USA > Vermont > Washington County > The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer: > Part 41
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149
SOLDIERS, BURIED IN TOWN IN THE WAR OF 1861.
S. F. Jones, Jacob Jones and Zenas Hatch,-in North Branch Cemetery.
Chester Newton,-in the Cemetery at the Center.
Nathaniel Jones,-in the village Ceme- tery.
Mrs. Esther Shontell, of this town, sent seven sons into the army in this war : Wil- liam, who measured 6 feet 8 inches in height ; Benjamin, 6 feet 4 inches ; Fred- erick, 6 feet 3 inches ; Leander, 5 feet 9 inches ; Lewis, 6 feet I inch; Joseph, 6 feet 7 inches ; Augustus, 6 feet. Two of the brothers were killed ; and the mother draws a pension for one of them. Anoth- er left a widow, and two are pensioned on account of wounds.
O, the strong Middlesex boys Were mad for the war ! And the name of each hero To the ages afar Shall leave a track like a comet- Each shine as a star.
248
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.
21
3 H
June 1 61
Scribner, Walter
21
4 G
Aug 22 61
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
Aug 22 61
Evans, Goin B.
21
6 G
Feb 18 62
Gould, Page
2I
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
6 F
Oct
3 61
Mustered out Oct. 28, 64.
Whitney, Elijah
31
do
Oct 8 61
First Lieut : resigned June 19, 62.
Hogan, John
22
6 H
Aug 14 61
Wd. April 16, 62 : deserted Jan. 19, 63.
Shontell, William
25
8 E
Oct 21 61
Corp : discharged Feb. 12, 63.
Shontell, Benjamin
24
do
Dec 16 61
Discharged Oct. 16, 62.
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. Lewis, DeForest L. Scott, Elisha
50
do
Sept 13 61
Pro. Corp : wd. Apr. 1, 63 : mustered out Corp : discharged Oct. 9, 62.
Smith, John W.
41
do
Sept 12 61
Chase, Austin A.
21
do
Oct 3 61
Discharged Nov. 27, 61.
Spencer, George W.
28
do
Sept 20 61 do
Dudley, William N.
32
do
Sept 12 61
Discharged Jan. 13, 63.
Preston, Philander R.
27
do
Sept 21 61
Wells, Warren O.
38
Ist Bat Dec 3 61
Hills, Zerah
34
do
do
Oakland, George
24 2d Bat
Oct 23 61
Hogan, Henry
20
9 I
June 18 62
Smith, William P.
19
do
June 30 62
Cushman, Holmes
27
IO B
July 25 62
Mustered out June 22, 65.
Williams, Hiram
29
do
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.
Fifield, William C.
41
do
do
Wd.Sep. 19, 64: pro. Corp: do Serg: mus. Mustered out June 19, 65.
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 11 62
Deserted July 5, 63.
Jones, Jabez
19
II I
Dec 5 63
Died at Middlesex, July 10, 65.
Chase, Amos J.
40
Cav
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
do
Amel, Louis
19
do
Sept 15 63
do
18
Cav C
Sept 13 61
Paroled pris : must. out May 23, 65.
20
do
Nov 12 61
Mustered out Nov. 18, 64. do [Nov. 18, 64.
George, Albert
21
do
Sept 20 61
Discharged Oct. 3, 62.
Discharged Nov. 18, 64.
Hastings, Sidney B.
42
do
Wd. Sept. 4, 62 : dis. April 6, 63.
Warren, Alonzo S.
20
do
Dec 16 61
Wd. Sept. 4, 62 : inust. out Aug. 3, 64.
Shontell, Leander
19
do
Sept 23 61
Leonard, John R.
26
do
Aug 29 61
Died Feb. 4, 63, at Point Lookout, Md. Died Sept. 5, 61, at Washington, D. C. Discharged Nov. 8, 62. [23, 65.
Herrick, George S.
23
do
Cushman, George H.
34
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.
Discharged Sept. 15, 65.
Templeton, James A.
45
Cav C
Nov 24 63
Mustered out Aug. 9, 65.
Buck, William H. H.
22
6 F
Aug 15 62
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.
Tobin, John W.
18
Dec 11 63
Wd. May 6, 64 : discharged Feb. 22, 65. Musician : mustered out June 15, 65.
249
Names.
Age. Reg. Co. Enlistment.
Remarks.
Chase, Albert H.
I9
3d Bat
Aug 29 63
Kirkland, William
21
do
Sept 563
Leonard, Alonzo R.
21
do
do
do
Libby, Frank F.
18
do
NOV 1I 63
Promoted Corporal :
do
Shontell, William
27
do
Sept 1 5 63
do do
Hastings, Flavel J.
20
Cav C
Dec 4 63
Scott, George W.
18
do
Dec 11 63
Wheeler, Charles
45
IO B
Dec 19 63
Wing, Lemuel B.
18
SS C
Dec 28 63
[9, 65.
Murray, Henry
19
Cav C
Dec 31 63
Pro. Serg : wd. Apr. 3, 65 : must out Aug. Wd. May 5, 64 : Must. out Aug 9, 65. Pris. June 29, 64 : died Oct. 2, 64.
Smith, Abner
42
do
Dec 28 63
Killed in act. at Cold Harbor, June 1, 64.
Magoon, Henry C.
18
4 G
do
Died at Brattleboro, Aug. 20, 64.
Mee, Cornelius
18
II H
Dec 19 63
Willey, Albert
19
17 C
Sept 3 63
Mustered out Aug 2, 65. Mustered out July 14, 65 : pro. Corp.
