INDIAN TOWN OF ST. FRANCIS DESTROYED. Having left two of his rangers to watch the boats, Rogers advanced into the wilderness; but, the second evening after he left the bay, he was overtaken by his trusty rangers, and informed that a party of 400 French and Indians had discovered the boats and sent them away with 50 men, and that the remainder were in pursuit of the English. Rogers kept this intelligence to himself, but despatched a lieutenant and eight men, with the two rangers, to Crown Point, to inform Gen. Amherst of what had taken place, and request him to send provisions to Coos on Connecticut river, by which route he in tended to return. FORT NIAGARA TAKEN BY THE ENGLISH. In the mean time, by order of General Amherst, Samuel Stevens and three others proceeded from Charlestown up Connecticut river, with two canoes, loaded with provisions. They landed on Round island, at the mouth of Passumpsic river, where they encamped for the night; but in the morning, hearing the report of guns, and supposing Indians to be in the vicinity, they were so terrified that they reloaded their provisions and hastened back to Charlestown. Rogers was at this time encamped a few miles up the Passumpsic. About noon he reached the mouth of that river, and, observing fire on the island, he made a raft and passed over to it; but to his surprise and disappointment, no provisions had been left. His men, already reduced to a state of starvation, were so dishearted by this dis Rogers now determined to outmarch the enemy, and pushed onward towards St. Francis with the utmost expedition. He came in sight of the village on the evening of the 4th of October, and, leav-covery that a considerable number of them ing his men to refresh themselves, he dressed himself in the Indian garb, and went forward to reconnoitre the town. He found the Indians engaged in a grand dance, without apprehensions of danger, and, returning about one o'clock, he led forward his men within 500 yards of the town. At four o'clock, the dance was ended, and the Indians retired to rest. died before the next day. Rogers now gave up the command of his men, and told them to take care of themselves. Some were lost in the woods, but Rogers and most of his party, after almost incredible hardships, succeeded in reaching Charlestown. Here, having collected and refreshed the survivors of his heroic band, Rogers proceeded with them to Crown Point, where he arrived on the first day of December, and joined the army under Gen. Amherst; and upon examination he found that his loss, after leaving the ruins of St. Francis, was 3 commissioned officers and 46 non commissioned officers and privates. While Rogers was humbling the Indians, Amherst was preparing a naval force to attack the enemy at the Isle Aux Noix. This being in readiness, he proceeded down the lake in the beginning of October; but, the season being far ad Having posted his men in the most favorable situation, at day break Rogers commenced the assault. The place was completely surprised. The Indian method of slaughter was adopted. Wherever the savages were found, without regard to age or sex, they were slain without distinction and without mercy. As the light appeared the ferocity of the provincials was increased by discovering the scalps of several hundred of their countrymen, suspended on poles and waving in the air. They were determined to re-vanced, and the weather becoming temvenge the blood of their friends and relations, and spared no pains completely to destroy the village and its inhabitants. Of the 300 souls, which the village contained, 200 were slain on the spot, and 20 taken prisoners. The English lost only one killed and six slightly wounded. Having reduced the village to ashes, and refreshed his men, Rogers set out on his return, at 8 o'clock in the morning, with the addition of five English captives, whom he had retaken, and such articles of plunder as he could easily carry away. To avoid his pursuers he proceeded up the river St. Francis, and directed his course toward Coos on the Connecticut. On his march he was several times attacked in the rear, and lost seven men; but forming an ambuscade on his own track, he at length fell upon the enemy with such success as to put an end to further annoyance or pursuit. pestuous, the expedition was abandoned, and he returned to Crown Point, after having taken, or destroyed, most of the enemy's shipping. Here Amherst spent the remainder of the autumn in enlarging the works and putting every thing in readiness for another campaign. Gen. Prideaux had proceeded to Niagara in the beginning of summer, and invested the fort about the middle of July; but, being unfortunately killed on the 20th of that month, the command devolved upon Sir William Johnson. Johnson prosecuted the siege with the greatest vigor, and, on the morning of the 24th of July, intercepted and defeated, after a severe conflict, a body of 1200 French and some Indians, who were marching to the relief of the garrison. This battle was fought in sight of the fort, and, in the evening of the same day, the garrison surrendered themselves prisoners of war. MONTREAL SURRENDERED. CANADA CEDED TO GREAT BRITAIN. the 6th and 7th of September, within two days of each other. Montreal was now the only place of much strength, or consequence, in possession of the French; and towards this Amherst began immediately to prepare point, at the opening of the campaign of for laying siege to the city, and was get1760, the English concentrated all their ting on his artillery for that purpose, when efforts. It was resolved that, while Gen. he received a flag of truce from Vaudreuil, Murray, with the English forces at Que- the French commander, who sent two bec, proceeded up the St. Lawrence, Col. officers, demanding proposals for