Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-08-11

We copy the following from DIR.
Primes Ireneus' Letters" in the New
York Observer of Aug. Sd. He has
been writing letters along up the Con-
necticut Valley, and the extract below
begins where he had left Brattleboro:
The whole region of country now be-
comes more romantic, picturesque, cool
and stimulating The town of West.
minister suggests the faith of the settlers,
and as we drove over its hills and looked
in upon the dells, we could readily be-
lieve that neither Switzerland nor the
Valley of Vaud would nurse harder
and braver race of men and women than
these dwellers in Eastern Vermont and
Western New Hampshire. For the mar
row stream separates the kindred states.
Vermont was settled under British grants
from New Hampshire, and was after
wards ceded to New York; but the
Green Mountain boys did not relish the
transfer, and before the skirmish called
the Revolutionary war, these free noun
taineers resisted the powerful New York
ers, and at the revolution declared them
selves an independent state. Twice did
Congress refuse to admit its indepen-
dence, though it was the power that took
Ticonderoga and whipped the regulars
in the battle of Bennington, which bat
tie, however, was fought in the State of
New York. 1t was not till 1871 that
Vermont fought its way into the Union,
and even then she had to pay New York
the sum of $4,000 in full of all de-
mands
/ was familiar with the story of the
old time feud between the Vermonters
and New Workers, but was not aware
till coming here now, that this region
was the classic ground made memorable
by the first blood shed in the resistance
of British oppression But the Centen
NAL year has revived all the local claim:
to such distinction, and / very soor
heard that | was near the graves of tht
first American martyrs Driving up tt
the door of house in the broad stree
of Westminster, on the stoop two ole
farmers sitting, | said:
"Can you tell me where the two mer
were buried who we're killed by the to
ries, in the old times, before the Revolu
tionary WARP"
! Yes; they were buried,-a least on'
of them was, French was his name,-iI
the graveyard behind the church, abou
mile below here; there's monument
put up two or three years ago, and tn
lines on the old stone were copied ont
it."
"Do you remember what the line
are ," l asked.
| He spoke through the window to hi
wife, sitting inside:
Lois, do you remember what tn
words are ;"
She did not, but she said they wer
the real old fashioned kind, about King
George and his tory crew, shot his heac
through. l rode on.
1t is in history that while New Yorl
claimed Vermont by virtue of the roya
grant, it attempted to hold court in thi
old town of Westminster, and the tint
seemed to the Vermonters favorable fol
a forcible demonstration to assert theil
independence of New York, if not o
Great Britain. At present they claim
only the first. BY the next Centennia
we shall hear that the first blow in the
war of American Independence wai
struck in Vermont, and the proof viii
not be wanting. But, / was saying
when the New York judges came to tn,
Westminster Court House, they founc
the Vermont boys in possession, resolved
to keep the judges out. A fight ensued
the Vermonters were not dislodged unit
midnight; several of them were wound
ed two of them were killed. An ole
decaying stone that recorded their names
and valor, was replaced in 1873 by 8
handsome monument, erected by tn,
State of Vermont, of Blue Mountain
granite, sixteen feet high, with face
four feet square. On the front is this
inscription
William French, shot in the Court
House at Westminster, March 13, 1775
Erected by the State of Vermont il
1922
On the base, in large capital letters
the word "FRENCH." On the north
side is inscribed: Daniel Houghton
shot in the Court House at Westminster
March 13, 1775." On the base, in large
capitals, HoUGHToN." On the south
side of the die, in sunk letters, the fol
lowing fac simiLe of the inscription from
the original stone:
In memory Of william French
! Of NJ Nathar5ef French Whn