About the year 1770, a dispute between New York and New Hampshire, as to the dividing line between the two provinces, and which had long been pending2, came to a crisis. The territory of Vermont was claimed by both parties; and some of the settlers who had received grants from Governor Wentworth, of New Hampshire, were threatened with being ejected from their lands by legal processes, proceeding3 from the province of New York.
The Allens had selected their lands in the township of Bennington, which had now become a considerable place. The New York government, in conformity4 with their interpretation5 of their rights,[Pg 145] had proceeded to grant patents, covering these very lands on which farms had now been brought to an advanced state of culture, and where houses had been built and orchards6 planted by the original purchasers. These proprietors7 were now called upon to take out new patents, at considerable expense, from New York, or lose their estates.
This privilege of purchasing their own property was regarded by the Vermonters as rather an insult, than a benefit, and most of them refused to comply. The question was at last brought to trial at Albany, before a New York court, Allen being employed by the defendants8 as their agent. The case was, of course, decided9 against them, and Allen was advised, by the king's attorney-general, to go home and make the best terms he could with his new masters, remarking, that "might generally makes right." The reply of the mountaineer was brief and significant: "The gods of the valley are not the gods of the hills;" by which he meant that the agents of the New York government would find themselves baffled at Bennington, should they undertake to enforce the decision of the court, against the settlers there.
Allen's prediction was prophetic. The sheriffs sent by the government were resisted, and finally, a considerable force was assembled, and placed under the command of Allen, who obliged the officers to desist from their proceedings10. A proclamation was now issued by the governor of New York, offering a reward of twenty pounds for the apprehension11 of Allen. The latter issued a counter proclamation, offering a reward of five pounds to any one who[Pg 146] would deliver the attorney-general of the colony into his power.
Various proceedings took place, and for several years, the present territory of Vermont presented a constant series of disturbances12. The New York government persevered13 in its claims, and the settlers as obstinately14 resisted. In all these measures, whether of peace or war, Allen was the leader of the Green Mountain yeomanry. Various plots were laid for his apprehension, but his address and courage always delivered him from the impending16 danger. At last, the revolution broke out, and the dispute was arrested by events which absorbed the public attention. The rival claims being thus suspended, the people of Vermont were left to pursue their own course.
A few days after the battle of Lexington, a project was started at Hartford, Connecticut, for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, then belonging to the British. Several persons set out upon this enterprise, and taking Bennington in their way, Allen joined them with some of his "Green Mountain Boys," and was appointed commander of the expedition. The little band arrived, without molestation18, on the banks of Lake George, opposite the fort. They procured19 boats sufficient to carry eighty-three men. These crossed in the night, and landed just at the dawn of day. While the boats were gone back with the remainder of the troops, Allen resolved to attack the fort.
He drew up the men in three ranks, addressed them in a short harangue20, ordered them to face to the right, and placing himself at the head of the middle file, led them silently, but with a quick step, up the heights[Pg 147] where the fortress21 stood; and before the sun rose, he had entered the gate, and formed his men on the parade between the barracks. Here they gave three huzzas, which aroused the sleeping inmates22. When Colonel Allen passed the gate, a sentinel snapped his fusee at him, and then retreated under a covered way. Another sentinel made a thrust at an officer with a bayonet, which slightly wounded him. Colonel Allen returned the compliment with a cut on the side of the soldier's head, at which he threw down his musket23, and asked quarter.
No more resistance was made. Allen now demanded to be shown to the apartment of Captain Delaplace, the commander of the garrison24. It was pointed17 out, and Allen, with Beman, his guide, at his elbow, hastily ascended25 the stairs, which were attached to the outside of the barracks, and called out with a voice of thunder at the door, ordering the astonished captain instantly to appear, or the whole garrison should be sacrificed.
