USA > Vermont > Early history of Vermont, Vol. II > Part 17
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On February 4, 1774, the New York Grand Committee of Grievances made report, on the claimed outrages, to the New York Assembly, and
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recommended that the Governor be addressed to "issue a Proclamation offering a reward of fifty pounds for apprehending and securing in his Maj- esty's gaol in Albany for each or either of the fol- lowing persons, viz: Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, Remember Baker, Robert Cochran, Peleg Sunder- land, Sylvanus Brown, James Brackenridge and John Smith" whom they denominated ringleaders and actors in the riots. The House brought in a bill accordingly. On March 9, 1774, Governor Tryon issued his Proclamation as prayed for, ex- cept he increased the reward for the apprehension and securing Allen and Baker to 100 pounds each.
On September 1, 1774, the said Benjamin Hough complained to Lieutenant-Governor Colden again of the conduct of rioters and said, "the measures heretofore adopted by his Excel- lency Governor Tryon in Council, the resolves of the General Assembly and the acts of Legislature, (being an act to punish rioters passed March 9. 1774,) instead of producing this salutary effect, have only served to increase the rage and malice of those dissolute people and to expose your peti- tioners to fresh insults, and, if possible, to greater * that the rioters were unrestrained danger, * *
by principles of duty or fear of punishment, and seem to have arrived at the last stage of deliber- ate opposition to government and laws; that they have lately erected two fortresses in the County of Charlotte-one on Onion River and the other on Otter Creek, an act of hostility; * that the inhabitants that are averse to the law-
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less proceedings are daily exposed to the most im- minent dangers in persons and property, and that their magistrates are treated with so much inhu- manity they can have no reason to look for the least mercy.
On September 7, 1774, the Lieutenant-Gov- ernor applied to General Gage for a military force to aid in quelling disturbances, but it was again refused. Lieutenant Governor Colden wrote to Lord Dartmouth October 4, 1774, that the affi- davits sent him show how much his Majesty's peaceable subjects are molested and insulted by a lawless set of men who at first settled there under a claim made by the government of New Hamp- shire; but since they have been disowned by that government, they will pay obedience to none-as- sume all power to themselves, choose magistrates, erect Courts and inflict punishments. Fugitives from all the neighboring governments resort thither, so they are now become numerous and a dangerous body of banditti which is every day in- creasing." The object of Colden in writing to Lord Dartmouth was to get aid from the King's troops, but Dartmouth declined to favor his project.
Lord Dartmouth on December 10, 1774, wrote Lieutenant-Governor Colden, in reply to his appli- cation for troops, "I do not at present see suffi- cient ground for the adoption of such a measure, and I cannot be without hopes that, when the pre- sent very alarming situation of the King's affairs in North America, from other causes, will leave our hands more at liberty, some means may be
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found to accommodate these disputes without the risk of bloodshed." Undoubtedly the expression of "alarming situation" referred to in the above paragraph had reference to the state of feeling that was rising through the American Colonies, showing a determination of the people to throw off their allegiance to the British Crown, and the King and his Council feared that complying with Lieutenant-Governor Colden's application for troops would add fuel to the fire that was already burning.
In March, 1775, Benjamin Hough again made his complaint to Lieutenant-Governor Colden of outrages committed against him by those he called a mob, in which he stated that on the 26th. day of January, 1775, he was seized by an armed power and bound and violently forced from his residence, and kept in close confinement for several days, and was tried before a mock tribunal and condemned to receive 200 stripes on his naked back; and that ignominious sentence was carried into the severest execution, and then was ban- ished from the country on pain of receiving 500 lashes in case he should be found within their jur- isdiction. He then was dragged from his house bleeding and fainting under his wounds, and they insisted he should go at once to the city of New York or Albany; and to add to their arrogance they publicly gave him a certificate that he had re- ceived full punishment for the crime with which they had charged him, signed by Ethan Allen and Seth Warner. He set forth that the crime he was charged with was that he had complained to the
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government of New York of their misconduct to magistrates and inhabitants of the Counties of Albany and Charlotte, and discouraged people from joining them, and had accepted and exer- cised the office of a magisarate for said Counties contrary to their injunctions. This trial and pun- ishment took place at Sunderland. This affidavit was read in Council on March 9, 1775.
