The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-10
sALurlTORY.

be received with favor by those who
are sincerely interested in the imporr
tant celebration that is the occasion of
its transient existence. While we shall
make proper effort to see that as local
record of the Centennial week our pa
per will be acceptable to our readers,
we shall also publish from day TO day
interesting historical data of the great
events we celebrate, compiled from
public and private sources Of informa-
ton, believing as we do that this pub
3 hcation of extracts from private letters,
official documents, personal reminis-
cences, &c, of both the high and the
humble actors during the cradle days
ofYermont willprovean interestingly
effective way TO hold the mirror pto the
heroic human nature of one hundred
years ago. Bennington, in assuming
largely the burden andresponsibilicy of
this Centennial week, has done brave
thing, prompted to it by the unusual
patriotic interest she feels in the COM
memoration of men and events that so
thickly crowd her early local history.
Acton used to jeer at Concord, claim
ing with justice that while Concord
furnished the field, Acton furnished the
men, but this jest may not be repeated
about Bennington's part in the history
of Vermont, whether before or during
the Revolution. While it is true that
Bennington did not furnish the field,
she did furnish two full military com
panies of her sons for the fight, under
Captains Samuel Robinson and Elijah
Dewey, including in their ranks not
only her brdvest but her best, old Ste
phen Fay, of the Catamomt Tavern,
sending five sons, one of whom went
but returned not while sixth son, the
able and accomplished Doctor Jonas
Fay, was on that day at the head of the
Council of Safety, supporting Stark by
hurying men and supplies from all
quarters, and aiding him by his valua-
BILE counsel before the battle.
Stark's right arm, some say his best
brains, was her distinguished citizen,
Colonel Seth Warner, whose regiments
at various times included, among other
Bennington men, General Samuel SAT-
ford, Lieut.. John Fassett, Jr., Capt.
Wait Hopkins, Lieutenant Joseph
Stafford Adjutant Benjamin Hopkins,
Ensign Jacob Stafford, Gen. Ebenezer
Walbridge, and many Others. Col.
Warmers cousin Daniel, and Gen. Wal
bridges brother Henry, were among
the slain at Bennington fight Col.
Moses Robinson commanded regi-
ment under St Clair, while Gov. Isaac
,Ticbenor WINS n ssnIoIs officer OF the
army during the campaign of l777.
When we add to this the fact that Ben
nington was the place of council for
Allen, Warner and Easton when they
planned the fall of Ticonderoga and
Crown Point; that it was the meeting
place for the first Legislature of Yer
mont in 1878, the headquarters of the
famous Council of Safety, no wonder
that Bennington to-day feels proudly
determined that the celebration of the
coming week shall be worthy Of an oc-
casion that is fraught to her with SO
many inspiring ancestral memories. The
18th and 10Th are equally Bennington's
great days, for while the men Of Ben
nington took an honorable part in the
famous fight, greater glory than THU
is theirs, in the fact that the "Mer
of Bennington" were the civil " Found
ers of Vermont" a greater glory, W.
say, insomuch as the thought that or
ganizes and nourishes a young ant
struggling State is rarer achievement
than the most stirring and brillian
actions of war.
Believing as we do that our Stat
Legislature ought to have risen to
due sense of the dignity and impor
lance of this celebration, and stayet
and upheld Bennington's hands NOR
generously, and not left her to ask ali
of private patriotic charity for public
object that is our only great State Day
nevertheless we do not fear at all 70
the result. Our citizens have no
wasted the hours in idle, captious com
plants, but have given generously, elC
quently asked others to give, and wit
enthusiasm and good humor have pu
their shoulders TO the wheel in ever
possible way, and if our friends in Ben
nington and throughout the State tuI1
ont in our support and defense as the.
were wont to do when Allen sent
'grave-vine" telegram that the Torie
were coming, when Stark set up hi
banner at Manchester, why, then, on
Centennial cannot help being magnif
cent success. Our Executive Commit
tee is working with unexampled enei
gy; the final preparations are well o
to completion; in short, our standar
is planted, and our eagles are set"
Among the interesting document
that have been placed in our hands 70
o,.,,coI % n ooux Of tho Quart arm as