The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-09
THE RUTLAND GLOBE MONDAY MORNING JULY O. 1877

dence, fell suddenly upon the earth. The
lightnings began to CLEAN through the dark
and threatening masses OF clouds that had
enveloped the sky, and the long deep roll
of thunder was heard In every quarter Of the
heavens, giving warning of the severe and
protracted tempest, which soon burst
over them with fury that precluded all
thought of vonturing abroad. The pros
pect of being thus confined to the place for
some hours, If not for the whole day, tax
ing from the movers all inducements for
Immediate adjournment they now began to
take cooler view Of the subject and
soon by common consent the business on
hand was resumed. The reading of the
constitution was finished, and while the
storm was still bowling around them, and
the thunders breaking over their heads,
| that instrument was adopted and became
| the supreme law of the land, and the con-
| stitution OF Vermont in its main features
as 1t now stands was adopted, which event
is to be appropriately celebrated at Wind
sor, tomorrow and on Monday. Let me
now direct your attention 10 the incidents
and events which make this day memoir
able.
Mr.. Clark at this point read letter from
Gen. st. Clair, at Col. Mead's, on
the Otter creek (now Center Rutland),
dated July 7th, l777, addressed to the
president Of the Windsor convention, Civ
ing information of the engagement at Hub
bardton and q plan of his future move
ments.
About half mile east of Castleton viii
lage on the northwest corner of the east
| and west road and the Hubbardton road,
stood the house of George Foote, where re-
ligious worship was held on the Sabbath.
Upon the corner opposite was school
house. A mile and a half north of this, on
the Hubbardton road, lived Capt. John
Hall. Still further north, on what is
known as the Ransom farm, was building
Apr. piiated to recruits. On the Sabbath,
July 6, while the people were gathered for
religious worship, the alarm 10 given that
the enemy is approaching. At the same
time the recruits come flying down the road
ard take shelter in the school house and in
the house of Mr.. Foote. Women and
children take shelter in the cellar.
There is brisk firing from both sides
for a considerable time, but the cas-
ualties are few, the one party covered
by the buildings, the other by the trees of
the forest. There is a closer conflict. Capt.
Williams, a volunteer from Guilford, Vt +,
is wounded in the groin, but will not yield;
and, in hand to hand fight, deals heavy
blow upon British lieutenant. He is
then bayonetted through the body, and ex-
pires in few moments. Capt. John Hall
receives shot In the leg, and as he lies
profusely bleeding, calls for water. AS his
wife is bringing 1t TO him, a tory named
Jones, kicks the dish from her hands.
Capt. Hall died of his wounds not long
after. One of the British infantry was
MORALLY wounded and another shot through
the body; but recovered through the kind
attention of Mrs. Hall-rendeIing good
for evil. One of Capt. Williams sons was
wounded in the heel, in the early part
of the engagement, and fled to
the woods. He finally reached Rutland
in a furnishing condition. Two sons of
Capt. Hall, Elias and Alpheus, George
Foot and others, were taken prisoners and
carried to Ticonderoga, but made their
escape after few weeks. The body of
Capt. Williams, wrapped in blanket,
without a coffin, was rudely buried at the
foot of tree near by. Forty-four years
after his remains wore disinterred and the
bones carefully gathered and laid together
in exact order by Luther Deming-a man
perfectly blind-and reburied in the village
graveyard with appropriate ceremonies.
Capt. Williams had been at I'll. during the
French war. and was anxious to go there
again.
After this most unequal conflict, in
, which the British torres and Indians
outnumbered nearly ten TO one, the
: victorious party returned to Hubbardton,
rillDg houses and gathering plumber or
their way. II was on. this same day that
Gen. st. Clair evacuated Ticonderoga, and
marched his forces to Castleton. His route
e was by the old military road to Hubbard.
r ton, thence south by the Hubbardton road
r The van of st. Clairs army encamped thai
/, night Fear the place where Williams and
r | Hall had Just falleh One division Of the
n army under Col. Bellows encamped about
b two miles south of Hnbbardton. The resi-
: of the army, with Gals. Warner, Francis
: and Hall, encamped It Hubbardton. The
/ The foraging party engaged in the skirmisi
e at Castleton came lear falling into the
It hands of St. Clair's amy, on their return
C but meeting some o. his soldiers who
/ were strsying in ADVANCE, they learned
l. of the approach o. the army, and
o taking these prisoners they turned into th,
1t woods, and so ESCAPED. They encampeC
n that night within SHIRT distance of Col
e Warmers command-so near, says Mr.
l. Hall, one of the prisoners, that the nois,
II of the battle was distinctly heard, anl
|
Il combatants and what TIE result The sam,
l. party commanded by C,pt Sherwood, tool
lr several more prisonersin Hubbardton, al
of whom they carried b Ticonderoga.
10 There is a questionvho was the com
mauder of this foraang party. Lieut.
ir Hall, a prisoner with tn party, says ii wa
commanded by Capt. Nser. ThompsonI
in history says the same. Other authorities
Is say that Capt. Fraser vas certainly on th,
n west side of the lake, few days before
E leading The attack on thu American lines.
III Besides, Capt. Sherwood 10 said to hav,
a. been the commander of the foraging party
D. in Hubbardton which vas probably tn,
ID same as that at Castleton.
10 A single incident ma. here be stated
&c Sometime in 1928, Rev. Jseph Steele, pas
n, tor of the Congregational lhurch at Castle
to ton, met an aged man in Hngsboro, N. Y.
E. worthy deacon In the Congregations
IA church, who was in the battle, and who
g. gave him the following PARTICULARS. HI
ID stated that his mess we're jet making theil
I'd breakfast, when they wee saluted by q
d. volley of musketry. Thashe enemy came
Of up over a rise Of ground n the west, anc
I'd rushed down upon their enampment. The
ID Americans were soon fornd, and the bat
Id tie ragged fiercely. Compiled to retreat
~ they fled eastward down trough the val
L. ley and then up steep hill hating coca
ID sionally ald firing upon ielr pursuers-
g, 4 and that passing over the hi or mountain
g, they made their way to Ruand "Wher
a climbing the hill, he sded; "My
ns coat collar was cut ava by a mus
IL ket ball" He had not vistd the place
90 since, but his description the ground
n was perfect. After this bale, St. Clail
sr- proceeded to Fort Edward ad Joined Gen
al Schuyler. The British force advanced to