USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 78
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The town of Royalton as granted and chartered by Vermont had not the same area as under the New York charter, for it was found that, had the same territory been granted, it would have overlapped the town
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TOWN OF ROYALTON.
lands of Bethel, on the west side. To remedy this two tiers of lots were taken off from the town and laid out under the New York survey, thus reducing the area of Royalton.
But there occurred in the town of Royalton, and in the year 1780, one particular event,-one of special and extraordinary importance ; a serious and terrible occurrence in the early history of the town ; and one which undoubtedly had much effect upon the minds of the people of the State at large, and had weight in leading the members of the Legislature to eventually grant the town to the persons affected by the event, and in setting aside the grant formerly made to Danforth Keyes, Eliakim Spooner and their fellows. And the event was one, moreover, that has been, and ever will be, a memorable one in the history of this State, and always known and distinguished as
THE BURNING OF ROYALTON.1
" On the morning of the 16th of October, 1780, before the dawn of day the inhabitants of this town were surprised by the approach of about three hundred Indians of various tribes. They were led by the Caghne- waga tribe, and had left Canada intending to destroy Newbury, a town in the eastern part of Vermont, on Connecticut River. A British lieu- tenant by the name of Horton was their chief commander, and one Le Mott, a Frenchman, was his second. Their pilot or leader was a des- perate villain by the name of Hamilton, who had been made prisoner by the Americans at the taking of Burgoyne in 1777. He had been at New- bury and Royalton the preceding summer on parole of honor ; left the lat - ter place with several others, under pretense of going to survey lands in the northern part of this State, and went directly to the enemy. He was doubt- less the first instigator of those awful depredations which were the bitter fruits of this expedition, and which ought to stamp his name wide with disgrace.
"On their way thither, it is said, they came across several men from Newbury, who were engaged in hunting near the place where Montpelier
1 The following account of what occurred at that time is extracted from Steele's Nar- rative, a small book published about or soon after the year 1800, and of which but very few copies are in existence. Fortunately one was found in the Windsor library and as to its accuracy there can be no doubt. Zadoc Steele, the author, was made a prisoner on the occasion of the burning.
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
village now stands, and made them prisoners. They made known their object to these hunters, and inquired of them whether an armed force was stationed at Newbury. Knowing the defenceless state of that town, and hoping they would be able to induce the Indians to relinquish their object and return to Canada, they told them that such an armed garrison was kept at Newbury as would render it extremely dangerous for them to approach. Unwilling however that their expedition should prove wholly fruitless, they turned their course to Royalton. Following up Onion River, as far as the mouth of Stevens branch, they steered their course through Barre, at that time called Wildersburg ; proceeded up Gaol branch, which forms a part of Stevens branch, and traveled over the mountains through Orange and Washington ; thence down the first branch of White River, through Chelsea and Tunbridge, to Royalton. They laid in their encampment at Tunbridge, not far distant from Royal- ton, during the Sabbath, the day preceding their attack upon the latter place, for the purpose of concerting measures to carry into effect their atrocious and malignant design. As they entered the town before day- light appeared darkness covered their approach, and they were not discovered till Monday morning at dawn of day, when they entered the house of John Hutchinson, who resided not far from the line separating Royalton and Tunbridge. He was totally ignorant of their approach, and wholly unsuspicious of danger until they burst the door upon him. Here they took John and Abijah Hutchinson, brothers, prisoners, and plundered the house ; crossed the first branch and went to the house of Robert Havens, who lived a short distance away. Mr. Havens had gone out into his pasture in pursuit of his sheep, and having ascended a hill about forty rods from his house, heard his neighbor Hutchinson's dog bark, and stood in pensive silence. Casting his eye to the west, toward his own dwelling, he beheld a company of Indians just entering the door. Seeing his own danger, he immediately laid down under a log and hid himself from their sight. With groanings unutterable he lay awhile, heard the shrieks of his beloved wife, and saw his sons escaping for their lives. His son, Daniel Havens, and Thomas Pember were in the house and made their appearance a little before the Indians came up. Behold- ing the foe a few rods distant, they ran for their lives. Daniel Havens made his escape by throwing himself over a hedge fence down the bank of the branch and crawling under a log, although a large number of the
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TOWN OF ROYALTON.
