Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1890-01-16
REVIEWING HISTORY.

start toward " ncultHy HNitiy oW iilDou. nc Sc
cured u renewal of the charter, and calling the
together ON the fourth of February,
i76l, at the home of John Averill, he caused
to be made for permanent settle
ments on the broad and fertile plains. This was
the beginning of the real growth of the town.
Inducements were held out for settlers to join the
colony, and by the end of lI16 some 80 families
were located in this vicinity, and in iii, The year
after the town house was built this town was the
most populous in this part of the province, num-
bering some AIS residents.
IL Would be interesting and instructive to trace
the history of Westminster from decade to de-
cade up to the present day, hut that is impossible
in our hasty review tonight. We must make a
rapid journey along the way of years, stopping
only here and there to read upon the mile stones
the record of some especially significant event.
How pleasant it would be to drop in upon some
one or more of these so families who 1870 years
ago were rocking the cradles of the Westminster
to be. Some of them, suppose, were living in
log houses, some in plain frame houses. Wecan
picture to ourselves the family life as it was lived
in that ancient time. The open fireplace, the
deal table with the frugal evening meal; the
spinning wheel which is stored away in your at
tic to-day; the sturdy settler the thrifty wife, the
romping children, inside; and outside the stump
land and the unfelled forest where are now the
smooth fields and the rolling pastures.
But those were not days of peace. The smell
of powder was in the air. The difficulties which
had called Ethan Allen to the front, and stirred
up the hot blood of the settlers of Western Yer
the Connecticut valley. Westminster was made
the shire town of the county in HIP; an act
WHICH III tle course OF events maze ner tne arena
of some of the most exciting episodes in the his
tory of the state. Everybody knows about the
old court house which stood on the crest of Court
House Hill. Some of you perhaps have seen
that historic building; most of us can only boast
of having stood upon its site, coasted on the hill
in our childhood, and travelled over the road
which the tories took when the CLEAN Of their
bayonets revealed them to the rebelliOus garrison
In the county house. simple, substantial
structure it was; fOnr square, with pyramidal
roof, and made of hewn logs which were covered
II Nyplh ntk hons and
village Inn. One corner was devoted to culinary
purposes, and smother to bibulous purposes.
The hungry and the thirsty were thus provided
was most popular among the august judges and
the periwigged lawyers it is hard to say. If all
reports are true Pollard Whipple, who was both
rowdies at his bar than he could take care of in
his jail; and some of the judges it would seem
were more generous at his bar than they We're
just at their own. 'sThe court ROOM" says the
historian, "never was finished; but its walls,
gray and cobwebbed, and its beams and braces.
rough and bare, were in perfect keeping with the
too violent spirits who met within its precincts
in legal conflict, or assembled there to engage in
more important scenes"
Here was fought the memorable conflict which
has given to Westminster much of its historic
| interest. You recall the details of the contro-
versy, and its bloody climax. The old head
stone in the graveyard with its quaint epitaph,
| fingers have touched so many times with strange
| thrill of wonder and patriotism; the stone which
so many curious eyes have looked upon, and so
many pens have written about which survived
the century only to share the sad fate of the old
meeting house; this stone bore upon its face the
indignant summary of the events which gave to
Westminster the first martyr of the cause of
American liberty.
"Here William French his body lies,
For murder his blood for vengeance cries.
King George the third his tory crew,
They with bawl his head shot through.
For liberty and his country's good,
He lost his life, his dearest blood"
Looking through that ancient headstone a
strange wild scene falls upon vision. Excit-
ed men are gathering about the old court house.
The oppression of the British government is get
ting too heavy for them to bear. The court Off
GERS have taken advantages of their positions and
have been wringing from the settlers their hard
earned livelihood in the shape Of odious taxes.
