USA > Vermont > Washington County > Waitsfield > History of the town of Waitsfield, Vermont, 1782-1908, with family genealogies > Part 7
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Following the road into lot 94 we find ourselves on the farm settled by Jesse Mix in 1794. That portion of the lot on the west side by the river, together with some of the gore lands to the south, now forms the Ford farm. On the east side Fay Brook flows into the main stream. Nearby a road leads up the hill through lots 93, 147 and 92, to the Roxbury or Kingston Road. The homes of John and Captain Robert Leach stood on this road, the Captain's farm having been occupied in recent years by the late John Somerville.
But we shall find more pleasure, I imagine, in leaving the highway and following up the brook that tumbles out of the gorge in a beautiful cascade. This spot was early chosen as a favorable mill site and was bought as such by Silas Trask in 1801, but so far as can be learned no mill was actually con- structed here.
For more than a mile now we shall find no clearing, and no easy pathway, for the hills rise abruptly for several hundred feet on either hand, but in lot 147, near the spot where two branches of the brook join to form the larger stream, the hill to the left has been cleared, and just back from the water one may see the cellar of an old log house, its fireplace and chimney, -built of stones from the brook-now tumbled into ruins. This was the home of Samuel Bowman in 1812, and next to that of Abel Spaulding the most desolate in its surroundings in all the town. No wonder that a few years later he abandoned
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ANCIENT LANDMARKS.
it and moved to a house on lot 92. Here, too, one sees the road, now discontinued, that led up out of the gorge, and wonders how a wagon was ever hauled up or let down. Let us follow it to the present highway, near the south line of lot 92, whence it is but a few rods to the Roxbury Road where stands the early home of Ziba Rice, later owned by Joseph Farr. To the south the road pitches down into the valley of the brook, but we will not follow it, as we can see the points of interest from here.
Just beyond us lies lot 91, settled by Moses Stewart in 1794. . His house stood where that occupied in later years by Leonard C. Berry may now be seen facing the old road just beyond the point where it makes its sharp turn to the south- east. Nearby in the southwest corner of lot 46, and in the gore lands to the south, lay the farm of Oliver Colton, and next beyond this-still in the gore lands-the farm of Joshua Pike, while to the west in lot 148, on the old Kingston Road, lived Oliver Wood and his sons, on the farm now held by George A. Berry.
Turning northerly we soon find ourselves at the old Nathan Stowell* place (now occupied by Emery Somerville), and over to the east in lot 89, where Jerry Ryle now lives, Mr. Stowell found farms for his sons Nathan, jr., and Salue. Nearby on the line between lots 90 and 92 stands the south school-house, and just beyond through an avenue of beautiful maples, one may see the old Minor farm, settled by Aaron Minor about 1795, occupied for many years by Jennison Joslin, and now owned by Edward E. Neill.
Turning westerly along the road we reach lot 95, occupied by Ezekiel Hawley in 1794, and now owned by Julius E. Berry. Caleb Colton spent his declining years on a small place in the southeast corner of this lot.
Here the road swings to the north, and enters lot 97, upon which Job Tyler made his pitch in 1797. This was the scene of the smallpox outbreak in 1799, when Tyler's house was taken as a pesthouse, and quarantined by order of the town, which voted that: "Mr. Hawley go and turn the road by Mr. Tiler's house so that persons are not exposed when they drive by to take the smallpox, and to set up a monument at each end of
*Nathan Stowell lived from 1795 to 1807 on lot 101 before removing to the farm now commonly identified with his name.
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HISTORY OF WAITSFIELD.
the road so turned, with these words 'Smallpox'-and he is to be allowed his expenses on his next year's highway rate."
Apparently these prompt measures prevented any spread of the disease, and in due time Mr. Tyler's house was returned to him, and he was voted $40 for its use. The lot was soon divided into two farms. The southerly portion was occupied for a time by Isaac Tewksbury, and now forms a part of the John Saunders farm, while the northerly portion is known as the home of Capt. John Campbell, who settled there in 1801, although a later generation knows it still better as the home of the late John Waterman.
