The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-04-27
GOVERNOR CnITrENDEN TO GEN.
tftNi WASHINGTON.
STATE of VERMoNT,
ARLiNGTOS, lith Nov, 1881.


stances with which this State for several
years last past has been attended, induce mo
to address you on u subject which nearly
concerns her interest aud may have u IN
iluenco on the common cnllsc Of the States
OF America.
Placing lho highest confidence ia your EN-
cclcncy'r Patriotism IN the cause OF liberty,
and disposition to do equal right aud Justice
u every part ofAmorcn, (who have hy arms
supported their rights against the lnwless
power Of Great lirlluinl herein transmit
tho measures by which this Stute hHyr ruus
duclcd her policy inr the security Of I'm from
Tiers; aud M the design aud end of II wns srt
on foot, md has cyckgh'incc been prosecuted
on nn honorable principle, ,ns the conse-
qucnccs viii fully cyinccl do It with full
confidence that your EXcolleucy viii not inn
prove u Ia the disadvantage Of lll- ttuly pats
rioiic, suffering state. Although ihc sub
stance has already been communicated by
Capt, l.lrn llicock, cmplolcd by Mai. Gen,
Lincoln. by yaur lNcell-rry'- irrrtirUiur tT-
rccti0us, aud who arrived here with the res
olutious of Congress of the seventh day of
August last, which appeared in some meas
urc favorable TO this State.
then Disclosed Ia hin tho Wousiro, this
Slnte had adopted inr hcr security, which |
mike no doubt hn- been delivered by him
to your ENcollcncy; aud although do not
hesitate ihHt you are well satisfied of the real
attachment of'1hc Government Of this State
To- the common cuusc, | esteem II ueycrlhc.
less my duty To thi. state, aud the common
cause al large, 10 lhy before your ENcellcucy
IN writing, the heretofore critical situation Of
thls SlniC, aud The management Of g.ltcyi
tInt il nny opcrblr IN yUur ENroIcucS'.
mind ~ bnrrr'r against the clnmotous MS
scrtious ofit- numerous lund in niuuy uslnu-
ccs polenO ndvcrrarir-.
% IL II the misfortune ofthis State to join on
The Province Of Quebec, and the waters Of
the Lnko Champlain, which afford pn easy
passage for the cncny 10 make descent with
formidable army on IL frontiers, aud in the
ncghborhood ofih several states Of New
York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts,
who have severudiy laid claims IN part or IN
whole tn this State, aud who have used cgcry
art which they could devise to divide hcrc
l2cns, 10 set Congress against thom uud Il.
unlly 10 ovc,turn the government aud share
its territory among them. 10
Tho repeated applications of the State to
The Congress Of tho nilrd States, to bc nd.
United INTO the Federal Union with ihcui,up-
on the liberal principles OF paying just pro.
portion Mt tirr rvTrrtrvus- ri titt--,rur-
Great Britain, have been rejected, and roso-
lhtlons passed eSpnrtc, tending to create
srhisnis IN the State, and thereby cmbnrrasS
its efforts IN raising men aud money for the
defence of her frontiers, and discouuicnhuc-
ing tho very existence of the state. Every
article belonging tu the United States even
to pick axes aud spudcs, hus been 10y Cont.
mental Commissioners ordered out Of this
STATE, NJ q time when she was erecting limo
Of forts on her frontiers; n the same time the
State Of New York evacuated the post of
Skccnsboro', for the nyowed purpose Of cX-
a. IL.
-ruurr rrrrrrry. ---4-,----
The British officers in New York being
IrVuUiuuJi with tiIu rrt1iir rirsrutr'- brtwrei'
this aud The claiming States and between
Congress aud thus State, made oycrturcs To
General Allen, in n letter, projecting that
Vermont should hc n colony under the Crown
of England, cndcayoring at the snnc time 10
draw the people of Vermont into their inter
est The snnc duy Gen. Allen received this
letter (which was in August l7S0) hc laid it
before We aud my council, who, under. the
critical circumstances of tho Stntc, advised
that no answer, either oral or written, should
bc returned, and TINT toe letter should lac
safely deposited I'LL further consideration, to.
Which General Allen consented.
A few nuyflhs after, he. received n second
letter 1lnal ilIccnrmy, and the cngHs+4-4'l-
vscd ,hnt Gen. Allen should send both let
ters TO Congress (encloscd with n l6tor un
dcr,his sgnature) which ho did in hopes that
Congress would admit Vermont into the I'm
ion; but they had not the desired effect.
In the fall ofiho year 1880, tho British
made a descent upon the LalSo Champlain,
and captured the forts George and Ann, and
appeared IN force on the Lake. This occn-
stoned the Hil tia of tltis State, most general
~, to go forth to defend il. Thus the militia
were encnppea Shgniust the enemy near Elk
weeks, whoSl Gen. Allen received q flag from
them with nu-answcr to my letter. dated the
preceding July, 10 Gen. Iinldmaud, on the
subject of an exchange of prisoners. This
flag delivered letter 20 Gen. Allen, from
tho commanding officer of the enemy, who
were then at Crown Point, with proposals
for n truce with the State OF Vermont, dur
ing the negotiating the exchange OF prison
crs. Gen. Allen sent bnck n flag Of his, to
the commanding officer of the British, ngreC
ing TO the truce provided he would extend
the same Ia the frontier posts of the state
of New York, which wRs complied wlth,and
n truce took place which instod ubort three
Mceks. Ii was chiefly owing to the military
pfowess of the militia of thls Slato and IN
cluding lhe State Of New Yovkin the trpcc,
that Albany and Schenectady had not fell u
sacrifice to the ambition of the enemy thar
Previous to the returning OF the enemy IN
10 winter quarters, Col. Allen aud Maj. Fay
were commissioned to negotiate the prupos.
ed exchange of prisoneBs, they proceeded
10 far ms to treat with the British CommlFB-
ioners on the subject oftheir mission during