In accordance with the usual custom of Authors and Editors to indulge in a little foretalk with expected readers concerning the literary and artistic production which may follow such preface, this space is occupied by a formal introduction to the public of THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL RECORD and NOTES AND QUERIES, in a manner declaratory of its aims. The following will be the leading features of the RECORD.

I.-Short documents, or long ones condensed which have an intrinsic and permanent historic value, and which have never been printed, or are almost as rare as manuscript:

II. Notes and Queries, or conversations in print concerning American History.

III.-Discussions of important historical questions, in brief shape, and in the spirit and form of inquiry only.

iv. Brief records of the most important proceedings of the historical and kindred societies of our country.

V.-Synopses of important Essays or Addresses read before historical and kindred societies.

VI. A general view of the progress of historical inquiry, and notices of men and things connected with American history, at home and abroad:

VII. Notices of current historical literature, and of rare and valuable works on American history:

VIII.-Engravings illustrative of subjects treated in the RECORD, after the manner of the Editor's "Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" and other illustrated historical works:

IX.-A monthly record of important historical events; and

X.-Illustrative foot-notes by Correspondents or the Editor, giving Biographical, Ethnological, Geographical, Numismatical or Topographical sketches of subjects mentioned in the text-a feature which historical students will readily perceive to be very useful and therefore valuable.

As the sciences of Ethnology and Numismatology comprehend important portions of the facts and philosophy of History, they will receive a due share of attention: also Climatology which bears important relations to the history of Nations.

It is proposed to make The Historical Record a reliable repertory of historical facts of every kind concerning the Civil, Military, Political, Religious, Literary, Artistic, Scientific and Antiquarian affairs of our country. The Editor will have untramelled control of the contents of the RECORD, and so be enabled to exercise a vigilant care and judgment in keeping it free from all that might be useless and hurtful; and he will claim the right to prune or condense all contributions; and also to so modify all expressions that might be considered offensively personal, as to make the work absolutely free from provocatives of irritating controversy.

The columns of The Historical Record will be freely opened for the candid setting forth of any opinions or views concerning the historical aspects of subjects that may properly find expression in its pages in a manner compatible with the general plan of the work. The Editor's business is to edit, and not to assume the office of censor or umpire in discussions, uninvited, but to give his own views of questions as the peer of his correspondents whenever, in his judgment, occasion may seem to require it to be done. It should be his duty, however, to point out and correct errors of statement, but not what he thinks may be errors of opinion.

The Secretaries of historical and kindred societies are respectfully invited to send to the Editor a brief record of the proceedings of their respective associations and synopses of essays and addresses read before them, as soon after the meetings of the societies as may be convenient.

Contributions of rare historical documents and pictures, or copies of them, are respectfully solicited. Any papers sent to the Editor will be carefully preserved in his fire-proof library building, and returned to the contributor, if required. In order to give proper variety and value to the contents of the Magazine, it is essential that all contributions should be short in bulk and condensed in matter.

On the 30th of March 1871 the old "Catamount Tavern" House, which had long been the most notable relic of early times in the Center Village of Bennington, Vermont, was burnt to the ground. It had been unoccupied for a short time and the origin of the fire is unknown. The house, which was in a tolerable state of preservation, had been built over a hundred years, having been erected by Captain Stephen Fay, a year or two prior to 1770. It was a wooden building about 44 feet by 34, two stories high, having two high chimneys with high fire places in each story, besides which there was a very large fireplace in the cellar or basement, part of which was used as a wash room, and a

1 The Illustrations for this paper, are from photographs furnished by the author, ex-Governor Hiland Hall, of North Bennington, Vermont, and a pen-and-ink sketch by his granddaughter. [EDITOR.]

cook room as occasion required. The two chimneys are now standing (Autumn of 1871) exhibiting their spacious fire places, with heavy iron cranes in those of the lower story and basement. On the marble mantle of one of the fire places the words "Council room' appear, cut there in early times. On the top of the high sign post was placed the stuffed skin of a Catamount, from which came the name of the house, though in its early days it was, in accordance with the custom of the time, more generally spoken of as "Landlord Fay's.'

