Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-06-11
ETHAN ALIENS REMAINS FOUND.
May 18th, 1858.

The story-mongers about the country have
met with great calamity. The Bones OF
ETHAN ALLEN are found in their original
resting place in Grass-mount Cemetery, in
Burlington. The hasty and imperfect ex-
animation a few weeks ago of the ground
where the old tombstone was laid, did not
bring them to view and from that time
till Tuesday of this week, the business Of
getting up all sorts of fabulous and gossip
ing stories about the place and manner of
the interment of Ethan Allen, and what h ad
been done with his remains since 1879, has
had full swing in the United States and Can
ada. Whether Europe was agitated on the
subject, we must await further arrivals to
know.
The examination of the ground referred to,
was not deemed at the time a satisfactory
one by the Commissioners, and one Of
the Commissioners remarked to us at the
time, that Notwithstanding all that had APP
peared, he thought it quite likely that when
thorough removal of the earth was made
the bones would be brought to light
In the complete excavation made on Tuesday
of this week for the ,nr7osc II laying the
foundation of the monument, by our towns
man, Mr.. Seth Morse, at depth of five and
half feet from the surface, within the A lien
enclosure, u few inches to the north of the
location of the old tablet, portions of a mould
cred human skeleton We're exposed to view.
No other stone or grave is very near the spot,
so that no room is left for doubt that they
were the remains Of Allen, or that the tablet
very nearly covered his grave. The bones
found consisted of the skull (nearly perfect and
retainins still some Of the har) with the
bones Of one hand and of the forearm \ bit
OF decayed wood resembling corner of a cof-
I'M was found in the same spot. More of the
bones would, doubtless, have been discovered
had further explorations been made but the
position in which the body was evidently laid
brought only theupper portion of the skeleton
within the line Of the excavation, and no more
ofthe dust of the Patriot was disturbed than
was necessary.
MIR. Morse informs us that, in digging on the
eastern side of the excavation for the founda.
ton, the workmen disclosed also the skull Of
Mrs. Heber Allen, ETHAN Aliens sster-in.
law,) who was buried two years before
Ethan. 1t was found at the same depth, in (;
fair state Of preservation, and attached to i
was quantity of hair, still plainly distin
guishable by its length us woman's hair.
Some soils would, undoubtedly, have pre-
served these remains much more perfectly
Decomposition takes place with comparativ,
rapidity in our sandy soil. The bones o
some of the soldiers buried near the Batter,
in 1872, when disinterred only twelve or fif
teen years after, in order to procure skeleton,
for students of the Medical School, were al
ready so muchdecayed as to be nearly worth
less for thatpurpose
The remains Of Allen, t. u found, were PLACED
in box and deposited under the centre OF the
foundation. The northwest corner of tho
base Of the Monument will cover the gray,
of Ethan Allen; and it is not, we trust, pre-
sumptuous in us to hope that all will, hence
forth, be disposed to cyncede that the monu
ment is 9 at The burial place.