PREFACE.
IF it be asked why another biography is added to the almost endless number now in our bookstores and libraries, an answer is found in the countless distinctions of individual character, and in the varied experiences which come to men in different walks of life. The botanist says that of all leaves in the forests of the world, no two can be found alike in every particular. The phrenologist says the same of the various forms of the human head, and the psychologist affirms it of the intellects and dispositions of men and women. Hence each life has its own peculiar experience to record for the pleasure or profit of others.
Biography is the most universally interesting and instructive branch of literature; hence the power of the novel and drama, which are merely biographies pictured and acted before us. A study of history shows that the nations’ great movements are the work of individual men and women. In illustration of this fact it is needful to mention such names only as Abraham, Joseph, Esther, Joan of Arc, Napoleon, and Washington.
The commercial and industrial occupations from which a nation now derives its strength should be honored as truly as the military exploit, or the scientific achievement. The record of a noble life which, in its sphere of quiet duty, has accomplished much for the good of others, is a lesson in patriotism and a legacy to posterity. The best period of the history of the Cotton States could only be written by taking into account the share which the subject of this biography has had in their development.
It is rare to find a man who has had dealings with so many of his fellows, and who, at the same time, has won the esteem and affection of his associates and employés, as has Henry Bradley Plant in every department of his great railroad system.
The writing of this biography is undertaken in the belief that there are many general readers to whom the record of such a life will be as welcome as it must be to those to whom, in his manifold activities, he has proved a benefactor and a friend.
G. H. S.
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
|---|---|
| PAGE | |
| The Plant Family—Birth of Henry Bradley Plant—Mr. Plant’sParents—Ancestors Came from England in 1639—DavidPlant Occupied Many Positions of Honor and Trust—A.P. Plant’s Successful Business Career—H. B. Plant on hisMother’s Side is Descended from Joseph Frisbee, a Majorin Washington’s Army—Reverend Levi Frisbee, Father ofProfessor Levi Frisbee of Harvard College—Connectionwith Sir William Pepperell, Bart.—The Historian of theFrisbee Family—Richard of the Second Generation Wentfrom Virginia to Connecticut, and Settled at Branford, 1644—Sketchof Oliver Libby Frisbee, Historian of his Family—SenatorHoar’s Relations to the Frisbee Family—FrisbeePatriotism and Services to their Country—They Were Good,Church-going People, mostly of the Puritan Belief—Probabilitythat the Frisbees Came from Wales | [1-14] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| Branford, Connecticut, Purchased by the New Haven Colonistsfrom the Totokett Indians in 1638—First Settlements WereMade in 1644—First Church of Logs Surrounded by Stockadeto Protect from Indians—Guards at the Gate during Service—Churchand Town Records Preserved at Branford—JohnPlum, the First Town Clerk—Style of the Second ChurchBuilding and Character of its Services—Rev. Timothy Gillettits Pastor—He Taught an Academy in Addition to hisPastoral Work—Prominent Families of Branford—IntelligentCharacter of the People—De Tocqueville’s High Estimateof this “Leetle State”—Branford in 1779 | [15-22] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| The Blackstone Family—The Ancestor Came from England before1630—His Name Was William Blaxton—Settled firstin Massachusetts, afterwards Went to Rhode Island—HisBeautiful Character and Numerous Descendants—Originof Yale College of Branford—The Blackstone MemorialLibrary | [23-34] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| The Plants Came from England to Branford, between TwoHundred and Three Hundred Years ago—Still Own theLands first Acquired—Henry’s Father Died of TyphusFever when Henry Was about Six Years Old—His TenderRecollection of his Mother—Henry’s First Day at School—HisNatural Diffidence—Mr. Plant’s After-dinner Speeches—HisMother’s Second Marriage—Stepfather Kind to Henry—Thrownby a Plough Horse and nearly Killed—AttendedSchool at Branford—Engaged on Steamboat Line Runningbetween New Haven and New York—On Leaving, Promiseda Captaincy—Marriage—Express