Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-08-29
THE BATTLE or BENNINGTo


One Of the battles of the Revolution,
whose Centenary was fifty celebrated
at Bennington, Vermont, on the 10th,
was no ordinary episode in that seven
years drama. Although of itself it
was somewhat aside from the main
current of military activity for the
season Of l7T7, it was part OF those
several operations which found their
joint elimination at Saratoga in Octo.
Der. Oriskany preceded it by ten
days, and the two victories together
were stern notification to the British
commander that he must prepare for
the worst that could befall him The
plan of the campaign on the part of
the British must be conceded to be
mastery, Having tried in VAIN to
subdue New England by direct as
sault, tho Kings managers resolved to
mako the attempt to isolate bor from
the rest Of the country. By coming
down with an army from the North
and taking possession OF upper New
York-which was then but strip Of
territory along the Hudson and the
Mohawk, and moving up the river
with q sufficient naval and land force
from below, it was believed that New
England could be cut off from her con.
nection with the sister colonies, and
the rebellion thus be bisected and con.
quercd in detail. II was an admirable
conception, and needed only complete
success TO have DESTROYED all the re-
naming hopes of independence for
America. So when Buraoync moved
down by Lake George from Canada
with his army of seven thousand men,
Clinton too was to come up the river
from the bay and effect q junction,
while st. Legor, with the Indian Chief
Brant for an ally, was to penetrate IN.
land from Oswego, with seventeen
hundred men in all, to join Burgoyne
by way of the Mohawk.
1t was the finest army combination
that the King had as yet let loose upon
the colonies, The Oriskany battle,
whose hero, the brave Herkimer, died
of his wounds on the day the battle of
Bennington was fought, resulted in
victory that checked st. Leger's ad.
vance; and the siege of Fort Stanwix
was raised by the panic created by the
report that Arnold was Fastening to
its relief. Meantime Burgoyne's south
ward movement had been seriously
obstructed by the impulsive rising of
the farmers the whole country round.
They so eiiectually blocked the roads
that in one instance his army was
twenty.four hours in advancing sin
gle mile. Such unexpected delay of
course told seriously on his stock of
provisions, the country being cleared
by its cutivators as fast as he advanc.
ed. So that the stores which were
collected at Bennington naturally at.
tracted his eager desire. Lieutenant
Colonel Bawm, a German officer great
ly trusted, was despatched with a force
Of six hundred regular troops and one
hundred and fifty Indians to seize this
treasure and lay the farmers under
contribution for horses and cattle. Col.
Breyman was sent after him with a
reinforcement ofa thousand men. The
Council of safety in Vermont had not
been disregardful Of their danger, from
the time when Burgoyne's progress
from Canada was known. New Hamp-
shire and Massachusetts were earnest
ly appealed to to lend their aid in pro
tecting the common frontier. 1t was
understood that if the British plan of
isolating New England had succeeded