The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-04-28
THE CALIFORNIAN.
A DID R Il SIS E s
AND THE LTFt ANU HEHFIUEa W
COL. SETH WARNER.
IN THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON

liye,ed before the Legislature Of Vermont by
Rev LANES d. BUTLER, Of Wells River, and
Gyotas f. HoUOHToN, Esq. Of st. Alhnns,
F,om lhe Address o" Mr. Butler, 0pthe Bat
.ue Of Bennington, we copy the following
episode
aAscerlaining thntH veteran Of Benning-
Ton was sm living some eight miles from my
house In Wells Riyer,I pnid him visit about
week RgO, Ills name Is Thomns Mellen,
and though upwards OF ninety Two wears of
age, he IL 40 far from being bAid or bowed
i down. that you would LINK him IN the Indi-
E al summer Of life. fiisfireHa WINS nl Of grey
homespun, aud he satIOn n couch, the cover
ing Of which WINS sheepskns with the wool
on. will repeat his statements, MS far no
u possible IN his own words
n n enlisted" snid lie. Sat Francestown N.
4 hampshire, in9coi0nei tsrcivnUy'B regiment,
a and Captain Sharks company, ms soon nk
learned that Stark would accept the com
maud Of the State troops. Six or seven 9TH
n en- from the town joined Tho army Mt the
3 same Time, We marched forthwith 10 Mum
her -Four, aud stayed there week. Mean
\ time received n horn Of powder, md run
Two or three hundred bullets. had brought
my own gun. Then ny company wns sent
on TO Manchester. Soon efler went with
hundred others under Col Emerson. down
"A lhc :ciley Of Outer Creek, On this excursion,
n we lived like lords on pigs aud chickens in
the bouses- of tories who had fed. When
IA We returned 10 Manchester, bringing two
<t hogsheads Of West India ram, we Heard ihnt
E Nessinns were on their why TO invade
M Vermont. Lnic in the afternoon Of rainy Fri
"a 5G We were ordered or for Bennington in
IA 'plo ofrnin mud, md darkness We push
" ed on all Iiigni,encl mixing tho host progress
N he could. About dnyircnk, T. with Eeuteu-
ant Mntimore, cnme nenr BE, nnglon. and
4 slept little while on a hny NOW. When
The hnrpynrd fowls wnked us, we went for
hread mud milk To the sign of The Wolf and
lien hurried three miles West TO Stnrk's
main body.
"Slark and Warner, rode IN nenr The enc
q my To rcconnoiire, were fred M with the can
non, hnd came galloping lnck. Stnrk rode
with shoulders bent forward and cried out to
his men: "Those rnRcals know that nm an
officer; don't You SEQ they honor me with n
big gun ns sulutc?" We were marched
n round and round circular hill ill we were
N tired. Sinrk said II WINS 10 nniuse the Ger
mans. Al the while cnnhonndc WINS kept
II . up upon M from their brenstwork II hurt
n nobody and IL lessened our ienr of the great
i guns. Alter awhile was sent, with twelve
nlhcrs, TO lie IN ambush on a knoll little
North, and watch for tories on their why TO
Join Baum. Presently we saw six coming
toward us, who, mistnking us FOR tories came
inc near us to escape. We disnrmed them
and sent them, under guard OF three, 10
Stark. While snt on tho hillock, espied
one Indian whom l thought could kill, and
more thnn once cooked my gun, but the or
n ders were not TO fire. He swas cooking his
h dinner, md now and then shot at some of
our people.
N between two and three o'clock the battle
u began. The Germans fred by platoons, aud
were soon hidden by smoke. Our men fired
each Oh his own hook, aiming wherever they
saw fash. Few on our side had eiller
lnyonets or cartridges, Al last | stole AWAY
rom my post, and ran down TO the battle.
The frs, time l fred put three balls into my
gun. Before | had time 10 fire many rounds,
our men rushed over the brensiwork but
and many others chased struggling Hessians
IN The woods. We pursued till we met Brey-
mann with eight hundred fresh troops aud
'arger cannon, which opened fire of grape
snola- Some OF The Crane shot rildled n Yir-
s'n'a ience near income struck n small white
OAK tree behind which stood Though il
nl! higher thun my head, fed from the tree,
Mnlhklng II might he aimed ut ngnn. We
6S'rmishers ran bnck Ill! wc met large bod
yof Sark's men, then faced about. soon
started for brook saw a few rods behind,
ior had drank nothing all day, and should
nave died with thirst had not che,oed a bullet
Ill 'he time. had not gone rod when
was stopped 10y nm officer, sword in hand,
anu ready 10 cut me down MS n runaway On
my complaining oflhirst he handed me his
an'een, which was full of rum. drank and
forgot my thirst
But the enemy outflanked us, and I said
10 conlrade;. we must aun o,. ,hev will b,ve
ls. Tie said: al will have one mo-e 6ro 6re, y
AT thnt moment Major on black horse
,oue along behind us, shouting: "Figbt ON
boys; ronforcements close by" While he
was yet speaking, n grape shot went through
nus horses head md Knocked out two teeth
oled good deal, but the Major kept his
seat and spurred OH to encourage others. In
I'VE minutes We saw Warmers men hGrrying
W lleli, us. They opened right and left of !.
", and b9lf of them attacked each flank of
'e enemy, and beat back those who were
, !ut closing nrounII us. Sinrk's men now
h. ~vN heart and stood their ground. My gun
s" dle, was by this time too hot to hold, so | !
M, Aeu me musket ofa dead Hessinn.in which |
n,;,z ounets went down easier than in my
oo. n' Right in front were the cannon, and !
svag an officer ca horseback wnving his !
M. 10 the artilerymeu, fred Mt him
nv, ~. HIS horse fell. HeCnt the traces iac !
,a Sr'lery horse. mounted him and rode of. /
STEWARDS heard that officer was Major
st,s coon the Germans rnn and W.T. followed, !
vro, "y OF them threw down their guns on ,ha
s o,, or offered them to us, or kneeIed
,r;s ' 70. ~ Pnd'lles of wuter One said 10 me,
mo sia s'n, brufert I pushed him behind
So M" M rushed OH. All those near me did
our ,,o'' e enemy bent parIey, 10 give up,but