The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-10-09

these instructions were to proceed to
Bennington. Evidence of this fact is to
be found in Baumes dispatch to Bur-
gOyne, written after Baume's arrival at
Cambridge on the 18th. In this dispatch
he says; From the many people who
came from Bennington, they agree that
the number of the enemy amounted to
1,S00. will be particularly careful, on
| approach to that place, to be fully in
formed of their strength and situation,
and take the precautions necessary to
fulfill both the orders and instructions of
your excellency. Your excel
lency may depend on hearing bo,c pro-
ceed at Bennington, and of my success
there"
Mr.. Hall quotes from Burgoyne's gen
eral order of August 18th: 1T was en-
deavored, among other objects of the ex-
pedition which marched to the left, to
provide such supply of cattle as might
have enabled the army to proceed with
out waiting the arrival of the maya
zines"
And further, from Burgoyne's letter to
Lord George Germaine of August goth:
"'It is well known that the enemy's sup
plies in live cattle, from large tract of
country, passed by the route of Man
chester, Arlington and other parts of the
Hampshire grants, to Bennington, in or
der to be occasionally conveyed thence to
the army. A large deposit of corn and
of wheel carriages was also found at the
same place, and the usual guard was mi
litia, though it varied in numbers from
day to day. A scheme was formed to
surprise Bennington
And again Mr.. Hall writes as follows:
''In his narrative before the committee
of the house of commons Burgoyne. with
great distinctness, stated the origin and
object of the advance on Bennington.
1T was soon found, he declared, that in
that time, the army could barely be vic
tualled from day to day, and that there
was no prospect of establishing maya
zine in due time for pursuing present ad-
vantages. The idea of the expedition to
Bennington originated upon this Difficult
ty, combined with intelligence reported
by General Reidesel, and with all / had
otherwise received. knew that Benning
ton was the great deposit of corn, flour
and store cattle; that it was guarded
only by militia, and every days account
tended to confirm the persuasion of the
loyalty of one description of the inhabit-
ants and the panic of the other. Those
who knew the country best were the
most sanguine in this persuasion. Had
my intelligence been worse founded l
should not have hesitated to try this ex
pedition with such troops, and under
such Instructions as gave to the com
manding officer for so great purpose as
that of a supply sufficient to enable the
army to follow at the heels of broken
and disconnected enemy"
Some have questioned the suficiency
of this evidence produced by Mr.. Hall to
establish the fact that the object of
Baumes expedition was, originally, to
capture the stores at Bennington; on the
ground that Burgoyne, after the disas-
trOus event, to shield himself from cen
sure, sought to pervert the truth. l am
not aware that Gen. Burgoyne's reputa-
tion for veracity needs any support; yet,
it is most fortunate for him and for his
tory that two officers in his army have
left their records. made at the time, of
the purpose of the expedition.
That a store-house existed in the old
village of Bennington and was the OBJ
iect of Baume's capture, has always,
since the revolution, been perpetuated
by tradition as veritable as that of the
existence of the Old First Church.
And the majestic monument erected
by the united action of the Union, and of
three of its States, stands within ten
rods of the site of that store house.
G. w. HARMAN.
Bennington, Vt, October Sth, 1891.