The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-01

Nathaniel Brown Dodge, the writer of the
letter, was grandfather of my mother, and
of course great-grandfather to MYSELF so
my father and myself, publishers and edi-
tors of THE WATCHsiAN from 1910 to 1868,
were of Mr.. Dodges family. The descend
ants OF Mr.. Dodge are still numerous in YER
mont, while others are scattered through
various states. Mr.. Dodge died in Barre
about 1920, of which town he was an early
settler. Mr. Dodge informs his wife that
he had written letter " at father Robins"
IN Mashobah (Brandon), and names " brother
george Robbins " also. In the late Hon. A,
u. Dana's history of Brandon, George and
Aaron Robbins are described as young men
living with their widowed mother as house,
keeper. / infer that Mr.. Browns phrase,
" at father Robins, means at the home of
father Robbins, then occupied by the Widow
Robbins and her sons. In November, 1777,
these sons were killed in an attack upon
large body of Indians, and July 4, 1910,
their remains were transferred, with public
honors, to the village burying-ground 1t
must not be inferred that in running away
from the army at Chambly, George Robbins
and the others were technically deserters,
or even towards. These men were prob
ably volunteers in the service for no speci-
fed time; and certainly they were not cow
ards. Mr.. Dana describes the Robbins boys
as sharp-shooters, bold and resolute."
There were four young men in the house of
Widow Robbins, and three were eating,
anu btoTBe dCulHp as sentry al Jne door,
when the Indians approached; George at
tackled them and was shot down by the re-
turn volley. The other three rushed to the
attack, when Aaron Robbins was killed.
The Indians numbered between one and
two hundred, bound to assault the fort at
Pittsford, from which they were diverted by
the courage of the Robbins boys. This let
ter was written at Crown Point, and il
refers to Isle La Motto and Chamby, and in
1I!7 Mr.. Dodge was at Ticonderoga. The
reference to these places suggests to every
Vermonter topic for profitable reflections
on the Fourth of July. A large part of Yer
mont was embraced in what was called
New France, and was claimed by the king
of France, because of the discovery of the
lake and adjacent territory by Samuel
Champlain in 1909. To protect this terri
tory against the English, the French built a
series of forts, viz: Fort Anne, on Isle La
Motto, in 1865; Chambly, in I'll; Fort Fred
erick, at Crown Point, and appurtenances at
Chimney Point, in 1881; and Ticonderoga in
1908 AS the territory became defensible by
these forts, large grants of land were made
on both sides of Lake Champlain by the
king of France, of course accordant with
the French system of land tenure-ordship
in the few, serfdom for the mass of the
people, and the supremacy of the pope at
Rome in religion. Let us in our thoughts
contrast the condition of Nermonters to-day
with that of the habitants of Lower Canada
and get just appreciation of the civil and
religious liberty won for us by the wisdom
and patriotism of our fathers and the loving
and guiding care of their God and ours.
The literary defects in this letter were com
mon to most writers of that period. For
example, | refer to a letter of Governor
Thomas Chittenden, in Volume " of the
Governor and Council, page 442.