VOLUNTEERS FOR NINE MONTHS.
Putnam, Chris. C. Jr.
23
13 I
Aug 25 62
Whitney, William H. H. 22
do
do
Whitney, Hiram G.
20
do
do
Whitney, Sidney E.
IS
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. Ist Lt: mus. out July 21, 63.
Luce, Merrill O.
18
do
do
Corp : pro. Serg : do
do
Ordway, Royal
30
do
do
Mustered out July 21, 63.
Barnett, William W.
28
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.
31
do
do
Chase, Albert H.
18
do
do
do -
McCarron, Barney
18
do
do
do
Chamberlin, Burt J.
20
do
do
do
Rublee, Otis H.
18
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. Mustered out July 21, 63.
Scribner, Hiram W. Slade, William
42
do
Sept 10 62
VOLUNTEERS FOR ONE YEAR.
Atridge, Nathaniel Cameron, James
21
Rec
Aug 19 64
Discharged Oct. 1, 64.
18
2 1)
July 30 64
Jones, Edwin R.
20
Cav C Aug 22 64
Nichols, Henry W.
18
2 D Aug 2 64
Alden, Sylvester O.
27
do Aug 19 64
Edgerly, James Saunders, Asa S.
28
do
Dodge, Wallace W.
21
3d Bat Aug 22 64
Dutton, Charles H.
22
do do
Wakefield, William H.
23
17 E Aug 31 64
do
do
34 FrontCav Jan 3 65 do 21 do
June 27, 65. do
Connor, Francis R. Whitney, Sidney E. Stiles, Orrin
43
2 D
Feb 4 65
Nichols, Eugene H. Loizell, Julius
22
do
do
Smith, James H.
22 7 I Feb 11 65
Wells, Warren
Marsh, Rufus H.
Discharged Feb. 13, 66.
Richardson, Plummer H. 20
Ist Corps Jan 25 65 do Feb 14 65 6 K
Mar 15 65
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
Mustered out June 2, 65. Mustered out May 13, 65. do
Andrews, Salmon F. Whitney, Geo. M.
20
do
do
do Mustered out July 15, 65. do do
Mustered out Feb. 11, 66. Discharged Jan. 24, 66.
Mustered out June 26, 65.
Mustered out June 15, 65. do
Stone, Charles H.
20
do
Sept 3 63
Mustered out Aug. 9, 65. [Aug. 17, 64. Pris. June 29, 64 : died at Andersonville, Discharged May 15, 65. Discharged Mar. 10, 65.
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.
Pro. Serg : must. out July 21, 63. Discharged April 6, 63. Musician : mustered out July 21, 63.
Jones, Dudley B.
31
do
do
do
Potwin, Joseph
36
do
do
Corp :
do
Lawrence, George S.
22
. do
Sept 1 5 62
18
do
Sept 8 62
do do
39
do Aug 20 64 do
28
18
do Feb 8 65
do
Pro. Corp : Must. out July 21, 63.
32
MIDDLESEX.
250
VERMONT · HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
Names.
DRAFTED AND ENTERED SERVICE. Age. Reg. Co. Enlistment.
Remarks.
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,
Luther Maxham,
Myron W. Miles,
Francis B. Connor, 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. VAUGHN.
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 laid up for yourselves a rich treasure in 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 prlde, But think 'twas for thee that our Saviour has dled; And receive each gift hinnbly, to-night, from the tree, As an emblem of love-of His kindness to thee.
SUNSHINE WILL FOLLOW THE RAIN. BY MRS. ALMA R. VAUGHIN.
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 repining ? Sunshine will follow the raiu.
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 life will all be done; Oh, can we say, as death draws nigh, No earthly task is left undone ? %
[We selected from Mrs. Vaughn's poems one or two other pieces, which we should give would it not overrun the pages allot- Ited for Middlesex .- Ed.]
Wd. at Spottsylvania, May 12, 64 : died
251
MONTPELIER.
MONTPELIER.
BY HON. ELIAKIM P. WALTON.
From the first Vermont grant of the town of Montpelier, Oct. 21, 1780, to Jan. 1, 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 and magnificent mountains.
The town was located in latitude 44º 17' north, and longitude 4º 25' east from the capitol at Washington, and about 10 miles north-east from the exact geograph- ical centre of the State, which is near the west line of Northfield, in the mountain between Northfield and Waitsfield. Four important branches embouch in the town or on its border: Dog river from the south, Stevens's Branch from the south-east and Kingsbury's Branch and North Branch from the north, while the Winooski itself enters near the north-eastern, and runs to the south-western, corner of the town. Dog river gave the passage for the Vermont Central railroad through the mountains to the 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
* The explanation on the map brings out 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 laid 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 unlocated 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 lines, and as they are mostly granted to Officers in the Regular army except a "tew 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 paye 530 in Vol. 4, of Documentary History of New York.
t Vermont Historical Society Collections, Vol. I, pp. 154, 155, 156.
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, a 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 of 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 of the State, and Congress seemed so strongly bent upon sacrificing it to one of the claim- ing States, or dividing it between both, that the agents of Vermont in Congress withdrew, and indignantly refused further to attend, though invited to do so.t
* Vt. Historical Society Collections, Vol. I, p. 356, where Allen states explicitly that Gale's camp was "near the northeast corner of the {then] present town of Montpelier."
t Same, Vol. II, pages 31-34.
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 Couneil, 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.#
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.