USA > Vermont > Addison County > Middlebury > History of the town of Middlebury, in the county of Addison, Vermont > Part 4
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.COLUMBUS J. BOWDISH, Esq., of Weybridge, states, that on his farm, next north of Mr. JEWETT's, and also on Lemon Fair, and near a spring, he has often ploughed up arrow and spear heads, and chip- 6
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
pings and fragments of the materials of which they were composed furnishing satisfactory evidence, that that was a place where the relics were manufactured. He says also, that in ploughing at one time, his plough hit a stone, at the bottom of the furrow, which he dug up, and found to be a stone gouge, about a foot long. He also states, that he has found on his farm, and in the locality of the arrow heads, places designed for fires in the Indian huts, which showed the effects of fire. These resemble those described by AUSTIN DANA, except that they are made of ledge stone, and raised a little above the level of the ground.
Mr. SAMUEL WRIGHT, resides on the farm in Weybridge, between Otter Creek and Lemon Fair, and at their junction, on which his father Capt. SILAS WRIGHT, formerly lived, and on which his brother Hon. SILAS WRIGHT, Jun.,* was brought up from his in- fancy. It is the same farm, on which THOMAS SANFORD was the first settler, in 1775, and on which he was captured and carried to Canada, and imprisoned. Mr. WRIGHT says, that he has often found, and ploughed up on the farm, Indian arrow and spear heads, some of which were broken, also pestles and other implements. He ploughed up, in one place, where they had been buried, a collection of them, consisting of fifteen or twenty articles, some of which he presented to us. And he says, similar relics are found on all the neighboring farms. We have a perfect spear head picked up on the farm of his neighbor, JEHIEL WRIGHT, who says that other relics have often been ploughed up there. He says also, that on the narrow strip of hard land, on the border of the streams, formed by the overflowing of the water, he has seen evidence of tillage, such as corn hills and potato hills, and that on the neighboring lands are heaps of stone, which show evidence of being burnt by fire kindled about them. These he supposes were built for their fire in the huts, to secure them from being burnt. He states also, that he learned from Mr. SANFORD, that sugar was made by the Indians, in an ex- tensive forest of maples there, and that their sap troughs were made
*In the large open ground, in the centre of Weybridge, in front of the Congre- gational church, the friends of Hon. SILAS WRIGHT, have erected a very handsome marble monument, and surrounded it by an iron fence,
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of birch bark. If there is no mistake in this, the sugar, at least, must have been made on a temporary residence of Indians, during the Revolutionary war, or while the French were in possession of Crown Point. All signs of sugar making, by the original inhabi- tants, must have disappeared.
Hon. HARVEY MUNSILL, of Bristol, at our request has sent us the following communication :
" BRISTOL, April 22d, 1859.
" HON. SAMUEL SWIFT-Dear Sir :- As it regards the Indians ever having made Bristol their permanent place of residence, for any length of time, I cannot say ; but there is strong presumptive evidence tending to show, that it has been, at least, temporarily their residence and hunting ground. For traces of their presence are marked by their having scattered promiscously over the country many of their Indian relics, such as the stone axe, grooved gouge, chisel, spear and arrow points, and some others, the names and uses to us unknown. A stone resembling a rolling pin, was found several years ago at the southerly part of the town ; and a very perfect grooved gouge was found by my father, in his life time, and since my re- membrance, which, according to the best of my recollection, was about fifteen inches in length, which was deposited by him in the museum in Hartford, Connec- ticut. Some twelve or fourteen of the specimens, that I left with you, a short time since,-some perfect and some partly made,-were picked up by me, on my own premises in Bristol village, within a short distance of each other, that is, within twenty or twenty-five feet of each other, and from the chips, and broken fragments of the same kind of stone, I have come to the conclusion, that they were made on the spot. . I have found many others, within a short distance from this location, when ploughing, which I have from time to time given away. About twenty years ago, there were two or three families of Indians, that came from Can- ada, and stopped a few weeks in the woods, a little north of Bristol village, between the road leading out of the village north to Monkton, and the mountain east, and among them was a very old man, who called himself about ninety-eight years of age, and who was quite intelligent, and could speak our language so as to make himself well understood. While they were stopping near our village, Capt. NOBLE MUNSON, and ABRAHAM GAIGE, two of my nearest neighbors, and myself, visited them for the purpose of making some inquiries respecting the Indian habits and customs ; and among other inquiries, how the stone spear and arrow points were made, and where the stone, from which they were made, was obtained. To these inquiries, he said he could give us no information, for lie had no knowledge on the subject. He also informed us that he had himself used a steel arrow point, made in the same shape of the stone arrow points, when he was quite young. He said it had often been a subject of conversation among their people, how the arrow and spear points were made, but he had never seen any one, who could give any infor- mation on that subject, not even that which was traditionary. The stone, which I left with you, which some call an axe, he said was used for skinning deer and other
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game. The old man died very suddenty, while stopping near us, and was buried in our burying ground ; the Rev. F'RANCIS WHITNEY preached a funeral sermon, and all the Indians attended. Respectfully yours,
HIARVEY MUNSILL."
