The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-11
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
Correspondence From Gen. Wash
ington-Arrival Of Morgan's Ri
flemen The Latter Days Of Au-
gust, l777.
BY A. J. wEIsE.


ernor informs hint
/ received o letter last night from his ex-
cellency Gen, Washington. dated Cross
Roads, 10th August, in which there i5 the
following paragraph: | am forwarding o.
fast as possible to join the northern army.
Col Morgan's riflemen, amounting TO 800
men. These are well chosen men, selected
from the army at large, well acquainted with
the use of rifles, and with that mode of fight
ing, which is necessary to make them good
counterpoise to the Indians, and have dis
tinguished themselves ON a variety of Occa-
sions since the formation of the corps IN
skirmishes with the enemy. | expect the
most eminent services from them, and am
mistakened If their presence does not go far
towards producing q general desertiOn among
the savages. IshOuld think it would be well,
even before their arrival, to begin 10 circu-
late these ideas with proper embeli lishments
throughout the country, and in the army,
and to take pains to communicate them to
the enemy; it would not be amiss, among
other things, to magnify numbers"
A LETTER FROM GEN. WASHINGTON,
Gen. Washington, besides offering these
valuable suggestions to the Governor of the
State, also wrote to the General command
ing:
HEADQUARrERs, Bucks COUNTY. Aug. 20.
17T.-SIR; By letter from Gen. Schuyler
VI lHO loAu lholuuAf ~ ullshIb ludb lOu
not reached saltwater at that time, since
which | have not had any &c cunts from you,
but expect You bad arrived there soon after
that date. From the vari iJss representations
made to me, of the disadvantage the army
lay under, particularly the militia, from an
apprehension OF the Indian mode OF fighting,
have dispatched Col Morgan, with his
corps of rillemen, to your assistance, and ex-
pect they will be with you In eight days
from this date. This corps have great de-
pendence on, and have 10 doubt but they
will be exceedingly useful to you; as check
gwen to the savages, aud keeping them
within proper bounds, will prevent Gen.
BurgOyne from getting intelligence as for
merly, aud animate your other troops. from
a sense of their being more on an equality
with the enemy Coils. COurtland's and LIv
inRstOn's regiments are also ON their way to
join you, and must of course be with you in
a very few days. With these reintorcements,
besides the militia under Gen. Lincoln,
(which by this time must he considerably
l am in hopes You will tind yourself at least
equal to stop the progress Of Mr.. BurgOyue,
and by cutting off his supplies of provisions,
etc, to render his situation ineligible.
Gen, Schuyler's sending reinforcement to
Fort Schuyler, ] think was absolutely neces-
sary, and am of opinion that particular Mt
tention should be paid to the inroads leading
TO that quarter, as q successful stroke q the
/
iH a iIlRel4 s. ihe slS Sesiqpa e
Anj.-Gen. GArEs. Gro. WAeIIINoIpN.
THE FIRST REPORT or GEN. CARED
The first communication of Gen. Gates to
Washington. reporting his taking command
of the northern army, is as follows:
HEADQUARTERS, Aug. %, 177I-SR; JJpop
my arrival in this department | found the
main body of the army eneamped upon Van
Schaick's island. which is made by the
sprouts of the Mohawk river Joining with
Hudson river, nine miles north If Albany.
A brigade under Gen, Poor cncamped at Lou
don's ferry, on the south bank Gf tie Mo-
hawk river, FIVE miles from hence q brigade
under Gen, lincoln had joined Gen, Stark Mt
Bennington, and a brigade under Gen. Ar
mold marched the 18th inst, to join the mill
tia of Tryon connty, to Iai q the sriqe of
Fort Stanwix. Upon leaving Phiiadelphia.
the prospect this way appeared very gloomy;
but the severe checks the eucmV have MET
with at Bennington and in Fryun county
have given more pleasing view to public
aifairs. Particular accounts Of the signal
victory gained by Gen. Stark, and tine severe
blow Gen. Herkimer gave Sir john Johnson
and the scalpers under his commend, have
been transmitted to your eXcelleuCy lIv gen
Schuyler. | anXiously expect the arrival of
an express from Gen. Arnold, with an nc.
count of the total defeat of the enemy at that
quarter. By my calculation he reached Fort
Stanwix the day before yesterday. Coils.
Liyingston's and COurtland's regiments ar
rived yesterday, and immediately i1ined
Gen. POOr's division. ! shall also order Gen.
Arnold, on his return, to that post. / cannot
sufficiently thank your excellency for send
Col. MOrgan's corps to this army. They will
be of the greatest service to it, for until the
late successes this way am told the army
were quite panic-struck by the Indians and
their tory and Canadian assassins in Indian
dresses. Horrible, indeed, have been the
hat hatf Ay.r,1 =
upon many of the miserable inhabitants. in
sOmuch that 1t is now fair tor Gen. BurgOye
even if the bloody hatehet he has so barbnr-
Ously used should find its way into his own
head. Gov. Clinton will be here to-day,
Upon bis arrival shall consult with him and
Gen. Lincoln upon the best plan to distress,
and hope finally to defeat the enemy.
am sorry to be necessitated to acquaint your
excellency how neglecfully your orders
have been executed at Springfield-few Of
the militia demanded have yet arrived but
hear of great numbers upon the march
Your excelleDcy's advice in regard to Nor
game corps, etc, etc, shall be carefully OBJ
served My scouts aud spies inform me that
the enemy's headquarters and man body
are at Saratoga, aud that they have lately
been repairing the bridge between that place
and Saltwater. As soon as time and cir
cumstanees will admit. shall send yonr ex-
celleney a general return OF this army, l
am sir, your excellency most obedient SER
want, HORATIO GATES
His Excelency GEN. WAsHNGToN.
The rifle corps of Gen. Morgan arrived a
few DAYS thereafter, having many Of its off
GERS and men disabled by its hurried march
and change of place. Morgan's second and
third officers were Lieut.. Col. Richard But.
Ter of Pennsylvania, and Major Morris Of
New Jersey. It's effectiveness was further in
creased by the addition of $50 selected sol
ders under the command Of Major H. Dear
born.
THE LATTER DAYS OF AUGUST, I'M.
During the latter days of the month of
August strenuous efforts were put forth TO
clothe and arm the army under Gen. Gates.
different regiments were made to observe a
rigid police system in their camps; squad,
company and battalion drills divided the
hours Of the day. and frequent inspeo tions
marked the line Of duty for the superior and
commanding officers. Little was known Of
the movements OF the enemy, whether Bur
goyne had crossed the Hudson river or not.
The arrival at this time of DR.. Wood. sur
geon to Gen. Burgoyne, with a letter to Gen.
Gates relative 10 tbs wounded prisoners tax
en- at Bennington, of whose treatment Bui-
goyne complained, was much-talKed-of
event among the soldiers. The correspond
ence of the two generals, brought about by
this bearer Of the first communication, grew
quite personal and excited. and was strongly
marked with doubtful accusations and coun-
ter denials. The army of the north. about
6OOO strong, having seeurd the necessary
munitions of war. broke camp on the sth Of
September, and marched toward Saltwater,
where it arrived the next day. Such were
the leading incidents connected with The oc-
cupation of the islands at the mouth Of tho
Mohawk By the northern army Of the United
States during the dark period Of the reyo-
lutionary war. in the month of August, IN,