a capitHaviland should lead on the forces from ulation. Amherst stated his terms, to lake Champlain, and General Amherst which the French finally submitted, and, should approach Montreal with a consid- on the 8th of September, 1760, the whole erable force by the way of lake Ontario. province of Canada was surrendered to These armies moved forward with but the British; and by the treaty of peace little opposition, and, what is remarkable, signed at Paris, February 10, 1763, this without any knowledge of each other's province was formally ceded to the King progress, they all arrived at Montreal on of Great Britain. CHAPTER II. SETTLEMENT AND CONTROVERSY WITH NEW YORK. SECTION I. The western parts of Vermont, including the southern portion of lake Champlain, appear to have been claimed by the Iroquois and the northern and northeastern parts by the Coossucks and St. Francis Indians, but the territory seems rather to have been regarded as a hunting ground than a permanent residence. Vermont previous to the year 1760. During the Colonial and Indian wars, the territory of Vermont, as already remarked, was the great thoroughfare, through which most of their expeditions proceeded, and on which many of their battles were fought. Being situated nearly at Although this tract of country was in an equal distance from the French on the some parts mountainous and unproducone hand and the English on the other, it tive, the forests were, in general, well was constantly exposed to the depreda- stored with game, and the lakes, rivers tions of both, and became the favorite lurk- and smaller streams abounded in excellent ing place of their Indian allics. On this fish, which might have afforded subsisaccount the settlement of the country had tence to a very considerable population long been regarded as dangerous and im-in the savage state. We must therefore practicable: nor was it until after the complete conquest of Canada by the English in 1760, that any considerable settlements were made. Several places, it is true, had been previously occupied both by the French and English; but they are rather to be regarded as military posts than actual settlements. look to some other cause for the scantiness of the population of these regions, thar the incapacity of the country to support it; and this is undoubtedly to be found in its local situation with respect to the various Indian nations. Lying on the frontier of several powerful tribes who were incessantly at war with each other, it became the bloody theatre of their battles and was constantly exposed to hostile invasions from every quarter. Hence we perceive that the same cause prevented its becoming a permanent residence of the Indians in earlier times, which operated during the colonial wars to prevent its being settled by the French and English. The first civilized establishment within the present limits of Vermont, was made in 1724, by the erection of fort Dummer, in the southeastern corner of the township of Brattleborough. The whole of this tract of country had previously, from time immemorial, been in possession of the native Indians. But it does not appear that, subsequently to the discovery As early as the year 1752, it was proof this territory by Champlain, the natives posed by the English to lay out two townhad resided here in very large numbers.ships and commence a settlement at Coos FIRST SETTLEMENTS. FIRST TOWNSHIPS GRANTED. on Connecticut river, where Haverhill and value of the lands lying between in New Hampshire and Newbury in this Connecticut river and lake Champlain, State now lie. In pursuance of this plan, and the conquest of Canada having now in the spring of the year 1752, the gov- removed the difficulty and danger of ernor of New Hampshire ordered out a settling them, swarms of adventurers beparty to explore the country, survey the gan to immigrate hither, and from the year townships and erect stockades and lodg-1760, the population of Vermont began ment for 200 men in each. The object to increase with considerable rapidity. was, partly to get possession of the rich meadows at Coos, and partly to form a barrier against the incursions of the St. Francis Indians in case of war; but the timely remonstrance of that tribe caused the immediate relinquishment of the undertaking; so much was their resentment dreaded at that early period. SECTION II. Controversy between New Hampshire and When the English commenced their establishment at fort Dummer, that fort was supposed to lie within the limits of Massachusetts, and the settlements in that vicinity were first made under grants from that provincial government. But after a long and tedious controversy bebetween Massachusetts and New Hamp George II. finally decreed, on the 5th of March, 1740, that the northern boundary of the province of Massachusetts be a similar curve line, pursuing the course of the Merrimac river, at three miles distant on the north side thereof, beginning at the Atlantic ocean, and ending at a point due north of Patucket falls; and a straight line drawn from thence due west until it meets his Majesty's other governments. Soon after the erection of fort Dummer, several block-houses were built for the protection of the settlers in that part of Hinsdale, N. H. which was situated on the west side of the Connecticut, and which is now called Vernon; and before the year 1754, settlements had been commenced in Vermont as far up the Connecticut as Westminister and Rock-shire respecting their division line, King ingham. But their advancement was now stopped by the breaking out of what was called the French War, which continued, as related in the preceding chapter, till the final conquest of Canada in 1760. During this war these feeble settlements were continually harrassed and annoyed by the French and