The stone left with us and called by some an axe, is about five inches long, two wide, and three fourths of an inch thick, and re- duced to an edge on one end. We have several instruments of the kind, but generally of smaller size, and thinner. The relic which Judge MUNSILL describes " as resembling a rolling pin,"' would well serve the use of that household implement, and we might judge it to be designed for that purpose, if we could suppose the Indi- ans made much use of " pie crust." As their history now is un- derstood, it has generally been called a pestle. It is a smooth round stone, twenty inches in length, two and a quarter inches in diame- ter in the centre, and tapering slightly toward the ends, which are rounded. It is now in the possession of the Historical Society of Middlebury.
While commencing our inquiries on the subject of Indian relics, we saw in the possession of JUSTUS COBB, Esq., of the late firm of COBB and MEAD, an instrument ingeniously wrought, in the shape of a double hatchet, but the edges on each side were only worked down to the eighth of an inch. It is five inches long and two wide. In the centre is a smooth hole obviously designed for a handle, three fourths of an inch in diameter, and of about the same depth, the surface of the stone around the hole being swollen accordingly. It might have been intended to bore the hole through, or perhaps to fasten the handle with thongs. This relic, we understood, was found at the mouth of Otter Creek. Knowing that our friend, PHILIP C. TUCKER, Esq., is much devoted to similar inquiries, and believing him to be acquainted with all the discoveries in that neigh- borhood, we wrote to him for such information as he might have. His letter in answer to our request, is dated March 24, 1859, and encloses a letter from Mr. JAMES CRANE, who calls it a " battle axe," and says it was picked up by his brother, GEORGE F. CRANE, at Fort Cassin, mouth of Otter Creek, "on the embankment thrown up during the last war, to prevent the British fleet from ascending to Vergennes ;" that he left it in the hands of Mr. COBB, and he
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
adds, " I have picked up many Indian relics at Fort Cassin, and at other points on Otter Creek, in the vicinity of the Lower Falls, many of which are now in possession of P. C. TUCKER, Esq."
The first part of Mr. TUCKER's letter, relates to the same subject. Ile then adds :-
" This point appears to have been a place long occupied by the native inhabitants of this region. Many arrow heads and some spear heads have been found there, and whenever the ground is ploughed, even to this day, it is not uncommon to find some things of that kind. Indian implements have been found in Addison, Panton, Ferrisburgh, Waltham and Vergennes. I have stone arrow heads, spear heads, a hatchet, a gouge, and some other articles, which I cannot give names to, from those different towns. Some of the latter, I showed to the celebrated Ojibway chief, who was here several years since, in the hope. that he could enlighten ne as to their intended uses. After examining them carefully, he observed, that he had never seen any article like them among the Indians, and could not imagine what they were designed for.
Among other relics, I have a roughly formed arrow head, made of copper. There s no appearance of any metallic tool having been employed in its formation, and it appears to have been pounded into form with stone. I think it an undoubted an- tique, and that it was made before the discovery of the continent by Europeans. It was ploughed up in Ferrisburgh, not more than one and a half miles from here, some eighteen or twenty years ago. As no known locality of copper exists in this region, it seems difficult to make even a rational guess, as to where the material for this arrow head came from. I have some times made a visit to dream land, on this matter, and fancied, that it originated at Lake Superior, from the mines of which I have a specimen of native copper, which any one could readily pound even with a stone, into this or any other plain form."
