CHAPTER I.

FIRST SETTLEMENTS.

Early Divisions of Eastern Vermont-Cumberland County-Gloucester County— Champlain's Voyage Squakheag or Northfield-Philip's Wars-Indian Incursions-King William's War-Burning of Deerfield-The March to CanadaAttempts of the English to reduce Canada-Port Royal captured-Treaty of Utrecht Equivalent Lands-Great Meadow-Order to build a Block House above Northfield-Timothy Dwight-Fort Dummer-Its Defences-Indian Soldiers-Chaplain-Joseph Kellogg Scouting Parties-Skirmishes-Peltry Trade at Fort Dummer-Journal of James Coss-Rev. Ebenezer Hinsdell"Scaticook" and Caughnawaga Indians—Treaty at Fort Dummer.

VERMONT is divided into fourteen counties. Of these Windsor and Windham, situated in the south-eastern part of the state, comprehend nearly the same territory that under the government of New York was known, during a part of the last century, by the name of Cumberland county. This county was the first established in Vermont, then called the New Hampshire Grants, and probably received its name from Prince William the Duke of Cumberland, who in 1746 met with distinguished success in opposing the rebels in Scotland.

Its boundaries, as declared in the act of establishment passed by the Legislature of the province of New York, on the 3d of July, 1766, were described as "beginning at the west bank of Connecticut river, opposite to where the division line between the province of the Massachusetts Bay comes to the aforesaid river; thence running on a direct line, about twenty-six miles, to the south-east corner of the township of Stamford; from thence, on a direct line, about sixty miles, to the north-east corner of the township of Rutland; thence north, thirty-one degrees east, eighteen miles; thence easterly, to the north-west corner of the township of Linfield ;* thence easterly, along the north side of

*Now the township of Royalton.

the townships of Linfield, Sharon, and Norwich, to Connecticut river aforesaid; thence, along the west bank of the said river, to the place of beginning."

When the subject was brought before the Lords of the Privy Council, in order that the "royal approbation or disallowance" might be signified, the King, on the 26th of June, 1767, declared the act of the New York Legislature by which the county of Cumberland was established, void, and the Governor of the province of New York was ordered to act in accordance with this decision. Numerous applications were now made to the Crown for a new charter, and the inconveniences to which the inhabitants of the disfranchised county were subjected, through the want of a due administration of justice, were plainly set forth. In consequence of these representations, the King, on the 19th of March, 1768, re-established the county of Cumberland, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Province of New York, within the following limits :

"Beginning at a point on the west bank of Connecticut river, opposite to where the line run for the partition line between our said provinces of the Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, touches the east side of the same river, and running thence west, ten degrees north on a direct line about twenty-six miles to the south-east corner of a tract of land called Stamford; thence north, about thirteen degrees east on a direct line fifty-six miles to the south-east corner of the township of Socialborough in the county of Albany, in the south bounds of a tract of land formerly called Rutland; thence north, about fifty-three degrees east on a direct line thirty miles to the south-west corner of the township of Tunbridge; thence along the south bounds thereof and of Stratford and Thetford about eighteen miles to Connecticut river aforesaid, and thence along the west banks of the same river to the place of beginning."

By an act of the Legislature of New York, passed March 24th, 1772, the boundaries were again changed, as will appear from a description of the limits then constituted. "Beginning on the west bank of Connecticut river opposite the point where the partition line between the colonies of the Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, touches the east side of the river, and extending from thence north eighty degrees west until such line shall meet with and be intersected by another line proceeding on a course south ten degrees west from the north-west corner of a tract of land granted under the Great Seal of this colony, on

1766-1781.]

EARLY DIVISIONS OF THE STATE.

3

the 4th day of September, 1770, to James Abeel, and nine other persons, and extending from the said point of intersection, north ten degrees east until such line shall meet with and be intersected by another line to be drawn on a course north sixty degrees west from the south-west corner of a tract of land granted under the Great Seal of this colony, on the 13th day of November, A.D. 1769, and erected into a township by the name of Royalton, and running from the last-mentioned point of intersection south sixty degrees east to the west bank of Connecticut river, and so down along the west bank of the river, as the same river winds and turns to the place of beginning."

On the 1st of April, 1775, other alterations were made, and the western portion of the county was so extended as to be bounded by a "line, beginning in the north boundary line of the province of Massachusetts Bay, at the south-west corner of the township of Readesborough, and running thence along part of the westerly bounds thereof, to a certain tract of land, granted to George Brewerton, Junior, and others, and erected into a township by the name of Leinster; thence along the southerly and westerly bounds of the said tract of land, to the north-west corner of the same; thence on a direct course to the south-easterly corner of the township of Princetown; thence along the easterly bounds of the same tract, as it runs to the north-easterly corner thereof; and thence on a direct course to the southerly corner bounds of the township of Hulton, where it meets with and is intersected by the west boundary line of the county of Cumberland, as established" by former acts. By this change, the townships of Readesborough, and what are now Searsborough, Somerset, and Stratton, were added to Cumberland county.

