Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-03-19
The Battle Of Bennington
AUGUST 16, TIT.
BY HILAND HALL.

Oh pennington, only the leading facts are
attempted to be given, numerous inter.
esting and exciting incidents being nee.
essarily omitted.
In order to have just appreciation
of the battle and its consequences, it is
necessary to call to mind the condition
of the country and of the State at the
time of its occurrence
The campaign of l776 in the north
ern department had been disastrous. to
the American arms. After suffering Sc
we're losses our forces had been driven
from Canada in great distress, and the
enemy, by the destruction of the Amer
lean fotilla, had obtained full command
of the waters of Lake Champlain. Great
numbers of troops were arriving at Que
bee from Europe, and fearful invasion
was expected at the opening of the lake
in the spring. To meet such invasion
extensive works had been erected at II
conderoga, on which great reliance was
placed. But they were defective in ar
rangement, and but partially manned.
and on the approach of Gen. Burgoyne,
with powerful army, Gen. St. Clair
found they would be wholly untenable,
and felt compelled to abandon them.
The rear guard of his retreating army,
under the command of Col. Seth War
was overtaken the next day, July z,
l777, at HubbardtOn, by large body
of the enemy, and after a brave resist
ance, during which many were killed
and wounded on both sides, was over
powered by numbers and obliged to give
way. The greater portion of st. Clair's
force succeeded Ill forming a junction
with Gen. Schuyler at Fort Edward,
while the remnant of Col. Warner's.-ro
iment, about I4n-~4--o' took post at
| Mar-l -~Sor'
Burgoyne's army, numbering about
5000 men, was equipped and furnished
with every war-like material that wealth
and skill could supply, and consisted
mostly of British and German veterans,
with bodies of Canadians and Tories,
and formidable horde of Indians. Its
commander expected to make trium-
phant march to Albany, there to be met
by an army from New York, and thus,
by obtaining the control of the Hudson
river, and cutting off New England from
the other States, to complete the con
quest of the country for the King. He
had already issued flaming proclama-
tion, threatening destruction to the lives
and property of all who should oppose
him, but promising protection and secu-
rity to those who should give him their
adhesion, and offering payment sin SOL
id coin" for all provisions that should
be brought to his camp. On the 10th
of July, having reached Skenesborough,
now Whitehall, he issued another proc
lamation in which he directed 1.-THE in
habitants of Castleton, Hubbardton, Rut-
land, Tinmouth. Pawlet, Wells and
Granville, with the neighboring dis
tricts; also the districts bordering on
White Creek (Salem), Camden, Cam
bridge, etc., etc. to send ten persons
or more from each township to meet Col.
Skene at Castleton on the 18th, who
would communicate conditions upon
which the persons and properties of the
disobedient might yet be spared" The
proclamation concluded with the follow
ing barbarous threat: "This fail not
'tader the pain of military execution"
To large portion of the frontier in
habitants, Burgoyne's army appeared ir-
resistible. If he should let loose his
horde of savages upon them. which in
his first proclamation he said amounted
to thousands" there would seem to be
no escape for them. Great numbers
from those towns, and some from towns
still further to the south repaired to
Col. Skene, and taking the oath of allie
glance to the Crown, some from choice
and some from supposed necessity, re-
ceived written projections for their Sc
curity. Of these many took up arms
against their country, and joined the in
vading army. But the more patriotic
and courageous portion of the lnhabi-
tants, scorning submission to the invad-
ers, abandoned their homes to the mercy
of the enemy, and taking with them such
of their effects as they were able to
transport, fed to the south, some STOP
ping in Bennington. but most of them
going on to their friends in Berkshire
county and Connecticut. Berkshire coun.
ty, in the language of a contemporary,
was "burdened with these fugitives.
Nearly all of the territory between Ben.
nington and the route of Burgoyne tow
ards the Hudson and Albany was thu:
made, in effect, an enemy's country, anG
Bennington became frontier town.
: Prior to the revolution the TERRITORY
! of Vermont was known by the name O
the New Hampshire Grants, over which
the government of New York claimed
jurisdiction, and also the title to it
lands. This claim was disputed by it
inhabitants, who after long and sever
. controversy had, by convention of thei