USA > Vermont > Bennington County > Gazetteer and business directory of Bennington County, Vt. for 1880-81 > Part 5
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The dangers of the settlers from the patents already issued, a well as from new grants, were imminent, and they resolved to ap ply directly to the crown for relief. Accordingly Samuel Robin son, of Bennington, as their agent, armed with petitions of th people, setting forth their grievances, was sent to London to pre sent them to the king. This he did early in the year 1767, an was so successful as to obtain an order from the king in counc under date of July 24, 1767, forbidding the granting of more lan by New York, in the disputed territory, until His Majesty' further pleasure. But while Mr. Robinson was yet asking fo relief from the grants which had already been made, his missio was unfortunately terminated by his sudden death from small pox
The continued incursions and persecutions of the New Yorker induced the inhabitants to make common cause against their en croachments, and thus it came about that those who opposed th authority of New York were stigmatized as "rioters," "conspira tors," and wanton "disturbers of the public peace," and collect ively as "the Bennington Mob," while the "Yorkers" were i turn called "land jobbers" "land pirates," etc. The inhabitant of the several towns west of the Green Mountains, by convention and military organizations commenced in 177 1, gave more definit and systematic form to their opposition. One company of thi military organization was formed in Bennington under Captai Seth Warner, and other companies were organized in other towns The whole was under the general command of Ethan Allen, t whom the title of Colonel was given.
They adopted the name of Green Mountain Boys. The head quarters of these companies, and subsequently of the Council o Safety, during the trying period of the revolution was at "Land lord Fay's" in Bennington, the house since known as th "Catamount Tavern."
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BENNINGTON COUNTY.
The foregoing account of the trials which ultimately nerved these sturdy men of the mountains to declare and maintain their inde- pendence, and to emerge as a free and sovereign State, is con- densed from the able and well digested writings of Governor Hall. The subject is here left to be taken up again only as necessary in detailing occurrences happening in the respective towns.
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
At the opening of this war the people of the "grants" were nominally under the jurisdiction of New York, but substantially independent, obeying only the decrees of committees and conven- tions, and of their own town meetings. They never recognized the authority of New York, and their general hostility and deep distrust of a monarch who permitted his greedy servants, in his name to grant his lands twice over, and persecute his first grantees as felons and outlaws, had prepared them to enter actively into the contest for American liberty.
The people here were well aware of the importance of the post of Ticonderoga, in the approaching contest, and early in March, 1775, their committee had agreed with representatives of the Mas- sachusetts committee, that the Green Mountain Boys would hold themselves in readiness to seize that fort, whenever they should learn that hostilities had been commenced by the kings forces in that province.
Accordingly on arrival of messengers after the battle of Lexing- ton, the old military corps, which had so effectually guarded the territory against the intrusions of the Yorkers, was speedily must- ered, and under Col. Ethan Allen was on its way towards the lake. The details of the early surprise by Allen, who with drawn sword made the demand, to surrender the fort, "In the name of the Great Jehovah and of the Continental Congress," and how, overawed, Delaplace gave up the garrison without a struggle, on the toth of May, 1775, and the subsequent importance of this bloodless conquest of the Green Mountain Boys to the revolution- aty cause, are matters of general history, and not necessary to re- late here. The Green Mountain Boys, with Seth Warner as Lieut. Colonel and commandant, went to Canada in 1775, and participated in that campaign.
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BENNINGTON COUNTY.
The year 1776 opened with the gloomy intelligence of the de- feat and fall of Montgomery before Quebec, and in response to an appeal from General Wooster for reinforcements from the Grants. Col. Warner, whose regiment had but a few weeks be- fore been honorably discharged, soon recruited another regiment, at the head of which he again marched to Quebec, where the troops endured the perils and hardships of a winter campaign.
No roster of this regiment has ever been found. A fragment of a pay roll merely shows that Gideon Brownson, of Sunderland, was captain of one of the companies, and Ebenezer Walbridge, of Bennington, was lieutenant, as well as adjutant of the regiment.
After their second return from Canada, congress began to raise a separate regiment of regular troops to be officered mainly with men from the Grants, who had been in service in Canada. Seth Warner was colonel, and Samuel Safford, lieut-colonel.