Business—Leaves NewHaven and Goes to New York—Romantic Experience inFlorida | [35-50] |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| Mr. Plant Goes from New Haven to New York—Captain Stone’sFriendship—Mrs. Plant’s Health Fails again—Returns to theSouth—Is Appointed Superintendent of Adams ExpressCompany—His Great Executive Ability—The Civil War—Mrs.Plant’s Death—Mr. Plant Buys out the Adams ExpressCompany | [51-55] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| Relations to the Confederate Government—Jefferson DavisGives him Charge of Confederate Funds—Mr. Plant Buys aSlave, who afterward Nursed him through a Severe Sickness—ImpairedHealth—Goes to Bermuda, New York, Canada,and Europe—Second Marriage | [56-67] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| Education from Books and from Experience—Keen Intuitions—Abreastof the Progress—Mr. Plant’s After-dinner Speechat Tampa Banquet Given him by Tampa Board of Trade,March 18, 1886—Location of Tampa—In Territorial DaysHad a Military Reservation—In 1884 Population about SevenHundred—Its Cosmopolitan Population now—Many Cubansand Spaniards in Tampa—Tobacco Industry—PhosphateAbounds in this Part of the State—Much of it Shipped tothe North and to Europe—Plant System Gives Impetus tothe Prosperity of the Place—Its Progress the Last Five orSix Years | [68-86] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| Florida Mr. Plant’s Hobby—Banquet at Ocala—Mr. Plant’sSpeech—Sail on Lakes Harrison and Griffin—Banquet atLeesburg—Visit to Eustis—Cheering Words to a YoungEditor—Make the Best of the Frost—It may be a Blessingin Disguise—Must Cultivate Other Fruits (and Cereals) besidesOranges—Importance of Honesty—Sense of Justice—Considerationfor the Workmen—Unconscious Moulding-Powerover Associates and Employees—Letter of HonorableRufus B. Bullock | [87-101] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| Mr. Plant’s Industry and Power to Endure Continuous Strain—Laborof Examining and Answering his Enormous Mail—Letterfrom Japan—Mail Delivered Regularly to him atHome and Abroad—His Private Car, its Style, Structure,Hospitality, and Cheering Presence—Numerous Calls—TheSecret of his Endurance—The Esteem and Love of theSouthern Express Company for its President—Mr. PlantEnjoys Social Life—He is a Great Lover of almost all Kindsof Music—Mr. Plant a Medical Benefactor—Some of theProgress Made in the Healing Art—Bishop of Winchester’sHigh Estimate of the Value of Health—Dr. Long’s Opinionof the Gulf Coast as a Health Restorer—Unrecognized Medicinesin Restoring Lost Health—Nervousness among theAmerican People—The Soothing and Strengthening Effectof Florida Climate—Mr. Plant’s Part in Facilitating Traveland Providing Comfortable Accommodations for the Invalid | [102-116] |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| Reason for Submitting Press Sketches of Mr. Plant—DescriptiveAmerica, December, 1886—City Items, December, 1886—RailroadTopics—Home Journal, New York, March, 1896—F.G. De Fontain in same Journal—Ocala Evening Times,June, 1896—Express Gazette | [117-140] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| Mr. Plant’s Close and Constant Contact with the Great Systemas Seen in the Following Letters—Letter Written on Boardthe Steamer Comal—Letters on Trip to Jamaica, WestIndies, March 15, 1893, and Published in the Home Journal | [141-149] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| MANAGEMENT OF THE GREAT PLANT SYSTEMWORTHY OF ADMIRATION AND IMITATION | [150-156] |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
| Plant Day at the Cotton States and International Exposition of1895 at Atlanta, Georgia—Preparations for its Celebration—ImpressiveObservances of Mr. Plant’s Birthday at theAragon Hotel—Mr. Plant’s Remarks in AcknowledgingPresentation of Gifts | [157-182] |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
| Tampa Bay Hotel, One of the Modern Wonders of the World—ItsArchitecture, Furniture, Works of Art, Decorations,Tapestries, Paintings, Inlaid Table and Three Ebony andGold Cabinets from the Tuileries, a Sofa and Two Chairsonce Owned by Marie Antoinette—The Dream of De SotoRealized—A Palace of Art for the Delight and Joy of Thosewho are in Health, and an Elysium for the Sad and Sorrowful | [183-203] |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | |
| Programme of Plant Day Ceremonies—Ringing of the LibertyBell—Presentation of Addresses to Mr. Plant in the GreatAuditorium—His Reply—Resolutions from the DifferentDepartments of the System, from the Savannah Board ofTrade, etc.—Mr. Morton F. Plant’s Acknowledgments | [204-226] |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] | |
