USA > Vermont > Bennington County > Bennington > Memorials of a century. Embracing a record of individuals and events, chiefly in the early history of Bennington, Vt., and its First church > Part 13
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"The morning of the 16th rose beautifully serene. The storm of the preceding day having expended itself, not a cloud was left to darken the heavens, while the very leaves hung motionless, and the long grass waved not, under the influence of a perfect calm. Every object around appeared, too, to peculiar advantage; for the fields looked green and refreshed, the river was swollen and tumultuous, and the branches were all loaded with dew-drops, which glistened in the sun's early rays like so many diamonds. Nor would it be possible to imagine any scene more rife with peaceful and even pastoral beauty. Looking down
2 MS. communication to Governor Hall.
175
GLICK'S NARRATIVE.
from the summit of the rising ground, I beheld immediately be- neath me a wide sweep of stately forest, interrupted at remote intervals by green meadows, or yellow corn fields, whilst here and there a cottage, or shed, or some other primitive edifice, reared its modest lead, as if for the purpose of reminding the spectator that man had begun his inroads upon nature, without as yet taking away from her simplicity and grandeur."
" At the dawn, no note of military preparation forewarn- ing an attack." Baum ordered his men to eat their break- fasts. Soon reports came that columns of armed men were approaching. Col. Baum was duped to believe that these were friendly tories, and called in his pickets. Capt. Frazer thought Baum was deceived, and so did most of the troops ; but not so Baum.1
" We might have stood half an hour under arms, watching the approach of a column of four or five hundred mnen, who, after dis- lodging the pickets, stood in the edge of the open country." " Then trampling of feet in the forest on our right."
A patrol sent. Encountered a discharge of fire-arms. In- dians came in in dismay.
" Then we are surrounded on all sides."
Then firing and shouting. Then the column in front pressed up. Then traitors inside fired at the dragoons, and withdrew.
" We lined the breastworks and fired well ; the advancing columns fell back at first; but fresh attacks developed themselves at every point." " All threatened with a force perfectly adequate to bear down opposition, and yet by no means disproportionately large, or such as to render the main body inefficient."
The Indians fled, when in the rear of right and left ap- peared the enemy's (Stark's) columns.2
1 Gen Stark's plan of the day, to make no actual assault until all was gotten ready, probably favored this hallucination of Baum.
2 When Col. Nichols commenced firing, coming up on the rear left, and Col. Herrick approached, firing on the rear right, the Indians, alarmed at the pros-
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MEMORIALS OF A CENTURY.
" The vacancy which the retreat of the savages occasioned was promptly filled up by one of our two field-pieces, whilst the other poured destruction among the enemy in front as often as. they showed themselves in the open country or threatened to advance. In this state of things we continued upwards of three-quarters of an hour. Though repeatedly assailed in front, flank, and rear, we maintained ourselves with so much obstinacy as to inspire a hope that the enemy might even yet be kept at bay till the arrival of Breyman's corps, now momentarily expected."
The solitary tumbril containing all the spare ammunition exploded with great violence, shaking the earth. The enemy (forces of Stark), arrested a moment by the vio- lence of the concussion, guessed the nature of the affair, then rushed up the ascent, sprang over the parapet, and dashed within the works, - bayonet, butt, and rifle in full play. A few moments finished the work. Glick, with thirty of his comrades, cut their way through, and he escaped.
It is presumed, not until all hope of recovering the day by further standing their ground was utterly lost. All ac- counts agree as to the strange valor of these German hire- lings. The Royalists and Canadians, as many as could escape, had taken to the woods ; but the Hessians, though their works were forced and their cannon captured, pre- served their discipline and fought bravely until there was not a cartridge left, then drew their sabres and charged the Americans, with their colonel at their head. They were nearly all killed or taken with Col. Baum, who did not sur- render until wounded fatally.1
pect of being surrounded, endeavored to make their escape in single file be- tween the two parties, with their horrid yells and the jingling of cow-bells. - Thacher.
1 Andrews. - The story of the impressment of these Hessians into the British service by the petty sovereigns of Germany is an affecting one. They were gathered by force, locked up in fortresses to prevent their desertion, marched to their place of embarkation without ammunition or arms, but under the com-
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BRAVERY OF THE AMERICANS.
