Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-06
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STEPHEN BURROUGHS /;
OR,
CRIME AND ITS RETRIBUTION.


1 ~e,.<>>e.>e>,,r>-o-v,-
y When the writer of this was yet boy, he
came across the extraordinary Narrative which
I 1t is intended shall here forcibly and faithfully
be portrayed. Except the " Pilgrims Pro-
gress, Of Bunyan, the Adventures of Captain
Jar-ss Riley, on Sea and Land, and Roderick
Random, by Smollet, it was the only book he
had ever encountered, save his few school-books,
and the Book Of Books the Bible.
]. It mede strong impression upon his youth
full mind, which, unlike many other youthful
Impressions, has never faded in after life, but
seems rather to have increased with years It
/, is one of the great Lessons Of Crime, and its
Il Retribution, which once read, can meyer be OBJ
ib'aaesated, There was SO much of rom ;,ee, too,
about the incidents recorded-such terrible Wis
itations Of punishment upon the performer of
the guilty acts recorded-that the lesson proved
4 good one; and we venture to say, that its pc
rusal may have deferred thousands from crime.
We shall begin with the narrative of Stephen
Burroughs at the time he was a mere boy, re-
siding with his father, Presbyterian clergy
man, in the town of Coventry, New Hampshire.
Z" Even as boy" he himself declares, 81 be-
came the terror of the people where lived, and
all were unanimous in declaring, that g Stephen
Burroughs was the worst boy in town, and those
who could get him whipped were most worthy
of esteem.'
Although his father, as we have said, was a
Presbyterian, and he was educated in all the
rigor Of that order, yet his thirst for vicious
jokes, and sinful "fun," as he terms it, was in
satiable. Among other things, he was fond of
pestering his superiors in age, particularly if
they CHANGED to have reproved him for his mis-
deeds, or informed his father of his derelictions
An instance of this, accompanied by many
other juvenile tricks of similar character is
interesting, as showing how even such small oc
currences had decided influence upon the char
acter which he afterward sustained, and in di-
recting the course Of his eventful life
"A neighbor of my fathers, an old man, had
fine yard of water-melons, which had been
purloined by somebody, for three or four sue
ceeding nights. The old man being of a hasty,
petulent disposition, was determined to watch
his water-melons with club, and severely beat
the thief. One night he took his stand in
convenient place for watching, unknown to any
one Accident made me acquainted with the
old mans situation and suspecting his inten-
ton, went to son of his, young man Of
'ns'01 10y, ali teld him saw man in the
Watermelon yard, whom suspected to be the
thief; and advised him to go cautiously to the
yard, and peradventure he might catch him.
Accordingly the young man went but no SOON
er had he got into the yard, than the old man,
supposing this to be the thief, rushed from his
hiding place, and attacked his son with his club,
and severely handled the poor fellow, before he
found out his mistake. The son supposing the
thief was beating him, bawled out to his father
who he expected was at the house; " Murder
father father murder murder This scene
of merriment enjoyed to the full, but soon
paid for it. The plot being discovered, and the
agent who set his machine in motion, clearly
detected, complaint was made and tasted of
the same food 1 had so ngeniously cooked for
the old man s son."
Thus early did retribution even for juvenile
offences, begin to overtake the young offender.
Young Borroughs, albeit lad, had the mill
tary ardor strong upon him. "Guy, Earl of
Warwick" he tells us, was his especial favorite,
and he ''longed to tread the stage on which he
had exhibited l often viewed myself" he says,
sat the head of armies, rushing with impetuos-
ity into the thickest of the struggle of contend
ing hosts With those romantic ideas of mil
tary prowess, the reader will not be surprised
to learn, that in the year 1869, he ran away
from his father, at the age of fourteen years,
against his express commands, and in the spring
enlisted in the regiment of the gallant Colonel
Hagen, at that, time stationed near Hanover
He was marched from there to West Point, but
without meeting with any occurrences worth
relating.
When the regiment had arrived on the North
River, however, they were constantly alarmed
by the enemy, and had a number of skirmshes
with them. At such times, young Borroughs
was always kept back with the baggage, and
never suffered to go into action, notwithstand-
ing his earnest cntreaties to be permitted to do
50. This cooled his military ardor-"filled him
with modification and chargrin;" and he soon
after deserted, and returned to his father.
The kind, good old man Immediately wrote
a touching letter to General Washington, ask
ing for his wayward sons discharge, regularly,
from the service. Parts of this letter are very
touching -
"As sovereign God has, not long since, de-
priyed M of four children, and has left me but
two to survive their death; and as this son is a
lad SO much uuder the age that is commonly
deemed necessary to constitute soldier fit for
the service, and had ever designed him for
public education, your Excellency will please
to indulge my request, that he may be regular
ly discharged from the service. Though have
the cause of America sincerely at heart, and
ever have, and trust | ever shall, exert myself
to the utmost of my ability in its behalf, yet
your Excellency will not wonder at any degree
of reluctance in me, egainst my sons engaging
in the service, under my present circumstances.
Your Excellency will please to signify your
pleasure by the bearer, and dno obedience shall
be rendered to your commands, with cheerful
ness. With daily prayers that the God Of armies
will be your shield and friend and honor your