The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-10
BENN1NGToNs GREAT GUN.

1
Several "reminiscences of Where
it Came From-The Long Duty
it Performed, and How it De-
parted-Likewise, Some Pleas
ant "reminiscences Of other Ben
nington Guns. lra.
In refreshing our memory of BenninRtop's
early history, we read few DAYS since in
Rev. Mr.. Jennings Memorials" the follow
| ing items, in speaking of the character of
the people of our town at the commencement
Of the present century, he says;
The people read eagerly the newspapers of
the day, discussed earnestly and eOmprehen-
sively the public measures of the govern
ment, were intelligent, determined, and
spirited in their conflicting positions almost
beyond what we can now conceive of. The
writer has been permitted to see an interest
jamin Harwood, and will take the liberty to
favor the readers of these pages with one or
two extracts -
"0ct. 16, 1808.-In consequence of certain
intelligence being received In town of Mr..
Tiohenor being elected Governor of the State
among the Federalists, which was demon
strated by firing the great gun, heating the
drum, and playing the fife, Next year
the Republicans will rally and defeat the
Federal cause in this State, (WHICH THEY
DID.
The "Mr. TchenOt" referred to In the quo.
ted paragraph, was Governor Isaac TioheuOr
of Bennington Centre, with whose name and
fame our readers are already familiar. He
came to Bennington on the day OF the battle
as Commissary OF Supplies for the Ameri-
can army, in the Northern Department. Ira
ditional history records the spirited rebuff he
met with when he requested of Mrs. Dewey
on his arrival in our town, refreshments for
himself and beast. Mrs. Dewey, the wifeEOf
BenningtOn's first pastor, assisted by party
of other patriotic housewives and ladies,
were cooking food for soldiers then engaged
on the battle field. Mrs. Dewey refused him
dinner for himself, and care for his horse, in
forming him that they were preparing food
for the soldiers OF the country aud could not
entertain stragglers Oh strangers. Major
IichenOr Informed the hostess who he was
and why he came, when he was readily fur
nished with dinner, and hurried off toward
the field of conflict. Gov. Tichernor was a.
that time q years Of age, Removing from
his native home IN New Jersey, he soon be-
came resident of Vermont, remaining here
till his death, December 1th, 1888, aged 81
years. After the war, aud during the subse-
preventative in Ysknont's General Assembly;
spea ker nf the House. speeial Aaent % IS
tionai CONGRESS, mem Der OF onr state Coun-
Gil, Judge and Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court, member Of the Council of Censors,
thrice elected United States Senator, Gov
ernOr of the State of Vermont for eleven
years, and called also to fill other offices Of
high distinction and responsibility.
1t is therefore not to be wondered at that
his success as q gubernatOrial candidate In
the close contest of 1908, was celebrated in
Bennington by firing tho great gun, beating
the drum, and playing the fife"
As an incident in the history of the First
Church at Remington Centre, Rev. Mr.. Jen-
nings says of Gov. TichenOr:
He had promised the parish If they would
get minister who should fill the meeting
house he would give them a bell. Rev. Alb
SALON. Peters, who was soon after secured as
pastor of the church, was very popular and
attractive, and Gov. TichenOr was as good
as his word. The bell which has been in the
belfry ever since, has his name inscribed on
it as its donor
The Great Gum referred to in the quo
tation from Mr.. Harwood's diary, was the
"0ld Long Tom" which for many years was
a bennington institution. Tradition says
that the old iron gun had share i'll the
scenes of the revolution. Perhaps this ira
dition is true, but probably, not. Neyerthe-
less 1t had the historic honor of being the
great gun" Of our town for more than a
half century. We do not know Of any per-
son who can tell when, or from where it
came TO Bennington, but many scores of our
citizens have pleasant "reminiscences OF this
old participant in the celebration and iubi-
latiOn of by-gOne days. 1t was for many
years as much a part Of every public demon
stration as the orator, or any .pageantry re-
quired for the occasion. "Old Long Tom"
also had political character in the days
when the partizan power in Bennington was
closely divided between the wings" and the
"lO-cO-fo-cOs,D as the democrats were then
called. This old cannon was claimed as a
"lo-co-foeO gun" and many instances We re-
collect when the only method by which it
could be secured for use at any whig celebra-
tion, or political demonstration, was to
STEAL 1T.
There was local reputation and jealousy
connected with Long Tom" that oftimes
made much fun, and sometimes considerable
trouble. Hoosck thought they had claim
to the piece of ancient ordnance. We think
they claimed that il was q descendant of the
old Dutch war, and was used by the burRh-
ers of HoOsac valley even before the Revo-
lutionary war. Be that as it NAV, in times
when powder was to be burned in the public
celebration of our neighbOung town across
the border. Long Tom was sought for as
the favOrite gun for the occasion,
II was difficult most generally to get the
cannon back from these HOosiek claimants
For instance, we recollect that Just previous
to the Henry Clay celebtationIn our village,
on the 18th Of August, 1874, IL required
week or two Of sharp detective service to
learn the whereabouts Of old "LOng Tom"
and when it was learned where the gun
could be found we remember accompanying
four horse load Of the "solid mem of Ben
nington on midnight trip to HOOsick 10 Ie-
cover the gun. The late Julius Norton fur
nished the team, the present senior partner
Of the extensive stOnewAre works. held the
reins Fifteen or twenty of the best citizens
Of our village participated in the expedition,
which was 80 far successful that the memoir
able old gun added its voice to that of Fitz
John Porter, Geo. Dawson, Van Wagner. the
PouGhkeepsie blacksmith" Hon. Solomon
Foote, and others, in rendering the Henry
Clay celebration at Bennington, ON that bat
tie day Of our town, pleasantly common
orative event.
FROM then till Its explosion. the old gun
was at home here. Somewhere, erowhile,
foot or two Of It's muzzle had been blown OF.
When the mountain reservoir, which the
manufacturers along the head waters of the
Walloomsao river had constructed, as a part
Of or adjoining Stamford pond, Mr. D, A.
Rider. who did the work in the construction
of this reservoir, hauled the old iron gun up
to the mountain top and planted 1t on the
reservoirs hank to help celebrate tho COM
pletiOn of what was hoped to be very i'm
portant work Unaccustomed to use at such
ON altitude, when first discharged. old Long
Tom" split langthwIse, and its nine feet of
iron that had withstoOd somuch outside and
inside pressure, flew in all directions. Forest
trees were felled by the hurled fragments,
and other damage done, but luckily fear
and alarm that scattered the crowd around
n ma III L. s..i,r,r dana 10 tho nnrtini.