is share of supporting the minister, by a tax laid upon him and
collected by the town. Social standing secured the first choice
of seats, wealth the second, and piety the last. In this
assignment one or more pews were 'set off' away up in the top of
the gallery for the slaves of the social leaders and ministers.
At the First Congregational church, Winsted, there were two pews
thus 'set off' in the gallery, and they were so high up that they
were called 'Nigger heaven.'

"In 1837, a number of enthusiasts were invited to meet in
Wolcottville (now Torrington) to organize a county abolition
society. Upon looking for a place of meeting, they found that
every church, public and private hall, was closed against them,
and also heard public threats of violence if they persisted in
attempting to hold a meeting, from the proslavery element of the
town. A barn was offered them as a meeting place and promptly
accepted. The barn was filled, floor, scaffold, haymow and
stables, by these disciples of abolition. It was a very cold day
in January, and much suffering resulted in spite of their warm
zeal. Roger S. Mills of New Hartford was appointed chairman, and
Rev. R. M. Chipman of Harwinton secretary, and Daniel Coe of
Winsted offered prayer. The following officers were appointed:
President, Roger S. Mills; vice-presidents, Erastus Lyman of
Goshen, Gen. Daniel Brinsmade of Washington, Gen. Uriel Tuttle of
Torringford and Jonathan Coe of Winsted; secretary, Rev. R. M.
Chipman of Harwinton, and treasurer, Dr. E. D. Hudson of
Torringford. While being addressed by an agent of the American
society, and suffering from extreme cold, they were attacked by a
mob of proslaveryites who had paraded the streets of Wolcottville
and had elevated their courage with New England rum. They
gathered around the barn which was near the Congregational
church, yelling, blowing horns, thumping on tin pans and kettles,
and ringing furiously the church bell, and finally, by brute
force, broke up the meeting which took a hasty adjournment.

"When the people were leaving Wolcottville the entire village
seemed to be a bedlam. Dea Ebenezer Rood was set upon while in
his sleigh, and some of the mob endeavored to overturn him and
cause his horses to run away. But the blood of his Puritan