Chittenden

BAKER, Remember

Vermont Historical Magazine, No XI, October 1867, pp 765-770

Remember BAKER closed his eventful life while an inhabitant of Colchester 
[Chittenden County, Vermont]. He was one of those brave and hardy pioneers 
that seem to have been fitted for the times in which he lived, wherein he 
seldom found repose; but personal incident and daring adventure was his lot, 
until the tragic close of his life relieved him from further agitation and 
trial.

Remember BAKER was born at Woodbury [Litchfield County], Connecticut, about 
1740. The date of his birth is not definitely given. His parents were 
persons of respectability; but his father died when young BAKER was but a 
child, having been accidentally shot by a hunter. The young lad, thus left 
an orphan, was put to the care of a master to learn the joiner's trade; where 
he also learned to read and write, and the use of figures. He seems not 
however to have been content with his situation, for we learn that in 1756 or 
1757, he enlisted as a private soldier among the provincial troops, designed 
for the invasion of Canada. No details of his adventures in this expedition 
are given; but in 1757 he was doubtless stationed at Fort William Henry at 
the head of Lake George, among the provincial troops at that post; and must 
have been engaged in some form, in the stirring events of that year, in which 
so much blood was spilt about Lake George, resulting in the capture of Fort 
William Henry by MONTCALM, and the deliberate butchery of about 1,600 of the 
garrison after its surrender.

The next notice we take of BAKER he is enlisted a second time in the 
expedition of Gen. ABERCROMBIE, in his attempted invasion of Canada, in 1758. 
He now appears as a non-commissioned officer in the provincial service in 
Col. WOOSTER's regiment from Connecticut. There were 9,000 provincials 
enlisted on that occasion, and 7,000 British regulars, and this army of 
16,000 men embarked at the head of Lake George, 05 July 1758, with 900 
bateaux and 135 whale boats. As they left the shore of the lake, near the 
ruins of Fort William Henry, which the year before had been devastated by 
MONTCALM, and when the bones of their murdered countrymen lay bleaching upon 
the ground, they felt that the time was at hand to take vengeance upon their 
enemies for this wholesale work of savage barbarity. They embarked at 
daybreak; the morning was quiet and still; the day was warm and pleasant; and 
the breeze hardly sufficient to raise a ripple upon the water. As they 
passed down that romantic lake, with over a thousand boats in a single train, 
moving onward in regular defiles, the scene is represented as one of the most 
grand and imposing. And it would not be surprising if our youthful hero, but 
eighteen years of age, then drank in something of his heroic spirit. As the 
flag of Old England, and the shrill note of the bugle, rose from the head of 
every defile, and the gleam of British bayonets and uniform flashed along the 
line, he could not, if he would, keep down the congenial impulse of his own 
adventurous soul.

The next morning, 06 July [1758], the army of ABERCROMBIE moved in four 
divisions from the foot of Lake George towards Ticonderoga. In front of the 
right center division, a little band of 100 men, under the immediate command 
of Major PUTNAM, and accompanied by the lamented Lord HOWE, proceeded in 
advance to reconnoiter the movements of the enemy, and BAKER was one of this 
party. Soon the firing of musketry was heard on the left of the English 
line; and Lord HOWE inquired of PUTNAM what the firing meant. "I know not, " 
said Put, "But with your lordship's leave I will go and see." HOWE, in spite 
of PUTNAM's remonstrances, insisted on going also; and they filed off for the 
scene of conflict. They soon engaged the left flank of the advanced party of 
the enemy, consisting of 500 men, and the first exchange of shots proved 
fatal to the "gallant young nobleman," the idol of the British army. PUTNAM 
and BAKER, and the brave men in whose midst he fell, resolved to avenge his 
death; and, with the fury of tigers, cut their way obliquely through the 
French ranks, then turned and charged them in the rear, and with the aid of 
some others who rushed to their assistance, slew some 300 of the party on the 
spot, and captured 148 prisoners. This closed the events of that day, the 
British forces fell back to restore their order, and the French took shelter 
within their line of entrenchments.

