Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-09-10

thc rcNolutlou lllne' IHcy are all Ouc anu
in one. The patriot student may seize each
or any at his will and it will draw the
t Others after it, The Battle of Bennington
| leads us at once to the whole contest for free
dom the 10th of August is blood cousin to
+ the 4th Of July. And then comes Trenton
and Princeton, and then Bunker Hill and
Lexington, and 50 all that our country hon
, ors, and all that this grateful people has
everywhere cherished and loved. You may
thus fling any circlet Of beauty you find "
ing in the historic record around the fore
head of its chief hero, and there wi be still
enough left glittering behind to grace the
brows of even the unrecorded subalterns, and
show how rich is the wealth of a history
like ours.
Nor, among the many in that protracted
series of incidents which resulted in the ulti-
mate establishment of our country's indrpen.
dence, was the one we celebrate 50 insignifi-
cant after all. The opinion of Gen. Stark is
worth much here. lie was no raw recruit.
just beginning his experience of war. Yet
he said he in his official dispatches" The
action represented one continued clap of
thunder; it was the hottest ever saw in my
life" Now, bear in mind, that in the form
er war this veteran had led n company of
rangers on the plains of Abraham; he had
learned his early Lessons Of conflict around
his way to Bunker Hill. even in the midst
Of the cannon shot that swept Charlestown
Neck, he had bidden his battalions wait
their fire until they could see the cncmys
CATERS; at Trenton he had rallied his troops
to the charge amid tempest Of hailed iron
and lead; yet after all this he could say, at
was the hottest action | ever saw in my
life "a great event chroniced by its own
hero.
And yet more: what gave this event its
chiet importance, was the exigency Of the
time in which it occurred. There were
other battles in which more men were en-
gagged and which We're iJ.7 It on more
magnificent scale But there was none that
told more directly on the great result than
this, for it happened at one of those crises
in affairs that frequently are the turning
points of the whole. 1t was indispensable
to the royal cause that a junction should be
Immediately effected between the two ar
mics; the one coming down from Canada,
the other up from New York.-And when
once the British forces should be united
at Albany, having possession of the Lakes
above and the River below, they could
turn to the East and West at their will, and
the whole country lay at their mercy. The
English Commander sought to divert at
tention from his true object of moving up
!
tacks, now in one direction, now in another
The only course for Washington was to hold
his own firmly and keep quite on the alert,
until some signal blow should be struck at
the North. ''If | can keep Gen. Howe be-
low the Highlands wrote he, II think
their schemes will be entirely bafiled.' But
this sort of warfare prolonged and errltic,
however important it may be- has like the
diplomacy OF politicians, little attraction to
the common people. And popular feeling
was most essential matter of consideration
during all the war of :he Revolution. The
importance of preventing discouragement
and distrust from making way among the
towns and villages was felt by all the
patriot lc .ders. Even Congress admit
ted it, by removing Gen. Schuyler from
the Northern command, and placing the
less unpopular Gen. Gates in his stead.
Now Just at this most inauspicious time
came the news that st. Clair had evacuated
Ticonderoga without firing a gun of ress-
tence. And on his retreat he had struck
into the woods so deeply that no information
of his whereabouts, and no explanation of
his course, reached the Commander-in-C Chief
for several DAYS IAN affair of SO much
mystery" said Washington, ''as to battle
even conjecture" Panic and CONSERVATION
ran all through the country. and among the
, royalists there was corresponding elation and
Joy. Even in England, the news filled all
With eynlt,tion for now tbo way seemed
clear for an ultimate subugation of the re-
bells THE loss in reputation" sIid an
English writer of the time, "was greater t.
the Americans. and capable Of more fatal
e consequences than that of ground, posts,
, artillery or men, ~ All the contemptuOus
and daSrodnm cbor,os wbirb had been mad,
br tboir eno,Hios ~ fboir want Of the resolu-
alGt, ,d aLiiitioS or mon avon in J.I;.nro of
..In anu IN .i'o', ,,r, ',,oo,.J md
wi,al was Gr;'r " .l'en' ~
: osileNeu, ine oli'''o" ""' ''''' NV
enec! was oNci, .,,. .,,.. ,r,,,i.s If
r. sun 1t was h'oulu 'nuI ''0 a. ;,,,
iio"e uIu pui I'o i o'lou,O ,,u ,,.,
= 1.,i ion at i''r"S ~ LA ,a s.rIn,, tor.
e ia'I', w. NV NY T,,.,L A. Ira =.
~ 'nJ 1'. H. ' ,Cbie
'ro iliGuio e u wy o,,,,rently
u " oui w,T,, ih;oh T. lad ordered
inl the only means OF
is nravontino - ;nnrtion of llowc's and Burgoy-
i he armies, wnicn II effected, NAV have the
80 most fatal CONSEQUENCES Could we h, sl
bappy as to cut one of their PARTIES of, QUO
u nosnc il did not exceed four or five or 81,
d hundred men. it would inspirit the people
and do away with much of the present anx
,otv." lust at this time. however, the fee
g under Gen. Howe nut out to sea- Wha
u this meant WASHINGTON could not under
If st,nd
Ks Whittier they were bound was inexplica
, blo Rut keeninr n yirilaut eve in person
unon their movements, he urged his Gen
III erals at the North to redoubled energy an,
A. zeal. The British General Clinton remaine
at New York, and was as watchful as How
had been for an opportunity to push his wa
= up TO Albany.
" ID 800. C,r c-Np