UC-NRLF $B bO 517 GIFT OF txxrcSL YYV oJvXSbw V ^ Photo, by Hills & Bowers, Burlington, Vt. Copyright, according to Act of Congress, 1873. THE STEPHENSON STATUE OF ETHAN ALLEN EXERCISES ATTENDING THE UNVEILING AND PRESENTATION Statue of Gen. Ethan Allen BXJPlLIlsrG-TOZSr 3 "V^EIRJVEOISrT, July 4th, 1873, INCLUDING AN ORATION BY HON. L. E. CHITTENDEN. BURLINGTON : FREE PRESS PRINT 1874. \rf > x .^ r more Canadian volunteers." Having made the tour of many villages, and assured the people that the army came not to make war upon them or their religion, hut upon the power of Great Britain, in company with about eighty Canadians he finally reached the banks of the St. Lawrence, opposite Montreal. At the village of Laprairie tie met Major Brown with a force of two hundred and fifty men. Biown proposed to attack and capture Montreal, by surprise, and Allen eagerly accepted the proposition. It was agreed that Allen should cross at Longeuil below, and Brown at Laprairie above the city, and on the exchange of three cheers, which were,' to be fust given by Brown's party, the attack should be made. The latter agreed to cross early the next morning, and both well knew that success could only be expected by co-operation Brown failed to keep his promise on the excuse of bad weather. .Mien*, whom the elements had no power to delay, crossed over and when the morning broke, found himself alone with less than a hundred raw Canadians, on an island in front of a large city. Disdaining to retreat, and still hoping for Brown's advance, he held his ground until an escaped prisoner betrayed to the enemy the weakness of the party. The British rallied a mixed crowd of five hundred regulars and volunteers and attacked him. He was surrounded, fought bravely as long as there was any hope, but at length was compelled to surrender upon the promise of honorable treatment as a prisoner of war. I lis first experience as a prisoner had its comic as well as its tragic features. The moment lie gave up his sword, he was set upon by a savage, in whose face, lie declared, appeared all the malice, wrath, death and murder of devils. His only means of defence was to seize an officer and interpose him as a breastwork between himself and his assailant — a difficult matter when the Indian was on every side at once, seeking an opportu- nity to shoot him without killing the Briton. He succeeded in whirling him between himself and the redskin until he was at- tacked by another of those " imps of hell." He then had to increase his agility, and he declares that he made the officer fly around him with incredible velocity. At length a gallant Irish- man came to his aid and drove off his assailants. Allen quaintly remarks of this ludicrous exhibition that " it served to compose his mind." The conduct of Prescott, who commanded the British on this occasion, was brutal in the extreme. He ordered a number of the Canadians to be shot on the spot, and actually drew up the firing party, when Allen stepped between them and their victims, bared his bosom, and told Prescott to take his revenge on him, for he was the sole cause of their taking up arms. Prescott suspended the execution and the Canadians were saved. But he declared that Allen should grace a halter at Tyburn. and then in violation of his promise sent him in irons on board a vessel of war. There he was loaded with forty pounds weight of manacles, and sent to Quebec. The impression he made upon his ene- mies is shown by the fact, that, prisoner as he was, he was cho- sen by an officer as his second in a duel, and gave his parol to return when the fight was over. He was soon after sent to England, confined for some months in Pendennis Castle — then placed on shipboard and carried to the Carolinas, thence to Hal- ifax, and, late in the year following his capture, he was landed in the city of New York. 36 His treatment during this long period was execrable. It was a disgrace to the British name and nation. Tyranny is the unerring proof of a mean and narrow spirit. Most of the offi- cers under whom Allen was placed seemed to experience a bru- tal delight in inventing cruelties and privations to break him down. They failed of their purpose. His iron w T ill and in- domitable firmness never yielded for a moment. He seemed to regard himself as the representative of the American people, and he would not give his enemies the triumph of seeing them and their cause degraded in his person. In maintaining his own dignity he upheld theirs. Prescott threatened to cane him, and the unarmed prisoner shook his manacled fist in the face of the British general. Loaded with fetters and contumely, cov- ered with rags and soiled with filth from which he could not free himself, he bore himself as proudly as a monarch on his throne, so that the better disposed of his keepers sent him food and drink from their own tables. Incensed by a swaggering doctor, he tore off his irons with his teeth, and poured upon him such a flood of indignant reproach, that he slunk out of his presence. Again insulted by an officer who came to gape at him in the hole where he had been thrust with forty companions, he sprang at him like a panther and tore him down. The men w T ho drove him with their bayonets to his prison-pen, would come privately and bring him little comforts. In England they sought to frighten him by threats of the gallows : he answered by a letter to the American Commander advising prudent retaliation. They could not hide him away from the sympathy of kind hearts. The people who came to gaze at him as a show would slip guineas intojiis pockets. He won the respect of all true- hearted Englishmen. When he came to the Cove of Cork the enthusiastic Irish sent him clothing, filled his purse with gold, and had they not been prevented, would have loaded the ship with stores and supplies. " I am a gentleman, and have the right to walk the deck," was his proud answer to the Captain who ordered him with oaths to go below : and after that he 37 walked the deck with impunity. His imprisonment was a tri- umph which disgraced none but those who sought to disgrace him. There was only one occasion when his fortitude gave way. He tells the story with the bashfulness of a girl. Long im- prisonment, deprivation rags, disease and vermin, applied long enough, will break down the strongest man. He had borne all these, and at Halifax they were supplemented by the scurvy, which would have ended his life had he not been relieved by the charity of a lady who furnished him with food and vegeta- bles. The wasted shadow which went on shipboard there, to be sent to New York, was a poor representative of the hardy mountaineer: but his spirit was just as defiant as at the moment of his capture. He was summoned before the Captain. Ex- pecting some new exhibition of the tyranny of the quarter deck, he summoned his little remaining strength to maintain his na- tural character, and to defy this new display of the malice of his enemies. To his profound astonishment, Captain Smith met him with a hearty shake of the hand, welcomed him to his ship, invited him to his table, and mentioned as if a matter of course that he had ordered every man under him to treat Colonel Al- len with the respect and consideration due to an officer of his rank. Such unexpected humanity did what no amount of ill- treatment could have done. It overcame him, and for a time deprived him of the power of speaking. He turned away to hide his emotion, and then with a broken voice expressed his gratitude for kindness, all the more generous since he would never be able to repay it. "I look for no reward," was the bluft response of the noble sailor; " I only treat you as one gentleman should treat another. This is a mutable world, and one never knows how soon it may be in his power to do another a favor." The reward came to Captain Smith very speedily. They were sailing along the coast not many days afterwards, when . 