Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-09-19

gathering on the night of Monday,
March 10, the attack by the court
party and the death of William
French. The names of many of the
Westminster participants on both
sides were given, and the course of
events in Vermont until her admission
to the Union in 1891 was traced.
The speaker closed with a feeling
tribute to Vermont's record % in the
Revolutionary war; (2) touching hui
man slavery; co on the fields of the
civil war
AS an example of succinct and lu-
minous historical statement the adj
dress was a model
At the conclusion of Mr.. Halls adj
dress the school children sang a Sc
lection, and the marker was unveiled
by Hollis and Helen Wright, the young
son and daughter of George G. Wright,
lineal descendants in the fifth gener-
alton, of Capt. 'Azariah Wright, sturdy
patriot of 1775 and known as the
Ethan Allen of the east side of the
mountains"
At this point DR.. Holton introduced
to the audience Joel French and N. G.
French, great nephews of William
French, and a Westminster lad, Fred
Marsh gave a brief recitation appro-
pirate to the unwilling. Judge II. H
Wheeler was then introduced to speak
on the early History of Southern
Vermont" AS an object of peculiar
interest and appropriateness, he
showed the audience the original court
docket of Cumberland county, contain
ing the record of the New York courts
held at Chester and afterwards
at Westminster. The court proceed
ings stopped short with the Westmins-
ter incident, and when the courts
were resumed under the Independent
state of Vermont the book was turned
over and entries resumed at the other
end. Judge Wheeler's talk was in
formal. relating in a familiar way
many incidents of the time preceding
the court house attack, with here and
there a pointed thrust at the results
of the local option" which prevailed
at that time.
Judge Wheeler especially impressed
on his hearers the fact that this at
tack was not the work of a mere mob
Influenced by antipathy to New York,
and draughts of New England rum,
but that it was the serious and deter
mined expression of the growing op-
position to the harsh eXactions of
English rule. within a month, at
Lexington, was fired the shot heard
round the world; here at Westminster
was fired a shot heard at least part
way round the world. Before the
Westminster incident there had been
fracases in Boston. in Rhode Island
and elsewhere. Here at Westminster
was shed the first blood of the Rev.
olution.
The speaking closed with short ad-
dresses by Hon. Kittredge Haskins.
Col Peck of Walpole, N. G. Williams of
Bellows Falls, Rev. H. A. Goodhue of
Westminster West and Rev. S. w.
Pettingill of Grafton.
At 345 DR.. Holton announced the
exercises closed. Before the disper-
sal Marshal B. r. Phelps called for
three cheers for the Walpole band as
an expression of gratitude for the
good music rendered and services
freely given for this occasion.
The Marker--Notes.
The marker consists of large gran
| lite boulder, with a massive bronze
tablet set in it's face toward the road.
| The boulder came from the top of
| Wellington hill. 1t was provided and
its deep foundations set by Westmin-
ster citizens. The bronze tablet was
| given by the Brattleboro chapter,
Daughters of the American Revolution,
The inscription reads:
COURT HOUSE
Built under New York
| During the Reign of George III
| 1772.
Scene of Massacre March 10. 1775.
Occupied by Vermont Until 17sS.
| Brattleboro Chapter No. 20
Daughters of the American Revolution 1902
The monument erected by the state
of Vermont to William French's mem.
DRY in the Westminster cemetery was
decorated with the national colors, as
Capt. Azariah Wright Many people
visited these graves.
Two descendants of the French fam
lily who were present at the celebra-
ton were Mrs. A. w. Stowe of West
Brattleboro and her sister, Mrs. A. T
Tufts of Maiden, Mass, grand-nieces
of william French, who was the
brother of their grandmother. She
was buried in the old cemetery in
Westminster.
Commander Hathorn of the depart
ment of Vermont G.. A. R. arrived
while the afternoon exercises were in
progress.
Many visitors came from Bellows
Falls, Walpole, and all the towns
around. The total attendance must
have been at least 1900.