The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-09-19

in which he warned them against ex-
cesses of scalping, and the indigni-
ties of savage attacks upon women
and children, they responded ex-
pressing their appreciation and will
ing obedience, through their affect
ions for their father over the seas, on
which, they said, they had sharpened
their hatchets. Nor was this all, in
this oyer-weening conceit of the ter
ror he was to spread among those
peasant pioneers in the wilderness,
he issued broadcast in the vicinity an
invitation to return to loyalty, to con-
serve their cattle and corn for the
Kings forces, for which they should
receive pay in coin, and not to burn
down the bridges, for, should they
dare to disobey, he would let loose
his savages upon them.
He has left on paper his thought
at the time of what lay before him"
A short, sharp resistance at Ticon-
deroga. shall beat. them; | shall
give them no time to rally. We
shall soon hear from St. Leger. The
panic will be complete. In an eight
days walk-over we shall be in Al
bany Our task DONE
Just before reaching Ticonderoga
he made another stirring, If nigh
flown. address to his soldiers, in
which he pronounced those fateful
words. This army must not re-
treat"
From the River Boquet they came
to Crown Point, where they made
their first depot. and whence they
marched up the lake, the British on
the west side, the Germans on the
east side and the artillery still on the
Lake with the commanding officers.
Cautiously they approached the fam
Gus old French fort, where Ethan AL
| len two years before, had, as he was
wont to do, mixed his patriotism and
such religion as he had, when he de-
manded De-la-Places sword.
This caution, however, was un-
necessary. Somebody had blunder-
ed st. Clair, the Commander, did
not feel himself sufficiently strong to
maintain it, though it was well pro-
vided with stores and ammunition,
and when he looked out and saw the
red coats and some mounted brass
pieces looking right down into The
fort from Mount Defiance, on the
south. he planned night retreat into
Vermont This would have been sue
cessful, but somebody blundered
again. and burning house on Mount
independence, on the Vermont side OF
the Lake, lit up the scene and told
the enemy of the hasty fight of our
troops.
! The light infantry of Fraser was
soon set in motion, in pursuit with
the Germans, who had come down on
the Vermont side of the lake, follow.
ing close after Two days later IN
the morning the battle was joined, at
breakfast time, in Hubbardton. II
was sad though brave affair. St
Clair had already made good his es-
cape to Castleton, by way OF Hub
bardton. sending the sick and wound
ed and so much of his baggage and
provisions by water TO Skenesboro,
as he was able TO get away in his
hurry. When he passed through
Hubbardton he left behind him three
regiments TO collect the stragglers
and those delayed for any cause. say
ing that he would keep within a mile
and a half of them. Francis. Warner
and Hale were in charge of these
men.
For three hours eight hundred
men maintained gallant and stub
born resistance against the picked
soldiers of Burgoyne's army, in SUI
perior numbers, led by the intrepid
Frazer and the victory was almost
theirs. when the sound of psalm
singing voices, in a language they
knew not, rose above the din of bat
tie. II was the Germans under Cen
eral Riedesel The day was by
these soon decided. Our brave Fran
els had fallen in the battle-Hale
had disappeared with his whole regi-
ment,-later all were taken prison
ers,-Warner bore the brunt of the
fight so long as he could and then is
said to have issued the unusual or
der-"Take TO the woods and meet
me at Manchester" Thus met face
to face for the first time troops that
in a few weeks should meet again
under reversed conditions, but they
little dreamed of such thing then.
And thus the name of Warner, the
pride of his neighbors and the dread
of his foe, first became known to the
Baron.
But we must go back to the Lake
The defenders of the fort had thrown
a boom across the Lake TO prevent
the enemies ships from going above
Ticonderoga. Like similar devices.
employed on the Hudson and else
where. the force of the enemies YES
sells soon broke down this impedi-
ment and in the exultation of the
moment were in full pursuit of the
ships and batteaux of the flying
| Continentals.
Overtaken soon, near Skenesboro
these were necessarily destroyed by
the Americans. to save them. and
they made as good a retreat as posi-
BILE to the block house, called Fort
Ann. Thither Burgoyne pursued
them without delay, our men sailed
forth to meet him at once upon his
arrival and were almost in possession
of the victory when surprise from
the woods. a flank attack from the
Indians with their horrid yells, sent
panic amongst the Spartan band and
burning the block house, they made
good their escape to Fort Edward,
while Burgoyne. with his British
troops, who never retreat" went
back to Skenesboro. now White hall
II was rather a tame ending Of his
scheme OF humiliation. But | fancy
he thought the rebels so well scatter
ed and so well scared. il was just as
well, for even when the glorious
news of the fall OF Ticonderoga
reached King George, he is said to
have burst into his wife's apartments.
in his enthusiasm. with the explana-