The intrepidity and courage of young BAKER on the above occasion gained him 
much applause in the army; but the renewed display of his bravery, two days 
after, when the brave old English general resolved to storm the works, and 
marched up to the French lines, gained him no less honor and applause. This 
awful conflict was to be commenced by the piquets, and supported by the 
British grenadiers, hence PUTNAM and his guard had the perilous duty assigned 
them to join in opening the attack, with orders "to rush upon the enemy's 
fire, and not give theirs until they were within the enemy's breastworks." 
On they went followed by the grenadiers in double quick time; and the 
grenadiers in their turn supported by the numerous battalions of the army. 
Soon they encountered the formidable abatis, which the enemy had skillfully 
flung around their breastworks; and the gallant charge was checked by the 
fatal entanglement of the troops among the sharpened and interwoven limbs of 
the fallen trees and the thick underbrush. For four hours they resolutely 
struggled to cut their way through these obstructions, while they were swept 
down by showers of musketry, and of grape and canister from the French 
artillery. They were resolute, and the sickening carnage did not check them; 
and once the gallant piquets overcome every obstacle, and mounted the 
parapets, but they could not be sustained. The struggle was now over; and 
the shattered remains of ABERCROMIE's proud army fell back to their 
encampment, with 1,900* of their number slain and left upon the field of 
carnage. (* The French accounts say 4,000.)

The stirring events of this campaign gave to BAKER some well-earned 
experience of the soldier's life; and that character for heroic bravery which 
he never after belied. He continued in the service the year following, when 
the command of the Champlain department was assumed by Gen. AMHERST. During 
that year both Ticonderoga and Crown Point on the approach of AMHERST were 
abandoned by the French; and our young hero had not the opportunity of adding 
new laurels to his brow. But AMHERST, while awaiting the result of WOLFE's 
siege of Quebec and PRIDEAUX' expedition to Niagara, employed his troops in 
the reconstruction of the forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point and preparing 
a fleet to command the lake.

At the close of 1759 BAKER left the army; and the next we learn of him he had 
married and settled at Arlington [Bennington County, Vermont], on the New 
Hampshire grants, in 1764. (This was after the Governor of New Hampshire had 
issued his charters of these townships, and the same year that the King and 
Privy Council, by a fraudulent representation of them, that the settlers 
under the New Hampshire titles wished the jurisdiction of New York to be 
extended over them, established the west bank of the Connecticut River as the 
eastern boundary of that Province.) Supposing that this decision only 
affected the jurisdiction of the two States, and not the titles to their 
lands, which they had once bought in good faith and paid for, the settlers 
rested quietly under the decision; but no great length of time elapsed before 
they were called upon by land jobbers, claiming under New York titles, to 
abandon their lands or purchase them anew.

This at once created a storm; they refused to surrender up their farms, or 
pay for them a second time. The courts of New York, without ceremony, 
rejected all evidence of title, except under their own state; and gave 
judgment against the settlers under New Hampshire, in all cases that came 
before them. Ethan ALLEN, who acted as their agent at Albany, indignant at 
the evident pre-judgment of the court, without regard to law or justice, 
replied to their judgments, "that the gods of the valley are not the gods of 
the hills."

With this declaration of war, ALLEN returned to Bennington, where the people 
at once called a meeting, and resolved to defend their titles by force, "as 
both law and justice had been denied them." This bold resolve, it will be 
recollected, was passed by a little community numbering, all told, only some 
300 men, against the New York colony, already a numerous and wealthy people. 
As a crisis was at hand the settlers, in the meantime, organized themselves 
into a military band and chose Ethan ALLEN Colonel commanding, and Seth 
WARNER, Remember BAKER, and some others, Captains. Scenes of aggression and 
resistance soon followed, in which BAKER was found a troublesome opponent of 
the New York authorities, and the Governor of New York by proclamation, 
offered a reward of 150 [British pounds] for ALLEN and 50 [pounds] each for 
BAKER and other "rebellious leaders," declaring them outlaws, and withdrew 
his protection from them.

On the issuing of the above proclamation, one John MONROE, to secure the 
offered reward, collected a bandit of some twelve or fifteen Yorkers and came 
at break of day (29 March 1772) to BAKER's house, and took them by surprise, 
as the family, consisting only of BAKER and his wife and three small 
children, were not suspecting any danger of the kind. They broke down the 
door and treated BAKER and his family with great severity, cutting and 
wounding both him and his wife with their cutlasses in an inhuman and savage 
manner. One of Mrs. BAKER's arms was so severely hacked that she never 
recovered the use of it to her death; and after they had cut and hacked up 
BAKER and taken him prisoner, they attempted to strike off his right hand 
with a sword, but only succeeded in slashing his wrist, striking off his 
thumb and severing the cords upon his hand. He was then pinioned and put 
into their sleigh but partially clad, and threatened with instant death if he 
made any noise. In this condition he took his adieu of his wife and 
children, as he expected not to see them again, and the infamous MONROE 
taunted them with the idea that he would be executed at Albany [New York] and 
never return, which greatly increased their distress.