Indians passed directly over it in pursuit of him. They pursued Pem- ber till they came so near as to throw a spear at him, which pierced his body. He ran some time after he was wounded, till by loss of blood he fainted, fell, and was unable to proceed farther. The savage monsters came up, several times thrust a spear through his body, took his scalp, and left him food for the worms.
"The Indians made the house of Mr. Havens their rallying-place, or post of observation, and stationed a part of their company there to guard their baggage and make preparations for retreat when they had com- pleted their work of destruction. Moving with violent steps, they pro- ceeded down the first branch to its mouth ; while a number, armed withi spears, led the van, and were followed by others, armed with muskets and scalping knives. They had not proceeded far before a young man. named Elias Button made his appearance in the road but a few ·rods in front of them. Espying his danger, he turned and ran to escape their cruel hands. The savage tribe pursued and soon overtook him, pierced his body with their spears, took off his scalp, and left him weltering in his gore. That they might be able to fall upon the inhabitants unawares, and thereby secure a greater number of prisoners, as well as procure a greater quantity of plunder, they kept profound silence till they had ar- rived at the mouth of the branch. After killing Pember and Button they proceeded to the house of Joseph Kneeland, where they found Simeon Belknap, Giles Gibbs and Jonathan Brown, together with Joseph Kneeland and his aged father, all of whom were made prisoners. They then went to the house of Elias Curtis, where they took Curtis, John Kent and Peter Mason. Mrs. Curtis had just arisen from her bed, when she was approached by an Indian with knife in hand, and who made a threatening movement as if to cut her throat, but the savage happened to observe a string of gold beads around the woman's neck, which he at once took and left her undisturbed. To prevent an alarm being sounded abroad the Indians commanded the prisoners to keep silence on pain of death. They plundered every house they found till they arrived at the mouth of the branch, when the commander, a British officer, took his stand with a small party of Indians, while some went up and others down on each side of the river to complete the work of destruction. They had already taken several horses, some of which they rode to facilitate their march, and enable them to overtake those who had attempted to
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
make their escape, but the horses, through fright at their strange riders, served to impede rather than hasten their progress.
" General Elias Stevens, who resided in the first house on the river above the mouth of the branch, had gone down the river about two miles, and was at work with his oxen and cart. While thus employed he beheld a man approaching, who, seeing the general, said, 'For God's sake, turn out your oxen, for the Indians are at the mill.' (This mill was owned by Mr. Morgan, and was situated near the mouth of the first branch.) General Stevens turned out his oxen, mounted his horse, and started to return to his family, but before making half the distance he was met by Captain Joseph Parkhurst, who informed him that the In- dians were but a few rods distant, in swift pursuit ; whereupon the gen- eral turned and accompanied Parkhurst down the river, to the house of Deacon Daniel Rix. General Stevens took Mrs. Rix and two or three small children on his horse, and all rode off as fast as possible, accompa- nied by Deacon Rix and others on foot, and arrived at the place where the general first received the alarm. Here, having seen no Indians, General Stevens concluded to return home and secure his household from danger. Leaving Mrs. Rix and children in care of a Mr. Bur- roughs, he started, and had proceeded about a mile when he saw the In- dians but a few rods distant, upon which he quickly turned about, re- turned to the company he had left, and directed them to conceal them- selves in the woods, which they did, and were passed undiscovered by the Indians, who continued on in pursuit of Stevens. The latter reached the house of Tillie Parkhurst, where he gave an alarm, and at once pro- ceeded to warn others who lived contiguous. By this time the way was filled with men, women, and children, and a large body of Indians in open view but just behind them. The savage tribe now began to make the wilderness re-echo with their frightful yells. Frightened and alarmed for their safety, children clung to their parents, and half distracted moth- ers were heard to make the air resound with their cries of distress. General Stevens endeavored to get them into the woods, out of sight of the Indians, but few could be persuaded to go, and most of them kept the road till they arrived at the house of Captain E. Parkhurst, in Sharon. Here they halted a moment to take breath, hoping they should not be pursued any farther. The Indians, being taken up in plundering the
A.M. Kenney.