Jesse Field says : 1 -
They "ran down the hill to the south and south-east .? We ran over and round their works after them, and continued the pursuit until they were all, or nearly all, killed, or taken. The day was very warm, the Hessians were in full dress, and very heavily armed, and we in our shirts and trowsers, and without our knap- sacks, and thus had greatly the advantage in the pursuit. After we passed the redoubt there was no regular battle, - all was con- fusion, - a party of our men would attack and kill, or take prison- ers, another party of Hessians. Every man seemed to manage for himself, and, being attached by chance to some squad, either under some officer, or without any, would attack every party that came in their way. I should think I did not continue in the pur- suit over half a mile, though some parties went further,- probably nearly down to Runsellan's Mills."
Gen. Stark, in his despatch to Gen. Gates, referring to this action of storming the redoubt, says of it : -
" The hottest I ever saw in my life : it represented one contin- ued clap of thunder."
Again :-
" They were all environed with two breastworks with their ar- tillery ; but our martial courage proved too hard for them."
He is also quoted as saying, " Had each man been an Alexander or a Charles of Sweden, he could not have be-
mand of trusty yagers who had both, and were ever ready to nip mutiny in the bud. Some did desert. Some attempted to mutiny, and were fired into. It was a measure of cruel and base tyranny and oppression. - Bancroft, vol. ix., pp. 316, 317. " England entered early in 1776 into treaties with the petty sovereigns of Germany to take into British service nearly twenty thousand German troops. Over four thousand of them were Bruswickers. Over these latter Col. Riedsell was major-general - a portion of them was Lieut .- Col. Baum's regiment of dis- mounted dragoons ; a portion, Lieut .- Col. Breyman's grenadiers. Of the four thousand Brunswickers, about twenty-eight hundred returned to Germany." - Burgoyne's Orderly Book, pp. 103, 104. See Irving's Life of Washington, ii., 196 Beside the subsidy exacted by the German princes, they were to be paid seven pounds, four shillings, and four pence, sterling, for every soldier furnished by them, and as much more for every one slain. - Irving.
1 MS. statement. 2 After being forced from their works.
S
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MEMORIALS OF A CENTURY.
haved more gallantly." A Hessian eye-witness declares that this time "the Americans fought with desperation, pressing within eight paces of the loaded cannon to take surer aim of the artillerists." 1 Andrews, the British au- thor, says : "Gen. Stark advanced upon Col. Baum with the utmost diligence, and inclosed him on all sides. The de- fences he had raised were forced after a valiant resistance."
Immediately after their hard-earned victory, prisoners · already captured were to be sent under guard to a secure place, and some pursuit, if possible, still maintained to effect more captures. The wounded were to be cared for, - persons still living speak of beds and bedding, sent out for this purpose, afterward bearing blood-stains. Our dead were to be reverently conveyed to their homes. Col. Baum and the tory Col. Pfister, both mortally wounded, were separately borne to a house a mile and a half this side of the battle-field, Col. Pfister, a part of the way on the back of Jonathan Armstrong, of Shaftsbury. They both died within twenty-four hours. Capt. Robinson, who guarded the house where Baum lingered in his last hours, and watched gently as a woman with him till he died, was wont to say, that " a more intelligent and brave officer he had never seen than this unfortunate lieutenant." 2 The spoils of victory, too, were to be gathered. Gen. Stark had promised, in his orders, that all the plunder in the enemy's camp should be distributed among the soldiers ; beside all, many of our brave fellows, neither wounded nor slain, were scattered about, thoroughly exhausted by their exertions in the fight.
But we must return to the battle, which is not yet
1 Irving's Life of Washington. - "New England sharpshooters ran up within eight yards of the loaded cannon to pick off the cannoniers." - Bancroft, quoting Schlözer's Briefwechsel. "The royal officers were astonished to see how un- dauntedly they rushed on the mouths of the cannon."'- Gordon.
2 Rev. S. Robinson's Address.
ARRIVAL OF BREYMAN. 179
finished. Baum and the remnant of his forlorn hope had probably not yet ceased fighting, when Breyman arrived at Sancoik with his formidable corps-de-reserve. Each sol- dier had forty rounds in his pouch, and there were two boxes of ammunition on the artillery carts.1
Breyman left Battenkill at nine o'clock of the 14th, his order to march having been received by Sir Francis Clarke at eight o'clock. His guide lost his way at one time. On the evening of the 15th he halted seven miles before reaching Cambridge. The men lay upon their arms all night. He sent a message to Baum and got a re- turn next morning. He started again, on the morning of the 16th, and reached the Sancoik mill at half past four, P. M., and found the advanced guard in possession, which he had previously sent on - (sixty grenadiers and chasseurs, and twenty riflemen) - and Col. Skene direct- ing. "I had scarcely passed the bridge when I perceived a considerable number of armed men making for the hill on my left flank, some in jackets, some in shirts. Col. Skene said they were royalists, but they fired into us."2 Here Col. Breyman's part in the Bennington battle began in earnest.
