The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-16
THE BATTLE OF BENNlNG-
TON.
A Local and Historical Desorip-
ton of the Event.


The following qui te minute description Of
the Battle of Bennington, of what preceded
it, the occurrence itself, and some of the
events which followed, was carefully pre-
pared by Hon. Hiland Hall for the Benning-
ton BANNER. and published in our edition Of
several months since. But as it will be
found of interest to the readers of our daily
paper, very many of whom have not been
readers of the weekly BANNER, we repub-
lish Gov. Halls description. accounts of the
men, and the fight
THE BATTLE OF BENNINGToN-AUGUsT 16,
1S77.-BY HILAND HALL
In the following account of the Battle Of
Bennington, only the leading facts are at
md exciting incidents being necessarily
In order to have q just appreciation Of the
battle and its consequences, it is necessary
TO call to mind the condition OF the couh-
try and OF the State at the time OF its occur
renee.
he campaign of 1915 in the northern de-
par6ment had beeI disastrous tl the Ameri-
can arms After suffering severe losses our
70 ces had been driven rom Canada III great
Dis rvs ald the gpe11y by the de;stgaetlon =,
command OF the waters OF Lake Champiain
Great numbers of uOops were arriving at
Quebec from Europe, aud fearful invasion
was expected at the opening of the lake In
che spring TO meet such invasion eXten-
sive works had been erected at TicOnderoga,
on which great reliance was placed. But
Ghey were defective in arrangement and but
partially manned, and ON the approach OF
Gen. BurgOyne, with powerful army, Gen.
81. Clair found they would be wholly unten-
able, and he felt'cOmpelled to abandon them.
ha raor n1ard nf his rptrpat1nn army. uUdpr
the command of Col. Seth Warner, was over
taken the next day, July z, l177, at Hub
bardtOn, by large body of the enemy, and,
after a brave resistance, during when many
we're killed and wounded on both sides, wa
overpOwered by numbers and Obliged {
give way. The greatest portion Of st. Clairs
force succeeded III forming a junction wit
Gen. Echuylerat Fort Edward, while the
remnant of Col. Warmers regiment, about
l40 strong, took post at Manchester.
BurgOYne's amy. numbering about S,OOO
men, was equipped and furnished with
every waTlike material that wealth aud skill
could supply, and consisted mostly of Brit
ish aud German veterans, with bOdles OF "a
nadians and Tories, and formidable horde
of Indiens. Its commander expected to
make triumphal marchstO Albany, there to
be met by an army from New York, and thus,
by obtaining the control of the Hudson nv
or. and cutting off New England from the
other States, to complete the conquest OF
the country for the king. He had already
issued a flaming proclamation, threatening
destruction to the lives and property of all
who should oppose him, but promising pro-
lection and security to those who should
aive him their adhesion, and offering pay
ment Sin solid coin" for all provisions that
should be brought to his camp. On the 10th
of July. having reached Skenesborongh' now
In which he directed "the inhabitants of
CastletOn. HubbardtOn, Rutland, TinmOuth,
Pawlet, Wells, and Granville, with the
neignbOriug districts; also the districts bor-
lerinQ on White Creek iSalem), Camden,
Cambridge, etc, etc. to send ten persons or
morefrom each township, to meet Colonel
kene at Castleton on the 18th, who would
Communicate conditions upon which the
persons and properties of the disObedient
might yet be spared" The proclamation
concluded with tno fol lowing barbarous
threat This fail not under pain OF military
execution"
10 a large proportion of the frontier in
habitauts BurgOyne's army appeared ire
sistable. If be should let loose his horde OF
savages upon them, which in his first prOcla,
nation he said amounted TO thousands"
there would seem to be no escape for them
Great numbers from those towns. and some
from towns still further to the south, re-
paired to Col. Skene. aud taking the oath OF
aleaiance 10 che eTown Some Iron rsce9yed SaY9sSs
i.s q, 80, -. o,,,,.