" From the mouth of Great Otter Creek, through Ferrisburgh, Panton and Ver- gennes, to Waltham, say thirteen or fourteen miles, Indian relics exist upon both banks. and have often been discovered. I doubt not they extend much further, probably as far towards the head waters. as comfortable canoe navigation extended. Many years ago, I think in 1829 or 1830, I had quite a favorable opportunity to examine one of these localities. At the arsenal ground in this place, some forty rods below the steam boat wharf, there is a bluff of land on the bank of the creek, a portion of which was ploughed up at the time referred to, for the purpose of using the earth to fill the arsenal wharf. . While it was loose from the effects of the plough, a very heavy rain fell, and thoroughly drenched it, disclosing quite a large number of arrow heads, and a great amount of chippings, or fragments, establish- ing beyond a question, that one manufactory of arrow heads. at least, was upon this identical spot. And a most lovely spot it must have been too. when that man- ufacture was going on."
" Perhaps it would not be inappropriate to say a few words about the material used for arrow and spear heads, and other relics. The larger portion of the arrow heads in my possession, are made of that kind of boulder, common upon our lands,
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
which the farmers dignify with the name of " hard heads," and which is a very hard silicious rock. Others are made from what I call black jasper, which is not an uncommon boulder rock in this region. I have one, which I am inclined to call chlorite slate, and several which, with my limited knowledge of mineralogy, I do not assume to name. My best spear head, is of a light colored stone, and is seven inches long. My hatchet appears to be a very fine grained clay slate stone, and is five inches long. My gouge is a fine one, thirteen inches long, and over two inches wide, at the cutting end, and looks as much like chlorite as any other rock."
' To what uses the hatchets, gouges and spear heads were put, it is very difficult to say. Certainly the former could have done nothing effectually with wood, and tradition, I think, has not told us, that the Indians ever used the spear as a weapon of war. My own rough impression is, that the spear heads meant fish and not men."
At the time of our first application to Mr. TUCKER, a request was published in the Vergennes Citizen, that any persons having information of Indian relics, would communicate it to him. On the 26th of April, 1859, he wrote us again on the subject, and among other things says : " The notice in the Citizen, had no other results than bringing in a few additional arrow heads. One piece of in- formation however, grew out of it, which I believe to be true, that my copper arrow head, has another of the same metal to match it, and a far better one." It was ploughed up a few years ago, in Ferrisburgh ; and, although he has not been able to see it, he says, " I have no doubt of its existence." In speaking of the Indian relics in Bristol, which Judge MUNSILL has described, he says, "I have very reliable information as to the existence of similar relics in Monkton, and particularly in the region of the pond. Some thirty years ago, an Indian burying ground was disclosed in that vicinity, and some four or five skeletons discovered, which were much talked about at the time, and which I quite well recollect." Mr. TUCKER states also, that about thirty-five years ago, he was shown on the farm of NORMAN MUNSON, Esq., in Panton, what was called an " old Indian fire place," which he thinks "showed evi- dence of fire," and he thinks it could not have been made by any body but Indians.
In the possession of the Historical Society, are a mortar and pestle, found several years ago, on the farm owned by the late Col. JOHN HACKETT, on White River, in Hancock. The pestle is twelve inches long and two inches in diameter, and undoubtedly of Indian
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
manufacture. The mortar consists of a stone, eight inches square, and eight and a half inches deep. In the top is a round smooth cavity, which constitutes it a mortar, five and a half inches in di- ameter, and three and a half inches deep. This hollow was prob- ably wrought by the Indians, but the shaping of the stone shows rather evidence of civilized manufacture. We do not mention either of these as evidence of a permanent and ancient residence. They were probably left by the Indians in some of their excursions against the settlers at the east. The White River would form a commodi- ous route for that purpose.
