Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-09-21

the horse that has since Dorne MS name ant
took him to Virginia. This, from all ac
counts is the true origin of the breed, ms wei
as its pedigree.
The ChamplaIn Valley Gne Hundred Tears Ago
The Summer of l777 was Il stirring one il
the Champlain Valley. The plan of the
British campaign for that season included
as its most prominent feature. the advance o.
an army from Canada by way of Lake Cham
plain and the valley under Gen. Burgoyne
Gen. Burgoyne sailed from London on the
9th of March l777, arriving in Quebec the
9TH of May, when the troops were imme-
diately put under his command. One grand
feature of his plan was to use Crown Point
AS his advanced base of supplies and stock II
abundantly with provisions and war material
from Quebec This he deemed one of the
most important operations OF the campaign,
reasoning that the success OF the whole ex-
pedition depended upon it. For the purpose
of carrying out this plan it WAS found nee
essary to build boats which could he pro
| PEELED by oars if necessary and OF hghtness
to enable them to be carried around rapids
and over shallow places in the streams.
The navigation of Lake Champlain must
be secured too. and Crown Point and 1lcon-
deroga must be retaken from the Yankees
possession must be taken of Lake George as
furnishing the best route to Albany, and n
passage must be secured through by Skenes-
| boro (WhitehalD and South Bay.
On the 18th of May. l777. Burgoyne pro-
ceeded to Montreal on the l4th OF May, he
was at Quebec and on the 18th he was again
at Montreal large force of Canadians had
been engaged since May, upon the tortifiea-
| tions on the Richelieu River and boats had
been constructed for conveying the troops.
l.. 4 -.
winds and bad weather combined to hinder
Burgoyne's movements in getting together
his artillery, batteaux and baggage, and in
the passage over the rapids OF the Richelieu
River and it was not until some time be
tween the 18th and Goth of May that the
British army OF over 1000 men, besides To
, ries and Indians, arrived at Cumberland
, Point" Cumberland Head) where it waited
for supplies to come up. On the 10Th OF
June Gen. Burgoyne's Headquarters were at
SANDY Bluff" (near the mouth of the Ausa-
bic River.) On the 2lst of May he pro-
ceeded to the mouth of the Bouquet River,
where VIM. Gililand's colony had settled
several years before, which was the only set
tlement of any size north OF Crown Point on
the west shore of Lake Champlain. Seven
hundred carts had arrived on the vessels and
500 Canadian ponies had been sent by land
on the west shore of the lake. Here, at or
near the mouth of the Bouquet, the British
army remained from June 2lst to June 25th,
and here BurgoyLe made speech TO the In
Clans counselling moderation and promising
compensation for prisoners but not for scalps
unless the scalps should be those OF the
dead, and charging that aged men, women,
children and prisoners must be held sacred
from the knife and haichet. He also COM
plimented his troops on having learned the
art of making -four cakes without ovens.
On the evening OF the 25th the army broke
camp at the Bouquet and on the 26th were
quartered at Crown Point on both sides of
Putnam Creek. The few Americans at the
fort abandoned it and the British quietly
took possession and moved forward on the 1st
of July towards Ticonderoga, after Burgoyne
had issued high-sounding proclamation in
which he talked lottily about n ''lroward and
stubborn generation" and 1.-The PROCLAMATION
and most prohigate prostitution of religion
which had characterized the actors III this
unnatural rebellion"
On the LIST of July the army moved Onward
and took positions near 1iconderoga, at
Three Mile Greek, on the west shore on the
Vermont shore, opposite, Putnam Creek at
-Four Mile Point, on the west shore.and at
place neaily opposite on the east shore.
The Americans were strongly entrench ID
NiulH tue ullButN ioftieas ut iiNohueiob"
and on the summit of Mt. Independence
nearly opposite they had fort which was
well supplied with artillery. while the foot of
the hill towards the Lake was protected by
bresstwork and strong battery on the shore
OF the like near the mouth of East Greek. A
floating bridge also connected the works OF
Mt. independence with those OF the Fort op-
posite, which was thought to be an insur-
mountable obstruction, sufficient to prevent
the passage Of the British batteaux and the
frigates Royal George and lnteXible which
were anchored lust without the reach oi the
American batteries There was plenty OF
ammunition within the American hhes anu
no danger OF being starved out, and long
selge was thought to be inevitable Inc
British army numbered 6,1io men besides
Indians, tories and Canadians; and the Ameri-
cans, s,2,1i6 continental troops and 9oo militia
not one-tenth OF whom had bayonets.
On the morning OF the md oil July the
Americans abandoned their positioh NJ the
1901 oi Lake George. ana on the same hiRht
the BRITISH look possession oil MI
hope thus the enemy succeeded IN estap,
hshlng communication with Lake GeorSe anu
on the east the British column was pushed
forward as lar as East Creek, threatening TO
stretch behind and surround MI lndepehd-
ence. on the ith the BRUSH were busliy
engaged IN bringing up their artillery and
supplies and the same evening the rait
lhunderer arrived from Crown tolnt WIN
the batterlng train. The Americans were
now surrounded on all sides except the
south. Still they kept up good courage, but
when the morning OF the 9th OF July dawned
and disclosed the startling fact that the
irowning summit OF Mt. Defiance which
completely commanded the whole of the
American works was occupied by British
troops, with a battery of eight cannon, all
hope Of holding the fortress fed and prepa-
Iations were at once made to abandon 1t.
That night the retreat commenced +; the
main body of American troops going south
ward on the Vermont side towards Cnstletou
while the batteaux started up the lake for
Skenesboro under convoy of five armed gal
leys and 600 men, The boats reached Skenes-
boro at 3p. IN. the next day. but in the
meanwhile Rurpovne hal discoyered the de
signs OF the Americans. broken through the
bridge ut Ticonderoga and followed IN pur-
suit with the Royai Georpe and Ipfexible
and a detachment of pun boats. 80 that at
the yery moment the Americans were landing
Mt Skenesboro. three regiments of red coats
disembarked at the head of south Bay seve-
raj miles bevond with the intention of cut
tinp off their retreat towards Fort Edward.
The British eupboats pressing hard upon
blown mn and our trooos fled in confusion
towards Fort Ann and succeeded in reaching
Fort Edward which was then occupied by
left T;con1srogo n, q o'cIock the same morn
inc InIv an and commenced their overland
aieh, nassing tbronrb the towns Of Orwell
sudbury and Hubbardton, and the same eve
ninp encsmped Mt Castleton. about 2G miles
from Ticonderopa. while the rear guard left
Ticonderopa an hour later and rested that
night at Hubbardton. epcamping III the
woods. The British immediately took pos
session of the old fort at daylight. and before
sunrise the red coats were in hot pursuit of
the tiyiny Americans, and at 3 o'clock the
next morning. Monday. July 7th. l777, the
advance British scouts came up with the
rear guard of the American army while they
were cooking their breakfasts and the Battle
of Hubbardton commenced which ended in
the repulse and flight of the Americans. The
number of Americans engaged in this battle