56 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VRRMONT. 



Part IL 



CLAIMS UPON VERMONT. 



DIFFICULTIES IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 



state of Vermont, as grants originally 

 made by tliat province. Application was 

 made to Congress for a confirmation of 

 this claim, and at the same time New 

 York applied to that body for a confirma- 

 tion of her title to the territory in ques- 

 tion. 



Circumstances connected with these 

 applications convinced the people of Ver- 

 mont, that they were the result of the 

 intrigues of the leading men in those 

 states, and were designed to effect a di- 

 vision of Vermont between them, by a 

 line along the summit of the Green Moun- 

 tains.* As the other states in general 

 took but little interest in these controver- 

 sies, and as the adjustment of them was 

 embarrassing to Congress, it was thought 

 that, if New Hampshire and New York 

 should agree, it would be left pretty much 

 to those two states to settle the affairs of 

 Vermont between tliem,in which caseVcr- 

 mont must certainly lose her separate 

 existence as a state. But either to disap- 

 point the parties, which appeared to be 

 resolved on the anniiiilation of Vermont, 

 or for some other cause, Massachusetts 

 now interposed, and claimed a portion of 

 the disputed territory, as within her juris- 

 diction. Thus was Vermont struggling 

 to maintain her independence against the 

 three adjoining states, which were all 

 claiming her territory and the right of 

 jurisdiction, nor had her proceedings yet 

 received any countenance or encourage- 

 ment from the continental Congress. 



Section IV. 



Controversy inilh Kew York^ Kcw Hamp- 

 shire and Massachusetts, in 1778, 1779, 

 and 17SU. 



During the troubles, resulting from 

 the union with a part of New Hamp- 

 shire, and which have been mentioned in 

 the preceding section, Vermont was still 

 as deeply as ever involved in the contro- 

 versy with New York ; but now, events 

 transpired in the southeastern part of the 

 county of Cumberland, which gave to 

 that controversy a much more alarming 

 aspect. On the "7th of July, 1778, Gover- 

 nor Clinton wrote to his friends in Ver- 

 mont, recommending, that wherever the 

 partizans of New York were sufficiently 

 powerful, firm resistance should be made 

 to tlie draugliting of men, the raising of 

 taxes, and to all the acts of the " ideal 

 Vermont State ; and also " that associa- 

 tions be formed for mutual defence against 

 this usurpation." At the same time he 



* See VVilliaina' History, Vol, II. page ld4. 



wrote to Congress, urging their decision 

 of the controversy, and blaming the peo- 

 ple of Vermont for the violence of their 

 proceedings. 



In conformity to the recommendation 

 of Governor Clinton, the friends of New 

 York met in convention at Brattleboro', 

 on tlie 4th of May, 1779, and, having or- 

 ganized, drew up a petition to the Gover- 

 nor of New York, in which, after stating 

 the summary manner in which the pre- 

 tended State of Vermont was proceeding 

 to confiscate their property, and various 

 other grievances, tliey "entreat his ex- 

 cellency to take immediate measures for 

 protecting the loyal subjects of that part 

 of the state, and for convincing Congress 

 of the impropriety of delaying a decision 

 in a matter, which so nearly concerned 

 the peace, welfare and lives of many of 

 tlieir firm adlierents."" About the same 

 time a military association was formed in 

 Cumberland county for the purpose of 

 opposing the authority of Vermont. 



in consequence of representing that 

 they had a regiment of 500 men, and of 

 making some other false assertions, sev- 

 eral commissions had been obtained from 

 Governor Clinton; and the government 

 of Vermont, tliereforc, found it necessary 

 to take measures to put a stop to these 

 military movements. Ethan Allen was. 

 accordingly ordered by the governor ta 

 call out the militia for that purpose. 

 When the adherents of New York were 

 informed of tiiese transactions on the part 

 of Vermont, Col. Patterson, who held a 

 commission in the county of Cumberland 

 under the authority of New York, wrote 

 to Governor Clinton, May 5th, for direc- 

 tions how to proceed, and suggested the 

 necessity of sending the militia of Albany 

 county to his assistance. This letter and 

 the foregoing petition were answered by 

 the governor with assurances of protec- 

 tion ; and he recommended that the au- 

 thority of Vermont should not be acknowl- 

 edged, except in the alternative of sub- 

 mission or inevitable ruin. 



On the 18th of May, Governor Clin- 

 ton wrote to the president of Congress, 

 "that matters were fast approaching to a 

 very serious crisis, which nothing but 

 the immediate interposition of Congress 

 could possibly prevent ;, that he daily ex- 

 pected he should be obliged to order out 

 a force for the defence of those Avho ad- 

 hered to New York ; that the wisdom of 

 Congress would suggest to them what 

 would be the consequence of siibmitting 

 the controversy, especially at this junc- 

 ture, to the decision of the sword ; but 



* For this petition see Slaiie's Vernionl State Pa- 

 pcrs, page 100. 



