Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-09-19
ON HISTORIC GROUND.
The Site of the Old Court House
at Westminster
Marked by the Daughters Of the
American Revolution.

Cordial Welcome and Cooperation by
the Westminster People-Alfred S.
Halls Admirable Address-Exer-
eises of Noteworthy Fitness and Elk
cellence.
In the long list of celebrations of
historic events within the limits of
! the old county of Cumberland, none
| has been happier in conception, or
more satisfactory in its fulfllment
IMAM was that held Wednesday on the
site of the old court house in West
minister. For several years the mem
! bers of the Brattleboro chapter of
Daughters of the American Revolution
have cherished a plan suitably to
mark the scene of the Westminster
| Massacre" where William French
'the first martyr of the Revolution +"
met his death, and on Wednesday
this plan came to fruition. The CO.
| operation of the Westminster people
knew no limit in cordiality or abun-
| dance, and it was through their efforts
that the day was made a notable sue
| cess.
|
| few summer days of the season. Ar
rangements had been made for a
! party of about 60 to go up from Brat
| tleboro, but twice that number gath
cred at the railroad station and took
the lilo train. At Putney good
sized delegation was added. On ar
rival at the Westminster station the
| company was met by the marshal of
the day and his aides, the Walpole
| band, war veterans, and. prettiest
feature of all, IA young ladies dressed
in white, with a broad ribbon of the
national colors knotted on the left
shoulder of each. On reaching the
wide village street the school children
| gave their welcome, standing in a
long line on either side of the way for
| the visitors to pass, each holding a
| small American flag. The line of
march was taken directly to the town
hall, and here were ranged on either
side the young ladies in white and
| the veterans of the E. H. Stoughton
post of Bellows Falls. The village
was handsomely decorated, every res
| idence showing the national colors,
| and a large flag hanging across the
| street
Immediately on arrival the large
company was seated at tables which
filled the floor of the hall. The
advance announcement was that din
ner would be on the basket picnic
plan, and the guests were amply pro-
| vided with lunch baskets and boxes,
but when seats had been taken the
question became what to do with the
lunches, for the tables bore, not only
the hot coffee promised, but a COLA
ton, ample and to spare, for all who
came. AT l o'clock the line of march
| was taken TO the court house hill.
| where the marker had been erected
and the exercises were held The
procession formed in this order:
Marshal and aides.
Walpole Band.
| Stoughton Post.
Young ladies in white.
| Daughters of American Revolution.
Stoughton Post Relief Corps.
School children and citizens.
The marker stands near the brow of
the hill. and a few feet in the rear
had been erected a speakers stand
covered with the American colors,
and with decorations of autumn flow
1 ers. Upon the stand were arranged
| NdllOuS ItllCS VI Tie Olu
court house. AZ Vermont state flag
covered the speakers desk. After
a selection by the band. Mrs. E. H
Putnam, regent of the Brattleboro
chapter, called the assemblage to
order. Mrs. Putnam expressed brief
ly her pleasure that the plans of the
Daughters had thus been realized. She
felt special pleasure that she was per
| 10 vol
made from the wood of the old court
house. The gavel was the gift of the
Sons of the Revolution at the hands
of DR.. Holton, who had done every
thing" for the success of this cele
bration. Mrs. Putnam then resigned
the gavel to DIR. Holton as president
of the day. Rev. G. H. DeBevoise
offered prayer, and the address Of
welcome was given by George G
Wright, who, in brief and felicitous
words recognized the patriotic worl
done by the Daughters of the Ameri
can Revolution in recalling to oul
minds the heroic deeds of the past
To these women. and to the whole
company who had answered the sum
mons of their couriers he extended {
| cordial welcome.
} DR.. Holton, in his response, EN-
phasized the fact that the Westmin
ster incident here commemorate
was no common brawl, nor was i
simply an expression of animosity Il
the rule of New York. 1t was /;
manifestation of the spirit of the TIM
of the growing spirit of open rebel
. lion against the unjust rule of thu
British crown. AS contribution o
notable interest. DR.. Holton read
letter from the venerable Georg
Sheldon of Deerfieldi in which MI
Sheldon gave extracts from the manu-
script diary of tory who Interviews
: the Westminster prisoners and thei
keepers while on their way to the jail
in Northampton.
. DR.. Holton then introduced Alfre
: S. Hall, Esq, of Boston, well-knowl
son of Westminster, who gave tn
historical address of the day.
The Historical Address.
Col. Halls address traced brief
: the history of the Cumberland count
courts until the removal of the count
seat to Westminster and the erectio
of the court house in 1772. The al
rangement of the old building, con
| hinatiOn of court house jail barrOOI