UNCLE SAM»S FARM. 185 



large enough to admit a child, which in the course of 

 years closed up. There is now a large orifice near 

 the roots, which is closed by a door. It was locked 

 at the time of my visit. The history of the Charter 

 Oak is as follows : — Sir Edmund Andros, being ap- 

 pomted the first Governor General of New England, 

 arrived in Boston in December, 1686, from whence 

 he wrote to the Colony of Connecticut to resign their 

 Charter ; they, however, did not comply with this 

 request, but continued to meet in Legislative Session 

 as heretofore. Sir Edmund, with his suite and a body 

 of troops, visited Hartford while the Assembly were 

 in session, and demanded the Charter, and declared 

 the Government under it to be dissolved. The 

 Assembly, however, were very slow to pass any 

 resolution to give up the Charter. The tradition is, 

 that Governor Treat strongly represented the great 

 hardship and expense he and his fellow-colonists 

 endured in defending the Colony, both against the 

 Indians and foreigners. The matter was debated and 

 kept in suspense until evening, when the Charter was 

 brought and laid upon the table where the Assembly 

 were sitting ; the lights were instantly extinguished, 

 when Captain Wadsworth, silently and secretly, 

 carried off the Charter and hid it in a large hollow 

 16' 