Next we pass the old English farm noted on our trip yester- day, and, farther down the hill in the northwest corner of lot 99, and running back into lot 100, we see the Josiah Campbell farm, occupied for many years by Joseph Palmer and his son Warren J.
This brings us to the minister's lot, 102, which the Church made the Rev. Mr. Salisbury deed to it before he could be settled. It has been much divided since the early days, but the only house now occupied is George H. Hastings'.
.A few rods more and we find ourselves retracing our steps down the hill by the mill into the village, weary but well repaid by the knowledge gained of ancient landmarks in our little town.
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CHAPTER VII.
MILITARY HISTORY-REVOLUTION, WAR OF 1812, MILITIA COMPANIES.
Waitsfield was settled too late to have a Revolutionary history of its own. Throughout the trying years of the conflict with the mother-land our valley, although in lesser degree probably than those to the east, was merely a highway for troops and scouting parties, but our first settler doubtless saw and chose his promised land during the campaigns of the French and Indian War, or during his service in the Revolution, and such a large proportion of our early settlers did military duty during those years that it seems appropriate at this point to sketch briefly the service which they rendered to the state and nation. Not less than eleven of the thirteen heads of families residing in the town in the spring of 1791 had been soldiers in the Revolution and forty-six men among our early settlers had seen some service. Of this number thirty-two made the town their home, and are now buried within its borders:
Samuel Barnard
Jonathan Palmer
Abijah Brown
Bissell Phelps
Nathaniel Brown
Samuel Pike
Doud Bushnell
Phineas Rider
Moses Chase
Salma Rider
Caleb Colton
Beriah Sherman
Thomas Green
Amasa Skinner
Joseph Hamilton
Jared Skinner
Ezekiel Hawley
Salah Smith
John Heaton
Elias Taylor
Jonas Holden
Daniel Taylor
Gaius Hitchcock
Benjamin Wait
Joseph Joslin
Ezra Wait
Jesse Mix
Jeduthan Wait
William Newcomb
William Wait
Joseph Osgood
John Wells
Benjamin and Ezra Wait, and probably John Wells, are buried in the Meadow cemetery; Jeduthan and William Wait, Jesse Mix and William Newcomb at Irasville. Jonas Holden, whose name does not appear upon the tablet which was erected to the memory of these men in 1906, is buried in the village
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HISTORY OF WAITSFIELD.
cemetery, and all the others without much doubt lie at rest beneath the Common.
Fourteen others whose names follow lived for many years in town, but removed before their death:
Eli Abbott
Isaac Parmenter
Samuel Bailey
Silas Royce
Nathaniel Bartlett
Eli Skinner
William Chase
Abel Spaulding
Moses Heaton
Wright Spaulding
Joseph Lyon
Nathan Sterling
Aaron Minor
Thomas Sherman
The alarm sent out from Lexington and Concord on that April morning in 1775 brought instant response from all parts of New England, and for days the roads were full of Minutemen marching toward Cambridge. Eight men whose names appear among our early settlers were among the number.
Abijah Brown was a member of Snow's Company of Minute- men from Paxton, Mass., and served thirty-two days, beginning April 19, 1775. He was enlisted in May, 1777, for three years' service in Capt. Adam Martin's Company, of Col. Timothy Bigelow's Massachusetts Regiment and served until January 1, 1779, a part of the time as corporal.
Thomas Green, from Swanzey, N. H., was a private in Capt. William Scott's Company of Minutemen, in Col. Paul Dudley Sargent's New Hampshire Regiment. He marched with his company on the Lexington alarm, and on April 23, 1775, re-enlisted in the same company for further service in Stark's Regiment. At the battle of Bunker Hill he received a severe wound in the shoulder, which for a long time totally disabled him, although he apparently saw further service with his company, as he received a "bounty coat" for eight months' service at the camp before Boston on November 14, 1775. On June 11, 1785, he presented a memorial to the General Court of New Hampshire asking for relief because of his disability, and on June 16, 1785, he was voted a pension by that State.
