"^^VC^^^ (I ^ May 1913 )RY '^^^^E NEW YORK P^^BLIC LIBRARY ^STOR, LENOX ANO 3r wrinkles or lout either the . EARLY HISTORY -OF- VERMONT. BY Lafayette wilbur, OF JERICHO, VT. History maketh a young man to be old, without either wrinkles or gray hairs, privileging him with the experience of age, without either the infirmities or inconveniences ihereot.— Fuller JERICHO, VT. ROSCOE PRINTING HOUSE. 1S99. Entered according to act of Congress. June ;24th, 1P99, by Lafayette wilbur, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. A day, an hour of virtuous liberty Is Worth a whole eternity of bondage —A'/ili.<t.ton. ! THE NEW YOftK PUBLIC I LIBRARY, ASTOR, LENOX AND TILO£N FOUNDATIONS. At agt of 64. FREFflGL This volume has been written to give to the public an accurate account of the early history of Vermont when it was called New Hampshire Grants and New Connecticut, and down to the time that the State was admitted into the Union in 1 791. The writer has not created any fiction for the book, but facts have been related that are more interesting and useful than fiction, to Ver- monters. It may lack the polish that some literary writers would p-ive it. The most of it has been prepared for the press during the past year in bits of time that the writer has been able to snatch from pressing professional business. The reader will find accurately stated the action of the hardy pioneers that resulted in establishing the State amid the greatest dilficulties in a dense wilder- ness, beset with dangers from hostile Indians, and bitter opposition from the people of neigh- boring territor}^ and the British army. In drawing conclusions the proper data has been given, and exact dates given to historical events and transactions related, the absence of which is a serious lack with many historians (3) 4 pri:fack. Ethan Allen's lite was so prominently con- nected with the early history of Vermont, that one chapter has been devc)ted exclusively to his life. The Boorn Case given in Chapter fifteen was an earl\' interesting case where innocent men were tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to be hung. The Chapter on Jericho may be of some local interest. The Charter or Grant of the township from Gov. Benning Went- worth was similar to those given in granting other towns by him. The chapters giving a list of the Members of the Windsor Convention of 1777, Council of Safety, Governors, Senators, and Judges of the Supreme Court, and giving the duration of their official service, will be useful as a handy reference. 1 have endeavored to o;ive credit in quoting from other writers, and here ex- press my acknowledgemuMits to them. This volume now yiven to the public takes up the History ot Vermont and the doini^s of her people, only down to the time when she was ad- mitted as the -fchirteenth State of the American Union. A more complete and continued histor}' must be left for future volumes. LaFayettk Wilbur. Jericho, .Jn\\j-Hh. is'JU. — — Mistorv is Philosophy teaching by example. Dionysius. The greatest glory of a tree born people, is to transmit that freedom to their children. Havard. ^^?-^^#l=.^^w .^JK^ — CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. (Pagel.) HOW VERMONT BECAME A STATE, AND ITS EARLY HISTORY. CHAPTER 11. (Page 67.) THE STRUGGLE OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS TO ESTABLISH A SEPARATE JURISDICTION BY THE NAME OF VERMONT, AND HER EARLY HIS- TORY. CHAPTER HI. (Page 127.) EARLY HISTORY OF VERMONT—CONTINUED. CHAPTER IV. (Page 134.) EARLY HISTORY OF VERMONT—CONTINUED. CHAPTER V. (Page 145.) EARLY HISTORY OE VERMONT— CONTINUED. CHAPTER VI. (Page 162.) LEGISLATION AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF EARLY VERMONT. CHAPTER VII. (Page 175.) THE STRUGGLE OF VERMONT FOR ADMISSION INTO THE UNION. CHAPTER Vni. Page 186.) THE ACTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND NEW YORK. CHAPTER IX. (Page 193.) EARLY HISTORY AND ADMISSION AS A STATE CONTINUED. (7) — 8 CONTENTS. CHAPTER X. (Pa^i^elOG.) LAND TITLES, BETTERMENT ACTS AND HARD TIMES. CHAI'TER XL (Page 204..) VERMONT ACTS OF SOVEREIGNTY. CHAPTER XH. (Page 209.) SETTLEMENT OF THE CONTROVERSY WITH NEW YORK AND ADMISSION OF VERMONT. CHAPTER Xni. (Page 227. A RESUME AND EARLY HISTORY OF VERMONT CONCLUDED. CHAPTER XIV. (Page 240.) GENERAL ETHAN ALLEN. CHAPTER XV. (Page 281.) THE TRIAL OF STEPHEN AND JESSE BOORN FOR THE ALLEGED MURDER OF RUSSEL COLVIN. CHAPTER XVI. (Page 295.) THE TOWN OF JERICHO. CHAPTER XVII. (Page 330.) MEMBERS OF THE WINDSOR CONVENTION, COUN- CIL OF SAFETY', GOVERNORS AND SENATORS. CHAPTER XVIII. (Page 236.) LIST OF JUDGES OF THE SUPREME COURT FROM THE Y'EAR 1778 TO THE Y^EAR 1899, AND SHOW- ING THEIR TERM OF OFFICE. WIT AND HUMOR. (Page 347.) ERR/\X/\. Errors found in printing, so far as they are misleading, are corrected below. On page 30 the verses should have been