The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-01-24

ID There is no doubt that the Guilford NEE,
lngs witnessed many scenes like those .Judg,
| Thompson describes, for the division between
| the two sides was close and as the result,
| showed in different wears neither was sure n
| carrying the town. In Brattleboro, on the othe,
| hani, the sentiment was practically unanimou,
| for New York jurisdiction. and when vote wa,
taken, there was only one against 1t and thar ont
cast, as 1t is believed, nv the father of Wn
| French The fact that Illegal votes were Gas,
In 'Gnildford as the author describes /,
| proved by the action of the meeting next ven,
when it was voted ito let none vote for commit
according to the Direction of the Honorohle
| Continental Congress-" and a committee was
| chosen TO inspect and enforce the rule TIM,
same meeting voted to pay "Beniamn Carpen
| ter his expense money that he has extended al
| Westminster as a delegate for the town" The
| Gnilford meetings, besides all their fights have
good many interesting records like thar OF
| l1iI when II passed vote establishing pricps
| for Labor. provisions, understandable goods "etc
fixing wheat at 60 cts per bu, rye 4Oc ct, Indian
corn 30 cts. oats Is cts, Deas and pears 80 cts
good yellow Potaters' 20 cents, pork to cts
per 10, mems neat leather shoes OF the best sort
90 cts per pair, wool 20 cts per ID, butter 10 cts
"farm labors in the summer season" 30 cts per
| chysand so Unusual proportion at other seasons
etc. The only article on which there was not a
fixed limit was good West India rum,
good New England rum, molasses and
| sugar, which were to be sold" on the
same al they are stated in the New England
states" 1t was UNANIMOUSLY voted that any per.
son charging or receiving more than these
prices should forfeit the amount to the town
The contest about Jurisdiction first shows
itself in the record Of the I777 meeting when
John Barney and Benjamin Carpenter were
chosen committee to Ego to Windsor in June
next TO hear the report of the agent sent to
Congress concerning the new state. The meet.
ing of March rs voted TO pay no attention 10
the warrant from the council AT Bennington
and in ISL the people, "all then that We're to
stand in opposition against the pretended state
of Vermont. - met and voted ''ipfpnG thpn
selves against the Pretended stateIof Vermont .
voted to send committee TO the CharlestoWn
convention, and directed Hezekiah stowe' to
keep the names of all those that are against
the pretended state of Vermont" MAY l3 81
they voted again to stand againstthe pretended
state of Vermont so called until the decision of
Congress with your lives and fortunes" June
10 50 warning was voted ''to all officers of the
civil author ity under the pretended state of Yer
mont, you are hereby forbidden to proceed
against any person or persons that own the
jurisdiction of New York according to what is
recommended to as by Congress-"
In the meantime the new state" men of
whom Gov Carpenter was the leader, had been
holding meetings on their own hook and for
time there was a duplicate town government.
As features of the fight party Of Guiford and
Brattleboro, yonkers attacked Gen samuel
ancestor of G A Boyden and Samuel Boyden-
and constable Waters at,the Arms Inn in Brattle-
5orO,-where the Retreat farm house now
stands-fring some 80 bullets and wOunding
both Bovden and Waters, who held office under
Vermont authority. Then some 300 men from
other towns In the comfy marched TO Guilford
and were fired upon by the lonkers who then
fled into Massachusetts: Two men of the new
state party were wounded, joel Knight of DUN.
merston and Sergeant Fisk the latter fatally,
Ethan Allen had twice led force into the re
belious town, first with his famous threat 10 lay
il "as desoute as Sodom and Gomorrah, by
-" unless the people submitted peacefully
to the authority of Vermont, and on the second
leaving two companies under the command of
Elijah Knight and Benjamin Whitney TO guard
the town, and prevent the fonkers
from returning. IL was knights party that
fired on Lieut. David GoodenOugh and his com
panion Spicer, MORALLY woundug the latter,
when they attempted 10 come into the town on
the night OF March ..
The yermonters appear TO have first got per.
manent control of the regular town meetings IN
1872 when they elected Gov Carpenter modera.
tor and for the first time chose 'selectmen" and
the regular line of Vermont officers, instead of
"superyisors" and the others provided by New
York statutes. The next year they cast votes
for governor and other state officers and elected
Gov Carpenter and DR. Thomas Cutler represen
tatves in the general assembly, ana after that
things were peaceful.
The meeting described in the story was not
strictly a town meeting but, as the first record
of that in 1872 reads. of "the free holders and
other inhabitants of the tract of land called
Guildford in the county of Cumberland and
Province of New York" or OF the "llstrict OF
& dilford" as the record of l1.3 reads and as
wa the proper designation. Brattleboro, Put |
new and Westminster were the only towns on
he east side of the mountain regularly char |
tered by New York ms well as New Hampshire, |
before the order from the king and council for. |
bidding further chaTtering. So March -, l,f2
the New York provincial legislature passed |
hill TO enable the people of Cumberland county, |
which included Windham ana Windsor, To elect |
supervisors andothcr officers, and among other
things directed the Judges and justices OF the |
,ounty to meet at Chester on the first Tuesday |
of NAV and form convenient districts" OF such !
parfs of the county as were not erecteu INTO |
lnwnships "under the Great Seal" of the colony. |
This was done and Is districts were founded, OF
which Guildford was the 18th. Hinsdae tNer-
nonD Halifax Marlboro, Fulham (Dummerston,
Springfield and Weathersteld were
,iso districts bv themselves. The district of
Draner or Wilmington was made to include any
ands west to the county linei Newtane all
ands not erected into township to the west
bereof TO the county line; Townshend 1.-THE
ands na,tlv TO the eastward thereof not erected
nto a township, and the land to the WESTWARD as
lar Is, he county line Il onkinson, (Graiton)a Dig
district as far south as the Townshend Ilne ana
- he portbward of an east and west line from
here To fine west border of Westminster and the
ands nor erected into townships TO the west
yard as far as thel west bounds OF the county
, n3over reaching to the west line of the ccun-
w: Cayendish and Ludlow combined and in
hiding land to the west line OF the country;
leading and saltash together and all tothe!west,
n also Woodstock and Bridgewater, anu rom;
rot and BERNARD which also reach nOrth as wen
s west TO the county line: while HARTFORD the
irst district. extended north to the county line:
This act authorized the holding OF lnevtinSs IN
ooh district on the third Tuesday of May fol
wine and il was under this authority that
he first was held in Guilford and so they nave
ontinued in unbroken line to the present gay,
lent for The change in the officers elected SO
s 70 correspond to the Vermont system.