USA > Vermont > Washington County > Montpelier > The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier. > Part 41
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VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
LIST OF MEN CREDITED TO THE TOWN OF MIDDLESEX, 1861-1865. BY STEPHEN HERRICK.
VOLUNTEERS FOR THREE YEARS.
Names.
Age. Reg. Co. Enlistment.
Remarks.
Brown, Harvey W.
19
2 F
May 7 61
Smith, William S.
22
do
do
Ripley, William C.
2I
3 H
June 1 61
Scribner, Walter
21
4 G
Aug 22 61
Herrick, George S.
23
do
Aug 29 61
Cushman, George H.
34
do
Aug 22 61
Evans, Goin B.
21
6 G
Feb 18 62
Gould, Page
21
6 H
Aug 14 61
Gould, Worthen T.
18
do
do
Jones, Stephen F.
44
do
do
Jones, Jacob G.
18
do
do
Died Jan. 24, 62, at Camp Griffin.
Divine, John
30
6 G
Oct 15 61
Lee, John Jr.
32
do
Sept 20 61
Sweeny, James
35
do
Sept 23 61
Leonard, John R.
26
6 F
Oct
3 61
Whitney, Elijah
31
do
Oct 8 61
First Lieut : resigned June 19, 62.
Hogan, John
22
6 H
Aug 14 61
Shontell, William
25
8 E
Oct 21 61
Shontell, Benjamin
24
do
Dec 16 61
Shontell, Frederick
22
do
Jan 10 62
Died May 16, 62.
Amel, Louis
38
do
Oct 7 61
Re-en. Jan. 5, 64 : must. out June 28, 65.
Warren, Lorenzo S.
22
do
Dec 7 61 do
Died March 19, 63.
Kinson, Benjamin H.
26
do
Oct 3 61
Died June 18, 62.
Wilson, Francis
28
do
do
Corp : died Dec. 5, 62.
Nichols, Roswell S.
41
do
Nov 30 61
Musician : discharged June 30, 62.
Lewis, Frederick A.
18
Cav C
Sept 13 61
Paroled pris : must. out May 23, 65.
Lewis, DeForest L.
20
do
Nov 12 61
Mustered out Nov. 18, 64.
Scott, Elisha
50
do
Sept 20 61
George, Albert
21
do
Sept 13 61
Pro. Corp : wd. Apr. 1, 63 : mustered out Corp : discharged Oct. 9, 62.
Chase, Austin A.
21
do
Oct 3 61
Discharged Nov. 27, 61.
Spencer, George W.
28
do
Sept 20 61 clo
Discharged Oct. 3, 62.
Hastings, Sidney B.
42
do
Dudley, William N.
32
do
Sept 12 61
-
Preston, Philander R.
27
do
Sept 21 61
Wells, Warren O.
38
Ist Bat Dec 361
Hills, Zerah
34
do
do
Oakland, George
24 2d Bat
Oct 23 61
Hogan, Henry
20
9 I
June 18 62
Smith, William P.
27
IO B
July 25 62
Mustered out June 22, 65.
Williams, Hiram
29
clo
Aug 1 62
Died Feb. 17, 65, at Washington, D. C. Mustered out June 22, 65.
Morrisett, John
28
do
July 30 62
Patterson, Robert
35
do
Aug 6 62
Wd. Oct. 19, 64 : dis. May 27, 65.
Scaribo, Fabius
28
do
Aug 4 62
Mustered out June 22, 65.
[15,65.
Lewis, Charles J.
25
II D
Aug 12 62
Sec. Lt : pro. Ist Lt : do. Capt : dis. May Must. out June 19, 65. [out June 19, 65.
Tobin, John W.
IS
do
do
Cameron, Sylvester
25
do
do
Ward, Tertullus C.
26
do
Killed in ac. at Gettysburgh, July 3, 63.
Bean, Albert
23
2 D
do
Died Oct. 3, 64, at Sandy Hook, of wds.
Bruce, George W.
23
IO K
Aug II 62
Deserted July 5, 63.
