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Green Mountain
Boys Flag - Vermont
SAWYER GENEALOGY:
THOMAS 1616
JOHN 1661
JACOB 1689
JESSE 1721
JESSE 1750
HARMON 1770
VOLNEY 1803
HIRAM 1828
BERTHA 1881
Mary Kilmer Miller 1910
Frederick Tietbohl
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THE TAKING OF
FORT TICONDEROGA, MAY 10, 1775.
�Directions being sent from the then colony,
now state of Connecticut, to raise companies of
'Green Mountain Boys,' and if possible with them
to surprise and take the fortress of Ticonderoga,
Col Ethan Allen raised several companies. Seth
Warner was Lieut.-Col, Sam�l Safford, Major,
and Jesse Sawyer Captain, of one company. After
carefully guarding the several passes that led
thither to cut off all intelligence between the
garrison and the country, they made a forced
march from Bennington, and arrived at the lake
opposite Ticonderoga on the evening of the ninth
of May, 1775, with 230 valiant Green Mountain
Boys, and with the utmost difficulty procured
boats to cross the lake, a distance of five or
six miles. However, they landed 83 men near the
garrison and sent the boats back for the rear
guard, commanded by Col. Seth Warner, but the day
began to dawn and it became necessary to attack
the fort before the rear could cross the lake,
and as it was viewed hazardous, Col. Allen
proposed to the soldiers that all that were
willing to make the attempt, to poise their
firelocks. The men being drawn up in three ranks,
each poised his firelock, he ordered them to face
to the right and they matched immediately to the
wicket gate, Captain Sawyer taking the lead.
There they found a sentry posted, who instantly
snapped his fusee. Col. Allen ran toward him. He
retreated through the covered way into the
parade, within the garrison, gave a loud
�Halloa� and ran under a bomb proof.
The men immediately entered the fort, the
garrison excepting the sentries being asleep.
They gave three huzzahs, which greatly surprised
them. A sentry made a pass at one of the officers
with a charged bayonet, and slightly wounded him.
The officer struck him on the head with his
sword, whereupon he asked quarter, which was
granted him. Col. Allen demanded where the
commanding officer was. He was shown a flight of
stairs in front of the garrison � which led
to a second story in the barrack � to which
he immediately repaired and ordered the
commander, Captain De La Place, to come forth, or
he would sacrifice the whole garrison, at which
the Captain came with his breeches in his hand.
When he ordered him to deliver the fort
instantly, he asked on what authority he demanded
it. Col. Allen replied with a stamp of his foot,
that shook the building, �In the name of the
Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress.�
He began to speak, but, with drawn sword, the
intrepid Col. Again demanded an immediate
surrender of the garrison, with which he complied
at once, and ordered his men to be forthwith
paraded, without arms, as he had given up the
garrison. This surprise was carried into
execution in the gray morning light of the early
morning of the 10th of May, 1775�
Page: 77.
Genealogy of the White Family
Mrs. Jennett Nichols-Vanderpool
Eaton, N.Y. 1899
Ladson Genealogy Library, GA.
#938
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