Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1846-09-17

settlers, despairing Of success after the pre-
cedents of the first cases, did not appear Fl
defence, nor give themselves any more trou
BILE in the matter. Next came sheriffs and
civil magistrates to execute the writs of pos.
session, and by due course of law to remove
the occupants from the lands. AT this cri
ses the affair assumed q tangible shape
The mountaineerS felt themselves at home
on the soil, which they had Subdued BY their
own labor, and in the territory over which
they had begun to exercise supreme d0min-
ion. by meeting in conventions and commit
tees and taking counsel of each other on
public concerns. To drive one Of Them
from bis house, or deprive him of his hard
earned substance, was to threaten the whole
community with an Issue fatal alike 20 their
dearest interests, and TO the rights, which
every man deems as sacred as life ITSELF 1t
was no wonder, therefore, that they should
unite in a common cause, which it REQUIRED
their combined effOrts to maintain. ~.
AS it was expected the sheriffS would
soon make their appearance, precautions
were taken to watch their motions, and give
due notice Of their approach. In the first
instance, when the sheriff arrived at the
house, on the owner Uc which he was 10
serve writ Of possession, he found it sur
rounded by body Of men, who resisted his
attempts, and defeated his purpose. Com
plants we've seat to- Lord Dunmore, then
Governor of New Yonk, accompanied with
the names Of the leaders of this ssriotous
and tumuituous" assemblage; and the gov
ernor forthwith published proclamation
ON the first day of November, l77O, denoun.
cling this presumptuous act and command
ing the sheriff Of Albany county to appre.
bend the offenders, whose names had been
mentioned, and commit them to safe custody,
that they might be brought to condign pun
ishment; authorizing him TO call to his as
sistance the posse comitafus, or the whole
POWER Of the county But proclamatiuns
were Of as little avail as writs of posses
sion: and the sheriff was never lucky
enough to seize any Of the rioters, who
doubtless had the forethought TO keep out of
his reach. -e OH.
AS open war now existed, and hostilities
had commenced, the Green Mountain Boys,
as the belligerents were denomipaEed;
thought IL advisable TO organic sneir forces
and prepare for The contest in manner wor.
thy vi ."o .ause at stake. In all the feats
Of enterprise and danger, as we'll as In mat
'ers of state policy, Ethan Allen had hither.
to been the chief adviser and actor. It
was natural. that, in arranging their mill
tary establishment, the people should look
up to him as the person best qualified to be
placed at its head. He was appointed colo.
nel-commandant, with several captains I'M
der him, of whom the most noted were Seth
Warner ana Remember Baker. Commit
tees of safety were likewise chosen, and in
Trusted with powers for regulating local az
fairs. Conventions of delegates, represent
ing the people. assembled from time to
time, and passed resolves and adopted meas
ures, which tended to harmonize their SEN
timents aud concentrate their efforts.
Thus prepared and supported, Colonel
Allen, with promptness and activity suit
ed to his character, drew out his volunteers
in larger or smaller numbers, as the exigen-
cy OF the case required, and either in per-
son Sy the agency of his captains. pre-
senied formidable force to the sherifis aud
constables wherever they appeared within
the limits Of the New Hamshire Grants. -
The convention had decreed, that no officer
from New York should attempt to take any
person out of their territory on the penalty
of a severe punishment; and il was also
forbidden, that any surveyor should presume
to run lines through the lands, or inspect
them with that intention. This edict en-.
larged the powers of the military command
ers; for 1t was their duty to search out such
intruders, and chastise them according "a
the nature OF their offence. A few strag.
Cling settlers, claiming titles under the New
York grants, had ventnred over the line Of
demarkatiOn. These we're forcibly dispos-
sessed by detachments Of Colonel Aliens
men, frequently led on by him 10 person.
The sheriffs and their posse eonsitstus con-
tinued to be pursued with anremitting ca.
gerness, whenever they dared to set their feet
on the forbidden ground. With these vari.
Gus affairs on his hands, il will readily be
imagined that the commander of the Green
Mountain Boys was not idle; nor was /,
surprising, that he should attract the par.
,icuiaI notice Of the New York government
So many complaints were made Oft riot
Gus and disorderly proceedings Of his volun
,eers and associates, such was the indigna
tion of the New York party on account o
the harsh measures adopted by them toward
the persoas, whom they seized as trespass
ers upon their property, and so entirely di