Other riotous proceedings were reported to the New York authorities by the New York sympa- thizers, especially from Cumberland County. A long report was made and several affidavits were taken giving an account of the affair or massacre at Westminster Court House that took place at the time William French was killed. They claimed they killed one of the rioters and wounded nine other persons. What took place on that oc- casion is fully stated in the former volume.
On April 5th, 1775, Lieutenant-Governor Colden wrote to Lord Dartmouth, on learning of the trouble at Westminster, that the Bennington rioters grew from time to time more daring and dangerous. They began with pretending only to hold possession of the land on which they had set- tled, but they have extended their designs farther, and are daily growing more and more formidable and dangerous to government.
We have followed the history of the contro- versy between New York and New Hampshire down to a time when the attention of the people of New York, as well as the people of the New Hampshire Grants and of all the Colonies were called to take part in the Revolutionary struggle
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to free the Colonies from British tyranny and es- tablish the American Nation. We have come down to the important event of the capture of Ti- conderoga by the Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE NEW YORK VIEW OF THE CONTRO- VERSY BETWEEN THAT STATE AND THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS.
The reader has noticed that in the history of the New York view of the controversy as set forth in the last two chapters, the New York officials in their letters, reports and official documents in no way recognized the territory lying between Con- necticut River and the twenty mile line east of Hudson River as a separate jurisdiction, but treated that territory as the north-eastern part of the New York Province, and claimed that all the disturbances in that territory were within their own jurisdiction and rebellion against the laws of their State. Their complaints were against Gov- ernor Wentworth and the State of New Hamp- shire. They sought aid from the Crown to quell the riots and to settle the disputes between those who had taken title to their land under conflicting patents or grants. But the time had come when England was treated as the enemy of the Colon- ies and New York could look no longer to British source for assistance and that government must prepare, in common with the other Colonies, to defend themselves against British tyranny.
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After the Green Mountain Boys had captured Fort Ticonderoga under the lead of Ethan Allen, and took a vessel at St. Johns and destroyed a number of boats and store houses, Ethan Allen came to the conclusion that it was time for New York to cease her opposition to and interference with the settlers on the New Hampshire Grants, and addressed the following letter to the New York Provisional Congress, viz :
"TICONDEROGA, 20th July, 1775. RESPECTABLE GENTLEMEN :
When I reflect on the unhappy controversy which hath many years subsisted between the government of New York and the settlers on the New Hampshire Grants, and also contemplate on the friendship and union that hath lately taken place between the government and those, its former discontented subjects, in making a united resistance against ministerial vengeance and slav- ery ; I cannot but indulge fond hopes of reconcili- ation. To promote this salutary end, I shall con- tribute my influence, assuring your Honors, that your respect for not only to Mr. Warner and my- self, but to the Green Mountain Boys in general. in forming them into a battalion, are by them duly regarded, and I will be responsible that they will retaliate this favor by wholly hazarding their lives, if need be, in the common cause of America.
I hope no gentleman in the Congress will re- tain any preconceived prejudice against me, as on my part I shall not against any of them; but as soon as opportunity may permit and the public cause not suffer thereby, shall hold myself in readi-
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ness to settle all former disputes and grievances on honorable terms.
I am Gentlemen, with greatest respect,
Your devoted, most obedient, humble servant,
ETHAN ALLEN.
To the Honorable Provincial Congress, New Work."
On the first of September following, Seth Wat. ner was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Green Mountain Boys by the New York Provin. cial Congress. The above letter indicated that Ethan Allen was willing to extend to the Ne York government the olive branch of peace and reconciliation, but New York made no concession" to New Hampshire or the Green Mountain Boy: at this time, but endeavored to make cominc .: cause with the other twelve Colonies again .. England and at the same time to maintain the': jurisdiction as a Province to Connecticut Riv and sought assistance from the Continental Co gress in the maintenance of such claim. While . the other hand the inhabitants of the territo called at that time the New Hampshire Gra .. were fully determined to resist all efforts t! should be made, from whatever source it mi come, to bring them into the jurisdiction of : York or to submit to her authority, and at : same time make common cause with all the C onies against Great Britain in her attempt to str .. ject the American Colonies to her arbitrary rut: and government.
