Pomfret helps a prisoner of war

Things have been a bit hectic here as we reorganize the operation of the library and museum, and our accessions have not been as fast and furious as usual.  However, we did acquire in December a fascinating document related to a Revolutionary War prisoner.  Evidently William Dodd, of Falmouth, Maine, who had been held prisoner in New York and had finally been release, fell ill while traveling through Pomfret.  The town provided medical expenses, room and board for Dodd from August 1781 to January 1872.  They indicate they also had expenses for “carrying him out of the state.”  The town’s Selectmen and a Justice of the Peace sent a request to the Governor and Council of Connecticut for reimbursement for the town’s expenses of just over 15 pounds. It is this document that recently came into our possession and provides an interesting insight into the travails of former prisoners and the culture of assisting soldiers, even in a small rural town.

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