The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-09-27
Battle of Bennington.

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The Bennington correspondent of the
Springfield Republican gives the follow
ing account of this important event In
Revolutionary history, the hundredth
anniversary of which is being celebrated
to-day. We quote:
The battles of Bunker Hill and Ben
ningtoh, though separated by distance
of years and many miles, were the two
decisive checks administered by New
England militiamen to the picked armies
of England. They stayed forever British
invasion of New England, the one on the
east, the other to the west. The coming
commemoration of the victory of our
forces here one hundred years ago on the
10th of August, thus becomes AN event
of high historical and local importance,
and makes a preliminary and intimate
study of this Bennington battlefield of
fresh and general interest.
Before awaiting myself of the wealth of
local tradition which ELIMINATES the
bare story of the day, must needs out
line briefly the events which led up to
this battle and its result. The American
cause had for months been in gloomy
strait. General Burgoyne, with his
splendid and confident sxmy, had marched
down from Quebec. compelled early in
July, 1777, the evacuation of Ticonder-
oga, acknowledged to be the KEY to New
England and New York, and was pro-
ceeding to unite with Sir William Howe
on the lower Hudson. So was he 10 cut
off from the rest of the colonies and
subjugate New England. 1t was a mag
niicent plan. He attempted to do for
the rebellion against English dominion
what Sherman accomplished by his march
to the sea in our own late civil war, but
he was to meet defeat on his wings at
Bennington and in the Mohawk Valley,
and surrender at Saratoga At this time
the retreating Americans under Colonel
Seth Warner had been overpowered at
Hubbardton, July Z, and the northern
colonies were in panic. On reaching
what is now Whitehall, New York, July
10th, General Burgoyne had called upon
the ''inhabuants of Castleton, Rutland
Tinmouth, Paulet, Wells and Granville.
with the neighboring districts, also the
districts bordering on White Creek
(Salem), Camden, Cambridge, ETC., etc.
to send ten persons or more from
each township to meet Colonel Skene at
Castleton on the 10Th, who would COM
munlcate conditions upon which the per-
sons and properties of the disobedient
might yet be spared" the manifesto con.
GLIDING, This fail not, under pain of
military execution" This stout threat
had its effect upon the frontiersmen, who
feared that Burgoyne would let loose his
70 he.
numbers from all the region focked to
Skene and swore allegiance to the crown.
many even joining the invading army.
The faithful to the cause of the colonies
abandoned their homes and fed south to
Bennington, Berkshire and Connecticut
so that At Williamstown il is related that
the roof of the Smedley house, the second
frame raised in the town, was no sooner
in place than il was crowded full of these
northern fugitives. AS TO the American
forces, General Schuy lei, who was in com
mand Of the northern department, was an
aristocrat, and distrusted by the people,
Colonel Ethan Allen was British prison
er, and General Stark, who, with his
New Hampshire sharpshooters, had COW
cred the retreat of Prescott at Bunker
Hill, and been with Washington at Tren-
ton and Princeton, had retired from SER
vice in disgust because Congress had pro-
NOTED over him junior officers. But cir
cumstances were to give him a brilliant
persosal compensation and triumph, for
TO him in q remarkable degree does the
glory of this Bennington victory re-
dound.
Vermont had been declared an indie
pendent State At Westminster in the pre-
ceding January, DIR. John Foy. of this
place, writing the State Declaration of
Independence, and st the time of the
evacuation Of Ticonderoga constitutional
convention had been in session at Wind
scr, which hastily completed its work,
having first appointed Council of Safety
to administer the affairs of the State.
This council met at Manchester, but soon
adjourned to Bennington, where it was