History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 4

Author: Aldrich, Lewis Cass. ed. cn; Holmes, Frank R
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1260

USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 4

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The representatives in this convention at Windsor, from those towns that now form a part of Windsor county, together with the towns they

THE NEW CONSTITUTION.

respectively represented, were as follows: From Chester, Lieutenant Jabez Sargent ; Windsor, Ebenezer Hoisington; Hertford (Hartland), Major Joel Matthews and William Gallup ; Woodstock, Benjamin Em- mons; Hartford, Colonel Joseph Marsh and Stephen Tilden ; Pomfret, John Throop and John Winchester Dana; Barnard, Asa Whitcomb and Asa Chandler; Norwich, Colonel Peter Olcott, Major Thomas More- dock, and Jacob Burton; Sharon, Joel Marsh and Daniel Gilbert; Cav- endish, Captain John Coffein ; Reading, Andrew Spear.

After having completed, adopted and signed the revised declaration of State independence, the convention next proceeded to make provis- ion for the temporary government of the State, and for its protection from the inimical persons who were endeavoring to create a new feeling of disaffection in many of the towns. This being arranged satisfactorily, the convention adjourned, but met again at the same place on the 2d day of July, 1777. This was a meeting equally important with any of its predecessors, for, at that time, the question of the adoption of a State constitution would have to be met. At the former convention a com- mittee was chosen to make the draft of a constitution, but as to who act- ually constituted that committee there appears to be no record. Au- thorities agree, however, that it was composed of Jonas Fay, Thomas Chittenden, Heman Allen, Reuben Jones, and, probably, Jacob Bayley. These persons had been appointed agents to present the cause of Ver - mont to Congress, seeking admission to the Union, and recognition by that body as a separate and independent State ; and it is believed from the fact that these persons, or a majority of them, visited Philadelphia, and attended upon Congress, and, furthermore, became so closely asso · ciated with Dr. Young, of that city, that he induced them to adopt a constitution after the form of that of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Whatever of accuracy there may have been in this opinion cannot now be determined, but it is a fact that the constitution adopted for the gov- ernment of the State of Vermont was modeled upon that of Pennsyl- vania with, of course, some additions and eliminations. Concerning the events that occurred at the Windsor convention when the question of adopting the constitution was under consideration, we lay before the reader the account written by Ira Allen in the year 1798, which was as follows :

HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.

" A draft of a new constitution was laid before the convention, and read. The business being new, and of great consequence, required se- rious deliberation. The convention had it under consideration when the news of the evacuation of Ticonderoga arrived, which alarmed them very much, as thereby the frontiers of the State were exposed to the inroads of an enemy. The family of the President of the Convention, as well as those of many other members, were exposed to the foe. In this awful crisis the convention was for leaving Windsor, but a severe thunderstorm came on, and gave them time to reflect, while other members, less alarmed at the news, called the attention of the whole to finish the Con- stitution, which was then read paragraph by paragraph for the last time. This was done, and the convention then appointed a Council of Safety to act during the recess, and the Convention adjourned."

It was the duty of the Council of Safety to administer the civil and military affairs of the State during the seasons when the convention was not in session. This, of course, was a highly important service, and the members of the council were required to be men of undoubted ability and courage. The members of the council that were chosen by the Windsor convention were Heman and Ira Allen, of Colchester; Jacob Bayley, of Newbury ; Benjamin Spencer, of Clarendon, who became a Tory, and was superceded by Benjamin Carpenter, of Guilford ; Thomas Chittenden, of Williston ; Jeremiah Clark, of Shaftsbury; Nathan Clark, Jonas and Joseph Fay and Moses Robinson, of Bennington ; Matthew Lyon, of Arlington ; and Paul Spooner, of Hartland.

Another important act of the Windsor convention of July, 1777, was the provision made for holding the first election of officers under the new constitution, the time so appointed being in December following ; but the unfortunate turn of affairs upon the frontier, leaving the northern and western portions of the State almost wholly unprotected, necessi- tated the assembling of another general convention, which was called to meet again at Windsor on the 24th of December, 1777; and that body, when met, postponed the election of State officers until the first Tuesday of March, 1778. Among other things this convention made a revision of the constitution, but no business appears to have been transacted, other than above referred to, that is of any special importance in these pages.

DR. PAUL SPOONER.

