Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-08-23
The Celebration at Bennington.

The celebration Of the ninety-fCurth ar
niversary Of the Battle of Bennington. was
with one exception perfect success. There
was assembled an immense crowd, "A large
number Of distinguished guests, and plenty
Of fine music minstered to the patriotic
sentiments Of the assembled multitudcs.
The prominent guests were Governor
Stewart, Ex-Leutenant Governor Leonard
Sargent, Gen. VIM F. (BaIdy) Smith. Gen
b. s. Roberts, U. ;. A, Gen Tlbbetts. Of
Troy, Gen. Geo. z. Foster, Gen. VIM w
Grout, and Hon. Joseph White, Secretary
Of the Massachusetts, Board OF Education,
and Hon. f. X. Hard and Prof Petty OF
Burlington.
The military organizations represented
we're the twenty-fourth Regiment, New
York State Militia, Of Troy. Colonel George
I. Steenberg commanding, with Dorlngs
Band; Company E. Tenth Regiment. Of
Albany, with Freebertheyser's Band and
Colonel James Fisk, Jr., with the line aad
staff officers Of the famous Ninth New York
Regiment. twenty-five Of their fine resi-
mental band accompanied the latter, among
whom was the renowned cornet player, Levy.
The pubic buildings and private residen-
ces of Bennington were prorusely decorated
with patriotic notices, mostlg relating to the
battle, among which were frequent illusions
to Molly Stark" and the - uessians 8"
who ordered dinner before the battle at the
= Catamount Tavern
The exerc 5 were commenced by bur
lesque procession Of the "R. 4. j. s -
which took off the local issues of the town.
This was followed by real procession Of
the military, which marched to Norran's
Grove, when the exercises of the dav were
opened with prayer. Then Mr.. Seth B..
Hunt, the president of tde day, made a brief
address Of welcome and introduced the ora
tor of the day, J. X. Herbert, Esq, Of New
York who spoke to the entertainment Of
every one for about forty minutes. we copy
from the Burlington Free Press a portion Of
his remarks upon the Importance of Saratoga
and Bennington as its foreruuner
1t cannot be denied that the conflict which
our assembling IN this beautiful place this
day commentaries, was one of immense i'm
pOrtanoe in the struggle for our Independen ce
of which it justly stands recorded as 50
glorious an incident. The richest fruits,
however, OF the victory that perehcd upon
our banners here "a years ago, were gathered
elsewhere Burgoyne only bowed down to
the necessities OF the hour, as thew were
manufactured here, when he marched to
Saratoga and delivered up his sword as a
prisoner OF war.
That wise and just historian HaIam re-
marks OF the victory gained by Sir Charles
Martel between Tours and Poitiers over the
invading Saracens that 1T may Justly be
reckoned among those few battles of which a
contrary event would have essentially varied
the drama OF the world in ali its subsequent
scenes with Marathon. Arbela and Metau
rus, Chalons and Leipsic" am also aware
that an eminent British Professor of Ancient
and Modern History, both in London and al
Cambr. dge. in an interesting volume on Eh'
Fifteen Decisive Battles Of the " Grid ratei
the "Battle of Saratoga with Marathon
and Chalons, with Hastings and with Water
loo, and all the other fields enumerated by
Hallam. But we could tell them both tina
but Ior the victory OF Bennington, with the
numbers and enthusiasm which it brought &
our So ndard, Saratoga would have been los'
and New England isolated and oyerrun NJ
other battle OF equal proportions wrough
more nightly to hasten the trIumI his Of the
aims OF our ancestors, that gave to US I'll,
government OF which we are 50 proud, anC
which has more indelibly craven IN it's con
stitution the stamp OF immortality than an
other that the world has ever known
The details of this memoI able battle-th
number and character of the individuals en-
gagged ID it-and its bearings upon the vita
Intert sts of the hour In " hIch 1t was fought
have been frequently dIlaIed upon aud dis
cursed before the major part of this vas
audience 4; and have also been read in tn