in the Congregational Church in Norwich near his home, he did not transfer his membership
from Scotland Church until the death of his father-in law, Rev. Devotion. Samuel and Martha
had no children of their own but did not have an empty household. Martha’s sister Hannah had
married Samuel’s brother, the Reverend Joseph Huntington. When Hannah died in 1771, two
of their three children came from their home in Coventry to live in the Huntington household in
Norwich. Nephew Samuel and his sister Fanny were raised by Martha and Samuel, and Fanny
stayed with Samuel until his death. The household had a reputation for youthful gatherings and
plenty of music, and Samuel was apparently quite close to this gathered family, which
eventually also included Martha’s young step-brother Mason Cogswell after his mother, too, had
died. When Samuel was asked to represent Connecticut at the Continental Congress, and then
found it difficult to get back permanently to Connecticut, it was apparently distressing for him to
be away for such a long time. He commented often on wishing he could go home.
With Oliver Wolcott, Huntington made a difficult journey of about two weeks in January 1776 to
begin service in the Continental Congress. They arrived in Philadelphia on January 15, but
Huntington soon was struggling with smallpox and was not able to carry on with his duties until
late February. In constant correspondence with individuals and government back home,
Connecticut’s delegates Huntington, Wolcott, and Sherman received word of the General
Assembly’s June vote authorizing them to join other colonies in declaring independence. Thus,
diplomatic Samuel Huntington, who had never been prominent among the radical element
agitating for breaking away from the Britain, voted for and signed the Declaration of
Independence.
Aside from brief visits home in April and June, Huntington was in Philadelphia ten long months
of 1776. Long days in Congress, a heavy load of committee assignments, dislike of the city,
slow and inadequate reimbursement for his living expenses, and worry about family and
business at home left him anxious to be done. Arriving in Norwich in November, he immediately
was caught up in the war effort at home as the Council of Safety and General Assembly
grappled with the problems of provisions, prices, raising militia, and protecting the coast.
Although again elected a delegate for 1777, there was work to be done in Connecticut, and
Huntington stayed close to home. In July 1777, Huntington and other representatives of New
England states and New York met in Springfield to discuss economic problems brought on by
the war, such as high prices, inflation, and unstable paper money.
February 1778 found Samuel Huntington heading back to Pennsylvania with an appreciation of
the effects of the war on the state level and in communities like Norwich. In his absence,
Congress had written Articles of Confederation, but they were far from perfect, and states were
slow to ratify. Huntington saw the need for some form of unified government and supported
passage. After signing this new constitution, the Articles of Confederation, for Connecticut,
Samuel headed for home in July on a leave of absence. Again elected congressman in the fall
of 1778, he reported to Philadelphia the next May. This session involved even more committee
appointments and more visibility, especially on three major committees – the Marine Committee,
a committee assigned to prepare instructions for negotiating a peace with Great Britain, and
another to plan for one or more supreme courts of appeal. He was greatly concerned with
military pay issues and problems with currency.
On September 9, 1779, Huntington requested leave to again return to Connecticut, but before
he could leave, he was elected President of the Continental Congress to replace John Jay, who
had been appointed minister to Spain. By this time, Huntington had considerable experience
and seniority and was known to not let regional biases control his stand on national issues,
making him an acceptable choice for competing regions. The presidency did not involve a great