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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01085 9376
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480
EARLY HISTORY
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-OF-
VERMONT.
BY LA FAYETTE WILBUR,
Val. 2
OF JERICHO. VT.
VOLUME II.
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1
The laws of history, in general are truth, method, and clearness of expression .- Dryden ..
JERICHO, VT. ROSCOE PRINTING HOUSE. 1900.
480
1769919
At age of 64. L. 7. Willur
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F
Wilbur, La Fayette, 1834-
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843 1.96
Early history of Vermont. By La Fayette Wilbur ... Jeri- cho, Vt., Roscoe printing house, 1809-1903. 4 v. plates, port. 21gem.
CHLEY CAP.
1. Vermont -- Ilist .- To 1701.
99-3875 Revised
Library of Congress ------ Copy 2.
F52. WOG
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/earlyhistoryofve02wilb_0
Entered according to act of Congress, October 20th, 1900. by LAFAYETTE WILBUR. in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C.
History is the complement of poetry .- Sir J. Stephen.
99938WIN 98667
PREFACE.
In presenting the second volume of the Early History of Vermont to the public the author here states that when he commenced to write this vol- ume he expected it would cover the history of the State far into the 19th century, but found so much material that had been untouched by the first volume he has been unable, except on a few points, to bring the history of the State and its people down to a later period than the admission of the State into the Federal Union in 1791. The writer has thought it best to make thorough work as far as he goes and let future volumes em- brace the later history of the State. The natural and beautiful scenery of Vermont is touched upon in the first chapter; its natural vegetation and products, and the living creatures that inhabited the primeval forests are given in the second chap- ter; the depredations and character of the Indi- ans are considered in the third chapter. It is hoped that the fourth chapter that treats of the division of the State into counties and districts will not be devoid of interest.
The controversy of the Grants with New York and the internal affairs of the State, includ- ing some official letters relating to the claims of Massachusetts to Vermont territory, and some State papers and other documents have been pre-
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PREFACE.
sented in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth chapters, showing the foundation principles of the government of Vermont, and the bold stand taken and the patriotic sentiments expressed by the Green Mountain Boys. The early laws and the interesting features of the primitive legislation have claimed the writer's attention in the ninth and tenth chapters. The doings of the Board of War are given. The character of the early set- tlers, their homes and customs, and town meet- ings will always be interesting matter-these topics are presented in chapters twelve and thirteen.
It has been thought by some critics that any one writing a history of his own State is liable to be biased in favor of the people of his State and give an unfavorable coloring against. those with whom they have had controversy, hence, the writer thought it advisable to give the New York view of their controversy with the New Hamp- shire Grants and the Green Mountain Boys. The New York view will be found in the four- teenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters.
The history of the early religious privileges and Sabbath observance have a prominent place in the early history of Vermont and in all New England, and is replete with interesting, strange, and amusing features, and is treated ot in chap- ters seventeen and eighteen. In the last named chapter the Congregational polity and government is considered.
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PREFACE.
We may learn much of the character of the pioneers of Vermont from their biographies, there- fore, a sketch is given of a few of the early set- tlers in the nineteenth and twentieth chapters. More sketches of their lives may be given in fu- ture volumes. In chapter twenty-one a list of members of Congress, District Judges, and Lieu- tenant-Governors are given. To make the two volumes more useful and convenient to the reader, an index is given of the context of both volumes.
In preparing this volume the writer has been greatly aided by other writers from which he has quoted, and to whom he has given credit, and here makes his acknowledgments.
.
LA FAYETTE WILBUR.
Jericho, Vt .. December 31, 1900.
AND UNIT
CRM
FRELDOM
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. (Page 1.)
THE PHYSICAL STATE AND NATURAL SCENERY OF THE TERRITORY NOW CALLED VERMONT.
CHAPTER II. (Page 10.) TREES, SHRUBS, FRUITS, ANIMALS, BIRDS, FISHES AND REPTILES.
. CHAPTER III. (Page 17.)
THE INDIANS OF VERMONT, . THEIR DEPREDA- TIONS, CRUELTY, CHARACTER AND MANNER OF LIFE.
CHAPTER IV. (Page 43.)
THE DIVISION OF VERMONT INTO COUNTIES AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AND THE NORTHERN LINE OF THE STATE.
CHAPTER V. (Page 53.)
THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CONTROVERSY OF THE GRANTS WITH NEW YORK AND THE STAND THE GRANTS TOOK IN THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE.
CHAPTER VI. (Page 101.)
INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF VERMONT AND THE CON- TROVERSY WITH NEW YORK.
CHAPTER VII. (Page 126.)
INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF VERMONT AND THE COX- TROVERSY WITH NEW YORK .- CONTINUED.
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII. (Page 138.)
INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF VERMONT AND THE CON- TROVERSY WITH NEW YORK .- CONTINUED.
CHAPTER IX. (Page 149.) EARLY LAWS OF VERMONT.
CHAPTER X. (Page 172.)
EARLY LAWS OF VERMONT .- CONTINUED. CHAPTER XI. (Page 200.)
BOARD OF WAR_
CHAPTER XII. (Page 207.)
THE EARLY SETTLERS OF VERMONT AND THEIR HOMES.
CHAPTER XIII. (Page 221.)
THE EARLY SETTLEMENTS AND TOWN MEET- INGS OF THE EARLY DAYS OF VERMONT.
CHAPTER XIV. (Page 229.)
THE NEW YORK VIEW OF THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THAT STATE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
CHAPTER XV. (Page 249.)
THE NEW YORK VIEW OF THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THAT STATE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE .- CONTINUED.
CHAPTER XVI. (Page 273.)
THE NEW YORK VIEW OF THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THAT STATE AND THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS.
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVII. (Page 293.)
THE SABBATH, ITS RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE AND PRIVILEGES IN THE EARLY DAYS OF VERMONT.
CHAPTER XVIII. (Page 317.)
THE SABBATH, ITS RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE AND PRIVILEGES IN THE EARLY DAYS OF VERMONT .- CONTINUED. .
CHAPTER XIX. (Page 347.)
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE PIONEERS OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS AND VERMONT.
CHAPTER XX. (Page 379.)
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE PIONEERS OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS AND VERMONT .- CONTINUED.
CHAPTER XXI. (Page 403.)
REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS, DISTRICT JUDGES AND LIEUTENANT-GOVERNORS.
INDEX. (Page 40S.)
ERRATA.
On page 45 before the name. Skeensborough a comma should be used in place of the period.
On page 48 the word "Gran I" should read "General.".
On page 54 in 2d line from bottom the word . part . should read "party." On page 127 in 8th line from top the word ' but" should be erased. On page 210 in 6th line from bottom the word "mere" should read "were."
On page 213 in fth line from top the word "that" should be erased.
·
ADDITIONAL ERRATA FOR VOL. I.
On page 337 the names of John Pierpoint, James Barrett and A. O. Aldis should not appear among the Circuit Judges, but were elected Su- preme Judges when the circuit system ceased.
On page 346 the name of Henry R. Start should precede that of La- forest H. Thompson.
In Preface the word "thirteenth" should read "fourteenth."
On page 66 line 11 "$80,000" should read "30,000 "
On page 77 line 20 the word "Hamp" should read "Hampshire,"
On page 90 line 14 the word "Romulous" should read "Romulus."
On page 91 line 16 the word "looking" should read "looked."
On page 107 line 9 from bottom '500" should read "100."
On page 117 line 14 the word "consummate" should read "consummat - ing."
On page 148 2nd line from bottom for "consumating" read "consum- mated .**
On pages 153 and 154 the name "Gainsevoort" should read "Ganse- voort."
On page 180 line 8 from bottom "imbuing" read "imbruing."
On page 182 line 14 "which" read "whose relief."
On page 190 line 14 "Yonkers" read "Yorkers."
On page 205 in line 20 "Demcima" "Decima."
On page 205 line 3 from bottom "devises" read "devices."
On page 221 line 15 "June" read "January."
On page 225 line 14 "1887" read "1877."
On page 261 line 6 from bottom "expatriated" read "expatiated."
Since the publication of the first volume of this history Hon. Laforest H Thompson, Judge of the Supreme Court, has deceased, and Wendall P. Stafford appointed a member of the Court. And William W. Stickney elected Governor at the September election of 1900.
VERMONTERS.
"They love their land because it is their own, And scorn to give aught other reason why : Would shake hands with a King upon his throne, And think it kindness to his Majesty."- Halleck.
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"England! with all thy faults, I love thee still." -- Couper.
CHAPTER I.
THE PHYSICAL STATE AND NATURAL SCENERY OF THE TERRITORY NOW CALLED VERMONT.
IN the first volume of this work but little was said about the physical state and natural scenery of Vermont in its early days. It will be well to devote the first chapter of the second volume to those and kindred features of the State.
Its situation is between 42 degrees 44 minutes, and 45 degrees of north latitude, and between 3 degrees 31 minutes, and 5 degrees and 24 minutes east longitude from Washington, and situated about eighty miles from any part of the ocean. The width of the State at its southern extremity is about forty miles, while the line of the northern end of the State, running from Connecticut River to Lake Champlain, is ninety miles long. The length of the State running the course of Connec- ticut River, the western bank of which is the east- ern boundary of the State, is about 215 miles. The northern line of the State runs on a parallel of 45 degrees north latitude, and was surveyed in 1772; the south line was surveyed in 1741. .