38 the prisoners formed a plot to kill the Captain, master the crew, and seize the ship with the thirty-five thousand pounds in treasure then on board. Several of the crew had already been corrupted, and Allen's consent, upon which they had counted, was only necessary to the success of the conspiracy. The leader detailed his plans, never doubting Allen's prompt concurrence. " This plot must end here and now !" was his answer, " and I must have your promise to end it. or I will disclose it to the Captain and defend him with my life. He has treated us like gentlemen, and he shall not be murdered !" The plot was abandoned and never revived. Perhaps the most creditable part of the incident, so far as Allen is concerned, is the fact that he kept the secret, and Captain Smith never knew from him how well he had repaid his kindness. He reached New York in October. Here he fared miser- ably enough, but personal ill-treatment did not wring his heart like those barbarities which he saw inflicted on the American prisoners, which fastened such indelible dishonor on the British name. They were never equalled until the days of Salisbury and Andersonville. When allowed to go at large, he labored day and night, with all his strength, resources and credit, for their relief. He was there when two thousand of these martyrs were sacrificed to what he calls " the scientific barbarity of Bri- tain." The enemy sought to bribe him with the offer of a reg- iment and service abroad, to desert his flag. He spurned the bribe, and they declared he must be crazy. To cure him, they threw him into a dungeon, with thieves and murderers, and almost starved him to death. But the victory of Bennington and the capture of Burgoyne furnished the Americans with abundant material for retaliation, and improved his treatment. It was not, however, until May, 1778, well towards three years after his capture, that he was finally exchanged for Colonel Campbell of the British army. He then proceeded to Valley Forge, where Washington received him with the strongest ex- pressions of respect and esteem. He has recorded the impres-- 39 / sion made by the returned prisoner in no doubtful terms. He was weak and emaciated in body, but his heart was strong and true. Washington's letter to Congress, in furtherance of Allen's desire to enter the service again as soon as his strength was restored, shows how admirably the Father of his country esti- mated men. It is too illustrative to be omitted here. " I have been happy," he wrote, " in the exchange and a visit from Col. Allen. His fortitude and firmness seem to have placed him out of the reach of misfortune. There is an original something in him that commands admiration : and his long cap- tivity and sufferings have only served to increase if possible his enthusiastic zeal. He appears very desirous of rendering his services to the States and of being employed, and at the same time he docs not disclose any ambition for high rank. Congress will herewith receive a letter from him. and I doubt not they will make such provision for him as they may think proper and suitable. " : Congress responded by granting him a Colonel's commis- sion, with words of commendation which doubled the value of the reward. After visit to General Gates, who treated him. as he says, " with the generosity of a lord," he returned to Ben- nington on the last day of May. 1778, where he was received with great rejoicing. Among other manifestations, a salute was fired, of thirteen guns for the older States, and one for young A r crmont. The surrender of Burgoync was substantially the end of the fighting in this quarter, and Allen never again entered act- ive service in the Continental .army. The position of Arcrmont was precarious, and his interest in her fortunes was too great to permit him to seek employment elsewhere. She was putting the machinery of her government in motion, in which there w r as some friction, and her enemies had become more dangerous since they had substituted intrigue for force. He entered her service with renewed activity, and until her final admission his 40 tongue and pen were employed in her behalf. Robinson, who had been successful with Arnold, offered him large bribes to desert: his answer was the transmission of Robinson's letters to Congress. He was prominent in the negotiations with Haldi- mand, which secured quiet here until the end of the war. His last appearance in arms was in the suppression of the refrac- tory " Yorkers" in Windham county. With a hundred of his Green Mountain Boys he marched to Guilford, and there issued a proclamation, which is a model of directness and brevity: ;i I, Ethan Allen, declare, that unless the people of Guilford peace- ably submit to the authority of Vermont; I will make the town as desolate as were the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah ! "' They submitted. He saw the Revolution ended, and the States in- dependent, but did not survive to see Vermont finally take her seat in the National Council. His sword was changed into a ploughshare, he became a farmer in yonder beautiful valley, and there, mourned by an attached people, he died in February, 1789. I have not attempted so much as a reference to all the prominent events in Allen's life. They are far too numerous for the present occasion. His vigorous writings in behalf of Vermont have not been mentioned. It is better far to pass them over than to touch them superficially. As we pass through a beautiful conservatory, we may gather here and there a spec- imen flower, so in the rich field of vYllen's life I have just touched upon a few events which illustrate his character. Even in this I am only too conscious of failure. But in my judg- ment he is mirrored as the natural product of the times and circumstances in which he lived — altogether one of the most interesting characters found in their history. It would be a grave mistake to gloss over his faults or to deny their existence. They are just as necessary to the picture as his merits. But justice requires that they should not be exaggerated. They have been, and grossly, for many who have written concerning 41 him have taken counsel of their prejudices instead of their rea- son. Beside his grave you will pardon me a single refutation. The greatest, perhaps the one indefensible charge against Colonel Allen is founded upon his religious opinions. These are perhaps as objectionable to me as to his harshest critics, few of whom know what he did or did not believe. They have no difficulty in leaping to the conclusion that he was an infidel of the worst type, and morally as bad a man as modern isms have produced. I have seen it stated that he believed neither in God nor in Eternity. Allen never