We have indeed little confidence in any thing, except the articles composed of stone, and those obviously made on the ground, as evi- dence of such residence. The forests must have covered and oblit- erated, and time wasted all other satisfactory evidence.
Anticipating the very natural inquiry, of what materials these relics were composed, and where the Indians found them, we wished, in addition to the information given by Mr. TUCKER, relating to those in his possession, to furnish satisfactory testimony respect- ing those in our possession. We accordingly requested Rev. C. F. MUZZY, who has made mineralogy, for many years, a prominent subject of examination and study, to examine the specimens, and give us the requisite information. Mr. MUZZY, was graduated at Middle- bury College in 1833, has since been a missionary in Southern In- dia, and is now on a visit to this country for his health. The fol- lowing is his reply :
" HON. S. SWIFT-My Dear Sir :- The slight examination I have been able to make, of those arrow heads and other curiosities, in your possession, has convinced me, that they are composed of Quartz Rock, Flint or Horn-stone, sometimes called Corneus Limestone, Chlorite Slate, and a species of Feldspathic, or Granitie Rock, and that they are found in this vicinity, either in situ, or as eratic bowlders. Of most, if not all of them, I have found specimens in this town.
Believe me yours, very respectfully.
C. F. MUZZY."
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
CHAPTER IV.
FRENCH SETTLEMENT IN ADDISON COUNTY-CONQUERED BY THE BRITISH AND THEIR RETREAT-GRANTS OF LAND BY THE FRENCH.
The first settlement by Europeans in the County of Addison, was made by the French, on the east shore of Lake Champlain, opposite Crown Point, in pursuance of their plan to extend their settlements, and fortifications, and set limits to those of the English. In the year 1730, a few individuals or families, came up the lake from Canada, and established themselves at Chimney Point, in Addison, and built a block house and windmill, on the point where the tav- ern house now stands. The next year troops were sent out and erected Fort Frederic, on the west side of the lake, now known as Crown Point. They afterwards in 1756, built a fort at Ticonder- oga. Other settlers followed in the train of the army, and prob- ably most of them were in some way attached to the garrison. Both the French and English, regarded the control of this lake of great importance, as one of the most convenient lines of communication into each other's territory, in the northern part of America. The British, in the early part of that century, planned several expedi- tions through the waters of the lake to Canada, for the purpose of subduing that province to the crown of England, but they uni- formly failed. After the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, a season of peace prevailed, between the English and French, which gave the French in Canada, an opportunity to improve their condition ; and when wars afterwards succeeded, they were confined to other dis- puted territories, on this continent, by which the French were ena- bled to extend themselves in this direction without opposition. But during the French and Indian war, which commenced in 1755, one of the principal objects of the British, was to make an effective de- scent upon Canada, and for that purpose an expedition was set on
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
foot every year from the commencement of the war, to proceed with a large force through the lake. A disgraceful failure attended them all, until the expedition under General AMHERST, in 1759. These failures occurred through the ignorance and indiscretion of ministers at home, or the imbecility of the officers entrusted with the com- mand of the troops. In the year 1758, more efficiency was given. to the war by the appointment of Mr. PITT to the ministry. General ABERCROMBIE was that year appointed to command the expedition against the French forts on Lake Champlain, and prosecuted the enterprise with more vigor than his predecessors. He advanced as far as Ticonderoga, and made a violent assault on the fort ; but meet- ing with unexpected obstacles, he retreated without taking the place. In the year 1759, General AMIIERST, commander in chief of the British forces in America, took command of the expedition, reached Ticonderoga, and without much opposition captured the fort there on the 27th of July, and before he reached Crown Point, the French garrison had burnt their forts on both sides and abandoned them. The settlers also in the neighborhood retreated with the army, and thus ended the French settlement in the County of Addison.
