Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Allen, Ira, 1751-1814

Military officer; a younger brother of Ethan; born in Cornwall, Conn., April 21, 1751. He was an active patriot, and took a distinguished part in public affairs in Vermont, his adopted State, where he served in the legislature, and was secretary of state, surveyor-general, and a member of the council. He was a military leader in the war for independence, and was one of the commissioners sent to Congress to oppose the claims of neighboring provinces to jurisdiction in Vermont. He effected an armistice with the British in Canada in 1781, and by so doing brought about a settlement of the controversy with New York. As senior major-general of the State militia in 1795, he went to Europe to purchase arms for his commonwealth, and on his way homeward with muskets and cannon he was captured, taken to England, and charged with being an emissary of the French, and intending to supply the Irish malcontents with arms. After long litigation the matter was settled in Allen's favor. He wrote a National and political history of Vermont, published in London in 1798, and died in Philadelphia, Jan. 7, 1814.