CHAPTER XVI
THE WESTMINSTER MASSACRE
What March 5, 1770, had been to the people of Boston and the Colony ofMassachusetts, March 14, 1775, was destined to become to the patriotcitizens of Vermont. That date reminds them to-day of the first bloodshed in the great struggle within the borders of the Grants--the firstpitched battle between American yeomanry and the minions of a cruel andtyrannical king. Before the martyrs were shot down at Lexington was theWestminster Massacre--an incident which set the torch to the passions ofthe Whigs throughout the Grants.
Despite the efforts of Judge Chandler, who really was honestly bent onpeace, the associate Judge Sabin and the fire-eating sheriff broughtabout that clash of arms, the stain of which was to be wiped out bynearly eight years of bitter war. The Tory officials and their henchmengathered about the court-house when it was known that the Whigs hadseized it, and threatened an attack early in the evening of the 13th;but apparently willing to abide by the decision of the chief justice,they dispersed after that worthy had promised the Whigs that nothingshould be done to oust them from the premises until the following day.Chandler doubtless went to his repose, believing that his partisanswould uphold him in his promise.
But the sheriff had other views. He had gathered a noble army at JohnNorton's inn. There were no Whigs there that night. They sought otherhouses of entertainment, or their own homes, for their leaders hadcounseled moderation. But the wily sheriff finally gave his orders, andthose orders were inspired by Judge Sabin and other rank Tories.Separating as they issued from the inn into three bodies, the sheriff'smen approached the guarded court-house from as many directions and werethundering at the doors before the Whigs were aware that such treacherywas intended. There was not a fire-arm in the court-house, but whencalled upon to surrender the guard refused and strove to barricade theentrance.
Although the young men had expected nothing like this, they had nottaken their duty lightly. They were of the best Whig families of theneighborhood and had not accepted the responsibility as a lark. Enochbecame acquainted with one of his companions early in the evening who,because of his open face, free and gentle manner, and earnestconversation impressed the Bennington boy as being a youth of betterparts than were most of the backwoods people. Lot told his guest thatthis individual was William French, the son of a Mr. Nathaniel French, aman well known and respected highly by his neighbors. Like Lot, youngFrench was deeply interested in the affairs of the colonies, especiallyin what was occurring in and about Boston. He had planned to go to theMassachusetts colony and offer his services to the Committee of Safetythere if war really became imminent, though he would go, Enoch saw, in amuch different spirit from Lot's. Lot was eager for a fight for thefight's sake; but French realized the root of the trouble and espousedthe cause of the persecuted colonists from principle.
It was eleven o'clock at night when the sheriff and his men attacked theWhig guards, and many of the latter were asleep. The uproar was great asthe besieged tried to keep the Tories out of the building; but thelatter were reckless and knew that they had to do with a practicallyhelpless enemy. They forced an entrance, though the Whigs rallied welland delivered some telling blows with their clubs. These blows doubtlesshad much to do with what followed, for the sheriff's men became greatlyincensed. All the lights in the house were put out and for severalmoments the antagonists fought in the dark. Enoch was not behind in thebattle and was one of those in the front rank which strove to beat thesheriff's men back to the door. William French fought next him, while hecould hear his friend Lot shouting encouragement not far away.
The Tories were under a disadvantage in the dark and some of those stillwithout ran with torches and thrust them in, that the battleground mightbe illumined. At that the sheriff, spurred by rage and the smart of ablow he had received, cried to his men: "Fire! Fire at the rascals whodefy the law's authority!"
Some of his men took him at his word and putting their pieces to theirshoulders, they had been using them as clubs, shot blank-point into thegroup of opposing Whigs!
It was a terrible scene that followed. Several men fell about Enoch, andgroans and cries rose from the wounded. A bullet had sent Enoch's capspinning into the air, but he did not notice that. Young William Frenchhad fallen beside him and the Bennington boy stooped and caught theyoung man's head and shoulders from the floor that he might not betrampled upon.
Shouts and imprecations deafened him. The Whigs still fought, but somehad already tried to escape by a side passage and were being broughtback by the sheriff's men. That wicked man was calling upon the Whigs tosurrender, and more than one shot was fired after that first volley.
Enoch, with the head of the bleeding youth in his arms, cried to thoseabout him to move aside and bring a light. All were too much inflamed bypassion to heed him for a time; but suddenly one man sprang forward andthrust a huge, brass-locked pistol into his own face. The boy wasfrightened, and strove to throw himself backward out of range; but thepistol snapped!
