Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-10-18
The Vermont Historical Society.

FIRST business in order was the reading VI the |
records Of the last meeting. This was done 10y |
Hiram A. lluse, Of Montpelier the Secretary OF |
the Society The next thing in the regular order |
II business was the election Of officers On mo-
ton .he matter was referred to committee Of
three members; Samuel Wells, Esq, Of Montpe- |
lieri DR.. Bradford, Of Mortified, and Hon Chas.
Dewey, Of Montpelier
Then came the report Of the Librarian, who re-
ported the additions to the library as follows
Whole number Of additions, four thousand seven
hundred and oighty-four. Otthesc, oighthundr
aud seventy are bound books one thousand four
hundred and sixty-nne pamphlets two thousand
one hundred and ninety-seyen manuscripts, in
Guiding the Eastman collection Among other
things donated to the society, was a magnificent
oil portrait Of the President Of the Society, Dr.
Lord This was the gift Of the artist, Mr.. r. W.
Wood Of New York city
In his report, the Librarian recommended APP
plying to the General Assembly for an appropria-
ton to complete catalogues Of the collection, and
To print sufficient number for circulation. The
report was adopted and recorded The report of
the Treasurer was then read and adopted, ON mo-
ton Of Mir Walton The Treasurer reported four
hundred aud eghty-seven dollars In the Treasury.
Hon T. r Walton nominated T. b. Campbell
Of Braiueboro, as - member Of the society and
he was voted H. DR. Getting nominated Colonel
J. &. Darling, Of Boston, Mass, as an honorary
member which nomination was confirmed.
The committee on elections reported but DR.
Lord declined reelection in a few very happy
remarks and nominated as hi- successor In Office
Hon J. p. Walton, Of Montpelier. Colonel Hop
Ains, Of Montpelier, declined an election to the
office Of Recording Secretary and the report was
recommitted to the hands Of the committee, who
reported the following President, Hon T. T. Wal
ton, Of Mon,pelIer Yico-presidents, Hon. James
Barrett Of Woodstock, L. l.. Butcher OF st. Al
bans aud Rev w. S Hazen Of Mortified Record
ing Secretary Charles W Porter Of Montpelier;
Corresponding Secretaries Hon. g. e.. Benedict Of
Burlington. o. s. Bliss Of Georgia; Treasurer
John W Page Of Montpelier; Librarian, NJ. -
Gilman Of Montpelier; Cumtors, Hon J. r.
| Cleayeland Of Brookfeld, Hon r. 5 Taft OF Bur
! lington. H. A Cutting, NJ D., OF lunenhurgh.
/ Hon Gilbert A Davis Of Reading, Rev " H.
| Lord, D. D.. and Hiram A. lluse, OF Montpelier.
/ Printing Committee, Ex-Governor llilaud Hall Of
bennington Hon T.. p. Walton, OF Montpelier,
and Rev DR. Lord, Of Montpelier ON motion Of
departing President WIS unanimously adopted.
J. W. Page, c. W Porter and W A. Lord were
admitted to the society
Gu taking the chair Hon L. p Walton, on be-
half OF r. W WOOD presented the portrait of Dr.
Lord, and after making a few extremely appro
pirate remarks, read the following letter from the
donor .-.
4 w mar Sd Nv utf
die favor Ga present The Vermont Historical Society %,
portrait II REV. WIN. Il Lord. u. H. which have paine,
: tory Of state. Very ,ruly Yours, u w. Woop,
A resolution giving vote Of thanks to MIR
Wood for his magnificent donation 10 the society
was unanimously adopted
ON motion Of Mr. Gilman, adjourned tl q
quarter to eight o'clock in the evening at Eeprescu
tatives Hall, to listen to the address Of Hon f.
