The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-07-11
LETTER from PRESIDENT GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WAgUTNqTON ID G. NAV ri 1879


EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, d. c., May 81, 1875
To Hon. Il. G. Dodge, burlington, ":
SR-The President directs me to ack
nowledge the receipt of your very cordial
invitation to be present at the unwilling of
the statue of Gen. Ethan Allen on the 4th
of July next.
1t would afford him pleasure to assist in
the exercises in honor of the distinguished
patriot, and also to greet the citizens of
Vermont assembled on the occasion, but
MS engagements are such that he is not
able to accept
lie wishes me to thank you for the very
kind invitation and to assure you of his
sincere wish that the occasion may be one
OF great pleasure to all assembled.
| am, Sir your obedient Servant,
o. Z. BABcoCK,
Secretary.
LETTER FROM MISS ANN ELIZA MUNsoN.
To the Committee Of arrangements
GENTLEMEN The name of Ethan Allen
occupies place in the history of the fam
lily ] represent, from the event of two lit
tie girls, five and seven years old, being
lost in the woods of Sunderland Vt, some
% years ago, the younger of whom was
my mother. From my earliest recollection
have heard her relate the story of Ethan
allen and the lost children. His name has
thus been endeared to her family, and |
now make this Offering to his memory as a
small token of that high regard WEIGH is
cherished by her children and grand-child-
rem.
In all the great and heroic deeds of his
eventful life, are none more noble than
this one which more especially relates to
his private life, none more enduring, and
trust that this little incident will add some
thing to the memory of that man, whose
name will always be dear to all true Yer
monters.
L. A. MuYsoY.
We copy in connection with Miss Mum
sons note the following account of the in
cident to which it refers
From the Burlington Sentinel, March 10, 1891
Narrative
OfMe remarkable pyeserUation Of ttc0 small
children lost IN Sunderland, Bennington
Co., Vermont, A. ID. 1880.
On the last day of May, 1880, Keziah,
aged seven, and Betsey, four years of age,
daughters of Eldad Taylor, living in Sun
derland, went into the woods towards the
Roaring Branch, about one o'clock in the
afternoon. After wandering about an hour
or two they perceived they were lost. Their
parents became alarmed two or three hours
after their departure and several of their
neighbors searched all night by torchlight.
The second day the country was alarmed
people collected from Manchester, Airing
ton, SALISBURY and Bennington. Col
Ethan Allan then lived in Sunderland, and
was one of the first who came to the assist
ance of the distressed family He avowed
his determination to find the children, or
look till he died, and took sort of COM
mand of the party from the first. They
went to advance at arms length from each
other in line, keeping their range-care-
fully searching as they proceeded-no guns
to be fired at game of any kind, or on any
occasion, except as a signal when the chill
dren should be found. Several parties en-
camped in the woods and staid through the
second night The country for a great dis
lance was in agitation, and on the third day,
people came from the borders of Massa-
chusetts and from Whitccreek, Salem and
Cambridge, in the State of New York, un-
til it was now believed by those now living
who were present, that the number amount
ed to six or seven hundred. On the same
day, the sun being about three hours high,
nearly the whole company came to the resi-
dence of the parents-faint, weary and
hungry. They seemed to be discouraged
and several were about to withdraw. At
that critical moment, Col. Allen assembled
stump, and in a voice as loud as when he
summoned the command of Fort Ticondero-
"a to surrender, he commanded attention.
The people gave heed, and he addressed
them in the most earnest manner-pointed
to the afflicted and agonizing parents who
stood near him-begged every man to make
q l. IL h,,,,an1E ha
lost children were his, whether he would go
off, without making one more effort to find
them. The tears fell fast from his cheeks,
and it is believed that there were but few
if any dry eyes in that assembage of sew
eral hundred men I'll go-lll go, was
heard from every quarter of the crowd.
They took to the woods with fresh courage
and before the sun went down, as if to re-
ward their kind intentions, the signal was
fired-the lost children were found, and
found alive. The signal was Immediately
answered by the main body. They were
found by Captains Bull, Bartlett In
derhill, and Dyer Bingham, who had by
some means been separated from the main
body and were not at the house when Col.
Allen addressed the multitude.
The children were soon brought in, and
the company returned to the house of the
parents. The company were then formed
in two lines facing each other few feet
apart-the parents each with one of the
lost children passed through that all might
see them Col. Allen walked Immediately
after the parents, making such observations
rs the occasion seemed to require. That
done, the Colonel again assembled the stump,
thanked the people very handsomely on be-
half of the parents for their kindness, so
long continued, and thanked God most
heartily for their success. The people then
departed peaceably to their homes.
From a late relation of one of the per-
sons it appears that after perceiving they
were lost, they eXerted themselves to find
their way back until after dark, when weary
with walking and crying they sank down
and slept at the foot of large tree. The
next day they wandered in search of ber-
ries the only substitute for food. They
heard the sounding of horns frequently but
did not know from what direction it pro-
ceeded this being the second day, they
made bed of hemlock houghs and moss
upon a large rock, upon which they slept
that night and on that rock they were
found. The younger child was sick and
thirsty in the night-they got up and took
hold of hands, CROPPED their way down to
the branch, drank and returned. On the
third day near night they were seen by one
of the four gentlemen above named and
the first exclamation was, I've found EN-
the children started up from their bed,
fearing they were Indians. One of the
gentlemen said, "Will you go with us ?"
The eldest replied, "Yes, if you are In
dams we'll 90 with you if you'll carry us
home to our father and mother" One of
the number Immediately gave them small
quantity of moistened bread and brought
them in as soon as possible.
Betsey, the younger OF the two children,
ia the wife of Captain John Munson, now
living in the town of Burlington, Vt.
The eldest of the two was the wife of
John Jones, and died some years ago at
| Wiliston VT