Providentially the weapon was either unloaded, or the powder was damp.Otherwise that moment would have ended Enoch Harding's earthly career.And in the flash of torchlight which was an instant later cast upon thescene, the startled boy recognized the dark features and hawk nose ofSimon Halpen. The villain had sought him out and had striven to pay offold scores in that moment of confusion and uproar.
But the confusion helped Enoch to escape, too. Lot seized his shoulderand dragged him up from his knees. "Let him alone, poor chap!" hewhispered hoarsely in his friend's ear, and Enoch saw that he wascrying, "Let him alone. He is dead. Oh, these villains shall be punishedfor this--they shall be punished! War has begun, Nuck--and we have seenits beginning!" In his horror and despair Lot Breckenridge wasprophetic. War had begun; the first blood of the revolution--antedatingin its sacrifice the Battle of Lexington--had been shed.
Indeed, Lot and Enoch were fortunate to escape from the building, forten of the Whigs had been wounded beside poor French, and seven of theremaining were taken prisoner. The town was roused and a great concourseof people gathered in the streets. The sheriff and his men were loudlyexecrated, and even some of the Tories expressed their indignation. Themen who had done the deed were forced to remain under cover for the restof the night while the alarm went into all the countryside and bydaybreak the patriot farmers were pouring into Westminster--a horde ofindignant citizens before whom the Tory officials trembled.
The very judges themselves were taken into custody and had not thebetter counsel of the staid and solid men prevailed, the sheriff andthose who aided him might have been hung to a gibbet erected in thecourt-house yard. On the fifteenth Captain Cochran and forty GreenMountain Boys, who had been apprised of the terrible affair, marchedover the mountain to arraign themselves upon the side of the Whigs ifthe matter should come to real warfare. But fortunately furtherbloodshed was averted, and never again did a Tory judiciary hold courtin Eastern Vermont.
Enoch went back to Bennington with some of Robert Cochran's company.News of the Westminster affair had preceded him and the Catamount Innwas thronged with earnest men discussing the matter and various othernews-packets which had lately come from other colonies. War with themother country seemed inevitable and Ethan Allen and men of his stamplooked forward to it not without some eagerness. It was not that theywere reckless and irresponsible, or did not understand the terriblesituation in which the colonies might find themselves should the mothercountry send across the sea a great army. But in the coming strugglethey beheld the salvation of their own people and of the HampshireGrants.
Therefore, perhaps even previous to this time, immediately following theWestminster Massacre, these leaders had earnestly discussed thepossibilities of war and what the Green Mountain Boys could do tofurther the cause of the colonies. On the shores of the beautiful lakewhich was the colonists' boast, were two of the strongest fortresses--ortwo which had been and could be made again the strongest--of the NewWorld, Ticonderoga and Crown Point. At Old Ti were many stores and
munitions of war and the place was held by a comparatively small guardof red-coats who had a great contempt for, and therefore smallappreciation of, the valor of the colonials.
With these circumstances in mind Old Ti was already an object of theconferences of Vermont's leading men. Possessing that fortress, CrownPoint, and Skenesboro, the lake would be free of British and the way toCanada open; and at that early date it was strongly believed by thepatriots that the French descendants of the early settlers of Canadawould join the Colonies in their fight for freedom.
Young Enoch Harding did not see the leaders as he passed throughBennington; but he was waylaid there a dozen times, and upon his roadhome, to satisfy the curiosity and interest of his neighbors in theWestminster trouble. Letters from Boston had roused them to the highestpitch, too. Nor were his mother and Bryce any less anxious to hear anddiscuss the news. Mistress Harding had lived within a few miles ofBoston and felt a deep interest still in the people and the affairs ofthe Massachusetts Colony. That a foreign soldiery should have beenlanded on her shores fired even this good and gentle woman with anger,and when Bryce said he'd go to Boston, too, along with Lot Breckenridge,if there was war, she did not say him nay.
But the Hardings had little time to waste upon politics. The boys had todrop the drilling soon, too, for it came ploughing and seed time. 'SiahBolderwood remained about the settlement rather later than usual thatyear; and mainly for the reason that public affairs were so strained. Hesaid his own crop of corn which he intended putting into the lot nearOld Ti upon which he "had let the light of day" could wait a bit, underthe circumstances, for there might be occasion to "beat his ploughshareinto a sword" before corn-planting time.
Therefore he was still with the Hardings that day late in April whenEthan Allen, riding out of Bennington into the north to carry a torchwhich should fire every farm and hamlet with patriotic fervor, reined inhis steed at the door of the farmhouse. The children saw the great mancoming and ran from the fields with Bolderwood, while the widow appearedat her door and welcomed Colonel Allen.
"Will you 'light, sir?" she asked him. "It has been long since youfavored us with a visit."
"And long will it be ere I come again, perhaps, Mistress Harding. I amlike Sampson--I have taken an oath. And mine is not to rest, nor to givethis critter rest, until I have spoken to as many true men in theseGrants as may be seen in a week. The time has come to act!"
"Reckon I'd better be joggin' erlong toward Old Ti, heh, Colonel?"remarked the ranger, leaning an elbow on the pommel of the saddle.
"You had, 'Siah, you had. We can depend upon you, and those red-coatedrascals there must be kept unsuspicious and their fears--if they haveany--lulled to sleep. I have one man already who proposes to put hishead in the Lion's mouth and return--providing the jaws do not close onhim--to tell us in what state the old pile of stone is kept."
"But what has started you out so suddenly, Colonel Allen?" demanded thewidow.
"What! have ye not heard? There was a packet came from Bostonyesterday."
"We have seen nobody this week," declared Enoch.
"There has been blood shed, friends," said the giant, earnestly, hiseyes flashing and the color in his cheek deepening. "American freemenhave been shot down like sheep in the slaughter!"
"Where? Who were killed? What was the cause? Who did it?" were some ofthe queries hurled at their informant by the little group.
"Fifty men, they say, were murdered. At Lexington, in Massachusetts.There were munitions stored there belonging to the militia. The Britishgot word of it and marched from Boston to destroy the goods. They firedon our people at the bridge and when the poor fellows broke and ran theyfollowed and potted them like rabbits! War has begun, friends. Nothingunder the blue canopy can stop it now. American blood has been shed andI tell you it is but the beginning of the flood which must pour from ourveins until these colonies are free!"
"Oh, Colonel! you do not believe that?" cried the widow. "Surely thistrouble can be averted. Calmer and more honest men will gain control andprevail. War is an awful thing."
"True, Widow Harding. And well may you say it who have two sons to givefor freedom. But mark my words, madam! Those two boys of yours will beneeded, and if the Almighty spares them they will be some years olderbefore either side in this controversy gives in.... Now friends, I mustaway. You know what is expected of you, 'Siah. Young Nuck, you'll bewanted at Bennington to-morrow."
"Oh, shall our people really attack Ticonderoga?" cried Kate. "Theschoolmaster says that is the strongest fortress in the Colonies."
"Your schoolmaster is a bit of a Tory, I fear, miss," said Allen,smiling down upon her. "We shall have to 'view' him if he tells suchtales in school," and waving his gauntleted hand he rode swiftly awayfrom the homestead.
"I am off at once, folks," said 'Siah, beginning to make his pack forthe journey. "I'll see you up near Old Ti, Nuck, for the Colonel meansbusiness sure! We may have some such doin's up there as your father andI had under Rogers and Old Put years ago."
He went away shortly and there was little the Hardings could do that daybut talk over the wonderful news and let their fancy run upon thefuture. The widow saw that coming which she had feared for months, butshe was cheerful. Nuck must go on this expedition to Lake Champlain, andshe said it with unshaken voice. Bryce was to remain to guard the home,for there was no knowing what the result of the attack on Old Ti mightbe.
The alarming intelligence brought by Colonel Allen had its effect uponthe younger members of the family as well as on the older, for late inthe afternoon Harry came running to his mother with the information thatthere was a man lurking in the forest across the creek. The child hadseen the stranger twice and being fearful that the man was there for nogood purpose was much troubled. The older boys were in the field atwork, but when the widow blew the horn Enoch came up to learn the cause,for it was not yet supper time. Hearing Harry's report he seized hisrifle and went to the creek bank, approaching the spot very carefully,for he feared at once that their enemy, Simon Halpen, might have daredfollow him from Westminster.
He had scarcely reached the creek, however, when he was apprised of theidentity of the visitor. A head, in the black locks of which a tuft ofeagle feathers was fastened, appeared above the bushes, and the nextmoment the person thus betrayed came out into full view and beckonedhim. It was Crow Wing who had approached the Harding place through theforest. Enoch leaped into his own boat and paddled across, rememberingthe Indian's promise the year before to visit him at some time for thepurpose of examining the vicinity of the spot where Jonas Harding hadbeen slain.