| Banquet at the Aragon Hotel Ends the Festivities of the Day—Sketchof the Southern Express Company—DistinguishedCallers on President Plant during the Day—Many Telegramsand Letters of Congratulation Received—ManyPress Notices of the Day, and many Tributes of Respect andEsteem for him who Called it forth | [227-263] |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] | |
| Some Changes that have Taken Place in the Configuration ofthe Globe—Islands Born and Buried—French Revolution—Napoleon’sInfluence on Europe—England’s Long Wars—BarbarousTreatment of Prisoners—Slavery Abolished—EnglishProfanity and Intemperance—Temperance Movements—Duelling—PennyPostage—Expansion of the Press—Canals,Erie and Suez—Railroads in England and theUnited States—First Steamer to Cross the Atlantic—FirstSteamship Line | [264-278] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII.] | |
| Railroads Established—Engineering Progress—Steel, Iron Steamships—HorseRailroad—Kerosene Oil in Use 1830—SewingMachines—Agricultural Implements 1831-51—SanitaryProgress—Philanthropic and Christian Progress—HigherEducation—Medical Progress—Humane Care of the Insane—Sailors’and Seamen’s Home—World’s Fairs—ReligiousReciprocity—Arbitration—Numerous Inventions and Discoveries—HenryB. Plant in War and in Peace—TestimonialPresented to Mr. and Mrs. Plant on the Twenty-fifthAnniversary of their Wedding | [279-306] |
| [Plant Genealogy] | [307-337] |
| [Index:][A],[B],[C],[D],[E],[F],[N],[P],[R],[S],[T],[W]. | [339-344] |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
The author takes pleasure in acknowledging his indebtedness to many of the Southern Express and “Plant System” officials for their prompt and valuable assistance in the preparation of a biography of their able and esteemed President. Chief among those to whom thanks are due may be mentioned Messrs. A. P. C. Ryan, M. J. O’ Brien, D. F. Jack, B. W. Wrenn, and G. H. Tilley. The last named furnished not only much material in manuscript and print, but many valuable suggestions as to their use. The letter of Ex-Governor Bullock of Georgia, published in the volume reveals the noble nature which penned it, far more eloquently than any words which can be written here, and is alike honorable to its distinguished subject and its eminent author.
Acknowledgment is due also to the papers from which extracts have been taken.
THE LIFE OF
HENRY BRADLEY PLANT.
CHAPTER I.
The Plant Family—Birth of Henry Bradley Plant—Mr. Plant’s Parents—Ancestors Came from England in 1639—David Plant Occupied Many Positions of Honor and Trust—A. P. Plant’s Successful Business Career—H. B. Plant on his Mother’s Side is Descended from Joseph Frisbee, a Major in Washington’s Army—Reverend Levi Frisbee, Father of Professor Levi Frisbee of Harvard College—Connection with Sir William Pepperell, Bart.—The Historian of the Frisbee Family—Richard of the Second Generation Went from Virginia to Connecticut, and Settled at Branford, 1644—Sketch of Oliver Libby Frisbee, Historian of his Family—Senator Hoar’s Relations to the Frisbee Family—Frisbee Patriotism and Services to their Country—They Were Good Church-Going People, Mostly of the Puritan Belief—Probability that the Frisbees Came from Wales.
HENRY BRADLEY PLANT was born October 27, 1819, at Branford, Connecticut. His paternal great-grandfather was attached to Washington’s army as a private, when Washington was at Newburg, and he was one of the guard of the unfortunate Major André at the time of his execution. His great-grandfather on his grandmother Plant’s side was a major in General Washington’s army at the same time.
Mr. Plant’s father was Anderson Plant and his mother was Betsey Bradley. They were married December 23, 1818, and were of good old Puritan ancestry who came from England about two hundred and sixty years ago. According to a genealogical table at the end of this volume, it will be seen that John Plant was in Hartford, Connecticut, in the year 1639,—some give the date three years earlier,—and his son, John Plant, is granted a tract of land at Branford in 1667. These people possessed the characteristics that distinguished their race. They loved freedom, were thrifty, energetic, self-reliant, patriotic, and devoutly religious. Many of them were officers, and most of them members in the Congregational Church, which was the only church in the town for the first hundred years of its history.
