Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-29
The Battle OF Bennington.
EXTRACTS PROM THE Address OF PRESIDENT BAHtLET
AT THE BENNINGTON CENTENNIAL

IHe Duttte vi DeUHiHgtOHs
EXTRACTS FROM THE Address OF PRESIDENT RARrLETT
BENNINGTON CENTENNIAL.
On bright morning one hundred years
ago to-day German officer, Oh an emnence
five miles from here, looked forth admir-
ingly on a part of this same landscape
then ripe with pastoral beauty, a wider
sweep of stately forests interrupted at re-
mote intervals by green meadows and fertile
corn-fields, with here and there cottage,
shed, or other primitive edifce, and Ben
nington was cluster of poor cottages in
wild country" Around him was a we'll
appointed military band, glittering with
arms, some of the men in brass helmets,
some in red coats, some in citizens garb,
and dusky forms in war paint hung upon
the outskirts. Two miles this side Of him,
hidden from his sight, was another band,
Harmed and miscellaneously clad, largely
in cloth of tow or linen, dyed with butternut
or maple, and too deeply absorbed in their
daybreak preparations 10 spend one thought
upon the glory of earth or sky. The early
days of August, 1777, were the eliminating
time of gloom and alarm. For more than
twelve months the tide of our prospects had
steadily ebbed, till shoals and reefs were
plainly in sight. In the opening of our
great conflict the first clash of our arms had
carried all before it. The British army and
its favorte Generals, Gage, Howe, Clinton
and Burgoyne, were penned up in Boston
with bitter memories of Lexington and Con-
cord, then driven forth to find shelter in
Halifax. Lord Dunmore was expelled
from Norfolk, and took refuge on his
fleet. Ticonderoga, Crown Point, St. Johns
and Montreal, had been taken in rapid sue
cession, and Quebec alone had escaped.
From Canada to Virginia we had made
clean sweep. But change came just be-
fore our Independence was declared. The
last of our troops were driven out of Canada,
in the strong but true language OF the day,
"disgraced, defeated discontented, dispirited,
diseased and undisciplined." The flush and
ardor of transient conflicts had now given
way 30 the tug and strain OF protracted
war Often destitute of tents, blankets and
medicines, good clothing and wholesome
food; short of arms and ammunition; with
out money or credit might say long with
out AN army, for by short enlistments our
troops continually melted away, sometimes
in the presence of the foe. And even short
enlistments were growing difficult, for in
those sparse, new and poor settlements how
could men be spared from their homes. The
0
It was invaded by campfever and dysen-
terry, and steadily beleaguered by smallpox.
At one time in 30" Schuyler in three
months lost half of his ten thousand men by
death and desertion, and two-filths of the
remainder were on the sick list. | may not
weary you with the long recital. Enough
| that when state militia enrolment eX-
tended from the age of sixteen up to fifty
and had an alarm list to sixty-fve, and
when at length orders were given to draft
one-half even of that alarm list, We may be
sure that the strain had reached her vital
forces. The outlook also in these earlier
months of the year was fearful.
1t is useless to extroI Burgoyne greatly as
a commander. lie did three things that are
not done by great commanders He need
lessly underrated his enemy ; he lost his best
opportunity, and, in his last resort he de-
clined the responsibility which would have
given up an expedition and saved an army.
Give him credit for good plan, but another
man should have executed that plan. That
man was Sir Guy Carlton, during his last
years Commander and Governor OF Canada.
Burgoyne was in Montreal full month be-
fore he applied for means of transport, and
the inadequacy of his supply at the last
was the chief cause of his disaster. His
body of troops, though smaller than ne
asked, was a splendid army corps. Dur
goyne had asked for eight thousand regular
troops, exclusive of artillery, two thousand
Canadians to act as escorts aud working par
ties, aud one thousand Indians, besides a large
number OF provncials for transport duties. }
lie reports his actual force seven thousand
two hundred and fifty regulars one hundred
and forty-one Canadian militia, and five
bunlraI and thraa Indians This
elusive of five hundred and eleven artillery
men and an accession of tories from the
States. For an army of its size no finel
body could have been set down on this con
tinent. The General knew, or ought TO have
known, his foe. But he only imposed on
himself when he proclaimed to the army
that the enemy were infinitely inferior u
the Kings troops in open space and hardy
combat" Events made it even ludicrous IL
him TO announce that they relied only OIL
intrenchments and rihe-pits, and ii will bt
our glory and preservation TO storm, and Il
was still graver folly to threaten that enemy
with devastation famine and every con
comitant horror" for he only exasperatee
when he sought 10 terrify.
Men called Ticonderoga the "key ot
North America" Schuyler had written t.
New Hampshire that the - loss of it woulC
be dreadful, if not altogether fatal, to thu
liberties of the country" Washington sale
The consequences would be "irreparable.
Meanwhile the public mind was feverisl
with excitement and the air thick witt
alarms. The enemy had entered Newpor
and headed for Providence. They had LANDED
at Fairfield had destroyed Danbury; wer'
expected at Rye. Eighteen ships were seeI
above Peekskil. Cartons boats were sale
To be at Split Rock, forty miles from Ticon
deroga. The New Hampshire Committe
of Safety recommended all persons capable
of bearing arms constantly TO carry them Il
public worship, and all places where bust
ness should lead them, saying, We know
not the day nor the hour OF an attack on tn
borders,' and we must " stop these inferna
traitors among ourselves" On the first o
July line OF fifty gun-boats and two frig
ates hove in sight of Iiconderoga, stretch
: ing across the lake from east to west Tn
garrison declared themselves ready for tn
bloody fray" and Parson Allen was will
ing to " "leave this body OF his corpse ol
the spot" On the morning OF the 9th, the
were amazed TO see body OF red-coat
/, planting battery on Mount Defiance, con
mandng every corner OF their fortress. Tha
night came the order 10 evacuate. Ii wa
received within the fortress literally wit
curses and with tears, and cry OF execra
ton aud lament swept through the country
+" Such retreat" wrote one of the garrison
was never heard of since the creation @
the world" Men talked of treaehery. w