Bliss Farm Destroyed

Bliss Farm Destroyed

William Bliss purchased a farm in 1857 and lived there with his wife, Adeline, and daughters, Frances and Sara. When the battle started, Bliss quickly evacuated his family leaving “the doors open, the table set…” The house and barn, the only shelter in the open fields, provided perfect cover for skirmishers and changed hands 10 times. About 10:00 am on July 3, the 14th Connecticut Infantry burned the buildings to keep them out of Confederate hands. The family returned to find everything they owned destroyed. Bliss received no compensation for damages and sold the farm in 1865. All that remains is an oddly-shaped grassy mound—the ramp into the Bliss’ bank barn—a reminder of lives shattered and the cost of war.