A. Sowles, Of st. Adams on the est Alhan,
Raid
rvENNG srssloS
A large and intelligent audience gathered 10 Oh,
Hall Of the House Of Representatives last even
ing to listen to the annual address which wa
delivered by Hos EDWARD A. SowLEs, o
St Adams, a Senator from Franklin county
Mr. Sowles knowledge Of the secret histor
Of the affair is probably unequaled in the coun
try lie represented the St Adams banks a
Montreal during the trial Of the raiders hetor
the notorious Coursol, was their counsel befor
the Mixed Commission at Washington, and ha
collected evidence from every quarter ia regar
to the origin extent and design Of the conspiracy
As might be expected with these advantages Nj
Sowles paper contains complete account, no
only Of the raid itself, bnt Of It's preparation an
the exciting legal contests which followed it,
will undoubtedly be ultimately published in fal
under the authors supervision and until tina
shall have been done in justice to him, we forbea
u give more than the most striking points
THE DESCENT oN ST. ALBANs
ON the l9th Of october, 1864, while Sheridu
was pursuing the rebels in the Shenandoah Vale
and the Vermont soldiers were fighting the battl
of Cedar' Creek party Of more than twent
4 mounted Southern rebels from Canada. unde
J command of Lieutenant Bennett Young, 600
q possession Of st. Adams village They wore loo>
coats, under which were concealed many reyo
vers, and had hayersac,s thrown oyertheir shon
1 ders. They first made a simultaneous attack o
the three banks, the First National, the St. Al
bans, and the Franklin County The cashier
were intmidated with fear Of death, and from III
first, iiity-eght thousand dollars from the second
seyenty-three thousand five hundred and twenty
two dollars, and from the third about seyent
, thousand dollars were stolen They also set fir
to some Of the buildings with Greek fire but ID
flames were extinguished by the townsmen undc
I the leadership Of Captain George F. Conger; III
a citizens soon rallied and drove this doughty ban
q Of confederate braves from st Adams, wounde
some Of them and chased them over the lin,
Fourteen Of the raiders were captured the othe
! side Of the line, and about eighty-sx thousan
4 dollars Of the money or course the raid create
. great CONSERVATION in St Adams and throughou
Vermont, and ample precautions we're at one
taken by the state and general government
against successful repetition.
( THE CANADIAN JUSTICE
( The arrested raiders were taken 10 Montrea
and their extndition demanded by the Vernon
e authorities Lord Monck, the Governor General
5 placed the whole matter in the hands Of Charlie
= J, Coursol Police Justice Of Montreal, and the
e began the performance ofone of the greatest jud
I cal farces in history Coursol tried first to b
5 bribed by our side, and minated to Judge Asa {
+ Adds that he knew of a man who could secur
7 the extradtion Of the men for ten thousand do
lars but failing in that, he probably went over
the rebel side at least that is the only rcasonabl
G explanation of his acts The Canadian feeling a
d that time was strongly southern and Judg
5 Coursol was far ahead Of his countrymen In tia
respect The history Of the legal proceedings b,
G fore him are too wellknown TO need repetition.
having been claimed that the warrants were defe,
tive, Judge Courso decided, after what was equi,
alent to an erp drte hearing, that they were, an
r let the men go, before the other lawyers coul
D have new ones made After they were made
@ was with the greatest difficulty that any office
p could be found to make arrests and their recal
ture WAS soon followed by their release ON til
ground that they were belligerents. Mr. Sowle
discusses the claim with great ability, and show
I its absuTdity completely. And, besides, he show
. that the Canadian people aud authorities mu,
have known Of the intention Of the rebels for
, long time prior TO the raid, and vet nothing wa
4 done to stop them The St Adams raid won
c never have been thought of, but for the conyi,
ton that Canada was friendly to the south
y "cHEEKY" REBEL
r Some Of the raiders took high ground as 10 N
T. Legitimacy OF the transaction they were engage
in, and were terribly indignant when it was n,
serted that they were no better than ordinar
$ thieves and burglars. One of them Thomas |
n Collins, ON whose person nine thousand three hun
= dred dollars were found probably stolen frol
st Adams relieved his chivalrie mind in court wit
= such sublenity Of cheek that his speech is wort
a repetition: y" | ask the restoration OF the none
II taken from me and my discharge rs demanded b
the rules OF International law. The treaty undo
l. which my eNtadition is claimed applies To rol
II bers, murderers, thieves and forgers | al