The western boundary was determined by the government of Vermont and New York at the ter- mination of their controversy in 1790. The line begins at the south-west corner of Pownal, run- ning along the western boundaries of that town
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EARLY HISTORY
and Bennington, Shaftsbury, Arlington, Sand- gate, Rupert, Pawlet, Wells and Poultney, to Poultney River; thence down the same through the middle of the deepest channel of said river, East Bay and Lake Champlain, passing east of the islands called the Four Brothers, and westerly of Grand Isle and LaMotte, to the 45thi degree of north latitude. All of said first eight towns had been granted by His Excellency Benning Went- . worth. The length of the State is 1571/2 miles, and the average width, 57 miles, containing an area of about 9000 square miles.
The surface of the State is very diversified and uneven, and through the entire State there are al- ternate valleys and hills, making the scenery, to the lovers of nature, picturesque and grand be- yond adequate description. Much of its farming land is rough and stony, but it produces grasses and grains abundantly, so that the farmer gets rich returns for his toil. Considerable plain lands border upon the rivers, the soil of which is rich, deep, and easily tilled.
The green verdure covering the landscape, and the Green Mountains, that extend through the State from south to north about midway between Connecticut River and Lake Champlain, not only makes the scenery grand and delightful, but sug- gests the "Verd Mont," the Green Mountain State of Vermont. This range of mountains is broken through by the Onion and Lamoille Rivers.
The lands of the State are drained by the rivers and brooks taking their rise in the Green Moun- tains, some running easterly and flowing into
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OF VERMONT.
Connecticut River, others flowing northerly and emptying into Lake Memphremagog, and several others flow either into Lake Champlain or Hud- son River; the four largest, Missisquoi, Lamoille, Onion and Otter Creek, discharge their waters in- to Lake Champlain.
Lake Champlain is about 110 miles long, and. 12 miles wide at its widest place; its medium width is about 41/2 miles, and was discovered by Samuel Champlain in 1609. It has several bays, East Bay at Whitehall, Button Bay in Ferris- burgh, Shelburne Bay just south of Burlington, Burlington Bay at Burlington, Colchester Bay just north of Burlington, St. Albans Bay near St. Albans, and McQuam's Bay at Swanton.
No lake in the United States has had more im- portant, or more stirring and interesting events, in connection with the settlement of North Amer- ica, than Lake Champlain. In the Indian wars, in the war between England and France, in the struggle between Great Britain and the Ameri- can Colonies, and in the more recent war of 1812 to 1814, between the United States and the same power, its waters have been crimsoned with the blood of the contending forces.
The name of the lake stands out prominently with some of the most remarkable events of our country. At Fort Ticonderoga, that stood on its western shore about twenty miles north of White- hall, was where the British army under the com- mand of General Abercrombie were repulsed while attempting to take the fort from the French, suf- fering the loss of 1941 men; and where in the year
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EARLY HISTORY
following, the French in turn surrendered to Gen- eral Amherst, who commanded the English forces. This fort, while held by the British, was surprised and taken by the brave Green Mountain Boys under the command of General Ethan Allen on the morning of May 10th, 1775, and was retained in the possession of the Americans until the 6th day of July, 1777, when it was evacuated by the American troops under the command of Gen. St. Clair, and taken possession of by General Bur- goyne; but soon afterwards was repossessed by the Americans.
Crown Point fortress was built by the French in 1731, fourteen miles north of Ticonderoga, but was surrendered to General Amherst in 1759, and held by the British until the capture of Gen. Bur- goyne. Fortifications were erected at Platts- burgh during the war of 1812 to 1814 with Eng- land. It was near this place on the lake, that the American fleet, under Commodore McDonough, gained a signal victory over the British squadron, on the 11th of September, 1814. Fortifications were also built at Burlington, Vt., and Fort Mont- gomery has more recently been built near the northern end of the lake.
Hoskins states in his history, with undoubted truth, that, "There are many indications that Lake Champlain was once much more extensive than it now is, and covered with its waters a con- siderable portion of the land which is now greatly elevated above its surface. Shells and clams are found in the highest parts of the islands in the lake, imbedded in the marl, or incorporated with
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OF VERMONT.
the stones, and on the continent they are scat- tered at heights of forty or fifty feet above the level of the lake. The soil also, in many places exhibits the appearance of being deposited in reg- ular strata on the subsiding of the waters."
