Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-06-26

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS APPEALED TC
IN VAIN.
there on Aug. 16, 1777, had been sent
into the mountains by Burgoyne to
seize horses for mounting a corps of his
troops and to bring beef cattle and the
military stores at Bennington into his
camp on the Hudson. So the mountain
GERS had good reason to look upon
Bennington as their Saratoga, the de-
cisive battle of the Green mountain
revolution. Just as Saratoga decided
the fate of the American colonies. But
July 4, 177T. would not have been n
day for rejoicing i'll the hills Of Yer
mont had the settlers there been In
hearty sympathy with the congress,
which one year before had declared the
American colonies free from the yoke
of England. They had no love for con-
gress. Ethan Allen was a prisoner IN
irons to the British, and the heroism
which won Ticonderoga had been I'M
rewarded. All this is involved In the
story OF Vermont's little revolution, her
independence, her existence.
Vermont became an independent col
ony July S, TIT, and maintained her
Sovereignty" until 1901. For the rea-
son why she did not cut loose on
July one must look to the delays Of
legislative assemblies and the limita-
tons Of horse1esh. The settlers Of the
wilderness lying between the Connect
icut river and Lake Champlain, "fn
convention assembled" formed an in
dependent colony in January. 1777, and
petitioned the Continental congress
for admission into the confederacy of
states. New York state claimed the
territory as far east as the Connect
cut and defeated the petition in con-
gress. The case was decided late in
June, and the swiftest couriers could
not reach the Green mountains until
after July 4. Then the colonial as
sembly promptly initiated the defiance
of the parent colonies and adopted
July s a constitution which had been
prepared for the emergency.
Meanwhile the fighting men of the
hills, Ethan Aliens boys" were on
the warpath. The elders might look
back them up. 1t was in vain that
the spokesmen of congress appealed to
the Green Mountain boys to join the
colonial armies In the field. They would
take no orders from that quarter and
in this attitude did not stand alone.
New Hampshire had a war leader not
less renowned than Ethan Allen, Colo
xnl I'll -, 80
Mountain boys had fought with Stark
at Bunker Hill, and he loved them as
they loved him. He was a man after
their own heart, too, because when
congress refused him the rank of.brig-
ndier general he resigned to fight on
his own hook.
A common peril drew the settlers Of
the northern New England colonies to-
gether. The whole region was open
to incursion from Canada, to forays by
Indians from beyond the Hudson and
to the march of Burgoyne's army in
case he won the battle at Saratoga
So when Burgoyne was pushing his
van eastward in June the mountain
GERS rallied on the slopes to defend
their homes and chattels. Stark cross
ed the mountain westward with a few
militiamen and fixed his camp at Ben
nington. He had no food supplies, no
ammunition except the private stock
of his men. But the colonists were in
for fight and didn't leave 1t all to
prayers and resolutions. Their fame
had crossed the border, thanks to
Ethan Allen. Stark had friends, too,
even If congress was cold to his claims.
One of these admirers, a merchant of
Aew Hampshire, named John Lang
don, offered his wealth to buy powder
for Stark's men. 81 have three thou
sand hard dollars" said Langdon,
''and plate which l can pledge for as
much more, besides seventy Aogsheads
Of tobago rum, which may go for what
Ii will bring"
This speech has become q classic
throughout the mountain region to typ
ify the spirit of the rude settlement in
July, 1777, when Burgoyne was just
across the valley and his maTauding
soldiers climbing the foothills toward
bennington. Even western Massachu-
sets and Connecticut are proud of the
glories of Bennington. Stark Has q