Indians. The inhabitants could not cultivate their fields without being every moment exposed to the deadly fire of a lurking foe. Their block-houses were frequently surprised and taken, and the inhabitants either massacred, or carried into captivity. No permanent settlement was effected in Vermont on the west side of the Green Mountains, till after the conquest of Canada by the English. When the French proceeded up lake Champlain and erected their fortress at Crown Point, in 1731, they began a settlement on the east side of the lake in the present township of Addison. This settlement was, however, broken up and all the settlers retired, with the French garrison, into Canada, before Gen. Amherst in 1759. This line was surveyed by Richard Hazen, in 1741, when fort Dummer was found to lie beyond the limits of Massachusetts to the north; and, as the king of Great Britain repeatedly recommended to the assembly of New Hampshire to make provision for its support, it was generally supposed to have fallen within the jurisdiction of that province, and, being situated on the west side of the Connecticut, it was supposed that New Hampshire extended as far westward as Massachusetts; that is, to a line twenty miles east of Hudson river. In the year 1741, Benning Wentworth was commissioned governor of the province of New Hampshire. On the 3d of January, 1749, he made a grant of a township of land six miles square, situated, as he conceived, on the western border of New Hampshire, being twenty miles east of the Hudson, and six miles north of Massachusetts line. This township, in allusion to his own name, he called Bennington. About the same time, a correspondence was opened between him and the governor of the province of New York, in which were urged their respective titles to the lands on the west TOWNSHIPS GRANTED. CONFLICTING CLAIMS. side of Connecticut river; yet without | lamation was calculated to produce, and regard to these interfering claims, Went- to inspire confidence in the validity of worth proceeded to make further grants. the New Hampshire grants, the governor These grants had amounted to 15 town-of New Hampshire, on his part, put forth ships in 1754, but, this year, hostilities a counter proclamation, on the 13th of were commenced between the French March, 1764, in which he declared that and English colonies, which put a stop to the grant to the Duke of York was obsofurther applications and grants till the lete;-that New Hampshire extended as close of the war, in 1760. During this far west as Massachusetts and Connectiwar, the New England troops opened a cut, and that the grants made by New road from Charlestown, in New Hamp- Hampshire would be confirmed by the shire, to Crown Point, and by frequently crown, if the jurisdiction should be alterpassing through these lands, became well ed. He exhorted the settlers to be indusacquainted with their fertility and value; trious and diligent in cultivating their and the conquest of Canada having final- lands, and not to be intimidated by the ly removed the danger of settling in this threatenings of New York. He required part of the country, these lands were now all the civil officers to exercise jurisdiceagerly sought by adventurers and spec- tion as far west as grants had been made, ulators. and to punish all disturbers of the peace.* This proclamation served to quiet the minds of the settlers. Having purchased their lands under a charter from a royal governor, and after such assurances from between the two provinces, respecting the extent of their jurisdiction, would ever affect the validity of their titles. The governor of New Hampshire, by advice of his council, now ordered a survey to be made of Connecticut river for sixty miles, and three tiers of townships to be laid out on each side. As the ap-him, they had no idea that a controversy plications for lands still increased, further surveys were ordered to be made, and so numerous were the applications, that during the year 1761, no less than sixty townships of six miles square were granted on the west side of Connecticut river. The whole number of grants, in one or two years more, had amounted to one hundred and thirty-eight. Their extent was from Connecticut river on the east to what was esteemed twenty miles east of Hudson river, so far as that river extended to the northward, and after that as far westward as lake Champlain. New York had hitherto founded her claim to the lands in question upon the grant to the Duke of York, but choosing no longer to rely on so precarious a tenure, application was now made to the crown for a confirmation of the claim. This application was supported by a petition, purporting to be signed by a great number of the settlers on the New Hampshire grants, representing that it would be for their advantage to be annexed to the colony of New York, and praying that the western bank of Connecticut river might be established as the eastern boundary of that province. In consequence of this petition and application of the government of New York, his Majesty, on the 20th of July, 1764, ordered that "the western bank of Connecticut river, from where it enters the province of Massachusetts bay, as far north as the 45th degree of north latitude, be the boundary By the fees and other emoluments, which Wentworth received in return for these grants, and by reserving five hundred acres in each township for himself, he was evidently accumulating a large fortune. The government of New York, wishing to have the profits of these lands, became alarmed at the proceedings of the governor of New Hampshire, and determined to check them. For this purpose, Mr. Colden, lieutenant governor of New York, on the 28th of December, 1763, is-line between the said provinces of New sued a proclamation, in which he recited