It is probable that at some early period of time and during the glacial period, the ocean swept through from the mouth of the St. Lawrence River to the vicinity of New York, changing the surface of the earth in this region and depositing and shaping its substances as they are now found. The area of the State as given by the different his- torians vary quite a little, probably occasioned by a difference taken as the average width of the State and including or excluding the waters of Lake Champlain.
Samuel Williams, in his history of Vermont, the second edition of which was published in the ycar 1809, refers to the land of the State as fol- lows : "The land included within these limits, is of a very fertile nature, fitted for all the purposes and productions of agriculture. The soil is deep, and of a dark color; rich, moist, warm and loamy. It bears corn and other kinds of grain in large quantities, as soon as it is cleared of the wood, without any ploughing or preparation. After the first crop, naturally turns to rich pas- ture or mowing."
There are several mountains in the State, from the tops of which one beholds as grand and enchanting scenes as there is in all America. Kill- ington Peak is situated in Rutland county; Cam- el's Hump lying in the town of Huntington;
التموين
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EARLY HISTORY
Mount Mansfield lies on the boundry line between Chittenden and Lamoille Counties, the summit of which has the appearance of a man's face turned up towards the heavens above. The following table of heights of the highest ten mountains in the State is taken from Gannet's "Dictionary of Altitude in the United States," third edition, pub- lished by the United States' Geological Survey :
Mount Mansfield
4364 feet
Killington
4241
Camel's Hump
4088
.
Mount Lincoln
4078
Jay Peak
4.018
Potato Hill
3986
Pico Peak
3967
Little Killington
3951
Stratton Mt.
3859
Mount Equinox
3847
The height of Mount Equinox was determined by the Coast and Geodetic survey. The others are from the authority stated. It will be seen that Mount Mansfield maintains its primacy in the family. To one standing on its summit there lies before him to the west between Lake Cham- plain and the mountains, the distance of twenty- five miles, a panorama of rivers and brooks, meadow and wood; a country dotted all over with farms with their buildings and orchards, with here and there handsome villages in plain view, and the City of Burlington on the eastern shore of the lake.
The Lake itself can be seen more than half its length, and in a clear day, the Adirondacks west
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OF VERMONT.
of the Lake in New York State, stand out as a magnificent background, presenting a picturesque and charming scene to the eye. To the east of the mountain the land is undulating and the country more mountainous, so that the eye has not so extensive sweep, but thrifty farms and fine farm buildings can be seen in all directions. There are other mountain peaks, but of less note.
The following account of the christening of the Green Mountains is in the life of Rev. Hugh Pet- ers, published in 1807: viz. "Verd Mont was a name given to the Green Mountains in October, 1763, by the Rev. Dr. Peters, the first clergyman who paid a visit to the 30,000 settlers in that country, in the presence of Col. Taplin, Col. Welles, Col. Peters, Judge Peters, and many others, who were proprietors of a large number of townships in that Colony. The ceremony was performed on top of a rock standing on a high mountain, then named Mount Pisgah because it provided to the company a clear sight of Lake Champlain at the west, and of Connecticut River at the east, and overlooked all the trees and hills in the vast wilderness at thenorth and south. The baptism was performed in the following manner : Priest Peters stood on the pinnacle of the rock, when he received a bottle of spirits from Col. Tap- lin, then harangueing the company with a short history of the infant settlement, and the prospect of its becoming an impregnable barrier between the British Colonies on the south and the late Col- onies of the French on the north, which might be returned to their late owners for the sake of gov-
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EARLY HISTORY
erning America by the different powers of Europe. We have here met upon the rock Eatam, standing on Mount Pisgah, which makes a part of the ever- lasting hill, the spine of Asia, Africa and America, holding together the terrestrial ball, and dividing the Atlantic from the Pacific ocean-to dedicate and consecrate this extensive wilderness to God manifest in the flesh, and to give it a new name worthy of the Athenians and ancient Spartans,- which new name is Verd Mont, in token that her mountains and hills shall be ever green and never die. He then poured out the spirits and cast the bottle upon the rock Eatam."
The mountain referred to, probably, was either Mansfield or Camel's Hump, but there must have been a stretch of the imagination in this account, as there is no mountain in Vermont high enough to enable one to see the waters of Lake Cham- plain and Connecticut River from the same spot. There was also an exaggeration as to the number of inhabitants, for in 1771, there were but about 7000 inhabitants in this territory. This rite of baptism was not performed by Dr. Hugh Peters, but by Samuel A. Peters, D. D., L. L. D., who was born Dec. 12, 1735, at Hebron, Connecticut.