The Wings, as the disan'ected ones were called
have decided to stand it no longer. 'The courts
shall not be held" they say. "The Tory judges
true men from Rockingham" visit Chief JUS Vice
Chandler in Chester and request him not to lt5Id
the court in Westminster on the l4th of Malsh
l775, the date appointed for the session. He far
TALLY yields to their demand, but says s"Theie is
one case OF murder to be tried That shall be the
only business DONE Objections mades TIC
holding any court. Tories and Wings get excited
and brush up their flint locks. The news flies
like wild fire. mob is anticipated The higf
sheriff sends to Bratteboro for men. Twenty
| five respond and start for Westminster armed
with clubs; four men with muskets join them on
! the way. The Wings of Rockingham bestir them
selves and start for the court house. They fall
in with Capt. Azariah Wright and going into the
log school house they consult rs to how they car
prevent the court from sitting. Having decided
upon plan they arm themselves from Capt
| Wrights woodpile, and gathering new recruits by
the way, they climb the hill and enter the court
house a hundred strong with the determination
Of stating their grievances and dissuading the
Judges from holding the court. The tories gel
their swords and pistols" and start for the court
house under the sheriff's lead to dispense the
woodIie rioters. "Disperse," shouted the sher
Nthi hale flNn TS.,,H III.
Then the pompous sheriff tries another weapon
He fires the kings proclamation at the garrisoned
mob and shouts depart within fifteen minutes
or we will blow a lane through YOU" The Wings
prefer to stay. There's kitchen and a barroom
in the court house. and they are quite comforta
BILE 'You can come in too they say to the tories
| bumpuous clerk of the court and a sta,Inct
friend of King George gets red in the face swears
and drawing his pistol says, 81 will hold no par
tongues follows in which Charles Davenport Of
Dummerston comes off champion. The torie,
cry out to the rebels, you will all be in hell be
your sheriff attempts to take this court house we
Will send him and all the rest of you to that plac,
In just fifteen minutes" Little progress is mad,
| on either side. Judge Chandler appears on til,
scene and tries to make peace. The wings leav,
the court house in the hands of guard and dis
perse for awhile The tories betake themselves
10 NOrton's tavern, so long afterwards known al
the Tory Tavern, ont the upper street. Here the,
brace up their courage over their punch bowl
ana make awful threats against the pugnaciou
rebels. with the liquor seething in their brains
they start about midnight for raid on the cour
mousse The guard there Is too wary for them
me doors are barred and guarded. The sheriff
demands entrance. No reply from within. Tn
sheriff goes up three steps. The guard push hin
back. Clubs are used, which make no more i'm
preston on the heads of the wings than the fall
ing brick did on Sambos. Fire" saws tn
sheriff. The guns go off. No harm done. Fire,
again and again. The guns are aimed lower;
rush Is made for the doors, "and' saws an ey
witness, 'thc assailants did most cruelty mammo
all who opposed them" The victory Is with tn
tories The guns and pistols are mightie
weapons than the sticks from Capt Azariah'
woodpile. Ten of the liberty men are wounded
two unto DEATH Seven are prisoners. TIL
brawling frolic until day dawn. Meanwhile til
unfortunate prisoners confined in the Jail pen o
the court house have to hear the drunken taunt
and vile abuse of their captors.
ON the following morning the judges open tn
court, but another storm is brewing. The whig
rally their forces The hills send down help t
the valleys. DIR. JONES' anticipating the spirito
Paul Revere, rides hatless to DummerstOn ri,
ing the alarm as he goes.
SIN arms and huts and hamlets rise,
From winding glen, from upland brown
They pour each hardy tenant down."
The noon sun looks down upon some four hur
dred liberty who with stern visage an
tense muscles march for the court house which
yet red with the blood of the murdered martyr
and reekng with the fumes of the tory debaucl
Col. Benjamin Bellows leads on the WalpoI
men, ana Capt. Azariah Wright heads the Wes
minister phalanX. The tories in the court hous
rub their rum daZed eyes and surrender. TIL
Undo ,ut info hp ioi nor frnyn ri,