Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-06

no other.
against Crown Point, but he reached that
important post before Col. Warner and
received himself the sword of the COM
mander, which Is now IN Col. Spa fford's
family" Some search by the writer has
been made for this sword without sue
cess. Col. Spafford represented his town
in the legislature of his State and had n
family of thirteen children; was cap.
tain of a company in the Battle Of
Bennington and from his own stores pro-
vided the supplies for his company.
One OF his children, Horatio Gates Spaf-
ford, born at Dorset, Vermont. just after
the battle of Bennington, was the author
Of the we'll known %spaiford's Gazetteer
of New York. Col. John married Mary
Baldwin. She died September ., 1872. at
the house of her son. Heman Spafford.
at Rutland, Vermont. Col. Spafford with
his wife. n bride of but n few months. in
1712 came to Tinmouth from Connecticut
n an ox-cart. statement of Hattie
Plat Squires. North Clarendon, Vt. Yer
mont Historical Magazine, vol. 81
ICol. Seth Warner was in command of
the rear guard. lie remained on the Yer
mont side at the time that Allen crossed
Lake Chanplain with his party. He had
command Of the expedition that captured
Crown Point. (Chittenden, p. 1919
Joseph Tyler of Bridport, Vermont.
was the companion Of james Wilcox in
the expedition to obtain boats wherewith
to cross Lake ~Champlain. The two young
men are said TO have been asleep in the
house of Mr.. Stone ut Bridport on the
night when the messenger arrived there
and stated to Mr.. Stone that he was in
IT,.
party. These two young men succeeded
in decoying a boat which was in Lake
CHAMPAIGN in charge OF a negro belong
ing to Major Skene, to the shore. where
under promise of some whiskey they in
duced the negro to row them to Shore
ham to join a hunting party. When they
arrived at Hands cove the negro was
made a prisoner. Tyler apparently was
not a member of the expedition original
ly but seems to have joined 1t at the
Cove with Major Skene's boat
f*Lieut. Col. Joseph Wait. born 1892,
was an officer in the Continental army:
a brother OF benjamin Wait mentioned
below and n son of John Wait. Family
tradition and a statement published in a
newspaper are the authorities for placing
the name of Joseph Wait among the So
present with Allen at the capture of
Fort Ii.
T*Benjamin Wait, brother Of the above,
saw military service prior to the Revolu-
ton. He married a daughter of Capt.
Thomas Gilbert of Brookileld, Mass. He
was a delegate from Windsor, VT, to the
convention at Westminster 1915, and was
a delegate to the convention that formed
the first Vermont constitution. Together
with three brothers he served in Herrick's
Rangers in the battle OF Bennington. In
l715 his conduct was commended by the
Vermont State council in n letter to Col.
Samuel Herrick. In 1913 the General As
sembly of Vermont granted a charter
of the islands of North Hero and South
Hero in Lake Champlain to Ethan Allen,
Samuel Herrick and Benjamin Wait.
The town Of Waitsfeld, Vermont, takes
its name from this family. lie occupied
many prominent official positions with
great credit to himself. He died Fehru-
AIRY 2S, 1922. He is buried by the road
side in Clarendon, Vermont, about three
Imiles south of Rutland. where he died.
A monument erected by his fellow Off
GERS marks the spot. Family tradition
says that he was present at the capture
Of Ticonderoga. (Statement of Horatio
L. Wait. Chicago, H., Thompson's YER
mont, part s, page 17S)
"Amos Wells was with the party at
Norfolk.
.Amos Weller born in Sharon, Vt. in
1855, married DENIS Rowley Of that place
1776; resided at Tinmouth. Vermont, after
wards at Rutland. He was a man Of
great physical power and among his des-
cendants the tradition is preserved that
when Allen arrived at the fort the gate
was barred, and Allen turned to Weller
and said Amos, put shoulder to- and
together they forced the gate. Weller
was placed on guard over twelve men
with orders to shoot the first who should
make resistance. He saw considerable
military service after this time; was pres
ent at the capture OF Crown Point and at
the engagement at st. Johns. tRecords
of Pension Office. Statement of Kate
Wright Prouty. Burlington, VI, Smiths
History of Addison County. page 76i.)
flames Wilcox Of Bridport, Vt, was
with Allen Mt Ticonderoga and was the
companion of Tyler in the adventure to
secure boats for the expedition to cross
Lake Champlain. and must have been
with the expedition at Hands Cove.
(Smith's History of Addison County, p.
393.)
.Wilkes West. His tombstone at Ches-
ter, n. H., has this inscription-"Wiikes
West, born In Beverly, Mass, December
6, 1875, died at Chester, N. H., April 10,
1890, aged "a years, four months. four
days. He took part in the battle OF Ben
nington and was with Col. Ethan Allen
at the taking OF Fort Ticonderoga, New
York. This tablet was erected by his
grandson. Henry Mason West. 1856" In
scriptions on tombstones. like those in
family Bibles. we are bound to believe
are entitled to credence, statement OF
f. w. Sherman, Poultney, Vermont.)
tCaptain Samuel Wright, probably
from Pownal. Vermont. seems to nav
been captain Of a company that parti'
c!pated in this expedition. duplication Of
Josiah Dunning for Psnsion.)
Samuel Woolcott Of shoreham. Vt
came from Goshen. Conn, settled ir
shoreham, 1773. Entered the fort with
Allen. (History of Shoreham. page 12.)
samuel Wooicott. Jr.. son of the pre-
coding. of shoreham. VT, also entered thu
fort with Allen.