Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-11-18

French and Indians, found themselves thrown
into the latter, and had TO abandon their possess
sons. The State of Massachusetts,, with a COM
mendabe sense of justice, made them, in com.
pensatlon, grant of what is now the towns of
Putney, Dummersion and Brattleborougb, hence
called, in those days, " The Equivalent Land"
and their title, it is believed, was respected bv
New Hampshire. These men were of the old
Puritan stock, and when, upon the conquest of
Canada, in which they had aided, the British
Parliament established the Roman Catholic
faith as the religion of that Province, by an act
called "The Quebec Bill" it was extremely
exasperating to their feelings, and one Lieut.
of Dummerston, on some heated oc-
cosion, called the King The Pope of Canada"
This remark, which might have been wisely and
judiciously passed over, was seized upon by the
.fEal satGllii.as. a n s-'a e.asi--'--ty 90 SNOW
their power, and Spauldng was arrested for
High Treason, and imprisoned in the Jail at
Westminster This was on the 28th of October,
1774, and on the 29th a majority of the inhabi-
tants of Dummerson assmbled and chose a conf
mitted of correspondence "to join," in their
own language, with other towns and respecta-
bic bodies Of people, the better to secure and
protect the rights and privileges Of themselves
and fellow creatures from the ravages and EN-
barrassments of the British Tyrant and his
New York and other Emissares."
This led to such concert that large body
of men from Dummerson, Putney, Guiford,
Halifax and Draper, (now Wlmington,) pro-
ceeded to Westminster, opened the door of the
JAIL and released Spauldng from Imprisonment.
This brought the controversy to point, and
it now became manifest that on the one side, if
the Royal Authority was to be upheld, the whole
apparatus Of Executive and Judicial power must
be brought into play, numerous criminal pro-
ceedings instituted and civil ejectments must
follow, and on the other, the abandonment of the
proceedings must be compelled by the people,
and the whole Of the machinery of royal oppres-
sion resisted and stayed, at once and forever
Both parties prepared for the crisis, and as the
Court was to hold ifs next session on the 18th Of
March, 1775, at Westminster, they had about
four months to make preparations and arrange
ments. On the 18th of March, l775, they as
sembed at Westminster, the officers of the
county being backed by their adherents. The
Wings, as they were then called, came also in
considerable numbers, and having learned that
it WIS the private intention Of the royal party to
get the first possession of the court house, they
placed therein about leo men, commanded by
captain of the militia and determined to keep
possession until their grievances were laid be-
fore the Judge and redressed. Near the setting
Of the ean, tho sheriff came with his peace. part
of whom were armed with muskets, and de-
unless he would order his men to lay aside their
arms About ten o'clock at night, the chief
Justice came among them, and assuring their
captain that no attempt should be made to molest
them until morning, the latter withdrew the
principal part of his force, leaving only small
body of men, armed only with bludgeons, among
whom was WILLIAM French, young farmer
not % years of age, who lived in BrOttleboro
occupying the northern house, on what was, a
few years ago. the old stage road. The people
of that town, who lived in his immediate neigh.
borhood, were of the opposite party, and indeed
some of them were in the sheriff's band, tha
officer being himself an inhabitant of that town
French, who generally acted with his friends il
Dummerston, appears, though holding no officia
station, to have been much esteemed for hi,
honesty, bravery and patriotism, and the treat
ment he afterwards received from his opponents
sufficiently attests how much they feared his in
luence. About il o'clock at night, the person;
appointed to watch reported that the sheriff will
an armed force was approaching, and means
were taken to prevent his coming into the
house.
When he came up, he again demanded en-.
trance and was refused as before. He then or
dered his men to fire, which they did by aiming
above the heads ofthe people within, but find
ing that this produced no effect, he repeated hi.
order and the muskets were legeled and dis
charged with such effect that the defenders were
driven back and the assalants rushed into the
house, and commenced horrid butchery upor
the defenceless men. WILLIAM FRENCH, il
facing them, received five bullet wounds in dit
ferent places, in his thigh, leg, mouth face ant
forehead. Several others were severely wound
ed, and one, Daniel HoughtOn, was shot through
the body, and after lingering but few days
expired. About twenty, who had not retreaed
including the wounded, were seized and inhu
manly thrust into prison, and the bleeding bod
f the dying French was dragged to the prisol
door and thrown in among them, with circum
stances of the most cruel insult and brutality
This is not a scene to dwell upon.
Suffice it to say that the Court was opened a
the usual hour on the next morning, with some
thing like triumphal ceremony, and adioune
formally until three O'Clock in the afternoon. Bu
that court never assembled. The news of tn
murder spread like wild. fire, and before the ap
pointed hour the people were rushing to tn
scene from all directions. The principal ag
gressors took the alarm and fled with groa! pre-
cptancy; some Of them to foreign parts, an
about sixteen Of their accompces were seiz7
and sent to the Jail at Northampton, which wa
then the head 0uarters of the disafFacfnd i
Western Massachusetts, with whom the Gun
berland County Wings had friendly and ia
mlilar intercourse which continued for severu
years after.
On the 18th of March a sort of inquest wa
held on the body of French, and on the sam
day it was committed to the ground in the con
mon burial place at Westministor-the miht
from The neighborng towns attending and firin