The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-02-01

York, Gov. Chitcnden refused to call out
tho militia of Vermont to join in the at.
tempt to repel the aggressive and defiant
British force. But, IN common with
many others, the young men of Cornwall,
when the alarm was given,spruDg at once,
like Israel Putnum of yorc, "to the res.
cue Led by such men as Gen. Sum.
mers Gale and Capt. Edmund y. Hill
they were among the FIRST from Addison
county TO cross the lake and place them
selves in front of the enemy. Gale served
as major of the volunteers under Gen.
Samuol'Strong, Of Nergcnnes; while Hill
commanded as captain Of the Cornwall
company, which consisted of sixty.seyen
men, besides himself Eight others served
in another company, making eighty.six il
all. But one was killed, James Wiley
who died from bullet wound in the neck
and breast OF all these brave men it i:
thought hut six are now living Danc
Sanford, who was orderly sergeant Of the
company, aud Hldoc b. Robbins, Orir
Field, and Jesse keclcr, privatcs, and
Benz amin Atwood ard Luther G. Bing.
ham, tcamsters
10 the late war Cornwall, out of d
/ population of less than one thousand, fur.
nishcd cighty.seven men to aid 10 sup
pressing the rebellion. Seventeen lost
their lives, costly sacrifice to the de-
fence of their imperiled country, and
'heir names are craven in granite upon O
costly and beautiful monument erected to
their memory by the town, upon q plot oi
ground selected for the purpose near the
Congregational church. More imperish
able than the granite will be the memory
Of their hcroism and valor upon the hard
fought fields Of war Nearly all who
served in this war served in the ranks
But two, so far as is recolectod, held
commissions Edwin S. Stowell, who
was captain in the Fifth Regiment and
majo and lieutenant. colonel in the Ninth
Regiment and DR.. Edward o. Porter
who was assistant surgeon in the Eleventh
Regiment.
The township is about six miles in
length and four miles in width 1t i:
travorsed from north to south by rocky
ledge for q considerable distance, from
the top Of which magnificent view oi
the Adirondacks on one side and the
Green Mountains on the other is obtained
The eastern and southern portions of the
town have for the mos. a gravelly and
slaty soil, admirably adapted to the
growth Of grain and vegetables, The
northwest part Of the town Is somewhat
clayey and is traversed by Lemon Fail
River, sluggish stream and on its rich
bottom lands are grown enormous crop:
of hay,
The onion crop has for some years
been the leading crop, from fifteen tc
twenty-five thousand bushol being grown
annually. These are shipped to all parts
Of New England, New York and Canada
and generally bring remunerativc prices
Hon. Henry Lane has been for somt
years the leading grower Of vegetables
and vegetable seeds in the town, frequent
ly raising two thousand bushels of onions
besides many hundred bushels of beets
carrots, and other roots and vegetables
He also grows large quantity Of choice
vegetable seeds which are annually sen,
to most of the states of the Union.
The breeding of fine wooled, thorough.
bred sheep has for nearly fifty years en-.
gagged the serious attention of me ny Of the
farmers of Cornwall Within the last
twenty years much larger number have
become interested in it, until probably DC
other section has so wide reputation fol
the excellence and purity of this kind ot
stock. Mossrs. Merrill and Alonzo L.
Bingham, many years ago, were among
the first to develop this enterprise in the
town. To such perfection havo the 1ocks
of the best breeders been brought that the
sheep breeders from every portion Of the
United States are constantly seeking pur.
chases from Cornwall Hocks at high prices
Hon. Rollln j. Jones for thirty years has
made the breeding of fine sheep a special.
ty and has brought his large flock up to
high standard. He has party of near.
ly fifty eve lambs, raised in 1875, which
many sheep breeders adjudgo to be the
choicest flock Of that number, raised in O
single year, ever seen in Vermont. Col
Edwin S. Stowel has for many years ex.
hibited a flock of rare merit to all who
called upon him, and has recently sold
twenty-six ewes for $1,000, which it is
said, will be exhibited at the Centennial
Exposition at Philadelphia. There are
many others who own choice focks Of
thoroughbred sheep, among whom are W
IL De Long, Charles d. Lane. S. S.
Gibbs, Henry Lane, Franklin Hooker, f
Ii. Dean, Rollin Rane, II, +. Dean, T.
S. Dana, NJ. b. Williamson, and others.
The breeding of fine sheep, if pursued
with judgment, has been, and is still very
remunerative.
ln the eastern part of the town, border.
ing on Otter Greek, is swamp which has
supplied immense quantities Of wood and
I timber, and which tho railroad has drawn
largely upon for wood and ties.
Though not largely a fruit growing
town, yet several gentlemen have had
great success in the raising of apples and
pears, among whom l.. l.. Wright, Henry
Lane and A. II. Sperry are prominent.
There is a public library called the
Lane Library" consisting of about one
thousand volumes kept at the residence
Of DR.. Il. o. Porter, librarian and with
the benefit of this, and the social. educa-
tiona and religious privileges attainahl
there seems no reason why the good peo.
pie OF Cornwall should not enjoy "life,
liberty, aud the pursuit of happiness"
b.
Where does 1t all come From ?