Gen. Stark's men, it is evident, were in no condition to meet this fresh and more powerful foe. It is said it was with great difficulty he himself could be roused to meet the new danger, so worn out and stiffened had he become. Contrary to his first impression, and on the earnest appeal of Warner, Col. Breyman was immediately resisted, instead of a retreat being ordered, to form the scattered forces in order of battle.3
They opened an incessant fire from their artillery and small arms, which was, for a while, returned by the Ameri-
1 Breyman's dispatch.
2 Col. Breyman's dispatch.
3 Vermont Hist. Mag.
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MEMORIALS OF A CENTURY.
cans with much spirit ; but, exhausted and overpowered by numbers, we at length began slowly, but in good order, to retreat before the enemy, disputing the ground inch by inch.1 Firing into their flank, and, at the same time, keep- ing in front of them, though retreating, and firing into them that way, so as not to be outflanked by them.
Early, however, in this unexpected encounter with Brey- man, Col. Warner's men came upon the field, and most op- portunely indeed for our cause.
Warner himself was already here ; "was with Stark, at Bennington, for several days previously to, and remained with him until after, the battle, assisting him in planning the first and conducting both actions." 2 His regiment (or, rather, the remnant of it, it having been sadly wasted at Hubbardton) was stationed at Manchester. At the sum- mons of Stark, the men, about one hundred and thirty in number,3 so soon as they could be collected together, started for Bennington. They marched the rainy night of the 15th, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Saf- ford; stopped, the forenoon of the 16th, to get rested and dried, and to put their firelocks in order, in Benning- ton, and, at the time mentioned, came upon the field.
Thus reinforced, it was some little time before we made a successful stand against the enemy. The day had been nearly lost ;4 nor was it rescued without the most ar- duous and critical exertion. We had Baum's cannon to turn upon them ; but they had cannon of larger calibre ; and our brave fellows were worn out, thinned in numbers, hungry, taken by surprise, and not in battle array.
The anxiety in the old village of Bennington grew in
1 Thompson's Vermont.
2, 3 Vermont Hist. Mag. William Carpenter of Swansea, N. H. - so his son Judge Carpenter, of Akron, Ohio, told me - used to relate, as what he himself heard, that the order was given, by Gen. Stark, to an aid, to retreat. Warner heard it,and said, " Stand to it, my lads; you shall have help immediately." 4 Andrews.
ORAL STATEMENTS AND MANUSCRIPTS. 181
intensity as the day wore away.1 The Council of Safety remained in painful deliberation. A letter, still preserved, written by Secretary Fay, at Bennington, at six o'clock, and sent hither and thither, as a circular dispatch, says :-
" Stark is now in an action which has been for some time very severe. The enemy were driven; but, being rein- forced, made a second stand, and still continue the conflict. But we have taken their cannon, and prisoners, said to number four or five hundred, are now arriving."2 Gen. Stark, in his dispatch, says, " The battle continued obstinate on both sides till sunset."
But again "our martial courage proved too hard for them." Breyman's cannon, taken and retaken,3 remained in the hands of the Americans. Breyman's "party were com- pelled to retire " as the British author 4 carefully says. They, however, so many of them as could, retired at the last very hastily. It was well for those who did escape that night was so near at hand. "We pursued them till dark," says General Stark ; " but, had daylight lasted one hour longer, we should have taken the whole body of them." The strug- gle of that eventful day may be said to have ended where it the day before began, at the Sancoik mill. Breyman got back that night (of the 16th) to Cambridge, and the next day (Sunday) got back to camp.5
IX .. SOME EXTRACTS FROM AN ORAL STATEMENT AND MS. COMMUNICATIONS.
From oral statement of Mr. Mellen.6 - "Before I had time to fire many rounds, our men rushed over the breastwork, but I and many others chased. straggling Hessians in the woods. We pur-
1 Thompson's Vermont. Upon the alarm of the approach of the enemy to- ward Bennington, the people of the border flocked to the centre ; as did also num- bers from other towns. The place was crowded with fugitives. - Vermont Hist. Mag.
