Windham Jail-Break LbNA #1670
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Add Location| Owner: | irishtinker  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Apr 29, 2003 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Windham |
| County: | Windham |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | quiltjoy |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Jul 11, 2023 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFOF |
| Last edited: | Mar 22, 2022 |
Starting Point: Windham Center which is the intersection of Rte 14 & 203. Pull onto the little road on the opposite side of the green and pull up in front of the Windham Free Library which was once the original bank in town. If you choose to go inside this library you will find the subject matter of this box sitting above the door.
The history of this little wooden artifact starts April 5, 1776 when Lt. Sneyd of his Majesty's Ship the Bolton Brig and his entire crew were captured during a patrol of Long Island Sound by a rebel ship. They were kept in New London for 17 days until they were dispersed to jails throughout the colony. Lt. Sneyd and three others were sent up-river to Windham where they were incarcerated in the basement of the town jail. Windham was a community that stood strong behind the revolution with one amazing exception, the County Sheriff, Eleazer Fitch was a die hard loyalist to the crown. He often said that the only way to deal with Sons of Liberty was to blow their heads off. In 1774 the community boycotted his tavern but for some unknown reason he held his post as a sheriff and now Windham had a Tory for a sheriff and 4 British prisoners. A second tavern was run by the Widow Carey who was also in charge of bringing the prisoners their meals. She took a liking to the Lt. and his men. The men decided to use her kindness to their advantage. Using the large pine log that was provided to them as a table and a jack knife they carved a statue of Bacchus the God of Wine as a symbol of the good cheer of her tavern. Soon after presenting the widow with the statue the prison doors were left unlocked and unguarded! According to records the 4 men made their way to Norwich where a canoe was waiting for them. They aimed to make it to the British in Long Island. The canoe tipped near Gull Island and after hours of clinging to the boat, only 1 man survived. The survivor (John Coggins) was arrested but what happened to him after that after is unknown. What happened to the Window Carey? She ended up marrying another tavern owner...that’s right none other than Sheriff Fitch!
Take route 203 south. The road will take a bend to the right and so should you! Very quickly you will see the drive-way to the cemetery you must enter. Park at the flag pole / section E. From the flag pole take a reading of 90° and take 10 paces. Turn left. At the next path intersection turn right passed a "common" staircase. You will pass a marker for Huntington. I imagine these must be the descendants of Samuel Huntington of Scotland but that is another box all together. Go a few stones more to Rev. Ingersoll Stearns (possibly a relative of the Stearns we heard so much about in the Oxen Series??) From this marker walk to the top of the hill. Look around you. To the east and immediate south-east are the memorials of the people who witnessed revolutionary Windham and woke one morning to hear that there was a jail break in their little town. From where you are standing if Rev. Stearns is 360° on the opposite side of the road at 40° you will see the tall light stone of Clark. One stone further is that of Spafford. A few stones further is the tall dark marker Andrew Frink. Standing in the front of Frink’s memorial take a reading of 60° and walk to the stone marked Abbe. Take 5 paces to the stone wall. There is a large dark stone with pieces of stone on top & a piece of glass, to it’s right is the Jail Break Box. Please be respectful, this is a cemetery and rehide well this cemetery is well maintained. I hope you enjoy!
The history of this little wooden artifact starts April 5, 1776 when Lt. Sneyd of his Majesty's Ship the Bolton Brig and his entire crew were captured during a patrol of Long Island Sound by a rebel ship. They were kept in New London for 17 days until they were dispersed to jails throughout the colony. Lt. Sneyd and three others were sent up-river to Windham where they were incarcerated in the basement of the town jail. Windham was a community that stood strong behind the revolution with one amazing exception, the County Sheriff, Eleazer Fitch was a die hard loyalist to the crown. He often said that the only way to deal with Sons of Liberty was to blow their heads off. In 1774 the community boycotted his tavern but for some unknown reason he held his post as a sheriff and now Windham had a Tory for a sheriff and 4 British prisoners. A second tavern was run by the Widow Carey who was also in charge of bringing the prisoners their meals. She took a liking to the Lt. and his men. The men decided to use her kindness to their advantage. Using the large pine log that was provided to them as a table and a jack knife they carved a statue of Bacchus the God of Wine as a symbol of the good cheer of her tavern. Soon after presenting the widow with the statue the prison doors were left unlocked and unguarded! According to records the 4 men made their way to Norwich where a canoe was waiting for them. They aimed to make it to the British in Long Island. The canoe tipped near Gull Island and after hours of clinging to the boat, only 1 man survived. The survivor (John Coggins) was arrested but what happened to him after that after is unknown. What happened to the Window Carey? She ended up marrying another tavern owner...that’s right none other than Sheriff Fitch!
Take route 203 south. The road will take a bend to the right and so should you! Very quickly you will see the drive-way to the cemetery you must enter. Park at the flag pole / section E. From the flag pole take a reading of 90° and take 10 paces. Turn left. At the next path intersection turn right passed a "common" staircase. You will pass a marker for Huntington. I imagine these must be the descendants of Samuel Huntington of Scotland but that is another box all together. Go a few stones more to Rev. Ingersoll Stearns (possibly a relative of the Stearns we heard so much about in the Oxen Series??) From this marker walk to the top of the hill. Look around you. To the east and immediate south-east are the memorials of the people who witnessed revolutionary Windham and woke one morning to hear that there was a jail break in their little town. From where you are standing if Rev. Stearns is 360° on the opposite side of the road at 40° you will see the tall light stone of Clark. One stone further is that of Spafford. A few stones further is the tall dark marker Andrew Frink. Standing in the front of Frink’s memorial take a reading of 60° and walk to the stone marked Abbe. Take 5 paces to the stone wall. There is a large dark stone with pieces of stone on top & a piece of glass, to it’s right is the Jail Break Box. Please be respectful, this is a cemetery and rehide well this cemetery is well maintained. I hope you enjoy!