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Lexington. Less than twenty days later, May 7, a brave band of men numbering two hundred and seventy (all but forty-six being "Green Mountain Boys") had assembled at Castleton with Ethan Allen, subsequently to march on to the strong fortresses at Ticonderoga and Crown Point; then came Benedict Arnold upon the scene, claiming command of the expedition-the refusal of the volunteers to march under any commander save Allen-Arnold's sullen acceptance of second place. Hastily following this scene comes the demand of the stern old hero for the surrender of the fortress at Ticonderoga, and his immortal response to Captain de la Place, when asked by what authority the demand was made: "By the authority of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress! "

Allen, in his own graphic account, speaks of this event as follows: "The authority of the Congress being very little known at the time, he [De la Place] began to speak again; but I interrupted him, and with drawn sword over his head again demanded an immediate surrender of the garrison, with which he then complied, and ordered his men to be forthwith paraded without arms, as he had given up the garrison. In the mean time some of my officers had given orders and in consequence thereof sundry of the barrack doors were beat down, and about one-third of the garrison imprisoned, which consisted of the said commander, Lieutenant Feltham, a conductor of artillery, a gunner, two sergeants and forty-four rank and file, about one hundred pieces of cannon, one thirteen-inch mortar, and a number of swivels. This surprise was carried into execution in the gray of the morning of the 10th of May, 1775. The sun seemed to rise on that morning with a superior luster, and Ticonderoga and its dependencies smiled to its conquerors, who tossed about the flowing bowl and wished success to Congress and the liberty and freedom of America. Happy it was for me, at that time, that those future pages of the book of fate, which afterwards unfolded a miserable scene of two years and eight months' imprisonment, were hid from my view."

The successful issues of Allen's other well-planned measures are familiar to all. Crown Point surrendered on the following day, with its entire armament and its small garrison of twelve men. Herrick made his capture of Skenesborough, with Skene and his forces, besides several boats and a trading schooner. This success was crowned by the capture of two dispatch boats by Baker, which had been sent from Crown Point with the news of the fall of Ticonderoga. Amos Callandar was detached with a party to the fort at the head of Lake George, whence he soon after conducted the prisoners to Hartford.

The forts, so boldly taken, secured immunity against danger to the settlers here so long as they remained in the hands of the Americans; but on the 6th of July, 1777, came the retreat of the whole garrison before the advance of Burgoyne. The subsequent battle of Hubbardton, and still later that of

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Bennington, indeed all of the events of this great war, are too familiar subjects of general history to require detailed mention here.

After the retreat of the American troops from the disastrous expedition into Canada in 1776, and especially after General Burgoyne, in 1777, with his formidable army came up the lake, sweeping away every resistance before him, a large proportion of the settlers of Vermont deserted their farms and removed to places of greater safety at the south. The lake and its forts being in possession of the English, the whole country lying opposite was exposed to marauding and foraging parties of British, Indians and Tories, who plundered and carried off such movable property as was left behind and desired by them; and in 1777, while the British were in quiet possession of the forts, before the surrender of Burgoyne in October of that year, several of the men were taken captives; and such as remained in captivity until the occurrence of that event were then released.

But the most serious and extensive depredations on the inhabitants of the county were committed in the fall of 1778. In the early part of November a large British force came up the lake in several vessels and thoroughly scoured the country on both sides. Such of the settlers as had the temerity to remain on their farms until that time were taken prisoners, their property of every description was burned and destroyed, and their women and children left to take care of themselves as best they could, in their houseless and destitute condition. Not a town in the county, where any settlements had been made, escaped their ravages. The only building in Middlebury not wholly destroyed, except two or three in the southeast part of the town, which they seem not to have found, was a barn of Colonel John Chipman which had been lately built of green timber. This they could not set on fire, and tried in vain with their imperfect tools to cut down.

It is said that two hundred and forty-four captives were taken in the vicinity of the lake during that autumn, forty-four of whom were brought back in June, 1782, and exchanged as prisoners of war at Whitehall. Mention of many of these captures will be found in the chapters devoted to the history of the several towns.

The surrender of Cornwallis, at Yorktown, October 17, 1781, virtually put an end to the war, though it was not until the 19th of April, 1783, that, by order of General Washington, a proclamation announcing a close of hostilities with England was read in all the camps of the patriots. The war had ceased, although the formal ratification of the treaty of peace did not occur till September 3 of that year. The "Green Mountain Boys," except for the family trouble with New York, were once more enjoying the blessings of peace. In 1789 New York acknowledged the independence of Vermont and endeavored to adjust all matters of dispute, having previously made grants to those who had suffered by adhering to her allegiance, while Vermont, in turn, paid into

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the treasury of New York thirty thousand dollars. On the 4th of March, 1791, Vermont was admitted as one of the Federal States, with the full rights and immunities belonging thereto.

