The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-18


goyne sailed for England Lee wss. by bis owi
lOlly, q prisoner clustering aud cowardly
ill-mannered and profare, boastiul. smb tiou
and disappointed, on tie 29t1 OF MIron b.
laid before Hoxe an elaborate plan, whereby
he "wonld stake bis life" the rebellion
could be crushed in two months. II was 4
be grand movement on Pennsylvania RnC
the South. accompanied by a proclamation o
amnesty. Fortunately Tor the country II wa
followed but partially and tArdily. While tn
Southern exp, dition was q failure, 1t abandon
ed the northern tj its fate,
II would seem from BurRoyne's precautions
aud delay that be shrunk from the expedition
to Bennington. Bot ho was nearly out Of pro
visions. He knew that here wAs the great de
posit OF corn, -four and cat le, guarded only
by militia. Necessity kneW no law. So, hi
chose 'lhe test OF his German troops Rnt
the select light corps o. the British army and
sent them on their perilous venture. And
with 4 strangely RrNituous folly. be added tC
the seizures OF supplies, q long circuit by
Rockingham and B.ttleborough round to Al
bany.
II was supposed however by some that
the written orders were greatly modified oral
ius.ru tions. Why repeat an olt told tale oil
tho messa % 10 Stark that the Indians were
in ambush, and to Baum that the rebels were
sian TO his general written on ths bead OF q
barrel, promising to fall on the enemy early
in the mtrninR; of Gregg slowly falling back
to Baum's advanoI aud breaking down the
bridge at Sincoick; Of 5ttrk advancing 10 his
support, and 10 offering hattlel Of Baum
aud his soldiers When thoroughly startled at
last by the p)Ulness aud courage OF his foes;
OF that 18th OF August story With huuc lne
Of wind aud torrent Of rain; OF BAum's men
loiling all day long in the meIciless storm in
the entertainments as men toll for their lives
There was little sleep that Night in the British
camp. Through the pouring rain also came
the Berkshire men drenched to the skin. but
with their powder dry. aud the hears all
hot. They had dropped the sickle Tor the
musker. In the procession rode Rev Moses
Allen in his old sulkey, now being chariot
OF war. Warmers troop and 100 New Hamp
SHIRE men were Fastening mp under Emerson
h. complete the victory while Warner housed
with Stark lis counsellor and right hand
man. Tue morning Of the 10Th opened in
alb 'olute beauty Nota e'ou'. Bright Taius
drops Rhttered like diamonds In the trees.
The river rolled along swollen and iumultu-
QUE, Tho German Olilcor never fors ot that
beautiful SOene. For honrs not an enemy
had been aasn or word OF alarm heard. 1t
was tho hush OF the ctouchinR caiamount.
Scarcely were the hayersacks slung and the
muskets piled when the men were tcalled in
all haste to the ramparts. The same officer,
Glich, looking out IRON his Si2-zlg breast
works saw the outposta return;;g and the
piokets withdrawing and q strange body Of
men huTFying from the thckeis whence
as they marched and cOuntermarched con-
spicuously in sight. two of their officers rode
forth to rrconnOitre; and as the British can
nOnier fired his harmless shots he did not
know that he aimed at Warner and Stark.
| Suddenly Glich heard trampling behind in
| the forest on the right. It was Herrick and
his rangers In their uniform Of green. Then
came a shout and q rafting fire in the rear on
the left. II was Nichols, Of Amherst, giving
the signal to begin. From before sunrise
they have wound in single file through the
forest, and now with 9 green tWiR, in every
hat hand, they game forth Scarcely had the
sound Of the first fire died out when tbe m
dians broke and fed A column pushes for
ward on the long breastw0rk this side the
river. 1t is Stickney and Hobart, And for a
badge every man has a corn husk in his kat
At the signal, the main body moved up IN
front, and the battle ragged on every side
The Tories fed, end as they climbed the slip
perry steep behind them. came rolling down
beneath the shots of our marksmen, Foi
two hours, from three TO five O'clock, the hr,
ives enc sontlRnaHa foar, Ihass death deal
eight PAGES distance they picked oil the can
noneorB from their guns. Still Prer thei
came, uIll Nua uN9uDa met, Inc uluuunl
tion cart exploded within the cntrench
mentH, and at the sound our men rushed up
scaled the breastwOrks. and leaped down
within. Then came terrible elashing OF
sword and gun-st0ck ana bayOnet. Gigantic
John Mcneil strikes down four Hessians
with the butt of his gun. In five minutes
twenty men broke through to the forest.
