Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-06-19
WHO TOOK TICONDEROGA !?

A ''new school of history was founded
or, rather, terminated, some four or five
years ago, by certain superficial re-
searchers, aided by other so-called ''his-
torical students" whose every thought
and motive was actuated by bitter ha-
tired for everything pertaining to New
England. They were akin to that class
of politicians, who, during the rebellion,
proposed to establish new republic in
the United States, leaving New England
out in the cold. Having proved to their
satisfaction, that which every student
of American history-as well as every
chool-boy-knew before, that people
were hung for witchcraft, and persecut-
ed for opinions sake in New England,
and that slavery was sanctioned in Mas
sachusetts, theie attention was turned to-
Vermont, and Ethan Allen was selected
as false idol, whom it was their mission
to dethrone. In order to accomplish
this task it became necessary to supply
!. a commander in bis stead DeCosta and
Dawson, the principal champions of this
"new school" had no difficulty in do
ing this, and they, therefore, made Ben
edict Arnold the hero of ,Ticonderoga.
In accomplishing this wonderful feat,
they were compelled, to be sure, to fall
sify history, mutilate official documents
and destroy all the force of human evil
eence. Although they did not make
much Roadway in converting the intelli-
gent public to belief In their false facts
and absurd theories, yet they, uncon-
sciously, aided in setting at rest that
which never ought to have been ques-
toned. De Costas article appeared in
the Gdtagg, III December, 1868, and was
at once, answered by Hiland Hall and
George w. Benedict, of this State, and
j. Hammond Trumbull, president of the
Connecticut Historical Society, and
others. These replies, being con-
| fined to the limits of an ordinary
| newspaper article, were. not en-
tirely satisfactory on account of the diff
ficulty of referring to all the authorities
IN so brief a compass. The refutation
was complete, but something more
seemed necessary in order TO set the
matter at rest forever. This want is
now happily supplied in an address de-
livered before the Vermont Historical
Society, in October last, by Lucius E.
Chittenden, a son of a Vermont resident
of New York city, which has just
appeared from the press of futile & Co.;
of this place. - -
Mr.. Chittenden brought to his task an
intense love for his native State, mind
trained to judicial investigation, and
the most careful. and pains-taking labor
and research. He has allowed no evil.
dence to escape him, and has sifted
bushels Of chaff in order to- obtain the
grain Of wheat. The result of his labor.
is the most thorough, complete and per-
feet monograph that has ever been issued
from the press upon any one subject of
American history. His conclusion-an
it is Irresistible lis that g Ticonderoga
was captured by the Green Mountain
Boys, commanded by their trusted lead
address by a referencet to the Importance
of this fort, and illustrates this import
ance by a careful, though brief, history
of the country, on the northern frontier,
from its erection down to the first NUT
terings of the storm which finally result
ed in the revolution, showing its COM
manding situation during the old French
war, and the contests for its occupancy
After demonstrating that it was the
gateway of communication between
Canada and the colonies, and the only
sure way of approach for British troops.
from the north, he enters, at once, upon
the history of the events which preceded, 4
and finally eliminated, in the surrender
of the fort to Ethan Allen,in the s.Name
of the Great Jehovah and the Continental
Congress" We do not propose to follow
him in the argument, having, heretofore.
given the substance thereof, in THE
HERALD, and it is, therefore, sufficient
to say that it is perfect and irrefragable,
every fact being sustained by citations
from cotemporaneous writers, most of |
the authorities being printed in the APP
pendix. 1T is not ioften that writer
can preform labor of love and, at the
same time, be perfectly accurate as a !
historian, but Mr.. Chittenden has per-
formed this task, rescued from oblivion