concealed his opinions. He has recorded the religious views he once held, plainly and clearly. His active life> passed in the service of freedom, while in the highest degree unfavorable to religious instruction or convictions, did not fail to develop, perhaps abnormally, his independence of thought upon all subjects, religion included. It was not only his nature, in the exercise of his powerful intellect, to bring every proposi- tion to the standard of human reason, but he could not do oth- erwise without, as he thought, violating his common sense. In religion, as in all the affairs of life, he followed his reason. It led him to the belief in and firm conviction of an eternal, infi- nite, omnipotent and all wise Ruler of the universe ; in the im- mortality of the soul ; in human responsibility to conscience and to God, coupled Avith perfect freedom of action and will ; in the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked in a future life, upon principles of infinite justice. In that he reached the ultimate end which the schools of ethics are agreed may be reached by the light of natural reason — where reason stops and faith begins. That he did so, proves that he was a metaphysi- cian of no ordinary powers. There he halted. Belief in mira- cles, in the Bible as an inspired revelation, in the divinity and incarnation of Christ — all the doctrines received through faith — he rejected as contrary to reason. In advocacy of these views he wrote a book, now almost forgotten, and which I would do 42 nothing to rescue from its merited oblivion. There was a tinge of orthodoxy in his nature, but he called himself, and was in fact, a theist. Had he lived to-daj, he would not have been a worse man than many members of respected religious denomi- nations. In the seventeenth century the influence of such doctrines was widely extended by the asceticism of the Puritans and the rigid formality of the established church. By his ardent sup- port of the cause of Vermont, Allen had formed a strong at- tachment for Dr. Joseph Young, who had adopted these princi- ples and was a warm disciple of William Blount, an eminent theist of the period named, and the author of many heterodox works, one of them called " The Oracles of Reason." Through Young, Allen became acquainted with the writings of Blount, and a convert to his opinions. The book which Allen wrote was little more than a reproduction of Blount's li Oracles " and other writings, and presents the same arguments almost in their consecutive order. To such men as Allen wisdom cometh with increase of years. One incident, well authenticated, in his later life, will enable you to judge of the tenacity of his final adherence to these views. He was blessed with a religious wife, and a daugh- ter whom he loved with all the affection of his great and gentle heart. Early fitted for a better life, she was called to its expe- rience before she reached womanhood. As she lay upon her dying bed she called her father to her side, and said to him : u Father, I am about to die. Shall I believe in your princi- ples or in those my mother has taught me?" His frame quiv- ered, and for a moment he could not reply. But when at last his affection burst forth in tears, there came Avith them in gentle tones, from his trembling lips, words which must have fallen upon the ears of the dying girl almost as comforting as the voices of angels welcoming her to eternal rest: " My child, be- lieve what your mother has taught you !" Censors of Ethan Allen, '■ Judge not and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not 43 and ye shall not be condemned. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again." From whatever standpoint we look at Ethan Allen our impression is always the same, lie is always the conspicuous fio-ure, the recognized leader, the man who moulds others to his will. The view may be as brief as that we catch when the lightning flashes across the darkness of the midnight sky, but it is as clear and full as it would be under the glare of the noonday sun. He plants himself in the dentist's chair and orders a healthy molar to be wrenched from its socket, to en- courage a nervous, suffering woman, whose pride is thus made to overcome her fears. " I did not employ you to lie ; that note is mine ; I only want a little time to pay it !" he fairly roars at his astonished lawyer, who had denied his signature in the trial of a lawsuit ; and his opponent gives him all the time he asks. " This man must be hung according to law," he exclaims to the crowd threatening to lynch the reprieved tory and spy ; " come here next Friday and you shall see somebody hung ; if Redding is not, I will be hung myself," — and the crowd peaceably disperses. " Look at that poor mother, and then say if you can go to your homes and sleep," he says to the discouraged neighbors, about to give up the search for the lost children ; and back to the quest goes every man of them, never to give it up until the lost wanderers are restored to their mother's arms. These transient gleams, flashed upon him in his unstudied mo- ments, reveal his true character. Men and brethren, the hour is filled with instruction. But its lesson is not new. Of old time it was given out by the Preacher, the son of David, King of Jerusalem : " whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might." Behold their re- ward who faithfully obey the mandate of the Great Teacher ! A century ago there came into this wilderness a few plain men. The thought of future greatness they never conceived. They came not to found a. State, but to establish their homes. Ty- 44 ranny threw his giant arms around them, and they burst from his iron embrace. Left to their own resources, with no friend but Him who is called the " Counsellor," they constructed a government upon the broad foundations of justice and equity — they defended it with the skill of diplomacy and the power of the sword. They met their enemies on many a field, and were always victorious because always right. They left to their children the legacy of as good a government as human hands have ever framed. They little thought, those day-laborers at the post of duty, that they were raising monuments to them- selves which would never perish while the race survived. They were not the first who have builded better than they knew. Soldiers in the campaign of life, whose faces are constantly set on the future ! halt here and turn them backward over the great highway which has been trodden by the army of man- kind. Back in the depths of prehistoric night, in that dark age when primeval man first contended, with weapons of stone, against brute beasts for the dominion of the earth, it begins, in his savage lair, among the reedy fens and dank morasses of an antediluvian wilderness. It is strewn thick on either side with skull and skeleton, mute witnesses of races that have perished by the way. The night encampment where each day's march was ended, has once been marked by its own memorial cairn. At first so slight that it fell with the first wave that washed the place where it stood, so near the next that it is doubtful whe- ther it marks an advance or a retreat, then more permanent and distant, as the race moved on, until at length they rise, ma- jestic shafts, proclaiming to all the future the discovery of a science or