86 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part II. 



BIOGRAPHY OF GOV. CHITTEDNKN. 



ADDRESS OF THANKS. 



at Guilford, in Connecticut, on the 6tb 

 day of January, 172!). At the age of 

 about 20 years, he was married to Miss 

 Elizabeth Meigs, and soon after removed 

 to Salisbury, wliere, by his industry and 

 econo!ny, he acquired a handsome landed 

 property. While he resided at Salisbury 

 he represented that town seven years in 

 the Connecticut assembly, became a civil 

 magistrate, and a colonel of the militia 

 of that state. Early in the spring of 1774, 

 he removed with his family to the New 

 Hampshire grants, as Vermont was then 

 called, having purchased a tract of land 

 on the Winooski, or Onion river, in the 

 township of Willi ston. Here he arrived 

 in the month of April or May, not know- 

 ing the spot on which he was to locate 

 himself, and without having any habi- 

 tation provided for the shelter of his 

 family. At this time there were scarcely 

 any inhabitants in Vermont to the north- 

 ward of Rutland, and none within the lim- 

 its of the county of Chittenden, excepting 

 those who had come on the present year. 

 These were locating themselves at Bur- 

 lington, Colchester, and some other places. 

 Seated upon the beautiful and fertile 

 banks of the Winooski, labor, well direct- 

 ed in the cultivation of his new farm, had 

 procured to Mr. Chittenden the neces- 

 sary provisions for the comfortable sus- 

 tenance of his family, and had opened to 

 him the prospect of manj- of the conven- 

 iences of life ; and nothing could be more 

 flattering than the prospect of rural 

 wealth, abundance and independence, as 

 the natural and certain consequence of 

 the labor of his hands and the fertility of 

 the soil. It was in the midst of these 

 improvements, and pleasing anticipations, 

 that the war of the R.evolution com- 

 menced, and the frontier settlements be- 

 came exposed to the depredations of the 

 enemy — to the merciless inroads of their 

 savage allies. In this state of things, in 

 177.J, Mr. Chittenden was employed, with 

 four others, as a committee to repair to 

 Philadelphia, and procure intelligence 

 with regard to the measures which Con- 

 gress was pursuing, and to receive advice 

 respecting the political measures proper 

 to be adopted by the people of the New 

 Hampshire grants. 



The retreat of the American army from 

 Canada, in the spring of 1776, and the 

 advance of the British upon lake Cham- 

 plain, rendering it unsafe for the few set- 

 tlers, scattered along, the western border 

 of Vermont, to remain upon their lands, 

 this section of the country was wholly 

 abandoned by the inhabitants, who retired 

 into the southern part of the district, or 

 into Massachusetts and Connecticut. Mr. 



Chittenden removed his family to Arling- 

 ton, in June of this year, was appointed 

 president of4he council of safety and soon 

 became a leading man in the consulta- 

 tions of the inhabitants. Entering with 

 deep interest into the controversy with 

 New York respecting the titles of the 

 lands in the New Hampshire grants, and 

 l)eing more acquainted with public busi- 

 ness than an}' of the settlers, in conse- 

 quence of the offices which he had held 

 in his native state, he was universally re- 

 garded as the man most suitable to be 

 placed at the head of their operations. 

 Mr. Chittenden perceived that the gen- 

 eral struggle for independence, in which 

 the colonies were now engaged, present- 

 ed a favorable opportunity for terminating 

 the controversy with New York, by erect- 

 ing the disputed territory into a new state, 

 and establishing a separate government ; 

 and having adopted this decisive plan of 

 sound policy, lie steadily pursued it, till 

 he saw the independence of Vermont ac- 

 knowledged by the neighboring states 

 and by the general government. 



He was a member of the first conven- 

 tion of delegates from the several town- 

 shi])S, which met at Dorset, September 

 25, ]77(), for the purpose of taking into 

 citnsideration tlie expediency of declaring 

 Vermont an independent state, and at the 

 subsequent meeting of the convention at 

 Westminster, January 1-5, 1777, he was 

 one of the committee who draughted the 

 declaration of independence, which was 

 there adopted, and also a member of anoth- 

 er committee, who, at that time, petitioned 

 Congress, praying that body to acknowl- 

 edge Vermont a free and independent 

 state. He assisted in forming the first 

 constitution of Vermont, which was adopt- 

 ed by the convention, July 2d, 1777, and 

 in 1776 he was elected the first governor 

 of Vermont, which office he held with the 

 exception of one year till liis death.* He 



* In 1789, there heini; no election of governor by 

 tlie people, tlie council nnd representatives in joint 

 ballot made choice of .Moses Robinson, whereupon 

 a committee was appointed to prepare an address 

 of thanks to Gov. Chittenden for his past services, 

 and on the 17th of October, the following address 

 was adopted by the general assembly. 



" To the Hon. Thomas Chittenden, Esquire : — 



Sir, — On your e.xit from the important office of 

 £;ovcrnor, which you have so long held by tl^e uni- 

 ted siifTrages of the people of this state, the repre- 

 sentatives in ■rcneral assembly met beg leave to 

 address you, and publicly demonstrate the satisfac- 

 tion tbey feel in your late administration. The 

 citizens of l-'ermont must contemplate with pleas- 

 ure, your early and reiterated endeavors to establish 

 and maintain the existence and welfare of this 

 government — and at the same time feel a grateful 

 sense of the many and good services you have ren- 

 dered them, as the supporter, guardian and pro- 

 tector of their civil liberties. 

 The representatives of the people of Vermont, 