Jonas Holden, of Sudbury, Mass., was a private in Capt. John Nixon's Company of Minutemen in Col. Abijah Pierce's Regiment. He served one month on the Lexington alarm. Mr. Holden was later identified with the Massachusetts Militia, in the capacity of captain.
Joseph Joslin, of Lancaster, Mass., was a private in Capt. Benjamin Houghton's Company of Minutemen in Col. John
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MILITARY HISTORY.
Whetcomb's Regiment that marched for Cambridge on the Lexington alarm, and the rolls show that Mr. Joslin performed ten and one-half days' service.
Samuel Pike, of Brookfield, Mass., marched as a Minute- man on the Lexington alarm, and at the close of this service, on May 1, 1775, re-enlisted in Capt. Walker's Company of Col. Timothy Danielson's Regiment. He was ranked as sergeant in August, 1775, and received his "bounty coat" for eight months' service at Roxbury, Mass., on November 2, 1775.
Beriah Sherman, of Brimfield, Mass., was a sergeant in Capt. Josiah Thompson's Company of Col. Timothy Danielson's Regiment, and received his "bounty coat" at Roxbury, November 7, 1775.
John Wells, of Shelburne, Mass., marched as a corporal in Capt. Agrippa Wells' Company of Col. Asa Whitcomb's Regiment of Minutemen, and received his "bounty coat" at Pros- pect Hill, December 22, 1775. He was commissioned captain of the 8th Company of the 5th Hampshire County Regiment on May 3, 1776, and served with it in Lieut. Colonel Timothy Robinson's Regiment in garrison at Ticonderoga from December 23 of that year to April 1, 1777. His company also served in the Northern Department at Stillwater and Saratoga from September 22 to October 23, 1777.
Eli Skinner was a fifer in Capt. Agrippa Wells' Company, of Col. Asa Whitcomb's Regiment, and received his "bounty coat" at Prospect Hill, December 22, 1775. He also served with Capt. John Wells as fifer in his company at Ticonderoga.
Moses Heaton, of Charlemont, Mass., served as a surgeon in Capt. Oliver Avery's Company of Minutemen that marched on the Lexington alarm, and performed seventeen days' service.
Among the men that joined the army around Boston after the Lexington alarm, was Joseph Hamilton, of Brookfield, Mass., who was a private in Capt. Peter Harwood's Company of Col. Ebenezer Larnerd's Regiment. He enlisted July 15, 1775, and continued in the service until the evacuation of Boston. It is of interest to note that during the cannonading on the night of March 10, 1776, when the fortification of Dorchester Heights was completed, his musket, temporarily in the hands of a com- rade (let us imagine because its owner was laboring with pick and spade) was broken by a cannon ball, which killed that comrade. In June, 1776, he enlisted for five months as private
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HISTORY OF WAITSFIELD.
in Capt. John Walcott's Company, and from January to Novem- ber, 1777, served in Capt. Davis' Company of Col. Wiggleworth's Regiment.
Jeduthan Wait and William Wait, half-brothers of General Benjamin Wait, from Brookfield, Mass., enlisted first on April 29, 1775, in Capt. Peter Harwood's Company of Col. Ebenezer Larnerd's Regiment, and both received a "bounty coat" for eight months' service at Roxbury on December 20, 1775. From December, 1775, to March, 1777, both these men served as privates in Capt. Asa Danforth's Company of Col. Shepard's Regiment. On April 4, 1777, William Wait enlisted in Capt. Peter Harwood's Company of Col. Thomas Nixon's Regiment, where he served continuously until March 15, 1780, when he was transferred to Capt. Phineas Parker's Company of Col. Baldwin's Artificers, in which he served until dis- charged for wounds in 1782.
Jeduthan Wait enlisted February 26, 1777, for the war, . and joined his brother's company in Col. Thomas Nixon's Regiment. In 1779 he was transferred to Capt. Toogood's Company of the same regiment, and in the following year be- came a member of Capt. Benjamin Heywood's Company. He remained with this regiment until September 30, 1781, when he was transferred to Capt. Peter Clayes' Company of the Light Infantry, where he served until December 31, 1782. His name is found upon the roll of the Light Infantry Company of the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment for service during the year 1783. Both of these men doubtless saw the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
Several of the men in whom we are interested participated in the Canadian campaign of 1775 and 1776.