a continent. As we stand on this grassy mount, and look down the wondrous colonnade, which it has required all time to build, it is lighted up with the meridian splendor of present civilization. In bold relief stands out the record of each great achievement, sculptured upon the pillared capitals. There is one arcade where the clustered columns seem to rise loftier, and 45 the record to flash out in more golden splendor. It marks the birth of our republic, the days when our fathers lived. As we fix our eyes upon it their age becomes heroic, and those plain farmers rise to the stature of great men. The State they founded has grown in strength and honors, and is filled with the comfortable homes of an energetic people. Their descendants have carried their names to the ends of the earth, to be honored wherever they are known. The laws of nature seem to be reversed, and these men rise as they recede. Among them we behold statesmen broad in conception, wise in counsel, firm in execution ; orators whose words of power fire the soul ; diplo- matists who met antagonists trained in courts and skilled in intrigue, and worsted them ; lawyers elevated to the level of legal principles, who with them could frame constitutions : sol- diers brave in war, moderate in peace : philosophers splendid in success, dignified, and therefore more splendid, in adversity. It is a discipline to human pride to look upon the picture, for over it is written the inscription : " There were giants in those days." One of the monuments of their great soldier we complete to-day. He was the leader of their little army, the defender of their simple faith. Simple it was, truly, for its creed was sum- marized in the maxim, "To every one his own," and compre- hended nothing beyond the natural right of every man to hold his opinions and his possessions free from the control or dictation of every human superior. It was symbolized by no heraldic sign, blazoned upon no knightly shield. But it was impressed by the Almighty upon the hearts of men, and in the sublimity of its power is surpassed by none save that embraced in the two com- mandments whereon hang all the law and the prophets. To such men as Allen and his cotemporaries, who defended it when its apostles were few and its enemies many and mighty, the world owes the fact that it has now become the faith of nations, and numbers among its proselytes the good and the true of all the 46 earth. Since it was born of Christianity it never had a more faithful soldier. The few scattered rays shed from the light of history upon widely distant portions of his career are only in- tended to sketch its outline. Would you do him justice, you must study the record and fill up the picture. lie was not a model, and none so well as himself knew his imperfections. But he never concealed them : nor have I departed from his ex- ample. Alike in victory and defeat, in success and adversity, he compelled the admiration of his enemies. When, like the Psalmist, " innumerable evils compassed him about," and "trou- bles came not single spies, but in battalions," he never despaired, but rose above them, serene, unconquerable, and always a sol- dier. The ceremonies by which Vermont recalls his deeds and commends him to the grateful remembrance of her children are indeed imposing ; but since she had a flag to defend there have been no honors in her service more bravely won than those which she lays to-day upon her chieftain's grave. Men of Vermont ! The reproofs of instruction are the way of life. Yonder shaft and statue, the monument of a sol- dier's glory, are your instruction. Think not because brave men won your liberties, and secured the blessings which you now enjoy, that you have nothing to do but to sit quietly down and bask in the sunlight of your ancestral glories. There is a work for every man, and yours lies before you. So long as by slothfulness the building decayeth, so long can the blessings of a free government be preserved by labor and watchfulness alone. Mark the notes of Avarning which rise from your nation's capi- tal and your sister States, calling you to watch with eagle eye the sappers and miners of corruption, approaching with stealthy steps on every side the temple wherein is the treasure of your inheritance. You have besides a mission whose field is the world. Your duty cannot be performed until corruption, tyr- anny and oppression are driven from the earth — until every human being, created in the image of his Maker, is a freeman, 47 in full possession of his natural birthright of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Duty rises with its knowledge and the ability to perform it. Had Allen and his associates taken " yet a little more sleep, a little folding of the hands to sleep," instead of Vermont with her record and her influence, there would have been a provincial county or country district. Let Yermonters emulate their energy and follow their examples, and there may be yet other Vermonts on the Pacific shores, in the Celestial Empire and Farther India. Not upon us rests all the responsibility, it is true, but in the great army of human- ity we are all soldiers. We live in a favored age. Art and science are moving forward with gigantic strides. Every day is made glorious by the splendor of some new and grand dis- covery, which marks the progress of human development another stage. The war which began in Eden is not yet ended. The prize of the battle is the empire of the world. The armies are gathering for the final campaign. Every nation must furnish its own quota. Under the black flag serve all the satellites of slavery, injustice, oppression, corruption and despotic barbar- ism ; under the banner of Christian civilization are all the true, the just and the free. Our loyal service is a duty which, if need be, we must perform without rank or pay. Yonder, upon a distant continent, it may be upon the very spot where man first fell from his high estate, is the stronghold and capital city of the enemy. His soldiers are encamped round about it. On this side lie the wilderness, with its breastAvorks, outposts and redoubts, which swarm with the legions of the foe. But the wilderness must be traversed, the capital city must be taken, the enemy must be destroyed. Are we ready for the last cam- paign ? The hour of the conflict draws near. The note of prep- aration has already sounded. Its music stirs the blood and touches the heart of every freeman. From town and city, mountain and valley, hill and plain, the recruits are pouring in. They come as the winds and waves come, gathering "thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks of Yallombrosa." In 48 one corps let there be no faltering heart, no doubtful answer to the call And when the order for the march shall come, let it ring through the army, filling every true man's heart with high hope and unfaltering courage— the sure presage of victory- sharp and clear, as once it rang along Virginia's plains : "Put the Vermonters in the front, and close up the column !" The orator was frequently and heartily applauded during the oration, and at its close. €LOSING EXERCISES. After :i Hail Columbia" by the bands, the hymn : "My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty," was sung by the choir and the assembly, the bands swelling the chorus, with grand