A branch of Hop river runs through the northeastern section of the town, and a branch of Salmon river through the southwest BOLTON is a small post township, 14 miles east from Hartford; bounded on the north by Vernon, on the east by Coventry, on the south by Hebron, and on the western. by East-Hartford. The township contains an area of 16 square miles; being more than 5 miles in length and 3in breadth. The Hartford and Norwich turnpike road leads through the centre of the town. There are, in Bolton, 2 Grain This town is embraced within Mills, 1 Fulling Mill and Cloththe granitic district of the eastern ier's works, 1 Tannery, 2 Mersection of the State, has an cle-cantile Stores and 1 Tavern. vated situation, and is hilly and stony. The soil is a coarse, hard, gravelly loam, rather cold and sterile. It however affords tolerable grazing; and the dairy business is the leading agricultural interest. The natural growth of timber is oak, walnut, maple, chesnut, &c.; and the forests are considerably extensive. The farmers, in the fall and winter seasons, bring large quantities of wood to Hartford market. The population of the town, in 1810, was 700; and there are 100 Dwelling houses, 1 Company of Militia, and about 120 Electors The town forms one located Congregational Society; and there is, besides, a small Society of Episcopalians. There are 5 School Districts and Schools, 1 small Social Library, 2 Physicians and 1 Clergyman. Bolton was settled in 1716, and was incorporated in 1720, COVENTRY. COVENTRY is a post town- || ship, situated 18 miles east from Hartford; bounded on the north by Tolland, on the south by Hebron and Columbia, on the east by Mansfield, and on the west by Bolton and Vernon. Its average length is 7 miles, and its average breadth about 6 and a half miles, comprising about 45 square miles. oak, walnut, chesnut, butternut, sumach, &c. The agricultural productions are grass, rye,corn, oats, butter,cheese, beef, pork, and some others; but the lands are best adapted to grazing, and the dairy business constitutes the principal agricultural interest. The eastern border of the town is washed by the Willimantic, which forms its boundary. The Skunga The surface is uneven, or moderately hilly, and the soil a gra-mug runs from north to south thro' velly loam. The stones and rocks are granite and micaceous schis tus. The natural growth consists of the town, and, uniting its waters with another stream, forms Hop river; which, running eastwardly, washes the southern border of the BIOGRAPHY. Capt. Nathan town, and constitutes its bounda- [] ry, or south line. It unites its wa-Hale, a celebrated youthful hero, ters with the Willimantic, which and martyr of the revolutionary forms the southeastern corner of war, was a native of this town. the township. There are a num- Capt. Hale received his education ber of bridges across these streams; at Yale College, where he graduaand they also afford numerous sites ted in 1773. The ardent glow of for mills and other water works. || patriotic feeling, and the deep inmany of which are advantageously terest which he took in the cause occupied. of his injured country, induced There is a lake or pond in this him, at an early period of the retown, called Wangumbog, a consi-volutionary war, to offer to it his derable body of water, being about 2 miles in length and 1 in width. There are several turnpike and mail roads which lead through this services; and having obtained a commission, he entered the army in the capacity of a captain in the Light Infantry regiment commanded by Col. Knowlton, a very town. The manufactures and mecha-brave and distinguished officer, a nical employments, exclusive of succint account of whom may be those of a domestic character, con- found in this work, subjoined to sist of 1 Cotton Factory, 2 Paper the town of Ashford. After the unMills, 1 Glass Factory, 1 Manu-fortunate engagement upon Long factory of Carding Machines, 3 Island, on the 27th of August, small Distilleries, 5 Tanneries, 31776, an immediate retreat to Grain Mills, 6 Saw Mills and 5 Car-New-York was deemed the only ding Machines. There are 7 Mer-expedient that could save the encantile Stores. tire American army, consisting of The population of the town, in about 9000 men, from falling into 1810, was 1938; and there are the hands of the enemy. 324 Dwelling houses, 366 Free-measure was planned and executmen or Electors, and 164 Mili-ed with great judgment, secrecy tia. The town is divided into three located Congregational Societies or Parishes, in each of which there is a small village and a Congregational Church. This and success; all of the American forces having been safely conveyed to New-York, before the British had any knowledge of what was going on. Yet the suddenness of this movement, and the It contains 11 School Districts surprise which it must have occaand Schools, 2 Social Libraries,sioned with the British, gave Gen. 2 Clergymen, 1 Attorney and 3 Physicians. The general list of the town, including polls, is $52,833. Coventry was settled in 1709; belonging then, and for a long time Washington great solicitude to become acquainted with their situation subsequently to this unexpected event, and of their intended movements. Gen. Washington communica afterwards, to the county of Hart-ted his views and wishes upon this ford, and incorporated in 1711. subject to Col. Knowlton, whose fulness to his country. The man- regiment formed the van of the army, and requested him to devise some mode of obtaining the necessary information. Col. Knowlton, knowing the intelligence, the ardent patriotism, and the bold and adventurous spirit of Capt. Hale, submitted to him the views and wishes of the commander in chief. Capt. Hale, animated by a sense of duty, and pleased at an oppor-|| tunity of signalizing his zeal in the cause of his country, he immediately offered himself as a volunteered on the morning of his execufor this difficult and imminently hazardous enterprise. Having disguised himself, he crossed to Long Island, explored and examined every part of the British army, and obtained the necessary information respecting their situation and subsequent operations. But, although successful in accomplishing the objects of his enterprise, he was not destined to return. He was apprehended, and carried before Sir William Howe, and circumstances affording such strong proof against him, and from the characteristic principles of integrity and honour, which governed his conduct, he frankly acknowledged who he was, and the objects of the service in which he was engaged. Sir William Howe immediately, without even the formality of a trial, ordered the provost marshal to have him executed the next morning. This cruel order was accordingly executed, under