The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-30
mont In General Convention, the 7th day
of June Ammo 1777.
BY order,
JOSEPH BowKRR, President.

by order,
JOSEPH BowKKR, President.
JONAS FAT, Secretary.
To what extent, or in what manner, this
fret Fast Day was observed, neither his
tory or tradition inform us. While there
may have been general abstinence "from
secular labor and recreation" the rel-
gous observances Of the day must have
been slight, as there were then but few re-
ligiouS organizations in the state. Rutland
alone Of the towns in this county had
"cburch"-and, In view of the fact that so
much has recently been said about the
wickedness of Rutland at an early day, 1t
may not be out of place to remark that
Joseph Bowker, who, as president of the
convention, issued this proclamation, lived
In the ciiloge of Rutland and was member
of the Congregational church. In addition
to Rutland, religious societies had only
been organized 10 Arlington, Bennington,
Pownal, SALISBURY, Newbury, Westmins-
ter, Guilford, Windsor, Norwich, Brattle-
boro, Rockingham, Thetford, Newfane,
Putney, Marlborough, and the Rev. Aaron
Hutchinson's church in the three towns of
Pomfret, Woodstock and Hartford.
After the fast, the gloom for time
seemed to deepen. Ticondercga succumed,
and Burgoyne, marching through Vermont,
was believed to be invincible. Schuyler
wrote: can event 30 alarming has not yet
Z" happened since the contest begun" And,
even, Washington seemed to loose heart,
and wrote: LAS matters are going on, Gen.
I" eral Burgoyne will End little difficulty in
penetrating to Albany" New England
troops deserted st. Clair-who was at Rut-
land, July 7, l777-and denounced him
and Schuyler as " treacherous, incapable,
I" and imbecile." Burgoyne's army ravaged
Rutland county; Csstleton, Fort Edward
and Fort George were garrisoned; scouts
ranged the valley of the Otter creek; de-
tachments were sent to besiege Fort STAN
wix, and to overrun the "debatable ground
between New York and Massachusetts,; al.
most every wing house in Vermont, north
Of Manchester, was deserted east of the
mountain the people crossed over into
New Hampshire, while from the south part
of the state they focked into Massachu-
sets, the residents of Stockbridge com.
planning: "We are greatly burdened with
"people who have fed from the New
Hampshire Grants" All was confusion
and dsmay, and it seemed, indeed, as II
the God of battles had deserted our fathers.
"God moves in a mysterious way His
wonders to perform" and we are not
permitted to know in what way He works
but we do know that He interposed in
our behalf, and may we not believe that il
was in answer to Fast day prayers The
constitutional convention was in session,
July 8, when intelligence Of the evacuation
of Ticonderosa and of Burgoyne's inva.
sion of Vermont were received. The
greatest alarm and anxiety were occasioned
and, as the families Of many members Of
the onvention-including that of its presi.
dent, Joseph Bowker of Rdtland-were
within the enemy's line of march, they
made ready to ''leave the business unfinish.
"ed, and fly to the defense of their
homes" But God interposed. A 'fu-
"rious thunder Storm" as the chronicler
has it, came up compelling them to remain,
and the business of the convention was
concluded.
Burgoyne soon found, as he said, the in.
habitants of the New Hampshire Grants,
the most active and rebellious race on
I" the continent" hanging ''like gathering
storm on his left" These were the instru
mentalites that God raised up, perhaps in
answer to Fast day prayers, and with them
BE interposed at Bennington, August
16. We all know the result of that con-
Act-the DISASTROUS defeat of Baum, the
capture ofihe Hessians, and what followed
how hope revived; how the enemy wal
dismayed how the tide of battle wal
turned back, and the surrender of Bur
goyne at Saratoga; how Clinton said
".Since the affair at Bennington not az
Indian has been heard of, scalping hal
ceased !" how Washington wrote, "On,
hoie suSh stiOAe, anu VIC nave NO Brcd
cause for anxiety as to the future de
signs of Britain :" and how that one
more stroke was obtained and America wa,
free. Let us hope that as Visible results
may follow the pbservances of the presen
Fast day, and THAT peace, plenty, pros
"perity, intelligence and sound morality
may be established and abound contin
ually.