Startled at so strange and unexpected a summons, the commandant sprang from his bed and opened the door, when the first salutation of his boisterous26 and unseasonable visitor was an order immediately to surrender the fort. Rubbing his eyes, and trying to collect his scattered28 senses, the captain asked by what authority he presumed to make such a demand. "In the name of the Great Jehovah, and the Continental29 Congress!" said Allen.
Not accustomed to hear much of the continental congress in this remote corner, nor to respect its authority when he did, the commandant began to[Pg 148] remonstrate30; but Colonel Allen cut short the thread of his discourse31, by lifting his sword over his head, and reiterating32 the demand for an immediate27 surrender. Having neither permission to argue, nor power to resist, Captain Delaplace submitted, ordering his men to parade, without arms, and the garrison was given up to the victors.[A]
The fruit of this victory was about fifty prisoners, with one hundred and twenty pieces of cannon33, beside other arms and military stores. A few days after, the fort at Crown Point was taken, and some other successful enterprises were achieved. Allen obtained great credit by these performances.
In the following autumn, he was twice despatched into Canada, to engage the inhabitants to lend their support to the American cause. In the last of these expeditions, he formed a plan, in concert with Colonel Brown, to reduce Montreal. Allen, accordingly, crossed the river in September, 1775, at the head of one hundred and ten men, but was attacked, before Brown could join him, by the British troops, consisting of five hundred men, and, after a most obstinate15 resistance, was taken prisoner. The events of his captivity34 he himself has recorded in a narrative35 compiled after his release, in the most singular style, but apparently36 with great fidelity37.
For some time he was kept in irons, and treated with much severity. He was sent to England as a prisoner, with an assurance that, on his arrival there, he would meet with the halter. During the passage,[Pg 149] extreme cruelty was exercised towards him and his fellow-prisoners. They were all, to the number of thirty-four, thrust, handcuffed, into a small place in the vessel38, not more than twenty feet square. After about a month's confinement39 in Pendennie castle, near Falmouth, he was put on board a frigate40, January 8, 1776, and carried to Halifax. Thence, after an imprisonment41 of five months, he was removed to New York.
On the passage from Halifax to the latter place, he was treated with great kindness by Captain Smith, the commander of the vessel, and he evinced his gratitude42 by refusing to join in a conspiracy43 on board to kill the British captain and seize the frigate. His refusal prevented the execution of the plan. He remained at New York for a year and a half, sometimes in confinement, and sometimes at large, on parole.
In 1778, Allen was exchanged for Colonel Campbell, and immediately afterwards, repaired to the head quarters of General Washington, by whom he was received with much respect. As his health was impaired44, he returned to Vermont, after having made an offer of his services to the commander-in-chief, in case of his recovery. His arrival in Vermont was celebrated45 by the discharge of cannon; and he was soon appointed to the command of the state militia46, as a mark of esteem47 for his patriotism48 and military talents. A fruitless attempt was made by the British to bribe49 him to lend his support to a union of Vermont with Canada. He died suddenly at his estate at Colchester, February 13, 1789.
[Pg 150]Allen was a man of gigantic stature50, being nearly seven feet in height, and every way of relative proportions. He possessed51 undaunted courage, and blended bold enterprise with much sagacity. His early education was imperfect, but he was the master-spirit in the society among which he lived, and he exercised a powerful influence in laying the foundations of the state of Vermont. He was a sincere friend of his country, and did much in behalf of the revolution. When applied52 to by the rebel Shays, to become the leader of the insurrection in 1786, he rejected the proffer53 with indignation.
Allen was a man of great determination, and, living in the midst of turmoil54, was somewhat reckless in his temper. While he held a military command, during the revolution, a notorious spy was taken and brought to his quarters. Allen immediately sentenced him to be hung at the end of two or three days, and arrangements were accordingly made for the execution. At the appointed time, a large concourse of people had collected around the gallows55, to witness the hanging. In the mean time, however, it had been intimated to Allen that it was necessary to have a regular trial of the spy.
