Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-08-14

II.
cred the situation and awaited intelligence
from their scouts Baum had marched
from the Battenkll to Cambridge, which
he reached on the thirteenth. The next
morning he arrived at Sancoick, a small
village eight miles from Bennington. Five
prisoners were here captured and Baum
wrote to Burgoyne that fifteen hundred to
eighteen hundred men were at Bennington,
"but they are supposed to leave at our APP
proach." The news of the large force at
Bennington led to the sending forward of
reinforcements under Lieutenant-C Colonel
Breimann, the peril of Baum's detached
force already causing Burgoyne some anX-
iety. Stark learning that a body of Indi-
ans was at Cambridge, sent Lieutenant
Colonel Gregg to dislodge them, but hear
ing during the night that the Indians were
only the vanguard of a large force with
artillery, advancing on Bennington, he
marched out to support Gregg.
Then there was mounting of messengers
and hot squirting over the hills; some to
Manchester to summon Stafford and War
ner's Green Mountain boys; others to
Massachusetts, to alarm the sturdy Berk
shire men. The south-bOund couriers,
after hard ride through Pownal, perhaps
straight down Pownal hill, drew rein in
Williamstown at the farm house of Benja-
min Simonds, colonel of the North Berk-
shire regiment, and from there couriers
went and summoned North Berkshire to
arms. They came at the call, until in some
villages not an able-bodied man was left.
How many there were it is hard to say
Two or three hundred is now the least
number conceded as the contribution of
Massachusetts, to the fight; but this is UNI
questiOnably too small number. Prof
A. L. Perry of Williamstown, whose chill
dren, through their mother are great-great-
grandchildren of Colonel Simonds and of
Captain Nehemiah Smedley, who command
ed one of the Williamstown companies,
claims that the pay rolls in Boston, and
tradition still lively in Berkshire, attest the
fact that over five hundred men went from
Berkshire to Bennington. The part of
Massachusetts in the battle has been I'M
derrated and but little understood. 1t is
probable that at least four hundred Berk-
shire men did yeoman service in the fight
under their gallant leader. The pay rolls
in Boston, which may not, however, be
conclusive as to the actual number of men
engaged, show four hundred and three men
| of Simonds's North Berkshire regiment,
/ from WilliamstOwn, Cheshire, Hancock,
| East HooSac, LanesbOro and New Provi-
/ dence. Several detachments from southern
and central Berkshire under Lieutenant
/ Colonel Rossiter of Pittsfield, were also
rallied in time to join Simonds's command.
With the Pittstield company came, in his
ancient chaise, the Rev. Thomas Allen, the
Fighting parson.' who added to fine men
tai and spiritual attainments the fiery vigor
of the church militant. All these Berk-
shire men were brought together in twenty
four hours, and marched at once, joining
! Stark at his position west Of Bennington on
the night of the fifteenth, in a pouring
rain. Not long before this. Schuyler had
summoned all the Berkshire troops to the
northern border and then sent them home
again. 1t was this fact that led Parson
Allen, when he dismOunted from his chaise
and reported to Stark, to say:
"Our Berkshire people have been often
called out to no purpose, and if you don't
let them fight now they will never turn out
again.
Stark promised the impatient parson
] N.rbt tlo, a.
army now included three New Hampshire
regiments under Colonies Hobart. Stickney
and Nichols; the Berkshire militia under
Colonel SimOnds; and of Vermont troops
a force of militia from the east side of the
state under Col. William Williams of VIII
mingtOn, corps of rangers with Colonel
Herrick, and two Bennington companies.
with other militia from the immediate vi
cinity of Bennington; the whole number
ing from sixteen hundred to two thousand
men. The exact number cannot be fixed
from any existing data. Nothing can be
found to determine the number of Yer
monters engaged.
Stark had been joined by the Massachu-
sets contingent at point near the junction
of the Walloomsac and Hoosck rivers
about four miles west of Bennington, where
he had encamped on the east side of the
WalloOmsac. Less than two miles away.
on the west bank of the stream, but con-
cealed from view by intervening trees, lay
Baum. He had prepared for a defensive
battle. a wooded hill had been partly
cleared and fortified, and here was posted
the larger part of Riedesel's Brunswickers
under Baum's personal command. At the
east of this hill the stream, which is not a
large one, made sharp bend to the south.
The eastern front of Baum's position was
well protected by the abrupt ascent of the
hill and by the breaStwOrkS of earth and
logs that were thrown up. Where the road
to Sancoick crossed the hill, entertainments
were also thrown up, and strong breast
works, on one of which was mounted a
cannon in charge of German grenadiers.
defended the bridge across the Walloomsac.
At this point Fraser's marksmen garrison
ed small breastworks on opposite sides OF
the road, while Canadians occupied several
log huts near by. The loyalist corps OF
Pfster and Peters held hill east of the
river where the "Tory breastwOrks" stood
Away on the west, on his left flank, was
placed Baum's second piece of artillery