The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-06-17
The Battle of BENNINGTON

The Battle of Bennington
Early in the month of May, 1777,
Gen John Burgoyne arrived in Que
bee and at once proceeded to assume
command of the army placed there
at his disposal. This force consisted
of upwards of seven thousand men,
British and German, a corps OF ar
tillerists, numbering about five hun
bred, seven hundred rangers, under
Col. St. Ledger, two thousand Canad-
ians, whose services as aXemen and
general camp assistants 1t was for
seen would be needed sufficient
number of seamen for manning the
transports on the lakes, and on the
Hudson, and a body of scouts, to be
used in whatever service that might
be required. The officers who sec
onded Burgoyne in this expedition,
were all able and excellent in their
respective positions. Among these
may be mentioned Maj. Gems Reid
esel and Phillips, and Brig Gems. Fra
ger, Powal, Hamilton, Specht and
Coll
With all due haste Burgoyne
marched down Lake Champlain and
on the 2lst of June landed his army
on the western shore at the mouth
of the river Boquet. At this place
he was joined by four or five hun
bred savages, lured by the promise
of plenty of plumber, together with
few gaudy presents in hand Every
thing must be done in military exact
ness and diplomatic precision with
Gen. Burgoyne, and so he proceeded
to address these sons of the forest
in a language no more than half Of
which was within the scope OF their
comprehensions.
Persuaded that your magnantmity
of character, joined to your principles
of affection to the King will give me
fuller control over your minds than
the military rank with which | am
invested | enjoin your most serious
attention to the rules which | hereby
proclaim for your inyariable obserya-
ton during the campaign.
81 positively forbid bloodshed,
when you are not opposed in arms.
aged men, women and children,
and prisoners, must be held sacred
from the knife or Ratchet, even in
the time of actual conflict
"You shall receive compensation for
the prisoners you take; but you shall
be called to account for scalps."
He gave them permission, however
to take the scalps of the dead, when
killed by their fire, and in actual
opposition; but on no account, OF
pretence, or -subtlety,or prevarication
are they to be taken from the wound
ed, or even dying
Base, lurking assassins, incendi
aries, ravagers, and plunderers OF the
country. to whatever army they may
belong, shall be treated with less re
serve, but the latitude must be Civ
en- you by order and | must be the
Judge of the occasion" He gave
them the privilege to retalate on the
Americans for any acts OF barDarltA
they might commit.
In reply an old chief of the lro
auois said, with one common assen
we promise a common obedience t
all you have ordered and all you shall
order; and may the father of days
give you many and success! W.
have been tried and tempted by the
Bostonians; but we have loved on
father and our hatchets have beer
sharpened upon our affections
On July LIST the enemy arrived il
the immediate vicinity of Ticonder
oga, and on the 4th Burgoyne ISSUED
his famous proclamation wherein h
guarantees his fullest protection t.
the domestic, the industrious, tn
infrm, and even the timid, provided
they will remain quietly at thei
houses: that they do not suffer thel
cattle to be removed nor their cor
or forage to be secreted or destroye
that they do not break up their brio
ges or roads, nor by any other ac
directly or indirectly endeavor to OF
struct the operations of the King
troops, or supply or assist those G
the enemy" He wishes for NOR
persuasive terms to give his proclan
alton sufficient impression but
all events "let not people be led
disregard it." at whatever distanc
they may be from the camp, for,
have but to give stretch to the India
forces under my direction, and the
amount to thousands, to oyertake tn
hardened enemies of G. Britain an
America"
He trusts in the eyes of God an
men to stand acquitted for his zei
in denouncing and executing the We
geance of the state on the wilful GU
casts who still continue in IL
'phrenzy of hostility"
On the afternoon of the 9Th OF Ju
the enemy gained the height OF Su
ar Hill, or Mount Defiance, as 1t
now called, which commanded DO
Fort Ticonderoga and the adjoiniI