Allen, Ethan

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

Ethan (1737-1789), an American patriot. He was born at Litchfield, Connecticut, January 10, 1737. In 1769 he removed to Vermont, where he became the leader of the Green Mountain Boys. May 10, 1775, he led a force of eighty-three men, among whom was Benedict Arnold, against the British forces at Ticonderoga, where, the story runs, he burst into the quarters of the astonished commander, summoning him to surrender in the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress. This capture gave the Continental armies a valuable supply of artillery, muskets, and ammunition. In September of the same year Allen led an attack on Montreal, but was captured, sent to England, and treated, it is said, with cruelty. He was held as a prisoner until 1788. New York claimed Vermont as a part of its territory. General Allen was foremost in stoutly maintaining its independence. New York at one time declared him an outlaw and offered a reward of $750 for his capture. He was an active, rash, great-hearted man. During his later years he wrote several pamphlets, including a narrative of his captivity in England, a defense of the claims of Vermont, and his views on religious matters. He died of apoplexy near Burlington, Vermont, February 13, 1789. His remains rest beneath a handsome monument in Greenmount cemetery near that city. 2026 Editor's Note: The cannon Ethan Allen's men captured at Ticonderoga were dragged 300 miles over snow to Boston that winter and drove the British out — the war's first great feat of logistics. His name now sells furniture: the Ethan Allen brand borrowed the patriot's rugged image. (Ed: BR 2026-06-10)