Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-01-04


gar, the state Geologist, calling on me to in
form him where it was. | said to him had
general knowledge of the rout, but could
not answer the direct question. He then
said he must give up the finding il on the
west side of the mountain he could trace
the road to Mount Holly and no further. He
then told the object Of the enquiry, which
was that a new State Map was in progress,
and he wanted to have the track Of the Old
French road appear on it across the State
from the two points named And it excited
my mind at once. for the following reason
My father. Elias Hall, then Of New Cheshire,
New Haven County, Connecticut, enlisted
into the army OF Lord Amherst at Hartford,
and the Coone's name was Whiting. And
! have heard him tell Of being 80 small he
was fearful Of not being received or muster
ed, and he got on to stone 10 shoO htmsey
larger. That he was at the south end Of
Lake George. and saw the sirteen thousand
that history mentions all move at once towards
their destination, the capture Of Ticonderoga
and Crownpoint. That before they got thro
the lake, he. with others, staid one night on
an island probably now called Prisoners
Island and the woods seemed all alive with
the prowling wolves. and that young sol
dicr about six feet long, | think by the name
of Merriam, manifested much foar, and at
length boo-hood out loud, and said, 1--WE shall
all be eat up by them tarnai wots' And he
told him TO save his gun and bayonet as there
were Indians in the woods. The army land
ed at what has since been called Amherst
Landing, Just east Of the outlet Of the Lake,
Lord Howe's Landing being in the rear near
a mile, and where the steamboat stops now
The next | rccolect he was at Crownpoint,
and acted as Sergeant and was on duty some
Of the time in digging the big well in the
northeast angle Of the fort. From a child !
/ have heard him tell of his services in SO, as
I he called it., aud some places on Lake George
and Champlan. lie spoke of the old French
{ Burying- Ground westerly from the fort and
nest to Bulhoagey Bay. From these accounts,
/ ] took an interest and when nineteen years
old went 20 look over my fathers ancient
scenes. The first ! shall notice, which is a
historical fact have not seen elsewhere, a
mile or more south Of what was called the
garrison ground, five or six acres,) was a
second growth Of timber, and the land had
been cultivated in the manner the French do
their Seignery land and there was what ap-
peared like corn or potato hills in perfect
rows running east and west In what was
called the French Buryng Ground saw one
slatish appearing grave stone, in a leaning po-
si.ion, with the figures 1920 on it; and |
think this was the place the first old settlers
Of what is now the town Of Addison used for
the dead. The old French settlement, ex-
tending perhaps five miles on the east side OF
the lake from Chimney Point, was entirely
abandoned between l76O and 1903, and sew
eral Of the hardy farmers who removed from
Connecticut and Massachusetts, took posses
sion of well improved farms, and am in
clined to think that place was the first settled
in Vermont, and am confirmed in this opin-
ion f'oua Mrs Sarah Markham. daughter
Of benjamin Kellogg, who was among those
who came there first.
Crown Point Fort and Chimney Point be.
ing only half mile apart. the Old French
Road started at the latter point to cross what
is now Vermont and across the mountain
Ny father, late in the fall Of 1853, was taken
with the rheumatism, and had permission
from Lord Amherst to retuen home, and went
in the Old French Road. before there was a
family in this section Of the country, except
what | have named, and he is the only indt
vidual | ever knew that walked it. The first
night on his way he stopped at Camp Siony
Spring, now in the eastern part Of the towr
Of Shoroham, and six miles west of Whiting
Depot, and ten miles southwesterly of Mid
dlebury | have forwarded to Mr. Bissel
who owns the farm where the spring is,
monument to be placed there to mark on,
spot on the Old French Road, and designate
one spot where my deceased parent rested his
weary limbs in the wilderness one hundred
and eleven years since. and have suggested
two other places to mark the Road, Of som'
4 Importance 60 history, from Lake Champlair
20 Connecticut River. ! understand aud be-
love Mr Hagar, the Assistant State Geol0
kist, followed the information communicated
% him soon after his application, and it ap
pears on the new map, desired. There is
no doubt that Pittstord Stockade Fort was or
the track it then went south three or foul
miles, turned southeasterly from the place
where old Capt. j. Fassett lived and by
where f.. Drury, j. Warner and A. Ladd lv.
ed in P,ttsford in Rutland by where Jc
Keeler lived more than seventy years since
by Seth Keeler's to the old Major Chene,
place, and then south to Rutland Union Store
near which are marks of the Rutland fort
then 1t went south over four miles, turning
eastery passed the Bowman place aud to the
north of Crary's Mills. then east to the road
going to Shrewsbury Center, to where Mr.
White lived eighty years since. from there tC
INV lWeuly nlle camp, tuiee miles from lh'
old Dutton Tavern Stand, and thence to No
-Four, (knoIc not. The brave and celebrated
Major Rogers, after incredible suferings ant
hardships, with what men were not starved
on his return, after the destruction of tn,
St. Francis Indians. returned in this road tC
Crown Point in 1859 and am at a loss tC
conjecture a more hazardous and successful
expedition on record
ELIAS HALL.
Rutland Dec. II, 1860.