Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-09-03
PRESIDENT BARTLETT'S AD-
DRESS.
Delivered dug. 18th, at Bennington.

|
of some tragic fromance. The British
general had bored his way doggedly
through forest! and swamp and creek.
He looked anxiously down the river for
some trace of Howe, but no tidings came.
Ten messengers. had gone by different
routes, but never one had gone through.
Even the dispatchssent:h him by Clinton
in a silver bullet from Saltwater though
swallowed by the bearer was recovered
by an emetic, and the messenger was
hanged as spy. Only one m essage
from Howe found its way to Burgoyne,
packed in quilt, but it came too late
and brought no hope. On the very day
(July 30) when he was writing, 81 am
in total Ignorance of the situation or in
tention of Gen. Howe" Washington was
writing, "Howe's in manner abandon
ing Burgoyne is so unaccountable mat
ter, that. while | am fully assured of it,
| cannot help casting my eyes continu-
ally behind me" Why it was, remain
ed a standing puzzle in America and
Great Britain, but Charles Lee knew
why. When Burgoyne sailed for Eng
land, Lee was by his own folly prison.
er, clustering and cowardly, ill-manner-
ed aud profane, ambitious and disap-
pointed. On March 20, he left Howe
an elaborate plan whereby he "could
stake his life" the rebellion could be
crushed in two months. 1t was to be
grand movement on Pennsylvania and
the south, accompanied by proclama-
tion of amnesty. Fortunately for the
country it was followed but partially
and tardily. While the southern expe-
dition was failure, it abandoned the
northern to its fate. 1t would seem
from Burgoyne's precautions delay that
he shrunk from the expedition to Ben
nington, but he was nearly out of pro-
visions. He knew here was great de-
posit of corn, -four and cattle, guarded
only by militia. Necessity knows no
law, so he chose "the best" of his Ger
man troops, and "the select light corps
of the British army" and sent them on
their perilous venture, and with a
strangely gratuitous folly he handed to
the seizure of supplies long circuit by
n~~liushauu 0uu DIaUUlcUvIv rVuuu
Albany. 1t is supposed, however, by
some that his written orders were great
ly modified by oral instructions.
Why repeat the oft-tOld story of the
message to Stark, that the Indians were
at Cambridge, and to Baum that the
rebels were at Bennington of the lost
letter of the Hessian to his general,
written on the head of barrel, promis-
ing to fall on the enemy early in the
morning; of Gregg slowly falling back
as Baum advanced, and breaking down
the bridge at Sancock /; of Stark advanc-
ing to his support and in vain offering
battle of Baum and his boldest men
thoroughly startled at last by the cool
ness and confidence of his foes; of that
10Th of August storm with a hurricane
of wind and torrent of rain, and Baum
men toiling all day long in the merci-
r less tempest at the intrenchment, as men
who fought for their lives. There was
little sleep that night at the British
! camp. Through the pouring rain also
came the Berkshire men, drenched by
rain, but with powder dry and hearts
, all hot. They had dropped the sickle
t for the musket. In the procession rode
, Rev. Thomas Allen in his old sulky, now
being a chariot of war; Warmers troops
and 100 New Hampshire men were has
tening up under the immersion to COM
: plete the victory, with Warner himself
with Stark, his counsellor and right
t hand man.
e The morning of the 10th opened in
absolute beauty. Not cloud, not a
stirring leaf. The river rolled along
swollen and tumultuous. The German
:. officers nearly forgot that beautiful scene,
e For hours not an enemy had been seen
It or even heard of, but it was the hush Of
the crouching catamount. Scarcely were
a the haversacks slung and muskets piled
D. when the men were recalled in all haste
: to the ranks. The same officer, Click,
e looking out from the zig-zag breast.
d works on the hill, saw the outposts re.
It firing and the pickets Withdrawing, and
J. q strange body of men hurrying from
the ticket behind. As they marched and
:. countermarched conspicuously in sight
a two of their officers rode forth to recon
t, noiter, and as the British cannoneer fir
e ed his harmless shots he did not know
: that he aimed at Warner and Stark
: Suddenly Click heard a trampling be
t hind in the forest on the right. 1t wal
h Herrick and his rangers in their uni
form of green. Then came shout anC
. a rattling fire in the rear on the left |
4 was Nichols of Amherst giving the sig
le nal to begin. From before sunrise the
is have wound in single file through tn
d. forest, and now with green twig in ev
&c &c cry hat-band, they come forth. Scarcel,
r. had the sound of the first fire died ou
q ruhar tho Tp1,oDe h-ol-o opd Aol A oo1