William Williams, Speaker. Richard Law, Clerk. John Lawrence, Treasurer. George Wyllys, Secretary of State. Election Sermon delivered by the Rev. Joseph Perry. Hon. Matthew Griswold appointed Chief Judge of the Superior Court. Eliphalet Dyer, Roger Sherman, Wm. Pitkin, and Samuel Huntington, Judges of the Superior Court. Jabez Hamlin, Judge of the County Court for Hartford county. Elihu Chauncey, Judge of the County Court for New Haven county. Richard Law, Judge of the County Court for New London county. Abraham Davenport, Judge of the County Court for Fairfield county. Shubael Conant, Judge of the County Court for Windham county. Oliver Wolcott, Judge of the County Court for Litchfield county. Probate Judges.-Joseph Talcott, Joseph Spencer, Jabez Hamlin, Isaac Pinney, Solomon Whitman, John Owen, John Whiting, Gurdon Saltonstall, Aaron Elliott, Jabez Huntington, Charles Phelps, Ebenezer Silliman, Abraham Davenport, Thomas Benedict, Wm. Williams, Jabez Fitch, Ebenezer Williams, Oliver Wolcott, Daniel Sherman, Joshua Porter, (Joseph Sherman Judge of Probate for Westmoreland.) William Wolcott, Seth Wetmore, Samuel Talcott, and Erastus Wolcott, Esq'rs., Justices of Peace and Quorum for Hartford county. Thomas Darling, John Fowler, Samuel Bishop, Jr., and James Wadsworth, Jr. Esq'rs., for New Haven county. Samuel Coit, William Hillhouse, Jeremiah Mellen, and Samuel Selden, Esq'rs., for New London county. Samuel Adams, Robert Fairchild, Joseph Platt, and Joseph Platt Cook, Esq'rs., for Fairfield county. Jabez Fitch, Joshua West, Ebenezer Williams, and William Williams, Esq'rs., for Windham county. Increase Mosely, Daniel Sherman, Bushnell Bostwick, and Joshua Porter, Esq'rs., for Litchfield county. . The Governor of the colony received as a salary in 1775, the sum of £300; Lieutenant Governor, £100; Treasurer, £180; Secretary of State, £20. Justices of the Peace appointed for Hartford County, May, 1775. George Wyllys, Joseph Talcott, John Pitkin Benjamin Payne, John Lawrence, Thomas Seymour, Oliver Ellsworth, Elisha Williams, Solomon Welles, Thomas Belding, Josiah Bissell, Henry Allyn, Roger Newberry, Charles Ellsworth, Jr., Nathaniel Chauncey, Matthew Talcott, Richard Alsop, Titus Hosmer, Solomon Whitman, Joseph Hart, Jared Lee, John Strong, Selah Hart, Isaac Lee, Jr., Fisher Gay, Stephen Hotchkiss, John Owen, Josiah Holcomb, Jonathan Pettibone, Hezekiah Humphrey, Oliver Humphrey, Joseph Welles, Jabez Brainard, Joseph Brooks, William Wells, Elizur Talcott, Jonathan Wells, Alexander King, Daniel Brainard, Jabez Chapman, Dyer Throop, Samuel Huntington, Epaphras Lord, John Watrous, Daniel Foot, Peter Bulkley, Henry Champion, of Colchester, Daniel Barber, John Phelps, Samuel Gilbert, Ephraim Terry, Joseph Olmsted, Benjamin Talcott, Thomas Pitkin, Joel White, Samuel Cobb, Samuel Chapman, Isaac Pinny, Daniel Alden, Abner Barker, Moses Holmes, David Sage, Nathaniel Freeman, Ebenezer White, Reuben Sikes, Emery Pease, John Leavitt, Asahel Holcomb, Benjamin Colton, Jesse Root, Silas Dean, George Pitkin, John Chester, and Samuel Eastbrook, Esq'rs. Justices for the County of New Haven. Elihu Chauncey, James Abraham Hillhouse, John Whiting, Daniel Lyman, Samuel Sacket, Samuel Hemmingway, Caleb Beecher, Simeon Bristol, Enos Alling, David Wooster, David Baldwin, Ephraim Strong, Charles French, John Daviss, Joseph Hull, Jr., John Wooster, Thomas Matthews, Joseph Hopkins, Jonathan Baldwin, Timothy Judd, Samuel Lewiss, Phineas Roger, Aaron Lyman, Dan Johnson, Caleb Hall, Oliver Stanly, Reuben Atwater, Nathaniel Ruggles, Timothy Todd, John Burgiss, Samuel Brown, Oliver Dudley, Samuel Barker, Josiah Rogers, James Barker, Wm. Gould, Wm. Greenough, Lamberton Smith, Jr., Joel Hotchkiss, Gideon Buckingham, Samuel Beach, Eliakim Hall. and Timothy Hill, Esq'rs. Justices for the County of New London.