Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-12-10
From the Bennington Banner
The Early History of Bennington
and Vermont.

History furnishes abundant testimony
OF the zeal and activity of the early set
tiers OF Bennington in the trying cCntro-
versy, which lasted about twenty-five
years, in settling the boundary line be-
tween New York and Vermont One Of
the expedients adopted during the agita-
ton was the sending to England Of Sam
uel Robinson, the pioneer settler Of this
town, to represent the case to the court of
Great Britain, where he obtained, before
the king in council, an order dated July
oath, 1867, prohibiting the governor Of
New York, upon pain Of his maie.ty'>
highest displeasure, from making any fur
thor grants of the lands in controversy,
till his majesty's further pleasure should
be known concerning the same. Before
this controversy was ended, however,
there begun and ended the struggle for
the independence Of the Colonies, against
Great Britain, and every school boy
knows-or. at least ought to know-thc
important part that Bennington played
in that victorious but hard fought con-
test. The long and exciting con-
fict, also, for the admission OF
Vermont into the "Cnion Of States
was vigorously contested, inch by inch,
by the States Of New York, New liamp-
shire and Massachusetts, there again
Bennington was the ostensible battlefield.
After several unsuccessful oyerturcs made
to Congress, Vermont, at Westminster, by
a convention for that purpose, then and
there assembled, ON the 10th % January
III, declared herself Il free and indie
pendent State The author of this dec
laration was Jonas Fay, of Bennington,
son OF Stephen Fay, the worthy proprie-
tor Of the Catamount tavern The char
acter of this contest is fully shown by
Ethan Allen in his letter TO Congress. OF
March 9th, l,Sl and among other things
thus boldly says: for | am as rcsOlutely
determined to defend the independence OF
Vermont, as Congress is that OF the | nitcd
States and rather than fail | will retire
with the hardy Green Mountain Boy
into the desolate cayerns Of the noun
tains, and wage war with human nature
at large" On the ith of March, 1921,
Vermont, by paying thirty thousand dol
lars to the State of New York, and after a
contest Of twonty-siN years. was admitted
into the Union It was not until re-
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among tne arthiNtH "t th' carry S'tti.rS
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