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2 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
The report, after discussion, Avas approved, and with this the matter
rested. Further action being postponed from session to session, Thaddeus
Burr and others, at the December session of 1790, presented a new
petition. Thereupon a committee, consisting of .Jlon. John Treadwell,
Ashur Miller and Capt. John CheiiAvood, was appointed to ascertain
the amount of the losses of the memorialists and others AVIIO had undergone
similar misfortunes. This committee entered upon its work Avithout
delay. At the May session of 1791, further time Avas asked and given.
It was not until May, 1792, that the labors of the committee Avere so far
completed as to enable the assembly to take action, which it then did as
follows:
"At a general assembly of the State of Connecticut holdcn nt Hartford
on the second Thursday of May, A. D. 1792:
"Upon the memorial of the inhabitants of the toAvns of Fairfield
and NorAvalk, shewing to this assembly that many of the inhabitants of
said toAvns suffered great losses by the devastations of the enemy during
the late war, praying a compensation therefqr, and a report of a committee
appointed by the assembly at this session held at Hartford in May,
1791, to ascertain from documents in the public offices the amount of the
losses of the said memorialists, and others under similar circumstances,
which had been estimated conformably to acts of this legislature, being
such as were occasioned by excursions of the enemy during the late Avar,
distinguishing the losses of buildings and necessary furniture from those
of other articles, by said documents or othenvise, and also to ascertain
the advancements which have been made to sufferers by abatement of
taxes or othenvise, and to report the same, with their opinion relative
to the ways and means of affording for the relief, as per memorial and
report on file.
"Resolved, By this assembly, that there be and there hereby are released
and quit-claimed to the sufferers hereafter named, or tlieir legal
representatives Avhere they are dead, and to their heirs and assignees forever,
five hundred thousand acres of land belonging to this State lying
west of the State of Pennsylvania, and bounding northerly on the shore
of Lake Erie, beginning at the Avest line of said lands and extending eastward
to a line running northerly and southerly parallel to the east line
of said tract of land belonging to this State, and extending the whole
width of said lands, and easterly so far as to make said quantity of fiA'e
hundred thousand acres of land exclusive of any lands within said
bounds, if any be, which may Have been heretofore granted to lie divided
to and among the said sufferers, and their legal representatiA'es where
they are dead, in proportion to the several sums annexed to their names
as folloAA's in the annexed list."
The total amount of losses awarded was 161,548 pounds, 11 shillings
and 6i/> pence NeAV England currency, equivalent to $538,495.26. The
board of commissioners ascertained that the number of sufferers was
about 1,870. The following table will shoAv in what proportion these
sufferers and their losses were distributed among the suffering toAvns: