Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-24
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This cluster Of events determined the
treaty with France, and thus furnished
openly the arms, ammunition and aid which
before were given only in secret. IL as
tUuudeC the ministry into conciliatOry
bills, too soon for King George, and too late
for America. II probably stimulated Spain
into war with Great Britain, encouraged
the disalleclion of Ireland, Ostered the
British opposition at home, and thus em-
barrassed the government. II FASTENED
hither the foreign military skill, which did
so much for our armies, II cooled OFF the
hope of Canadian aud tory help, and de-
tached the last band of Indian allies. The
very existence of the infant State of Ner-
mont, wrote Ira Allen, long afterward,
their families aud property, were all pend
ing on the event. We might almost call II
our Thermopylm, only that our Leonidas
and moat of his troops survived To strike
other blows for their country. ii Is sing
ular token of the skill OF our marksmen
and the bewilderment of the foe that
while the British left 207 dead on the spot
and many others morally wounded, our
loss was but 30 killed and 40 wounded.
Thirteeu tories buried in one hole, mostly
shot through the head as they looked over
their breastwork, told of the aim of the
New Hampshire sharpshooters; and the
bayonet OF William Clement, that never was
Withdrawn from the skull OF another, told
of the hand .to-hand conflict that closed the
strife.
But there was mourning on one side.
The chief havoc was in the regiment of
Nichols, which gave the signal and opened
the fight on the hill. In each OF four hon
ored homes in Bennington there were or
phans and a widow. Four New Hampshire
officers were killed, and two died of their
wounds. Ten of their townsmen, prlvates,
were laii with them in their grave. Chap.
lain IIibbard in his old age remembered
well that burial service a. the most mourn
ful occasion of his life. New Hampshire
sent two other foremost men-Josiah Bart
lett and Stephen Peabody-to do every
thing in their power 10 assist the sick and
wounded Let the names of those dead he
carved here on a monument that shall be
co-equal with this State and this nation,
and, while the grass grows green on these
mountain sides aud the granite rock lies
firm and solid beyond the Connecticut, let
the name of Seth Warner be craven in
Vermont, and the name of John Stark lie
embedded in the heart of New Ham psbire.
Friends and fellow citizens, tue records
of the past speak to us in vain unless they
speak also for the future. Many sugges-
tive thought cings TO tbs historic spot.
And, first of ALL the battle of Bennington
is as commemorative of piety as of bravery.
/ should be false to the truth of history did
fail to sneak of the strong religious spirit
in which this victory had its preparation
and its achievement. The smoke of the
battlefield mingled as it rose With the in
cense of PRAYER Each of the three Slates
that shared the victory had appointed in
the first half of August its special fast day
in view of the approaching conflict. The
Berkshire men fred no shot in the battle
till their pastor had prayed with them 10
the God of battles. Col. Nichols is said TO
have knelt with his men in prayer before
he led them TO the onset. McClary on the
previous Sabbath was exhorting his sol
diers to remember the Lords day." and
the bullet from the fatal wound and The
Bible from his breast-pocket were long
presei we'd together in his family. All day
long while the sound of the cannon came
peaiing from the battle. field, in the church,
es of Bennington and Williamstown the
voice of prayer was ascending, and IL new
er ceased till the tidiugs came of victory.
John Stark forwarded to New Hampshire
the Uessian equipments as trophies of
"thai glorious victory given by the divine
Being who overpowers and rules all things"
The men who achieved deliverance here
feared God, and they feared nothing else.
They came as brave men come,
To stand-to hght-to die,
II the mp faItered, It was with prayer,
Amid those gathering bands,
For the sure rifle kept its poise
In strong untremblug hands"
This consecrated spot speaks to us also
reason OF fraternity. This region was
once the New Hampshire grants, and Ben
nincton's charter transmits the name ol
Benninr Wentworth, "A New Hampshire
Governor. Nine-teulhs of the early set
| llers of Vermont came from Massachusetts,
Connecticut and Rhode Island. The troops
| of these commonwealths fought in noble
rivalry, and with equal courage, Tor the
| safety Of these homes and the common
| veal. Their dead sleep side by side. And
AS / ok over the roster OF those regiments
| l read the Welsh name Of Evan, the Nor
| weniau Paterson, the Scotch Webster and
| RehanuuD The names of McGroueer, Nc
| Clary, Gregg, Stark aad their companions
| show that the Scotch Irish furnished some
| of the best lighting stock OF America, while
the great bnlk Of thuse troops were Of pure
| Anglo Saxon blood. So was IL on broad
| er scale throughout the war. The name or
| Gen, SulliVau's ancestors was O'SulllVau.
| Lafayetle was already with Washington
| Kosciusko, the Pole, was about 10 pass Inc
| entertainments at Saratoga, and his coun-
| tryman Pulaski, was now volunteer and
| a prospective martyr for American liberty.
| And though those Germans that we fought
| on wonder heights had been sold like sheep
| in The shanlbles, aud fell here like sheep
| in the slaughter, we may not lorSel lhat IL
was Germans aud Dutchmen who ten days
before had defeated St. Ledger at Oriskany,
and that Herkimer was dying OF his
wounds even while Stark was winning this
victory; nor may we forget the faithful
DeKalb, already in our ranks, and Sleu-
ben, who made our lighters into soldiers
and our soldiers into an army, then died In
| poyertv, and slept in a long forgotten grave.
Aud why need l mention the name of Du'
portaii, Gouviou, Radiere, Lannoy, Fleur-
nv, aud the chevalier ArmandY
| The event is also lesson OF fraternity
for among those who baltled so nobiy ioi
the cause of liberty were citizens OF nelsn-
boring States and Scolchmen, lrlshmer
and Welshmeu, while France and othel
foreign nations gave us Lafayette, Kosci
usko, DeKalb and others, who fought side
bv side in common rivalry. "Out OF 2!
major generals in our revolutionary war Il
were Europeans" Tue toll and blood
many races purchased our lano OF rest u an.
privilege. To many races let II be hom'
of privilege and blessing yea, they have
come-Seandinavian and Welsh, and lrisl
and Scotch, and Hebrews and Italians. Si'
, millions of Germans are gathered yoiunta
rily on the soil of our country. Here lie
} them flourish. Five millions OF AIrican ca !
, | here, not Ivy their own will, toiled and SUI
, fered. but not on the battlefield, and thei
deliyerauce in due time came. A hundre'
+ and inv thousand Chinese care but avan
| couriers of millions 10 follow. Let thom
+ too. come on with their industry and econ
I | omy. The free friction OF iree lnstltulon
f | shall wear off from them at length the rus
! | of ages and stamp them with the super
D | scription of this free republic.
: Does it not stand written i'll the declara
tion made by this new State seven mon!h
: before the battle, that the inhabitants tina
: may hereafter become residents either b.
a procreation or emigration within said teI
+ ritory, shall be entitled to the same prlvil
eyes and on the same conditions as "th
q present inhabitants" and as 'ot any oI ID
rec states of America" We have but I
! be true TO these civil principles for whie
q the Green Mountain boys fought, and
;. that God TO whom Nichols aud Allen an
McClary prayed before they fought; an
: then shall these vast bodies OF diverse elt
= ments, enough to have changed the ehara'
: ter of half the empires of Christendom,. b