St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-31

we promise obedience to our officers.
We ingage to stand ready till the Oath
day of Septem hernext. EnOch Chase"
and I3 others.
Stark's name was tower of strength
in New Hampshire, and his officers and
men were, in 4 great measure, select
citizens, owners of the soil, good men
and true. The brigade chaplain, Hub
bard, was graduate in the second class
of Dartmouth college, a future governor
and chief justice of the State. Jere-
miah Smith had his gun stock broken
and face grazed by a musket ball, at
Bennington. The members of the sew
eral companies were neighbors, friends
and relatives. From the town of Sails
bury, N. H., with only 100 ratable polls,
40 men in the conflict. Their captain
was the father of Daniel Webster.
Among them were the schOolmaster,
Edward Evans, Dea. Benz. Huntoon,
representative Matthew Pettengill. and
selectman Ardent Pettengill, others of
the same quality. This one family of
Pettengill sent to the battle three broth
ers and sisters husband they we're
the brOthersin-law of my great grand
father. One of them died of his wounds.
So, in Vermont, five sons of Stephen
Fay were theTe-One of them slain.
Massachusetts sent lawyers, physicians,
a judge and fighting parson. 1t was
the best blood of these States that flow
ed here.
While this commotion was fermenting
in the States, Burgoyne was happy and
easy. He was ordering a fen de jOie in
honor of his victory, on the very day on
which Scuyler was declining to furnish a
soldier or musket to defend Vermont.
Instead of pushing on by Lake George
and the old road, he halted at Whitehall
while his troops cut their way through
a dense forest, made forty bridges in
sixteen miles, and two miles of log
work over one mOrass. 1t may have
been as he claimed his best course. But
his need of supplies became early ap-
parent, and about the first of August
troops were all designated for Baume's
expedition. They did not march until
| the 18th. Those ten or twelve days
delay lost his only chance of success.
For the other John never lOitered.
Five days after he was notified of his
appointment he appeared in Charles
town. In advance of his instructions
! he was forwarding troops to Vermont,
waiting the enemy and looking up his
supplies. 1t would he amusing, we're il
not distressing, to read of his diff
culties detained for want of bullet
moulds, as there is but one pair in
town :" vainly endeavoring to get foul
cannon mounted finding third of the
powder in store worthless in want o
kettles and ''spirits," and even ''sealing
| nd ha ,al
apologies or complaints; utters ne
doubts or fears. As fast as his mel
came in by squads, he sends them along
just as soon as the bullets were run
Stark and his went of mt the enemy
He comes in sight ut Manchester, re-
ceiving orders to join Schuyler and fiat
ly refusing to abandon Vermont. BY
two feIicitous mistakes. one when Con
greSs superseded him, and one wheI
New Hampshire gave him an indie
pendent command, he was free to fol
low his own sagacity. He chose til,
course for which Washington had hoped
the enemy would give opportunity, ant
he fulfilled his own prophecy of for
mer year, that IL powerful army wOult
come from the north, which he with tn,
Green Mountain boys would cut of win:
by wing.
When all this stir around the Con
necticut had reached its height. thing
were beginning to move on the Hud
son, like the opening of some tragic
romance. The British general had bore,
his way doggedly through the fores
and swamp, and creek. He locke,
anxiously down the river for some trac
of Howe, but no tidings came. Tel
messengers had gone by different routes
but never one had gone through. Eve
the despatch sent to him by Clinton il
silver bullet from Saltwater. thoug
swallowed by the bearer, was recovere,
: by All emetic, and the messenger hang
4 ed as II spy. One only message fron
2 Howe ever found its way to Bur9oyne
packed in Il quill, but it came to lat
2 and brought no hope. o the very da
July 30th), when he was writing IL IN
in total ignorance of the situation o
: intention of General Howe Washing
: ton was writing thus: Gloves in
manner abandoning Burgoyne is 50 un
| accountable a matter, that till | al
: fully assured OF it | cannot help castin
I my eyes continually behind me-" VIII
/ it was remained a standing puzzle i
America and Great Britain.
t But Charles Lee knew why. Whe
Burgoyne sailed for England Lee wa,
e by his own folly, prisoner. Blustel
ing and cowardly, ill-mannered an
Y profane, boastful. ambitious and dis
a appointed, Oh the 29th of March lie lai
e before Howe an elaborate plan whereof
S he would "stake his iife"; the rebellio
e could be crushed in two months.
i was TO be grand movement on Penn
S sylvania and the South, accompanie
:, by a proclamation of amnesty. Fol-
5 tunately for the country it was followe
}, but partially and tardily. While th
It Southern expedition was failure,
e abandoned the northern to its fate.
II 1t would seem from Burgoyne's pre-
h cautions and delay that he shrunk frOl
If the expedition to Bennington. But b
II was nearly out of provisions. He kne
d that here was the great deposit of corr
: flour aud cattle, guarded only by mil
:, tia. Necessity knew no law. So,
II chose "the test" of his German trooI
if and the select light corps of the BIRTHS
e army and sent them on their perilOl
t. venture. And with a strangely graitI
II Gus folly, he added to the seizures
o supplies, long circuit by Rockingha
s. and Brattleborough round to Albany.
: 1t was supposed however by son
d that the written orders were great
u modified oral instructions. Why repe
P an oft told tale of the message to StaI
k that the Indians were in ambush, al
q, to Baum that the rebels were at Be
m nington, of the last letter of the Hessi;
l. to his general written on the head of
to barrel, promising to fall on the enen
N early in the morning; of Gregg slow
I'd falling back to Baum's advance al