The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-04-26

The whole plan and proceedings wore Of a
private character, without the public sane
ton Of the Assembly, bat wih IL fall knowl-
edge and tAnit appreciation. Mott and Phelps
collected sixteen mon ~ thoy passed through
Connecticut and at PttsGeld, Massachusetts,
they laid their plans before Colonel Eantnu
and John Brown, (tho latterwas afterwards
the Colonel Brown whose exploits at Lake
George have been noticed, y who agreed 10
join them Colonel Easton enlisted yolun-
tsora from his regiment 0fuaaitia ~ h. passed
through tho country, ssd about forty had
been engaged when he reached bennington.
There Colonel Ethan- Allen, = man ef strong
mind, vigorous frame upright in All his ways,
fearless in the discharge Of his duty, and a
jealous patriot, joined the expedition with
his Gresi WodIdIT Ti0BI, ann INC wfUfurHr-
~, two huHdrcd and seventy mon, reached
CNstleton, fourteen miles east of Skonesbor.
ough, on Whitehall, at dusk on the 7th of
May A council Of war was Immediately
held, and Allen was appointed commander
Of the expedition, Colonel james EASlon
tffNNh w Nlfl 0NAll W NNN'Nt tNNNh
II was arranged that Allen and the principal
officers, with the main body, should march TO
shorehAm, opposite Tconderoga; that Cap
tain IIcrrick, with thirty men, should push
on to Skcneshorough, and capture the young
Major Skcne (son of the governor, who was
then in EnglSnd,) confne his people, and,
scizing all she boats they might find there,
hasten 10 join Allcn at Shorcham; and that
Captain Douglass should proceed to Panton,
beyond Crown Point, and secure every boat
or haicau that should fall in his way.
Benedict Arnold, who joined the army A.
bout this time, doubtless received hint of
this expedition before he len Now Haven, FOR
the moment he arrived Al Cambridge with
the company of which he was captain, he pre-
scnted himself before the Committee Of Safe
~, and proposed similar expedition. lie
made the thing appear 90 GrNsA We, that tho
committee eagerly accepted 1N proposal
granted him n eoloncls commission,a and gave
him the chief command Of troops not exceed
ing four hundred in number, which he might
raise to accompany him on an expedition a.
IFainEt tho lake i0rtrcsses.
Not doubiing his success, Arnold was in
structcd TO leave sufficient garrison at Ii.
condcroea. and --;th the rest ~ his troops re-
turn to Cambridgc with tho Arms and militia
ny stores that should fall into his possession
lie was also supplied with one hundred
pounds in cash, two hundred pounds weight
each gunpow,lor and lcadcn balls one thou
sand flints, and ten horses, by tho provincial
7 Congress ofH HiaSsuriTuSrttS fifs Instruction.
were to raise mon in Western Massachusetts,
but, on reaching Stockbridgc be was disap.
pointed in finding that another expedition
had anticipated si,tl 'ri- rft it-vry- II
the lake lLc rcmaincd only long enough 70
engage few officers and men TO follow him
and then fastened onward aud joined the ex-
petition At Castcton. lie introduced him
self to the officers, pulled bit Of parchment
from his pocket, and, by virtue Of what he n
vcrrcd was superior commission, rs il was
from the Massachusetts Committee Of Safety,
claimed the supreme command. This was
objected to, for he came singlc.handed, with.
ont officers or troops; and the soldiers, n large
proportion OF whom were Green Mountain
Bows. and who were much attached 20 Allen
declared that they would shoulder their mus.
kels and march home rather than serve un.
der any other leader.
The momcn,ary interruption Of Arnold
produced no change in the plans, and Alcr
marched 10 the shore of tho lake, opposite
Ticonderoga, during the night IIe appealed
10 farmer in Shorham, named Bcn,nn, for 9
guide, who offered his son Nathan, lad who
passed good deal ofhis time within the fort
with the boys of the garrison, and was well
acquainted with every secret way that led tC
or within the fortress. IIcyiied in Dcccm
Der, 1916, in Franklin County, n. Y, whcr
nearly ninety years old. lie had dlived 10 set
our confedoracy increase from thirteen Il
Thirty States, and from three millions of pco
pic to twenty millions.l But serious diff.
Guilty now occurred. They had but n few
! boats, and none had been sent from Skeens-
borough or Panton. The day began to dawn
and only the officers and cghty-three men
had crossed the lakcv Delay was hazardous
for the garrison If aroused, would make stou,
realStlnCc. AIlcn, therclOrpi resolved not u
whit for the rear division to cross, but to at.
tack the fort at once. lie drew up his men
in three ranks upon the shore, directly in
front of where the Pavilion now stands, and
in a low but distinct tone briefly harangued
them and then, placing himself at their head
with Arnold by his side, they marched quick
ly but stcslthiiy up the height 10 tho saify
port. The sentinel snapped his fisee at the
commander, but IL missed are, and he retreat.
cd within the fort under a covered way. The
Americans followed close upon his heels, and
were thurs guarded tho alarmed fugitive
directly to the parade within the barracks
! There another sentinel made a thrust at Eas-
ton, but blow upon the head from ALIENS
sword made him beg GPr quarter, and the pat
siets .aet with NO further resisiancc--
As tho troops rushed into the parade un-
der the covered way, they gave tremen-
dous sho and filing oft-into two divisions,
C.,-.,,l =, Ia .r c,rt,r ,,,nn park 81 Al =