Some of them occupied positions of honor and responsibility in the State and country.
David Plant was born at Stratford, prepared for college at the Cheshire Academy, graduated at Yale College in 1804, studied law at the Litchfield Law School, and was a classmate of John C. Calhoun. In 1819 and 1820, he was Speaker of the House of Representatives, and in 1821 was elected to the State Senate and twice re-elected. He was Lieutenant-Governor of the State from 1823 to 1827, and from 1827 to 1829 he was a member of the United States Congress. In politics he was a staunch Whig. He was an influential man in the political circles of his day in the State of Connecticut, and Calhoun, when Secretary of State, offered him any position within his gift; but he refused to hold office under the dominant party.
Another successful man of the Plant family was A. P. Plant, son of Ebenezer and Lydia (Neal) Plant, born at Southington in the year 1816.
Early in life he began to earn his own living, and by industry, economy, and business tact he became in time the head of a large manufacturing establishment. He settled in that part of the town known as the “Corner,” a part which rapidly increased in population and soon grew into a prosperous village. It bears the name of Plantsville in honor of A. P. Plant and his brother E. H. Plant. His biographer says: “He made a profession of religion in 1833; and from that time was an influential member of the Baptist Church. In 1850, he was elected a deacon of the church in Southington, and held the office until 1872, when he transferred his relations to the new enterprise started in his own village. To this church he gave liberally, and left it a legacy in his will.” He is described as a most faithful and consistent Christian, an esteemed officer in the church, and a firm believer in the presence of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Christian.
Henry Bradley Plant, on his grandmother’s side, is a direct descendant of Joseph Frisbee, a major in Washington’s army. The Frisbees were a numerous family, and many of them occupied positions of honor and influence in the history of the country. One of them writing to Mr. Plant says:
“I suppose you have often wondered what has become of my history of the Frisbee family. I have been diligently at work on it since you heard from me. It has grown from a very small beginning to be quite an affair, namely, from looking up my ancestors so that I could join the hereditary societies of the United States, to writing a history of over one thousand of the lineal descendants of Edward Frisbee, the first settler. I find them a noble race, worthy of history. I have also looked up my maternal ancestors and can trace them back to 1497, thirteen generations, among them Sir William Pepperell.”
The fitness of the writer, Oliver L. Frisbee, for his task of searching the records of his long line of progenitors may be gathered from another paragraph in the same letter where he says: “My Alma Mater, Bates College, gave me the degree of Master of Arts, last Commencement, for eminent success in business and proficiency in the studies of genealogy, heraldry, and colonial history.”
The following sketch, with some slight corrections, is taken from a carefully prepared account, by the same writer, of the descendants of Richard Frisbee, the first-named ancestor of this family.
“Richard Frisbee came from England to Virginia, in 1619, when he was twenty-four years old. In 1642, the Governor of Virginia ordered all those who would not join the Church of England to leave the Colony, and hundreds went to Eastern Virginia, now the State of Maryland. Among these refugees were Richard Frisbee and his two sons, James and William. They purchased plantations in Cecil County and resided on Kent Island, the northern part of Chesapeake Bay.
“At first the Governor of Virginia claimed this island; later, Lord Baltimore and afterwards, William Penn. The latter wrote to James Frisbee, from London, in 1681, instructing him to pay no tax to Lord Baltimore. James Frisbee was a member of the House of Representatives of Maryland, and held other important positions in the State. In addressing a petition to His Majesty, in 1688, he, with others, began their petition thus: ‘We the undersigned Englishmen though born in America,’ etc. James went back to England, the land of his birth, in his old age.
“Richard, son of Richard the emigrant, came from Virginia to Connecticut, and settled at Branford in 1644, when his brothers went to Maryland. His son John had several children, among them Edward and Joseph. The former was the ancestor of Major Philip Frisbee, of Albany County, New York. He was in the War of the Revolution, and his grandsons belonged to the Sons of the American Revolution, of the State of New York. President Edward S. Frisbee of Wells College, in New York State, is his descendant. The latter, Joseph, your ancestor [referring to Mr. Plant], married September 14, 1712, had a son Joseph who married Sarah Bishop, August 25, 1742. Their son Joseph married Sarah Rogers, March 11, 1773. Their eldest child, Sarah, born May 15, 1774, was your grandmother.
