Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-05-09

committee TO receive the Salts and procure
the articles above mentioned"
The Continental Congress, on the Goth Of
October, adopted provisions for 'non-im-
portation, non consumption and non-e1pOr-
tation association, " one article Of which re-
commended that committee be chosen in ev
cry county city and town, "sttentivelv to OBJ
serve the conduct of all persons in regard to
those measures" AtRtown meetingi in Dunn
merston on January 3, 1775, a Commit
tee of inspection" Of seven, headed by DIR.
Harvey, was chosen to observe the Con
duct Of the inhabitants agreeable to an Or
der or recommendation of the Right Hon
orable Continental Congress" No other
town hereabouts followed this recommenda
tion. This committee took away from one
man his gun, because he was more friendly
TO the king than TO congress declared an
other unfit for Office for the same reason,
and prevented his acting until, by his con
duct, he showed proper spirit. On the 3d
of February the town "3dly Voted that the
Courts of Common pleas be put by for
time" This was the Inferior Court of Com
Peace, to be holden under the authority Of
the province Of New York on the i4th Of
March, at Westminster William French,
''son to Mr.. Nathaniel French, was shot in
a struggle for the possession Of the court.
house between those opposed to holding the
court, who were inside, and the court Off
GERS and party trying to drive them out, on
the evening before.
He died in the Jail where he was put by the
assailants, weltering in his blood, without
attendance, before morning. DP8iel Hoggh-
ton, son Of Cyrus noughJOn Of Dummers
ton, was wounded in the same affray and
died after nine days The patriots were
greatly reused by this occurrence. DR..
Harvey, who was there, in his haste rode
without his hat, in the night, TO Dummers-
ton for assistance. They came from all
quarters, and on the next day but one, Rob
ert Cochran came with forty Green Mountain
boys, across the mountain by way of Brat
tleboro to Westminster About 300 armed
men gathered there, took the court officers
and leaders Of the court party prisoners
and sent them 10 jail at Northampton, and
buried French with military honors, firing
three volleys over his grave At town
meeting in Dummerston April @, of which
Lieut.. Leonard Spaulding was chosen mod
orator, it was "Voted 2dly To send Solo
mon Harvey, Ebenezer Haven, Cornelius
Jones aud William Negus to Westminster,
there TO meet other Committees, to consult
on the best methods for dealing With the
unprovoked murthers Of William French
and Daniel Houghton.n No court sat in
Cumberland county again till the Superior
Court of Vermont sat in May, 1873, at West
minister. aud those engaged were never
tried.
In the summer of 1913 great efforts were
made to organize the militia of the cotntry
in view of the gathering troubles. Two reg
iments were planned in Cumberland county,
the upper and lower. In June the congress
Of that county at Westminster nominated
James Rogers of Kent, now Londonderry,
for colonel, Eleazer Patterson of Hinsdale,
now Vernon, for lieutenant colonel and
Abiiah Loveioy of Westminster for major,
of the lower regiment to be commissioned
by the provincial congress Of New York
In September part of the county congress
met and made another nomination of other
men for these officers, and about the first of
December another part of the congress
made another nomination of still other
men. The latter nominations were sus
pected. DR.. Paul Spooner of Hartland
and William Williams of Draper, now viii
mington, were the delegates for Cumber-
land county in the provincial congress-
The men of Dummerston prepared and
sent this letter
"FULHAM, Dec. 13, 1775 Honoured Sir
We the inhabitants of Fulham beg leave TO
inform you that the late choice of Field of
ficers we esteem such an infringement on
the rights Of the people and not being the
vote of the body Of the people, nor yet the
vote of the Committee as a body, and sew
eTal of the meu being much suspected of
being unfriendly to the liberties of Ameri-
ca and in particular John Norton, who is
universally known to be in opposition TO the
plan Of liberty. Sir we think the precedent
is bad in having men chosen by individuals
and much more to have men to lead us TO
pected. We therefore in duty to our
country, ourselves and posterity do hum
bly, pray that those men in nomination
may not be in nomination and may not
be recommended for commissions till the
sense of the body of the County be known
For why should nine or ten men presume
to personate the body without any instruc-
tions from the body of the people Of this
County. Sir we pray that you would not
carry the choice which we esteem so illegal
to New York as we have II value for your
honour. Sir we must be plain in our rela-
tion to you aud tell you that unless the in
consistent and impolitick proceedings of
the last County Convention can be looked
into and redress had for the many infringe.
ments which we have received from them
we must send our protest by way of re-
mOnstrance to New York to the Provincial
Congress. Sir we are unwilling to enter
on this but for our future safety must do it
and hope that you by our timely interposi
tion will prevent so unhappy task. Sir
we look upon the whole nomination as lille.
gal and we must enter our protest against
the whole for there was but nine out Of
twenty. two and seven of that body were
in nomination Sir trusting in your good
ness we hope you will give true repre-
sentation 10 our brethren the honorable
Provincial Congress at New York Sir we
remain your most sincere and true friends
the true Sons of Liberty"
This letter was signed by fitysix
and among them were Jonathan Knight,
Joseph Covey, Elijah Town, jr. John But
ler, Samuel LAwton, James Nichols Elias
Wilder, Ebenezer Haven, Israel Hooker,
Benjamin Jones. Samuel Smith, Daniel
Sergeant, jr,, Samuel Knight, jr., Samuel
Wilder, John Hooker, Richard Kelly, Ben
jamin Jones, jr,, Rufus Sergeant, Leonard
Spaulding, Ezra Robinson, Parmenas Tenn
pie, Aaron Jones, Joseph Temple, jr., Ben
jamin Putnam, Andrew Graham, Elijah
Town, James Hanley, John Wilder, Arad
Holton, Samuel Temple, Ashbel johnson,
Abel Holton, Daniel Gates, William Boy
den, Thomas HOlton, John Miller, and Eb-
enezer Brooks, who were not inhabitants
April II, l77l. 1t was addressed "To Mr.,
Paul Spooner TO he communicated to the
honourable Provincial Congress sitting at
the City of New York" A similar letter,
space for whose names is not here taken, and
one from Westminster, the names TO which
are illegible, we're also sent. This matter
came up in the provincial congress, Janu-
airy B. 1910. These letters were considered
and new nomination was directed vii
liam Williams of Draper was made colonel;
Benjamin Carpenter of Guilford lieuten-
ant colonel; Oliver Lowell of Rockingham,
first major Abiiah Lovejoy of Westmin-