At the first session of the General Assembly of Vermont in 1778, the state was, on the 17th of March, divided into two counties. The territory lying on the west side of the Green Mountains was called Bennington county, and that on the east side, Unity county. The latter name was on the 21st of the same month changed, and that of Cumberland was substituted. By an act of the Legislature, passed February 11th, 1779, the division line between these two counties was fixed. Commencing at a point in the south line of the province of Quebec, fifty miles east of the centre of the deepest channel of Lake Champlain, it extended south to the north-east corner of the

town of Worcester, and along the east lines of Worcester, Middlesex, and Berlin, to the south-east corner of the latter town; thence on a straight line to the north-west corner of Tunbridge, and on the west line of Tunbridge to the southwest corner of that town; thence in a straight line to the northwest corner of Barnard ;* thence on the west line of Barnard and Bridgewater and the east line of Shrewsbury to the southeast corner thereof; thence west to the north-east corner of Wallingford; thence south on the east lines of Wallingford, Harwich,t Bromley, Winhall, and Stratton, to the south-east corner of the latter, and west on the south line of Stratton to the north-west corner of Somerset; thence south on the west line of Somerset to the south-west corner thereof; thence east to the north-west corner of Draper; thence south on the west lines of Draper and Cumberland] to the north line of Massachusetts. Cumberland county was bounded on the south by the north line of Massachusetts, on the east by Connecticut river, and on the north by the south line of the province of Quebec.

In the laws of Vermont, passed October, 1780, the county of Cumberland, as just described, was referred to as being divided into the half-shires of Cumberland and Gloucester, the division line between them being nearly identical with the northern boundary of what is now Windsor county. By an act of the General Assembly of Vermont, passed in February, 1781, “for the division of counties within this state," the county of Cumberland, as established in 1778 and 1779, was subdivided into the counties of Windham, Windsor, and Orange. Connecticut river being the eastern boundary, and the division line on the west from Quebec to Massachusetts, remaining as fixed in February, 1779, all the land south of a line "beginning at the southeast corner of Springfield, thence running westerly on the south line of said Springfield and Chester to the east line of Bennington county," was erected into the county of Windham. The land included between the north line of Windham county, and the north lines of the towns of Norwich, Sharon, Royalton, and Bethel, was called Windsor county. Orange county comprehended all north of this to the Quebec line. Various changes have since been made in the limits of Wind

* In the printed act Bradford. Barnard was undoubtedly intended.

Now Mount Tabor.
Now Wilmington.

Now Peru.
Now Whitingham.

1766-1781.] EARLY DIVISIONS OF THE STATE.

5

ham and Windsor counties, by the addition of towns, and from other causes which it will be of but little benefit to record here.

After the second establishment of Cumberland county by New York in 1768, immigration to the "Grants" increased, and the north-eastern part of that territory became the abode of a mixed and heterogeneous population. The more peaceable and intelligent portion of the inhabitants, being desirous of a county organization, presented their request to the Council of New York, and on the 16th of March, 1770, an ordinance was passed, establishing as a separate county, by the name of Gloucester, "all that certain tract or district of land, situate, lying, and being to the northward of the county of Cumberland, beginning at the north-west corner of the said county of Cumberland, and thence running north as the needle points fifty miles; thence east to Connecticut river; thence along the west bank of the same river, as it runs, to the north-east corner of the said county of Cumberland on the said river, and thence along the north bounds of the said county of Cumberland to the place of beginning."

On the 24th of March, 1772, by an act "for the better ascertaining the boundaries of the counties of Cumberland and Gloucester," these limits were changed, and thenceforth Gloucester county was bounded "on the south by the north bounds of the county of Cumberland; on the east by the east bounds of this colony; on the north by the north bounds thereof; on the west, and north-west, partly by a line to be drawn from the north-west corner of the said county of Cumberland, on a course north ten degrees east, until such line shall meet with and be intersected by another line proceeding on an east course from the south bank of the mouth of Otter creek, and partly by another line to be drawn and continued from the said last mentioned point of intersection, on a course north fifty degrees east, until it meets with and terminates at the said north bounds of the colony."

After the establishment of Vermont as a "separate and independent" jurisdiction, the counties of Cumberland and Gloucester, by an act of the Legislature, passed March 17th, 1778, were merged under the name of the county of Unity, which name was changed to Cumberland on the 21st. This large county, comprising the whole of Eastern Vermont, was subdivided in February, 1781, and Windham and Windsor counties