- 
 sider that for beauty of design and practi- 
 cal adaptability to the purposes required 
 they have not been equaled, to say the 
 least, in modern times. The cosmopoli- 
 tan air presented by them is not the least 
 satisfactory merit one feels disposed to ac- 
 knowledge in them, while they in every 
 aspect meet the advanced, critical taste of 
 the age, and at the same time inspire the 
 beholder with a profound sense of their 
 great magnitude. Long after the glitter 
 and pleasure excited by special exhibits 
 have passed from memory it will be found 
 that the delightful impressions made upon 
 the mind by these imposing structures 
 will endure, and for a life time with those 
 who have become familiar with their 
 grandest lessons. 
 
 With these convictions, and the encour-
 
 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 97 
 
 agement of the publisher of this volume, 
 by his liberality in furnishing the plates for 
 the beautiful illustrations accompanying 
 this article, we take pleasure in presenting 
 to the reader the following descriptive 
 memoranda relating to five of the principal 
 buildings to which we have referred. 
 
 These buildings are located in Fair- 
 mount Park, on a plat of ground set apart 
 for them, embracing about 236 acres, 
 which is beautifully laid out with well 
 paved avenues and walks, and adorned 
 with trees, plants, and flowers. 
 
 On approaching these grounds from 
 Philadelphia proper, the first building 
 reached is the Main Exhibition Building, 
 its southern front bordering Elm Ave- 
 nue. It is in form a parallelogram 1876 
 feet long, and 464 feet wide, covering an 
 area of nearly 22 acres. The interior 
 height is 70 feet, the larger portion being
 
 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 99 
 
 but one story. On the outside it is 48 
 feet from the ground to the cornice. At 
 each corner of the building towers rise to 
 the height of 75 feet; and in the centre 
 at the corners of an elevated portion of 
 the roof, 184 feet square, rise four other 
 towers to the height of 1 20 feet. At the 
 centre of the longer sides and at the 
 ends, are projections respectively 416 feet 
 and 216 feet in length. In these are 
 located the main entrances, which are 
 provided with arcades upon the ground 
 floor, and central facades 90 feet high. 
 There are also numerous side entrances. 
 The ground plan of the building shows 
 a central avenue 1832 feet long and 120 
 feet wide. On either side of this is 
 another avenue of equal length, 100 feet 
 wide. Between the central and side 
 avenues are aisles 48 feet wide, and on 
 the outer sides of the building smaller
 
 100 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 
 
 aisles of 24 feet in width. Three transepts 
 416 feet long cross the building, and at 
 their intersection with the longitudinal 
 avenues make nine spaces, free from sup- 
 port, which are from 100 to 120 feet square. 
 The materials used in the construction of 
 the building, are iron, glass, and wood ; 
 and the interior walls and roof are 
 tastefully decorated ; the exterior is also 
 embellished and ornamented with pilasters, 
 appropriate cornice and other architectural 
 decorations. Considered as a whole, or 
 in detail, it is a structure eminently pleas- 
 ing to the eye and understanding, and one 
 could but wish that it might be permitted 
 to remain, a perpetual token of the great 
 exhibition it so fitly distinguishes. 
 
 Westward 550 feet from the Main 
 Building, with its north front on the same 
 line, and with its annexes also bordering 
 Elm Avenue, comes Machinery Hall.
 
 102 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 
 
 This building is really a continuation 
 of the Main edifice, being in its general 
 features a type of it, constructed of the 
 same kinds of material, with correspond- 
 ing: ornamentations. It is also an immense 
 
 o 
 
 parallelogram 1,402 feet long, and 360 
 feet wide. With its annexes it covers 
 about 15 acres of ground. The greater 
 portion of the building is one story high, 
 the principal cornice outside being 40 
 feet from the ground, the interior height 
 varying from 40 feet to 70 feet as meas- 
 ured respectively from the aisles and 
 aventies. On each of the four sides are 
 projections, and the main entrances are 
 finished with facades 78 feet high. The 
 ground-plan of the Hall shows two main 
 avenues 90 feet wide, with a central 
 aisle between, and an aisle on either side 
 60 feet wide. Each of these avenues 
 and aisles is 1,360 feet long. At the
 
 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 103 
 
 center of the building is a transept 90 
 feet wide ; at the point of its intersection 
 of the middle aisle is located the 1,400 
 horse-power Corliss Engine employed in 
 driving the shafting to which is attached 
 
 o o 
 
 all the machinery requiring power, thus 
 saving action and life to mechanical 
 
 O O 
 
 devices from nearly all the nations of 
 the earth, with a harmony which the 
 various civilized people of the world may 
 well aspire to imitate in inter-communica- 
 tion and fraternal concord. 
 
