The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-12-27
From the Rutland Herald.
The Men of Vermont.
l. THOMAS CHlTTENDEN.


Thomas Chittenden, the frst governor oil
Vermont, was born in East Guilford, in tn,
then colony of Connecticut, January 9th
1870. He labored on the farm of his father
having only the benefit of common schoo
education, till in his eighteenth year, wher
he started on voyage to the West lndies.-
England at this time being at war with
France, the vessel on which he had embarked
was captured by French man. of-war, ant
he was taken prisoner and landed in desti
tute condition on one of the West India Isl
ands, from which he escaped, and after endu
ring many hardships, reached his fathers
farm, where he remained till October 4th
l749.
About this time he married Miss Elizabeth
Meigs, and removed to Salisbury, Conn. Oi
this town he soon became prominent and
leading citizen, as is evidenced from the fact
tina: he represented the town in the legisla-
ture Of Connecticut during the years l765
66, 81, IS, 60, and y, and was also colonel
of regiment of militia, and Justice Of the
peace.
In May l744, he removed his family to
| Wllliston in this state, then known as "The
New Hampshire Grants" where he and Jon
athan Spatford, his neighbor, had purchased
large tract Of land. He remained a: VIII
liston till the retreat of the American army
from Canada, in the spring of l71116, when on
account of the exposed situation of the from
tier and the neglect of Congress to provide
for its defense, he, with his family, women
and children, went on foot, by marked trees,
through Middlebury to Castleton, and from
thence to Dandy, where he procured farm
in the south part of the town,near the foot of
the mountain. He resided on this farm un-
til the "evacuation of Ii" in July -, when
he removed to Pownal and soon after to
Wi,iiamstown, Mass. He also resided for a
time at Arlington, and perhaps in other parts
of the state, and at the close of the war re-
turned to his farm in Williston.
He represented Williston in the conven-
ton holden at Dorset, December 10Th, l7776
for the purpose of deciding upon the expedi-
ency of declaring Vermont "a free and indie
pendent state, and was member of the
committee who reported the compact which
was unanimously adopted by the convention.
At the next meeting of the convention which
vas iA'iiN IL ~ w Icl!s
III, ,he was on committee who drafted: :the
"Declaraton of Independence" and, also, of
the committee to petition Congress for re-
cogniton. lie was also leading member
of the convention at Windsor, July 2I, III,
which formed our first constitution president
of the "c1urt of constitution" during the
greater if not the entire period Of its exist
ence; and was president of the council of
safety (Which was vested with all the pow
ers of misunderstanding, Legislative and
jud;cial-to be exercised until the govern
ment should be organized under the consti-
tution'') from its organization to 18th March
lis, when he assumed the office of govern
or, to which he was, as is recorded in the
journal of the general assembly, selected by
IA great majority of votes" Hewa nineteen
times elected governor by the people, and
held the office from March rs till his death,
with the exception of 1889, when there
being no choice by the people, the Hon Mo-
ses Robinson vas elected by the legislature,
and held the office for only one year. Gov
ernor Chittenden died at his residence in
Willlston. on the 10Th day of August, l191,
in the 69th year of his age.