The French settlers had cleared off the timber along the shore of the lake, three or four miles north of Chimney Point. Most of it probably had been used in erecting the forts and other buildings connected with them, and the cabins of the settlers, and by the garrisons and families in the neighborhood. This was prob- ably the extent of the settlement, although the population was rather thickly crowded together. The cellars and other remains of numerous huts were found afterwards by the English settlers, scat- tered over the whole tract, and many of them are still seen there. On the STRONG farm were four, on the VALLANCE farm three or four, and on others two or three. The buildings of the French set- tlers were burnt the next year after their retreat, by the Mohawks. KALMER, the author of an early history, which Hon. JOHN W. SRONG found in Montreal, gives an account of his visit to the place in 1749. He says, " I found quite a settlement, a stone windmill and fort, with five or six small cannon mounted, the whole inclosed hy embankments." The remains of these embankments, surround-
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
ing Chimney Point, we have seen within a few years, and they are probably still to be seen. KALMER further says, that, within the enclosure, they had a neat little church, and through the settlement well cultivated gardens, and good fruit, such as apples, plums and currants. Old apple trees and plum trees, planted by them are still standing.
The first permanent settlement by the English in this County, was on that tract. This clearing and its beautiful location on the borders of the lake, were the occasion that a prosperous neighbor- hood was found here earlier than elsewhere, and it was for some time considered the most eligible place for holding the courts, when the County was first organized. In the spring of 1765, ZADUCK EVEREST, DAVID VALLANCE and one other person came from Con- necticut, and commenced a clearing on their respective farms, on which they lived and died, about three miles north of Chimney Point. They put in some crops and remained until fall. In Sep- tember, of the same year, JOHN STRONG and BENJAMIN KELLOGG, came on by the lake to Crown Point, then in possession of the Brit- ish. After stopping a day or two, they extended their explorations east and south, and went as far east as Middlebury Falls. While on this expedition, they were delayed by a violent storm and swollen streams for several days, until their provisions were exhausted, and they were two days without food. When they returned to the lake, STRONG concluded to settle on the farm on which he resided until his death, and which is still in the possession of his grandson, Judge STRONG. With the aid of the settlers, STRONG erected a log house around an old French chimney, near the lake. VALLANCE, in a similar manner, converted the remains of another French hut into a tenement, which he afterwards occupied, for some years, with his family. In the fall they all returned to Connecticut. In February following, STRONG came on with his family, and was the first Eng- lish settler, it is said, in Western Vermont, north of Manchester, and his fourth son, JOHN STRONG, Jun., in June 1765, was the first English child born north of that place. EVEREST and KELLOGG, who were married during the winter, came on with their wives in the spring, and VALLANCE also returned with his family the same
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
season. From JOHN W. STRONG, mentioned above, we have obtained many of the above details. His father's family resided in the house with his grandfather, and he learned the facts from his grand- parents, and especially from his grand-mother, who lived to a great age, and often amused him in his childhood with the stories of their early history.
The result of AMHERST's expedition was, that on the opening of the campaign of 1760, Montreal was surrendered to him; and Que- bec and every other French post in Canada having been conquered and captured, the whole province, by the treaty which followed on the 10th day of February 1763, was surrendered to the British government.
The French, having had uninterrupted possession of Lake Cham- plain for nearly thirty years, not only claimed the control of its waters, but the right to the lands on both sides of it, and made grants of seignieries to favorite nobles and officers, and of smaller tracts to others. The grants in the County of Addison were less numerous than at the north part of the lake. As early as the year 1732, a grant had been made to one CONTRE COUER, Jun., lying on both sides and including the mouth of Otter Creek. On the 7th day of October 1743, a grant was made to " SIEUR HOCQUART In- tendant of New France," of a tract " about one league in front by five leagues in depth, opposite Fort St. Frederic, now Crown Point, bounded on the west by the lake, east by unconceded lands," north and south the lines running east and west. And on the first of April 1745, another grant was made to HOCQUART, lying north of and adjoining the other tract, three leagues in front on Lake Cham- plain, by five leagues in depth. Both these, making four leagues on the lake, and five leagues east and west, constituted the " Seign- iory HOCQUART," which extended from Willow Point, near the south line of Addison, north, and included the whole of the towns of Ad- dison and Panton, and is represented on an old English map, as ex- tending, as it must, some distance beyond Otter Creek, and inclu- ded. Middlebury and other lands east of that stream. Soon after the execution of the treaty, by which the French government sur- rendered Canada to the British, on the 7th of April 1763, Hoc-
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