St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-31

housed with Stark his counsellor and
right hand man. The morning opened
in absolute beauty. Not cloud Bright
rain drops glittered like diamonds i'll
the trees. The river rolled along swOl-
len and tumultuOus. The German Off
Ger never forgot that beautiful scene.
For hours not an enemy had been seen
or word of alarm heard. 1t was
the hush of the crouching catamOunt.
Scarcely we're the haversacks slung and
the muskets piled when the men were
called in all haste to the ramparts. The
same officer, Glich, looking out from his
zig-zag breast works saw the outpOsts
returning and the pickets Withdrawing,
and a strange body of men hurrying
from the thickets whence as they march
ed and cOuntermarched cOnspicuOusly
in sight, two of their officers rode forth
to reconnoitre, and as the British can
nonier fired his harmless shots he did
not know that he aimed at Warner and
Stark. Suddenly Glich heard tramp
ling behind in the forest on the right.
1t was Herrick and his rangers i'll their
uniform of green. Then came Il shout
and IL rattling fire i'll the rear on the
left. 1t was Nichols, of Amherst, Civ
ing the signal to begin. From before
sunrise they have wound in single file
through the forest, and now with green
twig i'll every hat band, they came forth,
Scarcely had the sound of the first fire
died out when the Indians broke and
I, fled. A column pushes forward on the
long breastwOrk this side the river. 1t
is Stickney and Hobart, and for a badge
every man has Il corn husk in his hat.
At the signal, the main body moved up
in front, and the battle ragged on every
, side. The Tories fled, and as they
climbed the slippery steep behind them,
came rolling down beneath the shots of
our marksmen. For two hours, from
, three to five o'clock, the fire was one
: continuous roar. Those death dealing
t columns closed in nearer and nearer
At eight PAGES distance they picked off
t the cannoneerS from their guns. Still
nearer they came, until the flashes met.
The ammunition cart exploded within
; the entertainments, and at the sound
our men rushed up, scaled the breast
works, and leaped down within. Then
$ came terrible clashing of sword and
= gun-stOck and hayOnet. Gigantic John
S Mcneil strikes down four Hessians with
the butt of his gun. In five minutes
5 twenty men broke through to the forest.
L UC rest Ntlt dIl DllSOHtiS. vi u0dU
: dying. They fought gallantly and their
t leader died ii soldiers death.
q The work was done and the soldiers
+ dispersed for rest and the promised
e pluuder John Culef was hunting up
f his kettle and saddle, Samuel Small his
= horse, and Parson Allen his surgeons
o panniers with the bottles. Stark rallied
o his men to secure the victory. hogs
II head of rum was ordered up. Before il
:. could he served out, word came that a
/, British reinforcement was but two miles
. away. The wearied troops left the rum
= untasteoi, and marched to the new con
: flict. Through bottom roads, with i'll
Y fed horses aud upsetting wagons, Brey,
: man had crawled along, "scarce half /
Ii mile an hour" but in season to NEE
= his doom. From Sancoick Mill, the
: Tory Colonel Skene hurried him up
e but never Il hint did he give that Baum,
d fate WAS sealed. Half a mile this side
d of the mill, he saw through the woods
: armed men i'll jackets and shirt sleeves
d for the day was intolerably warm, climb
e ing the hillside on his left. A call tt
q them from Skene was answered by
vOlley of musketry from the birche.
l. and the sumachs, and the second bat
rs tie began. A battalion of chasseur
J. moved up the heights and two cannon
C poured grape-shOt along the road, bu
d the shot struck the tree tops, and Ou
st men fIom behind the tree trunks free
d down into the full ranks with deadl,
e aim. But at length wearied, oppressed
n with heat, some of them chewing ol
;, their bullets for thirst, Outnumbered ant
n Outtianked, our tr0ops were slowly fall
II ing back, when Il Major on a black hOrs,
h rode up, shouting, Eight on, reinforce
d ments close by With the word,
= grape-shot struck out two teeth from
m the black horses mouth, but the ride
z, spurred on. Behind him up came War
e ner's fresh troops. They opened righ
" and left, and the tide of battle turned
m The Tory Skene, sword i'll hand, still
II waved on the artillery. But Thomas
y Mellin dropped his musket, too hot t,
Il hold, seized ii dead Hessian's gun, ant
l. down came the Tory's horse. Sken
N cut the traces of an artillery horse ant
20 disappeared. The fight was long an,
" obstinate. Many of the Germans OF
in their knees called for quarter. Th
main body was driven back and thei
N cannon captured. The pursuit contin
$, ued till o'clock, and darkness alon
T. saved the remnant of BurgOyne's force
ID Our troops slept that night under tn
s. open sky, some of them with corn hill
id for pillow. In the morning they wOk
" so stiff they could scarcely move. Th
N forces of Stark and of Captain Webster
1t are said to have been as black as In
4 dians, after the battle. But thos
ID swarthy faces beamed with honest io
I and patriotic pride and as the new
I'd rolled away to Lincoln and Schuyle
le and Washington, to the council of safe
it ty in New Hampshire and Vermont, an
to congress i'll session. it came like
e. flash of bright sunlight, after the gloor
IN of an Arctic winter. Stark thought h
le had paid the enemy proper cOmpli
w ment for the affair at Hubbarton. Lin
n, coin called it "a capital blow 90.
IL great stroke" said Washington, ga sig
be nal exploit" said Massachusetts an
ps congress.
sh Yes it was greater, more signal, MOI
us capital, than any of them then knew
u The numbers engaged were not grea
of though larger than they are commonl
M given. The whole force of Baum an
Breyman's appeared to have been nt
ne far from 1900. OF the American force
,ly there are no complete records. w
.at only know from the roll in the office
rk the Adiutant- General of New HamI
nd shire, that Stark's brigade consisted
n exactly ,523 officers and privates,
an whom one company was probably
a Charlestown. The diary of Capt. Pet
ny Kimball of Boscawen, also informs
'ly that the spoil was divided among 2,2;
nd men. OF these not less than 2, 80 mu
L IL. sl