Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-08-27
PRESIDENT BARTLETT'S AD-
DRESS.

From the top of Mount Anthony the
eye looks out on panorama of singular
extent and beauty. Westward the Adj
rondacks, dim with the distance of
hundred miles or more, the Helderbergs
and Catskills to the south, Greylock,
Saddle and Bald, the long Green Noun
tain wall on the east, and the Killing
ton Peak, sixty miles away to the north,
outline vast amphitheatre of hill and
vale, of fertile fields and graceful forests,
dotted with thrifty villages and happy
homes. The steam putfs up in sight
from half dozen railway lines, and
there are glimpses of the Hoosac and
Walloomsac bordered with manufacto-
ries. Nestled invisibly away are schools,
and banks, and printing presses, here a
vane and there college. AS the day
declines, silver streamlets come glinting
forth with reflected sunbeams from the
broad expanse, rich of farming lands
near fountain spreads its lofty spray up
on the air, and at length there settles
down over the whole landscape that mel
low, low and dreamy hue which makes
it seem of some other world. But this is
no dreamland vision. These things all
lie on the soil of these sovereign states,
and they are the substantial tokens of
industry, culture, peace and prosperity,
the ripest fruits of republican liberty.
On a bright morning one hundred
years ago to-day, German officer on an
eminence five miles from here looked
forth admiringly on part of this same
landscape, then ''ripe" he said, "with
pastoral beauty"-"a wide sweep of
stately forests, interrupted at remote in
walls by green meadows and fertile corn
fields, with here and there cottage,
shed or other primitive edifce," and
Bennington was "a cluster of poor cot
tuges in wild country" Around him
was well-appointed military band, gilt
tering with arms, some of the men in
brass helmets, some in red coats, some
in citizens garb, and dusky forms in
war paint hung upon the outskirts. Two
miles this side of him, hidden from his
sight lay another band, alarmed and
miscellaneouslY clad, largely in cloth of
tow or linen dyed with butternut or ma
pie, and too deeply absorbed in their
day-break preparations to spend one
thought upon the glory of the earth or
sky. Between these two bodies of troops,
and in good measure on that day 3 strug-
gle, hung pending the question whether
' the pastoral beauty of that time should
e unfold into all the civil freedom and
y blessing of this.
: The natural theme of our thoughts,
:, therefore,, is, The Place of the Battle Of
t Bennington in the History of our Coun-
:. try.
9 The early days of August, 1777, were
e eliminating time of gloom and alarm
u For more than twelvemonth the tide
g C Of our prospects had steadily ebbed till
!. the shoals and reefs were plainly in
.e sight. In the opening of our great con-
d 1ict, the first clash of our arms had car
ried all before it. The British army anc
le its favorite generals, Gage, Howe, Gin
- ton and Burgoyne, were penned up il
. Boston. with bitter memories of Lexing
s. ton and Concord, then driven forth t.
III find shelter in Halifax. Lord Dun
ie more was expelled from Norfolk, ant
took refuge on his feet. Ticonderog;
- Crown Point, st. Johns and Montreal
;" had been taken in rapid succession, an,
h Quebec alone had escaped From Cana
ID da to Virginia we had made clea
% se sweep.
le But change comes. Just before ou
I'd independence was declared, the last 9
our troops were driven out of Canada
en- in the strong but true language of tn
q, day, "disgraced, defeated, discontentec
= dispirited, diseased, undisciplined" Th
Mt day before that declaration was read I
lie the army on Broadway, Howe landed o
OIL Staten Island, the first detachment
"' twenty-six thousand troops. Then fo
lowed the disastrous battle of Long Il
!S nu land, the evacuation of New York, tt
- reverse of White Plains, the surrendt
ire of Fort Lee and Washington, the chai
'se of our army through the Jerseys and IL
ng capture of Charles Lee, the second
" command and then the idol of the arm
fer just as he was writing to Gates a pr
a fame attack upon his chief. And befo
ate our great general retreated grimly sout
yer ward, conspired against by his lcadir
nd % officers, distrusted even by John Adar
asst for his "Fabian policy" chafed by Il
my internal jealousies of his army and ba
fed of every plan by the incessant cha
lly ges of his troops, there came, like sor
1 na. Jobs messenger, tidings from the nor
Of that our feet of fifteen sail on La
de- Champlain was exterminated, Croy
hat Point burned and abandoned, and o
we northern army cooped up in its /;
,-"- 40 stronghold at Ticonderoga. Washingtc
how indeed, kept merry Christmas with t
did Hessians at Trenton, and paid his N