This was so obvious, that he felt compelled to postpone56 the execution of the culprit. Irritated, however, at this delay of justice, he proceeded to the gallows, and, mounting the scaffold, harangued57 the assembly somewhat as follows: "I know, my friends, you have all come here to see Rowley hanged, and, no doubt, you will be greatly disappointed to learn that the performances can't take place to-day. Your[Pg 151] disappointment cannot be greater than mine, and I now declare that if you'll come here a fortnight from this day, Rowley shall be hung, or I will be hung myself."
The rude state of society in which Allen spent the greater part of his life was little calculated to polish his manners. Being at Philadelphia, before the election of General Washington as president, he was invited to dinner, by the general upon an occasion of some ceremony. He took his seat by the side of Mrs. Washington, and in the course of the meal, seeing some Spanish olives before him, he took one of them, and put it in his mouth. It was the first he had ever tasted, and, of course, his palate revolted. "With your leave, ma'am," said he, turning to Lady Washington, "I'll take this plaguy thing out of my mouth."
When Allen was in England, a prisoner, persons who had heard him represented as a giant in stature, and scarcely short of a cannibal in habits and disposition58, came to see him, and gazed at him with mingled59 wonder and disgust. It is said, that, on one occasion, a tenpenny nail was thrown in to him, as if he were a wild animal. He is reported to have picked it up, and, in his vexation, to have bitten it in two. It is in allusion60 to this that Doctor Hopkins wrote,—
"Lo, Allen 'scaped from British jails,
His tushes broke by biting nails," &c.
But however rude were Allen's manners, he was a man of inflexible61 integrity. He was sued, upon a certain occasion, for a note of hand, which was witnessed[Pg 152] by an individual residing at Boston. When the case came on for trial in one of the Vermont courts, the lawyer whom Allen had employed to manage it so as to get time, rose, and, for the purpose of securing this object, pleaded a denial of the signature.
It chanced that Allen was in the court-house at this moment, and hearing this plea, he strode across the court-room, and, while his eyes flashed with indignation, he spoke62 to the court as follows: "May it please your honors, that's a lie! I say I did sign that note, and I didn't employ Lawyer C****** to come here and tell a falsehood. That's a genuine note, and I signed it, please your honors, and I mean to pay it; all I want is to put it over till next court, when I expect to have money enough to meet it!" This speech gratified the opposing counsel so much, that he immediately consented to the delay which Allen desired.
Though Allen's education was limited, by reading and reflection he had acquired a considerable amount of knowledge. Presuming upon this, and guided by the eccentricity63 which marked his character, he ventured to assail64 the Christian65 religion, in a book entitled, "The Oracles66 of Reason." Though he here expressed belief in a God, and a future state of rewards and punishments, he rejected the Bible, and seemed to favor the Pythagorian doctrine67 of transmigration of souls. He entertained the idea that he was himself destined68 to reappear on earth in the condition of a great white horse! These absurdities69 show into what depths of folly70 a great man may be led, if he permit his self-conceit to involve him in the discussion of subjects beyond his grasp.
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1
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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conformity
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| n.一致，遵从，顺从 | |
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interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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orchards
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| （通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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defendants
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| 被告( defendant的名词复数 ) | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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molestation
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| n.骚扰，干扰，调戏；折磨 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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remonstrate
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| v.抗议，规劝 | |
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31
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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32
reiterating
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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41
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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42
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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43
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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44
impaired
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| adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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militia
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| n.民兵，民兵组织 | |
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47
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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48
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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49
bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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50
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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51
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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52
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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53
proffer
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| v.献出，赠送；n.提议，建议 | |
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54
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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55
gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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56
postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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harangued
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| v.高谈阔论( harangue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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59
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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60
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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61
inflexible
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| adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的 | |
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62
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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63
eccentricity
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| n.古怪，反常，怪癖 | |
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64
assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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66
oracles
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| 神示所( oracle的名词复数 )； 神谕； 圣贤； 哲人 | |
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67
doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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68
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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69
absurdities
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| n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 )；荒谬；谬论；荒谬的行为 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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