Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-11-05
The Hero Of Mount Defiance,
COL. EBENEZER ALLEN.

ful remembrance which we owe to them
But Ira served Vermont as efficiently wit
tongue and pen as Ethan did with the sword
, and Heman, Heber and Zlmri, in their seye
raj spheres, were not unworthy brothers 0
the two who were NOR conspicuous than
they. Nor ought it to go out of remcm
braace that another Allen, kindred to then
il bravery, though not in blood, rendered
services, both civil and military, which had
4 great and good influence upon the desti
nies of Vermont
Ebenezcr Allen, son Of Samuel Allen,
was born in northampton, Mass, 18th De
to5er, l7i3, and was baptized in infancy by
that eminent divine, the Rev Jonathan Ed
wards, d. ID. When he was but n few wears
old his parent moved to Marlboro, where
his father died, leaving him and other child
ren almost entirely dependent upon the in
dustrY and management of the mother. At
the early age OF twenty he married Miss
Richards, and, with her and their two or
three children, he moved in April, III, to
| Poultney, Vt, of which place he and his
brother-in-law, Thomas Ashley, were the
1rst settlers. W hen the controversies with
New York and Great Britain began, he be-
came an active partisan, and did good ser
vice az a civilian and soldier. lie was one
Of the immortal eighty-thrce, who. with
Ethan Allen at their head. surprised and
| captured Ticonderoga. lie also became
| captain Of a company Of minute men. con-
nectcd with Samuel Herrick's regiment Of
rangers. Alter a few years residence in
! Poultney, he removed 10 Iinm0uth, and was
one of the delegates from that town to the
convention which met at Dorset, 18th Sep
temhcr, l776, and which, at an adjourned
meeting. declared Vermont an independent
State. He was also delegate TO tie con
yenticn which met at Windsor, u July.
l,11, t. adopt the constitution Of Yer
mont.
lie participated in the battle Of Benning-
ton, l6th August, III, and at one time
during the battle, with only thirty men.
taking advantage Of natural brcastwork
OF rock, he successfully fought the main
body of Bnums troops, and compelled their
temporary retreat After the Americans
We're driven from Ticonderosa and defeated
at llubbardton, Gen. Lincoln determined To
make diversion in the rear Of the British
lines, in the hope Of retrieving their di,as-
ter. Three detachments Of men were order
ed forward from Manchester, one towards
Fort Independence, another in the direction
of Skene,boro (now WhitehalI) and Fort
Ann, and third towards Ticonderoga and
Lake George, all OF which places were TO be
attacked at the same time it circumstances
favored. Capt. Allen with his rangers con
stiiated Il part Of the third detachment. and
10 him was assigned the honorable aul dan
Gcrous duty of taking Mount Defiance. This
Is a ball al3at sCnyen hundred and fifty feet
high, on the south side of the oGtlet Of
Lake George. With immense labor Bar
goyne bad opened a road up the northern
slope Of the hill, and had dragged q battery
Of heavy artillery to the summit. from which /
point be commanded the entire area Of Fort 1
Iiconderoga, and compelled its evacuation (
without firing gun.
Alien attempted the surprise and cartere I
Of this stronghold 18th September. i771. /
With only uLc .h1rtinate officer. Lieut.. /
Isaac Clark, afterwards famous a. - Rifle
Clark, and forty Green Mountain boys. he I
made his way with great difficulty and dan /
ger up the PERCEPTIONS hill side. When they .
had nearly reached the summit, they came B
To c.ih 50 nearly perpendicular thar they
could not climb 1t in the ordinary way
Allen ordered one of his men to st0op. and .
c.am1erinc on his back, the the others went
up the c.iA. Having gained the summit
without being discovered, Allen rushed upon
The garrison. followed bv his little rarty.
"No' lie SAIL ' came alter me Ike stream
., q, ..'rne'> - the charge The garrison
l T. W!'h 'Ae exception oi one man, who
Attem I'eI 10 hre cannon upon the a-slil-
ants AII the gunner, cried Allen, at
ne same iiule LIlns upon Inn with mus
Ae'- Al tlis the man ran away with the
matcn IN ms hand leaving the Green Noun
tam Boys 10 iriI possession The entire
garrison We're captured by partv which had
oeen stationed L. intercept them and the
victory was complete.
He took part in the severe actor. of I'll,
October. III. which led To the surrender
lf Bar-oyre. lie then returned IN I'm
mouth, but when Ticonderoea WAS abandon
ed by tie British in CONSEQUENCE nj Re-
-ovue : surrender, he again took the fcli
with his rangers. crt off the roar dirisi,p ~
the retreatin- garrison. and cartnre1 ffrr
-aen. with lsr,e ouantitv of hocro,,. a,,1
military stores. and tnanv bor,es a1d o.ber
lni,nal. Tbi. took rlacc ncSr the ,'-c.,,,,
village or E,Sex. Ny. lis helieveJ tb,t
he wa afterwards commander or a s,,ou
-ar~i.su Stationed ina hlo.k lrt, w
ilavcn. to Protect the settlers from en-
.ruacimenis Of the Workers. and thnt bo
WAS for d time in command of tbe fort ~
pitt>iorl Jp5a the orranization nr rbe
militia of Vermont. he be.smc mai,r an5
colonel of REGIMENT In 10
md al-o or " The Two Heroes and i,
March lS73. he walked on snow-shoes from
Lnmouth to =. Albans. and then crossed
he lake to the Islands. where he and some
,thcr proprietors decided by 9. drawip,
ut," the order IN which they SbonI5 cLo,se
heir locations. The last choice Of ali feIl
D him, and he selected the extreme soutb
nd of South Hero, which to tni, dav bears =
he uame Of Aliens Point. 9
lie soon moved hi- family TO Sbelhurn
'oint, where he gathered materials for !
ouse and barn. and with them constructin, ,
raft. he RATED his family. furniture and
took TO the island, on which he landed. 25tb 9
August, 1888, and became the first settler
{ South Hero. Here he was thirteen miles c
rom his nearest white neighbor and at least
igAty miles from mill Here n son, Ebene- /
,r, was born to lim, whose birth and death b
-cre the fist birth and death on the island. t
While lie lived in South Hero he kent n t
lyern and ferry. and traded in oak lanl- Il
er. Upon the organization Of the town in Ii
$50 he was the first Justice of the peace, h
nd in l7SS he was elected the first renre- v
'glslature IN l79l' 1898 and l79S. In ll9l
aNaa- y.