At a Convention, of 56 delegates from 36 diffet. ent towns, held at Dorset September 25, 1775,
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the Convention had under consideration the il- legal and unjustifiable measures of New York, es- pecially in respect to the landed interests of the inhabitants on the New Hampshire Grants and in regard to forming a separate District from New York, and declared it would be very inconvenient for the inhabitants, on account of distance and other reasons to associate or connect with New York, but that it was "necessary that every indi- vidual in the United States of America should ex- ert themselves to their utmost ability in the de- fense of the liberties thereof," and 45 of them signed a statement that they would "strictly and religiously adhere to the several Resolves passed in this or a future Convention (constituted on said District) of the Honorable Continental Con- gress relative to the general cause of America." Some time in 1776, some members of Congress advised the agents of the Grants, not to make ap- plication to have their territory at that time set off into a new State, but to have a delegate at New York or Philadelphia so that they might be ready to answer for themselves in case New York should attempt to have a confirmation of their claim over their territory, and deemed it advisa- ble to avoid signing any instrument that would by any means bind them to New York so that they could not renew their pretensions at a future day.
The authorities of New York had learned that Colonel Warner was authorized to raise a regi- ment on the New Hampshire Grants, independent of the State of New York, to be employed in the
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common cause. At this New York was indignant. They said "this State is of great importance in the present war. * * The State will not sub- mit to be dismembered; and there are not want- ing many respectable characters, both in the Sen- ate and the American army, who intimate that they would rather submit to a tyrant at 3000 miles distance than to avaricious or tyrannical neighbors."
On January 20, 1777, a committee to whom was referred the state of the Counties of Glouces- ter, Cumberland and Charlotte made report to the New York Committee of Safety, claiming that violent disputes and animosities have arisen and still subsist within the said Counties by reason of sundry unjust and iniquitous pretensions an- ciently set up by the States of Massachusetts and New Hampshire against certain large tracts of land within the known bounds of New York; and that many wicked and turbulent persons for the promotion of their private interests have artfully fomented said animosities, falsely alleging that said Counties were out of the bounds of the State, and that the government were determined to op- press, harass and impoverish the inhabitants of said Counties, and have incited them to disown their allegiance to the State of New York; and men of influence in the neighboring States con- cur in the design to dismember the State, and that it was reported that the Continental Con- gress would aid and assist in the independence of the said Counties, and such report received great weight and authority from the appointment of
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Seth Warner to be the Colonel of a regiment to be raised in that part of the State of New York and to appoint his own officers independent of the State; that said Warner had been principally con- cerned in divers riots, outrages and cruelties com- mitted in the said Counties; from the action of Congress they meant to give direct and ample tes- timony of their intention to protect such turbu- lent persons in their unjust designs; that many of the adherents to New York living on the Grants would submit to the tyranny of Great Britain "rather than suffer so valuable a territory to be purloined from them;" that the spirit of disaffec- tion has extended to those Counties through the arts and misrepresentations of certain inhabitants of the County of Charlotte distinguishing them- selves by the name of Green Mountain Boys and other emissaries; and in substance that territory was aiming at complete independence; and that a pressing application be made to Congress to inter- pose their authority and recommend to said in- surgents that they submit peaceably to the juris- diction of New York; and disband the regiment directed to be raised by said Warner.
On January 20, 1777, A. Ten Broeck of New York wrote a letter to John Hancock, President of Congress, in which he complained that they got no aid from Congress against the New Hampshire Grants, although New York were making their ut- most exertions in the Common Cause, and said that the King of Great Britain had by force of arms, taken from them five counties; and attempt is made in the midst of their distress, to purloin
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from them three other counties. And closed the long letter by saying, "it is become a common re- mark in the mouths of our most zealous friends, that if the State is to be rent asunder, and its jur- isdiction subverted, to gratify its deluded and dis- orderly subjects, it is a folly to hazard their lives and fortunes in a contest which, in every event, must terminate in their ruin.
