Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-09-05
TALES AND INCIDENTS,

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FALL OF THE - OLD CHARTER OAK. The
famous old Charter Oak of this city, so noted
sn song and history, fell with a tremendous
crash during the great storm at quarter be-
fore l o'clock this morning, { August 2l -,
1856
This noble old tree stood upon the heauti-
full grounds Of Hon. Isaac ". Stuart, late
WHY'S estate. in the southern part of tho
city. About three years ago some boys built
a FIRE in the hollow Of this tree, which burnt
out the punk and though it was feared that
this would kill it, such was not the fact.
Fresh sprouts sprung out the next Spring,
and Mr.. Stuart took great pans to preserve
this valued relic of the original forests of
New England, but more especially interest
ing as the tree in which the old British Char
ter of Connecticut was secrcted and pre-
served At this time the hollow in the
trunk OF the OLD Oak was SO large, that
fire company of p full grown men stood mp
IN it together.
Hr quart had II stout door made TO shut
- ...nv,, and ho also placed tin caps
'hpaV1I e stumps of broken limbs, and for the
past three or four years. fresh sprouts have
grown upon most of it's limbs, though other
limbs were decaying. At tho time OF its
fall, young and fresh acorns were growing on
eyery part of it. Thousands OF people are
visiting the tree, and bringing away such
sprigs and parts of limbs as Mr.. Stuart per-
mits.
Watchman Butler says he stood at the
head of the street at the crash. The wind
had been blowing freshly from the North
west for hour or more. lie first heard Il
loud crack and saw the old oak swaying in
the breeze a cracking noise followed, then
the crash-all within the space Of half a
minute-and the famous monarch Of the
is ipt1 fsly u m
twined IN that of Connecticut was PROSTATE
upon the earth One thousand years ago.
when it was in the prime Of litc--when its
years were half numbered, its far rcachiu,
branches had sported in iercer storms, aut
more swift-winged winds. But now, since
full two thousand years have smiled and
waned upon Its youth, its prime, and its de-
cline, it had become grey and docrcplt. but
was still tenacious Of life it still clung to
the lovely spot which gave 1t birth, by its far
reaching roots, running long way up into
the beautiful hill side, and downward to tho
sharp cut below. Firmly, aye, proudly, the
Oak stood, seemingly conscious that nature
had marked out for its own accommodation,
one of the most enchanting retreats in the
state, and that destiny had accorded to it a
notable and everlasting historic page IN the
story of Connecticut-one Of the patriotic
and original thirteen states of the mon.
Proudly it had stood, and when tottcrlng
with age, and reduced to a mere shell of a
few inches, by the steady inroads Of Time
itself, it still clung with fondness to the
loved spot on which 1t had witnessed the dc
cay and downfall of many of it's associates
the path and the bloody wars Of the red men
and the red mans decay--ths birth anc
death OF generations of the white man
whose axe had cut away its towering com
H.. ~ 81 H., I,,tv hill rvr
ing a fair exterior, it was inwardly wasting
away, and was obliged to yield and fall IN 0
storm far less severe than many Thousands
that had preceded it,
Before Governor Wyllys came to America
he sent his steward forward to prepare
place for his residence. As he was cuttIn}
away the trees upon the hill side of the beau
tiful "Wyllys place, deputation Of Indians
came to him and requested that he woul,
spare this old hollow oak. They declare
that it had "h.en the guide Of their ancestor
for centuries" 1t was spared, to fall thi
day, having finally yielded to the process o
natural decay.
The tree measured 33 feet in circumferenc
at the bottom and it had broken off so as t
leave feet of stump on one side and 8 fee
on the other-the stump measuring p fee
10 circumference at it's top
The charter Of King Charles the 2nd, 70
the colony of Connecticut, arrived in Hart
ford in 1862, probably in the month Of Sep
tember, though the precise time is not nov
known. On the 9th of October it was pub
lcy read to the assembled freemen Of Con
necticut, and was declared 10 belong t
them and their successors, aud the peupi
evinced their gratitude by appointing con-
mittee to take charge of it, under the solem
mites of an oath, and to preserve this pails
. r,.,l,F e . tlt., q l. ...
tanned many liberal provisions as may T.
seen on examining it in the secretary
states Office, where the original copy is sti
preserved with care 1t was the gInic la
of Connecticut till the present crustitutil
took its place in 1918.
In 1856, the General Government Of Ne
England was dissolved by James the ID, an
a new government was instituted, with j
seph Dudley as President OF the Commi
sioners. Connecticut refused to surrende
and when the third writ Of Yn'o ulrran'o W.
sent to her, Gov. Treat, in January, lb,
called a special session of the Assent
which refused to .cuede TO the demands
the new king. They still held to their cha
ter. In March, another special session W
convened but still the representatives. ol d
people refused 70 - surrender Ia May the
met again in regular session, under tho Cha
ter, and re re-elected Treat as Governor.
On the 3lst of October, 1861, SIR Ldmm
Andross, attended by members OF his Couuc
and oody guard OF sixty soldiers, enter
Hartford TO take the Charter nE l9r.s. iI
General Assembly was in session. He w
received with courtesy, but c'dnass. J
entered the Assembly room, and publicly d
Inanded the charter. Remonstrances we
made and the session was protractei ii
evening, The Governor aud his ASSOCIATE