Derby History Quiz

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Though Joseph Hull was not as well known as his son (Commodore Isaac Hull) and his younger brother (General William Hull), he also established quite a military record in the service of his country. He was born in Derby in 1750, and as he grew up, he dabbled in the West Indies trade that was a major part of Derby's economy at the time.

When the Revolutionary War broke out, he was appointed a Lieutenant of Artillery in Washington's army, but was soon taken prisoner while serving with distinction in the defense of Fort Washington. After two years of imprisonment by the British, he took command of a small flotilla patrolling Long Island Sound. Though he never earned the distinction bestowed on his more famous family members, he did capture a British schooner on the Sound with the help of a company of men from Derby. They even brought the captured ship back to Derby. According to legend, he also once bluffed his way out of capture by the enemy while riding in West Haven. As he came upon a group of British soldiers with no chance of outrunning them. Instead, he turned in his saddle and bluffed as though calling additional troops from behind. He then rode towards the British and demanded their surrender. The stunned British soldiers did just that!

After the war her returned to his farm, but also gave his more famous son a career start in the whale fishery being conducted in Long Island Sound.

This quiz proved to be especially tough, but correct answers for this quiz were received from: Eileen Krugel, Mary Lou Boroski, Tim Conlon, Joan Driscoll, and Randy Ritter

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