Thomas Young of Philadelphia, the friend of Vermont, as stated in the first volume of this his- tory, on April 11, 1771, wrote to the people of the Grants to proceed, call a convention of dele- gates of the respective towns of their District and form a Constitution for their State, and he doubted not they would be admitted as a State by Congress.
On June 30, 1777, the members of the Conti- mental Congress took into consideration the let- ter from Abraham Ten Broeck, President of the Convention of New York, and the resolutions of the Committee of Safety of that State, the peti- tion of Jonas Fay, Thomes Chittenden, Heman Allen and Reuben Jones in behalf of the people of the New Hampshire Grants and the letter of Thomas Young of Philadelphia, and, after deliber- ation, resolved that Congress, by raising and offi- cering the regiment commanded by Colonel War- ner, never meant to give any encouragement to the claim of the people (of the New Hampshire Grants) to be considered as an independent State ; and that the sentiments expressed in the said let- ter of said Young, were derogatory to the honor of Congress and a gross misrepresentation of the
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resolution of Congress, and tend to mislead the people so addressed.
The New York Council of Safety took measures to immediately put in circulation through the New Hampshire Grants said resolution of Con- gress, and James Clay was employed for that purpose. The Council of Safety of Vermont on August 10, 1777, caused said Clay to be arrested for the distributing said resolves through the Dis- trict and for notifying the County Committee of Cumberland County to meet again acting under the State of New York contrary to the resolves of June, 1777.
On September 4, 1777, John Sessions wrote John Mckesson, Esq., Secretary of the New York Convention, that it gave him peculiar satisfaction that their "affairs have been upon the carpet of Congress-but it by no means answers the end to stop the progress of the faction respecting the new State."
On February 23, 1778, the State of New York, by George Clinton, issued a proclamation, setting forth at length again, in substance, that the cause of the disturbance in the New Hampshire Grants in the four Counties of Charlotte, Cumberland. Gloucester and Albany was the disputes growing out of the conflicting land titles under patents or grants issued from the respective governments of New York, Massachusetts Bay and New Hamp- shire, and therein made overtures to the inhabi- tants of these four Counties to induce them to vol- untarily submit to New York, viz: All prosecu- tions against them be discharged ; all persons pos-
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sessing and improving lands under grants from New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay, not granted under New York, should be confirmed in their possession ; all persons improving lands not granted by either government should be confirmed in their possession ; persons in possession of lands granted by New Hampshire and Massachusetts . Bay, but granted afterwards by New York, shall be confirmed under the prior grant ; in case of dis- putes as to titles, not provided for in the procla- mation, the New York Legislature should provide rules of justice and equity for the determination of the dispute; that in cases where confirmations were necessary each grantee should pay five pounds for each 300 acres or under, and additional sums for additional lands; and then provided for reducing quit-rents.
These overtures should be of no avail to any persons who yielded or acknowledged any alle- giance to the pretended State of Vermont after May 1, 1778. The sympathizers of New York liv- ing on the Grants continued to make their com- plaints and prefer their petitions to the New York Assembly and to Governor Clinton setting forth that their property was from time to time taken from them or destroyed by the Green Mountain Boys, and that they were cruelly treated if they acted as obedient citizens of New York or defied the authority of the pretended State of Vermont.
Samuel Minott in his petition of May 4, 1779, said they "were in hopes that the disaffected party would not have reduced them to the disa- greeable necessity of applying for protection, dur-
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ing the continuance of the war with Great Britain, but our present circumstances loudly demand the speedy and effectual execution of the promise made by the Legislature; we shall otherwise be compelled to obey a government which we view as an usurpation, and add our strength to op- pose one which we conceive entitled to our dutiful obedience and support."