“The name Joseph has been in our branch of the family a long time. My father’s name was Joseph. I had a brother Joseph, and my son born this summer is also named Joseph.
“The youngest child of the first Edward was Ebenezer, my ancestor, brother to John, your ancestor. He had two sons, Ebenezer and Elisha. The latter was the father of the Rev. Levi Frisbee who settled at Ipswich, Massachusetts, and was the father of Professor Levi Frisbee of Harvard College, who died in 1820, one of the most talented men that ever passed through that institution. Senator Hoar was named for him, George Frisbie Hoar. Ebenezer’s son James, born in 1722, was lieutenant with Captain Paul Jones, and was killed one hundred and fifteen years ago to-day, September 23d, in the engagement between the Bonne Homme Richard and Serapis in the English Channel. This was my great-grandfather and by right of descent from him I joined the Sons of the American Revolution. His son Darius (born in 1769), my grandfather, settled in Kittery, Maine, and married Dorothy Gerrish, a great-granddaughter of Colonel William Pepperell, a well-known merchant and the father of Sir William Pepperell, Bart., the hero of Louisburg. Dorothy Gerrish was also related to some of the most distinguished colonial families in New England.”
The subjoined letters from John B. Frisbee and Senator Hoar will be of interest in this connection.
“Lakewood, N. J., December 16, 1894.
“My dear Mr. Plant:
“This tardy reply to your favor of the 6th inst. is occasioned by illness since its receipt, and which prompted my coming to this place to recruit. I am now rapidly recovering from quite a severe attack of grippe, and hope to be able to leave for Mexico this week.
“Referring to the subject of your letter, I can only give you meagre information. My great-grandfather, Philip Frisbie, was a major in the New York Militia and served under Washington, and I have no doubt was closely related to the Joseph Frisbie you mention.
“I have a first cousin, Mrs. Farman, the wife of Judge Farman, formerly United States Consul-General in Egypt, who has devoted much time and research in obtaining an accurate history of our family. Recently, she went to Europe for the purpose of educating her children in the French and German languages.
“I have written to her, requesting her to advise you directly in regard to the information you desire, hence I feel assured that you will in due time receive a letter from her upon the subject.
“Since we last met I have visited New York several times, and upon each occasion you have been absent from the city, thus depriving me of the coveted pleasure of paying my respects to Mrs. Plant and your good self; with best regards to both, I remain,
“Yours very sincerely,
“John B. Frisbie.”
“United States Senate.,
“Washington, D. C., January 26, 1895.
“My dear Sir:
“I know very little about the Frisbie family in this country. I have no relatives of that name. I was myself named for a very intimate friend of my father, Prof. Levi Frisbie, who was an eminent scholar in his time, a graduate at Harvard in 1802, and afterwards filled two professorships there. His writings, as I dare say you know, were collected with a brief memoir and are occasionally to be found in bookstores. He was son of the Rev. Levi Frisbie, of Ipswich, who delivered several addresses that have been published. Prof. Frisbie wrote some articles for the North American Review which you will find referred to in Cushing’s lists of the articles. Dr. Holmes wrote me some years ago an account of Prof. Frisbie’s personal appearance, which I suppose I can find when I am at home in Worcester, if you desire. Prof. Frisbie was nearly blind and instructed his classes and pursued his studies without being able to read
“I am faithfully yours,
“Geo. F. Hoar.[1]
“To O. L. Frisbie,
“Portsmouth, N. H.”
The Frisbee family was patriotic and promptly responded to the call of freedom and independence. There were thirty-five of them from Connecticut in the War of the Revolution. Eleven of them spelled their names Frisbee; seventeen, Frisbie; and seven, Frisby. They continued in the service of their country from the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1776, until the disbanding of the army, by Washington, on the Hudson in 1783. A regiment marched from Connecticut towns, in 1775, to the relief of Boston. John Frisbee, son of Titus Ebenezer, represented Branford in the Legislature from 1690 to 1692. O. L. Frisbee writes to Mr. Plant: “Your ancestor was a good churchman. From him, there is a long list of Frisbees in the records of the church of Branford. In 1700, the annals of Branford say that among the families prominently identified with the church, town, and business from 1700 to 1800, the Frisbees, Bands, and Plants head a long list in the order in which I have written their names. This religious element seems to have been with the Frisbees. Rev. Levi Frisbee, father of Professor Levi of Harvard College, was a very pious man.