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TOWN OF ROYALTON.
houses, had now fallen considerably in the rear ; but the victims had not long been here when the cruel pursuers again appeared in sight.
"Seeing the Indians approaching, General Stevens put his mother and sister on his own horse, and Captain Parkhurst put Mrs. Rix and three of her children on another horse, without a bridle, and ordered them to hasten their flight. There yet remained the wife of Captain E. Parkhurst, who stood in the most critical situation, surrounded by six small children clinging to her clothes and pleading for protection. Her husband, to whom she fain would have looked for protection, was gone from home when all her woes fell upon her. At the time General Stev- ens put his mother and sister on his horse the Indians were not eight rods from him ; they, with Mrs. Rix, rode off, the others following on foot. Part of the Indians pursued them, while others entered the house and plundered it. They took Mrs. Parkhurst's eldest son from her, and ordered her with the rest of the children to leave the house ; and she ac- cordingly went to the fields back of the house with five of her children, and remained in safety. Soon after Stevens started his dog came in his way, and caused him to stumble and fall, which so retarded his progress that he was obliged to flee to the woods for safety, leaving the women and children to make the best of their retreat. The Indians pursued down the road after them, and soon overtook those who were on foot. They took Gardner Rix, son of Deacon Rix, a boy about fourteen years old, just at the heels of his mother's horse, while she was compelled to witness the painful sight. They pursued the women and children as far as the house of Mr. Benedict, where they left them and started for Ben- edict himself; but he escaped by hiding under a log, although the In- dians stood on it in looking for him. About forty rods farther down the river the Indians took a young man named Avery prisoner, and then concluded to return.
" While they were at the house of Tillie Parkhurst, Phineas, the son of Tillie, who had been to alarm the people on the east side of the river, just as he entered the stream on his return discovered the Indians at his father's door. Finding himself in danger, he turned to go back, when the Indians saw him and fired at him. This was the first gun they fired after entering the town. The ball entered his back, went through his body, came out under his ribs, and lodged in the skin. Notwithstand-
97
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ing the wound, he continued his retreat to Lebanon, N. H., a distance of sixteen miles, with very little stop, supporting the ball between his fingers. (He was a resident physician in Lebanon in 1853.)
"The party of Indians that went down the east side of the river into Sharon took, in that town, one prisoner, a boy named Nathaniel Gilbert. On their return they shot and killed fourteen fat oxen in one yard. Cows, sheep, hogs, and every creature designed by nature to supply the wants of man, that came in their way, fell a prey to these dreadful spoilers.
"The third party, who went up the river, first came to the house of General Stevens, whose family had been warned by Daniel Havens, he saying : 'The Indians are thick as the d-I at our house,' and directly went away. Just as Mrs. Stevens was for leaving the house the Indians came in the door, destroyed everything, not even allowing her any suffi- cient clothing, but ordering her to 'be gone, or they would burn.' She took her child and went to the woods for safety. Daniel Waller, a boy of fourteen, lived with General Stevens, and he was taken prisoner and carried to Canada. The party next visited Mr. Durkee's house and took his sons, Aden and Andrew, prisoners. The former died in prison in Canada. Prince Haskell was next taken.
"John Kent and a Mr. Chaffee were both riding or racing towards Elias Curtis's to have their horses shod. Kent arrived first, and just in time to fall into the hands of the Indians, while Chaffee, seeing what was up, got behind the shop, and made for the woods, thus escaping. He then went to Mr. Hendee's and gave the alarm. Mrs. Hendee was directed to take her children and go to the neighbors, while he would alarm the people at Bethel Fort. Mrs. Hendee was overtaken and her son was taken from her. (This determined and exceedingly courageous woman, Mrs. Hendee, afterward visited the Indians in their camps, be- fore they left the vicinity, and succeeded in effecting the release of a number of children, whose names are as follows: Michael Hudson, Ros- well Parkhurst, son of Ebenezer Parkhurst, Andrew and Sheldon Dur- kec, Joseph Rix, Rufus and - Fish, Nathaniel Evans, and Daniel Downer.)
