The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-05-04
Ticondoroga.

ture Of Iiconderoga occurring on Monday
of next week, May TO- it is proper, at all
events. that the circumstances of that
gallant and important achievement, so
memorable with Vermonters, should be
recalled, and We publish to-day the care.
fully detailed account obtained from per-
sons participating in the occasion, and
published in his History Of Shoreham"
by The Rev. Mr.. G oodhue, so long an
honored minister in that town, and sub.
join the official report Of the chairman OF
the committee deputed by citizens Of
Connecticut, and supplied by them with
"sinews Of war" for the accomplishment
of the enterprise. 1t will be seen that
the military execution Of the project was
implicitly confded by tho committee to
the Green Mountain Boys, under their
own Officer, The Massachusetts, volunteers
from Berk nirc County, men of :hcir own
stamp, bel heartily welcomed and as
ISOLATED i he action. Captain Mott,
who was man of the committee from
Connectic was an officer Of character,
already .Jtive in the movements com.
menced oston, and so selected by the
citizens al e. -,tford as the right man for
the right ice. The report is copied
from V Of COLLECTIONS Of tho Con-
necticut Historical Society"
FROM GooDnUE's HISTORY OF snoREnAM.
As Shoreham was the final point of
rendezvous for the men Allen had collect.
ed and several men belonging to his par
ty were either then or were afterwnrd in
babitants of this town, and as some errors
have crept into history in relation to that
enterprise, it may not be out of place here
to give brief account OF that bold ad.
venture, which secured to the colonies
one of the most important fortresses held
by the British Crown on this continent.
Nine men, either then or afterward
inhabitants Of this town are known to
have been with Allen when he entered
the fort, viz Nathan Beeman, Thomas
Rowley, Jr., John Crigo, Elijah Kellogg,
Amos Calender, Samuel Wolcott, Jr.,
Stephen Smith, then Of Manchester, and
Hopkins Rowley, then of Piitsiord. Rev
Hosea Beckley in his History of Vermont
has shown that the expedition for the pur.
pose of capturing the forts OF Ticonderoga
and Crown Point was not, as several his.
torians say, set on foot by the Legislature
of Connecticut, but by several gentlemen
in that State, the expenses for which were
furnished by public spirited individuals
on their own responsibility, and were
afterwards paid by the government o
r that State. "a number Of men were
y raised aud came on to Berkshire County
9 Mass, where they were joined by many
others in the expedition, and arriving il
$ Vermont they chose Ethan Allen as thei
J.. commander He conducted them as fa
@ as Castleton, at which place he halteC
d and sent Captain Noah Phelps, of Sims
!. bury, Conn, to Ticonderoga, to examin,
q into its situation and condition, and maxi
report to his associates" lie passed owe
the Lake in a boat, in the rustic garb o
-, farmer, and put up at house near tn
. fort for the night, where several officer
were collected for supper party. II
.. listened TO their conversation respecting
:, the connections in the colonies, and tn
~ ueTcnceless conuition OF the post, withou
% taking any apparent interest in what the
u said. 10 the morning he gained admis
= sion into the fort for the purpose of bein
-, shaved. and having made what observa
tions he could, he engaged the boatma
to take him across the lake. Havin,
r. learned the number of men in the garri
- son, and that their ammunition was in
! damaged condition, he returned to Castle
= ton and reported VIVA. he had seen an
- heard. Allen Immediately dispatche
Maj. Beach as messenger to collect met
70 to meet his party at place since know
70 as Hands Point, in the town Of Shore
- ham Beach went on foot to RUTLAND
~ Pittsiord, Bf7ndon, Mddlobury, Whiting
20 and Shorehlm, making circnit Of sixt
10 miles in twenty. -four hours While i
~ Castletou, Allen was joined ~ Arnold
81 who claimed the command Of the part
- by COMM sio1, as he said. from Masst
-. chusetts brt as this claim was resiste
W. ny the men he finally consented to loi
e them as olunteer. They took the oil
~ Crown P)iut road in Sudbury, and cam
-, TO Lake Champlain-n in Orwell, as
~ stated in Williams History Of Vernon
u nor at Larabee's Point as has been sal
a by others, but at place called Hand
= Cove, where the men lay concealed froI
-, the view Of the enemy in ravine. "FiuC
10 ing here no sufficient means Of conveyin
"a his men across the lake, messengers wei
49, sent to Bridport and Addison to procul
os boats. They came to Mr.. Stones
IL Bridport in the night, and making the
';s object known, they awakened two youn
~ men, who were sleeping in the chum5,
y, above them. They at once arose, an
a proceeded to the fort at Crown Poin
40 and persuaded u negro man, who had Ii
charge of the boats belonging to the ga
rison. to row them as far a. Shorehan
%, where they pretended there was to be
= squirrel hunt, the next day, promisin
"a him as compensation a jug OF rum
T., The boats did not arrive until TOWARD
- morning the next day. There were 27
"a men in all, $50 OF whom were Gree
20 Mountain Boys, all eager 10 embark an
10 share the perils and houors of that DARN
~ enterprise. The boats, however, wei
~ insufficient to carry all. Only SO Of II
he go passed over, leaving lS7 behin'
A. Those remaining expected to be sent &
or Immediately after the landing Of the fir
70 party; but as they bad to row nearly tv
Il, miles before they reached the shore {
of the west side Of the lake, little north
he Willow Point, it began to be light ALE
T. therefore determined not to await the a