oner, and on the understanding that he would
reveal all he knew of the plot against the men of the grants, Allen
allowed all the others to go free.
Two Yorkers were killed, while Allen's ranks had lost only one, and he
only wounded, though severely.
In triumph the boys returned to the green hills of Vermont, and were
received with many congratulations.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE CONVENTION.
Edwards was brought to trial on the charge of leading an armed invasion
of New Hampshire.
He declared that he alone was responsible for the foray, and doubtless
his statement was a true one, though Allen did not believe it.
The district court condemned Edwards to death by hanging, for his act
was one of high treason, and the sentence was sure to be confirmed by
the king, to whom it had to be sent.
When Gov. Tryon heard of the fight and the capture of Edwards, and his
subsequent trial and sentence, he resolved on two things. He would
bring all the pressure to bear on the king that he could to prevent the
sentence being confirmed, and he would capture Allen and his friends,
no matter what the consequences might be.
A proclamation was printed and sent through all the grants, in which
the governor of New York offered a reward of one hundred and fifty
pounds sterling for the capture of Ethan Allen, dead or alive, and a
further sum of fifty pounds each for the bodies, dead or alive, of Seth
Warner, Remember Baker, Sylvanus Brown, Robert Cochrane, Peleg
Sunderland, James Breakenridge and John Smith.
When the proclamation had been well discussed the people got another
sensation in a counter proclamation, signed by Ethan Allen on behalf of
the mountaineers, offering two hundred pounds for the capture of the
attorney-general of New York.
Both proclamations started out with a command to the parties named to
surrender themselves within thirty days under pain of the forfeiture of
all their property, of conviction of felony and sentence of death
without benefit of clergy.
These proclamations placed the two sections on a war footing, and Ethan
saw that it was necessary to organize on a larger scale than had been
done.
He consulted his trusty friend, Seth Warner, and as a result a
convention was called at Bennington.
"It is no use calling on New Hampshire to aid us. We must rely on
ourselves," Allen told all with whom he came in contact.
A larger number gathered at the convention than he expected, and his
heart was
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