The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-06-11
GU|LFORD CANNON
BROUGHT TO LIGHT
Ancient Relic Dug Up by
John E. Gale on
Gale Farm
WHEREABOUTS NOT
KNOWN SINCE 1865
Thought to Have Been Brought from
Dummerston When Guilford Was In
vaded in 1874 Disappeared After
July 4 Celebration.
July 4 Celebration.

July Celebration.
After having lain buried in the ground |
about 81 years the old Guilford cannon
which mysteriously disappeared from
the Guilford common after the Fourth of
July celebration about the year 1865.
was dug up by John Z. Gale on his farm
in Gulford yesterday afternoon. The
finding of the old gun, which is of iron
and weighs probably over 200 pounds, is
matter of much historical interest, and
Mr. Gale is considering presenting the
ancient relic to the Vermont Historical
society. The history of the cannon fol-
| lows:
| For many years prior to 1865 the vii
| lage of East Guilford, commonly known
as Algicrs, was in possession of an an
cient cannon, which as a noise producer
had no rival for many miles around, and
was naturally prime favorte among
the young men Of the vicinity, who took
advantage of every closely contested
election and Fourth of July anniversary
to keep its interior from getting rusty
and ardent patriotism.
So frequently were the services of this
old thunder maker called into requisition
that it became something of nuisance
to the good people of the little village
who began TO resent the disturbance of
its accustomed serenity, and finally a re-
ward of - was offered to anyone who
would cause the permanent disappear
ance of the obnoxious piece of artillery.
The cannon usually was kept under
the Episcopal church. and the firing was
done from the church common, place
admirably suited to the purpose, the
steep slopes of Buck hill and Boyden's
hill rejecting the loud reyerberations
over the little valley and across the flats
TO the south, where they were again
turned by the high ridge on the western
border of Vernon, extending from Broad
Brook gap to the Franklin and Parsons
farms, where the echoes were sent back
to the hills on the farms of Hollis Boy
den, Charles Squers and NJ. p. Melendy
. on the west. Hardly would one series of
reverberations cease before another dis
charge took place, to renew the distress
: of the timorous and exasperated women
folk of the village, who likened these
demonstrations to the din of bedlam
thereby adding not a little to the ncom-
! parable Joy of the young men in charge
of the cannon. But the limit of endur
ance was finally reached, and the old
relic very suddenly and mysteriously dis
appeared.
About 1865 it had been fired upon the
church common, upon July Fourth, in the
accustomed celebration of the anniver
sary of Independence. NJ r. Melendy
and Charles r. Bardwell, familiarly
known as Perry and Charlie, had done
the firing, and had returned to the Mel
endv farm, on the hill to the southwest.
ward, for yoke of oxen and a cart, will
the intention of taking the cannon up tC
the farm for safe keeping Meanwhile
! they had placed it in the vestibule of tn,
i church. and locked the door. When they
|. returned with the oxen great was then
q surprise to find that the old gun wa,
:. missing. Investigation showed that en-
: trance to the church had been effected by
) Wav of one of the east windows. anC
d that the cannon had been carried to TIN
e window and there dropped to the ground
t where all traces of it were forever lost
r From the weight of the cannon and it
unwieldy nature it was supposed tha
I several were concerned in its removal
" but their secret was well kept, and n
le one ever called for the promised rewar
ID of So, which was long held in READINGS
h for anyone who would claim it,
While the history of the cannon canno
a be positively traced, it had been in tow
: many years, and is believed to have bee
,t the identical piece of ordnance brough
10 by the Dummerston contingent unde
q Ebenezer Haven and Isaac Miller, whic
\ accompanied 800 other troops under Gel
,r Samuel Fletcher in the invasion of Gui
, ford on Jan. 10, 1884 The fact that til
Dummerston men brought cannon wit
them; that they had no horses; that
fierce snow storm prevailed at the tin
and continued until the snow was fou
feet deep on level before their return
th might be reasonable ground for the SUI
position that they abandoned their arti
lery, which was described at that time
being "an ancient cannon" and it cannC
be learned that anything of this descril
nt tion has been located in DummerstC
M since that time.
m Where the Dummerston men got the
m cannon also is matter of coniectur
ed There is a possibility that it may ha,
of been one of the guns mounted at Fo
"a Dummer, which had for its defense ol
,er great Cum" four patararoes and sever
swivels, all mounted in addition to tp
en- four Founders, supplied in I745. Histol
es,
tai
Do