To promote a further division between the two sections, New York gave civil and military commissions to settlers on the east side. A new county was erected there, and a log court house and jail was built in the wilderness, eight miles distant from any settlement. The Governor, by this stratagem, partially brought the eastern counties to coincide with New York, thus placing the western district in the interior of the government. He hoped in that way to compel their submission; forgetting that men, who had braved every danger and hardship attending the settlement of a wild country, would not tamely submit to be dispossessed. The contest now grew warm and serious. Writs of ejectment were issued and served; some officers were prevented by force from serving their writs; the papers were returned to the Supreme Court at Albany. Ethan Allen, a proprietor under the Hampshire Grants, accompanied by an eminent barrister of Connecticut named Ingersoll, repaired to Albany to answer in behalf of the Grants. When the first case was brought, Ingersoll answered for the defendant, supporting his plea by the royal orders and instructions to Governor Wentworth to make grants of land in the province of New Hampshire, and also produced the grant and charter to the settlers. The judge would not admit them to be taken as evidence, on which Ingersoll perceived the cause was already prejudged, and withdrew from the defense. CHAPTER III. RESISTING THE NEW YORK CLAIMANTS. On the return of Mr. Allen to Bennington, the people met in convention, and passed a resolution to support their rights and property by force, inasmuch as justice was denied them by the intriguing land-jobbers controlling the civil power of New York. This was a bold stroke of one hundred men thus to oppose the most favored and influential colony under the Crown; but the Vermonters rightly conjectured their quarrel was with the governor of New York and a few land speculators only, and not with the body of its inhabitants. Matters were daily becoming more serious. Civil officers were opposed by the people of the Grants; the latter were in turn indicted for riot, and sheriffs were sent to apprehend the delinquents. These officers were seized and severely chastised _with twigs of the wilderness_; that is to say, they were bound to trees and treated to an application of beech rods on their bare backs, well laid on. Every day produced new events: the settlers resolved to form themselves into a military association for mutual protection. Before the close of the year 1770, committees of safety had been organized for purposes of defense against the New York claimants. These committees afterwards met in general convention, when important issues were to be determined. Ethan Allen was commissioned Colonel Commandant, and Seth Warner, Remember Baker, Robert Cockran, Gideon Warren and others, were appointed captains.