Governor Clinton wrote from Kingstown on May 14, 1779, to Samuel Minott from whom he had previously received information as to the con- dition of affairs in the north-eastern part of New York. Governor Clinton stated he had received Minott's petition and a lettter from Colonel Pat- terson on the subject of the unhappy disturbances which prevailed in that part of the State, and said he had anxiously expected the determination of Congress upon that important matter, and had every reason to believe it would be favorable to the State of New York, and he would urge every argument in his power to induce them speedily to determine the controversy and by a seasonable in- terposition prevent, if possible, the dreadful con- sequences of having recourse to arms. And rec- ommend the adherents of New York, residing in that disturbed territory, "firmness and prudence. and in no instance acknowledge the authority of Vermont, unless where there is no alternative left between submission and inevitable ruin. * * * If I should discover that any attempt will be made by Vermont to reduce you by force of arms, I will instantly issue my orders to the militia who are properly equipped, and who will be led against
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the enemies of the State whoever they may hap- pen to be."
Governor Clinton on May 18, 1779, wrote to John Jay, President of Congress, that matters in the Grants "are fast approaching to a very seri- ous crisis which nothing but the immediate inter- position of Congress can possibly prevent." And said that the Legislature had from time to time made promises of protection to those who had preserved their allegiance to New York, but they will not much longer be content with mere promises.
Samuel Minott wrote to Governor Clinton from Brattleboro, May 25, 1779, "that Colonel Ethan Allen, with a number of Green Mountain Boys, made his appearance in this County yester- day, well armed and equipped for the purpose of reducing the loyal inhabitants of this County to submission to the authority of the State of Ver- mont, and made prisoners of Colonel Patterson, Lieutenant Colonel Sargeant and all the militia officers and a number of other persons. Allen de- clared he had 500 Green Mountain Boys with him. He treated the people here with the most in- sulting language, assaulted and wounded several persons with his sword without the least provo- cation, and bids defiance to the State of New York, declares they will establish their State by sword, and fight all who shall attempt to oppose them." And asked for speedy relief. "Other- wise," he said, "our persons and property must be at the disposal of Ethan Allen which is more to be dreaded than death with all its terrors."
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On May 29, 1779, Clinton wrote to the New York delegation in Congress that the "Vermont business had arrived at a crisis," and that he should issue orders to make arrangements for marching to repel the outrage at Brattleboro, and that he should feel it his duty to order the 1000 men destined for the defense of the frontiers unless ยท the interposition of Congress shall render the measure unnecessary.
On June 1, 1779, John Jay wrote Governor Clinton from Philadelphia "that it was the design of Congress to send a Committee to the inhabi- tants of the Grants to inquire into the reason why they refuse to continue citizens of the respective States which heretofore exercised jurisdiction over that district, and to take every prudent measure to promote an amiable settlement of all differences and prevent a division and animosities so prejudi- cial to the United States." Congress appointed as such Committee, Oliver Elseworth and Jesse Rood of Connecticut, Timothy Edwards of Massa- chusetts Bay, Doctor Witherspoon of New Jer- sey and Colonel Atlee of Pennsylvania.
Governor Clinton wrote to the President of Congress June 7, 1779, and said it was with as- tonishment and concern that he observed that Congress had passed over in profound silence the remonstrance on the seizure and imprisonment of the principal officers of government in the County of Cumberland, by the revolters; that the resolu- tions of Congress appointing a Committee to con- fer with the revolted citizens, will not produce the salutary effects required and would not be satis-
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factory to New York, and hinted that a breach might ensue betwixt the Legislature and the gen- eral Congress.
He also wrote to General Washington June 7, 1779, a letter complaining that his State had not been fairly treated by Congress, and requested Washington to return to New York six brass pounders together with their apparatus which the State lent for the use of the army in 1776, or in case of loss, to replace them, and informed him that the flour that the Legislature had authorized him to collect would be wanted to support the authority of the State, and might not be able to fill up the Continental battalions by draft from the militia. He seemed to be more in- clined to fight the inhabitants of the Grants than the common enemy.
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