Shooting General Gordon

The following account is from Vermont Historical Magazine, History of Cabot, as written by John M. Fisher in 1881, and is unchanged from the original printing.

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Connected with Hazen's army was a squad called Whitcomb's Rangers, among whom was Thomas Lyford, grandfather of Thomas Lyford now living in the village of Cabot. Gen. Hazen expecting an attack from the enemy, Whitcomb and Lyford were sent to the north as spies. During the long scout Whitcomb's shoes gave out, and he threatened to shoot the first man he met for his. After several days, cautiously proceeding, they heard a distant crackling of the brush, then a faint tramp of feet, and at once secreted themselves in an advantageous position, and waited. In a short time a scouting party of the enemy discovered themselves, British and Indians, making for Gen. Hazen's quarters, commanded by Gen. Gordon. Our scouts felt upon their action for a few moments hung great results; not only their own lives, but those of their comrades and Gen. Hazen's army. The enemy advanced, Gen. Gordon in front, little thinking what is concealed in the thicket. Whitcomb thinks of his shoes; tells Lyford to be cool; takes good aim; Gen. Gordon falls forward; throws his arms around the neck of his horse; the horse, frightened, turned back and ran into camp; the British general lived to get into camp, but died very soon after. Whitcomb was secreted under a bank where the waters in a little ravine had washed out a hole, which was covered with a log. Over this log, he said, a number of Indians ran whooping, brand­ishing their tomahawks; that he could have pulled any one of them off from the log as they passed over into the hole, but he thought it not best. Lyford was con­cealed near him. After a long search, the Indians gave up they could not find the one who sent the bullet.

As soon as Whitcomb and Lyford con­sidered it safe they came from their hiding places, and returned to the camp of Gen. Hazen with the news. Whitcomb did not get his shoes, but they had accomplished all and more than they set out for. The enemy, dismayed, retreated back to Can­ada, and thus ended what was expected to be a battle or skirmish on Cabot's Plain. [See account of Major Whitcomb and this adventure in vol. I of this work, page 1067—Ed.]

This story differs from historical records (see links below); it is more "folklore" than fact. There is a granite marker in Cabot commemorating General Gordon's assassination. It was erected years after John M. Fisher wrote this story in his Cabot history, published in Hemenway's Gazetteer. The shooting was actually near Fort Chambly in Quebec, Canada.

• Whitcomb's Rangers: authorized October 15, 1776; formed November 1776, Fort Ticonderoga, New York. There were two companies of New Hampshire rangers for service with the Continental Army, commanded by Benjamin Whitcomb, a veteran of Bedel's Regiment. They fought at the Battle of Hubbardton, Battle of Bennington, and Battle of Saratoga. They disbanded January 1, 1781, at Coos, New Hampshire.

• In the Revolution, rangers were frontier foot soldiers. Often they were scouts, inured to harsh conditions and long forced marches. They used Indian warfare tactics, such as surprise attacks. Whitcomb's Rangers essay

• The shooting of Gordon by Whitcomb took place while Whitcomb was scouting in Quebec, July 1776. Whitcomb was then a Lieutenant in Bedel's unit, stationed at Fort Ticonderoga. Whitcomb's Rangers was formed after the shooting.

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