The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-08
THE BATTLE OF HoOSICK.

this time to the extent of nine columns,
on the fragrant injustice of building
monument here in honor of the heroes
of Bennington battle. He says to begin
with that his first article ''stirred up
hornets nest" Now the only hornet
that seems to be around is Mr.. Locke
himself. Everybody else keeps cool.
Mr.. Locke is very waspish. He
is altogether too hot tempered to
write history, but Mr.. B. II. Hall, Mr.
A. H. Graves and Mr.. George W. Har-
man, all of whom have written on the
subject which he started, have mani
tested the true historical spirit. They
are desirous of ascertaining the truth of
history and giving it publicity. Mr.
Locke on the other hand seems only
anxious to maintain his points at all haz-
ards and, as usual with such writers, sig
nally fails to do so.
He thinks the battle of Bennington
should have been called the battle of
Walloomsac. He seems to be troubled
named in history, or have been called
the battle of Hoosick. 1t was not, but
took the equally appropriate name of
Bennington at once. 1t has been called
so ever since. Why should any one feel
aggrieved? The boys name is John; it
might have been James, but it is not.
That ends it.
He reiterates his old argument that
BUrgoyne's instructions to Baum were
to 60 to the Connecticut River. Who
disputes it? Burgoyne changes his in
structiOns to Baum and sends him to
Bennington to capture the stores here.
That is as well established as any fact in
history can be. Mr.. Locke has brought
forward nothing to prove the contrary.
1t seems to worry him greatly that he
has not.
He claims that New York troops were
in the battle on the patriot side. He
brings forward nothing to prove it ex-
cept an order to Col John Williams
from the Vermont Council of Safety
dated August 10th, 1777, to take his
pa ty'' and guard certain roads. There
was Col. John Williams who COM
manded regiment of New York troops
at that time, but as Gen. Schuyler had
ordered every military body under his
command, as was proper, to join him on
the Hudson, tits natural to suppose that
his regiment was on duty there. Schuy-
Ter even ordered Stark there, and the
latter began to put his order into execu-
ton till stopped by the Vermont Council
of Safety. That he willingly acceded to
the wishes of the Council there can be no
doubt, for it was clearly the plan to make
a stand in this neighborhsod. 1t is no
disparagement to New York that her
troops were not in the battle. Who this
Col. John Williams is that the Council
of Safety gives orders to is not clear. A
note in the transactions of the Vermont
Historical Society suggests that pksiblS
it was Capt. John Williams of Massa-
chusetts, or perhaps the John Williams
that Mr.. Locke supplies with a regiment
of men and saves the day in the Brey
man fight. Gen. Stark, however, seems
to have known nothing of him, at least
he says nothing.
The late Governor Hall, who was, as is
well known, most indefatigable
student of all this history, who was as
candid as any judge on the bench could
be, and who wrote as dispassio1ately as
if writing a judicial decision, never
found evidence to prove that New York
troops aided in winning the Bennington
victory. His opinion was freely ex-
pressed on that point. Until evidence is
produced of New York troops in the
battle his opinion will have TO stand.
Historians of the United States like
Bancroft, Lossing and Hildreth have en-
tertained like opinion. So. have all
Vermont historians.
Hoosick men did fight on the other
side. The right flank of Baum's line
was held by the TORY breastworks, +"
called so to this day, and their position
has been marked by the Bennington His
torical Society. The commander of this
Tory force was Col. Pfster, resident of
the town of HoOsick. He was mortally
wounded and died as Baum did in Yer
mont the next day or the day after, less
than two miles from the battlefield.
A letter written by Bennington soldier
soon after the battle says that ''the big
gest part of Dutch HoosicK was in the
battle against u.s." This was probably
not the case, for many of their fighting
men were no doubt with Schuyler. At
all events Vermont never flung it in the
teeth of New York that she fought on
the other side.
Nor would Vermont claim any more
than her fair share of the honor in the
victory; and if New York is entitled to
any part of it, gladly, even at this late
day, would Vermont acknowledge the
patriotic participation.
Mr.. Locke is entirely right in saying
that the chief honor of the famous battle
belongs to New Hampshire. Nobody
ever questioned that, and when the sub
ject of appropriations for the Centennial
celebration of the battle and for suita-
| ble monument tn nprmanqntIv commpu-