At this particular juncture two men, Caleb HENDERSON and John WHISTON, 
neighbors, discovered what was going on at BAKER's house and armed themselves 
to rescue him. But the party was too large; they took WHISTON, bound him and 
carried him off with BAKER, but HENDERSON escaped to Bennington and gave the 
alarm. By twelve o'clock at noon ten of the settlers at Bennington had 
mounted their horses and were after MONROE, determined to rescue BAKER or die 
in the attempt. They struck for the ferry on the Hudson, about thirty miles 
distant, where they arrived about three o'clock p. m. Finding that the party 
had not crossed the ferry, they wheeled back on the road north and soon saw 
MONROE approaching with his prisoners and a party now augmented to about 
forty.

MONROE made the remark, in BAKER's hearing, that a rescuing party were at 
hand; and faint from loss of blood and nearly dead as he was, he seemed to 
wake up with new hopes, just then his friends gave a shout of victory and he 
answered it; while MONROE's party ran in fright before the furious Green 
Mountain boys, and, leaving their prisoners behind, made their escape. In 
the meantime BAKER's wounds were dressed, and he was returned to his home.

Things now remained quiet for a while; BAKER recovered from his wounds, and 
the Governor of New York proposed to hear the complaints of the settlers, 
with a view to a reconciliation. A correspondence was entered into, and the 
memorable document addressed to the Governor of New York of 05 June 1772, by 
ALLEN, WARNER, BAKER, and COCHRAN, settling forth the grievances of the 
settlers, was drawn up and dispatched. But while these negotiations were 
going on New York privately sent a surveyor, of the name of COCKBURN, to make 
"further locations in the district of the New Hampshire grants." WARNER and 
BAKER, not regarding this movement in exact harmony with the friendly 
negotiations proposed, took a few men and went in pursuit of COCKBURN. After 
following him about 130 miles through the wilderness, they at length cornered 
him up in Bolton [Chittenden County], from whence they marched him down to 
Castleton [Rutland County], tried him by a court martial, broke up his tools, 
and sentenced him to banishment from the grants "on pain of death if he ever 
returned."

While in pursuit of COCKBURN, WARNER and BAKER dispossessed a settlement of 
Yorkers at Otter Creek, who had previously drove off the Vermonters and taken 
possession of their farms and mills at New Haven Falls, now Vergennes 
[Addison County]; and the controversy, instead of being adjusted by the 
friendly negotiations of New York, were only aggravated by their continued 
efforts, in the meantime, to drive off the settlers under New Hampshire and 
seize upon their lands. It was this same fall, 1772, with a view to head the 
New York claimants, that Ira ALLEN and Remember BAKER, with their five sons, 
came down the lake and up the Winooski River to the lower falls, where they 
afterwards constructed the fort or blockhouse. In this blockhouse we next 
find BAKER and his family located; and he and ALLEN made it their first 
purpose to erect mills, and BAKER, before the outbreak of the Revolution, had 
commenced their construction.

It was after BAKER removed to Colchester [Chittenden County] that the 
Legislature of New York, 09 March 1774, passed the notorious act in which 
they declared that ALLEN, WARNER, BAKER, and others therein named 
(ringleaders as they styled) should be regarded as convicted of felony in 
case they refused to surrender themselves to the authorities of New York 
within seventy days, and on each refusal they were to suffer death without 
benefit of clergy. Upon which Gov. TRYON issued his proclamation offering 
large reward for the men named in the act.

In reply to this tyrannical act Ethan ALLEN, WARNER, BAKER and others, sent a 
most sarcastic and bitter document addressed to Gov. TRYON, well knowing that 
the law was too wicked and absurd to command the respect of any human being. 
They said to the Governor of New York, "that printed sentences of death were 
not very alarming," and proceeded to notify the Governor, if he sent his 
executioners, they only had to try titles to see who should prove to be the 
criminals and die first, and if the authorities of New York insist upon 
killing us to take possession of our vineyards, come on, we are ready for a 
game of scalping with them." Such was the defiant language used by those 
insulted outlaws against the proscriptive statutes of New York; and to 
complete the argument, they employed Tom ROWLEY, then Poet Laureate of the 
Green Mountains, to write those well known doggerel verses, for the purpose 
of sticking on to the above public document, which have become a part of the 
history of those days. This notable state paper was signed by Ethan ALLEN, 
BAKER and others, and in contempt and derision of the New York authorities 
transmitted to Gov. TRYON. Thus the glove was flung down by those fearless 
pioneers, and the challenge given to New York for a trial of right, to be 
decided by a trial of strength. But these men knew that it was not the 
people of New York who were their enemies, but the speculators and the public 
functionaries they had corrupted.

