Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-05-14


The following j. tue account of the cap
ture given by Ethau Allen in his Mar
ratiye g"
Ever since ! arrived At the state Of man
hood have felt sincere passion for lib
erty. The history OF nations, doomed to
perpetual slavery in consequence Of yield
| ing up to tyrants their natural born lib
/ critics, | read with 4 sort OF philosophical
/ horror, 50 that the first systcmatical and
bloody attempt at Lexington to enslaye
America thoroughly electrified my mind and
fully determined me to take part with my
country. And while | was waiting for an
opportunity TO signalize myself in its be
! half directions were privately sent to me
from the then colony. now State, Of Connec-
ticut to raise the Green Mountain Bows.
and, it possible, with them TO surprise and
take the fortress Of Ticondero.a. This en-
terprise ! cheeriully undertook, and. after
first guarding all the several passes that led
thither, 10 cut of all intelligence between
the garrison and the country, | made
forced march To Bennington. and arrived at
the lake opposite 10 Iicynderoga on the
evening of the gih OF MAY, It's. with go
the utmost difficulty that | secured boats 10
cross the lake. However, ! landed eighty
three men near the garrison and sent the
boats back Tor the rear guard, commanded
by Colonel Seth Warner but the day be
gan to dawn, and | found myself under ne
cessity to attack the fort before the rear
guard could cross the lake, and, Is it was
viewed hazardous, ! haransued the officers
and men as follows
"'FRIEyDs AsD Fellow soLDIERs-You have for
a number OF years past been sc0urse and terror
10 arbitrary power. Your valor has been famed
abroad, appears by advice and orders 70 ne
IRON The General Assembly OF Connecticut to sur
prise and take the garrison nov before now
propose 20 advance before you and In person con-
duct you through the vi ket gate FOR mus.
this morning either quit our preteutiOns 20 val0r
possess ourselves Of the Tor Tess in lew minutes
and inasmueh as il j. q desperate attempt, which
none but the bravest o. men dare undertake, do
not urge II on any contrary 10 his Will You that
Will undertake yoluntaii .y poise your hrelocks.'
The men being at this time drawn up in
three ranks, each pjisci his hrel0ck | or
dered them to face to the right, and, at the
head ot the centre file, marched them imme-
diately to the wicket gate aforesaid, where
| found sentry posted, who instantly
snapped his iusee at me. ran immediate
" toward him and lie retreated through the
covered way 10 the parade within the garri-
son, gave hallOo and ran under bomb
proof.
My party, who followed me into the |
fort, formed in such "A manner as to face |
the two barracks, which faced each other. |
The garrison being asleep, except the SEN
tries, we gave three huzzIs, which greatly |
surprised them. One of the sentries made |
pass at one OF my officers with charged |
bayonet and Slightly wounded him. Nv |
first thought was to kill him with nv |
sword, but in an instant altered the de |
sign and fury of the blow to slight cut on |
the side OF the head, upon which he |
dropped his gun and asked quarter, which |
readily granted him, and demanded of
him the place where the commanding officer
kept. He showed me a pair of stairs in
the front Of barrack, on the west part of |
the garrison which led up second story in
said barrack to which Immediately repair
ed and ordered the Commander, Captain De
la Place, to come forth instantly or | would
sacrifice the whole garrison, at which De la
Place came Immediately to the door with his
breeches in his hand, when | ordered him to
deliver me the fort instantly. lie asked
me by what authority | demanded it. /
him, In the name OF the great
Jehovah and the Continental Congress- The
of Congress being very little
known ut that time, he began to speak
again. | interrupted him. and with my
drawn sword over his head, again demand
ed an immediate surrender of the garrison,
with which he then complied, and ordered
his men to be forthwith paraded without
arms, as he had given up the garrison. In
the meantime some of my officers had given
orders, and in consequence thereof sundry OF
the barrack doors we're beat down and about
oue-third Of the garrison imprisoned, which