Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-01-30
a LEGEND or THE CONNECTICUT
UAT,T,T1V


r,-,-,, ~, ,,,rr-, ,,,,,,,-,,,,o,,,,,,r
VALLEY.
Old Kneeland was a character well known to
the inhabitants of one of our valley towns,
generation back, and is now well remembered
by persons of middle lie and pas. for his many
eccentricities Of person and intellect Ills car.
" life had been one of romantic interest. His
parents removed from Connccticit to Royalton,
VT. and were omonr thc earliest settlers of
that town. When Kneelaud was quite a small
boy, the Indians, led on by the French, made
an attack upon the town. lie and brother
were in bed together, when the Indians came
into the room and split open the head of the
brother with tomahovk. but for some unex-
plained reason. SHARED the subject Of this
lo.ol 1ro,.i,,. ,,.e,'i.l,,i,i..in ,i,9;o,, ,cllood
no ''''''''' ''''''
ana devastation, the invaders .ett Tor Nahau"'
taking the boy and his paren.s with them as
prisoners. After little time the officer COM
r,ordi,,,, :, ,,o, roo;o,, ,;h;,, 70 so,,d ,,,os-
." wy ,''''o
sage 10 vermont oHeleG inc parents t'er Hce-
dom, if they would pledge themselves to de-
liver it safely. To this they cheerfullv agreed.
Rrt ,bo Trd;ore bod ,oLo, a fancy, ,o the bov
~,
anu "ou'u hot spare MN ''eh' Inc parents
departed, sorowtul at leaving him, but reJoic-
inlr at the DroSnect of once more seeing the
f,o,, of r.;ords aud soor,i.,. bor,o naval
-,
ing SLOWLY "s 'nc! must 'nroueh 'hc "iiueI-
ness, they faithfully delivered the message in
trusted to them, and then sought their old
pciybborbood ot Rovalton Bnt desolo,ion
=: III, n.,, l..1 1a,,a
"u'S 'Ne' '"o so'ne i"o i''' h'''' ''N N''''
sure work, and hnding dwellings, and people
gone, they pursued their way towards the home
oc their childhood boning to find resi- and
.,....,,.,
S!mP"n! 'a' i"S''
hneeland was retained Tor several years. ou'
was at length set at liberty. Travelling all the
way on foot from Canada, he finally reached
Rovalton, expecting to find his parents bat,
greatly TO his distress. could yet no informa-
tion of them. except that they had rome towards
'Connecticut. The urosnect could have been
ANYTHING but euc.urooipo TO n bov of only
eleven or twelve Years. to know that after so
much toll. friends were 70 he found only by A
further Journey of hundreds of miles. much of
the way through A wilderness but little Travelled.
But. ilndounfed he commenced his march
southword AGrr many DAYS he Coupd himself
at the lower end of sirn,f Of = town in Mas
sachusetts. resting ON the Connecticut river.
lust as the sun wos going down. The next
town below was seven niles distant. and he
queried whether he should 20 further, or stop
for the nioht Anvious to ,ret nm but wnoried
and foot Soro viii ,o., ,raycI Lo Gnolly cnr-
cIuded to ask for lodgings at the house nearest
ot hand How his heorf loaned. and what out.
wcro s6owored nnon tba lost ono restored os he
fornd him elf in tbc orn,s or his norcrIs Tbr
fo,hrr nuJ no,bnr for coma rnasdn mi, ,rov,n n
ms had sto,nnj sbor, II, ,I,;, ;ovr,o,. onJ had
settIad do,rn ba,,' Co.. ,bo r,,,o;,, Ja. Gf l.fo
KnneIanL ,ros ,,oo,i;,. IN ,,arsn,,,I annoor.
orce Stro;cb, os an Tnl;o, lna, ",,I rI{o,l.
win n s,iT fnco' ocnnirrJ in enr,e of b;s nd
ver,rros. bo,;,,, ,,roat i,,., Gov ,,iI;ar,. d;s
,1a,. oni son,n o,,or;orad =; ,io. ,oa,;on h,
Iooi od cyor,.incb ,bo soi,I;on Vbon to,,nI ~,
viii Gouo, he was ,ro,,, ~ Lr;u,, 10 ,;o,, b;s
ar,;n tostos in r,o'','or ~ o' ,o The
snoo,ot, 7, ,yas cor,,,,,.,, sou KIM nndor
sncb ci,cnmstoncos s,n,, ~, tho north end nj
the brond street. with h. conc nj ,sboulde,
arms" and march. with MI the precision and
dignit, Of tho trnn NTorti,,t thro,,gh ts center
gi3inG his command IN ;noninnry lprions in
Tie sientorion and cnnboi;" tonrs That indicate
tho trur military irstipct No ,nonnrch evc,
o.Hrcd 10 bighrI command , or more fully real.
iyad thc rle5snres of m"LonndeJ swoy Halt
mo- with head erect. anG oyerv nerve st,uno
mn to the tension reon;s;,, ~ No nercormonro
Of hir5 and rcsnonsibic Jrtv he issueJ his or.
doris 70 "iLc cInpctant ,a,;onsn "Attpntior
the whole rnivrrsoi WbnJ hv kingdoms
and Came God in tLe rco,., Forw3rd march .
Then nrler marchinq ronilly forward for few
Minutes hc londiv9 soiilcn;i1cd. "Did Mont.
gomery scale the w9lls If Ouchocq so can | !"
Tbc house he occnnied stood neor thr hank
of small river Jnst nnder the hank WAS +
narrow Got hidden from obseryation Lv Gins.
tcrs Of bushes and small trees. Irnon this aot
in summer moonlight evenings when KEYED ur
10 ,y the rigbt hitch he would marshal his imapi.
norv hottolions Ono uioht. wocgish neigh.
bor hearing him oI his Gyorite cxg9r9cisc. Iondef
bis o"r an5 or',,, nnor him Ioo,,i, sbchnreG
by ,6o hr"sh ond Waited his onnortnoity Gnr ,
GGmonstroii"n, Soon The word WAS OWEN =
"NIalc reaJy mnnI Ami Fre IS Rope