effect. The exercises closed with a benediction by the chaplain. The procession re-formed and passed through the cemetery, under the monument, and thence through Colchester Avenue, Pearl street and Church street to the square, where it disbanded. The day ended with a grand display of fireworks on the College Park, the closing piece of which was a large repre- sentation of the Statue, with the motto: "In the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress." It was esti- mated that the fireworks were witnessed by not less than twelve thousand persons. Evidence of the interest shown in the occasion, by the people of Vermont, was not confined to the large attendance on the ceremonies, but appeared in letters from leading citizens to the Committee of Arrangements, and in the accounts and comments of the Press of the State. This interest was the more noticeable in view of somewhat recent attempts to traduce the memory of Ethan Allen, and to attack through him the honor and fair fame of the founders of the State of Vermont, made by certain gentlemen of a " New School of History" in New York State, whose contributions to History seem to be confined in large degree to abuse of eminent patriots of former days, and attempts to transfer their laurels to traitors and no- bodies. The occasion afforded throughout ample proof that the people of the State of Vermont, in spite of his traducers, still hold in undiminished and undying honor, the memory of the Hero of Ticonderoga. APPENDIX. APPENDIX LETTER FROM HON. J. N. POMEROY TO GOV. CONVERSE. Burlington, 11th March, 1873. His Excellency, Julius Converse, Woodstock : Dear Sir — You are aware, of course, that the State of Vermont has caused to be erected in Green Mount Cemetery in this City, a granite column, some forty-three feet in height, to the memory of Ethan Allen, and that the Legislature authorized the Committee who had charge of that work to procure to be placed thereon a heroic Statue of that distin- guished Patriot, without expense to the State. The Committee, as at first appointed by the Governor, were Charles Adams, Esq., and the writer hereof ; but Mr. Adams soon retiring, the Hon. George P. Marsh was appointed to fill his place. For various reasons— the want of funds, unfavorable legislation, the continued absence of Mr. Marsh as our Min- ister tc Italy, and the overwhelming excitement of the rebellion — the work has been necessarily postponed until the present time. We are happy now in announcing that the long desired statue, of Carrara marble, is now on the way from Italy, and is expected to be here and placed on the monument early in the month of May next, probably on the 10th of that month, which is the anniversary of the taking of Ticonderoga. When this is done, the functions of the present Committee will cease, and whatever of notice or celebration of the event (if any) shall take place, will, it is presumed, depend upon the action of the Governor of the State. Should your Excellency favor a celebration, as we doubt not you will, we beg you will pardon us for suggesting the appointment of a committee of arrangements to carry out the design. Should any address be contemplated, no time should be lost in the selection of an orator. We again beg pardon for the freedom of these suggestions, which are intended to facilitate, but not control your action, and are, Very respectfully, Your Excellency's obedient servants, JOHN N. POMEROY, for Committee. 54 GQV. CONVERSES REPLY. Executive Chamber, ) Woodstock, March 13, 1873. j Hon. John N, Pomeroy : Dear Sir— Your favor of the 11th instant reached me last evening. I am glad to learn that the Statue of Allen is on its way to America, and that it is proposed by the Committee having the matter in charge to have it raised to its position on the anniversary of the taking of Ticonderoga, the 10th of May next. It seems to me highly befitting the occasion to have in connection with the ceremonial a public celebration. The event which is so glorious to Allen and important to his country should be immortalized. Should you agree with me, and will permit me, I would name for the committee of arrangements for the occasion Edward J. Phelps, Luther C. Dodge, Wm. G. Shaw, G. G. Benedict. Should you, gentlemen, think it best to add gentlemen out of Burlington, please name them and add them to this list. Very respectfully, your humble servant, JULIUS CONVERSE. MR. POMEROY TO GOV. CONVERSE. Burlington, 17th March, 1873. His Excellency, Gov. Converse, Woodstock : Dear Sir— Your favor of the 13th instant, in answer to mine of the 11th instant, was duly received, and I have at length the gentlemen you nominated as the Committee on the part of the City of Burlington to make arrangements for the Ethan Allen Statue Celebration, and they have accepted the nomination, and expressed their readiness to enter upon and discharge the duties implied, in conjunction with such other citizens as they might select and be by you approved. I remain, very truly, Your Excailency's obedient servant, JOHN N. POMEROY, for Committee. THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMITTEE TO MR. CHITTENDEN. Burlington, April 13, 1873. Hon. i. E. Chittenden, New York City: Dear Sir — The Committee of Arrangements for the inauguration and presentation to the State of Vermont of a Statue of Gen. Ethan 55 Allen, to be placed upon the monument over his grave in Green Mount Cemetery, have fixed on the Fourth of July next, as the time for the un- veiling and presentation of the Statue ; have decided that one of the prominent features of the day shall be an address commemorative of the character and services of Ethan Allen ; and have unanimously desig- nated yourself as the orator of the occasion. The Committee believe that no man can better do this service, and trust that you will accept the duty. Respectfully, your obedient servant, G. G. BENEDICT, Secretary of the Com. of Arrangements. mr. chittenden s reply. 25 West 38th Street, ) New York, April 19th. 1873. f Dear Sir— I have receivtd your note of the 13th inst. asking me to deliver an address on the occasion of the inauguration and presentation to the State of the statue of Ethan Allen on the fourth of next July. I think the committee would have decided more wisely had they extended this invitation to some other Vermonter, for I have recently presented to the Legislature and the Historical Society of Vermont many of the piominent facts in . Hen's life, which must to a certain extent be repeated on such an occasion But if the committee prefer that I should deliver the address, I shall be happy to accept the invitation, and will endeavor to do the subject justice. Yours very truly, L. E. CHITTENDEN. G. G. Benedict, Esq., Secretary, &c, &c. letter from president grant. Execttive Mansion, Washington, D. C, Mny 31, 1873. 7b Hon. L. C. Dodge, Burlington, VI. Sir— The President directs me to acknowledge the receipt of your very cordial invitation to be present at the unveiling of the Statue of Gen. Ethan Allen on the 4th of July next. It would afford him pleasure to assist in the exercises in honor of that distinguished patriot, and also to greet the citizens of Vermont assembled on the occasion, but his engagements are such that he is not able to accept. 