This controversy, however, which seemed to grow more and more violent, and 
just upon the point of a bloody civil war, was suddenly arrested by the more 
absorbing matters of the Revolution, which were now rapidly developing, and 
indeed soon the battle of Lexington took place and the whole country was 
aroused. BAKER was a friend to liberty, equality and justice, and was one of 
the first, on the opening of that great contest for human rights, to enter 
the lists of patriots. Two days before the capture of Ticonderoga, a 
messenger arrived in Colchester from Ethan ALLEN, with orders to BAKER to 
come with his company and assist Capt. WARNER in the capture of Crown Point, 
which formed part of the programme in ALLEN's mission to Ticonderoga. BAKER, 
without delay, collected as many of his men as he could, went up the lake in 
boats, and on his way met and captured two small boats that were escaping 
from Crown Point to give the alarm to the British garrison at St. Johns. 
After securing the boats he hastened on, "and he and WARNER appeared at Crown 
Point nearly at the same time, the garrison, having but few men, surrendered 
without opposition." (Author notes that the quoted portion is from Ira 
ALLEN's History of Vermont). This was 10 May 1775, the same day Ticonderoga 
was captured by ALLEN.

But the tragic end of BAKER's checkered life was now near at hand. He had 
accompanied ALLEN to St. Johns at the time he took possession of that place; 
but soon returned to Crown Point, where it is probable he remained in charge 
of the fort until the arrival of Col. HINMAN's regiment from Connecticut, who 
had been ordered to repair to Ticonderoga and Crown Point, to relieve the men 
in those garrisons. After the arrival of Col. HINMAN's regiment, and 
MONTGOMERY had assumed the command of the garrison, Capt. BAKER was detailed 
by Gen. MONTGOMERY, August 1775, with a party of men to go down the lake to 
watch the movements of the enemy. When he arrived about for mile south of 
the Isle Aux Nois, it being in the night, he landed in a bay and ran his boat 
up a small creek to secret it. Early in the morning he passed round with his 
men on to a point beyond his boat to reconnoiter, and he sat down upon the 
point to sharpen his flint. Just then he noticed that some Indians had got 
possession of his boat and were approaching the point where he was on their 
way north. He placed his men behind trees with orders not to fire until he 
did, and as the Indians came near he hailed them, and ordered them to return 
the boat or he should fire upon them, but they refused. He then took to a 
tree, raised his musket, but the flint he had sharpened hitched on the pan 
and his firelock missed. Instantly one of the savages fired upon him and the 
shot took effect in the head, and he feel and expired. His men, to late, 
returned the fire and wounded some of the Indians; but they were soon beyond 
reach, and the men made best their retreat to Crown Point.

After a short time the Indians came back to the point, plundered the body of 
its equipage, cut off BAKER's head, raised it upon a pole and carried it in 
triumph to St. Johns, where the British officers, out of humanity, bought it 
from the savages and buried it, and also sent up to the point and interred 
the body. Nor did the wily savage who shot BAKER long survive his triumph; 
for in October following, he too was killed by some American soldiers, and 
BAKER's powder horn, with his name engraven upon it, retaken from him. This 
trophy was presented by Capt. HUTCHINS, into whose possession it came, to 
Col. Seth WARNER, BAKER's old companion in arms, to hand over to his 
(BAKER's) son, as a token of remembrance of his brave and esteemed father.

Thus fell Capt. BAKER at the age of thirty-five, in the full vigor of his 
life and usefulness, and the first death of an inhabitant of Colchester, and 
the first life sacrificed in the cause of the Revolution in the northern 
military department. Had he lived through the events of the Revolution and 
participated in them, as he doubtless would, his courage and patriotism 
would have left his name not merely to be remembered by his own town, but 
engraven upon the page of history among the heroes and patriots of his 
country. He, too, like GREEN, or PUTNAM, or MARION, might have risen from 
his obscure life of industrial labor to have graced the annals of the 
Revolution. As an officer and soldier he was cool and deliberate, yet firm 
and resolute; as a man, kind and benevolent; and as a gentleman, respected 
and esteemed by all who knew him. He left a son who was an officer in Gen. 
WAYNE's army, in his energetic campaign against the Indians northwest of the 
Ohio in 1895, but of whose subsequent history we have no knowledge.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly