titus moss - The Cheshire Historical Society

SCENE 10
Front of Hitchcock-Phillips House
(At the Narrator’s request, all head around to front of the H i t c h c o c k -Phillips House.)
Narrator: If you could please find a seat. Thank you.
Narrator: For those of you joining us now, I’d like to welcome you to the Town of
Cheshire in the year of 1862. We are at the Cheshire Historical Society. This
is the HITCHCOCK-PHILLIPS HOUSE (built in 1785), 43 Church Dr.
Classical Georgian. Built by merchant Rufus Hitchcock. Passed down to his
daughter and then to his granddaughter, who married Andrew W. Phillips, a
teacher at the Academy. Family occupied the house until 1903. In the 1930s,
the house was bought by Cheshire Academy for a boys’ dormitory. Since
1972, it has been owned by the town and home to the Cheshire Historical
Society.
Guests are seated there – maybe told there would be some entertainment of some kind.
Right at this moment, as everyone is seated, a noise is heard (someone points and
shouts)-- A man is running, running (or galloping, galloping on a horse), waving a piece
of paper. Everyone stops talking – silence -- to look at this man.---
A man: It’s Huntly, the telegraph operator
Another man: This can’t be good news.
Huntly comes to a stop near the Hitchcock House, goes up on front step and announces –
News bulletin, just in over the telegraph –President Lincoln calls for more
300,000 troops. Connecticut must send (x number of) units.
Reads
aloud:
“I have made a decision to call for 300,000 more troops, chiefly infantry; that
I hope will be raised without delay, and that an order fixing the quota
required from each State will be issued by the War Department at once.”
S i l e n c e – then cheers from the Home Guard members clustered around Tim Guilford.)
Capt. Guilford: This is what we’ve been waiting for men! We’ll be the first to enlist--
.Hurrah for our Russell Rifles!
(Admiral Hull Foote:) ___ Things must not be going well for the Union
Titus Moss – Walk Back In Time – May 7, 2006 – SCRIPT Page 21