The water of the rivers and brooks of Vermont is of the purest quality, owing to the fact they have their rise among the Green Mountains. The larger of the rivers are, Otter Creek, that takes its rise in Bennington County and falls into Lake Champlain at Ferrisburgh; Onion River, that rises in Cabot and flows into the same lake. between Burlington and Colchester; the Lamoille
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OF VERMONT,
River that proceeds from a pond in Glover and empties into Lake Champlain in the northwestern part of Colchester; and the Missisquoi River, which takes its rise in the town of Lowell, and takes a circuit northerly into Canada, returning to the State at Richford, and flows into Missis- quoi Bay in Highgate.
On the east side of the State, the Passumpsic rises in Westmore and falls into the Connecticut River at Barnet; White River and its main branch rise in or near Roxbury in Washington County, and Brookfield in Orange County, and flows into Connecticut River at Hartford.
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CHAPTER II.
TREES, SHRUBS, FRUITS, ANIMALS. BIRDS, FISHES AND REPTILES.
When the territory now called Vermont was discovered' by Europeans, no system of agricul- ture, worthy of the name, was practiced by the natives, but it was one continuous forest. There were a great variety of plants and flowers, and a great many kinds of trees that spread over its hills, valleys and mountains. It is not my pur- pose to give a complete list of them, but will name those that are most common. Among the trees there are the ash, butternut, balsam, basswood, beech, birch, cherry, cedar, chestnut, elm, hem- lock, maple, oak, pine, poplar, spruce and willow.
Among the trees, shrubs and vines that bear valuable and pleasant fruit are the apple tree, blueberry, blackberry, cherry (black, red and choke), currant, cranberry, gooseberry, grape, ha- zelnut, juniper, mulberry, plumb, raspberry and strawberry. There are among the valuable wild esculent roots and seeds the artichoke, cucumber, hop, leek, onion, oat and pea.
Among the vegetables that were indigenous to the soil were the elder, blood-root, elcampane, golden-thread, ginseng, garget, lobelia, liquorice root, pond lily, pleurisy root, snake-root, skunk
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OF VERMONT.
cabbage, sweet-flag, senna, and sarsaparilla. The following plants, that are indigenous here, are found to operate as a poison: viz., thorn- apple, henbane, nightshade, ivy, creepingivy, swamp sumach, baneberry, and white hellebore.
There are some plants and the bark of some trees that are not poisonous, the medicinal prop- erties of which are valuable : such is the bay-berry, the prickly ash and the witch hazel.
The native wild animals and quadrupeds that were found in Vermont were numerous. It is not within the scope of this history, nor my purpose to give their size, nature or habits as that would fall to the work of the zoologist.
The primitive forests of this territory were inhabited by, and furnished shelter and food for the moose, bear, wolf, deer, fox, wild cat, raccoon, porcupine, woodchuck, skunk, martin, hare, rabbit, weasel, ermine, squirrel, rat, mole, mouse, and lynx. Along our rivers, ponds and lakes, there were found the beaver, musk rat, mink, and otter, all of which furnished employment and sport for the hunter and trapper. The flesh of several of those animals furnished meat for the inhabitants, and the skins and furs were used for clothing, and were very valuable as articles of merchandise. As settlements were made through- out the State and the forest frequented by civil- ized man, those animals and quadrupeds were hunted and killed. Some of them migrated to other localities ; the moose, wolf, otter and beaver have wholly disappeared from Vermont.
The beaver is a remarkable animal and
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EARLY HISTORY
exercises an extraordinary amount of intelligence and skill in the management of the concerns of its domestic life, and in building dams, and in the construction of their dwellings. Its forefeet and toes are so constructed as to answer the purpose of fingers and hands; its teeth are sharp and curved that enable him to cut down trees and cut them up into suitable lengths for constructing dams and houses. They associate and combine to pursue their common business and welfare. Samuel Williams in his history says of him, "Their association and management has the aspect of a pure democracy ; founded on the principle of per- fect equality . and the strongest mutual attach- ment. This principle seems sufficient to preserve . the most perfect harmony, and to regulate all the proceedings of their largest societies." The place for making their dams, "is always chosen in the most convenient part of the stream; and the form of it is either direct, circular or with angles, as the situation and circumstances of the - water and land require; and so well chosen is both the place and the form of these dams that no engineer could give them a better situation and form either for convenience, strength and dura- tion. The material of which the dams are con- structed are wood and earth. If there be a tree on the side of the river, which would naturally fall across the stream, several of the beavers set them- selves with great diligence, to cut it down with their teeth. Trees of the bigness of twenty inches diameter are thus thrown across the stream. They next gnaw off the branches from the trunk,
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