A brief reference should be made to the later events in the great controversy with New York, which continued beyond the date of Great Britain's submission to the American arms. As previously stated, Vermont declared her independence at a convention held at Westminster on the 15th day of January, 1777; this convention was composed of delegates from all of the counties, and the formal declaration was adopted, "That the district of territory known by the name and description of the New Hampshire Grants, of right ought to be, and is hereby declared forever hereafter to be considered as a free and independent jurisdiction or state, by the name of New Connecticut, alias Vermont." At a later meeting, June 4, it was resolved that the State should be called Vermont. Another convention of delegates met at Windsor July 2, 1777, and adopted a constitution and took other steps towards perfecting the State government, and appointed a committee of safety for temporary purposes. This session was closed in haste when the news of Burgoyne's invasion reached the locality. On this account notice of the meeting of the Legislature and election was not given. The convention was again called together, the constitution revised, and the second Thursday of March, 1778, appointed for the meeting of the Assembly.

"Against all these proceedings the New York government sent to Congress their remonstrances. On the other hand, the Green Mountain Boys continued to urge their claims to be acknowledged as an independent State, and to be admitted into the Union. They claimed that, in declaring their independence, they only imitated the example of the Continental Congress; that the colonies were oppressed by the British government, and they had been oppressed by the British government. . . . As early as the 15th of May, 1776, and before the declaration of American independence, the Continental Congress, recognizing the disordered state of the country, and the propriety of a legal organization before the adoption of such declaration, had 'Resolved, that it be recommended to the respective assemblies and conventions of the United Colonies, where no government, sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs, has been hitherto established, to adopt such government as shall, in the opinion of the representatives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and the safety of their constituents in particular, and America in general.' But Congress was placed in an embarrassing position, 'between two fires.' They saw the danger of irritating either party. Their proceedings were, therefore, vacillating in the extreme."[Note 1]

Meanwhile Vermont continued to adopt measures to perfect her State government; the settlement of the State was progressing and the inhabitants were

[Note 1]. Swift's History of Middlebury, page 77.

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becoming satisfied with the existing order of things, while the claims of New York became correspondingly hopeless and the sympathizers with them more uncomfortable. Vermont extended her jurisdiction and authority over all her inhabitants alike, the adherents to New York as well as others. In the year 1779 there were still many persons in Windham county who adhered to the claims of New York. These were taxed and drafted into service, the same as were others; some acquiesced in this order of things without resistance, while in other instances stringent measures were adopted to bring them to terms. At the session of the Vermont Legislature of February, 1781, "a general act of amnesty in favor of such persons" as had opposed its authority was passed; upon which those persons submitted to the authority of the State and took an oath of allegiance. But the same persons and those who sympathized with them subsequently raised a formidable opposition to the recruiting of quotas of men in the several towns for the defense of the northern frontier, as ordered by the Legislature. For the purpose of abetting this opposition the New York government appointed several of the disaffected persons to civil and military offices, and they attempted to exercise the New York laws and authority over citizens of the State. Upon this Ethan Allen, at the head of a military force, was sent by the governor "to assist the sheriff of Windham county in the execution of the laws." The sheriff and more than a hundred others, civil and military officers and privates, were arrested and brought before the courts, and five of them were sentenced to banishment and confiscation of property, and others to fines and imprisonment.

These acts led to new appeals from Governor Clinton to Congress for speedy interference. That body on the 5th of December, 1782, adopted resolutions severely condemning the action in Vermont, and requiring the people of that State "without delay to make full and ample restitution to Timothy Church, Timothy Phelps, Henry Evans, William Shattuck, and such others as have been condemned to banishment, or confiscation of estate, or have been otherwise deprived of property," etc. These resolutions were spiritedly answered by Governor Chittenden, denying the authority of Congress in the matter, and the General Assembly also adopted a letter to Congress of a similar tenor.

These were among the last acts of interference in the affairs of Vermont by either Congress or the New York government. The Legislature of the last-named State in March, 1786, made the compensation which Vermont had refused to the sufferers above mentioned. At length, on the 15th day of July, 1789, the Legislature of New York gave up the hopeless contest, passed an act appointing commissioners with full power to acknowledge the independence of Vermont and settle all existing controversies. On the 22d of October following Vermont appointed like commissioners. On the 7th of October, 1790, these commissioners agreed upon the State boundaries and terms of setttlement;

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