The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-07-11

made on them for the ponder until the military
rushed upon them Saturday morning. Another
thing, our correspondent was informed by
prominent officials of the mine and also by the
| men that they saw almost nothing OF the sher-
| If or his deputies at Ely. They stayed in the
| hotel at West Fairlee-a very good hotel IL is
too-and conjured up before their excited i'm
| aginations gorgons and chim@ras dread at Ely,
| which nothing but armed troops could allay.
| In fact, Judging from all the information which
can be got, the sheriff and his deputies, Colo
| mel Farnham and other good people at West
Fairlee were in perfect panic all the week--a
wonderful contrast to the officials of the mine
at Ely who were as "cool as cucumbers" all
through the affair
THE TROOPS CALLED OUT.
At last Sheriff Parish-presumably with the
| aid of Colonel Farnham-got up statement of
| the condition of affairs, which he swore to- for
| the purpose of procuring the governor to call
out the troops. In this truly wonderful docu-
ment he declares that the rioters had created
an instruction beyond the power of the civil
authorities to control; that they threatened to
destroy not only the village of Vershire Ely
| but the adjoining village of West Fairlee; that
they had been in full possession of both places
| since Monday; that they were nearly all armed
| and had one hundred and fifty kegs of powder
| belonging to the company; that they threat
ened to destroy both villages, the bridges, etc.
| that there was no doubt that they would carry
| out their threats unless something was promptly
| done; that the civil authorities were wholly I'M
| able to cope with the rioters and that no ar
| rests had been made or attempted, as such
course would be sure to precipitate bloody
conflict. Really the only true statement is that
no arrests had been made, or attempted. That
was the absolute truth. Mr.. Parish had utterly
| failed TO do his duty, and he now made matters
| worse by imposing upon the governor with
misleading statement of affairs. He started
| for Shelburne on the train early Friday morn
| ing, armed not only with the sworn statement
| but also with letter from Colonel Farnham to
| the governor, which has not been furnished
| for publication; but which is said to be of even
| more dreadful contents than the statement. In
| fact, this letter Is reported to have had more
| effect on the governor than the sworn state
ment, the personal persuasions of the sheriff,
| and even the solicitations of the sheriff's
| friend, Mr.. S. B. Hebard of Chelsea who &C
| companied him from Burlington, and who,
| knowing nothing about the matter, added his
mite to the pressure which was brought to
| bear on the governor General Barstow con-
| suited with MIR. Phelps and Judge Wales and
was advised by them that case was made out
which required the calling out of the troops.
| But indeed no one can blame the governor
He was simply imposed upon, and could do no
less than he did, under the circumstances. The
| following companies were ordered out and
| were on their way to Ely Friday night: Com
pany A, Kingsley Guards of Rutland, thirty
eight men; Captain G. G. Kinsman, First Lieu
tenant B. w. Marshall, Second Lieutenant L.
A. Morse; Company b. Barlow Grays of St.
Adams, thirty men; Captain Fl. E. Perkins,
Lieutenant f. W. Bordo; Company of North
field, forty men; Captain E. Ii. Howes, Fist
| Lieutenant l.. A. Howes, Second Lieutenant
| 6. G. Bates; Company II of Montpelier, forty
| men; Lieutenant III. W. Kemp in command
| Second Lieutenant Fred |. Ptkin. Colonel W.
| L. Greenleaf commanded the forces, and with
| him we're surgeon o. w. Peck, Adjutant NJ
| d. Greene, Commissary 4. Z. Greeneaf
| Quartermaster William Smith, and commissary
| sergeant, Charles Ii. Fuller. Governor Barstow
| Adjutant- General Theodore 5. Peck, Quarter
master General Ii. K. Ide, Colonel U. A. Wood
| bury, Colonel w. Ii. Gilmore and Colonel +. 4.
| Fletcher of the governors staff also accom-
| panied the party. The men took days ra-
tions and tents. The train arrived at Ely sta
| ton on the Passumpsic road at about half-past
one Saturday morning, and after brief ad-
| dress by Col. Greenleaf, loaded their guns, got
into teams which were waiting for them and
| started for West Fairlee The hearts of the
| boys beat high, for they believed in the &C
| counts which had been sent out, and ride in
the dim gray of early morning through hos
tile country where the foe might be in ambus-
cade at any time was no laughing matter. At
about a half mile from the village of West
Fairee the men alighted from the wagons,
| formed into line and marched. IL was conf
IDENTIFY expected that the rebels would be ONT in
| force when they reached West Fairlee; but all
was still and no impediments were discovered
more noteworthy tnan an occasional stone in
the road. But at Ely there would be music
sure. The boys marched on resolute and
| intrepid, though there was not man, the gov
| ernor included, who did not expect that there
would be an engagement before many minutes
| Presently the denuded hill which overlooks the
| village, all the vegetation of which has been
killed by the fumes of the sulphur, came in
| sight. On, on, and still no enemy What did
it mean? Had the rascals run, or were they
concealed on some impregnable height? Into the
| village, along the street to the Catholic church
march the troops. There they halt and await
developments. Suddenly lew sleepy heads
pop out of the windows, and few "early
binds come out of the doors. In a few min
utes the whole village, men, women and chill
| dren turned out, and certainly gave the BOYS a
warm reception, but it was not welcome
with bloody hands to hospitabe graves" 1t
| was the reception which a half starved COM
munity gives to anyone who brings them good
vlctuals. The boys carried their own break
fasts and shared their rations with the miners
Our own company especially, the members of
which had taken two days rations instead of
| one, were enabled to spare a good supply of
provender, which comtorted many a hungry
stomach. This was a comedy; but the Brad
ford company short time previous had en-
| acted q farce.
THE GUNPowDER EPISODE
The deposit of the gunpowder on the hill has
| already been mentioned. This seemed to Parish
the citadel of the rebellion and point that
must be captured at all hazards The Brad
|
ing, came overland from that town during
the night and got to the seat of war sometime
before the rest of the army. They were put
under the command of Deputy Sheriff Scion
X. Berry of Thetford, and under his brilliant
leadership they marched up the hill. Divided
into two storming parties by Berry's general
ship, they swooped upon the powder-house and
discovered four youths sound asleep who de-
manded in plalntiye accents, upon being
awakened, What in heavens name was up
now" They gave up the powder cheerfully,
and finding the boys had some food, still more
cheerfully helped TO eat that Scion was i'm
mensely eated at his success, and in his ex-
element forgot to put any guard over the
powder and IL WAS left unprotected for some
time before any body thought about it. How
ever no harm was done, and it is now safe in
Bradford village.
END OF THE WAR"
The governor saw how things really were
very soon, and having been misled into doing
needless thing, he made the best of it by un-
doing it as soon as he could. All the boys bat
the Bradford company returned home immedi-
ately after breakfast. The Bradford company
STAYED there Sunday forenoon and then left At
the West Fairee hotel, after the march, Gov
erenor Barstow expressed his opinion of the
matter to Hon. Lyman G. Hinckley and Others
and said that he had found things in a much
different situation from what he had been led
ltW.r N..N