 The third building, and next in impor- 
 tance, is Memorial Hall. It is located 
 north of the Main edifice, and nearest 
 to .its eastern extremity. It is, architect- 
 urally viewed, the most pretentious and 
 ornate of all the Exhibition buildings. 
 It was erected conjointly by the State of 
 Pennsylvania and City of Philadelphia, 
 at a cost of $1,500,000, and is to remain
 
 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 105 
 
 a permanency for the object its name 
 implies. It is designed in the modern 
 Renaissance style, and is surmounted by 
 a dome 1 50 feet in height, from the top of 
 which rises a colossal figure of Columbia. 
 It is 365 feet long, and 210 feet wide. 
 The frieze around the entire building, 
 and also all of its ornamentations, are 
 tasteful and elaborate, and approach 
 grandeur in places. The main entrance 
 consists of three enormous arched door- 
 ways, each 40 feet high and 18 feet 
 wide. Clusters of columns, crowned with 
 designs emblematic of Art and Science, 
 fill the spaces between these arches, and 
 the massive doors of iron are relieved 
 by bronze panels displaying the coats-of- 
 arms of all the States and Territories of 
 the Republic. At the base of the dome 
 on the meridian angles are colossal 
 figures representing the four quarters of
 
 106 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 
 
 the globe ; while four immense cast-iron 
 eagles with wings outstretched cover the 
 four angles of each corner pavilion. The 
 ground-plan of the building shows numer- 
 ous extensive quadrilateral halls and 
 galleries, varying in size and height, 
 furnishing 75,000 square feet of wall- 
 space for the display of pictures, and 
 and 20,000 square feet of floor space 
 for statuary. It is a structure, as a whole, 
 calculated to impress the beholder with 
 a feeling of earnest admiration, and is 
 destined to become a shrine for devotees 
 of Art and patrons of the beautiful. 
 
 Horticultural .Hall stands north of 
 Memorial Hall, and is also intended as 
 a permanent feature of interest in Fair- 
 mount Park. It is in the Moresque style 
 of architecture. The chief materials used 
 in its construction are iron and glass, 
 supported by marble and brick-work.
 
 108 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 
 
 Decorated with polychrome frescoes and 
 arabesques in the Moorish style, its 
 appearance is decidedly charming, and 
 affords a delightful 'contrast to the sober 
 dignity imparted by the other buildings. 
 The principal floor is occupied by the 
 main conservatory, while on the north 
 and south sides, respectively, are two 
 forcing-houses for the propagation of 
 young plants, covered by curved roofs 
 of iron and glass Which give grace of 
 contour to the exterior of the building. 
 The building is 383 feet long by 193 
 feet wide, and 72 feet in height. From 
 its western entrance, ascending one flight 
 of stairs, is reached a gallery which com- 
 municates with the promenade extending 
 entirely around the outside of the building, 
 from which picturesque views of the 
 Schuylkill river and Exhibition grounds 
 can be obtained.
 
 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. 109 
 
 Northward from Horticultural Hall 
 stands Agricultural Hall, the last although 
 not the least in interest and utility, of 
 the great buildings under consideration. 
 Possessing characteristics peculiarly its 
 own, it may be said to belong to no 
 decided style extant, and as Bayard Tay- 
 lor says, "is indescribable." It consists 
 of a nave 826 feet long, with three 
 transepts crossing it at right angles, each 
 of which is 540 feet long. The nave 
 and transepts are formed by a frame- 
 work of acutely pointed Gothic arches of 
 wood. Looking from transept to transept 
 the view reminds one of an immense 
 Gothic Cathedral, and with its lofty and 
 imposing air imparts an emotion of invol- 
 untary satisfaction. Viewed exteriorly, 
 the beauty of its arching outlines will 
 be a welcome relief from the common 
 right-angle lines of ordinary structures,
 
 THE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. Ill 
 
 to those who have comprehended their 
 elegance, and feasted upon the wonders 
 of its exhibits. 
 
 And so will all the recollections of 
 these buildings gladden the heart of every 
 lover of art and admirer of true enterprise 
 in the development of material things, 
 and the successful organization and per- 
 fect triumph of the great display will be 
 a hallowed memory and a world-wide 
 glory to every individual American.
 
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