The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-06-19

school OF Burgoyne, he had learned
to look down on the sturdy farmers
Of New York, and the New England
States, regarding them as extremely
rustic in all that pertained to mill.
tary knowledge and experience And
yet Baum, while he held In contempt
the Americans as soldiers. had the
simplicity to believe in their general
loyalty 10 King George, proving again
the thoroughness OF Burgoyne's teach
ing He allowed the people to go and
come to and from his camp, readily
believing their professions of sym
pathy with the royal cause, and i'm.
parting TO them most fully and com
pletely all information as to his
strength and designs This course,
II seems, did not meet with the ap-
proval of his subordinates. They be-
lieyed he was wrong in trusting to
the country people to such an extent
as he had done. They believed, many
OF them. that concealed beneath the
plain manners and open counten-
ances of the visitors, there was a
keenness and ayidity in collecting
facts, and that under the guise of
simple questions and careless lis.
tening to the answers, valuable infor-
nation was being Intentionally
sought for and too readily obtained.
These simple inquirers might be
earnest and thoughtful ones! One of
his own officers, in his account of the
expedition, says of Baum. He con-
sidered all persons sincere who pro-
fessed attachment to the royal
cause; alluding in their presence
and without reserve, both to his own
numbers and designs; and as by far
the greater portion were in reality
traitors to us, every circumstance
connected with our dispositions and
plans became as well known to the
enemy as to ourselves"
AS Gregg retreated from Sancoik,
he caused the bridge to be destroyed,
which so delayed Baum, who had
started in pursuit, that his force re-
tired unmolested The Americans"
says Click, though they gave way at
last, fought like men conscious of
their own powers. and confident of
the strength OF the support which
was behind them, and this, coupled
with the rumors which had reached
us relative to the amount of the gar
rison at Bennington, failed not to
startle both Col. Baum and the bold
est of his troops" So much time
was occupied in repairing the bridge
that Baum despared of reaching Ben
nington that night, and so he encamp
ed but few miles from Sancoik, at
| Walloomsac
Stark. on the night of the 18th hay
ing learned more completely as TO
the opposition Col Gregg was to
meet with, determined to march with
what force could be Immediately
commanded, to his assistance. On
the morning of the 14th, he rallied
his brigade and what militia was at
Bennington and in the neighborhood;
sent to Manchester for the remnant
of Warren's regiment; left definite
orders for such volunteers as should
come in, to join him at once. and
then marched to meet the enemy
Some five or six miles on the way he
met Col. Gregg retreating before
Baum. Here Stark drew up his line
of battle, expecting naturally enough
TO be attacked, but Baum preferred to
halt on a hill or advantageous rise of
| ground, and then Stark retired mile
or two TO develop more mature plans
Before doing so, however. he killed
or wounded thirty OF the enemy with
/ out the loss OF a single man. After
! hating, this the second time, coun-
ell was called. and it was agreed to
attack the enemy on the following
day but on the 18th it rained, so that
nothing more was accomplished. 9th.
! erWise than a few skirmishes. Baum
occupied the day in Strengthening his
defenses on the heights of the Wal
! loomsac.
The farm OF Waloomsac lay upon
! both sides OF the river, and consist.
ing at that time of farm buildings to
the extent of six or eight log nuts,
| scattered here and there over a mar
row eXpanse of cultivated ground
! The position chosen by Baum lay at
! the west of the river. on an elevation
admirably adapted for a vigorous de-
tense. Here he stationed the dra-
| goons with a portion of the workmen
| on the right in the rear Of little
| zigzag breastwork composed OF logs
and loose earth Such OF the log
huts as came within his lines he fill
ed with Canadians. supporting them
with chasseurs and grenadiers, also
entrenched behind breastworks.
| Baums whole force. with the excep-
ton of about one hundred men were
on the west side of the river The
road in his flank was held by the In
dams According to the map of Lieu
tenant Durnford, Colonel Baum's en-
gineer a corps of Reidesel's dragons
and a number of Canadian Rangers
were stationed behind the breast
works some PAGES in advance a lit
tie down the declivity towards the
river was another corps of Reidesel's
dragons; still further down at the
foot of the hill near the bend of the
river, body of chasseurs by the
river, to the right. near TIE bridge
and on both sides of the road minor
| Notifications defended by Canadian
Rangers and German Grenadiers;
nearly south of the principal FORTH.
cations, another body of Grenadier
and Tories; and over the river on
little rise of ground, still other for.
tifcations defended by tories under
the immediate command of Col. PTS.
ter, as he was popularity known, re-
/ tired British Lieutenant Of the