the grants made by Charles II. to the Duke of York, in 1664, and in 1674, which embraced among other parts "all the lands from the west side of Connecticut river to the east side of Delaware bay." Founding his claim upon this grant, he ordered the sheriff of the county of Albany to make returns of the names of all persons who had taken possession of lands on the west side of the Connecticut, under titles derived from the government of New Hampshire. To prevent the effects which this proc Hampshire and New York." This determination does not appear to be founded on any previous grant, but was a decision which the wishes and convenience of the people were supposed to demand. Surprised as were the settlers on the New Hampshire grants at this order, it produced in them no serious alarm. They regarded it as merely extending the jurisdiction of New York, in future, over their territory. To this jurisdiction they were * Slade's Vermont State Papers, p. 17. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE ROYAL DECREE. willing to submit; but they had no apprehension that it could, in any way, af fect their title to the lands upon which they had settled. Having purchased and paid for them, and obtained deeds of the same under grants from the crown, they could not imagine by what perversion of justice they could be compelled, by the same authority, to re-purchase their lands or abandon them. The governor of New Hampshire, at first, remonstrated against this change of jurisdiction; but was, at length, induced to abandon the contest, and issued a proclamation recommending to the proprietors and settlers due obedience to the authority and laws of the colony of New York. SECTION III. AGENT SENT TO ENGLAND. nothing to hope from the customary forms of law, and therefore determined upon resistance to the unjust and arbitrary decisions of the court, till his Majesty's pleasure should be further known. Haying fairly purchased their lands of one royal governor, they were determined not willingly to submit and re-purchase them, at an exorbitant price, of another; and when the executive officers of New York came to eject the inhabitants from their possessions, they met with avowed opposition, and were not suffered to proceed in the execution of their business. For the purpose of rendering their resistance more effectual, various associations were formed among the settlers; and, at length, a convention of representatives from the several towns on the west side of the mountains, was called. This convention met in the fall of 1766, and, after mature deliberation, appointed Controversy with New York from 1764 Samuel Robinson, of Bennington, an to 1773. attention was paid to them by the settlers, nor was any defence made; but the settlers were very careful that none of the decisions of the court should be carried into execution. agent to represent, to the Court of Great The royal decree by which the division Britain, the grievances of the settlers, line between New Hampshire and New and to obtain, if possible, a confirmation York was established, was regarded very of the New Hampshire grants. The acdifferently by the different parties con- tions of ejectment were, however, still cerned. The settlers on the New Hamp-going on in the courts at Albany, but no shire grants considered that it only placed them hereafter under the jurisdiction of New York, and to this they were willing to submit; but they had no idea that their titles to their lands, or that any past transactions, could be affected by it. Had the government of New York given the royal decision the same interpretation, no controversy would ever have arisen. The settlers would have acknowledged its jurisdiction and submitted to its authority without a murmur. But that government gave the decision a very different construction, It contended that the order had a retrospective operation, and decided not only what should thereafter be, but what had always been, the eastern limit of New York, and consequently, that the grants made by New Hampshire were illegal and void. On the 3d of July, 1766, the colonial assembly of New York had passed an act erecting a portion of the territory covered by the New Hampshire grants into a new county, by the name of Cumberland,* and making provision for building therein a court house and jail, to be located at Chester; but in consequence of the representations made by Mr. Robinson at the British Court, his Majesty in council, was pleased, on the 26th of June, 1767, to issue an order annulling this act of the provincial legislature; and on the 24th of July following another special order was obtained, prohibiting the governor of New York, upon pain of his Majesty's highest displeasure, from making any further grants whatsoever of the lands in question, till his Majesty's further pleasure should be known concerning the same.t With these views, the government of New York proceeded to extend its jurisdiction over the New Hampshire grants. The settlers were called upon to surrender their charters, and re-purchase their lands under grants from New York. But before Mr. Robinson had fully acSome of them complied with this order, complished the business of his mission in but most of them peremptorily refused. England, he was so unfortunate as to The lands of those who did not comply take the small-pox, of which distemper were therefore granted to others, in whose he died at London, in October, 1767, and names actions of ejectment were com- it is not known that a detailed account of menced in the courts at Albany, and his proceedings was ever transmitted to judgments invariably obtained against the settlers and original proprietors. The settlers soon found that they had *See part third, article Cumberland County. Slade's Vermont State Papers, p. 20. |