The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-05-06
MOLLY STARK GUN
CAPTURED At
BENNINGTON
Continued from LIST page)

Continued from LIST page)
and presented to the State OF Yer
mont.
Frank w Coburn, a native of Tibet
ford, published in 1877 the "Centenni-
al History OF the Battle of Benning-
tom in a pamphlet of " pages. In
this work Mr.. Coburn says, "One Hes
sian gun and bayonet, one broadsword
one brass barrelled drum, and one
Grenadier's cap, of the captured tro-
plies were presented to each OF the
states of Vermont, New Hampshire
and Massachusetts"
The receipt Of these trophies was
acknowledged by Thomas Chittenden
president OF the Council of Safety by
letter dated at Bennington, Sept 20,
l777. General Stark also presented
10 the Vermont Council of Safety a
Hessian broadsword as a mark of
his appreciation of their zeal in the
public cause.
The receipt OF this trophy was ac-
knowledged by Joseph Fay, secretary
in a letter dated September 6, 1777,
both OF these letters are reproduced
| ~ NAis Atbhi "A > iA0AOlgs
sincerely hope this article will
catch the eye of some person who
can shed some light on the disposi-
ton of these trophies given by the
heroic Stark to the state OF Vermont.
l am enclosing an interesting letter
relating to the Battle Of Bennington
by the Rev. r. b. Fisk of Plainfield,
which may be appended TO this artic-
lie If desired.
Horace w. Bailey.
Newbury, VT, May /. 1911
Following is a letter from Rev. p.
b. Fisck of Plainfeld, written Mr. Bal
ley and which explains itself:
Hon. Horace Bailey, Newbury, VT:
My dear Sir:-Haying just read
with much interest Tin the Montpel-
Ter Journal of this date your article
concerning the Hessian guns in our
State House, | am moved to tell you
bit of story which attaches to
them in the Fisk family.
In 1867 | attended the centennial
OF the town OF Shelburne. Mass, and
met for the first time the late Rev.
Ezra Fisk, ID. d., OF Iowa. a man of
at least seventy years, who was full
OF "reminiscences of his childhood res
idence in Shelburne, during one sum.
me-.
"One of his heroes" was Levi
Fisk. an elderly veteran OF the Revo-
luton an elder son of Deacon Ebene-
ger Fisk of Shelburne my grandfath-
er. Dea Moses Fisk (who died in
Waitsleld, VT, 1870 being a younger
son in the same family The above
Levi Fisk always went by the name
OF Uncle Ding
The venerable Ezra, before men
toned, related TO me the following.
He said he was one morning sitting
astride Uncle Ding's' knee, facing
him and now and then being tossed
as man often losses a child when
Uncle Ding began to laugh, and said
to his mother This reminds me of
the way Warfield came down astride
OF that brass cannon at Bennington"
He then related that Warheld was
another Shelburne recruit we'll known
TO himself and his brother Simeon, all
three having rushed to the standard
of Gen. Stark just before the battle
OF Bennington. The brothers were
very large and tall young men. War
field was very short, but very vigor-
Gus. Being townsmen, they wished
to keep together, but their captain
ordered Warfeld to the other end
of the line; whereupon the other two
made protest. At next order to fall
in Warfield was between them again
~ 70 a.. ~,
This was repeated till the captain was
tired OF it and the men all plainly on
Wariield's side, so at the battle the
three finally marched together.
He said II was very cloudy and |
moist as we'll as very smoky as soon |
as the firing began, that they charged |
while they were scarcely able to see |
a rod before them clearly, and when |
they came close TO the enemy War |
field was right up to the muzzle of |
one OF the cannon, and they saw a
little streak OF fire which proved to |
be the gunner moving to apply the
lintstock" to the printing.
"Warfeld was quick enough to
drop his gun and, putting his hands
on the muzzle of the gun, leaped
straddle of it and bang 1t vent
(And the aforesaid Ezra was tossed
again, and let down rather solidly, !
70 illustrate.) When-a little later
heir part of the line had to fall back,
hey three wheeled the gun, loaded it
with ammunition placed hard by, and
fired it at its former gun
lers. And when they had driven the
British troops finally they took care
% leave the field at point where
hey could see that gun again and
we're ordered to drag 1t back toward
bennington
Ezra said that while he sat won
lering at all this as any little fellow
would the mother, (who was cooking