The daily banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1891-1891, 1891-08-18
Celebration in 1873
BENNINGTON VICTORY or 1777.
INTRODUCTION NOTE.

August 10Th, INT, and its aniversarit
have ever since been observed as hol
days in that and the neighboring towns
and have been celebrated with all til
demonstrations Of rejoicing that are u,
ual through the country on "Independ
ence Days" such as the discharge of car
non, the display of banners, militar
parade, professions with music, grafton
and public dinners.
The first anniversary celebration a
Bennington took place the 10Th o
August, ITS, one year after the victory
on which occasion "a speech was de
livcre by Noah Smith, A. B., and q
poetical essay, by Stephen Jacob, A. B.
They were two young men who haC
just graduated at Yale College, and haC
come to the new country and State o.
Vermont to remain and "seek their for
tunes, with the like purpose thai
thousands of Vermonters have since
emigrated to the newer regions of the
west. The class of 1878, in which they
had graduated, contained also the
names of Noah Webster, Joel Barlow
Oliver Wolcott, Zephaniah Swift, Uriah
Tracy, and others Who afterwards be-
came highly distinguished. Both Smith
and Jacob adopted the profession of
law. Both deservedly acquired con-
siderable prominence in the State.
Noah Smith was admitted to the Bar
of the Superior Court of the State at
Westminster in May, 1879; was at the
same term appointed States Attorney,
pro tenn, for Cumberland County, and
was Immediately engaged in his official
capacity in the prosecution of number
of the adherents of New York, who had
been concerned in resisting the author
1ty of the State, and whose convection be
procured. Having settled in Bennington
he was the same year appointed States
Attorney for Bennington County, which
office he held for several years. He was
a Judge of the Supreme Court for five
years prior to 1901, and he was also
Collector of the United States Internal
Revenue under the administration Of
Prasidaiaf- Ma aahiss s-4--------s
his younger brother, read law with him
at Bennington; began practice at Ru-
pert, removed to RutlAnd, and became
Governor of the State Yin 1907. Noah
Smith was born in Suffield, Connecti-
cut, and settled in Bennington in 1779.
He removed to Milton soon after the
year 1900, where he died December 20,
1912, aged 81.
Stephen Jacob is believed to have a
native of Sheffield, Massachusetts,. Soon
after he came to Vermont, he settled in
Windsor, where he died in February,
1917, at the age of 81. He represented
Windsor in the General Assembly on
several occasions, was one Of the Coun-
Gil of Censors in 1885, member of the
Constitutional Convention of 1893, a
State Councillor for five years. ending in
1900; and Judge of the Supreme Court
in 1901 and 1902.
The speech and poem at the celebra-
ton of the victory at Bennington, Au-
gust 10Th, 1888, were printed at Hart
ford, Connecticut, in 1779. and were as
follows:
A Speech delivered at Bennington on
the Anniversary of the 10Th of August,
1777, by Noah Smith, A. B.-Hartford:
Printed by Watson & Goodwin.
mdcclxxix.
VOTE OF THANKS.
The committee consisting of five)
chosen by the people who composed the
audience, return their thanks to Messrs.
Noah Smith and Stephen Jacob for their
agreeable orations delivered in COM
memoration of the battle fought at
Bennington on the memorable 10Th OF
August, 1777, and desire a copy thereof
for the press. JONAS FAY,
Clerk of the Committee.
A SPEECH, ETC.
The history of America during the
last twelve months relates events favor
able to degree which has exceeded
our expectations, established our indie.
pendence and astonished the world
Among which none has been more sig.
nal than that which happened on the
memorable 10th of August, 1777, OF
which this is the anniversary.
The recollection of past events
whether merciful or affective, often pro
duces good effect in the hnman minC
by leading it to view the operations o.
that Being by whose permission al
judgments are inflicted and to who's
benignity all deliverance must be attrib
uted.
tits presumed that the history of thes
northern campaigns is so fresh in tn
memory of everyone present that a re
petition of it would be neither entertain
ing nor instructive; therefore, waving
the description of the progress of ou
arms into Canada, and of the defeat ant
death of the brave General Montgomer.
which was productive of the most pre-
cipitant and confused retreat, we nee'
only mention that Ticonderoga was ad
judged proper place to make oppos
ition.
This being by its natural situation tn
key Of the country, to maintain it wa