The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-10
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ance to three Nations; The
French, the British and to Amer
ica--.A FinelH elHistorical Descrip-
ton OF Champlain Lake and
Valley, and the Centuries of
Wars Fought There
We are quite sure that too few Of our read
ers, interested in the early and entire history
Of Vermont, are as wen acquainted with the
VALLEY of the Cbamplain, and the Important
pOsition it has occupied as theater Of war
for several centuries as they should be. Thev.
as we'll as all others, will find the following
article of much interest. It is an extract
from an able and exhaustive address, deliy-
cred by Hon. Lucius Z. Chittenden, one of
the Chittenden's of Vermont, before the
Vermont Historical Society," Ynd repeated
before the Legislature of Vermont in 1872.
Our extracts are not as lengthy as we wish
we could make them, but We viii soon again
add to the paragraphs that we copy.
T1ooNDERoGA-The lock to the Gate of the
Country. 1t bars the entrance 70 tae natu-
| raj highway of Champlain, over when fol
generations swept the bloody tide. OF unre-
| lenting war-a war go ancient = at, when
the white man tiEst cane an y tsne5 e iSs2a
| no continuous that its reluent wave rarely
ceased its flow. until one hundred aud hfty
years later, the great families who waged 1t
had vanished from the earth, and peace
spread her silvery wings over o new nation,
celebrating its victory around the first altar
of freedom erected on American shores.
Nature chooses all the theaters upon which
| the nations settle their controversies by the
arbitrament of battle. They are few In
number and limited in area The plains OF
Greece, Northern Italy, the shores of the
Rhine, the valleys of lower Virginia !-hOw
many battle-felds they have witnessed,
what countless multitudes of warriors they
have entOmbedl But not one of them has
been the scene of war 80 prolonged, contin-
nous, savage and cruel as that which ended
with the Peace of Paris, which for centuries
before had ragged in the valley of Lake
Champlain.
Its commencement was prehistoric. When.
in 1909, the French exDlorer first undertook
TO penetrate this wilderness, the Indians OF
Canada told him it was the home Of their
hereditary enemies Champlain gives us
one glance at their fierce encounters, and the
curtain fnlls for almost fifty years; though
behind its folds We may still hear the war
cry of the savage and the shrek of bis tor
tured Prisoner. ihen 1ollows another CEN
cleaned from the relations of the Jesuit
Fathers, whose history in New France IS a
marvel Of missionary self.sacrlfce and de-
V0tion. Finally, the contest becomes known
as the French and Indian war, and thence
forth we have its written history.
The frontier which separated these two
great aboriginal families was nearly cOinci-
dent with that between the United States
and Canada. The valleys Of the st. Law
renee and the Ottawa comprised numerous
tribes OF brave, muscular, athletic warriors,
who, for want Of O better term, may be
oallad Aloopkina EarthaP west extending
to the great lakes, lived the powerful HUI
POns, their friends and allies. Their enc
mics were the lrOquOis, whose hunting
grounds extended from the western slope
of the Green Mountains to the southern
shore of Lake Ontario. Their principal viii
lagos were IN Central New York, in a line ex-
tended west from the south end Of Lake
George. History gives no account OF na-
tive race. SURPRISING the lrOquols IN all the
qualities which constitute the savage ideal
Of physical perfection. They were tall and
Greet in stature. their limbs were as active
and strong as those of the trained athlete.
Ii was their chief pride, next to skill and
courage in battle, that they were insensible
to pain, fatigue and hunger. The business
of their lives was war against their, north
ern enemies. To this they were educated
labOrs tended to their physical development:
In their education nothing was omitted
which could make them cruel proud and
brave, superior tOphysical hardship insensi-
BILE 10 tOrtures snch as could only be devised
sos eg ssysge pasE lassanltSy s aaey
the west they conquered and apnlhllated the
Erie nation. aud swept over Western Penn
svlyania to the mountains of Virginia. On
the north, they maintained uneOnquered
war of two hundred years. On the east,
their DeIghbOrs sought safety IN peace. NO
cOnfederaey OF Dgtiye tribes, equally power
full. ever existed between tine Atlantic ana
the Mississippi.
As in all wars, the fortunes 1f this SAN
culinary contest were variable IN the early
part of the seventeenth century victory ap- l.
pears to have been with the northern tribes,
for they forced the IroquOis back from the
outlet Of Lake Cbamglain Z, the head va
IToquOis villages were never agaip adYRnced.
The Champlaln valley was left broad iron,
tier, over which invading parties passed, ana
upon which they met in fierce encounter. In
the absense of Indian towns 1t became
nursery for game, through which the laTEer
animals rOamed in countless numbers. The
reason is thus apparent why 30 few remains
OF Indian towns are found in Western Yer
mont, and why the evidences Of abOriRlnal
occupation indicate routes or war paths IN
stead Of local stations.
IF. Champlain made two visits 10 this valley,
upon tach occasion in company with o wal
party. Arrived in Quebec In 1909, he made
an engagement with the AlgOnkins. that
they should assist his discoveries in the |
country Of the IrOquois, ii he would assist
them in their war against that fierce peo- |
pie who spared nothing that belonged to
them" In the sineularly minute and truth |
full relation Of his first expedition, he records
the hrSt meeting in this region between the
opposing forces of barbarism and ciVlllza- |
tiOn. 1t occurred on the northern extremity |
of Crown Point, on the 10Th Of July, two |
hundred and sixty-thfaa yeaIs ago. Q6O9l |
"a narffao lor fha hnffla HpTpn-- L
it's fortunes wavering, when 1t was decided |
bv the arquebuss of Champlain-the tirst
report of fire-aFm which awOke the echoes |
of that valley. Before It two Indian chiefs
fell dead, third mortally wounded. From
ths presence Of po~ to them slIpernIatu, slIpIId
number of prisoners in the hands OF Cham |
plains party. A new force had been intro |
duced into their warfare. which in the END |
was to destroy both opposing parties. Ihat |
night, on the Vermont shore q few miles
north Of the Sattle-grOpnd, they saSTiliceSS Sua
American Indiana ever conceived.
The final contest between the two great
powers of Europe, for the control OF the
ChamplAiu valley, beeRIne energetic In the
year 1855. The English and the colonists
had learned by bloody expeFlepee that
there could be- no peace here until the French |
were driven from Grown Point and Tic0n- |
deroga. which they held with great tenacity |
as the initial stations Of their barbarous in
eureiong Gen. William Jobnpon, IN tins
year undertook their capture, with on army |
Of thiFty-fivs hundred New England militia. |
Tue attempt was fruitless, though the fight |
lug qualities Of the cOlonists secured enough |
successes Of the British arms, near Lake
George to make their commander baronet. |
Had he exhibited capacity 70 command, the |
French might have been swept from this
quarter In single campaign, IT was his
fault that for many years these forests
were never free from secret dangers, and
wakeful savage, for the adornment OF his
wigWam,1
The Frenah made active preparation for
defense. They called 10 this frontier the en-
tire available force Of the District of Mon |
treal By the. end Of August, when John
sons army had reached Lake George, Dies, |