In October, when an attack upon Ticonderoga was threatened, Col. Moses Robinson, of Bennington, turned out with the militia, and marched to the aid of Gen. Gates, then in command. The emergency passed without an engagement, and the regiment re- turned with a letter of thanks and were dismissed with honor.
We now come to the memorable year of 1777, in which the peo- ple of the Grants took such an active part, and during which they declared their independence, and formed a State Constitution.
To fill Col. Warner's regiment of Continental regulars, bounties were offered by the towns for enlistments.
On the advance of Burgoyne up Lake Champlain in June, the militia regiment under Col. Moses Robinson, was called into ser- vice and was at Mount Independence when that fort, together with Ticonderoga was surrendered to the British, July 6, 1777.
At this time, the people of the Grants, having been disappointed in the success of a petition to congress, to be recognized as a sep- arate district, and with the hope of some immediate relief from the continued oppression by New York "land jobbers" were by their delegates in convention assembled at Windsor for the pur- pose of forming the constitution of the State, but on receiving the news of this disaster to our troops, the convention hastily ad- journed, appointed a Council of Safety, to administer the govern- ment until the meeting of the legislature under the constitution.
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This council of safety met at Manchester the 15th of July, and soon afterwards adjourned to Bennington, where it continued in permanent session in the "council room," at Landlord Fay's- the old "Catamount Tavern," which has been referred to and pointed out with pride by the citizens of Bennington, until unfortu- nately burned on the morning of Wednesday, March 29th, 1871.
THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON.
After taking Ticonderoga the progress of Burgoyne towards Al- bany, was so slow, owing to natural difficulties of the route, and to obstructions thrown in his way by the Americans, that it was nearly a month before he had reached the Hudson River. By this time he was so short of provisions, and also in cattle and carriages for transportation, that he was greatly embarrassed about the means of advancing further. He knew that at Bennington, con- siderable stores were collected, as a depot for supplying the American army. These, Burgoyne resolved to seize for the use of his own forces. He accordingly selected for that purpose, about 500 German regulars, some Canadians, a corps of provin- cials, (tories,) and over one hundred Indians, with two light pieces of artillery. The whole under command of Col. Baum, a vet- eran German officer, set out for Bennington on the 12th of Au- gust, and arrived that day at Cambridge, about 15 miles north- west from Bennington.
In order to aid in arresting the progress of Burgoyne, a brigade of militia had been mustered and sent from New Hampshire under command of General John Stark. Crossing the mountain he reached Manchester the 7th of August, and went on to Ben- nington, where he arrived the 9th. His troops encamped near the corner of the present roads 44 and 61, (see map,) in Benning- ton. General Stark in the meantime, informing himself of the positions and designs of the enemy, and consulting with the Council of Safety and with Colonel Warner, who was also at Bennington, in regard to future operations.
On the 13th, Isaac Clark and Eleazer Edgerton, two scouts from Bennington, in the service of the Council of Safety, brought infor- ination that a party of Indians were at Cambridge, and Gen. Stark sent Lieutenant-Colonel Gregg of his brigade, with 200 men, to
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stop their progress ; but during the following night he was advised that a large body of troops with a piece of artillery was in the rear of the Indians, and that they were advancing toward Ben- nington. On the morning of the 14th, Stark moved with his brigade, and such other militia as could be rallied, to the support of Gregg, and about five miles from Bennington met him retreat- ing before the enemy. Stark drew up his men in order of battle, but Baum, perceiving the Americans to be too strong to be ad- vantageously attacked, halted on a commanding piece of ground, commenced throwing up entrenchments, and sent back an express for re-enforcements. Stark, unable to draw him from his posi- tion, fell back about a mile and encamped; the place of his en- campment being four miles north-westerly from the village of Bennington, on the farm now owned by L. Northouse, (road I on the map.) The well chosen position of Baum was on the summit of a hill, which rises abruptly some three or four hundred feet from the west bank of the Walloomsack, with somewhat lower hills to the north and west of it, and a large plain, then partly covered with woods, across the river in front. The Wal- loomsack, which is a crooked fordable branch of the Hoosick, after running in a northerly direction for half a mile beyond the encampment of Stark, turns gradually to the west, and then again suddenly to the south, in which direction it passes the en- campment of Baum, and then takes a westerly course by San- coik, which is about two miles below the position of Baum. The encampments of the two hostile armies were about two miles from each other, and the road from Bennington by Sancoik to Cambridge, passed both of them, but, by reason of the bend in the river, crossing it twice between them. On the hill where Baum had taken possession, which was covered with woods, he continued the throwing up of entrenchments of earth and timber until the attack upon him commenced, on the afternoon of the 16th. He had been joined on his way from the Hudson, and at his encampment, by a considerable body of loyalists of the vicinity. Among these was Francis Pfister, a retired British officer of the French war, who resided on what has lately been known as the Tibbett's place, half a mile west of Hoosick Four Corners, and was familiarly known as Colonel Pfister.
