Show vermont men first to defy king george the prevalent pre alent idea that the first blood of an body of men resisting great britain at the outbreak of the revolution wag shed a lexington Is challenged in many quarters of the state of vermont while er do not wish it to appear that they lack reference for the sacred soil of those birly bat 1 they would ahle to see it em on the records that william french a brattleboro Bratt leboro boy and daniel II of hummerston dummerston Dum merston were mor tally wounded in a clash at the west minster courthouse conr between armed loyalists and the liberty boys more than a month before the shooting began in massachusetts the rebuilt 14 mile cement kings highway recently opened between bellows I 1 alls and putney sl arts the scene of the so called westminster massacre in fact the marker on the site of the colonial courthouse placed there by the daughters of the american Reo lutton had to be moved about 0 feet onto the property of county commissioner john C richmond when work started on the new road TWO martyrs to independence across the street in the old westminster burying ground a monument erected by the state honors the graeb of the two martyrs the heroic resistance of the liberty boys and other events leading up to independent statehood for vermont were celebrated in connection with the opening of the new highway the patriots of this early vermont skirmish were armed only with sticks of wood from a local woodpile while the kings henchmen were not soldiers but armed loyalists led by a judge and sheriff the specific gr leance in vermont was the injustice of the kings courts settlers who had secured their land under the new hampshire charter found their titles and other rights jeopardized by council decree recognizing the sovereignty of new york in that section many not only lost their titles and went into debt but were put in jail the resistance movement was or in and by gen era consent it was determined to oppose the session of the court of corn mon pleas set for march 14 1775 what happened an event little known to amerlean Amerl ran schoolboys Is chronicled as follows by L S iiames resident of bellows falls and local judge promised to be good the at was so strong that on senri ivi march 12 about 40 good true men of her best citizens went to chester judge chandler lived to dissuade him from holding courts judge chandler replied that he thought with them it would not be best to hold the court as things were but that there was one case of murder to dispose of after which he gave his promise that if not agreeable to alie people he would not hear any cases 1 I he rockingham delegation wis not content with this assurance they had no confidence in the jude lie assured them however that no arms would be brought to westminster in any event the party returned to their homes and on monday alie thirteenth they marched to westminster the upper street of the kings highway in westminster the party met copt azariah wryght and other liberty men who informed them of news received that dudte chandler was coming with an armed force de to hold the regular session in spite of his the party went to the old log schoolhouse of alie village and each person armed himself with a conven lent stick of wood from captain woodpile in courthouse they marched up to the courthouse and tool possession between fhe and six 0 clock determined to bold it during the night soon after chev had barricades barricaded barrica ded the doors sheriff approached by a number of men some being armed with guns swords or pistols and others wath clubs he demanded admission which was refused when he ordered the kings proclamation to be rad and commanded the opposition to disperse within I 1 minutes or he would blow a lane through them judge chandler came to the court house about seven 0 clock and was re minded that he had promised no arms would be brought lie replied that they were brought without hla knowl edge and he would go and take them away promising the liberty party that they would bo undisturbed until morning when he would come in with out arms and listen to what they might wish to say upon these assurances the patriots depended they draw up a statement of grievances to present to the court in the morning and most of the party withdrew from the building they left a strong guard at the courthouse the sheriff sent word to all the in the neighborhood g they met at nortons Nor tons tavern at this place after a liberal pat taj conage of the bar the sheriff and his party at eleven at night made their attack on the courthouse court never met again after being twice forced back on the steps the sheriff ordered his men to fire into the building twice they fired over the heads of those within and then a olley aimed directly at the men inside resulted in slaughter ten of the liberty boys wera wounded two mortally the sheriffs men rushed in seizing the wounded and dying patriots with the rest 17 in all and threw them into the jail pen which occupied the lower floor of the courthouse conr the court met nest morning but adjourned to the which never came that days session being the last ever held in the county under authority of an english king tourists along the modern kings highway entering the burying ground at westminster read the following inscription on the french gravestone in memory of william french son to mr nathaniel french who was shot at westminster march ie 13 1775 by the hands of cruel tools of george ye ad in the cornhouse Cor at 11 a clock at night in the year of his age here william french hla body lies for murder his blood for vengeance cries kang george the third hla tory crew tha with a bawl his head shot threw for liberty and his country s good he lost his life his dearest blood |