The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-11-18


instruments are in the possession of Mrs
Susan White. his granddaughter. il
GreegSvillc. Illinois If the COMPASS Sh
has in her possession Is the one made b,
John Gardner, it Is probable. if not Ger
tain. that it Is the one Gen. Whitcaw IL,
ed for many wears, while he was both Sur
veyorDepuly and Surveyor-Gencral. L
these surveying instruments should be ac
-quired by the Historical Society Of Yer
mont, they would be Il valuable addition
to their historical collections.
BY the Legislature OF Vermont he was
empowered TO settle disputes about town
lines, and appointed one of the trustees
of Caledonia county Academy and named
in the charter granted Oct. -, 119J.
This office he continued 10 hold till Sept.
4. 1911. When he Resigned, the board
of trustees '.voted that the thanks of this
board be presented 10 him for his eminent
services to this institution
BY John Adams, President Of the
United States, he wa, appointed July l.,
119S. commissioner for the third di>-
trict OF Vermont. under an act of Con
gre>S. passed July Q, l79S. ..to provide
for the valuation of lands and dwelling
houses, and the enumeration OF slaves
within the United States" In General
Whiteaw'> collection was found a slip of
paper on which he had written the follow
ing viz: .'Whole valuation of the State
of Vermont. aS returned hv the assessors
and equalized bv the commissioners:
Dwelling HOUSES above
800, 81 BOZ .;II}9.S6
Lands and small houses, ij.lj7 70S313!
Total valuation. 16.704.i24 99t
1t is the glory of Vermont that il re
quircd no enumeration of >ilve~'
In 1900 he was appointed postmaster
Of Rvegate Most probably ii WIS bv
his exertion> that the mail was fir>; cx-
tended that year into Caledonia county.
through Rvr"ate and Pcacham to Dan
Vile. and afterwards TO Barnet and 81.
john>burv. He continued postmaster OF
Rycgatc till hi> death.
DIR. WithcrSpoon at Newhury, Vi,
June l., l7N3, gave Il power o! attorney
To Gen. WhitcIaw and Col. Harvey 10 sell
the lands the Doctor still owned in Rye
rate and Ncwburv
Col. Harvey WAS Gen. Whitciaw'S tcl-
low pioneer in the early settlement oi Cal
cdonia county The legislature oi Yer
mont. out ot regard To these two Scotch
men and the two large and tiuuriSlIin@ col
omic> ot their countrymcn they had
planted and maturcd in Rvr@atc and Bar
ncl where Rcy. David Goodwillic WAS
settled ;t> their pastor. in 1870, called the
county "Calcdonia. the ancient Roman
name of their OWN native country
Gen Whitclaw must be- placed at the
head OF the lit of the Great men OF that
county. for he WAS most probably the tir-t
man in that county who held Office mIrr
the State of Vermont. and under the
United Static and long he held office tan
der both of these governments.
AT his death he had Gil volumes ot
newspapers. 25I of which Were bound,
Most OF these volumes were DESTROYED
when the capitol of this State WIS burnt
Most OF hiS papers bclon" 10 hi~ offices OF
Surveyor-Dtputy and Survcyor-Gcncral.
and are in the hands of Henry Stevens.
of Burlington The remaining part ot
his large collection OF papers * i'll posses
sion OF his grandson William T. White
law, Esq, of Rycgate, the General:
grandson T'hey consist chiefly OF manu-
script books and papers in hl> own hand
writing. together with more than 5.Go'
letters from correspondents, relatins chiefly
TO business in his land office. Four >m'l
folio volumes contain more than 5000 q
his answers to letters received. Some a
these answers are transcribed in full. hu
only the substance of majority i record
l ed He kept copies of his letters to hi
relatives and the company i'll Scotland
which contain some valuable and interest
; inc information with respect to the earl
history OF Caledonia county. In this coI
lection OF papers are some valuable doct
: mcntS. One OF these i Il deed beautiful
Il written on a very large sheet OF Parci
mcnt and signed and sealed by DIR. Will
l erSpoon.
L In stature Gen. Whi;claw WIS about
: feet and 10 inches high. with a i;rge IN
" robust frame He seems to have Sprm
d from strong and healthy Scotch taml!
|, His uncle James Whitellw, lived IL
ii years and walked ID miles To 4 flmer
: the week before hi> death lie was @el
nrally xrry hralihr- hut lhrra xclr. hrln