Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-10-22

PETER oLCoTE

says; 0orni2 lies opposite to dartmouth
College, and is next H. lIiadsar, the most
populous place in this county, The fam.
lilies Of 0lsaL Rgntori, Brigham, Buek.
Burton, and Hit'4, take the lead. Mr.,
Ole0A was late Lieutenant Governor
Mr., Brigham Is one Of the present eoun.
ell, and General in the Militia. The
elder Mr., Nirdoek, on the formation OF
the State, was for some time one Of the
Council, and being tired with the noise
and hustle Of public affairs, retired TO do
nestle enjoyments, and the calmer pleas
urcs of private life, Mr., jasper Murdool,
10 the advantages Of an excellent eduoa-
ton, unites the most accomplished man
ners he Is Aid'de.Camp To the Comman-
der in Chief. Mr.. Buck was bred 10 tho
Law, he possesses great abilities, is god
speaker, and Representative in Congress
from the East District Of Vermont The
road through these Towns are very fine
and the travelling presents a continual
succession Of agreeable objects. The in
habitants amount to about eight thousand.
The religion is Presbyterian, EpiScopdcy,
and Iaidridmim.T he value of the land
is from one pound to sixty pounds per
acre"
As will be seen in the above extract,
Norwich, in the carly history OF the state
furnished large share Of prominent men
She held the same position. East of the
Green Mountains, that Bennington and
Rutland, did on the West. In the space
of six years 1890 to 1896 three of her
citizens, Joseph Marsh, Peter olcott, and
Paul Brigham, held the office of Lieuten-
ant Governor of Vermont.
PETER OLCoTT, whose name is vari-
ously spelled as Olcott, Olcutt, Alcot and
Aloott, was born about the year 1888 At
what time he came to Vermont, we have
been unable to ascertain, The first men
ton Of his name in connection with the
public affairs OF Vermont, that we have
been able to find, is in the following ex-
tract from the records of the town Of
Newbury, under date Of June %, 1916
Voted, that Col. Jacob Bayloy and Pc.
ter Olcott, representatives to send to
York. I0ted, that Reuben Foster give
them their instructions. 1t would seem,
however, that he did not go "to York,
as Gen. Bayley writes to the President OF
] the New York Convention under date OF
"Newbury, Feb 10th, mn should
have waited on you before now but | real.
ly expected Col Olcot was with you.
shall attend as soon as possible" From
this time forward until his death, he was
almost continually in public life.
On the ID of May, IN, he was appoint
ed by the Convention of New York, on,
of three Commissioners for the County
Of Gloucester composed substantially o.
that part of Vermont East of the Green
Mountains and North of the prescn
County of Windsor to take into theil
custody "all the personal property OF
,hoee parsons who had joined the enemy,
and had left their possessions i'll cundi
, ton liah,e to waste, or to be used for pur
poses unfriendly to the cause of liberty
This property they were to sell at publ
vendue after at least ten days notices, anC
an account Of the sale, was to be left Will
the State Treasurer together with the ne
. proceeds. This was to be paid TO the respec
4 tive owners at some future time, or to b
t. disposed Of. under the directions of III
Legislature.
q He was an officer during the war of II
V revolution, and as such participated i'll IL
d battle of Saratoga, and WAS present at II
r, surrender of General Burgoync. In IN
u he was Colonel OF one Of the Regiments
!. the Militia. of Vermont, and, subsequen
S. ly, passed through every grade OF Off,
If to that of Major General.
y He was a member Of the COnycntio
y which, at Windsor June It'll, HI, gay
~ the name of Vermont to this Stat
lo instead of New Connecticut AS named
y Convention which declared the state ind
r. pendent it having been ase tanned 18th
y a district Of land lying on the Susqu
40 hannah RIVER, has been heretofore and
m now known by the name Of New Co
r necticut."
OF On the oath of November, IA, he W
appointed by the Council of Safety of VI
mont, together with Dr. Paul Spooner Al
Capt Curtis "a committee to settle wi
the commissioners OF sequestratiou, on Il
- cast side of the Green Mountains, {
:, the same day this committed. in coniun
w. ton with the memher- OF the Count
IN of Safety from that sideoi the Mountain
as were given ''full powers TO determine {
IN destination Of all such persons, whom t
-. Committee of Safety deem 10 bc dang
to Gus persons to remain within this sta
Is or the town to which they belong-al
o. to determine with respect TO the confisc
III ton of such estates He WAS also a mel
4 Der of the Court OF Contiscatlon Tor t
nv County of Cumberland, which was estg
te, lishod by the Council Of Safety, Mar
.ot Goth, l.,1s.
III III In March, 1.,s, Col. Olcott was Rep
n. sentative from Norwich in the Gene,
to Assembly of Vermont, and was memt
he Of the Committee to count the votes, 4
for Governor, observation-disclosures a
!, Councillors, on the counting of which
!. appeared that he was elected member
the Council he was reelected to t
Council in October, ms; he was az;
chosen a Councillor in 1881, and was
=. nually reelected in 1872, 50, 81, IS,
m 81, 50, 50 and 1890; he also represent