Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-09-03

After the fort was completed Major Ebeu
ezer Allen of Tinmouth; with small body OF
men was put in command of it. They had
been established in their new quarters but
short time before the commander ascertained
by bis scouts that considerable number OF
the enemy we're lowering in the vicinity, and
tearing vigorous attack he called for assist
ance. The call reached the town of Putney
on the east side Of the mountain where a
company of forty-two men were already Or
ganized under the command of Captain Jesse
Stafford. A call for assistance had also been
asmuch as both of these towns needed help,
the company divided one-half of them went
to Royalton, and the other half to the fort at
Pittsford.
Among the number who went to Pittsford
was a Young man by the name of Caleb
Houghton. On the 18th of July following
Young Houghton went to the house of Joshua
June to obtain some garments which Mrs
June had been washing for him. He obtain
ed bis garments and started on his return,
but he had been gone from the house but a
few moments before Mrs. June heard the re-
port of a gun. Stepping to the door and
looking up along the road, she saw 40 Indian
in the act of trans6xing Houghton with bis
bayonet. Houghton not returning to the fort
AS was expected, a party of men were sent
out to look for him and they soon found his
body about half mile south of the fort, bear
ing marks of fierce struggle. This took
place beneath an oak tree little distance
northeast of Mr.. June's house, and when the
land was cleared this tree was thOughtfully
spared, and may still lie seen pointing out
the spot where Houghton fell. The soldiers
took the body Of their comrade, carried it to
the fort, and thence buried it on the small
knoll some ten or fifteen rods east of the
present residence of Deacon Samuel Hendee.
Major Allen, after making unsuccessful efforts
to discover the perpetrator of the deed, col
lect.d his men in front OF the largo gate on
the east side Of the fort, and publicly vowed
vengeance against all and every Indian that
should come within his power, and then as
memora! of his VOW, he took a junk bottle
filled with rum, stepped out in front of his
men and dashed the bottle against the gate,
and christened the established fort, - Ven
geance," a name by which it was ever alter
known.
Besides DR.. Caverly's address was one of
welcome by Hon. s. Ii. Kellogg, and dedi-
cAtory address by S. Coburn, Esq, of New
York city, native of Pittsford. The gath
eripg was further addressed by Hon. N. I.
Sprague, Jr.
Among the toasts was one to the " Con-
gress of the United States
Hon G. W. Willard, in response, said
that it afforded him real pleasure to attend
and be part of q celebration like this one.
1t seems to make one feel more and more a
Vermonter to see people on such day and
in such concentration. You have come
,gether to celebrate deeds done in that spirit
OF heroic and patriotic daring, that has MT
only IN ,de Vermont, New England and the
whole East what they are, bat has indeiiby
stamped the West with its character, and is
now building up a nation on the shores oil
the Pacific.
Why you should have proposed the {" Con-
gress OF the United States . as a toast to-day
do not know. The Continental Congress
was the one having jurisdiction when ths
deeds you celebrate were transpiring-and
that Congress was thought worthy by your
grand old military leader, to be associated
with the name OF the Great Jehovah I But
would anybody think OF associatIng the pres
ent Congress with such an exalted per-
sonage
Perhaps, however, the reason can be found
in the tact that the tide of Indian warfare
that swept over this part OF the country
ninety years ago. and made possible and nee
essary such valorous deeds AS you to-day
commemorate, has not yet spent Itself. The
red-handed Modoc who murdered General
Candy is a brother of that other savage who
murdered Caleb Houghton. The Congress
now is dealing with the Indian question,
troublesome IN thu century as in the last
ln the words of an old German in Congress
representing Texis frontier district, ia an
sser to a Massachusetts - peace policy -
representative " We are now meeting the
retre.ting waves of King Philips war We
stand now where you stood two hundred
years ago in Massachusetts" The builders
and manners of g Fort Vengeance - are kin
dred OF those who want Sue bloody Modocs
punished. Congress is still engaged In an
Indian wer.
A word in behalf of Congress. In the
language of the sentiment. the intelligence
and honesty of legislative body will be
measured by the intellig euce and honesty of
the constituencies which elect its members
The people speaking at the ballot-boX are
the TT lie rulers Congress has no more pow
er or possibility of abrldg'ng the peoples
rights than a King. Ii is the voice and opln-
ION OF the people alone that Is potential here
AS a convenient illustration, take the q" Sal
airy Grab" had the honor of voting against
that bill eight times. When it passed not
half dozen members but expected to ia Ike
the back pay. But the people cried out
against it, and the clamorous popular voice
re-ecboed by the public press, told the rep
resentatiyes that their action was disapI roved
and more than fifty have returned it al.
though they are no more honest Tor that ac-
ton. Ii constituents are honest, their rep
resentatlves must, at least, act honestly
whatever their private prociivities- The H.
teliigence OF the people should prevent thei
being imposed upon. We all read and car
learn what is going on. We can also form
judgments upon what we read. These judg.
ments should be made AZ much for Tomorrow
Tor the next year, for the next election as
for to-day. You must not allow a clever man
to 20 on then, when you learn of his short
comlngs. If he steals 81 600 from the Treas
NY, it won't do to wink at ;t if he endows
church or school with $4,000. If the ev
exists you have the remedy in your owl
| hands.
The evil of our times is greed of gold
gI'ci VI "u'opsoSN, opU SiCtu vi euoW
This greed of gain is the poison coursin!
through the VEINS of the body polite. W.
have W thstood many trials as nation, but thu
severest one will be with this dangerous evil
which threatens to sap the very foundation:
of the Republic. We have men in Congress,
and out, in Wall street, in heavy corporation
and IN Credit Mobilier schemes, all cryin,
- money! g money Honestly if we can
but otherwise if We must.
If We can crush out this mad race TO
wealth we are all right. 1t is happy au
anry OF the possibility of its accomplishment,
that people come together on day like shis
to commemorate the works OF those wh'
started us honestly in our career of empire.
The monument consists Of a shalt six O
seven feet high surmounting double pedes
tai; the whole being twelve feet in height