The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, Vol. 1 (of 2): or, Illustrations, by Pen And Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for IndependenceLossing, Benson John
History
The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, Vol. 1 (of 2): or, Illustrations, by Pen And Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for Independence
Lossing, Benson John
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783
One of the company furnished the whisky which was drunk on the occasion,
and agreed to wait for his pay until the treasure was secured. The men
"kept their spirits up by pouring spirits down," and before the work was
completed nearly three hogsheads of alcohol were swallowed by them. They
cleared and drained the well to its rocky bottom, and all the metal
which they found was iron in the form of nails, spikes, bolts, axes,
shovels, &c. The whisky and the labor were lost to the owners, but they
found the saying correct, that "truth lies at the bottom of a well," for
they discovered, when at the bottom, the important truth, which
doubtless taught them wisdom, that credulity is a faithless though
smiling friend, and a capricious and hard master to serve. Money-digging
still continues in the neighborhood, and several excavations within the
fort were pointed out as the scene of quite recent labor in that line.
In 1844 a venerable, white-haired man, apparently between eighty and
ninety years of age, leaning upon a staff and accompanied by two
athletic men, came to the fort and began to dig. They were observed by
Mr. B., and ordered away. The old man was urgent for leave to dig, for
he had come from the northern part of Vermont, was very poor, knew
exactly where the treasure was, as he had assisted in concealing it, and
asked but thirty minutes to finish his work. Mr. B. left them, and,
returning an hour afterward, saw quite a deep hole, but no man was near.
The diggers were gone, and the impression is that they really "found
something!" There has been a great deal of money-digging upon Snake
Mountain, on the eastern side of the lake, induced, to some extent, by
the wonderful discovery of a crucible there. Among those rugged hills
was doubtless the residence of "May Martin," the lovely heroine of the
"Money-diggers." *
Crown Point remained in the quiet possession of the British from 1759
until 1775, when it was surprised and taken by a small body of
provincials called "Green Mountain Boys," under Colonel Seth Warner. **
I have already mentioned the fact that he attempted its capture on the
same day that Delaplace surrendered Ticonderoga to Ethan Allen, but was
thwarted and driven back by a storm. That was on the 10th of May. The
attempt was renewed on the 12th, with success, and the garrison,
consisting of only a sergeant and eleven men, were made prisoners
without firing a shot. *** Among the spoils were a hundred and fourteen
cannons, of which only sixty-one were fit for service.
* See Thompson's pretty fiction, "May Martin, or the Money-diggers."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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