Dr. Paul Spooner, the representative and member of the Council of Safety, from Hartland, appears first in Vermont history in a convention at Westminster, October 19, 1774, which convention was called, says the "Governor and Council," "to condemn the tea act, the Boston port bill, and other kindred measures. Dr Spooner was one of a committee which made a written report expressing surprise that the king and parliament should dare to assert 'a right to bind the colonies in all cases whatso- ever,' and to take, 'at their pleasure, the properties of the king's Ameri- can subjects without their consent.' 'He who has nothing,' said this committee, ' but what another has power at pleasure lawfully to take away from him, has nothing that he can call his own, and is, in the fullest sense of the word, a slave-a slave to him who has such power ; and as no part of British America stipulated to settle as slaves, the privileges of British subjects are their privileges, and whoever endeavors to deprive them of their privileges is guilty of treason against the Americans, as well as the British constitution.' He again appeared as a delegate at a convention of Whigs at Westminster, February 7, 1775, and was secre- tary. Still again, June 6, 1775, he was a delegate at a Cumberland county Congress (so called), and was chosen one of three delegates to represent the county in the New York Provincial Congress. He served as such for the remainder of the session which commenced May 23, 1775, was re-elected November 7, and served in the session which com- menced November 14. May 5, 1777, he was chosen sheriff of Cumber- land county under New York, but declined accepting the office in a let- ter dated July 15. Just one week before writing that letter he had been appointed one of the Vermont Council of Safety, which office he accepted, and was appointed deputy secretary thereof in the absence of the secre- tary, Ira Allen. He was a member of the first council under the con- stitution, and was re-elected five times, serving from 1778 till October, 1782, when he was elected lieutenant-governor, and annually re elected until 1787. Twice he was agent from Vermont to Congress, in 1780, and again in 1782. For nine years he was a judge of the Supreme Court, in 1779 and 1780, and again from 1782 to 1788. During the same period, in 1781 and 1782, he was judge of probate for Windsor county." He died in Hartland in 1789.

HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.

CHAPTER V.

"The Pingry Papers "-A Chapter Devoted to the Proceedings of the Committees of the Counties of Cumberland and Gloucester from June, 1774, to September, 1777; Together with Such Other Records of Events as will be of Interest to the Pres- ent and Future Generations of Readers of this Work-The Narrative, with Explana- tions, Comprises Extracts Taken from the Book Entitled "Governor and Council," Volume I, Appendix A, No. I.

M AY 16, 1774, a committee of correspondence, consisting of fifty members, was formed in the city of New York for the purpose of eliciting the sentiments of the people of the respective provinces, and particularly of New York, on the measures of the mother country in re- spect to her American colonies. Of this committee Isaac Low was chairman. Two days before he was confirmed in that office he addressed the supervisors of Cumberland county, May 21, 1774, asking informa- tion as to the sentiments of the people. The supervisors met in June, but took no action on this letter, and in fact endeavored to conceal it. By accident, Dr. Reuben Jones, of Rockingham, and Captain Azariah Wright, of Westminster, heard of it, and immediately notified their towns, when a meeting was held and a committee appointed in each of those towns to wait upon the supervisors at their September session and inquire whether any papers had been received which ought to be laid before the several towns of the county. The supervisors, with many excuses for their delay, produced Low's letter, when a copy of it was sent to each town, and a county convention was called to meet at West- minster on the 19th of October. In response on application of four in- habitants, Colonel Thomas Chandler, clerk of Chester, called a meeting of the freemen of that town, which was held on the 10th of October, and appointed a committee of five to join the county committee for the purpose of preparing a report to be sent to the New York committee of correspondence. The proceedings of that meeting were as follows:

" Request for a Town Meeting. We, the Subscribers, Inhabitants of the Town of Chester, Desire Colo Thomas Chandler as Clerk of the Town Aforesaid to Call a Town meeting to know the minds of the People, Wither they are Willing to Choose a Comtee to make Report to sd Comtee

TOWN MEETINGS.

of Correspondence and Whither the People will Stand for the Privileges of North America, or Wither they are Willing to Consent to Receive the Late Acts of Parliament as Just or Wither they view them as unjust, Oppressive and unconstitutional, and to act as they think proper, and we Desire the meeting to be Called as Soon as Possible. Chester, October 3d, 1774, George Earl, David Hutchinson, William Atwood, Jonathan Tarbell.

" Warrant or Notification. Agreeable to the above Request I hereby Notify the Inhabitants of Chester to meet at the House of Mr. Jonathan Tarbell in sd Chester on Monday the Tenth Day of October, Instant at Two of the Clock in the afternoon then and there to Act on the Articles mentioned in the Request, if they See Cause given under my hand in Chester this Third Day of Oct" A. D. 1774. Tho Chandler Supervisor & Clerk.

" Meeting opened. At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Chester Duly Notified and meet at the usual place of meeting Oct" 10th, 1774. Thos Chandler, Esq., Chosen Moderator.