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BENNINGTON COUNTY.
These loyalists, together with Peter's corps of provincials, were posted on the other side of the river, three-fourths of a mile to the south-east of Baum, and upon a hill considerably lower than that occupied by him. Here, also, were erected works of defence, of earth and logs, designated by the Americans as "the Tory Breastwork." Tradition in the vicinity assigns the immediate command of this post to Colonel Pfister, and there seems no room for doubt that he occupied a prominent position there as an officer, if he was not in its actual command. The road crossed the river about midway between these two posts, where on the west side of the river, on the brow of Baum's hill, sufficiently high to overlook the road and plain to the eastward, were placed the two brass field pieces of the enemy.
This point of crossing is at the second railroad bridge in pass- ing from North Bennington to Troy. Between the bridges the Baum hill, covered with woods, may be seen by the traveler from the cars to the right, and the place of the "tory breastwork," in the cleared field to the left.
The force under General Stark consisted of three regiments of New Hampshire militia, respectively commanded by Col's. Hub- bard, Stickney and Nichols; a small body of militia from the east side of the mountain, under Col. Williams, of Wilmington ; a corps of Rangers, then forming under the authority of the Ver- mont Council of Safety, commanded by Col. Herrick ; a body of militia from Bennington and its vicinity, under Col. Nathanial Brush, of which there were two companies from Bennington, the one commanded by Capt. Samuel Robinson and the other by Capt. Elijah Dewey ; and Stark was afterwards joined by part of a militia regiment from Berkshire Co., Mass., under Col. Simmons, -his whole force probably amounting to about 1,800 men.
On the night of the 14th, after taking up his encampment, Stark called a council, and it was resolved to attack the enemy next morning. But the 15th proved so rainy as to prevent a general action; but the exact position of the enemy was ascertained by scouts and skirmishers and the plan of attack fully matured. .
The morning of the 16th opened bright and clear, and to the Americans closed no less brightly.
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BENNINGTON COUNTY.
The plan of the battle appears to have been carried out with remarkable completeness. As the orders were given, and the sev- eral parties were about to enter upon the performance of the duties severally assigned them, Gen. Stark in his saddle, pointing in the direction of the enemy, made this laconic address :-
" THERE ARE THE REDCOATS, AND THEY ARE OURS, OR THIS NIGHT MOLLY STARK SLEEPS A WIDOW."
But we prefer to allow Gen. Stark to give an account of the battle in his own words. This was done by him in a letter ad- dressed to Gen. Gates, of which the following is an accurate copy [in part, the whole is too lengthy, and partly a repetition in sub- stance of the foregoing] :-
BENNINGTON, August 22, 1777.
DEAR GENERAL :-
I received yours of the 19th inst., which gave me great pleas- ure ; I beg to be excused for not answering it sooner. I have been so sick ever since, that I could not write, neither am I well yet. But General Lincoln has written, and I joined with him in opinion on the subject of his letter.
I shall now give your honor a short account of the action on the 16th inst. I was informed there was a party of Indians in Cambridge on their march to this place ; I sent Lieut. Col. Gregg of my brigade, to stop them. * * Also sent express for the militia to come in with all speed to our assistance, which was punctually obeyed; I then marched in company with Colonels Warner, Williams, Herrick and Brush, with all the men that were present. * On the 16th, in the morning, was joined by Col. Simmons, with some militia from Berkshire county. I pur- sued my plan, detached Col. Nichols with two hundred men to attack them in the rear; I also sent Col. Herrick, with two hun- dred men, in the rear of their right, both to join, and when joined to attack their camps, [Baum's] in the rear ; I also sent Cols. Hubbard and Stickney, with two hundred men in their right, [Tory Breastwork,] and sent one hundred men in their front to draw away their attention that way; and about three o'clock we got all ready for the attack. Col. Nichols begun the same which was followed by all the rest. The remainder of my little army I pushed on in the front, and in a few minutes the action begun in
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general ; it lasted two hours, the hottest I ever saw in my life-it represented one continued clap of thunder, however, the enemy was obliged to give way, and leave their field pieces and all their baggage behind them. They were all environed with two breast works with their artillery, but our martial courage proved too much for them. I then gave orders to rally again in order to se- cure the victory ; but in a few minutes was informed that there was a large reinforcement on their march within two miles. Lucky for us, that moment Col. Warner's regiment came up fresh, who marched on and began the attack afresh. I pushed forward as many men as I could to their assistance.
