The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-05-15

UVPV0VVE
court, who were inside, and the court
officers 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.
Daniel Houghton, son of Cyrus Hough-
ton of Dummerston, was wounded in the
same affray and died after nine days.
The patriots were greatly reused by this
occurrence. DIR. Harvey, who was there,
in his haste rode without his hat, in the
night, to Dummerston for assistance.
They came from all quarters, and on the
next day but one, Robert Cochran came
with forty Green Mountain boys, across
the mountain by way of BrattlebOro to
Westminster. About 800 armed men
gathered there, took the court officers
and leaders of the court party prisoners
and sent them to Jail at Northampton,
and buried French with military honors,
firing three volleys over his grave. At
town meeting in Dummerston April q, OF
which Lieut.. Leonard Spaulding was
chosen moderator, it was Voted 2dly.
To send Solomon Harvey, Ebenezer
Haven, Cornelius Jones and William Ne
gus 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." No court sat in Cumber-
land County again till the Superior
Court of Vermont sat in May, 1710, at
Westminster, and those engaged were
never tried.
In the summer of 1775 great efforts
were made to organize the militia of the
country in view of the gathering troubles.
Two regiments were planned in Cumber-
land 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 Yer
non, for lieutenant colonel, and Abijah
LOvejoy of Westminster for major, of
| the lower regiment to be commissioned
by the provincial Congress of New York.
In September part of the county Con
gress met and made another nomination
of men for these Offices, and about the
first of December another part of the
Congress made another nomination of
still other men. The latter nominations
were suspected. DIR. Paul Spooner of
Hartland and William Williams of
Draper, now Wilmington, were the dele
gates for Cumberland County in the pro-
vincial Congress. The men of Dummer-
ston prepared and sent this letter:
"FULHAM, Dec. 10, 1775. Honoured
Strive the inhabitants of Fulham beg
leave to inform you that the late choice
of Field officers we esteem such an in
fringement 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 body, and several of the men being
much suspected of being unfriendly to
the liberties of America and in particu-
lar John Norton, who is universally
known to be in opposition to the plan of
liberty. Sir we think the precedent is
hbad in having men chosen by individuals;
and much more to have men to lead us
to the place of action whose goodness is
suspected. 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 instructions 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
value for your honour. Sir we must be
| pltlll III OuI IClsitlOH W lOu anu bcll ypu
that unless the inconsistent and impoli-
tick proceedings of the last County Con-
vention can be looked into and redress had
for the many infringements which We
have received from them we must send
our protest by way of remonstrance to
| New York to the Provincial Congress.
Sir we are unwilling to enter on this but
for our future safety must do it; and we
hope that you by our timely interpositiOn
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-five and seven of that body were
in nomination. Sir trusting in your
goodness we hope You will give true
representation to our brethren the hon
orable Provincial Congress at New York
Sir we remain your most sincere and true
friends the true Sons of Liberty
This letter was signed by tifty-six, and
among them were Jonathan Knight,
Joseph Covey, Elijah Town, jr., John
Butler, Samuel Lawton, James Nichols,
Elias Wilder, Ebepezer Haven, Israel
Hooker, Benjamin Jones, Samuel Smith,
Daniel Sergeant, jL, Samuel Knight,
jr., Samuel Wilder, John Hooker,
Richard Kelly, Benjamin Jones,
jr., Rufus Sergeant, Leonard
Spaulding, Ezra Robinson, Parmenas
Temple; Aaron Jones, Joseph Temple
ir., Benjamin Putnam, Andrew Graham
Elijah Town, James HRnley, John Wild
er, Arad Holton, Samuel Temple Ash
bel johnson, Abel Holton, Daniel Gates
/ william Boyden, Thomas Holton, JOIN
Miller and Ebenezer Brooks, who wer'
not inhabitants April lJth, III. 1t wa'
addressed "To Mr.. Paul Spooner to b'
communicated to the hOnourable Pro
vincial Congress sitting at the City o
New York" A similar letter. signed b,
, thirty-one of the men of Putney, spac
for whose names are not here taken, ant
, one from Westminster, the names t
} which are illegible, were also sent. Thi
matter came up in the provincial con
: gress, January 3rd, 1776. These letter
= were considered and q new nominatio
: was directed William Williams Q
4 Draper was made colonel; Benjami
e Carpenter of Guilford, lieutenant cole
g major; Abijah Lovejoy of Westminster
s second major; Samuel MinOtt, jr., {
# BrattleborO, adjutant, and SamuC
d Fletcher of Townshend, quartermastel
e OF the patriotism of these officers II
IS question was made.
/. The shot "heard round the world,
;. the first of the Revolution, was fire
" April 10Th, 1775, at Lexington. I'll
% blood of French and Houghton, shed |
Is Westminster, has been commonl
20 thought to have been the first; utpro
z ably that which flowed from the bay
A. net thrusts February 26th, 1775, was a
W tually the first. The destruction of Il
ii tea in Boston harbor took place Decor
,e Der 18th, 1774, which is sometimes give
IF as the earliest resistance to British a
m thority. But Lieut.. Spaulding was 7
leased from Westminster Jail nearly s.
=. weeks before this in opposition to Il
W same authority. ARRAYS between Il
\, kings troops and individuals occurrl
~ before; but organized and effective d
q a. fiance was not anywhere used previol
n to this.
"a DIR. Harvey removed to Chesterfield,
na H., about 1776, and probably In that yea
~ ~ He built house there next south of Il
70 70 old road leading west from the cent
~ ~ village and resided there until he die
~ after 1920. Squire Spauldipg, a line
as descendant of Lieut.. Leonard Spauldin
Il, removed to Chesterfield in 1915, some
or whose descendants, among them Geor
.a Spaulding, often seen in Brattleboro, I
os side there now.-BrdttlebOr0 PhGnir.
tb "TIRED ALL THE TIME"
a Say many poor men and women, WI