Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-08-21

on the farms. Half of his troops were with.
out bayonets and even ammunition had to
he husbanded. lie lacked everything but
men. and his men lacked everything but
hardihood and indomitable resolution. Upon
all known rules and experience of warfare,
the successful storning by u hastily organ
! ilcd militia of an entrenched position at the
top of hill, held by an adequate regular
force, would have been declared impossible
But 1t was the impossible that happened in
Il route Of tho veterans that amounted to
destruction History and literature clo-
uuenco and poetry have combined to en-
shrine in the memory of mankind, those
decisive charges at critical moments 10y
! which great battles have been won, and
epochs in the life Of nations determined. !
set against the splendor of them all, that
final onset up yonder hill and over its breast
works Of those New England farmers on
| whose faces desperation had l,inded the sly
pernatural light Of battle which never shines
in vain. That conflict was the last hope of
tho Hampshire Grants. They were fighting
for all they had on earth, whether Of pos
sessions or of rights. They could not go
! homo defeated, for they would have had no
! homes to 90 TO. The desolate land that
Burgoyne would have left, New York would
| have taken. Net man was on the field by
|
Of personal advantage or reward The
spirit which made the day possible, was
shown in that Stephen Fay of Bennington,
who had five sons in the fight. When the
| first born was brought home to him dead.
~ thank God, - he said, "that had son,
willing to give his life for his country
Such, in merest and brefest outline, was
Bennington. Its story, impcrfectly pre-
served, comes down to us only in flashes.
| but they they are flashes of glorious light.
| Its consequences were immediate and far
reaching 1t was the first success Of the
revolution which bore any fruit. Its guns
| sounded the first notes in the knell which
! announced that the power of Great Britain
! over the colonies she had created and had
Sacrificed was passing away. Burgoyne
heard il, and knew what it meant. Wash
ington heard it, and hearing took heart
again. Confidence replaced despair. Gates
succeeded Schuyler in command at Saratoga,
and the miitiu poured into his camp. The
| invinciblity OF the British commander was
| gone He fought desperately but in vain.
| On October / I he surrendered.
II Bennington had not been fought, or
/ had been Fought without success, the june
tion between Clinton and Burgoyne could
not have been prevented, and his surrender
!
ceeded there, he wrote to his government,
81 should have marched to Albany
Bat bennington vas only an episod, in
/ the early life Of Vermont. Striking, heroic,
conspicuous, yet still but episode. The
/ outbreak of the revolution found the people
OF the hampshire Grants already engaged
/ in the contest with the powerful colony of
/ New York, which had for 10 years taxed
! their utmost resources The first to occupy
| the unbroken wilderness which is now Yer
mont, they had taken ard pail for their
titles to the lauis, n a part Of the colony Of
/ New Hampshire, under regular grants from
/ its governor as vice -gerent OF tie British
/ crown. They had organized townships,
| built roads, cleared forests and established
/ their homes. Up to that time the territory
| had been universally regarded as part Of
| New Hampshire and the carly maps So laid
| it Gown. New York for more than hun
/ dr"d years from the date Of her charter, had
! attempted no jurisdiction over il. But
after the New lianpshre Grants lad been
made and occupied, New York set up the
c ann that her eastern boundary was tho
Connecticut river. The line between that
province and New Hampshire was so loose
ly defined in the charters issued when the
/ geography of the country wa, almost UNI
known, that II was impossible to he de-
t.ru,,,,pl I'm, tLoir l,,,.,uoa, TN. charters
yer. in fact c,nnirtin, 'rba rro,tcr u,An.
anc4 of S4vy Work auj her h.tter n,.,,. cf
pro.ecutinp her ems. befor. tbe ,r,,.y co,ip-
oil obtainrd from, tho ..ro,., i'm ,fl nj, orr
J.r,..tob,sbip, TN. Connecticut a. tIa li-
yidin, lin. BnttbIs WA. only the arbitrary,
pd.u.tu.rt Of - Louudory iuc,r,l,lo ~
o,ncr s.tflar,ant r.. Laval or..t ,,.,..,.,...-
.,..tiva NOT ra,ro,ct,,r /, ..,,lJi'..l
jurisdiction If ,rl mat invol,.lota Mia mr..
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trrritorv ,y,. .i. f,,,.,,, - mart ~ Nav Mann.
.hjro Nor COS - ~. ,,,t,,,,,,, - ~.
crown or Of fine prIyy council Tint if should
INV. s,,ch a., ,n.r, lyr., ,n1-,,- ,Ira,
ynor. Ia,ar tha .,tt,o.. r..,.,I,1. ,h, ,,r,r,s
If Nav N-orl ia co,,,is,ot,. ,hoi. lo,ls .,,c-
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Va,r biro ,,-1or 70 i~rt ,'.'.i
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