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The battle continued obstinate on both sides till sunset; the enemy was obliged to retreat ; we pursued theni till dark, but had daylight lasted one hour longer, we should have taken the whole body of them.
We recovered [in the two actions] four pieces of brass cannon, seven hundred stand of arms and brass barreled drums, several Hessian swords, about seven hundred prisoners, two hundred and seven dead on the spot; the number wounded is yet unknown. That part of the enemy that made their escape marched all night, and we returned to our camp. * * *
I am, sir, your most devoted and most obedient humble servant,
JOHN STARK.
GEN. GATES, Albany.
The loss of the Americans was thirty killed and forty wounded. Two of the captured cannon are now in the State house at Montpelier, with the following inscription, anciently engraved on on them : "Taken from the Germans at Bennington, August 16, 1777."
Among those of the enemy who lost their lives in the action, were the commander of the expedition, Colonel Baum, and the leader of the tories, Colonel Pfister. They were both mortally wounded, and seperately brought a mile and a half this side the battle ground, to a house that, until lately, stood opposite the State Line mill of the Stark Paper Company, in the south-west corner of Shaftsbury. They both died within twenty-four hours, and were buried near the bank of the river, a few rods below the
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paper mill. There is nothing to mark the place and the precise spot is not known. Of the relics of the battle remaining in town, there is a broad-sword which was taken from Colonel Baum on the field of battle by Lieutenant Thomas Jewett, of Captain Dewey's company. It was immediately purchased by David Robinson, and afterwards used by him when a captain of. cavalry, and still later while a field and general officer of the militia, and is now in possession of his grandson, George W. Robinson, who also has quite a large collection of other relics of the battle, con- sisting of swords, military hats, muskets, cannon balls, powder horns, &c.
Mr. John E. Pratt, of Bennington, (East village,) has also secured some relics of this battle.
Though the enemy were met by the Benningtonians and their friends, and vanquished, just over the line in Hoosick, N. Y., it must not be forgotten that Bennington was the objective point of the British forces, and had they not been so met, the result might have been the reverse of what it was. From the very first dis- covery by Baum of the Green Mountain Boys, so unexpectedly in opposition to him, he was fearful of the result, as evinced by his subsequent movements ; Stark could not draw him out to an engagement, as he desired ; but instead, he occupied his entire time, until finally attacked, to entrenching his position.
The injury to the enemy by this disaster can scarcely be over- stated. It was not confined to his actual losses of men and munitions of war, though those were of considerable importance. This vic- tory was the first check given to the triumphant march of Bur- goyne from Canada, and was an unexpected example of a suc- cessful assault by undisciplined militia, armed with muskets with- out bayonets, upon an entrenched camp of veteran troops de- fended by cannon. By its depressing effect on the spirits of the enemy, and the confidence in their prowess with which it inspired the Americans, the current of success was at once turned from the British to the American arms.
No complete record of the American dead is available. The joy felt at the success of the American arms was tempered with sadness at the loss of prominent citizens. Among the killed were John Fay, Henry Walbridge, (brother of Ebenezer,) Daniel War-
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ner, (cousin of the colonel,) and Nathan Clark, all of Bennington, leaving widows and children to mourn their sudden loss. In the old cemetery at Bennington are two graves, on the marble head- stone of one, is inscribed,
"In Memory of ' John Fay Esq., who fell fighting for the Freedom of his country, in the Battle Fought between Gen'l Stark, and Col. Baum, called Bennington Battle, on the 16th of August, 1777, in the 43d year of his age."
on the other, " Mr. Henry Walbridge, IId,
who, amiable in the social, esteemed in the christian, faithful in the civil, and brave in the Military life, gloriously fell in de-
fence of AMERICAN FREEDOM, In the battle of Ben- nington, on the 16th of Aug., 1777, in the 33d year of his age."