Jones, Jabez
19
II I
Dec 5 63
Died at Middlesex, July 10, 65.
Chase, Amos J.
40
22
Cav C
Dec 8 63
Mustered out Aug. 9, 65.
Cameron, John
26
do
Dec 18 63
Rublee, Otis N.
18
3d Bat
Sept 5 63
Herrick, Geo. S.
25
do
Nov 2 63
do
Amel, Louis
19
do
Sept 15 63
[23, 65. Corp : pris. June 23, 64 : must. out May Discharged Jan. 21, 63.
Leonard, Alonzo R.
21
do
Sept 3 61 do
Discharged Dec. 18, 62.
Leonard, Charles P.
19
do
Re-en. Feb. 8, 64 : must. out May 23, 65. Corp : killed at Weldon R.R. June 23, 64. Discharged April 24, 63. [June 26, 65. First Serg : wd. April 16, 62 : must. out Died Jan. 4, 63, at Belle Plains, Va. Died Feb. 63, at Brattleboro.
Re-en. Dec. 15, 63 : must. out June 26, 65. Re-en. Dec. 15, 63 : must. out July 15, 65. Discharged Jan. 8, 62.
Mustered out Oct. 28, 64.
Wd. April 16, 62 : deserted Jan. 19, 63. Corp : discharged Feb. 12, 63.
Discharged Oct. 16, 62.
Shontell, Leander
19
do
Dec 16 61
Wd. Sept. 4, 62 : must. out Aug. 3, 64.
Warren, Alonzo S.
20
do
do [Nov. 18, 64.
Smith, John W.
41
do
Sept 12 61
Discharged Nov. 18, 64. Discharged Jan. 13, 63.
Wd. July 6, 63 : Re-en. Dec. 31, 63 ; tak- ken pris. June 29, 64; died at Florence, S. C., Jan., 65.
Corp : mustered out Aug. 10, 64. [La. Corp : died June 25, 63, at Port Hudson, Corp: re-en. Feb.20,64: mus.out July 31,65 Pro. Corp: do. Serg: mus. out June 13, 65. Died Oct. 12, 62.
Fifield, William C.
41
6 F
Aug 15 62
Wd.Sep. 19, 64: pro. Corp: do Serg: mus. Mustered out June 19, 65.
Buck, William H. H.
Discharged Sept. 15, 65.
Templeton, James A.
45
Cav C
Nov 24 63
Mustered out Aug. 9, 65.
Cav G Dec 11 63
Wd. May 6, 64 : discharged Feb. 22, 65 Musician : mustered out June 15, 65. do
do
clo
June 30 62
Cushman, Holmes
Wd. Sept. 4, 62 : dis. April 6, 63.
Died Feb. 4, 63, at Point Lookout, Md. Died Sept. 5, 61, at Washington, D. C. Discharged Nov. 8, 62.
249
MIDDLESEX.
Names.
Age. Reg. Co. Enlistment.
Chase, Albert H.
I9
3d Bat
Aug 29 63
Kirkland, William
21
do
Sept 5 63
Leonard, Alonzo R.
2I
do
do
do
Libby, Frank F.
18
do
NOV II 63
Promoted Corporal :
do
Shontell, William Stone, Charles H.
27
do
Sept 1 5 63
do do
Hastings, Flavel J.
20
Cav C
Dec 4 63
Scott, George W.
18
do
Dec II 63
Wheeler, Charles
45
IO B
Dec 19 63
Wing, Lemuel B.
18
SS C
Dec 28 63
Discharged Mar. 10, 65.
[9, 65.
Murray, Henry
19
Cav C
Dec 31 63
Pro. Serg : wd. Apr. 3, 65 : must out Aug.
Shepley, Elliot W.
43
do
Dec 25 63
Towner, John S.
26
do
Dec 18 63
Barton, David
44
IO B
Dec 14 63
Mustered out June 29, 64.
Smith, Abner
42
do
Dec 28 63 do
Died at Brattleboro, Aug. 20, 64.
