October 2, 1776

The Winooski River, described in this news item in the Pennsylvania Journal as the “Onion River,” flows through what is now northern Vermont. In 1776, reports from Exeter, New Hampshire, described British plundering along the river. In late August, “a party of the King of Great Britain’s troops” marched through, “burnt 9 houses, and destroyed everything in their way, except one small fort.” They also “carried off a tory family.” These soldiers supposedly left behind a note on the door of a building, reading “‘We did not destroy this because we suppose it belongs to a friend,’” or rather, someone loyal to the king or at least sympathetic to his troops. The note continued, “‘if we have destroyed any effects belonging to a friend of the King’s troops—send a bill and it shall be paid on sight.’”

The Pennsylvania Journal; and the Weekly Advertiser
Printed by William and Thomas Bradford

EXETER, (in New-Hampshire) Sept. 7.

We have certain intelligence from Onion River, (which is about 70 miles from Haverhill, Cowass) that a party of the King of Great Britain’s troops, 10 or 12 days ago, burnt 9 houses, and destroyed every thing in their way, except one small fort, and carried off a tory family.—On the door of a building they left wrote the following notification—“We did not destroy this because we suppose it belongs to a friend, and if we have destroyed any effects belonging to a friend of the King’s troops—send a bill and it shall be paid on sight.”