Ethan Allen, an American revolutionary partisan, born in Connecticut in 1739, died in Burlington, Vt., Feb. 13, 1789. About 1763 he settled, with four younger brothers, in the township of Bennington, Vt. Previous to the revolution there existed a dispute between the colonies of New York and New Hampshire relative to their boundaries, and the debatable land included the whole of the present state of Vermont, then called the New Hampshire grants. Ethan Allen first became conspicuous in the controversy which grew out of the attempt to enforce New York law. Actions of ejectment being brought against those who held land under grants from New Hampshire, Allen was selected in 1770 as agent to represent the settlers in the litigation at Albany. The decision was adverse to them, and they resolved to resist. They adopted Allen's own phrase, " The gods of the valleys are not the gods of the hills." The New York authorities were everywhere set at defiance. Allen was made colonel of an armed force which not only protected the New Hampshire grantees, but removed the New York settlers. Governor Tryon of New York proclaimed a reward of £150 for his arrest. This state of affairs remained unaltered till the revolution, New York maintaining her hostile attitude, and the Ver-monters the possession of their farms.

In 1775, when war with the mother country had become inevitable, the occupation of Ticonde-roga was determined on, and the task was confided to Allen, who set out at once at the head of his "Green Mountain Boys," reaching Cas-tleton May 7, 1775. A party was also detached under Capt- Herrick toward Skcnesborough, and another under Capt. Douglass to Panton in the vicinity of Crown Point. On the morning of May 10 Allen, who had previously been joined by Arnold, surprised Ticonderoga, summoning Capt. Delaplace, who commanded the post, to surrender "in the name of the great Jehovah and the continental congress." By this coup de main, 2 officers, 48 rank and file, 120 pieces of artillery, and a large quantity of small arms, were captured, and the command of the Green mountains was wrested from the English. Only 80 Americans were present at the capture. The other enterprises were equally successful, Skenesborough and Crown Point being also captured. A dispute ensued between Arnold and Allen relative to the command, which the latter maintained until he was relieved by the arrival of the Connecticut regimerit, commanded by Col. Hinman, to whom he delivered his conquests.

Allen immediately proposed to the authorities of New York an invasion of Canada, which was refused; and he then proceeded to Philadelphia, where the continental congress officially acknowledged his services. He next joined Gen. Schuyler's army as a volunteer, was employed in secret missions to sound the views of the Canadians, and rendered valuable aid in Montgomery's expedition to Canada; but in an unfortunate demonstration against Montreal with a small force of American and Canadian recruits, made on the persuasion of Major Brown, Sept. 25, 1775. he was captured and sent a prisoner to England. A few months later he was sent back to America, and confined in prison ships and jails at Halifax and New York till May 3, 1778, when he was exchanged. During most of his captivity he was treated as a felon and kept heavily ironed, but for a part of 1776-7 was allowed restricted liberty on parole. Kindly received by congress and by Washington, he was about to enter the military service again when the old colonial troubles regarding Vermont were revived. Allen was now chosen general, and appointed to command all the militia of that state.

In the mean time 16 of the western townships of New Hampshire sought annexation to Vermont, sending a petition to that effect to the legislature, who referred the matter to the people. The governor of New Hampshire protested against this course, writing to the continental congress to interpose its authority. Allen was sent as the agent of Vermont to explain to congress the course of the state. About this time the English commanders in America began to meditate the restoration of royal authority in Vermont, and, while the Vermont claim to self-government was in abeyance, sought to take advantage of the dispute. A tempting offer was made to Allen through Beverley Robinson, a well known tory of the time, without any result, except that, by feigning negotiations, Allen was able to preserve the neutrality of the English authorities toward his mountaineers, who were consequently unmolested until nearly the end of the war. Before that time he removed to Bennington, thence to Arlington, and subsequently to the vicinity of Onion river, where he resided till his death, serving for some time in the legislature. He was twice married, and left a wife and several children.

In addition to a history of the controversy between Vermont and New York, a narrative of his captivity, and various political pamphlets, he was the author of a work entitled "Reason the only Oracle of Man" (8vo, Bennington, 1784), in which the Bible and the Christian religion are assailed from a purely deistic standpoint.