John De Morgan

“ True, the garrison was small, but it was intrenched behind strong walls, a well-filled moat and a line of breastworks carefully designed, and improved bastions.
Allen called all his men together and addressed them.
"It is for your country that you will risk your lives," he said, "and while you take care not to run into needless danger, remember that only the daring will succeed. If we enter the fort, as we shall undoubtedly do, set up a shout which shall make the garrison think we have eight hundred instead of eighty men. Be brave, and the victory will be ours." ”

“ To those who survive no honor will be begrudged, no reward will be too ample for a proud country to bestow.
"We shall meet the foe. We shall cross swords with the hirelings of a tyrant. Our arms will be triumphant, for justice is with us, and God will bless our swords. To-morrow we march to Massachusetts, to join our brothers there, and all the world shall ring with the doings of the Governor's Guards of Connecticut." ”

“ When Benedict Arnold was alone he showed by every line on his face how pleased he was with the suggestion made by his old-time friend.
"It is the opportunity of my life. What does Ethan Allen know about war? He is a country farmer, and can fight a sheriff's posse, and perhaps a few soldiers in his mountains; but to take Ticonderoga? Bah! He will fail unless I help him, and then the glory shall be mine." ”

“ Tell me about it, and I think all can be rectified."
"It is too late."
"Not so; it is never too late for a great nation to rectify a wrong done to even the humblest of its subjects, let alone a man of such undoubted courage and rectitude as Gen. Arnold."
"I am not a general, but only a captain—in this adventure only a private."
"You should be a general. If the king knew you as well as I have learned to do in these few hours, you most likely would have the control of the army in the colonies." ”

“ Allen rose in the dignity of his manhood, and rather startled his own friends by saying:
"I never asked a man yet to disobey orders. Do your duty. I will go with you to Sabrevous; but, mark me, I shall hold your government responsible for my loss of time and for the indignity of this arrest."
Eben Pike had not been under arrest, and now he stood at the door, waiting developments. He saw clearly what should be done. If Allen was condemned, then Montgomery must be informed, and a quick move made on Sabrevous and Allen liberated. ”

“ Into this space thirty-four American prisoners were pushed, handcuffed in pairs.
Allen refused to enter.
The captain asked who he was that he should dare to disobey orders.
"I surrendered to the British under a pledge that I should be treated as a prisoner of war, and I demand that we shall all be treated as human beings, not as cattle."
The captain laughed brutishly.
"Ha! ha! ha! That is good! Do you think I would treat cattle that way? They would all be dead before they reached England. No, no, my dear rebel! you are treated as rebels, not cattle." ”

“ As one of the prisoners quoted the words of an older rebel in England:
"The noblest place for man to die
Is where he dies for man."
So all felt that if they were to be hanged in England they would be tried, and on their trial they would be able to make their defense and let the world know under what grievances the American colonies were suffering. ”

“ A company of soldiers had been quartered on one of the farms by the English, and Allen was unprepared for the encounter.
When he found he was in for a fight, he felt better satisfied to think he met foemen worthy of his steel, instead of a set of half-fed and badly armed farmers' men.
The English can fight well, and Allen knew that his troops were inferior in every way to the enemy, but he did not hesitate.
"Men, we are outnumbered, but we are not beaten; shall we retire as prisoners, or fight until death claims us?"
"Fight!"
"We cannot surrender without a struggle." ”

“ Allen was standing on deck looking over the finest harbor in Europe, when his attention was called to a small boat hailing the war ship.
Some men climbed up on deck and asked for Col. Allen, of America.
Allen was so close that he could not help hearing, and he answered that he was Ethan Allen.
John Hays, a merchant of Cork, clasped Allen's hand and tried to speak, but, instead of words, tears flowed down his cheeks and his voice was choked.
When he did master his emotion he exclaimed, with patriarchal fervor:
"Heaven bless you and all brave men like you who are fighting for liberty." ”

“ Warner stood on a chair and waved his hand for attention.
"I have heard," he said, "that Gen. Gates is pressing the people of Boston so hard that the English are getting themselves disliked in that city, and I should not be surprised if a rebellion was talked of."
"The sooner the better, say I."
"Yes; why should England govern us?"
"We are too far away. The king——"
"Leave his name out of the question. We can be loyal to him, even if we become independent as a new nation."
"We want no kings——"
"Silence!" shouted Allen; "I will not listen to treason to the king." ”

“ Allen and Arnold led the way; they never were in the rear.
When close to the fort they made a dash and gained the gateway.
"Stand back!" exclaimed the sentry.
He raised his musket to fire, but Allen knocked it on one side.
"Are you mad? Do you want to die?" he asked.
"Better die than be craven," answered the English soldier, bravely.
Allen had seized him round the waist and thrown him to the floor; he picked himself up and ran into the fort, closely followed by the mountaineers.
Suddenly the Green Mountain Boys set up such a shout as few garrisons had ever heard. ”

“ As he spoke he fell back so that he was beside Ethan Allen.
"You come from York?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Ah, monsieur, it is a pity that the Yorkers like us not."
"But they do like you."
"You may; your heart is large, and you would buy from a poor Canadian; most Yorkers would steal the skins and kill the Canadian."
"You are wrong. The Yorkers are very anxious to be friends with the people of Canada." ”

“ I am Ethan Allen, leader of the Green Mountain Boys, and I have come, not to surrender to you or to lower my claims to the lands in the New Hampshire grants, which we now call Vermont, but to ask you to listen to a plan by which our country may become a nation, free and independent. ”

“ The Second Congress assembled in Philadelphia in September, 1774, and pledged the colonies to support Massachusetts in her conflict with the English ministry, and after petitioning the king and the English people, adjourned to meet, as it happened, on the very day that Ethan Allen captured Ticonderoga.
The members of that Congress were all loyal to England. The time for independence had not come.
But what a galaxy of men!
There were such giants among men as Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, Samuel and John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. ”