these
try, aud Joined the invading army. But the
more patriotic aud courageous portion of the
inhabitants scOrnlng submission to the iu-
vadeTs, abandoned their bones to the mercy
of the enemy, and taking with them such of
their effects as they were able to transport.
lied to the south, some stopping III Benning-
ton but most of them going on 10 their
Friends in Berkshire county aud Connects
cut Berkshire cOlnty, in the language Of a
contemporary, was " burdened with these fu-
oltives" Nearly all of the territory between
Bennington and the route of BnrgOyne
towards the Hudson and Albany was thus
made, III effect, Rn enomy's country, and
Bennington became o frontier town.
Prior to tine REVOLUTION the territory of
Vermont was known by the name Of the New
Hampshire Grants. over winch the govern;
ment of New York claimed jurisdiction, aud
also tue title TO its lands. This claim YVES
disputed by its Inhabitants, who, after long
aud severe controversy had, by convention
of their delegates held III Westminster on
the 17th of January. 1177, declared the ter
ritory an independent Stats. At the time Of
the evacuation Of TIconderOga by st. CLAIR,
a subsequent convention of tue new State
was iu session at Windsor, engaged in the
work of framing its constitution OF govern
ment, aud the abandonment OF that post left
the families of many of IFS members in i'm
mediate peril. At the news of this alarming
event the constitution was somewhat hur-
ridly adopted, and having appointed a cOun-
Gil of safety to manage the affairs of the
State until the regular government could be
put in operation, the eOnyentlOn adjourned.
The council of safety thus constituted met
at Manchester, but soon adjourned to Ben
ningtOn, where it continued in permanent
session throughout the year, adopting and
earring into effect the most energetic meas
ures for protecting the state against its for
eign as well as its domestic enemies. Press
np messages having been sent to New
4 Il nd
of the militia as could bs gathered were
called out to strengthen the force OF Colonel
Wmner at Manchester, where an attack
was apprehended. A permanent force to
patrol the frontiers, and to guard against
any covert outbreak of the tories in their
midst was indispensable and topr0yide means
for maintaining such force, and to meet
| their other expenses in defending the State,
| the council ordered the property of those of
| their inhabitants that had joined the enemy
/ 10 be seuuestered and sold. A proper fund
being thus secured, regiment OF rangers
was organized under the command Of Col.
Samuel Herrick which did efficient and val
uable service to the State and country.
New Hampshire responded nObly to the
call of the Vermont council. The assembly
ut once ordered large portion OF their mill.
/ tia 20 he organized into q brigade and placed
k under the command of General john Stark.
/ He had served with credit and honor In the
previous French war, and as colonel at Bun
i ker Hill, anu III Canuuas aua unueT WISH
IinRtOu at Trenton and Princeton, but Con-
gress had promoted junior officers over him,
and he naduesigned his commission aud re-
| tired from the service, though he retained
the same patriotic ardOr as before He was
reluctant to be placed under officers ne had
formerly Outranked, aud there was also. at
| the time, o very general dlstrust III New
England Of Gen. Schuyler. who was in
| command of the northern department for
which reasons Gen. Stark's written instrue-
tions were of discretionary character. He
was directed TO repair to Charlestown, No.
IN and when the troops were collected there
10 fake the command Of them and march
into the State of Vermont, and there act in
conjunction with the troops Of the State, or
any other of the States, OF Of the United
States, or separately, as it should appear ex-
Incident to him, for the protection OF the peO-
Die, or the annoyance of the enemy.
rossing the Green Mountain from Charles
town with the greater part of bis command,
Stark reached Manchester on the 7th OF Au-
gust, where he met Gen. Lincoln, who had
been sent from Saltwater by Gen. Sc uyler
to conduct his militia to the west bank Of
the Hudson. Stark communicated his in
slructiOns and declined obedience on the
ground Of the dangerous condition in which
Il would leave the people Of Vermont, and