Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-11-19
The Collins History OF Vermont

The latest history Of this State, by Mr..
Edward u. Collins. published by CHM &
Co. Of Boston, New York, Chicago and
London, is in some respects the most
attractive history of Vermont that has
as yet Leen published. 1t is pretty
duodecimo volume of 32j pages, abund-
antly illustrated with maps, portraits Of
distinguished men, pictures Of historic
buildings, of monuments (the state mon
Lment to Ethan Allen not iuCludedl, Of
farm and household utensils and other
objects and scenes of interest. The type
and paper are good ana the binding neat.
Zach chapter is instructiyely headed by
some apt quotation from history or his
toric,l document
The work is a more or less successful
effort TO combine the essentials Of a
school history. which must be store
house OF facts, with a philosophical treat
Use or series OF essays on the social
economic and political conditions and in
iuences which have made the State
what it was and is. Truth compels US
TO say that the philosophy Ia sometimes
emphasized TO the exclusion of important
facts. The author. who has been an in
structor in history at Yale College, &C
knowledges tho existence of serious
omissions in the remark that more has
been left unsaid than has been told "
Some of the omissions are not easily
explainab BILE. For instance. beyond three
purely incidental and unimportaut anu-
sions. we find no mention OF the name or
the services OF the man of whom Cover
nor Thomas Chittenden said that he had
done more good work for the State than
any other two men"-who was secretary
of some of the earliest conventions; mem
her and secretary of the Council of
Safety, major general of militia, first
State treasurer, State envoy and agent
surveyor general founder of the State
University, dplomatist and statesman
and to whom more than to any other one
man Vermont owed its existence and
nosition for fourteen years as an indie
pendent sovereign commonwealth--Ira
Allen. MI Collins does not mention the
nroposition to settle the controversy witt
New York by the formation of new
proyince formed from the New Hamp
shire Grants and that part of New York
north of the Mohawk river under the
aoyernorship of Col. Philip Skene, II
the account of the battle of Bennington
The reader is left to suppose that hu
Two cannon were taken by Stark, whereas
four pieces. being all of the enemyi
artillery, were taken by the Americans
The statement that "the enemy were al
killed or taken prisoners" in that battle
is erroneous All the Indians and sew
eral hundred others of the enemy ESCAPED
death or capture. In the pages on earl.
road building no mention Is made of tn
in1portant road cut by Ira Aliens lane
company from Colchester to Castleton
l773-4,
There is a frequent lack OF needed eX
planatory notes or remarks. Thus in tn
massage relating to the retreat of tn
Americans from Ticonderoga in July
1877. we find an allusion to st. Clair
nlan." There is no previous mention o
General st. Clair and nothing anywher
I'm the book to inform the uninstructe
reader who st. Clair was, what his ran
and command, or anything about him
Similar omissions are almost numerou
enough to mako 1t needful that tn
scholar should have some other histor
nv the side Of this in order to have
clear understanding Of Mr.. Collins
a,lusions. The value of the interesting
mans reproduced would be increased b.
information where they were 1ouhd AM
by whom originally published; and vari
ous interesting quotations would be NOR