56 He wishes me to thank you for your very kind invitation, and to assure you of his sincere wish that the occasion may be one of great pleasure to all assembled. I am. Sir, your obedient servant, O. E. Babcock, Secretary. LETTER FROM GEN. SHERMAN. Headquarters Armies of the United States, j 173. \ Washington, D. C, May 31, 18'i To Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor, and Chairman Local Com., Burlington, VI.: My Dear Sir — I am just come back from the West, whither I went to assist in the obsequies of my old comrade, General Canby, and find your letter of May 20, inviting me to come to Burlington so as to be present at the exercises connected with the Unveiling and Inauguration of the Statue of Ethan Allen, on the 4th day of July next. I regret extremely that it will be impossible for me to come at that time. I have made other arrangements for that special day, because my family will not as in former years come to Vermont this summer, but must content themselves with a summer resort nearer home. Ethan Allen was one of those stalwart, brave and heroic men, that I would delight to honor. His name has already inspired hundreds to do deeds of glory in our country's cause, that are reflected in almost every page of modern history, and you do a most graceful deed in placing his statue on the shores of that Lake, that must have been looked on by him in life with feelings of intense admiration and pride. The next time it is my good fortune to pass down Champlain my eye will certainly look for the form and figure of him who was the beau ideal of our youthful conception of the worthy leader of the "Green Mountain Boys." Certain that you will have a large attendance of the first men of New England, and that all things will be done wortly of the occasion, I am truly your friend, W. T. SHERMAN, General. letter from lieutenant gen. sheridan. Headquarters Mil. Div. of the Missouri, Chicago, 111., June 27th, 1873. To the Hon. L. C. Dodge, Burlingtoi , VI.: My Dear Sir— As the Fourth of July approaches I find, much to my regret, that my official duties will oblige my absence at that date. I have, 57 just returned from a trip to Minnesota, and will be obliged within a few days to again absent myself in that direction, as the government is about constructing some military posts along the line of the Northern Pacific Railroad which require my personal attention. Again regretting my inability to be with you upon the unveiling of Gen. Ethan Allen's Statue, and wishing you a thoroughly enjoyable time, upon the occasion, I am very truly yours, P. H. SHERIDAN, Lieut. General. LETTER FROM MAJ. GEN. HANCOCK. New York, June 2, 1873. Hon. L. C, Dodge, Burlington, Vt. My Dear Sir — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your kind letter of the 20th inst., inviting me to be present at the Inaugura- tion of a marble Statue of Gen. Ethan Allen, at Burlington, on the 4th proximo. It would have given me very great pleasure to have accepted the in- vitation to witness the ceremonies on that interesting occasion; but be- fore receiving it I had made arrangements for an official visit to the military posts on the lakes, and although I expect to visit Burlington later in the season, I shall hardly be able to reach that point until some time during the latter part of July. I am very truly yours, W. S. HANCOCK, Maj. Gen. U. S. A. LETTER FROM GEN. WM. F. SMITH. London, June 12, 1873. Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor : ■ Sir— It is with great regret that absence from the United States compels me to forego the pleasure of meeting my distinguished brothers in arms, and doing honor to the memory of Vermont's celebrated soldier on the approaching 4th of July. I thank you for the kind terms in which your invitation was extended to me, and I trust your exercises may be interesting and instructive, and that hereafter all young Vermonters may, whenever tailed upon to draw the sword, take, in patriotism and bravery, Ethan Allen as their model. Yours faithfully, WM. F. SMITH. 58 LETTER FROM GOVERNOR PERHAM OF MAINE. State of Maine, ] Executive Department, \ Augusta, May 29, 1873. J Hon, I.. C. Dodge, Chairman, &c: Dear Sir— I am under obligations to you for your kind invitation to the exercises connected with the unveiling, presentation and inaugu- ration of the Statue of Ethan Allen. It would afford me great pleasure to be present on that interesting occasion, but my official duties will probably prevent. Should I find it possible to be absent from the State at the time named I will communicate with you again. Yours respectfully, S. PEKHAM. letter from governor straw of new hampshire. State of New Hampshire, ) Executive Department, > Concord, June 9th, 1873. ) Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor of Burlington, Ft: My Dear Sir — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of May 10th, inviting me to be present at the exercises connected with the inauguration of the statue of Ethan Allen on the 4th day of July next. Please accept my thanks for your kind invitation, and my regrets that I shall be unable to be present with ycu on that occasion, having made engagements for that day at home. It would have given me great pleasure to join with you in celebrat- ing the anniversary of our Independence, by honoring such a noble patriot as Ethan Allen. Yours very truly, E. A. STRAW. letter from governor washburn of massachusetts. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, ^ Executive Department, v Boston, Gth June, 1873. ) Hon. L. C. Dodge, Chairman of Committee, Mayor of Burlington, VL: Sir— I thank you and the Committee, of which you are Chairman, for an invitation to attend the Inauguration Ceremonies at Burlington 59 on the fourth of next month. It would give me great pleasure not only to' be present on that occasion but to visit your beautiful city and meet your distinguished guests. But the prospect as to official duties at home does not permit me at this time to signify an acceptance of the proffered courtesy. Should affairs hereafter take such a tarn as to allow me to be absent, I may give myself the gratification of joining you, in which event I will give you due notification. Failing to receive such advices a week beforehand, I beg the Committee to excuse me and accept my regrets. I have the honor to be Very respectfully yours, W. B. WASHBURN, Governor of Massachusetts. lettek from governor howard of rhode island. State of Rhode Island, } Executive Department, > Providence, June 3rd, 1873. ) L. C. Dodge, Esq., Chairman &c„ Burlington, Vt: Dear Sir— It would give me the greatest pleasure to join you in your exercises in honor of glorious Ethan Allen, but as there will be a celebration here on that day, I do not feel that I can leave the State at that time. Sincerely yours, HENRY HOWARD. letter from governor 1ngersoll of connecticut. State of Connecticut, Executive Department, Hartford, June 19, 1873. Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor &c, Burlington, Vt: Dear Sir— I regret that my engagements will not permit me to attend the inauguration of the statue of Gen. Allen at Burlington on the 4th of July. I have delayed a reply to your invitation thinking it might be other- wise. With thanks for your courtesy, I am Very respectfully yours, S. R. INGERSOLL. 