The Fegt We're az prisoners, or dead and dy-
died Q soldiers doath.
The work was done and she SOldiers dis
persed for rest and the promised plunder.
John Culef was hunting up his kettle and
saddle, Samuel Small his horse, and Parson
Allen his surgeons panniers with the bottles
Stark rallied his men to secure the victory
A hOgshead of rum was ordered up. Before
| II could he served out. word came that q
| british reinforcement has but two miles
away. The wearied troops left the rum uns
tasted, and marched to the new conflict
Through bOttOTl roads, with il-fed horses
and upsetting wagons, Breyman had crawled
along, ' scarce halt mile an holr,p but in
season to meet his doom. From Sancoick
| Mill, the Tory Colonel Skene hurried him up,
but neVera mint did he give that Baum's
fate was sealed. Half mile this side of the
mill, he saw through the woods, armed men
in jackets aud shirt sleeves for the day was
intOlercbly warm, climbing the hillside on
his left. A call 10 them from Skene was an
swered by YOlley of musketry from the
birches and the sumachs, and the second bat
tie began, A battalion Of chasseurs moved
up the heights and two cannon poured grape
shot along the road, but the shot struck the
tree tops, and our men from behind the tree
| trunks fired down into the full ranks with
deadly aim. But at length wearied, Oppress-
ed with heat, some of them chewing on their
bullets for thirst, 0utnumbered and out.
thanked, our troops were slowly falling back,
when Major on A black horse rode up,
shouting = fight on, reinforeements close
two teeth from the black horses mouth, but
the rider spurred on. Behind him up came
Warmers fresh troops. They opened right
and lett, anil the tide Of battle turned. The
Tory skene, sword IN hand, stu waved on
bis musket too hot to hold seized q dead
Hessian's gun, and down came the ToTy's
horse. Skene cut the traces of an artillery
horse and disappeared. The fight was long
and obstinate. Many Of the Germans on
their knees called for quarter. Tue main
body was driven back and their cannon cap
tured. The pursuit continued till o'clock,
and darkness alone saved the remnant of
BurgOynes force. Our troops slept that
night under the open sky, some Of them with
a corn hill for a pillow. In the morning
they woke 90 atiH they. could scarcely. move,
The forces Of STARK and of Captain Webster,
are said to have been as black as Indians, at
ter the hattie. But those swarthy faces
beamed with honest Joy and patriotic pride
and as the news oiled away TO Lincoln and
kGuulAnE- 10 luo COUNCIL
Safety In New Hampshire and Vermont, and
TO congress in session, 10 came like fash Of
bright sunlight, after the gloom of an Arctic
winter, Stark thought he had paid the
enemy proper compliment for the affair at
HubbartOn. Lincoln called it q capital
blow" A great stroke,D said Washing gtOn,
A signal exploit, said Massachusetts, and
congress.
Yes it was greater more signal, more eapl-
tai, than any Of them then Knew. The num-
bers engaged were not great. though larger
than they are commonly given, The whole
force Of Baum aud Breyman's appeared to
have been not far from 1900. OF the Ameri-
can forces there are no complete records.
We only know from the roll In the Office of
the Adiutant-Gen of New Hampshire,
that Starks brigade consisted Of exactly
1923 officers and priyates, Of whom one COM
pany was probably at CharlestOwn. The