Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-12-15
REPORT OF HENRY STEVENS.

sor, commissioner to investigate the facts,
and ascertain whether this State has ust
claim upon the Government Of the United
States for expenses incurred during the
Revolutionary War, reported to him in
part as by the inclosed. | now desire fur
Their to report to your Excelency as to my
doings, and conclusions to which have ar
rived.
Firstly, I call your Excellency's attention
TO my report made to your predecessor, as
to the deficiency in our first records, both
on the part of the Council and House of,
Representatives When Mr. Fay, Secreta-
ry of State, A. d. l7SS, recorded from man
uscript our first volume of records now in
the State Department, blank pages were left,
with his certificate assigning reason why
they were not recorded. This deficiency of
records, | have recovered with few excep-
tons. The year past visited Hon. Ira Al
len, and was presented with all the docu-
ments and manuscript papers of public
nature left by his honored father Among
these papers, found many of the doings of
the Council of Safety, previous to the 18th
of August A. ID. I777, (of which we have
no record and afterwards to February A.
d. l779. | also found the pay rolls and
manuscript Journals Of the Assembly of
March, June and October 177S, as well as
several manuscript laws, duly certified, of
those three sessions, which we're never re-
corded.
here found many original letters receiv-
ed, and copies sent by the Cabinet of this
State, to the President of the Continental
Congress, General Washington, Governors
of the New England States and the Cover
nor of New York, as well as the correspon-
dence to and from the British Commanding
General in Canada, and his commissioners
Much Of this correspondence was of con-
fidental nature and of the utmost impor-
lance, so far as relates to the independence
of this State at the time, as well as to the
success of the American arms. The Com
handing General of the American armies
did, upon recommendation of General Ben
jamin Lincoln, send his Commissioner to
consult with the Cabinet of the Green
Mountain Boys as to their ability so to man
age as to keep the British Army from seven
to ten thousand) in Canada and at Tcon-
deroga and Crown Point. The Command
ing General became satisfied of our ability so
to do, and was thereby enabled to make such
distribution of the continental troops as
frustrated the designs of the enemy, and
by this negotiation was enabled TO draw
several regiments from the eastern and
northern to the southern department, and
was thereby enabled to capture Lord Corn
wallis's army A. ID. 1881. Strange as it
appears, the Commanding General of the
American Army, through his Commissioner
and General Lincoln, consulted with the
Cabinet Council of the Green Mountain
Boys at the period alluded to. Yet il is
fact now not to be denied. | am fully JUS
tilted when | say this important negotiation,
between the Commanding General and Cab
met Council of this State, was not made
known to the Governors or Assemblies of
the New England States or New York, nor
, the commanding officers of the northern or
western departments, or to Congress.
This negotiation was pending when the
Commanding General was officially inform
ed by distinguished public officers in the
eastern department that Concord and
Charlestown, New Hampshire, must, under
certain contingencies be made the northern
line of defence and officially informed by
commanding officers in the northern de-
pariment that they must be reinforced, other
wise Albany and Schenectady must be made
the northern line of defence. AT the same
time the Cabinet of this State, on the floor
of the Continental Congress, were donoun-
S eed as rebelious insurgents, as pirates upon
D the rights of community, and traitors to the
: American cause
After arranging the papers discovered,
S visited the State Department at Concord,
>, New Hampshire, Boston, Massachusetts,
e Hartford, Connecticut, and the State De-
0 partment, Washington. At these several
v departments the manuscript papers are
: bound in volumes, each volume with an III
/ dex. | selected documents at each depart
j ment, such as in my opinion had bearing
. for or against the claim which we then had
against the General Government; also such
A documents and correspondence as went di.
n rectly to show the part that the New Hamp-
G shire Grants we're not subject to the jurisdic-
: ton of New York, New Hampshire OF
h Massachusetts and such documents as 90
e conclusively to show that this Common.
# wealth was never fairly granted by his Ma
s iesty and Councl-"That we received our
Charter from HEAVEN, and not from man
i or the wiU of man."
# have forwarded all documents put forth
J. ou tue PdIt VI tIiio c'dtC, IoHl llinc W lllnS
h approved of by the Governor and Council
o and ordered to be published to the world
as to the right of jurisdiction and indepen'
dence of this State. Also all such docu.
h ments put forth on the part of New Hamp
If shire, New York and Massachusetts as to ju.
S risdiction and claim on the New Hampshire
o Grants. Also the first printed Journals o
g the Continental Congress, from Sept A. D
e I774 TO IT'S. Also Marshal's life o
l. Washington, Madison's papers, Gov. Nor