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The Life of Gouverneur Morris Index < Prev      Page 56      Next > stand at the Isle Aux Noix, which the French fortified by entrenchments the last war, and greatly fatigued our large army to take it.  It is about fifteen miles on this side oh St John's, and is an island in the river, on which a small artillery placed would command it.  An establishment on a frontier, so far north, would not only better secure our own frontier, but put it in our power better to work our policy with Canadians and Indians, or, if need be, to make incursions into the territory of Canada, the same as they could into our country, provided they had the sovereignty of Lake Champlain, and had erected head quarters at or near Skenesborough.  Our only having it in our power, thus to make incursions into Canada, might probably be the very reason, why it would be unnecessary so to do, even if the Canadians should prove store refractory than I think for. ‘Lastly, I would propose to you to raise a small regiment of rangers, which I could easily do, and that mostly in the counties of Albany and Charlotte, provided you should think it expedient to grant commissions, and thus regulate and put them under pay.  Probably you may think this an impertinent proposal.  It is truly the first favor I ever asked of the government, and, if granted, I shall be zealously ambitious to conduct for the best good of my country, and the honor of the government.  I am, Gentlemen, &c. ‘Ethan ALLEN.’[14] < Prev      Page 56      Next > From The Life of Gouverneur Morris: With Selections from His Correspondence and Miscellaneous Papers; Detailing Events in the American Revolution, The French Revolution, and in the Political History of the United States, by Jared Sparks, Volume 1, Boston: Gray & Bowen, 1832, p 56. Some minor edits may have been made, but an attempt has been made to preserve the original spelling. Although some effort has been made to correct the limitations of OCR technology, if you find an error please report it to jvinci@colonialhall.com.     Designed and Edited by John Vinci Last modified August 20, 2006