Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-11-17
HISTORICAL READING.
From the Historical Magazine for September
4 AQuc-,ion in History.
What part did Col. Seth Warner take in tho
Battle of BENNINGTON.
by GOV. INLAND HALL.

The part taken by Col. Seth Warner in the
Battle Of Bennington, though well authentica-
ted by cotcmporaneous accounts, has been
strangely misunderstood, and consequently mis-
represented by several subsequent historians
Ira Allen, in his "lIistory of Vermont" pre-
pared from memory, and published in London
in l19S without access to written materials
gives general, and in some respects, an erro-
neous, account of the battle in which he rep
resentS Col. Warner as dry1ring on the battle
ground ictM his regiment after the first action
icas orcr DR.. Williams, in his History, pub
lished ten years after, follows Ira Allen in re-
gard to the time when Col. Warner first come
into the battle.
Now. no historical fact is more certain tn
that Warner was with Stark at Bennington for
several days previous to, and remained with
him until after the battle, assisting him in
pldnning the Gra and in conducting Loh dc-
tons; although lis regimeW only reached the
ground in time to participate in the second en-
gagement The mistake has doubtless arisen
from assuming without inquiry, that Warner
came in person with his regiment from Man
chester, where it had been stationed whereas
it was marched from that place under the COM
maud of Lieut.. Col. Sattord-Warncr himself
having been for some time at Bennington.
The battle, it will be remembered was fought
wa INC loAh vi august 80 - W uliCl
was with Stark ut Bennington, prior to the at
tack upon Baum, on that day. and not with his
regiment at Manchester, clearly and distinctly
appears from Starh's official account Of the bat
tie. In his letter to Gen. Gates, of August %,
l117, speaking of events that occurred on the
18th and Nth, he says: Il likewise sent to
Manchester, to Col. Warmers regiment that was
situated there; also, sent expresses for the mil
itia to come in with all speed to our assistance,
which was punctually obcyed / then ma,chc,i
lcHh Col. Warner, Williams, Herrck and Brush,
with all the men that were present Stark
then gives an account of his proceedings on the
l4th and 10th and of the engagements on the
10th, representing IVdne'S regiment as COM
ming up fresh after the first action, without in-
tmating that Warner came up with it. After
his account Of all the events of the day. he
says: Col. Warmers superior skill in the ac-
ton was of extraordinary service to me- as it
undoubtedly was.
Gordon in his History of the Revolution,
(vol. H., p. $780, also states that Stark marched
with Warner to meet the enemy on the morn
ing of the l4th of August and DIR. Thatcher in
his contemporaneous journal, says, that ION the
10th Stark, assisted by Warner, matured his
plans for the battle Up. 93) These statements
would seem to make it very certain that Col.
Warner participated in both engagements.
In addition, will further state that without
knowing what Stark himself had wxitten on
this subject, had, as long ago as 1928 noticed
.the Discrepancy between the accounts of Gordon
and Williams, and had set about ascertaning
from the mouths of living persons how the fact
really was. Again, in October 1888 on recciy-
ing a letter of inquiry from Everett, who was
preparing life Of Stark for Sparks American
Biography (see vol. i. p. SS) | again renewed
the invest ipntion and now have hpforn me the