" Voted that Thomas Chandler, junr., Timo Alcott, Moses Gile, John Smith, and John Grout be a Comtee to Joyn with the County Comtee to make Reports to sd Comtee of Correspondence in the Metropelous of this Province.

" At said meeting Resolved first That the People of America are Nat- urally Intitled to all the Privileges of Free Borne Subjects of Great Britain, which Privileges they have Never Forfeited. 2ly, Resolved that Every Man's Estate Honestly Acquired is his Own and no person on Earth has A Right to take it Away without the Proprietor's Consent unless he forfeit it by Some Crime of his Committing. 3ly, Resolved that all the Acts of the British Parliament Tending to take Away or Abridge these Rights Ought not to be Obeyed. 4ly, Resolved that the People of this Town will Joyn with their Fellow American Subjects in Opposing in all Lawfull ways Every Incroachment on their Natural Rights." 1

" At a meeting of the committees from a number of townships in the county of Cumberland and province of New York, held in the County Hall, at Westminster, on the 19th and 20th of October, 1774, to con-

1 From American Archives, Fourth series, vol. 2.

HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.

sider a letter very lately received from Mr. Isaac Low, chairman of the committee of correspondence of New York, dated May 21, 1774, to con- sult on measures proper to be taken at this important day ; present, eighteen delegates from twelve towns. Colonel John Hazeltine chosen chairman.

" After having read Mr. Chairman Low's letter, and the act of the Brit- ish Parliament in laying a duty or tax on tea, for the purpose of raising a revenue in America, the Boston Port Bill, so called, and divers other late acts of the British Parliament; sundry debates being had thereon, voted, that John Grout, of Chester; Joshua Webb, of Westminster; Dr. Paul Spooner, of Hartford; Edward Harris, of Halifax; and Major William Williams, of Marlborough; be a committee to take into consid- eration the aforesaid letter, and divers aforesaid acts, and report to this meeting. (The report is not deemed essential in this chapter, having been referred to and quoted in part in an earlier chapter.) Therefore,

"Resolved, I. That as true and loyal subjects of our gracious Sover- eign, King George the Third of Great Britain, etc., we will spend our lives and fortunes in his service.

"II. That we will defend our King while he reigns over us, his sub- jects, and wish his reign may be long and glorious, so we will defend our just rights, as British subjects, against every power that shall attempt to deprive us of them, while breath is in our nostrils, and blood in our veins.

"III. That considering the late acts of the British Parliament for blocking up the port of Boston, etc., which we view as arbitrary and un- just, inasmuch as the Parliament has sentenced them unheard, and dis- pensed with all the modes of law and justice which we think necessary to distinguish between lawfully obtaining right for property injured, and arbitrarily enforcing to comply with their will, be it right or wrong, we resolve to assist the people of Boston in the defence of their liberties to the utmost of our abilities.

"IV. Sensible that the strength of our opposition to the late acts con- sists in a uniform, manly, steady, and determined mode of procedure, we will bear testimony against and discourage all riotous, tumultuous, and unnecessary mobs which tend to injure the persons or properties of harmless individuals; but endeavor to treat those persons whose abom-

EXTRACTS FROM TOWN RECORDS.

inable principles and actions show them to be enemies to American lib- erties, as loathesome animals not fit to be touched or to have any soci- ety or connection with.

"V. Resolved, That we choose a committee to correspond with the other Committees of Correspondence of this Province and elsewhere, and that Mr. Joshua Webb, John Grant, esq., Deacon John Sessions, of Westminster ; Major William Williams and Captain Joab Hoisington, of Woodstock ; be a committee as aforesaid.

"VI. Resolved, That the thanks of this Committee be given to the Committee of Correspondence in the capital of this Province, for the no- tice they have taken of this infant county.

"VII. Resolved, That Mr. Chairman forward these resolves to Mr. Low, Chairman of the Committee of Correspondence at New York, and communicate to him by letter the reasons why his letter to the super- visors of this county was answered no sooner.

"VIII. Resolved, That Colonel Hazeltine, the chairman, have the thanks of this committee for his good service as chairman.

" The above report being divers times read, paragraph by para- graph, voted, nemine contradicente, That the same be accepted as the sense of this meeting, and as their resolves."