-Richard Law, Gurdon Saltonstall, John Murdock, John Hemsted, Joshua Raymond, Jonathan Lattimer, Jr., Winthrop Saltonstall, John Still Winthrop, Wm. Whiting, Ebenezer Hartshorn, Elisha Fitch, Jacob Perkins, Simeon Tracy, Jr., Benjamin Huntington, Elisha Lathrop, Christopher Leffingwell, Samuel Tracy, Rufus Lathrop, Nehemiah Huntington, Nathaniel Backus, Daniel Bishop, Wm. Witter, Benjamin Coit, Sam'l. Mott, Robert Crary, John Tyler, Joseph Dennison, John Williams, Charles Phelps, Paul Wheeler, Nathaniel Miner, Stephen Babcock, Joseph Palmer, Luke Perkins, Wm. Williams, Nathan Smith, Benadam Gallop, William Avery, Robert Geer, Ebenezer Ledyard, Thomas Mumford, Wm. Morgan, Benjamin Lee, John Lay, 2d, Samuel Ely, Samuel Holden Parsons, Eleazer Mather Noyes, Hezekiah Whittlesey, John Shipman, Justus Buck, Benjamin Williams, Wm. Worthington, Elnathan Stephens, Aaron Elliott, John Pierson, Theophilus Morgan, David Avery, Ezra Selden, Samuel Leffingwell, Jr., Richard Wait, Samuel Field, and Roger Strong, Esq'rs. Justices for the County of Fairfield. John Brooks, Daniel Judson, Ichabod Lewiss, David Wilcoxson, Daniel Fairchild, James Walker, Philip Nichols, Samuel Odell, Ebenezer Silliman, Gold S. Silliman, Nathan Bulkley, Jonathan Sturgess, Samuel Bradley, Ebenezer Banks, Abraham Andrews, David Cooley, Samuel Wakeman, Thomas Belding, Thomas Fitch, Samuel Fitch, Elias Betts, Theophilus Fitch, Thomas Youngs, Charles Webb, David Waterbury, Jr., Benjamin Weed, Messenger Palmer, Peter Mead, John Mead, Amos Mead, Samuel Olmsted, Philip Burr Bradley, Daniel Cooley, Thomas Benedict, Samuel Taylor, Daniel Taylor, Thaddeus Benedict, Ephraim Hubbell, Thomas Brush, Nehemiah Beardslee, Alexander Stewart, Zechariah Towner, Richard Fairman, John Chandler, John Read, Lemuel Sanford, Jr., David Wood of Greenwich, Joseph Bradley of Fairfield, and Wm. Hawley of Redding, Esq'rs. Justices for the County of Windham. Samuel Gray, Jedediah Elderkin, Nathaniel Wales, Jr., Jacob Simons, Hezekiah Manning, Ebenezer Devotion, Benajah Bill, John Clark, Joseph Storrs, John Salter, Elijah Dyer, E. Adams, Elijah Wheaton, Benjamin Sumner, Nathaniel Child, Samuel Child, Jr., Jedediah Morse, Charles Church Chandler, John Grosvenor, Thomas Williams, Samuel Craft, Nathan Frink, Isaac Coit, James Bradford, Jacob Dresser, Thomas Moffatt, Bryant Brown, Wm. Danielson, Thomas Strong, Ephraim Root, Abraham Burnap, Jeremiah Keeney, Robert Dixon, Samuel Stewart, Abner Sessions, and Solomon Wales, Esq'rs. Justices for the County of Litchfield. Jacob Woodruff, Isaac Baldwin, David Welch, Reuben Smith, Andrew Adams, Daniel Everit, Benjamin Hinman, Gideon Walker, Thomas Warner, Joseph Pierce, Paul Welch, Samuel Bostwick, Samuel Canfield, Joseph Ruggles, William Cogswell, John Ransom, Daniel Lee, Nathaniel Eliott, Ephraim Hubbell, Jr., Daniel Griswold, John Canfield, Joseph Lord, James Landon, John Hutchinson, Charles Burrall, Elisha Baker, Samuel Forbes, Thomas Russell, Heman Swift, Thomas Porter, Samuel Nash, Ebenezer Norton, John Cook, Epaphras Sheldon, Abijah Catlin, Daniel Catlin, Matthew Gillett, Zebulon Merrell, Michael Humphrey, Giles Pettibone, Nehemiah Andrews, Zebulon Butler, Nathaniel Dennison, Silas Park, Edward Hinman, John Vensent, Wm. Judd, and Bezaleel Tyler, Esq'rs. Joseph Sherman, Esq. of *Westmoreland, was appointed a Judge of Probate, and a Justice of the Peace for the county of Litchfield. The capture of Ticonderoga,† one of the most brilliant exploits of the revolutionary war, was a Connecticut measure. The *Westmoreland (in the State of Pennsylvania, in 1775) belonged to Connecticut, and constituted a part of Litchfield county, and was represented in the General Assembly of this colony, by Capt. Zebulon Butler, and Maj. Ezekiel Pierce, whose names are favorably known in the history of Wyoming. t In the spring of 1775, a project to capture the British Fort, at Ticonderoga, was concerted in Connecticut. Several gentlemen proceeded from Connecticut to Vermont for that purpose; among whom was Capt. Noah Phelps, of Simsbury. He was selected to proceed to the fort, examine its situation and condition, and make report to his associates. He proceeded from the southern part of Lake Champlain in a boat, and stopped for the night at a tavern near the fort. The officers of the garrison occupied a room, adjoining that in which he slept, for a supper party, and as usual on such occasions protracted their entertainment to a very late hour. They spoke of the commotion in the colonies and the condition of their fort. Very early in the morning, Capt. Phelps gained