The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-08-17
BENNINGTON CENTENARY.
The Turning Point Of the RevOlu-
tiOnsry War.
N. Y. Evening Post.

IN. O"N'
OF the whole list of centennial celebra-
tions at the present time there is not one
which surpasses in general interest that
ut Bennington, Vermont. The battle oi
Bennington owes ITS pleasing aillteratlVe
title entirely to accident, AS 1t was not
fought in Bennington at all, but in the
Stale of New York; though the lame OF
the Green Mountain Boys is always as
sociated with Bennington and the
Cstsmount Tavern, The fight was
carried on not by the Green Noun
tam Boys alone, but as well by
the New Hsmpshie volunteers
under General Stark and the Berkshire
militia under Colonel Simonnds and
@Fighting Parson" Allen; and the VIC
tory has zone down 10 history rs the hrst
won by me rebellious Yankees on the
land under the stars and stripes. We
thus see reason why four States ought TO
feel an especial interest," and the "old
thirteen" n general interest IN the ceie-
brstlon, but there is further cause for
making this season OF national -eJOlc-
ing. The battle of Bennington Is con-
sdered by maoy unprecedented Judges
t. have been the decisive battle oil
tho war, turning the tide OF pop
ulsr and military favor IN manner
that made grand success At
Saratoga possible. In December, l1I6,
Washington mad written: between
YOU and me-, think our affairs a-e IN u
pretty bad condition. Ii every nerve ls
lot strained l think the game Is near'y
upn Then came the sweeping victories
ct Burgoyne in the spring, which led
Baron Reidesel, the commander of the
Hesssn mercenaries, TO eXc!aim exuIt.
insly: "This campaign will end the
war" With singular aptness Burgoyne
IN one OF his letters describes the lnhaoi-
tants of the Hampshire Grants AS hang
ing like gathering storm on my lett
The gathering storm" broke over the
heads of his left wing ut Bennington and
swept away his plans for the future like
81 many cobwebs.
There is no region the world over
where local traditions are held IN more
reverence than that about Bennington.
The country is peopled with the de-
scendents of the grand old fellows who
fought there, and almost every house
contains some reno VI the OhItlc,
Leonard Robinson was s"desd shot"
and as he stood and picked OF redcoat
aiter redcoat, he said: Il prayed the
Lord TO have mercy on the poor victims
soul, and then l took care OF his body.
Captain Stephen Fay, who WAS landlord
of the Csts @ount Tavern, had received
n message from the over confident
British officer, ordering dinner to be
served for them rs soon AS the
battle WAS over. With sardOniC grin
and an stfectation of the wsrmest rospl-
tally, he stood at the door OF his inn ~
the prisoners were taken past and IN
formed them that the dinner was ready,
and they must make haste to eat 1t while
it was still hot. The old story OF Gen.
Stark's address to his men, and his threat
that the British should be whipped ''Or
Molly Stark will sleep a widOw," is fsmil-
lar to every schoolboy. Some doubt has
been thrown on Its historical veracity,
bat it is quite good enough to be true,
and altogether too good TO be laid aside
while even shadowy foundation re-
mains for it to rest upon.