The following is an extract from the Dummerston town records re- lating to the arrest and imprisonment of Lieutenant Leonard Spaulding : "On the 28th of October, A. Dom. 1774, Lieutenant Leonard Spauld- ing of the town of Fulham alias Dummerstown, was Committed to the Common gaol for high treason against the British tyrant George the third, by the direction of the infamous Crean Brush, his attorney, & Noah Sabin, William Willard and Ephraim Rannsey, Esqs., and William Paterson the high Shreeve and Benj. Gorton, and the infamous Bil- dad Easton and his Deputies ; upon which, on the following day, viz., October the 29th a majority of the inhabitants met near the house of Charles Davenport on the green, and made Choice of Sundry persons to Serve as a Committee of Correspondence to joyn with other towns or re- spectable bodies of people, the better to secure and protect the rights and privileges of themselves and fellow creatures from the raveges and imbarrasments of the British tyrant & his New York and other imme- saries. The persons made choice of were these, viz., Solomon Harvey,

HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.

John Butler, Jonathan Knight, Josiah Boyden, & Daniel Gates, by whose vigilence and activity Mr. Spaulding was released from his Con- finement after about eleven days ; the Committee finding it Necessary to be assisted by a Large Concourse of their freeborn Neighbours and bretherin, Consisting of the inhabitants of Dummerstown, Putney, Guil- ford, Halifax, and Draper (Wilmington), who discovered a patriotic Zeal & true heroic fortitude on the important occassion. The plain truth is, that the brave sons of freedom whose patience was worn out with the inhuman insults of the imps of power, grew quite sick of diving after re- dress in Legal way, & finding that the law was only made use of for the Emolument of its Creatures & the immesaries of the British tyrant, resolved upon an Easyer Method, and accordingly Opened the gaol with- out Key or Lockpicker, and after Congratulating Mr. Spaulding upon the recovery of his freedom, Dispersed Every man in pease to his re- spective home or place of abode. The aforegoing is a true and short re- lation of that Wicked affair of the New York, Cut throatly, Jacobitish High Church Toretical minions of George the third, the pope of Canada and Tyrant of Britain."1

Extracts from the Proceedings of the Cumberland County Convention, February 7-9, 1774 : " At a Meeting of the Delegates of Twelve Towns in the County of Cumberland Convened at Westminster and formed into a Body February ye 7th 1775. Istly, Voted that John Hazelton be Chareman of the Convention. 2dly, that Doct. Paul Spooner be the Clerk. gly, that this convention recomend it (to) their Constituants to chuse a Man for their Supervisor at the next Anual meeting such as they would chouse if they ware to send him to New york as their As- semblyman; that so the Supervisors may select Two men out of their body, such as they shall think most proper; which they the supervisors of the County are desired to Return to their Constitients for their Con- sideration and approbation by a Regular vote when Called upon to chouse Assemblymen in said County. Ioly, Voted, That Joshua Webb, Nathaniel Robertson & Abijah Lovejoy, of Westminster; Captain Minerd, of putney; Solomon Hervey, of fullom; Nathaniel Frinch, of Brattleborough; William Bollock, Hezekiah Stowell, of Guilford; Lieut.

' The above quotation is reproduced more on account of its extraordinary character as a literary curiosity than as having any bearing on the history of this county.

EXTRACTS FROM TOWN RECORDS.

Parterson, of Hins Hinsdall; Edward Haries, of Halifax ; Charles Phil- lips, & Captain Whitmore, of Marlborough ; Elijah Alvord, of Draper ; S'1 Robertson, of Newfain; John Hazelton & S'l Fletcher, of Town- shend ; James Rogers, of Kent; Moses Guild, of Chester ; Moses Wright, & Jonathan Burt, of Rockingham; Simon Stephens, Esq., of Spring- field; Hezekiah Grout, & Oliver Rider, of Weathersfield ; Benjamin Wait, of Windsor; Paul Spooner, of Hertford; Esq. Burch, of Hert- ford; Jacob Haselton, of Woodstock; John Whinchester Daviee, of Pomphret (John Winchester Dana, of Pomfret) be a standing Committee of Correspondence to Correspond with the Committee of Correspondence for the City of New York; and other Committees of Correspondence elsewhere."

Passing over some of the proceedings of the county committee and other bodies, that are sufficiently adverted to elsewhere, the attention of the reader is now directed to the proceedings of the county "Congress" of July and November, 1775. "The county Congress again met at Westminster on the 26th of July, 1775, and authorized Major (after- ward Colonel) William Williams to act for both of the delegates of the county in the New York Provincial Congress; and he was permitted to do so, casting the two votes of the county. In August the Province was divided into military districts and the counties of Charlotte, Cum- berland, and Gloucester were embraced in one brigade. On the 4th of November, a new election of deputies having been ordered, the Provin- cial Congress was dissolved. On the 2Ist the county 'Congress' met once more at Westminster, and proceeded first as a 'Congress' to elect deputies, and then as a 'Committee of Safety ' to nominate militia of- ficers."

