Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-01-28
" VERMONT ILLUSTRATOR
Some Interesting Correspondence Anent
Our Inst SunnIement.

Some Interesting Correspondence Anent
Our Last supplement-.
Sherrod Brown of New Haven encloses
to us the following letter. The writer is
prominent member of the Lexington
Historical society, and his commentator
of "Vermont Illustrated" is appreciated /:
BOSTON, Jan. Il, 1898.
SHERRoD BROWN, ESQ.,
New Haven, VT.
My Dear Sir:-I have received and read
with much interest the copy of the "Vermont
Illustrated" you were so kind as to send me.
The illustrations are fine and the story well
told The more we learn of the trials and
privations of the early settlers, the more
wonderful seems their fortitude and pluck,
and the more | am impressed that our ances.
tors were n remarkable set of men. Where
and when will their equals be found? Thank.
ing you much for your courtesy | am
Yours truly, GEO. o. SMITH.
The following letter of criticism ex-
plains itself, and the corrections are re-
ceived with thanks
NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 1893
so Il. j5th st.
MY DEAR BATTELL:-I am writing with a
broken right arm, and may not be able to say
all would like to, but will try to correct
some historical errors on page of your sup.
plement to the REGISTER, which some one has
sent me. These errors are old ones which
have been often repeated, but they are none
the less errors.
You say that this lake (Champlain) twas
called by the Indians Cdnidderf Guay'unte-
Door of the Country" 1t was the entrance at
Ticonderoga to which they gave such Il name
and with propriety. The lake was never so
ca led.
Again you say, "Contnung southwark he
(Champlain) came to another lake lying
southwest of and near Lake Chanplain. and
called by the natives Lake Horizon. This he
chrstened Lake St Sacrament, now Lake
George. Here they encountered band of
lroquois, long hostile to the Algonquins, and
a battle ensued."
This is all wrong. Champlain never saw
Lake George; the battle took place ut Crown
Point on Lake Champlain, and Champlain did
not go south of that point. lie got all he
knew of Lake George from the Indians of his
party. Here is his own account of it, taken
from the first or 1913 edition of his voyages,
page l47, third book of Part First
"COntinuing our route on the west shore of
the lake, saw towards the east very high
mountains, their tops covered with snow.
saw towards the south others not so
lofty as the first and not snow covered. The
Indians told me that there we ought to find
their enemies-that the places were thickly
Inhabited and that to go there we must pass
waterfall which have seen since, and from
there to enter another lake three or four
ltdSutS iDnBi WHICH, having passed, there was
land route of four leagues to pass to "A river,
which runs to the shore of the Almouchi-
quois."
That the battle between Champlain's party
and the lroquois was on the shore of Lake
Champlain and not on Lake George is also
certain from Champlain's own account of it.
He says "On the 10Th of the month we met
the lroquois at the point of a cape which ex-
tends into the lake from the west side" Then
after describing the battle he says: "The
place where this fight was made is in 43 de-
grees and some minutes of latitude, and
named the lake Champain."
There is no doubt / think that the fight
was on the north end Of Crown Point, ana the
prisoner was burnt on the Vermont shore a
few miles north of Chimney Point.
Aside from these errors your supplement i
most interes ting. Hoping to see you next
summer, am, as ever, cordially yours,
). e. CHITTENDEN.
with broken right urm.)