admission into the fort for the purpose of being shaved. While retiring through it, the commandant walked with him, and conversed about the rebels, their movements and their object. Capt. Phelps seeing a portion of the wall of the fort in a dilapidated condition, remarked that it would afford but a feeble defence against the rebels if they should attack it. The commandant replied, yes, but that is not our greatest misfortune, for all our powder is damaged, and before we can use it, we are obliged to sift and dry it. He left the fort, and soon after proceeded to the lake shore and employed a boatman to transport him in a small boat down the lake. He entered the boat in plain view from the fort and under her guns. He had not proceeded a great distance before he urged the boatman to projectors of this expedition, were, as has already been stated, several patriotic members of the General Assembly, convened at Hartford, in April, 1775. They obtained the funds from the Colony treasury as a loan, for which their individual receipts, with security, was given. The committee appointed by the originators of the expedition, collected sixteen men in Connecticut, and exert himself and terminate the voyage as soon as possible. The boatman requested Capt. Phelps to take an oar and assist-this was declined, being in full view of the fort, by replying that he was not a boatman. After rounding a point of land, projecting into the lake and intercepting the view from the fort he proposed taking the oar, and did so. Being a strong and active man, he excited the surprise of the boatman by the velocity of the boat, who with an oath, replied you have seen a boat before now, sir. This circumstance, at the time, excited the boatman's suspicion that his passenger was not a loyal subject, but fear of superior strength prevented an attempt to carry him back to the fort, as he told Capt. Phelps after the surrender. Capt. Phelps reached his place of destination, met his associates, and told them what he had discovered. The next morning, May 10th, 1775, the fort, upon demand made by Col. Allen, by authority of "the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress" was surrendered. The cannon, small arms and ball contained in it, rendered this achievement more important in the success of the revolutionary war than posterity can appreciate. After the fort was surrendered to Ethan Allen and his company, of about eighty-three armed men, who had proceeded on the expedition without any authority from Connecticut, who had taken the aforesaid measure so effectually to surprise them, that little or no resistance was made. One corner of the fort having fallen down, and all their powder being wet and unfit for use, the officers and soldiers were obliged to surrender to Col. Allen and his company, having also been overpowered by a superior force. After they were disarmed, they were ordered immediately to be sent to Hartford, in the colony of Connecticut, where they were detained as prisoners of war, consisting of forty-seven private soldiers of his majesty's troops, together with Gov. Skeen, Maj. Skeen, (his son,) Maj. French, Capt. Delaplace, &c., besides women, children and several servants. After the arrival of said prisoners at Hartford, on the 24th of May, 1775, Capt. Wm. Delaplace, commandant of the fort of Ticonderoga, (one of said prisoners,) brought his petition to the Assembly of this State, in which he stated that on the morning of the 10th of May, 1775, the garrison of the fortress of Ticonderoga had been surprised as aforesaid; and stated that neither the officers or soldiers held by this colony had been guilty of any crime, and enquired, why they should be taken and held as prisoners, by Col. Allen and his company; and enquired by what authority he had acted; and asked the protection of said Assembly, and wished to be set at liberty, that they might return to the post from whence they had been taken, and join the 26th regiment to which they belonged-or wished to be informed in what light they were to be regarded, as prisoners of war or not-and if as prisoners, by whom detained, &c. The Legislature had no particular action upon the petition of Capt. Delaplace, |