Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-17

The Vvestminster Massacre.
By the month of March, 1775, warlike
attack upon the people by the kings
troops, which had been collected in force
at Boston, was almost daily expecIed, and
preparations for resistance were extensive
ly made, especially in the New England
colonies. The business of the inhabitants
had become much interrupted, and the
courts Of justice which had been held un-
der the royal authority were, in general,
either shut up or had adjourned without
doing any business. A term of the county
court, for Cumberland county, was TO be
held by appointment at Westminster on
the 18th of that month. The conduct OF
this court had long been complained of as
unjust and oppressive, and the judges and
other county officers were either known TO
be advocates of the kings measures, or
strongly suspected of being secretly favor
able to them. Under these circumstances
the wings of the county, to use their own
language, felt it TO be "their duty to God,
to themselves and posteriy, TO oppose all
authority that would not accede TO the
resolves of tho Continental Congress-" and
especially TO prevent the exercise of such
authority over themselves, by the holding
of term OF such obnoxious court. All
efforts TO persuade the judges not TO hold
session of the court proved unavailing, and
the people, TO the number of eighty or
ninety, assembled at the court house late in
the afternoon of the 18th of March, the day
previous to the Intended session, with the
determination to hold possession of 1t until
the hour of opening the court the next
morning. Sheriff Patterson, apprehensive
OF an attempt to stop the court, had indus
triously collected a body of men, large
portion of whom "were armed with guns,
swords, and PISTOLS" while those in the
house had only slaves and clubs. Towards
night the sheriff with his posse appeared
in front OF the court house, and command
ed those within to disperse, which demand
not being complied With, he caused the
kings proclamation against riots TO he read,
and threatened, with an oath, that "if they
did not comply with his demand in fifteen
minutes he would blow hole through
them." The sheriff with his party then re-
| tired, and not appearing again at the APP
pointed time, some negotiations were en-
tered into with Que of the judges, by which
those in the house were led TO believe that
| they would be suffered to occupy it peace
fully until morning, when the negotiation
would he renewed. Under this impress
sion a large portion of the party left the
house and took lodgings in the village,
leaving the residue TO keep guard. But a
| little before midnight the sheriff with his
posse again appeared in front of the house,
and demanded entrance, which being re-
fused, be commanded his men to fire, and
the order being obeyed, and the doorway
| thereby cleared, the assailants rushed into
the house where, after a short hand to hand
contest, during which several more shots
were fired, the sheri17s party obtained 9
complete victory. Some of the wings had
escaped from the house by a side passage
but ten were wounded, two OF them NOR
tally, and seven taken prisoners, who were
all thrust into the Jail. After a night oil
revelry by the sheriff and his party, the
court was opened at the appointed hour
but no business was transacted. The new
OF this rash aud bloody attack upon the
people spread with great rapidly in all d.
rections, aid by noon of the nth, severa
hundred men, variously armed, and burn
ing with indignation at the court party, had
collected together at Westminster. Thu
prisoners were at once liberated, and thei
places in the Jail were occupied by ih,
judges and officers OF the court as fast Al
they could be found. william French, on,
of the wounded, having died, an inques
| hold nm hig hn1u anH unrliaf n
murder found against the sheriff and sew
eral of his assistants. By the morning o
Thursday the 10th, says contemporary
account, five hundred good martial sol
der, we'll equipped for war;" were assem-
bled. Among them were forty or more o
the Green Mountain Boys from the ives
side of the mountain, under Robert Coch
ran, and a considerable number from tn
neighboring provinces of New Hampshir
aud Massachusetts. A committee of thos
assembled was appointed TO pass upon tn
fate of the prisoners, who, after much de
liberation, decided that Noah Sabin, au,
Benjamin Butterfield, two of the judges
Samuel Gale, the clerk, William Patterson
the high sheriff, Benjamin Gorton, depu
ty sheriff. and four others, should be taker
to Northampton, and there held in Jail fol
trial, and that the others should be release,
on giving bonds 10 appear and take thei
trials at such time as should be appointed
These nine persons, in pursuance of thi
decision, were escorted to Northampton
Jail under guard of twenty-five men
commanded by Capt. Cochran, and an equa
numb err of men from New Hampshire un
der Capt. Butterfield of that province. Th
persons thus imprisoned were removed q
the expiration OF a few weeks by a writ c
habeas corpus, issued by CHER Jnstic
Horsemanden, to the city of New York
oslensibly for trial but they were neve
prosecuted. This assault of the court o
Tory party on the people has always bee
designated as the Westminster Massacre
bennington Daily Banner.
The breaking up of the constellation {