"The Indians, having accomplished their nefarious design, returned to the house of Mr. Havens with their prisoners and the plunder of houses which they had devoted to destruction. Here was the place where they had commenced their ravages. The old man, as before ob-
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TOWN OF ROYALTON.
served, having concealed himself under a log, at the time he espied the Indians in the morning, while hunting for his sheep, still remained in sorrowful silence undiscovered. He had considered it unsafe to move, as a party of the Crow had remained there during the day, and had twice come and stood upon the log under which he lay, without finding him. After collecting their plunder together, and distributing it among them, they burned the house and barn of Mr. Havens, and started for Canada. It was now about two o'clock in the afternoon. They carried off twenty- six prisoners from Royalton, who were all delivered up to the British as prisoners of war. They all obtained their release, and returned in about one year, except Aden Durkee, who died in camp in Montreal.
" Twenty-one dwelling houses and sixteen good new barns, well filled with hay and grain, the hard earnings of industrious young farmers, were laid in ashes by the impious crew. They killed about 150 head of neat cattle, and all the sheep and swine they found. Hogs in their pens and cattle tied in their stalls were burned alive. They destroyed all the household furniture except what was carried away by them. They burned the house of John Hutchinson, and giving his wife a hatchet and a flint, together with a quarter of mutton, told her to 'go and cook for · her men.' They took away about thirty horses, which were of little use to them, but rather served to hinder their progress."
On their return they crossed the hills in Tunbridge, lying west of the first branch, and proceeded to Randolph, where they encamped for the first night near the second branch, a distance of ten miles. Of the events of the pursuits by militia under Colonel John House an early chapter has sufficiently narrated ; and but for the lack of courage on the part of that officer the whole party might have been captured and the prisoners rescued from their hands. It was on their retreat to Canada that the Indians passed the house of Zadoc Steele, and made a prisoner of that person, the author of the narrative from which this sketch is taken.
In view of this terrible disaster that befell the struggling inhabitants of the newly settled town how else could it be than that the State govern- ment should wisely conclude to interfere in their behalf, and arm the grant that had been given to Danforth Keyes, Eliakim Spooner and their associates, and confirm and quiet the actual inhabitants in their posses- sion by granting them a charter ? And the Legislature did more than that; they condescended to extend the time of payment of the " grant-
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
ing fees " for a period of five years, and designated by name the persons to whom the extension should be made, as follows: Timothy Durkee, Heman Durkee, Aden Durkee, Timothy Durkee, jr., David Fisk, Joseph Fisk, David Brewster, Zebulon Lyon, Elias Stevens, Robert Hendee, Calvin Parkhurst, James Cooper, Joseph Parkhurst, Joseph Havens, Elisha Kent, Daniel Rix, Gardner Rix, Joseph John Rix, Medad Benton, Nathan Morgan, John Billings, Benjamin Day, Israel Waldo, Peleg Park. hurst, Phineas Parkhurst, Jabez Parkhurst, Ebenezer Parkhurst, Daniel Gilbert, Simon Shepard, Jeremiah Trescott, Nathaniel Morse, widow Sa- rah Rood, Isaac Morgan, Elias Curtis, Robert Havens, Daniel Havens, John Evans, Martin Fuller, John Hibbard and Jonathan Benton. This was done by a resolve of the Assembly passed February 22, 1781. And subsequently, on the 26th of February, 1782, the Assembly passed an act "relinquishing to the settlers of Royalton certain taxes therein men- tioned, on account of ' the ravages of the enemy' in burning the town."
Of the inhabitants of the town who were not carried off by the In- dians a number left the vicinity and made their homes temporarily among friends, while not a few were so disheartened at the losses they had suffered that they left the town never to return. To those who re- mained fell the work of building up again and re-establishing the town, which required years of toil and hardships. Other families came in and replaced those who were gone, and so rapidly did the population increase that in 1791 Royalton was found to contain 748 inhabitants; and in 1800 the number had increased to 1,501. From this time on, and until 1840, the growth of the town, both in population and industry, was steady and continuous ; and in the last named year the maximum of population was reached, there then being 1,917 persons in the town. And from that year to the present the decrease and decline have been in about the same ratio as was the increase formerly, so that to-day Royalton has just about the same population as it had in 1800.
