The convention at Windsor, before adjourn ment, created a 4Council of Safety)) and en dowed it with all the powers vested in the con stitution just adopted. It was the acting execu tive of Vermont during the Battle of Benning ton. This council of 12 men was constituted by Thomas Chittenden, president; Jonas F , vice-president; Ira Allen (to 6 Sept. 1777 , Joseph Fay (from that date to 12 March 1778 , / secretaries; Heman Allen, Jacob Bayley, Timo thy Brownson, Benjamin Carpenter (succeeding 2A Dec. 1777 Benjamin Spencer, a Tory), Jere miah and Nathan Clark, Moses Robinson, Paul Spooner. This provisional body was dissolved 12 March 1778 when the regular State govern inent was inaugurated. Four days later the first legislature divided the State into two counties, Bennington on the west and Unity on the east, the Green Mountains becoming the line of official demarcation. On the 21st the name (Unity° was changed to Cumberland, and that county was divided into two (shires) by the (ancient line,1' — the Westminster shire and the Newbury shire. Bennington County also was given two shires,— Bennington and Rutland. A readjustment of county and town lines, thus begun, was continued until permanently estab lished.
The Haldimand This was a fea ture of the American Revolution that has re ceived various interpretations. Its ostensible purpose was an exchange of prisoners, Ver mont becoming the via media between the com manders of the hostile armies. Its effect was to keep a powerful British army inactive,— for more than four years,— in Canada on the north, and to wring from the Continental Congress a quasi-recognition of the independent common wealth. Eight Vermonters only were in the secret motives, namely: Ethan Allen (lately re turned from his sojourn in a British prison), Ira Allen, Governor Chittenden, Moses Robin son, Samuel Safford, Timothy Brownson, John Fassett and Joseph Fay. Ira Allen, the diplo mat, was the moving force, Governor Chitten den became the trusted counsellor of both par ries, and Ethan Allen's boldness maintained in statu quo the severe criticisms, suspicions and charges of double dealings throughout the period extending from 11 Jan. 1779 to 25 March 1783. To Great Britain was heid out the hope that Vermont would become an English province, but the Americans were more difficult of management. Congress had gratefully ac knowledged the service of Vermont during the Burgoyne invasion only to recede, and Ethan Allen promptly disbanded the Green Mountain militia, carrying consternation into the settle ments exposed on the northern frontier, and perplexity to the commanders of the patriot army. The threatened dissolution and partition of Vermont among the States of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York was met by the annexation 5 April 1781 of 35 towns m New Hampshire, extending eastward to the (ancient Mason line( ; and 15 June, following, of 12 con tiguous distncts in New Yorlc, formerly claimed by New Hampshire, known as the (East and West Unions?) These boundaries were insisted upon by Ethan Allen and accorded by the Brit ish. The towns annexed promptly sent repre sentatives to the Vermont legislature and the independence of the enlarged State was unques tionably maintained. The militia was again mobilized, it being significant that the first offer of protection was made by Ethan Allen to New York, and Congress was perfectly well satisfied to enjoy whatever advantages thus inhered to the patriot cause.
Encouraged to believe that Congress would recognize Vermont if the (East and West Unions( were surrendered, on 22 Feb. 17£2, in the face of protests by the towns affected, the legislature reduced the State's boundaries to the present limits; but the national body postponed action.
Admission to the Union.—After 14 years of existence as an independent republic of a very democratic kind, Vermont was at last on 14 March 1791 received into the Union as the 14th State. Although fully carrying its part in the recent war, paying its troops and pa&ing New York $30,000 to settle its claims, the te had no debt and this policy of solvency has al ways been followed during the years since. Ira Allen is credited with the construction of this financial policy. At first the property of Royal ists was confiscated and much of the income of the State was thus raised and later a system of taxation was adopted. For a long time after its admission to the Union the constitution ac cepted at the Windsor Convention of 1777 was retained, and many of its important features remain as greatly cherished as in the former days. No one need be surprised that Vermont
has been a State which in proportion to its wealth and population has always exercised a far greater influence in national affairs than could have been expected, if he recall the early history and understands what sort of people settled the wilderness which has become Ver mont and the experiences through which they passed in the latter part of the 18th and early part of the 19th centuries.
The settlers of Vermont had been of New England origin and largely from Connecticut. Their ideas of freedom, crystallized in the (Bill of Rights," had been the expression of prin ciples founded upon sincere convictions; they had struggled to attain statehood through sacri fices that were heroic because these affected the dearest spot to freemen — the home. The con stitution partook of several unique elements, chief of which was that human slaveiy sh.ould never be legal and it was not strange immigra tion of the right sort poured into the State and its territory rapidly opened up to settlement The financial situation was attractive to men of means and the commonwealth grew apace in all that tended to influence and the sterling worth for which Vennont has ever been noted. This accounts for its political uone-sidednesso— after the two types of citizenship, indigenous to all civilized peoples, have crystallized into two op posing camps or parties—and the commanding position the State has talcen in national affairs. The isolation forced upon the people by their early struggles accounts for the.insulasity of the earlier trade relations, these being with Canada, principally, rather than with the United States. The War of 1812, however, changed this fea ture, presenting another opportunity for Ver monters to show their mettle. With the north em frontier again threatened by the British, the courage, patriotism and military acumen of the fathers—many of whom were alive— induced a prompt response to the call of the national government for help. As in the Revolution, so in the Second War with Great Britain, the Vermont troops were in evidence; and, at the Battle of Plattsburgh 11 Sept. 1814, where tfac donough corrunandmi 14 vessels of 2,244 tons, 882 men, 86 guns, defeated the British Captain Downie, whose fleet consisted of 16 vessels, 2,404 tons, 987 men, 92 guns, it was the Vermont volunteers who silenced the shore batteries at the crucial time, and made the victory possible, again stripping the waters of Lake Champlain bare of English vessels of war. This was the last important engagement in the Northem De parttnent and the result was joyously celebrated throughout the United States. Four months later peace was concluded. Official rolls, al though imperfect, credit Vermont with: °Sol diers who served 1812-14, 4,170; Plattsburgh (Vt.) volunteers, 4,620.0 Vermont furnished one company of 84 men for the Mexican War, 1845-48. At the storming of Chapultepec, 13-14 Sept. 1847, two of these soldiers were the first to reach and lower the Mexican flag on the bishop's palace. The Civil War, 1861-65, found Vermont with a nontinal brigade cotnposed of four militia regiments, of less men than the law required, armed with obsolete equipment; not enough superannuated stuff to fit out one regi ment At the first call by President Lincoln for 75,000 volunteers,.the legislanne was called in emergent session, the national proclamation and State warning bearing even date, 15 April 1861. On 25 April the general assembly con vened, and, in one day, appropriated $1,M0,000' for war expenses; during the session of 42 hours, voted also $7 per month to pay Verrnont soldiers in addition to the $13 per month allowed by the general government; laid a war tax of 10 cents on the °grand list dollar)); provided for tilt equipment of six more regiments for a tenn of two years, afterward extending the period of enlistment to three years; and adjourned, after providing that the existing. first regiment be recruited to its full quota. This regiment was mustered 8 May 1861 and two days later went to the front. Before the llth of May volunteers for five regiments had offered their services, where only two were needed, thus emulating the patriotic ardor of Revolutionary days. The precedent for the $7 per month in 1861 was established by the governor and council 21 June 1794 when an extra allowance was voted to the °minute men° — Vermont's quota of 2,139 — under a call of the United States 19 May, ultimo.