Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-24

!
! Cambridge, aud to Baum that The rebels
were at Bennington of the lost letter OF
| the Hessian 10 his general, written ON The
head ofa barrel, promising To fall on the
enemy early In the mornings Of Gregg
| slowly falling back as Baum advanced, and
breaking down the bridge at Sancock Of
Stark advancing 10 bis support and in vain
| Offering battle; of Baum and his boldest
men thoroughly startled at last by the cool
ness and confidence of his foes; of that 10Th
| of August storm with hurricane of wind
aud torrent of rain, and Blum's men toll
ing all day long in The merciless tempest at
| the intrenchment, as men who fought for
| their lives. There was little sleep that
night at the British camp. Through the
pouring rain also came he Berkshire men,
| drenched by rain, but with powder dry
and hearts all hot. They had dropped the
sickle for the musket In the procession
rode Rev. Thomas Allen in his old sulky,
now being a chariot of war. Warmers
troops and 100 New Hampshire men were
Fastening up under the immersion TO com
| plete the victory, with Warner himself
with Stark, his counselor and right-hand
| man.
The morning of the 10Th opened in abso-
| lute beauty. Not a cloud, not stirring
| leaf The river rolled along swollen aud
| tumultuous. The German officer never
| forgot that beautiful scene. For hours not
| an enemy had been seen or even heard OF,
| but IL was the hush of the crOuching cata.
| mount. Scarcely we're the haversacks slung
and muskets piled when the men were re-
| called in all haste to the ranks. The Same
officer, Click, looking out from the zig gag
| breastwUrks on the hill, saw the outposts
retiring aud the pickets Withdrawing, and
strange body OF men hurrying from the
thicket behind. As they marched and coun-
termarched cDnspicuously in sight, TWO of
| their officers rode forth 10 reconuoiler, and
| as the British cannOner fired his harmless
ElnniG ha Il MT mi "a a
| Warner and Stark. Suddenly Click heard
| a trampiug behind in The forest on the
right. 1t was Herrick aud his rangers in
| their unfOi IN of green. Then came shout
| and railing fire in the rear on the left. 1t
| was Nichols of Amherst giving the signal
| 10 begin. From before sunrise they have
wound in single file through the forest, and
| now with green twig in eT cry hat-band
they cOme forth. Scarcely had the sound
| Of the first fire died ont when the Indians
| broke and fed. A column pushes forward
| on long breastwOrk this side the river. II
| is Stickney and Hobart, and for a badge
every man has a corn hnsk in his hat. At
a signal the main body moved up in front
and the battle ragged on every side. The
tories fled. and as they climbed the slip
| perry steep behind them. went rolling down
\ kbeneab the shots Of our marksmen. For
two hours. from three to five o'clock, the
| fire was one continuous roar. Those death
dealing columns closed in nearer and near
| er. AT eight PAGES distance they picked off
| the caunoniers from their guns. Still near
er they came till the flashes met. The am
| unition cart exploded within the intreuch-
| ments, and at the sound our men rushed
| up, scaled the bueastworks and leaped
down within. Then came the terrible
| clashiug of sword and gun-stock and bay
| onet Gigantic John Mcneil strikes down
four Hessans with the butt Of his gun. In
| five minutes twenty men broke through TO
the forest. The rest were all prisoners or
dead or dying. They fought gallantly, and
their leader died a soldiers death.
The work was done. aud the soldiers dis
persed for rest aud tue promised plunder.
John Culess was hunting up bis kettle and
| saddle, Samuel Small his horse, aud Par
son Allen his surgeons paniers with the
| bottles. Stark rallied his men TO secure
| the victory. A hogshead of rum was order
| ed up. Before il could be served out word
came Il at a British reinforcement was but
two miles away. The wearied troops leit
the rum untasted, and marched 10 the new
| conflict. through bottomless roads, with ILL
fed horses and upseliing wagons. Brey-
| an muir, Uur mis- uoom
| from Sancock mill. The tory Col. Skene
| hurried him up, but never hint did he
| give that Baum's fate was sealed. Half a
| mile this side of The mill he saw through
the woods armed men in jackets and shirt
sleeves, for the day was intOlerably warm,
| climbing the hill. side on his left. a call
| 10 them from Skene was answered by
| vollev of musketry from the bircbes, and
the second battle began. A battalion Of
chassenrs moved up the heights, and the
cannon poured grape shot along the road,
but the shot struck the iree-tops, and our
men from behind the tree trunks fired
down into the full ranks with deadly aim.
Bot at length, wearied and oppressed with
heat some of them chewing ON their bull
leis for thirst, Oulnumbefed and oultlank
ed, our troops were slowly falling back,
when a major on black horse rode up,
| shouting, Eight on reintorcements close
| hv." With the word grape-shOt struck
out two teeth from the black horses mouth,
bnt the rider spurred on. Behind him, u p
came Warmers fresh troops. They opened
right and lell, aud the tide OF battle turned
Tory SIX enc, sword in hand, still waved 10
the artillery, but Thomas Melln dropped
his musket, too hot 10 hold, seized dead
Hessian's gun, and down came the tory's
| horse, Skene cut the traces of an artillery
horse and disappeared.
The fight was long and obstinate. Many
of the Germans on their knees called for
quarter. The main body was driven back
and their cannon captured. The pursuit
continued till eight o'clock, and darkness
alone saved Tho remnant of Burgoyne'
force. Our troops slept that night under
the open sky, some of them with cornhil
for pillow. In the morning they woke sc
; stiff that they could scarcely move.
| 1le forces oil oldlk auu Odplhlu w tpstcl
are said TO have been as black as Indians
, | alter the battle, but those swarthy face
: | beamed with honest joy and patriotic pride
: | and, as the news rolled away 10 LncolI
: and Schuyler and Washington, to the coun
; | ell of safety in New Hampshire and Yer
: | mont and TO Congress in session, 1t cam
: like a flash of bright sunlight afler III
. | gloom of an Arctic winter. stark though
7 | he had paid the enemy proper compli
\ | ment for the affair at Hubbardton. Lin
q coin called it a capital blow. n great stroke
= said Washington. a signal exploit salt
, Massachusetts aud Congress. Yes, 1t wa
4 greater, more signal, more capital than an.
Of them then knew. The numbers en-
a gagged were not great, though larger tha
- they are commonly given. The Who'll
n force of Baum and Breymann appears
= have been not far from fifteen hundred. q
! the American forces there are no complet
= accounts. We only know from the roll /
. the office of the adjutant-general OF Ne'
= Hampshire, that Stark's brigade consiste
;. of exactly 1928 officers and privales,
= whom one company. was probably
Charlestown, The diary of Capt. Pete
. KimbaH of Boscawen also informs us thu
, the spoil was divided among 22j0 men; {
- these, not less than 2l5O must have bee
4, present at the battle. The numbers wei
n small but it was great thing Tor raw mi
"a itia to meet the best trained soldlers oi IL u
~ rome. greater yet to storm their intrencE
I, ments, greatest of all for men almost dest
~ ~ tute OF bayonets TO charge and destroy
'9 body armed to the teeth behind the
aS1 breastworks and cannon.
a. 1t was the most remarkable affair OF Il
e. war. Is there more brilliant exploit n
4 corded in The annals of warfare2 1t was
q, signal exploit. 1t signified what the Yal
r kee soldier could do, when be fought Il
lis his home. It signified what Yankee gel
v eral could do, backed by trusty and trus
rs ing band Of his nelghbors and friends, an
n, | Iat7 10 fha 0uidanca of his own military y