Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1877-08-23
The Battle of Bennington.

The American cause had for months been
In gloomy strait-Gen. Buigoyne, with his
splendid and confident army, had marched
down from Quebec, compelled early in
July, l717. the evacuation OF TicOnderoga,
acknowledged to be the key to New Eng
land and New York, and was proceeded TO
unite with Sir William Howe on the lower
Hudson in order TO cut of from the rest of
the colonies and subiugate New England.
He attempted to do for the rebellion against
English dominion what sherman accom-
plishcd by his march to the sea IN our late
civil war. but he was to meet defeat on his
wings In the Mohawk valley and at Ben
nington. and surrender at Saratoga. At
this time the retreatng Americans under
Col Seth Warner, had been OverpOwered
NJ Uubbardton. July !, and the northern
colonies were in panic. On reaching
what il now Whitehall. y. y, July TO-
Gen. Burgoyne had called upon the 'ln-
habitants OF Castleton, Rutland, Tinmouth
Pawlct Wells aud Granville. with the
neiyhboring dist riots also the districts bor-
dcriur on White Creek (Salcm,) Camden,
Cambridge, etc, etc to send 10 persons
or more ON each township 10 meet Col.
Nkcnc mt Castlcton on the 15th, who would
communicates conditions upon which the
persons and properties OF the dISobedicnt
inl1NJ Yet ne NptItI - Llt uldhIiCHtp ''h-
cludiur. This fail not, under pain OF mill
tary execution This stout threat had its
effect upon the frontcrSmen, who feared
that Bur.ovuc would let loose his Sava5es
to ravarc the country. Great numbers
from all the region tlOcked to Skene and
swore allegiance in the crown, many even
joining the invading army. The faithful 10
the cause Of the colonies abandoned their
homes and tied south to Bennington, Bcrk-
shire and Connecticut, SO that at " IlllamS-
town it /, related that the roof ofthe Smed-
lev house. the second frame raised IN the
town, was no sooner In place than II Was
crowded full OF these northern fugitiyeS.
The town oi Bennington At This time con-
sisted only of the Centre village aud prob
ably about 1900 Inhabitants. Though 1t
boosted several frame structurcs-thc first
was built bv Capt Samuel Robinsou-log Z
houses prevailed The nceting-housc
stood on the little green west and III front
Of tie present Congregational church; the
tatamount tavern was to the north, "a has
been indicated. aud still further north was
the continental Store-hOuSe; part OF the
present WallOOmsac house was then stand
iu4 and Kept by capt Elijah Dewey as a
public house. The store house was 40 by
30 feet. and three barns were aflerward
made Of it. The town was largely prime
val forest, Mt. Anthony. whose summit is
$500 feet above the level of the sea, i've or
six miles south west Of the village, beng
wooded down to near the meeting house.
but the land TO the north and west was
largely cleared and a remarkably produc-
tive as 1t is to-day. The battlefield, halt
a dozen miles northwest Of the meeting
house, is in the town OF HooSac. within the
borders of the State of New York, thus
making the Hubbardton fight the only bat
tie uf the Revolution fought in Vermont.
Meantime. Col. Baum had set off with his
force Of probably 5000 Brunswick dis
mounted dragons, "A detltchmuut Of artj-
l-ri-tS with two field pieces, British. Cana
dian and tory marksmen and 100 Indians
reaching Cambridge. Is miles from stark.
on the 18Th The next morning he pushed
on ID what j. now North lIoosac where
some Americans abandoned mill. and
thence TO where the battle was aitrrwarl
fought. a thiCklv wooded hill on the west
bank OF the Nalloom-ac where ne euGAmp-
ed. Gen. stark and the council ha6 been
busy the while. On the'moruing OF The lith
he had rallied his brigade, sent to Manches-
ter tor Col " lrucr'> men aud to Bcrk
shire for recruits, and with Coils. Warner
Williams. icI rick and Brush marched ont
toward the enemy. That night the 60 III,
decided With Stark ana his officers ~ lie
ola tatamUuut hotel plan Of attaCn Mhich
would have been carried out the next
morning but for a pouring rain. SO was
Berkshire saved her share in the victory.
Her people had become thoroughly aroused
to the crisis. aud Col. Benjamin Simonds
OF William>town. parson Thomas A Hen Of
Pittstield and Lieut.. Col. David RosSiter
of Richmond, led her militia, who had kept
their powder dry through their long wet
march, into Bennington on the night OF the
18Th. Gen. Stark had fallen back a little
aud encamped two miles from Baum in the
northwest part occupied by l.ewisN OTthouSe
a heavily wooded hill hiding the hostile
camps. Baum had intrenched himself on
the hill selected for his main defence, which
rises some 400 feet to the southeast but
slopes away TO the rear. and whose base is
washed by NalloomSac river. running very
nearly south here, At the southern base
OF the hill the road from Cambrige, \. u,
crosses the river, and the bridge was de
Tended by breastworkS and minor fortitica-
tions while southeast and on rising ground,
less than quarter OF a mile away, Were
considerable Tory breastworks.
Saturday, the l0th,was rarely perfect
CAV. with nature fresh-washeu and deWilv
fragrant. Gen Stark got his perhaps 1000
men-the New Hampshire militia Green
Hi'''i'd'A4 ivy anu DCi ldi utIs an
fresh from the alphabetically in motion,
but the attack was not begun until 3 z. NJ.
This was the plan Of battle: Col. Moses
Nichols, physician commanding the 9th
New Hampshire regiment. and Col. Her
rick OF Vermont, with 800 men each, were
sent TO outhank the British intreuchments
and attack them in the rear, while to d.
vert attention, Coils. David Hobart of the
l2th New Hampshire regiment, and Thorn
a Stickney of the l4th were to get before
the advance Tory breastworks. and 100
men were to make a feint toward Baum
front. The Barkshire men formed the
main body of Stark's 800 reserve men, who
were to sharply join in the general attack
on hearing firing in the rear of the British.
Rev. Mr., Allen of Pittsfieid. the original
fighting parson." hal begun the day by
prayer of inspiration, asking the God of
battles to teach their hands to war
and their fingers TO fight" and Gen.
Stark probably addressed TO the Berkshire
boys his iamous-"There are the red. coats
and they are ours, or this night Molly
Stark sleeps a widow, standing on some
fence bars and not from his horse. That
Stark's wife was named Elizabeth has
thrown some doubts upon this tradition,
but il is well authenticated that Molly"
was the pet name which he always used
when addressing Elizabeth, and the fact of
the laeoric speech is established here be-
yond doubt.
Stark's plans preceded to picturesque
success. The militiamen went stealing be-
hind Baum in their shirtsleeves, mistaken
by him, tis said, for the loyalists Of the
region, seeking the protection Of his lines
Stark was nearing the Tory hill or the
front ready to open fire. when slender.
youthful Parson Allen stepped to the
font to eXhOrt his Tory upiphbors in the