The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-12-03
MISCELLANY.
From the New lork Observer.
An Hour at the Battle Ground.
ny THE bIRD or THE AIr

spirit. | have lust climbed the steep hill
whi II overlook the scene uf General
Stark's victory over Baum and what
lovely spot One can hardly believe
that the demon Of war ever lowered over
these fruitful fields The landscape il so
extensive, so diversified, 81 cminentIv pic
ture-que, that battle memories seem to fee
before the enchantments of natural seem
ery. And as | sit here, where General
naums army planted their first guns, and
from which they coull view vas, area
of country, | wonder for moment that
death shots could ever have desecrated
region Of such surprising beauty and fer
tiitv.
The battlefield is really in the State of
New York, a mile or two west of the
line; but the heroic memories of the scene
belong to the Green Mountain State; so
that it was rightly called the battle of
Bennington. Should any over-zeaous
Knicke becker covet the glory of that VIC
tory for his own State, let him remember
that the only reason the action took place
out of Vermont was that the "Irecn
Mountain Boys" could not wait for the
enemy TO come. and SO they went where
they were, and took Memi
Never were braver hearts than beat in
those sturdy champions of the New lamp
shire Grants. Long trained TO courage
in the border warfare which preceded the
revolution, they were overfowing with
heroism when Burgoyne came, like anoth-
er Attila, 10 subduc the land. Those
were dark days too. The clouds that
overhung the patriot cause chilled even
the hopeful spirit of Washington. 1t was
during that unfortunate summer of seven.
ty-seven, when Ticondrroga, The jewel Of
Aliens bravery, and the strength Of the
North, had ueen recovered by the enemy.
The startling news of this disaster coul'l
hardly be credited. The key of North
America was gone. The great magazine
of military stores, upon which brave men
relied, was possessed by foes The sun
shine which had cheered the cause OF
freedom was suddenly exchanged for win.
ter clouds Public fasts were held in some
Statcs and prayers were freely pnt up io
the God of battles, while the Green
Mountain Boys eoolly sat down at Ben
nineton to brush up their firelocks and try
their fints
Burgoyhe was now sitting in true En-
gli-l dignlty at riconleroga. waiting for
the affr1ghted towns and ciiiz,ns to obey
hi7 proclamation an nuke their subms.
sion The 18th day of July was set apar,
, for thi. expected reception. Even Wash
\
, General Bcrgoyne wiii find little ditficul
t ty in prn tra'lnc to Albany"
The inhabitants Of the region likely ia
, he invaded were horror -truck at the bar
= bar,lies which had been committed by
a i'urgoyne's indian allies; and they begar
n TO move their children aul effects 10 ward.
:. Massachusetts.
: Iurg"yne was now in want of stores
, f'r hi. military movements on the Hud'
i son. General Baum was therefore dis
e patched with detachment of soldiers, e
i sconr the country, 20 make prisoners %
i all officers, civil and military, ac ing IN
d der Congress; To lax the towns wher,
they halted with such articles as the,
wanted TO bring all hursrs fit to mount
II the Dragons, with AS many saddles an,
D brides as could be iounl At least llir
e teen hundred horses were TO he brought
y which should be tied in string- of ten earl
u that one man might lead ten horses -
C With such and many more direction. ant
with n sovereign contempt for the rebel
Who might chance TO be in his path
T" Baum sat out Tor his first plumber. H.
&c eyes at once lighted on wEat he called -;
cluster OF poor cottages" and well fur
nisir,d magazine ut Bennington, and soor
!" his army was within four miles of hi
prize,
The crisis had now come! The har
dy champions of Vermont must make
IL stand, or all seemed lost The ihhabi
" tanls Of Bennington awaited the resul
. with intense solictude. Women nigh
N then he seen yoking oxen to The carts
n and bringing out their effects TO prepar
&c fer hasty flight. should their husband
and brave sons be unable to stop the foe
y The families living near the battle-ground
q had to cross the Walloomsac river, thel
greatly swollen by the recent rams, o
:. horses which swan back and forth i
a one instance brave woman mounting a
% unbroken colt in the urgency of the case
Along the road from Bennington to Will
:, Jamestown, carts were seen half loaded, q
- slowly dragging along after the oxen,
"a being supposed that a successful stan
would, at all events, be made before For
Hoosick, which stood little beyun
Wiliamstown, In one case, molhe
:. rode on horseback from Bennington I
I'd this place cf refuge, with two childre
d, mounted beside her, while girl Of eleve
a years went along on foot On rcachin
'g Williamstown, these fugiIives found tn
people assembled at the meeting house I
no offer their prayers for the success of the
q fighting kindred.
70 But the means Of averting the impenC
ing disaster were altogether inadequate
JUDGED we wonder will, such scanty mi
y terials for war, the Americans could hoT
r. to resist the overpowering forces of ii
enemy The New Hampshire Counci
n. who were relied upon to provide the ne'
bv essary stores and arms, found themsely'
y in a most fearful state of destitution.-
Kettles and cooking utensils were wantir
III Of a scanty supply Of powder which the
in possessed. many barrels had been col