Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-08-14

until 1892 that any steps were taken TO
have this line legally and permanently es-
tablished and marked. In that year the
Vermont legislature caused the appoint
ment of a commission with this end in
view. The states of New Hampshire and
Massachusetts, also appointed commission
ers and it may reasonably be expected, as
this commission is still at work, that the
vacillating state line may ultimately be-
come fixed.
The boundary between New York and
New Hampshire by decree of King George
Ill, July 20 1854, was fixed upon the
west bank of the Connecticut river, and the
north and west lines of Vernon were es-
tablished by Phneas Mum in 1777. So
by reason of the various claims and con-
tests Vernon, or some part of it, has been
called Squakheag, Mortified and Fall
town gore, Hampshire county, Mass,
Hinsdale Cheshire county, New Hamp-
shire, Hinsdale, Cumberland county, New
! York, Hinsdale, Cumberland county, Yer
mont, Hinsdale, Windham county, Yer
mont. and since 1902 Vernon, Windham
county, Vermont. For this name we are
! indebted to the good taste of the wife of
! Hon. Jonathan Hunt. Mr.. Hunt being
| the representative TO the General Assem-
! bly, in 1902 he was instructed to change
/ the name of the town to Huntstown. Mrs.
| Hunt demurred and suggested Vernon, I'M
der which name it was incorporated, and
we understand it to be the only town in
the state named by woman.
In 1887 Josiah Sartwell built fortified
| house known as Sartwel's fort, two miles
south of Fort Drummer and on the site of
| the house now owned and occupied by F.
! w. Warner. This fort was built of hewn
] La. . 1t glT l..
! with lower and upper floor, the upper sto-
| ry so projecting that from openings or port
| holes constructed there the inmates could
guard and defend the approach and en-
| trance to the fort. This building was
| owned by Josiah Sartwell and his descend
ants about 100 years, and in 1887 it was
| taken down by Hon. Ebenezer Howe and
replaced by the farm house now standing,
and in which many of the timbers from
the old fort were used and still remain.
| The line of lineal descendants from Jo-
| siah Sartwell, who occupied this old his
toric place, is, 3D. his daughter Jemima,
who married for her second husband Caleb
| Howe; Sd, their son, Moses Howe; 4th,
Ebenezer Howe; 9TH, Hon. Ebenezer
! Howe, jr.; 9th, Col. Arad Howe 9TH,
! Warren NJ. Howe, who with his cousin,
Geo. Z. Howe, a joint owner, sold the
| property in the spring of 1895, after a
family ownership of more than 100 years
! from the original grant.
! Fort Bridgman was a similar, but larger
structure than Fort Sartwell, apd was more
secure. being protected by LIKE of pickets
or stockades, and was built the same year
! 1881, by Orlando Bridgman, and was To-
Gated about 100 rods southeast of Fort Sart-
well and about - rods east Of the present
residence OF Geo. II. Hubbard. June "a,
/ 174G, a party of 20 Indians attacked this
fort and burned it, killed VIM. Robbins
and James Parker, wounded two others
| who were at work in the meadow near by,
and took John Beeman and Daniel Howe
prisoners, Howe killing one of the Indians
in the fight. The fort was soon rebuilt,
and more strongly than before, and except
Fort Dummer was the only place consid-
cred secure from the treacherous attack of
the French and Indians. But the next
year, Oct. %, 1747, a party of 80 French
and Indians, under command of Ensign de
Levy, from Fort Frederick, on a scouting
| expedition, CHANGED TO come upon this fort
while unoccupied, and il was again plum
dered and burned, and one Jonathan Sart-
well taken prisoner near by. Again the
sturdy pioneers rebuilt the fort and sought
to make it still more secure, and for eight
its intended service, but a third disaster
befel this unfortunate place on June, some
historians say July, y, 1755. At this
time Caleb Howe, Hilkiah Grout and
Benz. Garfield were returning to the fort
from their work in the meadows, and were
surprised and fired upon by Indians who
| were in ambush in the ravine Just north of
the fort. Howe was on horseback with
two of his children behind him. A rifle
ball brought both horse and rider to the
ground, breaking the thigh of Howe. An
Indian then thrust his spear through his
body, tore off his scalp and left him. CAT
field and Grout fled toward Fort Hinsdale,
across the river, but Garfield was drowned
| in crossing.
The Indians then took the two children
of Howe and went TO the fort, deceiving
the inmates, who, thinking their husbands
had returned from their work, opened the
gate and were rushed upon by the Indians,
overpowered and taken prisoners, ii per-
sons in all, viz, Mrs Jemma Howe and
seven children who lived at Fort Sartwell,
but on account of the greater security of
this fort were here while the men were
away; Mrs. Submit GrOut and three chill
dren, and Mrs. Eunice Garfield and child.
The fort was plundered and again burned.
Howe was found next morning, alive, by
party from Fort Hinsdale, but lived only a
few hours.
His wife and her seven children were
taken to Crown Point, thence to St. Johns,
then to st. Francis, where a council of the
principal warriors of the St. Francis tribe
and the chief sachem was convened, and
Mrs. Howe was delivered to an old sauaw.
She remained with the Indians about a
year and was sold to French gentleman
named Saccapee who kindly treated her,
and with whom she remained until 1859.
when by her perseverance, indomtable
courage and heroism she succeeded in OBJ
tanning her ransom with three of her chill
dren, Tor whom the sum of 200 liyres was
advanced by Col Schuyler, who was also a
prisoner in Canada, but whose influence
with Gov. Vaudeville was measured by
his rank, and whose intercession in behalf
of many of the captives was of much
avail. Maj. Israel Putnam, who was taken
prisoner in August, 1858, was released by
exchange at this time and accompanied
Mrs. Howe on her return home. She re-
turned to Canada later and finally obtain
ed the release and return of two more of
her children.
The story of the "fair captive" shows
us that she was possessed of wonderful
powers of endurance, as we'll as the most
remarkable fortitude and courage, which
enabled her to endure the most excessive
suffering and torture that the savage mind
could devise and inhict, and to return TO
| har hnnna still in tho f,,n ,-;,o, ee