Mee, Cornelius
18
II H
Dec 19 63
Mustered out Aug 2, 65.
Willey, Albert
17 C
Sept 3 63.
Mustered out July 14, 65 : pro. Corp.
VOLUNTEERS FOR NINE MONTHS.
Putnam, Chris. C. Jr.
23
13 I
Aug 25 62
Pro. Serg : must. out July 21, 63. Discharged April 6, 63.
Whitney, Hiram G.
20
do
do
Whitney, Sidney E.
18
do
Aug 29 62
do
Jones, Jabez
18
do
do
do
Benjamin, R. Plummer
22
13 B
do
do
Jones, Edwin
18
do
do
do
McElroy, Clesson R.
do
Aug 25 62
2d Lt : pro. 1st Lt: mus. out July 21, 63.
Luce, Merrill O.
18
do
do
Corp : pro. Serg :
do
Potwin, Joseph
36
do
do
Corp :
do
Ordway, Royal
30
do
do
Mustered out July 21, 63.
Barnett, William W.
28
do
do
do
Willey, Albert
18
do
do
do
Flood, Gregory
18
13 H
do
do
Nichols, Eugene
25
13 B
do
do
Miles, Otis G.
3I
do
do
Pro. Corp : Must. out July 21, 63.
Chase, Albert H.
18
do
do
do
McCarron, Barney
I8
do
do
do
Chamberlin, Burt J.
20
do
do
do
Rublee, Otis H.
I8
13 A
Oct 3 62
Musician :
do
White, Lucian W.
23
13 B
Sept 1 62
Moulton, Stedman D.
30
do
Sept 3 62
Discharged April 24, 63.
Wright, Edwin L.
27
13 C
Aug 29 62
Mustered out July 21, 63.
Taylor, Francis F.
18
do
Sept 8 62
Died April 16, 63.
Lawrence, George S. Scribner, Hiram W. Slade, William
42
do
Sept 10 62
do
VOLUNTEERS FOR ONE YEAR.
Atridge, Nathaniel Cameron, James
2I
Rec
Aug 19 64
18
2 D
July 30 64
Jones, Edwin R.
20
Cav C Aug 22 64
Nichols, Henry W.
18
2 D
Aug 2 64
Alden, Sylvester O. Edgerly, James Saunders, Asa S.
39
do Aug 20 64 do do
28
3d Bat Aug 22 64
22
do do
23
17 E Aug 31 64
28
do
do
34 FrontCav Jan 3 65
2I
do
do
20
do
do
Nichols, Eugene H. Joizell, Julius
22
do
do
Smith, James H.
22 7 I Feb II 65
Wells, Warren
Ist Corps Jan 25 65
Feb 14 65
Discharged Feb. 13, 66.
Richardson, Plummer H. 20
do 6 K
Mar 15 65
Discharged Oct. 1, 64. Mustered out June 19, 65. [pris, of wds. Died Oct. 7, 64, at Mt. Jackson, Va., while Mustered out June 19, 65. [June 19, 65. Wd. at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 64 : must. out Died Oct. 31, 64, at Winchester, Va. Mustered out June 19, 65.
do do
Wakefield, William H. Andrews, Salmon F. Whitney, Geo. M.
Mustered out June 2, 65. Mustered out May 13, 65. do
Connor, Francis R. Whitney, Sidney E. Stiles, Orrin
43
2 D Feb 4 65
18
do Feb 8 65
Mustered out July 15, 65. do do
Mustered out Feb. 11, 66. Discharged Jan. 24, 66.
Marsh, Rufus H.
22
do
Sept 15 62
Mustered out July 21, 63.
18
do
Sept 8 62
do
do
Jones, Dudley B.
31
do
do
Wd. May 5, 64 : Must. out Aug 9, 65. Pris. June 29, 64 : died Oct. 2, 64.
Killed in act. at Cold Harbor, June 1, 64.
Magoon, Henry C.
18
4 G
Whitney, William H. H. 22
do
do
Mustered out Aug. 9, 65. [Aug. 17, 64. Pris. June 29, 64 : died at Andersonville, Discharged May 15, 65.