"Congress and Committee of Safety, November 21, 1775. May it please your Honour : We, the Committee of Safety for this County, have proceeded in the election of Deputies, pursuant to the resolves of the honourable Congress for the Colony of New York, of October 18, 1775: And this certifies that Major William Williams and Doctor Paul Spooner are chosen by this County to represent the people thereof in the hon- ourable Provincial Congress at the city of New York. Also, we, the Committee of Safety for this County, have presumed to nominate Col- onel James Rogers to be the Brigadier for Cumberland, Gloucester, and Charlotte Brigade.

HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.

" Moreover, according to the directions of the honourable Provincial Congress of New York, (as are transmitted to us) per our Delegate, Ma- jor Williams, we have recommended that the following gentlemen, be- longing to this County, be speedily commissioned by said Congress, viz .: Lower regiments in the County : Major William Williams, first Colonel; Major Jonathan Hunt, second Colonel; Lieutenant John Norton, first Major; Oliver Lovell, second Major ; Arad Hunt, Adjutant ; and Sam- uel Fletcher, Quartermaster.

" Upper Regiment : Captain Joseph Marsh, first Colonel; Captain John Barrett, second Colonel; Lieutenant Hilkiah Grout, first Major ; Captain Joel Mathews, second Major; Timothy Spencer, Adjutant ; Amos Robinson, Quartermaster.

"Regiment of Minute Men : Captain Joab Hoisington, first Colonel ; Seth Smith, second Colonel; Joseph Tyler, first Major; Joel Marsh, second Major; Timothy Phelps, Adjutant; Elish Hawley, Quartermas- ter." The nominations of the above officers, except those for the lower regiment, were confirmed in January, 1776. Concerning the selection of officers for the accepted regiment it was urged that the meeting of the Committee of Safety was poorly attended, and that the selections made did not meet with general approbation. To remedy this a well at- tended meeting of the committee was held February 1, 1776, and the following officers agreed upon : "Major William Williams, first Colonel; Benjamin Carpenter, second Colonel ; Oliver Lovell, first Major ; Abijah Lovejoy, second Major; Samuel Minott, junior, Adjutant; Samuel Fletcher, Quartermaster."

" On the 22d of May, 1776, three committee men from each of the counties of Cumberland and Gloucester met at Windsor, in response to a circular issued to the Committees of Safety of these counties and the county of Charlotte. The latter was not represented when the commit- tees (six persons) for the other counties proceeded to nominate Jacob Bayley, of Newbury, for Brigadier-General, and Colonel Simon Stevens, of Springfield, for Brigade-Major, of which a return was made to the New York Provincial Congress by Colonel Joseph Marsh of Hartford, who was one of the Cumberland county committee. On the 7th of June, 1776, the Provincial Congress assigned one hundred and twenty - five men to Cumberland county and seventy -five men to Gloucester as

MEETING AT WESTMINSTER.

the quota of each towards three thousand men to be raised by the prov- ince for continental service; and the militia of these counties having been formed into a brigade, the nominations of Brigadier-General Bay- ley and Brigadier-Major Stevens were confirmed on the Ist of August."

Extracts 1 from the Journal of the Cumberland County Committee of Safety : "Meeting at Westminster, June 11-13, 1776. Towns repre- sented as follows : Hinsdale (Vernon), John Bridgman, Esq., Arad Hunt; Brattleborough, Israel Smith, John Sergeant; Gillford, Israel Gurley, Samuel Nichols; Marlborough, Jonathan Warren; Newfane, Luke Knoulton, Esq .; Townsend, Joseph Tyler, Samuel Fletcher; Fullom (Fulham-Dummerston), Joseph Hildrith, Ebenezer Haven; Putney, Captain James Clay, Lucas Willson; Draper (Wilmington), Elijah Al- vord, John Gibbs; Westminster, John Norton, Elkanah Day ; Rocking- ham, William Simons, Ebenezer Fuller ; Chester, John Chandler, Esq., Captain George Earl; Kent (Londonderry), Captain Edward Aiken ; Springfield, Simon Stevens, Jerath'l Powers; Windsor, Ebenezer Hois- ington, Eben'r Curtis; Weathersfield, Israel Burlingame, William Up- ham; Hertford (Hartland), Jonathan Burk.

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History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 4

Author: Aldrich, Lewis Cass. ed. cn; Holmes, Frank R Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 1260

Author: Aldrich, Lewis Cass. ed. cn; Holmes, Frank R
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1260