Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-01-05
Communicated for Hills Patriot.
THE SONG OF THE VERMONTERS.f
1910.


IN mt Historical Society. Henry Stevens, Esq
Of Barnet, the President Of the Society, deliv.
cred the address his subject was the part Ia
ken by the Green Mountain Boys in the revolu-
tionary war. The address occupied two and a
half hours, and only brought the history down
to the close Of the campaign of 17SO. Col
Johnson was introduced to the President Of the
Society at Montpelier, at whose instance Mr.
Cheney sung the popular song of the Hunters
of Kentucky; )" and the Colonel answered that
the Vermont Campaigners song of 1873 should
be remembered on his return. On introducing
the song, Mr.. Stevens read from pamphlet en-.
titled "Vermon,s Appeal written by Hon.
Stephen r. Bradley, and "approved by the
Governor and Council December 10th, 1779,"
and ordered to be published TO the world-the
motto Of the title page as follows:
"The Lord hath called me from the womb
from the bowels of my mother hath he made
mention of my name-And said unto me, thou
art my servant, q V******, in whom will be
glorifed.-And l will feed them that Cypress
their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with
their own blood as with sweet vine; and all
flesh shall know that l The Lord am thy Saviour
and Redeemcr, the Almighty One Of Jacob" -
Isaiah 40.
Mr.. Stevens is doing more perhaps than all
other men to retrieve the eirly unwritten his
tory Of Vermont from oblivion; and in doing
this he is developing much that is interesting
to New Hampshire and o,he- States Of the Un-
ion. His effiris deserve ,ommendation and
cncouragemen,-HNs PARROT.
Ho-all to the orders Vermoters come down,
Wi 70 II eeches If deer sindnd JACKIE Of brown;
With your red wooden caps, and ,our mocca-ns, come
To the gathering SUMMONS oil trumpet and drum.
Come down with your rifles !-et gray wolf and fox
Howl on in the shade of their primitive rocks;
Let the bear feed securely from pg-pen and stall
Here's two-legsed game for yourpowder and ball.
On our South come the Durchmen,nvcloped in grease
And, armlng for battle, while canlng of peace;
Ga our Fast crafty Meshechf haspathered hi, band,
To hang up our leaders, and eat GU our land.
Ho-,ll to the rescue! For Satan sall work
No gain for his legions of Hnmpshra and York
They claim our possessions, he puul knaves--
The tribute Toe pay, shall be prison nd graves!
Let Clinton and Ten Brock with brbes in their hands
sui seek 10 divide us, and parcel ourands;-
We've con,s for our trnitor- whoevcr,hcy arc;
The warp is Of fcdthers-the filling OF tiris
Does the Z" old bay State thrca,cnl hoes Congress
complain
Swarms Hampshire in our borders naain
Bark the war dogs of Britain aloud on the lake!
Let 'en comc;-what they can, they are welcome to
take.
What seek they among us The pride of orr wealth
Is comfort, conrcnment, and labor and health,
And ands which as Freemen, we only have trod,
independent Of all, save the mercies of God.
Yet owe no allcgance we bow to no throne;
Oar ruler is law, and the law is our own;
Oar leaders themselves are our own fellow men,
Who can handle the sword or the scy,he, or the pen.
Our wives arc all true, and our daughters are fair
With their blue eyes, Of smies and their light flow
ing hair;
All bris; at their wheels I'll, the dark even-fnl
Then llythe at the se'gh-rlde the husking, and ball
We've sheep on the hill sides; we've cows on the
plain;
And ny-tasscle' corn. fields md rank growing grain
There deer on the mountains; and wood. pigeons
Nv
From the crack of our muskes like clouds on the skv
And there S fish in our s!reamc,s and rivers which
| take
Their course from the hills onr broad -bosomcd lake
Through rock -arched Wnooskl the salmon leaps free
And the portly shad follows all fresh from the sea.
Like beam the pckerel elides through his pool
And the spotted trout sleeps where the water is cool
Or darts from, his shelter of rock and of root
AT the beavers quick plunge or the anglers pursuit
And ours are the mountains, which awfully rise
Till they rest their green heads the blue of tn
| skies;
And ours are the forests unwnstcd, unshorn.
Save where the wild path of the ,enpes, is torn.
And though savage and wild be this climate of our
And brief be our season Of fruits and of flowers,
Far dearer the blast round our mountains which rnye
Than the sweet summer zephyr which brea,hes owe
slaves.
Hurro for VERMONT for the land which we till
Must have sons to defend her from valley and hill
Leave The harvest 10 rot on the field wnerr II grows
And the reapng of wheat for the reapn, of foes.
From far Michscoui's wild valley, to Where
Poosoomsuck steals down from his Woo .circled In
From Shoctlcook river to Lutterlock town
Ho-al to the rescue! Vernonters come down,
Come York or come Hampshire, come ,r1,ors an
knaves;
If yc rule DER land, ye shall rule o'ero1r cror,
Our vow is recorded-our banner unfurled,
In the name of Vermont we defy all the tsg-,dn
.Thc political history of Vernon, is full ,e ;n,o
est In l762 New York, by reason of an .s,raord
nary grant of Charles H. 10 the duke OF ior, CLAIM
ed jurisdiction over about sixty townships Of ,yhir
grants had been given by the Governor of Ne
Hampshire, declaring those grants illegal An n
tempt was made to dsposse,s the settlers but II 20,
promptly resisted. In INA, New York passed mo
despo,ic law against the resisting Vermontets mr.
the Governor offered large reward for the upprsbo
sion of the celebrated ETHAN ALIEN and seyen
his associates. The prescribed persons in turn THO,
encd to skill and destroy any person or pe,so,
whomsoever that should be acces airy, aiding or a
sisting in taking any of them" See Aliens VIVA
cation, p As. Blood was shed nj Westminster Co1
House, in 1885. Vide II, Jones Narrafrc In III
Vermont declared It's independence New York =
urged her claims and attempted to enforce them ~
her militia, In l779 New Hampshire also laid cln
to the whole State of Vermont. Massachnse
speedily followed by putting in her claim to about /
thirds of it, Congress- poweress under The old {
federation, endeavored 10 keep on good terms with
the parties, hut ardeully favored New York. v
mont demonstrated warmly. Congress threaten
Vermont published IAN appeal to The candid y
impartial world denounced Congress and nsser
tsown absolute independence, Notwithstanding
threats offered on all sides the contest lermn1
without much bopdshed and Vermont was admit
into the Union in l79l after exi ting as an linden
dent sovereignty for neny fifteen years. Villa
History Of Vermont, dc
tHon. Mrshech Weare, Governor of New Har
n sere.
'Gov. Clinton Of New York, and Hon. A. 7