Facsimile of the document recording Vermont's ratification of the Constitution of the United States, which was adopted at Bennington, January 10, 1791 Many prisoners in Canada claimed to be Vermonters in order to take advantage of these negotiations, and Haldimand reported that "some inhabitants of the neighboring States begin to retire there for safety." Early in October, 1781, General St. Leger arrived at Ticonderoga with four gunboats, two ammunition boats, thirty bateaux and other craft, with two thousand British troops. Gen. Roger Enos was stationed at Castleton in command of the Vermont troops. General Enos and several of his officers were acquainted with the negotiations carried on with the British, and knew that no offensive operations against Vermont were intended, but in order to keep up appearances of hostilities, scouting parties were sent to Lake Champlain occasionally. One of the parties encountered a similar band sent out by the British, and shots were exchanged. As a result of this skirmish, Sergt. Archelaus Tupper, of Col. Ebenezer Walbridge's regiment was killed. Thereupon General St. Leger sent Tupper's clothing to General Enos, together with an open letter expressing regret at the occurrence and apologizing for it. At this time the Vermont Legislature was in session. at Charlestown, in that portion of New Hampshire annexed to Vermont. General Enos and Colonels Fletcher and Walbridge dispatched a messenger named Hathaway to Governor Chittenden at Charlestown with news of the arrival of St. Leger's force at Ticonderoga and incidents connected therewith. Hathaway not only conveyed the official dispatches, but as he came through the streets of Charlestown he proclaimed the news of the British commander's apology for Tupper's death. There were plenty of men, particularly in the Connecticut valley, who were hostile to the leaders concerned in the negotiations with the British, and ready to use such an incident as that related to their disadvantage. According to Ira Allen's account of this episode, a crowd of people followed Hathaway into the large room where Governor Chittenden and others were assembled. A Major Reynolds (or Rennals) demanded of Col. Ira Allen the reason why General St. Leger was sorry that Sergeant Tupper was killed. Allen replied that he could not tell unless it was that good men were sorry when good men were killed. A heated altercation followed, during which Allen advised his opponent to go at the head of his regiment and demand the reason of St. Leger's sorrow instead of asking impertinent questions and eating the country's provisions in idleness when the frontiers were attacked. The Governor having called a private meeting of the Board of War, the dispatches were read, and new letters were prepared purporting to come from the officers stationed at Castleton but omitting an account of the British negotiations. These were read in the Assembly and the Council. Meanwhile events were happening at Yorktown, Va., which gave the Vermonters other reasons for delay. Although General Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, it was well into November before the news reached Vermont. As late as November 18, Haldimand wrote to Germaine: "The critical situation of affairs to the southward prevents the Vermonters from declaring themselves. The minds of the populace are not prepared for the issue of the proclamation. The conduct of Vermont will be entirely regulated by events in the Chesapeake. If fortunate, Vermont will return to her allegiance, but if not the vulgar are so infatuated with the idol Independence that nothing but unavoidable necessity will induce them to relinquish it.” Again, on November 26, Haldimand wrote to Germaine, in a letter marked "most private," that the capitulation of Cornwallis left no hope of a successful conclusion of negotiations with Vermont. The joy with which the news from Yorktown was received in the Green Mountain State is indicated in a paragraph in Haldimand's letter, which says: "The people are rioting in the excess of licentious exultation!" 99 The British Government was unwilling to abandon the attempt to win the allegiance of Vermont, and early in January, 1782, Germaine wrote to Haldimand that steps should be taken "to restore confidence to the Vermonters by spring," and that the recovery of that State was "to be made a primary object of attention.' One of the British commissioners dispatched a letter bearing the date of February 28, 1782, to Ira Allen by a messenger, earnestly requesting the latter to inform him "in the most candid, unreserved manner the present wishes. and intentions of the people and leading men of your State respecting our former negotiations, and what effect the late catastrophe of Lord Cornwallis had upon them." He urged him to consider the uncertainties of war and the possibility that the next campaign might "wear a very different aspect. Haldimand wrote to Sir Henry Clinton on April 28 that two months previous to that date he had sent a message to Ira Allen relative 99 |