Aaron Minor was a member of Capt. Phineas Porter's Company of General Wooster's First Connecticut Regiment, which was raised in April and May, 1775, and was engaged in operations around Lake George and Lake Champlain, and at St. Johns and Montreal. Mr. Minor was discharged November 25, 1775.
Caleb Colton was a private in Capt. James Osgood's Com- pany of Col. Timothy Bedel's Regiment. He enlisted January, 1776, for one year. After this service he enlisted and served in Capt. Joshua Hendie's Company of Col. David Hobart's New
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MILITARY HISTORY.
Hampshire Regiment from July 23 to September 25, 1777, and doubtless saw service at the battle of Bennington.
Elias Taylor was a private in Capt. Daniel Carlisle's Com- pany of Col. Bedel's Regiment from January 1, 1776, to December 1, 1776, and both he and Caleb Colton were taken prisoners at The Cedars, May 15, 1776. Mr. Taylor also served as corporal in Capt. Howlet's Company of Col. Ashley's Regiment of Militia that marched from Keene, N. H., to reinforce the army at Ticonderoga in May, 1777. In fact a number of our early residents took part in the campaign at this point during that year.
Capt. John Wells and Eli Skinner have already been men- tioned. Jared Skinner was a private in Capt. John Wells' Com- pany in garrison at Ticonderoga for a period of eighty-four days, ending April 1, 1777. He had also served for three months beginning August, 1776, in Capt. Hugh Mcclellan's Company of Col. John Moseley's Massachusetts Regiment, and participated with that regiment in the battle of White Plains. From July 22 to August 27, 1779, he was on service at New London in Capt. James Walsworth's Company of Col. Elisha Porter's Regiment.
Phineas Rider, also a private in Capt. John Wells' Com- pany, was one of the garrison at Ticonderoga during the early months of 1777. From May 10 to July 17, 1777, he was on service in the Northern Department, in Capt. Lawrence Kemp's Company, Col. David Wells' Regiment of Hampshire County Militia, and from August 17 to October 23 served at Stillwater under Capt. John Wells. August 3, 1780, he was at Claverack, N. Y., on three months' service, and his pension application states that he was at the battle of Bennington, presumably with the Massachusetts troops.
Salma Rider served at Ticonderoga during 1777 as a private in Capt. Agrippa Wells' Company of Col. Samuel Brewer's Regiment, and from July 22 to August 27, 1779, he was on service at New London with his brother Phineas, in Capt. James Walsworth's Company of Col. Elisha Porter's Regiment.
Samuel Bailey was at Ticonderoga in Col. Jonathan Chase's Regiment from Cornish, N. H., and vicinity, from June 27 to July 11, 1777.
The evacuation of Ticonderoga was the occasion for a great outpouring of Vermont and New Hampshire troops. In Lieut.
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HISTORY OF WAITSFIELD.
Col. Samuel Herrick's Regiment of rangers, which performed good service at Bennington, was Joseph Lyon, who was a private in Capt. Levi Goodenough's Company, from August I to Novem- ber 24, 1777.
This was the regiment of which General Wait was then Major, and it seems probable that Ezekiel Hawley, who had been since August 9, 1776, enlisted in the company of rangers of which Wait was captain, joined this regiment and served with his old commander. His name also appears as corporal in a list of Vermont soldiers who served with the New Hampshire troops.
Jonathan Palmer was a private in Capt. John Willoughby's Company of Col. David Hobart's New Hampshire Regiment, which marched to the relief of Ticonderoga on July 5, 1777. He was discharged July 16, but re-enlisted July 21 in Capt. Edmund Eliot's Company of the same regiment, and saw service with these troops at Bennington. He was discharged Sep- tember 27, 1777.
Silas Royce was one of Capt. Abel Walker's Company of the same regiment from July, 1777, to September 23, of the same year.