circumstances the most distressing, and by as unfeeling a savage as ev-"that he only lamented that he had er disgraced humanity. tion. This savage ontrage upon the feelings of humanity could only be equalled by the reason which was assigned for it; which was, "that the rebels should not know that they had a man in their army who could die with so much firmness." It is difficult to conceive of a situation more awful, or that in a more eminent degree was calculated to overcome the firmest mind. Among entire strangers, in the hands of his enemies, every face presenting the aspect of hostility, and without a single friend to sympathize with him or console him in this hour of trial, and subjected to contumely and reproach, having the opprobrious epithet of rebel bestowed upon him, he had nothing but the consciousness of his moral innocence, and the justness of the cause in which he was engaged, to sustain him; and these were sufficient. He met his fate with the most dignified composure and firmness. His last words were, but one life to lose for his country." Thus fell Nathan Hale, in the Capt. Hale possessed a fine gemorning of life, and in the dawn nius, had received an excellent of high promise, of reputation education, and disclosed high proand honour to himself, and of use-mise of future talents and useful ness. He was open, generous and ||And science charm'd him to her brave, and enthusiastic in the cause sweet abode. ventur'd far, The pride of peace, the rising grace of war. In duty firm, in danger calm as ev'n, To How friends unchanging, and sincere to heav'n. While short his course, the prize, how early won, weeping friendship mourns her fav'rite gone. DWIGHT. of liberty and his country, in which || In worth's fair path his feet had he had engaged, and for which he was destined to die an early martyr. The fate of Hale, it will be observed, was in almost every respect strikingly similar to that of Major Andre. As it respects character, qualifications and personal interest, Hale would not suffer|| from a comparison with Andre. Yet, strange as it may seem, the fate of Andre, even in America, has been universally lamented, and his memory universally respected; The Hon. Samuel Huntington, whilst it is scarcely known that late Governor of the State of Ohio, there was ever such a man as Na- was a native of this town. He was than Hale. Andre has had a monu- the son of the Rev. Joseph Huntment erected to his memory by his ington, for several years a settled country, and the most distinguish- clergyman in this place, and dised honours and rewards conferred tinguished for a posthumous work upon his family; but what has our which he wrote, entitled "Calvinism country done for the memory of improved," being a treatise upon Hale? No stone, however hum- the doctrine of universal salvation. ble, has been erected to it; no me- Samuel Huntington was educamorial has rescued it from oblivi-ted at Yale College, where he on; and no inscription has preser- graduated in 1785. In 1801, he ved his ashes from insult. Such removed to the State of Ohio, and is the influence of books, and the settled near the village of Painesevil tendency of importing them, ville, which at that time was a that while Nathan Hale, an Ame-wilderness in the county of Geauga, rican, an ardent revolutionary upon the border of Lake Erie. patriot, and who offered his life as During his residence in that State, a sacrifice to our liberties, is whol- he was appointed to a succession ly unknown, the life, character of important offices. He was a and fate of Andre are familiar with member of the convention which almost every individual, however framed the constitution of that humble his situation, or limited his State, and a Senator in the first intelligence. Legislature organized under it. He was afterwards appointed a Judge of the Superior Court, in which situation he continued until called to a more exalted station, being elected by the people Gov Thus, while fond virtue wish'd in vain to save, HALE, bright and generous, found a hapless grave. With genius' living flame his bo-ernor of the State. This office he som glow'd, held for some time, and discharged its important and responsible du- cious direction of authority for the ties with equal credit to himself, developement of its resources, and and advantage to the interests of the promotion of necessary imthe State, which was rising rapid-provements. He died at Painesly into importance, and presented ville on the 7th of June, 1817, aged an extensive field requiring a judi-||49 years. ELLINGTON. ELLINGTON is situated 13|| the soil of which is hard, coarse miles northeast from Hartford. It and gravelly. is bounded west by East-Windsor, north by Somers and Stafford, east|| by Tolland and Willington, and south by Vernon and Tolland. There is a small but pleasant village in the centre of the town, having a Congregational Church,& a number of neat Dwelling houses. The township is equivalent to In 1810, there were 1344 inabout 34 square miles, but it is of an habitants in the town; and there irregular figure, its greatest length are now about 175 Freemen, and being 9 miles, and its greatest || 1 Company of Militia. breadth about 6 miles, and it comprises about 21,760 acres. There are 1 Cotton Factory, 1 Distillery, 1 Grain Mill, 4 Saw Mills, 1 Tannery, 1 Carding Machine, and 3 Mercantile Stores. The township, in its western section, is generally level; a considerable portion of it being a There are in the town, 1 local plain, the soil of which is light, or Congregational Society, 1 Sodry, and inclining to coarse sand ciety of Methodists, 8 District or or gravel, but is feasible, and con- primary Schools, 1 small Social siderably fertile. It is best adapt-Library, 1 Clergyman, 1 Physied to grain, particularly rye, of cian and 1 Attorney, and 162 which, when well cultivated, it Dwelling houses. carries good crops. It affords good pasturage for sheep, which receive considerable attention. The list of polls and taxable property of the town, is $34,529. Ellington was originally a part of the township of East-Windsor, and was incorporated in 1786. HEBRON. The eastern section of the town is broken, being hilly and stony ; Its average HEBRON is a post township,|| Hartford county. situated 20 miles southeastwardly length is 9 and a half miles, and from Hartford; bounded on the its average breadth more than 4 north by Bolton and Coventry, on miles, containing 42 square miles. the east by Columbia and Leba- The township is uneven, being non, in Windham county, on the moderately hilly and diversified. south by Colchester, in New-Lon-The soil is a gravelly loam, and don county, and on the west by considerably fertile. Glastenbury and Marlborough, in The geological character of the |