The people of the town, as soon as they had become re-organized, and as soon as their habitations and institutions were rebuilt, became known as among the most progressive of the county. They organized their militia companies from among the determined young men of the town, and although it could hardly be expected that the town would contribute either men or means for the operations of the State during the Revolution, it was expected and the town did furnish both for the
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TOWN OF ROYALTON.
prosecution of the later war with Great Britain, although the imperfect records prevent giving the names of soldiers or the amount of the contri- bution asked of the town. And during the war of 1861-65 the men of Royalton showed their patriotism and valor, for no town contributed more liberally, in proportion to means and population, than did this. The record of her soldiers is written in the deeds of the regiments to which they respectively belonged, a detail of which will be found in an earlier chapter of this volume; also there will be found the names of the volunteers of the town.
With the earliest settlement, almost, in the town there sprung up a trading center, where was kept a store and a shop, and a post-office when the latter was established in the State generally, and this locality, this pretty though quiet little hamlet, has always been known by the name of the village of Royalton. This is the old historic center of the town, although the later creation, known as South Royalton, has taken away much of the business enterprise and prosperity that naturally be- longed to the older town. Here was the trading center of the town one hundred years ago, and here it should be to-day, but circumstances have ordered to the contrary. The business and other institutions of Royalton village of the present time may be briefly summed up in a single store, a hotel, a public school, the Royalton Academy, one or two shops, two churches, and from twenty-five to thirty dwellings within the village proper.
The Royalton Academy is an institution that once was of considerable importance, having been incorporated by the State Legislature, Novem- ber 11, 1807, and since its erection, immediately after that date, has been in successful operation until within the last quarter of a century. And it is still conducted as an academic institution, though its patronage is not now equal to that of former years.
The churches of Royalton village are First Congregational and St. Paul's Episcopal. The first of these has a history that dates back almost to the earliest settlement of the town, its society having been organized in 1777, although not until 1784 was the church edifice erected. This was replaced by a new building in 1790; and in 1834 still a third was erected, being that now in use by the society. Among the earliest min- isters of the Congregational Society in the town were Rev. John Searle, the first ordained in 1783; Rev. Azel Washburn, ordained in 1792 ;
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
Rev. Martin Fuller, in 1794, died in 1813 ; Rev. Ebenezer Halping, or- dained in 1818, dismissed in 1822; and Rev. Joseph Torrey, pastor from 1824 to 1827. The present pastor of the church is Rev. Mr. Ward, and whose immediate predecessor was Rev. S. P. Giddings. The present membership of the church is about eighty.
St. Paul's Episcopal church was formed during the year 1835, and permanently organized in 1836, during which latter year the church was built. It was consecrated November 3, 1837, by Bishop Hopkins. Among its early officiating rectors were Revs. Parker, Sabine, Potter and Sprague. The present rector is the Rev. Moses P. Stickney.
The first bank in Royalton, Vt , was chartered by the General Assem- bly of said State November 30, 1853, under the name of "The Bank of Royalton," with a capital of $100,000, divided into 2,000 shares of fifty dollars each. Chester Baxter, William Skinner, Stoddard B. Colby, Solon Danforth, Daniel L. Lyman, William W. White, Russell Hyde, E. B. Chase, and Philander D. Bradford were named in the char ter as commissioners to receive subscriptions for the capital stock of the bank, and the stock was subscribed in February, 1854. The bank was organized March 10, 1854, by the election of William Skinner, Daniel L. Lyman, Solon Danforth, George Lyman, E. D. Briggs, Perley C. Jones, and Ziba Sprague as its first board of directors. On March 24, 1854, William Skinner was elected president, and Newton Kellogg, of Rutland, cashier, and the first bills of the bank were issued June 7, 1854. New- ton Kellogg resigned the office of cashier October 2, 1854, and Lucius L. Tilden, then cashier of the White River Bank at Bethel, Vt., was elected his successor. January 9, 1855, the same board of directors was re- elected, excepting George Lyman, who was succeeded by Chester Baxter. January 8, 1856, the same board was re elected, except the election of Hiram Moore in place of Chester Baxter. Perley C. Jones resigned the
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