St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-12-10

became captain of Il company of minut,
men, connected with Col. Samuel Her
rick : regiment of rangers. After il few
Years residence III Poultney. he removed
to Iinmouth. and was one of the dele
gates from that town to the convention
which met at Dorset. September p
l|I6. and which, at an adjourned meet
ing, declared Vermont an Independent
Sta'e. He was also Il delegate to tn,
convention which met ut Windsor, July
II, l111, to adopt the constitution OF
Vermont.
He participated in the battle of Ben
nlngton, August III, M, and at one
time during the battle, with only thrty '
men, taking adVantag1 of Il natural
hrea>t-work of rock, he successfully y
fought the main body of BaunI's troops.
and compelled their temporary retreat.
After the Americans We're driven from
1iconderoga, and defeated at Hubbard
ton, Gen. Lincoln determined to make
Il diversion in the rear of the British
lines, in the hope of retrieving these
disasters. Three detachments of mcu
were ordered forward from Manchester
. = towards Fort Independence, an-
! other IN the direction of SkencsbOr,
| (noW Whitehall) and Fort Ann. and Il
third towards Ticomdcroga and Lake
George, all of which places were to h,
attacked ut the same time, il circum-
stances favored. Capt. Allen. with his
rangers, constituted IL part of the third
detachment, and to him was assigned the
honorable and dangerous duty of taking
Mount Defiance. This is Il hill about
seven hundred and fifty feet high. ON
the south side of the outlet of Lake
George. With immense Labor Burgoyne
had opened Il road up the northern slope
of the hill, and had dragged Il battery
of heavy artillery to the summit. from
which point he commanded the entire
area of Fort Ticnnderoga, and com
PEELED its evacuation without firing Il
gun.
Allen attempted the surprise and cap
/ turc of this stronghold September l.
III. With only one subordinate off
Ger. Lieut.. Isaac Clark. afterwards IA
nous ;iS "Ritlc" Clark, and forty Green
. Mountain boys. he made his way with
great difficulty and danger up the pre-
cipitouS hill side. When they had
nearly reached the summit. they came
to IL cliff So nearly perpendicular that
they could not climb il in the ordinary
way. Allen ordered one of his men to
Stoop. and clambrIing on his back the
others went up the cliff. Having
gained the summit without being dis
covered. Allen rushed upnr the garrison
followed 10y his little party. who. h,
said, "camc after me like Il stream ot
hornets to the charge" The garrison
fled. with the exception ot one man
1 who attempted to lire Il cannon upoI
the a>Sailant>. Kill the gunner. criro
| Allen. at the same time firing upon
him with Il mu>kct. Al TINS the maj
ran away with the match in his hand
leaving the Green Mountain Boys il
full possession. The entire garrison
were captured 10y a party which ha,
been stationed to intercept them. aud
the victory WAS complete.
He took part in the severe action o
Octnhcr :. III. which led to the sur
render of Burg"ync. He then returned
to Tinmouth. but when Ticondcrog;
WAS abandoned 10y the British. III con
sequence of Burgoync'S surrender. h,
again took the field with his rangers
cut off the rear division of the retreat
lug garrison. and captured fifty men
with Il large quantity of baggage an,
military stores. and many horses ant
other animals. This took place nca1
the present village of ESSEX. y. \. L
i believed that he WAS afterwards com
maudrl of Il small garrison stationed il
Il block font at New Haven. to protcc
the settlers from the entertainments a.
the Workers. and that he was for Il time
in command of the fort at PlttSfuTd
I'pou the organization of the militia ~
Vermont he hccamc major. and after
wards colonel of u regiment. la Ia.
he w:iS one of the grantees of FairlaVeT
and also of "Thc Two Heroes" and il
Match. l1~}. he walked on SHOW shoe;
from Tinmouth To St. Alhan>. and theI
crossed the lake to the islands. Whcr,
hc and some other propIict"rS drcidc'
hl drawing cuts" the order in Whicl
they should choose their locations. The
last choice. of all fell to lum. and Ii,
selected the extreme South end ot Snutl
Hero. which To this day hears the nam,
of Aliens Point
He soon moved his family To Shcl
hurne Point. where hr gathered materI
ais for Il house and barn. and with then
constructing Il raft. he rait,d his tlmI
lN. furniture. and stock to the island. Ol
which he landed the 2Jth OF August
I7-3. and became the first settler q
south Hero. Here he WAS thirtccl
miles from his nearest white nclThhor
and at least eighty miles from mill
Here Il son. EhrmcZcI. WAS born to him
whose hiIth and death were the tr>
birth and death on the island. Will
, he lived in South Hero he kept Il taNcr
j, and Il ferry. and traded in oak lumber
Upon the organization of the town i
1855 he was the first Justice of tn
, Peace. aud in l7S| he waS elected tn
first Representative. He WAS also
', member of the Legislature in 1871. I79
and I79S. In 1871 he was Il member ,
the convention which ratified the Con
stitution of the United States. and pre-
pared the WAY for the admission of Ven
mont into the Union. In or about I-0
he removed to Burlington. and "pcne
. a tavern near the South wharf. II
t died the Goth of March. IoG.
e He had Il large head. dark complex
! ion. black eyes, prominent pcrcrptiv
organs, deep chest. long. stout arm,
4 and short legs. lie WAS short in Statur,
though his body was more than avcra"
! size. Theologically he WAS Congrc
f gationaliSt. and politically IL fedcraliSt
: He was freemason. and received tn
f honorS of the masonic fraternity ut hi
burial, on which occasion it was said q
! him aS follows: "lle possessed mumcr
ollS virtues : WIS Il man Of cXtcnSIN
"ncNolcnCc. never sitting down con
tented while his fellow creatures aroIIm
| hIm were in want without atforlin
, them relief. 1t may he justly said q
HIM he was an honest man, the mobiles
work of God was Il well tried patriot