Eli Abbott was private in Capt. Ebenezer Goodale's Com- pany of Col. David Wells' Massachusetts Regiment, from October 3 to October 18, 1777, and was also a corporal in Capt. Sylvanus Rice's Company of Col. Israel Chapin's Regiment at Claverack, from October 27 to November 22, 1779.
Moses Chase enlisted April 22, 1777, in Capt. William Scott's Company of Col. John Stark's New Hampshire Regiment, which was later commanded by Col. Joseph Cilley. He served continuously until April 30, 1780. His regiment saw hard fighting at Saratoga, and he was at Valley Forge and at the battle of Monmouth, and probably took part with this regiment in the expedition sent out under General Sullivan against the Indians and Tories to avenge the massacres at Wyoming and Cherry Valley.
Bissell Phelps enlisted in April, 1775, as private in Capt. Elijah Buel's Company of Connecticut troops. From November, 1776, to May, 1777, he served under Capt. Elijah Wright, in Col. Roger Enos' Regiment. In February, 1778, he enlisted for four months in Capt. Eliphalet Buckley's Company of Col. Samuel Chapman's Regiment, and from June 16, 1778, to
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MILITARY HISTORY.
December 30, 1780, he was wagon-master under Deputy Quarter- master-General Hubbard.
Salah Smith was a private in Capt. James Walsworth's Company of Col. Elisha Porter's Regiment from July 22 to August 27, 1779, and was on service at New London. On June 29, 1780, he enlisted as private for six months, and was assigned to Capt. Smith's Company of Col. Michael Jackson's Massachusetts Regiment.
Jesse Mix was a Private in Capt. Humphrey's Company of Col. Swift's Second Connecticut Line Regiment. He enlisted June 13, 1782, for three years. His regiment remained in camp at West Point until disbanded, and he was then transferred into Col. Swift's final formation Connecticut Line Regiment, which continued in service until December, 1783. It would appear that he also performed an earlier service, having enlisted May, 1781, in Capts. Reid's and Sill's Company of the same regiment.
Isaac Parmenter served in Col. Ichabod Alden's Massa- chusetts Line Regiment from March, 1779, to December, 1779. He was taken prisoner with other members of his regiment at the Cherry Valley massacre, on November 10, 1778.
William Chase served in Col. Drury's Massachusetts Regi- ment, and from May, 1782, to the close of the war was a private in Jackson's Massachusetts Regiment.
Samuel Barnard was a private in Capt. James Walsworth's Company of Col. Elisha Porter's Regiment on service at New London from July 22 to August 27, 1779.
Amasa Skinner was in Capt. Joseph Cook's Company of Col. Elisha Porter's Regiment on the same service for six weeks from June, 1779. He also enlisted June 1, 1780, for six months service in Capt. Othniel Taylor's Company of Col. Marshall's Regiment of Massachusetts troops.
Doud Bushnell enlisted from Saybrook, Conn., in June, 1779, for three months under Capt. Simeon Leigh, Col. William Worthington's Regiment, in garrison at Fort Trumbull. During January and February, 1780, he served a re-enlistment in Capt. John Shipman's Company in the same regiment, and in May, 1780, enlisted for a year in Capt. Shapley's Company of Col. William Ledyard's Regiment, on garrison duty at the same fort. In June, 1781, he enlisted for three months in Lieut. Ezra Crane's Company of Col. Canfield's Regiment at West
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HISTORY OF WAITSFIELD.
Point, N. Y., and after the close of this enlistment was for a time on the privateer brig Thetis.
Nathan Sterling was on service at New London and Groton, Conn., from November 4, 1780, to January 2, 1781, in Capt. Hungerford's Company of Col. Samuel Mcclellan's Regiment.
Daniel Taylor enlisted in 1780 with other Shelburne, Mass., men for three months' service at Claverack in Lieut. Col. David Wells' Massachusetts Regiment, and from July 13, to October 10, 1780, was on the roll of Capt. Isaac Newton's Company of Col. Murray's Regiment.
John Heaton was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 8th Company of the 5th Hampshire County Regiment August 14, 1780, and served as a member of Capt. John Wells' Company from Shelburne.