20
do
Sept 3 63
Remarks. Mustered out June 15, 65. do
Dodge, Wallace W. Dutton, Charles H.
21
27
do Aug 19 64
June 27, 65. do do
Mustered out June 26, 65.
do
Musician : mustered out July 21, 63.
32
250
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
DRAFTED AND ENTERED SERVICE.
Names.
Age. Reg. Co. Enlistment.
Remarks. Wd. at Spottsylvania, May 12, 64 : died
Hatch, Zenas
21
2 D July 13 63
Nov. 11, 64, of wds. rec. Oct. 19, 64.
Vaughn, Henry J.
21
6 E
do
Mustered out June 13, 65.
Woodward, Harrison
22
2 K
do
Discharged Jan. 23, 64.
SUBSTITUTE-FOR M. O. EVANS.
Hogan, John C.
20
4 I July 23 63
Pris. June 23, 64 : sup. died in reb. pris. PAID COMMUTATION.
Orrin Bruce,
Francis B. Connor,
Luther Maxham,
Myron W. Miles,
Chester Smith,
Jeremiah Mahoney, E. D. Williams,
Chas. H. Willey.
SOLDIERS IN THE WAR OF 1812.
Being unable to obtain an official list of the 1812 soldiers, I rely on the recollection of the oldest men in town for the following list of Plattsburgh Volunteers :
Holden Putnam, captain of the Company from Middlesex and vicinity, Horace Hol- den, Xerxes Holden, Lewis Putnam, Ze- bina Warren, Nathaniel Carpenter, Alan- son Carpenter, Samuel Barnett, David Har- rington, Ephraim Keyes, Benj. Chatterton, Nathan Huntley, Abram Gale, Rufus Cham- berlin, Rufus Leland, Samuel Meads, Jesse Johnson, Hubbard Willey, " Priest " Cole.
It is related respecting some of the Mid- dlesex volunteers to Plattsburgh : The
Sunday previous to the battle, a Middlesex minister, known as " Priest" Cole, preach- ed a fiery war sermon, in which he urged every man capable of bearing arms to bravely turn out and meet the British in case of an invasion. Before the close of that week the march of the enemy towards Vermont was announced, and the reverend minister was one of the volunteers. When Captain Putnam reached the Lake with his company, he drew them up in a line, and gave orders for "all who had the cannon fever and did not want to cross the lake, to fall back to the rear." Not a man stirred except Priest Cole, who stepped back a few paces and there remained. A few days after the battle, Rev. Mr. C. was sitting in Enoch Clark's store, in the house now occupied by L. D. Ainsworth, when Esquire Nathaniel Carpenter entered, and sitting down by his side, slapping him on the knee, remarked, "Priest Cole, I was never more surprised in my life than I was to see you step back and not want to meet the British." Mr. Cole coolly replied, " Esq. Carpenter, it is a great deal easier to preach than to practice."
OUR CHRISTMAS TREE AT THE CHURCH. BY MRS. ALMA R. VAUGIIN.
You have asked for a poem, and what shall it be? O, yes, I will sing for our new Christmas tree. Let all come under its boughs, the great and the small. If the house is not full, 'tis no Christmas at all. Let us laugh and be merry ; all be of good cheer, For our Christmas day comes only once in a year,- How delighted and happy we all feel to-night, How the little ones look on the tree with delight!
But I could not but think, as we just knelt in prayer, Of the poor and the lowly, have they a gift there ? And my mind it turned back to the thoughts of the morn,
That 'twas on Christmas Eve that our Saviour was born.
Though the gift may be humble that's placed on the tree,
"Tis in memory of Christ ;- like His gifts let it be :- If a gift to the poor or the meek has been given,
You've lald up for yourselves a rich treasure ir Heaven.
We now honor His birthday with gifts and with mirth Let us hope for His kindness and love while on earth And that Heaven's rich blessings may rest on us all, That no sorrow, nor evil, nor ill may befall. Then take not the gifts from the tree with fond pride But think 'twas for thee that our Savlour has dled; And receive each gift humbly, to-night, from the tree As an emblem of love-of His kindness to thee.