If the remains of Warner and Clark were buried here, the graves are not marked by inscribed headstones.
RECRUITING FOR NATIONAL DEFENCE AND OFFENCE.
In 1792, Capt. Wm. Easton, recruited a company here, at the head of which be marched to Pittsburg, where he joined the army under Gen. Wayne in his expedition against the Indians.
During the administration of John Adams, men were recruited here for the army and navy, on the apprehended war with France.
Bennington was a recruiting station during THE WAR OF 1812, and in 1813, the 30th regiment of U. S. Infantry under Col. Elias Fassett was mustered and drilled here, preparatory to join- ing the army for actual service.
During that war our soldiers stationed at Plattsburg and at other northern posts, were largely supplied with mittens by the ladies of the country. An appeal for such supplies signed and issued by the following committee of the "Sons of Liberty," viz ; William Haswell, Henry Harwood, Hiland Hall, Hiram Har- wood, Moses Sage, Jr., Samuel Buck, Jr., Waterman Leach, Aaron Denio, Thomas W. Fuller, Martin Scott ; was printed, and numerous copies circulated in this county ; several of them with
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the names of many of the ladies of Bennington, subscribing the number of pairs of mittens they would supply. respectively, are now in the possession of Geo. W. Bobinson of Bennington Cen- ter, and on the reverse side, the mittens are receipted for in Dec. 1813, by William Haswell, chairman of the committee. Of all the members of that committee, only the venerable Hiland Hall, still lives. Since those early days he has held many public offi- ces of trust, among them the highest within the gift of the State, and all of which he has discharged with the utmost fidelity and satisfaction to the people, and now, at the age of eighty-five years he walks erect, his step elastic, and with mind and body vigorous beyond that usually accorded to one of his years, he commands the sincere respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.
THE MEXICAN WAR.
In the Mexican war, Bennington County suffered the loss of at least one of her noble sons, for in the cemetery at Bennington Center, lie the remains of a hero, to whose memory, a plain but sub- stantial marble monument has been erected with the following inscription and epitaph inscribed, [on the west side] :-
" COL. MARTIN SCOTT, Born in Bennington 1788, died in Mexico, Sept 8, 1847."
[on the south side.]
"Brevet Lt. Col. of the 5th Regt. of Infantry, was 33 years in the service of his country, on the Western Frontier-in Florida, -in Mexico, at the bat- tles of Palo Alto, Reseca de la Palma Mon- terey, Vera Cruz, Cherubusco, and was killled at Moleno del Rey. He com- manded his Regiment in nearly all these engagements, and received two Brevets for gallant conduct. No braver or better officer fell in the Mexican war."
THE WAR FOR THE UNION.
The State of Vermont may well look with pride, in retrospect, upon her war record during the eventful years of 1861-'5. Every quota was promptly filled, and every dollar needed was fur-
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nished with alacrity. Side by side with the noble armies of her sister States, Vermont's sons endured the weary marches or bore the brunt of battles, and with them, she shares the glory of pre- serving our nation's unity, freed from the curse of slavery, so long a foul blot upon her fair fame. But at what cost and sacrifice was this high honor attained ? Of her treasure, $9,087,352.40 were expended in furnishing the 34,238 of her loyal sons and representatives who went out to fight the battles of their country. Of these 5,022 were discharged from the service for wounds, dis- ability or otherwise, many with shattered constitutions, others maimed in body, to renew the peaceful avocations of life, as circum- stances would admit. It is but lately that these stricken defenders have, by increase of bounties and pensions, received proper ac- knowledgement by a grateful nation, of their heroic deeds and sacrifices. But Vermont's greatest sacrifice was in the 5,128 men lost by death, killed in action, or died of wounds, disease or otherwise in their country's cause. Still mourned, by thousands of parents, wives, brothers or sisters, some sleep in unknown graves; some lie with their comrades in national cemeteries, while others have been borne to the grave amid their kindred, by sympathizing friends, who, year by year in solemn procession wend their way to the consecrated places, to deck the graves with beautiful spring flowers,-a national tribute to the memory of the gallant dead. Long may the observance of " Decoration Day " be maintained, and its object kept fresh and green in the hearts of the people.
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