William Newcomb of Norton, Mass., was a private in Capt. John Allen's Company of Col. Carpenter's Regiment, and enlisted July 27, 1780, for service in Rhode Island.
Gaius Hitchcock, of Springfield, Mass., then a mere boy, served at various times during 1778, 1779 and 1780 as a waiter in Capt. Bryant's Massachusetts troops. From September I to October 1, 1780, he was enlisted under Col. John Pomeroy, and from August 12 to November 8, 1781, he was a private in Capt. Oliver Shattuck's Company of Lieut. Col. Barnabas Sears' Hampshire County Regiment.
Nathaniel Brown, of Norwich, Vt., enlisted October 27, 1780, under Capt. Joshua Hazen, Col. Peter Alcott, for a short term, and from July I to November 30, 1781, was a private in Capt. Abner Seeley's Company of Col. Benjamin Wait's Vermont Battalion.
Abel Spaulding served at various times during 1780 and 1781 in Col. Benjamin Wait's Battalion, under Capt. Charles Nelson, and Ezra Wait, then but a stripling, served from July I to November 30, 1781, in Capt. John Benjamin's Company of his father's battalion.
Joseph Osgood, of Lancaster, Mass., was a private in Capt. Zachariah Fitch's Company of Col. Samuel Brewer's Regiment, which saw service from August 23 to September 30, 1776.
Nathaniel Bartlett was a private in Capt. Joseph Tyler's Company of Vermont troops in October and November, 1780, and was in Capt. Benjamin Whitney's Company at Guilford from October, 1783, to October, 1784. He also served in Capt.
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MILITARY HISTORY.
Jonathan Warren's Company on service in Windham County in 1782.
Wright Spaulding enlisted April 16, 1776, in Capt. William Satterlee's Company of Col. Samuel Elmore's Regiment, and re-enlisted December 25 of that year.
At an early day the customary militia company was organ- ized in town. Just when this occurred cannot now be stated, but the first return made of polls exempt for militia duty appears under date of 1805 and contains the following names:
Isaac Tewksbury
Henry Dana
Gilbert Wait
Nathan Dana
Enos Wilder
Elijah Grandy
Joseph Wallis
James Heaton, jr.
John Bement
Job House
John Campbell
Percival Hawley
Joseph Joslin
Jennison Jones
Pelatiah Sherman
Jesse Mix
Christopher Avery
Ashbel Minor
Erastus Allen
David Phelps
Doud Bushnell
Alexander Phelps
Benjamin Butterfield
Joshua Pike
James Bartlett
Aaron Quimby
Ebenezer Barnard
Salah Smith
Foster Dana
Simeon Stoddard
On June 7, 1808, Matthias Stone Jones as commanding officer reported that Ashbel Minor, Christopher Bartlett, Aaron Quimby, Daniel Skinner, Jesse Mix, Solomon Spaulding and Ithamar Smith were fully equipped, and consequently exempt from poll tax. The full company numbered forty- four at that time, and doubtless lack of equipment accounts for failure to return other names than those here given.
A few of the young men enlisted in the cavalry. A return under date of June 15, 1808, shows that Levi Wilder, Enos Wilder, James Heaton, jr., Thomas Wait, Joseph B. McCollum and John Holden were enrolled among the horsemen of the Fourth Regiment of the Second Brigade of the Third Division of the State Militia, the headquarters of this company being at Waterbury.
A year later Capt. Jones reported 18 men of his company as fully equipped, and in 1810 the list had grown to 22, while five others were enlisted in the cavalry company at Waterbury. Not until 1814 were any of these men called upon to do duty other than in the sham battles of June training day, but in
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HISTORY OF WAITSFIELD.
September of that year the call went out for volunteers to repel the invasion of the British army and the powerful fleet that was destroyed in the memorable conflict of Sunday, September II. The little company from Waitsfield, which included some men then resident upon the east side of the mountain, marched forthwith to join the American forces at Plattsburgh, but like many other troops reached Burlington too late to be transported across the lake in time to participate in the fighting. Just how long the company was absent on this service we do not know. The following certificate entered upon the records of the Adju- tant-General of the State of Vermont gives the names of those who marched on that occasion:
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