SUNSHINE WILL FOLLOW THE RAIN. BY MRS. ALMA R. VAUGIIN. Life has Its moments of gladness, Life has its moments of pain; Yet God, He is near in our sorrow, Sunshine will follow the rain.
Why are we ever a shading Our moments of gladness with pain ? Why are we apt to replning? Sunshine will follow the raln.
NOTHING LEFT UNDONE.
Oh, can we, as the night has come, Review the day with pride, and say, We have left nothing now undone Of which we should have done to-day ?
For soon, how soon our days are through, Our work in Ilfe will all be done; Oh, can we say, as death draws nigh, No earthly task Is left undone ?
[We selected from Mrs. Vaughn's poem one or two other pieces, which we shoul give would it not overrun the pages allo ted for Middlesex .- Ed.]
251
MONTPELIER.
MONTPELIER.
BY HON. ELIAKIM P. WALTON.
From the first Vermont grant of the town of Montpelier, Oct. 21, 1780, to Jan. I, 1849, the territory known by that name embraced the present towns of MONTPELIER and EAST MONPELIER ; hence this paper will for that period give the history of the two existing towns under the original name, and of the present town of Mont- pelier from the last-named date.
LOCATION.
The original town was located on the longest river which has both its origin and embouchure within the State-the Win- ooski. In a map published at New Haven, Conn., about 1779, this river was called, " R. a la Moelle, French R. or Wenusoo R., also Oniain R." The first name was given by Champlain in 1609, to the next princi- pal river north, now called Lamoille, and it was erroneously applied to the Winooski on the map referred to ; French, or Onion, river was the name given in early New Hampshire charters of towns located on the river, and " Wenusoo " and " Oniain" were the erroneous readings by the drafts- man or engraver, for the genuine and beau- tiful Winooski, and the equally genuine but strong-flavored Onion, which suggests rather the richness of the broad meadows on either bank than the exceeding beauty of the mingled landscape of water, meads und magnificent mountains.
The town was located in latitude 44º 7' north, and longitude 4º 25' east from he capitol at Washington, and about IO miles north-east from the exact geograph- :al centre of the State, which is near the est line of Northfield, in the mountain etween Northfield and Waitsfield. Four portant branches embouch in the town on its border: Dog river from the uth, Stevens's Branch from the south-east d Kingsbury's Branch and North Branch om the north, while the Winooski itself ters near the north-eastern, and runs to south-western, corner of the town. g river gave the passage for the Vermont ntral railroad through the mountains to : third branch of White river, which
has its source at the same level as that of Dog river ; Stevens's Branch has the same source in one of its branches as the second branch of White river, which cuts through the eastern mountain range by the famous " Gulf " in Williamstown, and a branch of Stevens's, from Barre, gives easy access to the valley of Wait's river. The northern branches of the Winooski give eligible passes to the upper valleys of Wells and Lamoille rivers, and North Branch gives an easy and almost a perfectly straight pass into the valley of the Lamoille, opposite Wild Branch, which cuts through to a branch of Black river, and thus opens a clear way to Lake Memphremagog at Newport. This location of the town, so central and so easily accessible to the surrounding coun- try in every direction, probably had an important influence in making it the polit- ical capital of the State, as it certainly has had upon the thrift of its business men. These facts also indicate that in the future, as ability shall be given, the village of Montpelier will become the centre for the intersection of at least five railroad lines, running in the river valleys above named, making it ultimately as accessible by rail as it has been by the ordinary highways. The Central railroad now opens two of these valleys to Montpelier ; in the third, the Montpelier and Wells River railroad is now in operation ; in the fourth, the managers of the Central road contemplate the laying of a track, and in that event the valley of the North Branch to the Lamoille will alone remain to be occupied. A survey for a railroad there has been made, and the route is proved to be feasible.
EARLIEST GRANTS.
