Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-12
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
where was the Captain Hcndcc House
Mentioned by Rowland Robinson.

To the Editor OF The Free Press;
Who has not read Judge Thompson's
Green Mountain Boys" and who does
not remember the thrilling adventure OF
| Ethan Allen and Charles Washington at
the house Of Captain Hendee7
Judge Thompson selected his incidents
from authentic story and threw his
romance around them. and here we have
fact and fancy inimitably Joined.
Captain Hendec and his beautiful
daughter are doubtless fiction, but the
description OF location. with It's house
and brook and the intended capture and
escape are historical.
But just where wire they?
The Rev. Mr.. Goodhue began to gather
material for his history OF Shorcham as
early as lSio.
He had access to one person, ut least.
who was present at the taking OF Ticon-
deroga in l775. and to many others OF the
next generation and ne compiled one of
the best town histories ever published.
| From tho immediate descendants Of
Paul Moore, who built the first house
in Shoreham at the north end Of Mutton,
Hill Mr.. Goodhuc obtained the true
version of the famous escape OF Allen
| and his companion as follows:
| In l772 they put up for the night at
the house of Mr.. Klcha rdson, who had
soldiers grant of one hundred acres
Of land in Bridport. about four miles
south Of the fort at Crown Point. in 176S.
| They were outla wed by the New York
| government and six British soldiers from
the fort attempted to capture them in
/ hnr, r,f To
| BY a clever trick they cluded the
soldiers and fed to the house of Paul
| Moore. where, after a supper OF bears
meat they slept on husk bed. and in the
morning amused themselves with shoot
| ing at a mark IN the field. in defiance OF
New York and the Red Coats.
Thus the main incident OF Richardson S
| farm is substantiated as a historic fact.
| For more exact particulars Of the To-
| cation Of this farm We are indebted TO
| Burgoynes' statement OF his expedition
| from Canada, where he states that June
go 17T, General Frazer with British light
infantry and artillery moved from Put
| nam Creek. where they had been en-
camped some days, up to the west shore
of the lake to Four Mile point q. g. fou,
miles from Tconderoga). and that the
German reserve, under Lieutenant Colo
mel 5reyman. we're moved at the same
time to "Richardson's farm on the cas-,
shore opposite to Putnam Creek"
Mr.. Goodhue had never seen Burgoyne'
"stet rent" Tor he says the site OF Col
Dooltttles saw mll'' is said to he noted
on the map accompanying the narrative
of Burgoyne's expedition. which is GER
ta.nIy true.
And thus Mr.. Goodhuc collecting hi,
information from local sources. and Bur
! goyne's more particular description have
| located tho place Witch Judge Thompson
has called Captain Hendee's house. with
Its neighhorins brook opposite Putnam
Creek. about four miles south OF Crown
Point fort
At the present time no such house ex-
lists. but opposite Putnam's Creek the
lake has an abrupt bank. and on this
blum. about one hundred feet back, are
we'll preserved foundation walls and ex-
cavaton which underlaid such a house
and less than half tina. distance norther-
ly from this site Is the brook-way, which
at certain seasons. even now, empt.es tor
rents into tho lake When dry 1t shows
distinctly the bed of a stream that not
many years ago was a permanentl. flow
| ing brook.
From this clearing the point at Fort
! frederic was open to View four miles to
the north. as well as long stretch Of the
| lake south
Judge Thompson undoubtedly made his
| description of the surroundings from
personal observation
And So Judge Thompson, Mr.. Goodhue
and Burgoyne have each. and entirely
! independent OF each other, contributed
the necessary evidence to establish the
exact spot where stood the Richardson
or Captain Hendee house.
ALLEN.