During the period of the early settlement of the state, the house was a great resort for travellers and emigrants, and it was also widely known as the Head Quarters of the settlers in their contest with the New York land claimants. It was the home of

Ethan Allen for several years from 1770, when he first came to the "New Hampshire Grants," as Vermont was then called. The settlers held their lands under grants from New Hampshire, to which the territory was supposed to belong, but in 1764 the king, by an order in council, placed them under the jurisdiction of New York. Whereupon the governor of that province declared their titles to be void, and regranted their lands to speculators, who recovered judgments in the New York courts against the settlers, and sent their sheriffs and posses to execute them, who were resisted by the occupants and forcibly prevented from obtaining possession. This controversy raged for years, and the settlers appointed committees of safety before whom offenders against the integrity of their titles, styled "Yorkers," were brought for trial. On conviction they were variously punished, sometimes by banishment from the territory, and sometimes by whipping on the naked back, a mode of punishment for crime then in common use throughout the country. The latter pun ishment, in allusion to the Great Seal of the Governor of New Hampshire affixed to their charter titles, and to the instrument with which it was commonly inflicted, the settlers humorously called "the application of the beech seal.'

Another mode of punishment was devised for one offender residing within their own limits. One Doctor Samuel Adams of Arlington, who had held his lands under a New Hampshire charter, suddenly became an open advocate of the New York title, advising his neighbors to purchase it. This tended to weaken the opposition to New York by producing division among the settlers, and he was repeatedly warned to desist from such discourse.

But he persisted in his offensive language, and arming himself with pistols and other weapons, threatened death to any one who should molest him. What followed is related in the language of a contemporary: "The Doctor was soon taken by surprise, and car

1 Slade's Vermont State Papers, page 36.

ried [15 miles] to the Green Mountain [Landlord Fay's] tavern, at Bennington, where the committee heard his defence, and then ordered him to be tied in an armed chair and hoisted up to the sign (a catamount's skin stuffed, sitting upon the sign post, 25 feet from the ground, with large teeth, looking and grinning towards New York) and there to hang two hours, in sight of the people, as a punishment merited by his enmity to the rights and liberty of the inhabitants of the New Hampshire Grants. The judgment was executed, to the no small merriment of a large concourse of people. The Doctor was let down and dismissed by the committee, with an admonition to go and sin no more. This mild and exemplary disgrace had a salutary effect on the Doctor and many others." Dr. Adams, on Burgoyne's invasion, became a violent tory, and fled to Canada, from which he never returned.

When Sir Wm. Tryon, governor of New York in 1771, issued a proclamation offering a reward of 20 pounds each for the apprehension of Ethan Allen, Remember Baker and Robert Cochran for their riotous opposition to the New York government, they retaliated by publishing over their names a counter proclamation offering a reward of 15 pounds for James Duane and 10 pounds for John Kemp, their two leading land-claiming antagonists, styling them those common disturbers of the public peace," the rewards so payable on their being brought to "Landlord Fay's at Bennington." Colonel Ethan Allen was

1 Ira Allen's National and Political History of Vermont P. 47. The same in Vermont Historical Collections, Volume 1. page 357. 2 See Hiland Hall's History of Vermont, page 134. The following is a copy of the Proclamation:

£ 25 REWARD

Whereas James Duane and John Kemp of New York, have by their menaces and threats greatly disturbed the public peace and repose of the honest peasants of Bennington, and the settlements to the northward, which peasants are now and ever have been in the peace of God and the King, and are patriotic and liege subjects of George III. Any person that will apprehend those common disturbers, viz. James Duane and John Kemp, and bring them to Landlord Fay's at Bennington, shall have £ 15 reward for James Duane and £ 10 for John Kemp, paid by