HISTORY (^ VERMONT. 27 



GT less, but on the defensive, and always en- 

 courage due execution of law, -in civil cases^ 

 and also in criminal Drosecutions, that are so in- 

 deed ; and that we will assist, to the utmost of 

 our power, the oficers appointed for that pur- 

 pose." The proscribed per5^>ns carritd the 

 matter still further, and in an address to the peo- 

 ple of the county of Albany, and others who 

 were situated conti5:iiou5 to the New Hampshire 

 grants, made this public declaration :* " We 

 will kill and destroy any person or persons 

 whomsoever, that shall presume to be accessary, 

 aiding or assisting iu taking any of us.'" 



To avoid the government of New York, a 

 plan was contrived about this time, by some of 

 the inhabitants and Philip Skeen, to have the 

 New Hampshire grants formed into a royal go- 

 vernment, as a new province. Skeen. 'w:is a 

 colonel in one of the kinD;'s regiments, and had 

 large possessions on lake Champlain. To eiiect 

 his designs, he went to the court of Great Brit- 

 ain, and seems to have met with some success. 

 On March 16th, 1775, he wrote to one of the 

 agents, that he was appointed to the go%'emment 

 of Crown Point, and Ticonderoga ; and should 

 soon call upon all the Hampshire inhabitants, for 

 an address, to shew their loyalty to the king ; 

 and he had no doubt, but they would shew 

 themselves to be as loyal subjects, as he had 

 represented them.t 



Ax event took place in the spring of the year 

 1775, which sen-ed still further to exasperate all 

 parlies. In. consequence of the proceedings of 



• -April 1 5. Ps^e 45. 



-f .Skua's letter to Csr:. rU^lfj, da^d LcEd;r, %^zh 16, 1'-J. 