The earliest known grant of any part of the territory, on which the township was located, was made by Cadwallader Colden, Lieutenant and acting Governor of the then royal Province of New York, June 13, 1770, under the name of "Newbrook," which was a grant to Jacobus Van Zant. On a map of Vermont, and of parts of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, published at New Haven, Conn., when the inhabitants of Vermont held their lands "by the triple title of
252
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
honest purchase, of Industry in Settling. and now lately that of conquest," the last phrase indicating about 1779 as the date- this New York township seems to have embraced Montpelier eastward from a short distance west of the mouth of North Branch, near the spot on which the State Capitol stands, with parts of Barre, Plainfield and Berlin .*
On the 25th of June, 1770, still another small portion of Montpelier, on the East- ern border of the town, was granted, by the same authority, under the name of " Kingsborough," to John Morin Scott, who was subsequently a delegate from New York in the Continental Congress ; and on the 3d of July, 1771, John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, and then Governor of New York, granted yet another portion, under the name of "Kilby," to William McAdams. According to the map referred to, this grant covered all but a very narrow gore between the New Hampshire grant of Middlesex and the preceding New York . grants of Kingsborough and Newbrook. HON. HILAND HALL has suggested that Newbrook embraced Waterbury and vi- cinity, Kingsborough, Montpelier and vi- cinity, and Kilby, Middlesex and vicinity ;+ but the New Haven map very correctly marks all the towns granted by New Hampshire on the North side of the Win- ooski, from Colchester to Middlesex, both included, with the names they now bear, ex- cept Belton for Bolton, and an omission of the corner of Richmond, which is included in Jericho. Immediately adjoining and East of Middlesex is " Kilby," just where Montpelier belongs. The only difficulty
in the case is that "Kilby" contained 30,000 acres, or 6,930 more than Mont- pelier, which would make " Kilby " cov- er a part of the present towns of Plain- field and Marshfield, with the whole of Montpelier ; but, on the other hand, in that case, the junctions of North Branch and Stevens's Branch with the Winooski should be in " Kilby " on the map, whereas they are in " Newbrook." The writer has con- jectured that "Kilby" in fact embraced part of the territory laid down on the map as Middlesex, and that Montpelier was covered by parts of "Kilby," " New- brook " and "Kingsborough," which would bring Berlin very near its correct place on the map, where it is in fact quite erro- neously placed in relation to Middlesex. These statements are of some interest as belonging to the history of the town, yet they are of no possible importance, since the grantees of New York appear never to have availed themselves of their grants, though an attempt was made to survey this region in 1773, by Samuel Gale, which was prevented by Ira Allen .*
The names of the New York grantees do not appear in the list of persons who re- ceived compensation for their lands out of the $30,000 paid by Vermont to New York as a settlement of the long and bitter con- troversy for title and jurisdiction. The three New York grants were therefore dor- mant, or had lapsed for want of compliance with prescribed conditons, when, in 1780, petition was filed in the office of the Secre. tary of State of Vermont, by Timothy Big. elow, Jacob Davis, Jacob Davis, Jr., Thos Davis, and others, asking for a grant o unappropriated land. This was at the most critical period in the history of Ver mont, when New York and New Hamp shire were both claiming jurisdiction c the State, and Congress seemed so strongl bent upon sacrificing it to one of the claim ing States, or dividing it between both that the agents of Vermont in Congres withdrew, and indignantly refused furthe to attend, though invited to do so.t
* The explanation on the map brings ont so strongly the Vermont spirit of those days, that it is worth copy- ing entire, as follows :
" The Townships or Grants East of Lake CHAM- "PLAIN are lald down as granted by the State of "NEW HAMPSHIRE, Except those that are marked " Y Which were granted by the State of NEW YORK "on nnlocated ground, where they do not Interfere "with the Hampshire Grants; the Spurlons New " York grants that interfere with the Older ones are "marked with dotted lhes, and as they are mostly granted to Officers in the Regular army except a " few which have the name of WALLIS, KEMP. and " some such other favourites of these Princes of Land "Jobbers MOORE, DUNMORE, COLDEN, and TRYON, " Stamped on them, It was not thought worth while to "note them: Especially as the Inhabitants of the " State of Vermont now hold them by the triple title " of honest purchase, of Industry In Settling, and now " lately that of Conquest."-Map facing page 530 in Vol. 4, of Documentary History of New York.
t Vermont Historical Society Collections, Vol. I, pp. 154, 155, 156.
