Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-03-05

Tbey report that " Killington beng some
miles Eastward from Walker, il well clear OF
T,vdius.'' that once they were :" on large
mountain. where we saw all ths inhabitants OF
Otter Creekm that g full twothirds OF the
town is good for settlement. and very good for
GRASS. better for sheep than ht internal upon
The Creek,o that being son the height OF the
land = the streams run East te the : Great
River" (Connecticut,) and West INTO otter
Creek. ,-,d
Stevens reports that be sawIno lake or pond
or rattlesnake, and no game except one ioA'
but saw the tracks of bears, teer ana moose,
and FIVE beaver meadows. On the otn OF
September the Newport Committee write 10
Walker, offering 100 acres in each OF forty
shares as a free Gift to actual sfttlers, hnting
nroposals for grist-mil Immediately and
saw mill afterwards On the 10th of Novem-
Der Walker replies that ha'lng recently re-
ceivei their letter, without lsss OF tlme ne
made known the proposals to NUMBER OF
people. who very readily fal in with it," that
be had done some clearing for them, but it's
getting too cold to do mfe till next year.
then be smiles at the grist-mill proposition
and suggests that that will be in season If built
as early as the grain gpws, which cannot be
for some years after the land is cleared, oui
that saw-mll, if butt at once, would mate
rally aid the future settlement, by supplying
the means of building, g.. He adds-'there
is no difficulty in getting as good rode from
nv house to lot No. rs in Kllington as there
is from nv house to Durham" and The result
is that Ezra Stiles, lhe then Clerk and future
President, with his partners, have to wait un-
til the war is over for the dividends; on the
costs of the charter surveying meetings, DOCKS,
&C., already about S2OO.
One of the most noticeable features IN the
landscape at this time was the Military
Road from " No. f." in New Hampshire, to
TIconderoga andCrown Point originally opened
in 1795, by Maj Gen. jeffrey Amherst,
Toward the close of the French war the
Eastern portion was re-worked. In l|13
and 1774 this road, leaving Hastings
tavern. at No. 4, 108 miles from Bos-
ton, passed Walkers tavern at Charlestown,
II miles, thence three miles to Motifs Ferry,
in Springfield, thence 5 miles to Stevens. ia
vern, in Springfield, thence miles to Spat-
ford's tavern, in Weatbersfeld, thence miles
to PAINS tavern, in Cavendish, thence miles
to Coffin's tavern, in Cavendish, thence ~
miles to Charles Buttons tavern, on the South
side of Mill River, in Clarendon, thence 6
miles to Col James Mead's tavern, at Centre
- Rutland, west of Otter Creek, thence miles
to Waters tavern, in Pittsford, thence through
sEBrown's Camp" in Neshobe,, 20 miles to
Moor's tavern, in Shoreham, thence miles
to Towner's tavern, in Bradford, thence 2
miles to Lewis tavern, over the lake to Crown
Point.
In l776 the road was improved, bridge
built over Otter Creek at Centre Rutland, and
a new roat cut, running from Mount lndepen-
dence direct through Hubbardton to Centre
Rutland, and thence South Easterly across the
Isaac Matthewson farm, and the th-East
corner of Clarendon to Saltash.
Let us turn our attention to the military OPP
erations within the Count.
Burgoyne having, AS he came along the
Lake, sent force of about 500 soldiers and
Indians up Otter Creek toward Skeentsbor-
ough. ST. Cla r on the 9th of June, sends Col
Seth Warner from Ii to warn the inhabitants
gather the volunteers, attack this force and
return as speedily as practicable On The 2d
of July, Warner being at Hubbardton, with
Coils. Robinson aud Williams, leaves them
there, goes to Rutland, where he writes letter
to the Convention at Windsor for help, joins
Col. Bellows and starts again for Hubbardton
and three days after, enters Ii with nearly
900 militia.
On the 9th of July, l777, hot, sultry Sab
bath day, the noted Capt. sherwood, at the
head of party Of tories and Indians, entered
Hubbardton and captured Benjamin and Uri-
ah Hickock and their families, and Lxo young
men named Keeer and Kellogg.
About mile east of Castleton village, from
the road leading east to Rutland, another road
extends northerlv past the present Baptist
meeting house in Hubbardton-at the north
q IL, & fbn1 1-
was then located the house Of George Foot
at the northeast corner school house; two
miles North lived Capt. John Hall, who hac
the January before represented Casteton IL
the Convention that declared the State indie
pendent, and two miles further north was al
untenanted house owned by Hickock.
On this morning, this Hickock house was
occupied by sixteen militia men, Including
Captains Williams and Wells from Windhan
county, on their way to III. They came dowr
early to Mr.. Halls for provisions. Mr.. Hal
sent his son on horseback, with letter 10 Jas
Mead, at Center Rutland, urging that all east
ern troops there might hurry on and unite will
these men, so las to be strong enough TO q
safely to Tt. Sometime after this, NJ. Hall
having gone down to attend religious services
in Foots house, his son Alpheus, lying on tht
roof of their newly erected barn reading ant
basking in the sun, hears firing, and mai
runs up crying, The enemy IS comlnE," am
soon he sees The militia men retreatlng and fir
ing-he runs to the barn. takes out two hors
es, D aces his mother and the younger children
on them, and goes rapidly to Foot's house,
Elias having gone down the southeasterly roat
to the John fike place, Is about to leave Their
when one of Capt. Will oms' sons runs up
II AZ h. bo
was killed or captured-he promises to TAX
Capt. uai's letter to Mr. Mead, and Ella
runs his horse to Foot's house. J he militi;
being partly scattered and partly retiring Il
Foot's house, firing was said to have beer
kept ND for some time; but the enemy-estl
mated between one and two hundred in mum
ber-fring from behind the trees, and the mil
itia and others firing from Foot's house ant
the school house, not much morality ensued
The women and children having been PLACED
down in the cellar, tory by the name Of Crit
fin, tries to save his precious life by seeking
the same security. But soon hand-to-han'
encounter takes place. Elias Hall is strucl
and with his brother Alpheus, taken prison
er. Capt Hall is shot in the leg and bleeding
profusely, as he lies on the floor, calls for wa
| ter, his wife is carrying 1t to him, when tory
by the name of Jones, kicks the dish out 0
her hand. Capt. Williams is shoti the groin
| but still continues the conflict, and, having
dealt heavy blow to lieutenant, is bayonet
! ted through the body and expires in few mo
ments. Foot, having surrendered, is struci
| on the head by tory, with musket, the loci
lust grazing bis skull-the rest of the part.
are captured or dispersed. Capt: John Hal
died Sd Aug, l777. Capt. Williams body
wrapt in blanket, without coffin, was rudel.
| buried at the root of tree, and forty y-fou
wears after his remains even to the minutes
bones, were dug up, and re buried IN tie viliag
graveyard with appropriate ceremonles.