St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-07-27
The Battle of Bennington.
ITS STORY RETOLD AND ILLUMINATED
WITH MUCH LOCAL TRADITION.
From the Springfield Republican.
BENNINGTON CENTER, July l


WITH MUCH LOCAL TRADITION.
From the Springfield Republican.
BENNINGTON CENTER, July Is.
The battles of Bunker Hill and Ben
ningtOn, 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 Brit
ish invasion of New England, the one
on the east, the other to the west. The
coming cOmmemoratiOn of the victory
of our forces here 100 years ago on the
10th of August thus becomes an event
of high historical and local Importance,
and makes preliminary and intimate
study of this Bennington battlefield of
fresh and general interest.
Before availing myself of the wealth
of local tradition which Eliminates the
bare story of the day, must needs
outline briefly the events which led up
ican cause had for months been in
gloomy strait-Gen. BurgOyne, with his
splendid and confident army, had march
ed down from Quebec, compelled early
in July, 1777, the evacuation of Ticon-
deroga, acknowledged to be the key to
New England and New York, and was
proceeding to unite with Sir William
Howe Oh the lower Hudson. So was
he to cut off from the rest of the col
Onies and subjugate New England. 1t
was magnificent 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 Sara
tOga. AT this time the retreating Amer
leans under Col. Seth Warner had been
overpowered at HubbardtOn July Z,
and the northern colonies were in a
panic. On reaching what is now White
hall, n. Y, July 10, Gen. Burgoyne had
called upon the ''inhabitants of Castle
ton, Rutland, Tinmouth, Pawlet, Wells
and Granville, with the neighboring
districts, also the districts bordering on
White creek (Salem), Camden, Cam
bridge, ETC., etc." to send 10 persons OF
more from each township to meet, Col
Skene at Castleton on the 18th, would
Communicate conditions upon which
the persons and properties of the dis
obedient might yet be spared"-the
manifesto concluding, "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 savages to ravage
the country. Great numbers from al
the region fiocked to Skene and swore
allegiance to the crown, many even
Joining the invading army. The faith
ful to the cause of the colonies aban-
doned their homes and fled south tC
Bennington, Berkshire and Connecticut
so that at WilliamstOwn it is related
that the roof of the Smedley house, the
second frame raised in the town, was
no sooner in place than it was crowded
full of these northern fugitives. AS tt
the American forces, Gen. Schuyler
who was in command of the northern
department., was an aristOcrat and dis
trusted by the people, Col. Ethan AlleI
was British prisoner, and Gen. Stark
who, with his New Hampshire sharp
shooters, had covered the retreat O
Prescott at Bunker Hill, and been will
Washington at Trenton and Princeton
had retired from service in disgust be
cause Congress had promoted over hin
junior officers. But circumstances wer,
to give him brilliant personal com
pensatiOn and triumph, for to him in /;
remarkable degree does the glory o
this Bennington victory rebound.
Vermont had been declared an indie
pendent state at Westminster in tn,
preceding January, DR.. John FOy o
this place writing the state Declaration
of Independence, and at the time of tn,
evacuation of TicOnderOga a cOnstitu
tional convention had been in session
at Windsor, which hastily completed it
work, having first appointed a cOunci
of safety to administer the affairs of tn
state. This council met at Manchester
but soon adjourned to Bennington, wher
1t was in session previous to and durin,
the battle and through the year. |
gathered in the old CatamOunt tavern
which stood few rods north of tn
present Congregational church at tn
Center, and whose site is now marke,
by granite base, for which Artist I
H. Bartlett of Paris, native of DOrse
in this county, has just completed
lifelike bronze figure of catamount
AS Burgoyne's forces proceeded south
ward, the council of safety called Ou
the state militia to strengthen Co
Warner at Manchester, confiscated tn
property of those who had joined tn
enemy, and organized regiment Q
rangers under Col. Samuel Herrick t
patrol the frontier and attend to tn
tories. New Hampshire and Massa
chusetts were called upon for aid, an
the Assembly of the former state OIL
ganized a brigade of militia for Ger
Stark. Happily, he was granted dis
cretionary command of this little arm
raised "fOr the defense of this and tn
neighbOring states, to prevent the ell
crOachments of the enemy thereintO,
and, when he reached Manchester
August z, and found Gen. Lincoln wit
an order from Schuyler that the Ne'
Hampshire men march into New York
John Stark fatty refused to Obey-h
was an abler soldier than Gen. Schuyler
and fortunately he knew it. He wen
down to Bennington, reaching there th
9th, the same day that Gen. Burgoynt
finding himself embarrassed for pre-
visions, ordered Lieut.. Col. Baum
see that ex-Gov. Hiland Hall, excelleI
local historical authority, spells thi
J name Baume, which is not good Gel
man-to capture the store-house at th
place.
The town of Bennington at this tim
consisted only of the Center villag
and probably about 1900 inhabitant
, Though it bOasted several frame stru,