* Vl. Historical Society Collections, Vol. I, p. 35 where Allen states explicitly that Gale's camp w. "near the northeast corner of the [then] prese town of Montpelier."
t Same, Vol. II, pages 31-34.
d
253
MONTPELIER.
At this period, two-thirds of the State were occupied by the scouts of the British army and the Green Mountain Boys,* and the British far exceeded the Vermonters in the number of men and in military sup- plies. In fact, on the very day when the General Assembly authorized the grant of Montpelier, Major Carleton with a British force was at Ticonderoga, just returned from a successful raid on North-eastern New York, in which he had captured Forts Ann and George, and destroyed nearly all the farm-houses and barns in the towns of Kingsborough and Queensborough.t
It was at this critical time that Vermont was forced to rely on policy rather than arms for protection, and the negotiation with Gen. Frederick Haldimand, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Canada, was then instituted. In these desperate circumstances, one of the greatest difficulties was the want of money with which to supply and pay the little army of the infant State-a State which was not only relying solely on its own re- sources for its own defense, but actually had furnished and was in part supporting Col. Seth Warner's regiment in the Con- tinental army, then and while in service used for the protection of Vermont's most dangerous enemy-New York. For the extraordinary expenses of military defense, the taxes upon a people just entered upon the primeval forests, and having hardly cleared enough to afford a scanty support even in peaceful times, would not suffice ; and necessarily, therefore, the State Gov- ernment relied upon the sale of its wild lands, and of the confiscated estates of en- emies, for a fund to meet extraordinary expenses. An essential point of course was, to find purchasers who could make ready pay in specie, or its equivalent, and thus supply the pressing needs of the gov- ernment. Accordingly we find, on the Assembly journal of the 14th of October, 1780, the following entry :
Resolved, that a Committee of five, to join a Committee from the Council, be ap-
pointed to take into consideration the sit- uation of ungranted lands within this State which can be settled, and the several pe- titions filed in the Secretary's office pray- ing for grants of unlocated lands, and report their opinion what lands can be granted and what persons will most con- duce to the welfare of this State to have such grants.
.
The members chosen by ballot are, Mr. Samuel Robinson, Mr. [Edward] Harris, Col. [John] Strong, Mr. [Ebenezer] Cur- tiss, and Mr. [Joshua] Webb .*
This Committee was deemed so impor- tant that on the 17th of October, 1780, the Assembly added to it four members, to wit: Mr. [Matthew] Lyon, Mr. [Benja- min] Whipple, Mr. [Thomas] Porter, and Mr. [Major Thomas] Murdock.t The members of this Committee were selected from the then most important towns in the State, to wit: Bennington, Halifax, Dorset, Windsor, Rockingham, Arling- ton, Rutland, Tinmouth and Norwich ; and the Council completed the Committee by adding leading men of the time, all noted in Vermont history, to wit: Ira Allen, John Fassett, (Jr.,) Jonas Fay and Paul Spooner.#
The grant of the township of MONTPEL- IER-a name given by Col. Jacob Davis- was, in this emergency, the first one rec- ommended by the Committee and the first one authorized by the General Assembly.
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
Saturday Oct. 21st, 1780.
The committee appointed to take into consideration the ungranted lands in this State, and the several Pitches on file in the Secretary's office, &c., brought in the fol- lowing report, viz :
" That, in our opinion, the following tract of land, viz : lying east of and adjoin- ing Middlesex, on Onion river, and partly north of Berlin, containing 23040 acres, be granted by the Assembly unto Col. Timo- thy Bigelow and Company, by the name of MONTPELIER."
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