“ Half an hour more, and then Allen knew that Brown had not crossed.
His position was critical.
He would have retreated had it been possible, but he would be seen by the enemy, and a fire opened on the canoes would speedily sink them.
"Men, we are lost. Brown has failed to cross the river. If we could retreat we would, but that would mean death without glory. We must stand our ground and die with glory. Our country must never say we were cowards."
There was a suppressed cheer, and Allen knew that his few men were ready to make a determined stand. ”

“ Allen called a council of the boys and asked what should be done with the prisoners.
"Hang them all, every one of them," was the advice of Peleg Sunderland.
"I say, keep them as hostages, and if any of our men are caught, deal with the Yorkers as they deal with our men," said Baker.
"And I think," remarked Allen, slowly and with great deliberation, "that we ought to liberate the soldiers, who only did as they were ordered, and punish Farmer Garvan."
"Let us leave the whole matter to the colonel."
"Good! he is always right." ”

“ Allen was questioned about the strength of the American army, and replied:
"I know not its numbers, but it is well equipped and can beat all the armies you can send over there."
"They are rebels, and only the lowest people sympathize with them."
"Do you call George Washington a common man?" asked Allen.
"He is a rebel, and ought to know better."
"And Richard Montgomery, who fought with you at Havana and Martinique?"
"Is he with the rebels?"
"I had the honor of serving under him."
"He will be hanged, for he was a soldier of his majesty."
"You will have to capture him first." ”

“ He called his guards together, and in an impassioned speech bade them be ready to march against the English, and win freedom for their native land and honor and renown for themselves.
He denounced the king.
He ridiculed the parliament.
The tories were treated to such an outburst of eloquent denunciation that, had any of them heard him, they would have trembled.
"Guards! soldiers of the nation! I salute you. To you is intrusted a banner which must ever be kept in the front of the battle. ”

“ A like reception Eben met with at Peleg Sunderland's and James Breakenridge's houses.
Within an hour thirty of the Green Mountain boys had gathered in the home of their colonel, Ethan Allen.
"Boys, we are in for it this night. Remember that it is your own kith and kin that will be opposed to you. They are brothers, all these Yorkers, and we do not want to be the first to shed blood; but if they fire, that will be our signal. By the great mountains! we will give two bullets for their one, and may victory be with the right!" ”

“ Had Ethan not cautioned the boys against loud talking, there would have been a rousing cheer given for the youthful hero.
"Whenever we have to distinguish our hero," said Allen, "we will call him Eben Pike, the hero of Eagle's Bridge." ”

“ It was only one word, but that one word contained a wealth of contempt and scorn which made the officer tremble.
"Place those men in chains!"
The sergeant of marines saluted and gave the order to the remaining prisoners to return to their prison place.
Allen countermanded the order.
"Listen to me. I am a freeborn man, and, though a prisoner, I am a prisoner of war. I was promised fair treatment for myself and men if we would surrender at Quebec. Is this what you call fair treatment?" ”

“ His soliloquy was interrupted by the entrance of Eli Forest.
"Colonel, your advice is needed. Col. Allen wishes to confer with you."
"I will be with him immediately. Ah! here he is. You honor me too much, Gen. Allen."
"Nay, we are on equal footing, my dear Arnold. I wanted to consult with you about two things. We must secure Crown Point, that is a settled fact, and we must maintain our possession of this fort. Now, what shall we do with the prisoners?"
"Keep them well guarded and wait until some of our men fall into the hands of the enemy, and then act with them as they do with us." ”

“ Men of New York, in the King's name I call on you to arrest Ethan Allen, rebel and traitor. Kill him if he will not submit."
The sheriff's posse rushed forward, and Ethan stood in the doorway, unarmed, and calmly said:
"The moon is at the full."
Instantly the Green Mountain Boys filled the room.
They came from all sorts of hiding places and all were armed.
The sheriff fell back, but only for a moment.
Advancing again, he asked:
"Do you intend to resist by force?"
"I do. I shall fight for my home against the governor of New York—ay, against the king himself. Stand back! ”

“ If the people of Boston talk of rebellion, so will the people of New Hampshire, and we Green—I beg pardon, Vermonters—we, too, can govern ourselves. Then, when two or three colonies show some spirit, New York will have to tackle us all, instead of a few mountaineers. ”

“ A regiment sallied out and marched with band playing and banners flying.
Allen saw them approach, and at once communicated with Montgomery.
Orders were given to defend the weak places and to be content in holding the line.
The British had underestimated the courage of the Americans.
They had yet to learn that men fighting for a principle were stronger than those who fought to obey orders.
Allen knew that many of his men were raw, never having stood up before an enemy, and that when it came to fighting they might be frightened. ”

“ I had gone for the soldiers, and there you were trapped as nicely as any bear in the mountains. Well, when you were secured I put up dad to ask when he would get the reward, and he was told he would have to go to Albany for it, and I found that he could get the reward even if you were rescued, so I wanted to make myself solid with the boys, and I came and told them which way you would be taken, and how to rescue you. So if you will let us go we shall get the reward, but the Yorkers won't get you."
Zeb spoke with such a feeling of exultation that Allen had to laugh. ”

“ Two hundred and seventy men answered the call, and Allen shouted for joy.
"Men of the Great Mountains, we are strong, because a mountain boy is worth ten men of the valleys. We shall capture Ticonderoga. I cannot offer you life; many may be killed, more wounded; but remember we have fought for our homes, we must now fight for our country. We have driven the Yorkers out of the Green Mountains, we must now drive the English out of America, or compel them to recognize our right to govern ourselves. ”