2, 3 Butler.
4 Andrews.
5 Col. Breyman's dispatch.
6 See Butler's Address.
16
182
MEMORIALS OF A CENTURY.
sued till we met Breyman with eight hundred fresh troops and larger cannon, which opened a fire of grape shot. Some of the grape shot riddled a Virginia fence near me; one struck a small white-oak tree behind which I stood. Though it hit higher than my head, I fled from the tree, thinking it might be aimed at again. We skirmishers ran back till we met a large body of Stark's men, then faced about. I soon started for a brook I saw a few rods be- hind, for I had drank nothing all day, and should have died with thirst had I not chewed a bullet all the time. I had not gone a rod, when I was stopped by an officer, sword in hand, and ready to cut me down as a runaway. On my complaining of thirst, he handed me his canteen, which was full of rum. I drank and for- got my thirst. But the enemy outflanked us, and I said to a com- rade, ' We must run or they will have us.' He said, 'I will have one more fire first.' At that moment a major on a black horse rode along behind us, shouting, 'Fight on, boys, reinforcements close by.' While he was speaking, a grape shot went through his horse's head and knocked out two teeth. It bled a good deal, but the major kept his seat and spurred on to encourage others. In five minutes we saw Warner's men hurrying to help us. They opened right and left of us, and half of them attacked each flank of the enemy, and beat back those who were just closing around us. Stark's men now took heart and stood their ground. My gun- barrel was by this time too hot to hold, so I seized the musket of a dead Hessian, in which my bullets went easier than in my own. Right in front were the cannon, and, seeing an officer on horse- back waving his sword to the artillerymen, I fired at him twice; his horse fell. He cut the traces of an artillery horse, mounted him, and rode off. I afterward heard that officer was Major Skene. Soon the Germans ran and we followed."
From narrative of Jesse Field. 1 -" When the prisoners were col- lected, they were sent off under a guard to Bennington. Our men were scattered all over the field of battle, some resting them- selves, some looking up the dead and wounded, and others in pur- suit of plunder. An hour or two before sunset I heard the report of cannon, and news soon came that our men were attacked by a body of Hessians who had come to reinforce Baum. I with others went down on the side-hill north of the road. When we
1 Communicated in MS. to Gov. Hall, and in his possession.
183
NARRATIVE OF JACOB SAFFORD.
came in sight of the enemy, they were marching up the road this side the brick factory, their cannon in front clearing the way. Our men kept collecting in front and on the left. The party I was with took post with others on the side-hill above the road, within from twenty to thirty rods of the enemy, and kept up a constant fire generally from behind trees. The road appeared full of men, and it was like firing into a flock of sheep. The enemy kept fir- ing upon us, but we were greatly protected by the trees. The bat- tle continued till about dark, when the enemy retreated and were not pursued far."
From narrative of Silas Walbridge. 1 -" After the battle was over I went back with Captain Warner to where the action began, to look for the wounded, and while there we heard firing, the begin- ning of the second battle. We made all haste to the scene of action, and found things in much confusion. Some of the officers were ordering ' forward,' others saying 'retreat.' Our men re- treated for some time, finally made a stand, and after hard fight- ing till about night we drove the enemy and took their cannon. This battle lasted an hour and a half or two hours. Warner's regiment, I believe, kept in order on the retreat, and served as a rallying point for the other troops."
Capt. Jacob Safford's statement, taken in 1828. 2 - (Jacob Safford after Ben- nington battle was an ensign in Col. Warner's regiment, as appears by a vote of Congress, accepting his resignation November, 18, 1779. - 3d vol. Jour. Cong., 395. He was a worthy man and died in Bennington in May, 1833.) Jacob Saf- ford says that previous to Bennington battle he belonged to Warner's regiment and acted as orderly sergeant in Captain -s company.
" After the battle of Hubbardton, by which our regiment was reduced to less than one hundred and fifty men, we were sta- tioned at Manchester. On the 14th of August, I should think, information was received that we were wanted at Bennington, but, owing to the absence of a large scout under Captain John Chipman, and perhaps from some other causes, we did not march till the morning of the 15th. The day was rainy, but by marching till nearly midnight we arrived within about a mile of Bennington village and encainped. We were drenched with rain,
1 Communicated to Gov. Hall, and in his possession.
" Communicated in manuscript to Gov. Hall, and in his possession ; and the note at the head of the statement is his.