divided into five parts. On page 34 in the 6th line from top it should read -'about" instead of "go out." The word 'grants," wherever it occurs referring to the people or territor\ of New Hampshire Grants, should be •'Grants" On page 62, bottom line, word "no" should be inserted be- fore the word -pains." On page 150, in eighth line from bottom, the word '-set- ting" should read "sitting." On page 173, the name "Xeshbe" should read "Neshobe," and the name "Mendon" should read '-Minden." On page 227, the words --this and." in first iine, should be erased. On page 304. the name "Brutt's" should read -'Butts." In the list of Judges for 1879, on page 344, the name of H. Henrv Powers should follow that of Jonathan Ross. RERSOININEL. The Author makes his grateful acknowledge- ment for quotations taken from the Addresses of Hon. Lucius E. Chittenden, Pages 82, 230 Hon. John W. Stewart, Page Hon. Edward J. Phelps, Hon. John N. Pomeroy, Hon. Julius Converse, Professor Joseph S. Cille\', — A Free State gathered in the Council should speak by all its citizens, each one claiming as of birthright a voice to aid his country: None should be excluded from the privilege, if grown to man's estate, unless he fail of inlellect or lose his right through crime. Ancestors who won their way should shine in their descendants. Tapper. GHflPTER I. HOW VERMONT BECAME A STATE, AND ITS EARLY HISTORY. is interesting to study the history of any peo- IT ple who are strugghng for existence, or who are striving to maintain their rights and to assert their Uberties and estabHsh their independence; and this must be especialh^ so when that histor3^ relates to one's ancestors and their own land. How intensely did our feelings and s^mipathies reach out for the Hungarians under their leader Kossuth when the\^ were struggling to be free; but their endeavors and aspirations were not more noble, and the difficulties that stood in the wa3' of their freedom and independence were not greater than seem to environ the Green Mountain Bo3'S. The hardships and the dangers with' which the hardy sons of the territory now called Ver- mont were beset, grew largely out of the claims that different parties made to her lands, and the assumed right to govern her people. New Hamp- shire claimed her from the East, New York claimed her from the West, and Massachusetts would take a slice from the Southern border. The first settlement, within the jurisdiction now known as Vermont, was made at Fort Dum- mer, in the present County of Windham, in the year 1724, under a grant from the Provincial 1 2 EARLY HISTORY Government of Massachusetts. A controversy arose between the Provinces of Massachusetts and New Hampshire in reference to the line be- tween the two Provinces. In the year 1740, the King of England in Council settled the line between the tw^o jurisdictions, and located it in running West of Connecticut River, where the jurisdictional line now is between Massachu- setts and Vermont, which brought the settle- ment at Fort Dummer within the jurisdiction of Xew^ Hampshire. This line betw^een New^ Hamp- shire and Massachusetts as settled by the King and Council, was to extend West till it should meet with His Majesty's other governments. In the year 1741, Benning Wentworth was commissioned as Governor of New Hampshire. 1 was understood at that time that the jurisdiction of New Hampshire was established as far West as Massachusetts, and Massachusetts claimed and exercised jurisdiction to wnthin twenty miles of Hudson River. With this, understanding, the Governor of New Hampshire, on the third day of January, 1749, made a grant of a township six miles square, situated tw^enty miles East of Hud- son River, and called it Bennington. Numerous applications were made to Gov. Wentworth for grants in the vicinity of the Province of New York. Gov. Wentworth not feeling exactly cer- tain how^ far West the jurisdiction of New Hamp- shire extended, opened a correspondence with the Governor of New York, Nov. 17th, 1749, with a view of ascertaining and settling the Western line of his jurisdiction; and in that correspondence in- OF VERMONT. 3 formed him that people were daih' applying for grants of land, some of which were in the neigh- borhood of the New York Province, and asking the Governor of the Province of New York in what manner these grants will affect the grants made b\" the New York Governors; also inform- ing him by the same letter, that the snrvej^or who had run the line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, had declared on oath that in run- ning that line Westerly it would strike Hudson River about 80 poles North of where Mohawk's River comes into Hudson River, which he pre- sumed is North of the Cit^^ of Albany, and asked to be informed how -far North of Albany" the gov- ernment of New Y^ork extends, and how^ many miles to the East of Hudson River.