Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-27
The Bennington Monument.

In the year 1876 the legislature of Yer
mont appropriated by a unanimous vote the
sum of $4,000 towards a monument to
commemorate the event of the decisive bat
tie of Bennington. Vermont invited the
other two states, Massachusetts and New
Hampshire, which with herself alone won
the great victory, to join with her in the
work, aud they cordially responded, the
former in the sum of $1,000 and the latter
$4,000. The states were also officially in.
vlted to attend the centennial celebration
and did attend it by their state Off GERS, leg
islatures and military escorts. As condi-
ton OF Vermont's giving $4,000 it was pro-
vided that the Bennington Battle Monument
Association must raise $4,000 in addition.
The association decided that this meant
$4,000 by private subscription and not APP
preparations in other states This the as
ISOLATION at once proceeded to do, the first
subscription being made by vermonter in
Chicago. The $4,000 was raised without
difficulty and at the close of the legislative
year OF 1875 Governor Fairbanks, the pres
ident OF the association, in his retiring mes.
sage to the legislature reported this sum
pledged to secure the $4,000 Since then
the work of raising money has gone on until
as we learn, nearly $4,000, including the
state appropriations are pledged to this
work. 1t was originally the intention of
the promoters of this enterprise to ask Con-
gress to aid, in case the work assumed such
proportions and the circumstances seemed
favorable to the proposition. 1t was their
idea that congress could do no more patriotic
and lapdable work than to assist local effort
everywhere in designating in proper man
ner all the battle-fields of the revolution.
Accordingly an application was made to
congress at its last session to assist in this
as 1t was likely to do in other and similar
cases. This application met with a fair
measure OF success. Congress appropriated
100000 for monument at Yorktown and
$4,000 for the centennial celebration there
$4,000 to assist in building monument at
Spartanburg, South Carolina, in honor of
the battle of "The Cowpens," $1,000 and
over in aid of monument to General Her
kimer the hero of Oriskany, Oneida county,
New York. These bills passed both houses.
Several others were before congress, one for
Bennington for 100000 which passed the
senate by majority of more than two to
one, but did not reach the house ia time for
vote upon it, 1t is favorably reported on
by the house committee and will undoubt-
eddy pass, so we are informed, soon after con-
gress meets in December A bill for $780,
900 for the Saratoga monument, the foun.
dation of which was laid in 1877, was re-
ported on favorably by the house committee
which had it in charge but it got no further
last session. An effort will be made to in
crease the amount to $4,000, we are in
formed, at the next session. A monument
has been erected at Kings mountain, North
Carolina, the past season, and was dedicated
with imposing ceremonies as the centennial
anniversary of the battle of the 7th Instant
II Is Incomplete, however, and congress will
probably be asked at the next session to |
finish ii.
Thus it will be seen that one by one the |
battlefelds of the revolution,-few indeed in |
number and Insignificant, so far as numbers |
engaged are significant, but so important |
that, taken collectively, the worlds history, |
Tor all time, was changed by the deeds there |
wrought,-are likely to be designated by APP
propriate and willing memorials.
1t will, perhaps, be wondered at why
the Bennington Association has not drawn |
Its Sl5,OO0 from our state treasury, as we |
learn it has not, since the interest on that |
sum would add to its funds The reason,
we learn, is that the association is very |
conservative body. 1t would not, in the
first place, begin to build until it had all its
money collected. II must know beforehand |
what means it was going to have to use be-
fore it used any and, secondly, it is well
aware that if money lies in the treasury the
temptation to spend it is great, there would
be danger of an indifferent monument be.
ing erected, and If it was in the hands of the
state that danger is averted. The state has
been the gamer by their action, in the saw
ing OF two years interest on the $4,000 APP
in 1875 (the condition having
been substantially complied with two years
later, but it is more largely the gamer on
the assurance that, in the end, monument
will be erected of which every vermonter
and every citizen of the United States
will have reason to be proud.