60 letter from governor dix of new york. State of New York, ) Executive Chamber, \ Albany, 25th June, 1873. J Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor, &c: Dear Sir— I regret exceedingly that engagements here will not permit me to accept the invitation in behalf of the State of Vermont to be present at the ceremony of unveiling the statue of Ethan Allen, at Burlington, on the 4th of July next. There are few of the gallant men identified with the establishment of our independence whose memory deserves so well to be perpetuated; and it would have given me the most sincere pleasure, if it had been in my power, to bear testimony, by my presence at the interesting ceremony referred to, to my grateful remembrance, as an American citizen and a native of New England, of his courage and patriotism. With my thanks for the kind^invitation tendered to me, I am, dear sir, Very truly yours, JOHN A. DIX. LETTER FROM EX-GOV. HALL. North Bennington, June 26th, 1873. Dear Sir — I have had a strong desire, in compliance with your kind invitation, to be present on the ensuing anniversary of our national independence, at the Inauguration of the Statue of Ethan Allen, and until within a few days past I had hoped to do so. But I am now satis- fied my health is not sufficiently strong to justify me in attempting to undergo the fatigue and excitement which would be necessarily incident to that interesting occasion. Ethan Allen was known to his contemporaries, not only as one of the prominent founders of our State, but as a distinguished hero of the American Revolution, and as such he will ever be embalmed in history. I rejoice that his well earned marble Statue is to be conspicuously placed over his remains in the beautiful City of Burlington. In the just lan- guage of an eminent historian: "Ethan Allen was brave, generous and frank, true to his friends, true to his country, consistent and unyielding in his purposes, seeking at all times to promote the best interests of man- kind, a lover of social harmony, and a determined foe to the artifices of injustice and the encroachments of power. Few suffered more in the 61 cause of freedom, and few bore their sufferings with a firmer constancy or a loftier spirit. " In view of his great and important services to the State and Nation, it is eminently fit that we of this generation who are enjoying the fruits of his exertions, should choose the anniversary day of our national inde- pendence to honor ourselves by conferring special honor on his memory. Kegretting my inability to be present with my brethren of the State, on the interesting occasion, I am, dear sir, Very respectfully yours, HILAND HALL. Hon. L. V. Dodge, Mayor of Burlington, and Chairman of Local Committee. LETTER FROM EX-GOV. FLETCHER. Proctorsville, Vt., June 3, 1873. Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor, &c: Dear Sir — The kind invitation communicated through your polite- ness, to attend the Inauguration of the Statue, is received. Several con- siderations render a compliance with the invitation highly gratifying. " That patriotic anniversary " is adapted to awaken the liveliest enthusi- asm and the most grateful recollections. I had the honor of being con- nected *with the preparation of the monument, and examined it, in company with your distinguished townsman, Hon. G. P. Marsh, soon after its erection. It will be an occasion of stirring interest, to visit again that consecrated spot. Respectfully and sincerely yours, RYLAND FLETCHER. LETTER FROM U. S. SENATOR MORRILL. Strafford, Vt.. June 16, 1873. Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor. Burlington, Vt: Dear Sir — It would afford me great pleasure to accept of your cor- dial invitation of the 20th ult., and to be present at the Inauguration of the Statue of Ethan Allen on the 4th of July next in your City. I have delayed any response, hoping that I might be able to accept of an enter- tainment promising so much interest; but I shall be forced to deny myself the pleasure I am sure you have in store for your guests, and all who may be so fortunate as to be present. 62 I have several journies I am compelled to make in the next six weeks, and among hem one trip to your City, that I must not shirk, as Trustee of the University, and therefore I am reluctantly obliged to decliue the invitation so courteously tendered. With thanks, I am Very truly 3 7 ours, JUSTIN S. MORRILL. LETTER FROM JUDGE WHEELER. Jamaica, May 26, 1873. Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor, &c: Dear Sir— Your invitation to be present at the Inauguration of the Statue of Ethan Allen has been received, for which please accept my thanks. I will endeavor to be present if circumstances permit. Yours very truly, H. H. WHEELER. LETTER FROM JUDGE ROSS. St. Johnsbury, June 30, 1873. Hon. L. C. Dodge, Mayor, Burlington, VL: My Dear Sir — I have delayed answering the kind invitation of the City of Burlington, extended through you, to be present on the 4th prox- imo, at the Unveiling of the Statue of Ethan Allen, to see if I could not complete my term of court here, so that I could accept the invitation. Much to my regret, I find it will be impossible for me to complete my labors here, and so shall be unable to be with your citizens on so inter- esting an occasion. Your obedient servant, JONATHAN ROSS. letter from hon. daniel baldwin. Montpelier, July 3, 1873. Gov. Converse: Dear Sir— Gladly would I be with you and other members of the committee to-morrow, to take part in the services in honor of the first victor in the Revolutionary War; but the infirmities of age forbid. As it 63 is, my heart will be with you, and my thoughts will be of the early patri- ots and heroes. My birth was nearly contemporaneous with the organi- zation of the national government, and when I had come to years of understanding most of the actors in the Revolutionary War were still liv- ing, and the youngest of them wers in the fullest vigor of manhood. It was my lot to pay to several of them the reward allotted by the nation for their services, and thus from their lips I learned many of the incidents of the war. One thing, which so impressed me that I still remember it distinctly, relates to the event which the monument of Ethan Allen is to commemorate. It is this : While the patriotism of the men of the Revolution was of the strongest type, impelling them to sacrifice every- thing for independence, they had at the outset very little confidence of success. Contrasting, as they did, the widely separated and sparsely set- tled colonies, without a head, with the old, organized and mighty mother country, with her navy and armies and wealth to sustain her through a long contest, they said they feared they were unequal to the task they had undertaken, and knew not how or where to begin to accomplish any great thing. Then it was that the capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point by Allen and Warner came to inspire them with the one thing needful, which was confidence. From that moment they felt equal to anything and hastened to attempt the conquest of Canada. Though they failed in that, the lessons of war which they had learned fitted them for the fight at Hubbardton, and the victories at Bennington and Sara- toga. These were the fields in which the Green Mountain Boys were eminent, and I think it is just to accord to Allen, and Warner the credit of fitting them for their work by