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MEMORIALS OF A CENTURY.
and our arms and equipments having been all day exposed to the weather, it took a considerable part of the forenoon of the next day to fit ourselves for a march. We were also short of ammuni- tion, which occasioned some delay, and so much time was em- ployed in making the necessary preparations for battle, that it was about noon, or perhaps a little past, when the regiment marched from Bennington village. While going down the Henderson hill · [two miles from Bennington] a scattering fire of musketry was commenced in the direction of the battle-ground. We halted a short time at Stark's encampment [four miles from Bennington]; left our coats and knapsacks; and a gill of rum with water was dealt to each man. The weather was extremely warm, and after crossing the first bridge [about five and three-quarter miles from Bennington] we were halted while the men drank at the river. Two sergeants were now requested to volunteer to head the line, and I with another went in front. About this time the firing, which had gradually increased, became very heavy, and a general attack seemed to be made. We now began to meet the wounded, and when we arrived at the second bridge,1 [three-quarters of a mile below the first], the Hessians were running down the hill, and the two pieces of cannon were taken. If we halted at all at this place, it was but for a very few minutes. Here I was put in command of the left flank guard, and the march was continued by the regiment down the road, and by myself and guard across the flat. There was also a flank guard on the right. We con- tinued our march until we came to the top of the eminence next beyond where the brick factory now stands [one and a half miles below the second bridge], where I found the regiment had halted. On inquiring the cause, I was told that a reinforcement of the enemy was near. I mounted a fence, and saw the enemy's flank- guard beyond the next hill, say half a mile distant. We were then ordered to form a line for battle, by filing to the right; but, owing to the order not being understood in the rear, the line was formed by filing to the left, which brought many of our men into a sort of swamp, instead of on the hill above, where we should have been. We, however, waited the approach of the enemy, and com- menced firing as they came up; but owing, as I think, to the un- favorable nature of the ground, we soon began a retreat, which was continued slowly and in good order, firing constantly for
1 Since known as Barnet's Bridge.
185
RESULTS OF THE BATTLE.
about three-quarters of a mile, until we reached the high ground west of the run of water, where we made a stand. The enemy had two pieces of cannon in the road, and their line extended a considerable distance both below and above the road. A party of Hessians undertook to outflank us on the right, and partly suc- ceeded, but were finally repulsed and driven back. The action was warm and close for nearly two hours, when it being near dark the enemy were forced to retreat. One of their pieces of cannon was taken near the run, and the other a few rods below the brick factory."
X. RESULTS OF THE BATTLE. - In these two engage- ments the Americans took, according to Gen. Stark, " four pieces of brass cannon, seven hundred stand of arms and brass-barrelled drums, several Hessian swords, about seven hundred prisoners, two hundred and seven dead on the spot, the number of wounded yet unknown."1 "Lieut .- Col. Baum, one major, seven captains, fourteen lieutenants, four ensigns, two cornets, one judge-advocate, one baron, one aide-de-camp, one Hessian chaplain, three Hessian surgeons." 2 "Our loss was inconsiderable ; about forty wounded and thirty killed." 3
Of the trophies, one Hessian gun and bayonet, one broad- sword, one brass-barrelled drum, and one grenadier's cap, were presented to each of the States of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Letters of thanks were returned by these States to Gen. Stark.
A broadsword, taken from Col. Baum on the field of bat- tle, by Lieut. Thomas Jewett, of Capt. Dewey's company, afterward purchased by David Robinson, Esq., is now in the possession of G. W. Robinson. A set of draughting instruments, a map of the route from St. Johns, along the Lakes Champlain and George and the River Hudson, and
1 Stark to Gen. Gates.
2 Stark to the General Court of New Hampshire. - Dawson.
3 Stark to Gates.
16*
186
MEMORIALS OF A CENTURY.
a lieut .- colonel's commission of Col. Pfister, fell into the hands of one of his two capturers, Jonathan Armstrong, and are in the possession of his grandson, the Hon. L. B. Armstrong, of Dorset.1 Of the cannon, two, doubtless those of Col. Baum, taken at the redoubt, rated by the War Department as three-pounders,2 are in the State House at Montpelier.
The remains of Col. Baum and Col. Pfister, whose deaths have been already mentioned, were buried near the bank of the river, a few rods below the paper-mill of Messrs. Hun- ter & Co. There is nothing to mark the spot, and the place of their interment is not known.3
Of the Hessian prisoners who died, many were buried in a place still kept vacant in our church-yard.
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