“He was invited to deliver an oration on Washington at his death. My grandfather was a very pious man; he founded a church at Kittery, Maine. My father, Joseph Frisbee, was a deacon in the church. He and Caleb Frisbee were in the regiment from Branford. I found Noah and Edward Frisbee were members of the company that marched to the relief of Fort William Henry, August, 1757, from Connecticut. I found your ancestor Joseph Foote Frisbee was in the Revolutionary War. He lived to be ninety-eight years of age. About 1700, Samuel Baker and Samuel Frisbee, Jr., bought land for a wharf at Dutch House Point, from Joseph Foote at Branford. Joseph Foote Frisbee might have been named for this man.
“In the church records of Branford there is a great deal about Joseph Frisbee, in connection with the church from 1743 to 1746. I find all the Frisbees good church (Congregational) people, from the first Edward who settled at Branford, July 7, 1644. He and his wife Abigail joined the Congregational church soon after settling in Branford. I should say the Frisbees were good fighters in war, and good church and law-abiding people, with Puritanic principles that helped to build the nation.”
In a history of the Wolcotts of Connecticut, it is stated that John Frisbee and Abigail Culpepper, his wife, came from Wales. This may be correct, although in the genealogical sketch already given it is stated that the first of the family, Richard Frisbee, came from England to Virginia in 1619, but the same sketch says that in 1642 the Governor of Virginia ordered all who would not join the Church of England to leave the Colony, and that hundreds went to Eastern Virginia, now called Maryland, and that among them was Richard Frisbee, who with his sons settled in Cecil County, living on Kent Island, the northern part of Chesapeake Bay. Now it is quite common, in the early accounts of immigration to America, to describe the people as English, or as coming from England, when in fact they were Scotch or Irish. But coming from any of the British Islands they were often called English. This would be more likely to be the case with those coming from Wales, which is, geographically speaking, a part of the island of Great Britain. Be this as it may, it is not of great importance. The spirit of dissent from the Established Church was just as strong in England as in Wales. The name Frisbee or Frisby, as its terminal denotes, is of English origin, but it is quite possible that the family came from one of the border countries.
Whether this family came from Wales or England may be only a matter of historic accuracy and personal interest; certain it is the Frisbees are a people who have done honor to their country both in war and in peace. They bore a prominent part in the victorious struggle for the freedom and independence of the American Colonies. They have been the promoters of education, peace, piety, and “the righteousness that exalteth a nation.” We have given this account of this people, for four reasons. First, because the historian of the family, with a commendable pride, has collected and preserved the family record of his people, from which the material for this brief notice was placed at our disposal. Secondly, because the family histories of the people who have combined to form the American nation are only beginning to receive a slight part of the attention which they justly merit. Thirdly, because a knowledge of the numerous and varied races that have formed the nation is essential to a correct understanding of the American people. Fourthly, because in the present case, owing to the early death of Mr. Plant’s father, the widowed mother was especially dear to him, and is still cherished in his memory with the most tender and affectionate regard.
Mr. Plant’s connection with Washington’s army during the Revolutionary War was one of the family traditions, but he was not the man to accept honors unless he knew they rightly belonged to him. So after an extensive correspondence, and a thorough investigation of the military register in several States, and at the national capital, he received the following communication, which I have carefully copied from the original.
“Records and Pension Office, War Department, Washington, November 15, 1895. Respectfully returned to Mr. Oliver L. Frisbee, A.M., Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It appears from the records of this office, that Joseph Frisbee was enlisted September 3, 1780, and served as a private in Lieutenant-Colonel Sherman’s Company (also designated as Captain Sylvanus Brown’s and Lieutenant Joseph Hait’s Company), Eighth Connecticut Regiment, Revolutionary War, and was also discharged October 29, 1780.” On transmitting the above to Mr. Plant, Mr. O. Frisbee writes from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, December 24, 1895: “Enclosed please find the record from Washington of the service of your grandmother’s father, Joseph Frisbee, in the Revolutionary War. He was born August 17, 1745; married, March 11, 1773, Sarah Rogers; had a daughter Sarah, born May 15, 1774, married Samuel Plant, February 11, 1795. These records will enable you and your sons to join in ‘The Sons of the American Revolution.’
“O. L. Frisbee.”