the zeal and courage and confidence which they inspired. The heroes of the Revolution are dead, and the men of the next generation, who knew them personally, are falling fast on every side. It is time, then, to perpetuate in marble the memorials of their virtues, that other generations may admire and imitate them in every period of national peril. Very respectfully, your humble servant, DANIEL BALDWIN. LETTER FROM ETHAN A. ALLEN. New York, July 3d, 1873. L. C. Dodge, Esq. , Mayor of Burlington, Vt. : Dear Sir — It was my intention to have done myself the pleasure of being with you to-morrow on the occasion of the Inauguration of the statue to my grandfather, Gen'l Ethan Allen, but circumstances beyond 64 my control will prevent me, which I assure you I much regret, particularly as I am the only surviving grandson of Gen'l Allen, and the occasion could not be otherwise than gratifying to me in witnessing the respect paid to one of our Kevolutionary patriots, and that too eighty-four years after his death. Yours very respectfully, ETHAN A. ALLEN. LETTER FROM MISS ANN ELIZA. MUNSON. r lo the Committee of Arrangements : Gentlemen— The name of Ethan Allen occupies a place in the his- tory of the family I represent, from the event of two little girls, five and seven years old, being lost in the woods of Sunderland, Vt., some 92 years ago, the younger of whom was my mother. From my earliest recollection I have heard her relate the story of Ethan Allen and the lost children. His name has thus been endeared to her family, and I now make this offering* to his memory as a small token of that high regard which is cherished by her children and grand-children. In all the great and heroic deeds of his eventful life, are none more noble than this one which more especially relates to his private life, none more enduring; and I trust that this little incident will add something to the memory of that man, whose name will always be dear to all true Vermonters, A. E. MUNSON. The following acoount of the incident to which Miss Munson's note refers f appeared in the Burlington Sentinel, March 16, 1849. NARRATIVE OF THE REMARKABLE PRESERVATION OF TWO SMALL CHILDREN, LOST IN SUNDERLAND, BENNINGTON CO., VERMONT, A. D. 1780. On the last day of May, 1780, Keziah, aged seven, and Belsy, four years of age, daughters of Eldad Taylor, living in Sunderland, went into the woods towards the Roaring Branch, about one o'clock in the afternoon. After wandering about an hour or two they perceived they were lost. Their parents became alarmed two or three hours after their departure and several of their neighbors searched all night by torch *A beautiful bouquet of hot-house flowers, . 65 light. The second day the country was alarmed— people collected from Manchester, Arlington, Shaftsbury and Bennington. Col. Ethan Allen then lived in Sunderland, and was one of the first who came to the assist- ance of the distressed family. He avowed his determination to find the children, or look till he died, and took a sort of command o: the party from the first. .. They were to advance at arm's length from each other in a line, keeping their range — carefully searching as they proceeded— no guns to be fired at game of any kind, or on any occasion, except as a signal when the children should be found. Several parties encamped in the woods and staid through the second night. The country for a great distance was in agitation, and on the third day, people came from the borders of Massachusetts and from Whitecreek, Salem and Cambridge, in the State of New York, until it was now believed by those now living who were present, that the number amounted to six or seven hundred. On the third day, the sun being three hours high, nearly the whole com- pany came to the residence of the parents— faint, weary and hungry. They seemed to be discouraged and several were about to withdraw. At that critical moment, Col. Allen ascended a stump, and in a voice as loud as when he summoned the command of Fort Ticonderoga to surrender, he commanded attention. The people gave heed, and he addressed them in the most earnest manner — pointed to the afflicted and agonized parents who stood near him — begged every man to make the case his own and ask himself, if the lost children were his, whether he would go off, without making one more effort to find them. The tears fell fast from his cheeks, and it is believed that there were but few if any dry eyes in that assemblage of several hundred men. "I'll go— I'll go," was heard from every quarter of the crowd. They took to the woods with fresh courage and before the sun wenC down, as if to reward their kind inten- tions, the signal was fired — the lost children were found, and found alive. The signal was immediately answered by the main body. They were found by Captains Bull, Bartlett*, Underhill, and Dyer Bingham, who had by some means been separated from the main body and were not at the house when Col. Allen addressed the multitude. The children were soon brought in, and the company returned to the house of the parents. The company were then formed in two lines fac- ing each other a few feet apart — the parents each with one of the lost children passed through, that all might see them ;— Col. Allen walked immediately after the parents, making such observations as the occasion seemed to require. That done, the Colonel again ascended the stump, thanked the people very handsomely on. behalf of the parents for their kindness, so long continued, and thanked God most heartily for their success. The people then departed peaceably to their homes. From a late relation of one of the persons it appears that alter per- ceiving they were lost, they exerted themselves to find their way back until after dark, when weary with walking and crying they sank down and slept at the foot of a large tree. The next day they wandered in search of berries — the only substitute for food. They heard the sound- ing of horns frequently but did not know from what direction it pro- ceeded ; — this being the second day, they made a bed of hemlock boughs and moss upon a large rock, upon which they slept that night— and on that rock they were found. The younger child was sick and thirsty in the night — they got up, took hold of hands, groped their way down to the branch, drank and returned. On the third doy near night they were seen by one of the four gentlemen above named ; and the first exclama- tion, was "I've found 'em"— the children started up from their bed, fearing they were Indians. One of the gentlemen said, " Will you go with us ? the eldest replied, "Yes, if you be Indians we'll go with you if you'll ■ Capt. Benjamin Bartlett now resides in Jericho, Vt. 66 . carry us home to our father and mother." One of the number immedi. ately gave them a small quantity of moistened bread and brought them in as soon as possible. Betsey, the younger of the two children, is the wife of Captain John Munson, now living in the town of Burlington, Vt. I he eldest of the two was the wife of John Jones, and died some years sirce at Williston, Vt. THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $1.00 ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. JAN 2 1334 I2h"fe 5 MM wGi2msm -tfim 58f*t iREC'O LP ^ | \\*s* %SJ^*- LD 21-1007tt-7,'33 383317 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY