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These grants were for a time confined mostly to the west side of the mountains, that portion being nearer New York and easier of access to the New York people.

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The New York grants were not usually made to a large number and in townships, but to individuals in "pitches,' so called, some of which were of vast extent. One tract, claimed by a New York party of four, extended twelve miles along the Battenkill, with an average width of three miles, including some of the most fertile portions of the present towns of Arlington, Manchester, and Dorset. Extensive grants were made to reduced officers who had served in the French and Indian War; and these were bestowed upon the officers in proportion to their rank. For example, a field officer was entitled to 5,000 acres, a captain to 3,000, and so on.

Far the greater number of New York patcntees were "land jobbers," who had no intention of occupying their grants, but had obtained them for the purpose of disposing of them at a profit, or, perhaps, in a few instances, of letting them out to tenants.

New York divides the Grants into Counties.-In a few years' time New York had divided the grants into counties. The limits of these counties were not in those days very closely defined; but Cumberland, the first to be created, included practically the present counties of Windham and Windsor. Chester was for four or five years the shire town of this county, and the county seat was then changed to Westminster, where a court-house and jail was built.

This building was in shape almost square, with a gambrel roof surmounted by a cupola. A hall ten or twelve

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feet in width, with exits at both ends, ran the whole length, east and west, through the middle of the lower story. On the north side of this hall was the jail, comprising two prison rooms separated by a narrow passage which opened into the large hall. On the south side were the cook-room, occupied by the janitor, and a bar-room in which he also served as bartender. A flight of stairs led from the east entrance to the large court-room above, which was never

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finished inside, its beams and braces remaining rough and bare.

North of Cumberland County and reaching to Canada was Gloucester County. Kingsland, now Washington, was at first the shire town, though it had at that time almost no inhabitants, and the log house, which served as a courthouse, was far in the depths of the wilderness. Lost in the woods and unable to find the court-house, the officers

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of the court performed the business of one session under the open sky, standing upon their snowshoes. county seat was afterward changed to Newbury.

North from Arlington and extending both sides of the lake was Charlotte County; its shire town was Skenesboro, now Whitehall. There seems to have been but little need of forming this county, for almost its only inhabitants. were a few Indians and an occasional Frenchman.

That portion of the grants south of this county was still retained as a part of Albany County.

Resistance of Grantees.-Notwithstanding the decree of the king, the efforts of the New York claimants to get possession of the lands went on. Ethan Allen, appearing in the grants about this time, took upon his shoulders the defense of the grantees. Procuring an eminent lawyer from Connecticut, his old home, the two appeared before the court at Albany in defense of a settler against whom suit had been brought by a New York claimant. This suit and two that followed were decided against the grantees, although they produced as evidence in their favor the town charters and the deeds of their lands. When the news of this reached the grants, it produced great excitement and indignation. The settlers assembled in convention at Bennington, and there resolved to support both their rights and property by force, as law and justice were denied them.

Although the New York claimants found it an easy matter to attain judgments in their favor in the courts of Albany, it was not so easy to carry them into execution. Militia companies were formed in several of the towns; and whenever sheriffs appeared upon the grants for the purpose of ejecting settlers, they were promptly met by forces

gathered to resist them; whenever surveyors attempted to run lines across lands already granted to settlers, they were prevented; and whenever, under grants made by New York, settlements were made on disputed lands, the intruders were driven away and their houses torn down and burned; when, in consequence of such acts, several of the inhabitants were indicted as rioters and officers sent to arrest them, said officers were seized by the people "and severely chastized with twigs of the wilderness."

An Attempt to Eject James Breckenridge of Bennington.-Sheriff Ten Eyck with a posse of 750 armed militia came to Bennington in 1771, for the purpose of driving James Breckenridge from a farm which he had refused to give up or repurchase. Learning of his coming, 300 armed settlers posted themselves in and around the house to oppose him. A small number were placed within, who were to make known any attempt on the part of the sheriff to force the door, by raising a red flag at the top of the chimney. The remaining force was made into two divisions, one of which was stationed in hiding behind trees near the road by which the sheriff was advancing; the other was concealed behind a ridge of land on the opposite side of the road.

Unsuspicious of danger, the invaders walked into this trap. The sheriff demanded entrance, but was refused; and on threatening to force the door received the answer from within, "Attempt it and you are a dead man." At the given signal the settlers displayed their hats upon the muzzles of their guns, which made it appear that their number was twice as great as it really was. All things considered, the sheriff thought best not to attempt it, and hastily withdrew with his men.

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