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Vermont’s
unique holiday on August 16th is in honor of the Revolutionary
War Battle of Bennington. Here Brigadier General John
Stark and his American forces successfully defeated
two detachments of British General John Burgoyne’s invading
army in 1777. Following the Battle, Burgoyne wrote to
his superior, Lord Germaine, “The New Hampshire Grants
in particular, a country unpeopled and almost unknown
in the last war, now abounds in the most active and
most rebellious race on the continent and hangs
like a gathering storm on my left.” The British plan
had been to cut New England off from the other colonies.
With the British recapture of Fort Ticonderoga and the
resulting American evacuation of Mount
Independence in Orwell, Vermont, the British advance
southward had been temporarily stopped at Hubbardton,
the only Revolutionary War battle fought entirely on
Vermont soil. This tactical victory gave the Colonial
forces a chance to regroup and forged the first successful
resistance to Burgoyne’s plan.
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| General
John Stark led the successful defeat of the British. |
As a result of these engagements, the British were
in need of military stores and supplies. With reports
that substantial stores were in the Bennington area,
two of Burgoyne’s units (under the command of Lieutenant
Colonels Friedrich Baum and Heinrich von Breymann)
of approximately 700 British, Indian, Loyalist and
German mercenaries headed for the arsenal depot located
at the present Monument site.
Alarmed at the pace and probable success of Burgoyne’s
advancing army, the newly formed Republic of Vermont,
through its Council of Safety and without the knowledge
of the British forces, appealed to neighboring New
Hampshire for assistance against the increasing British
attacks and invasions. Burgoyne has gone down in history
as one of Britain’s more successful generals and carried
the nickname “Gentleman Johnny,” given to him by his
troops because of the humane and understanding manner
with which he treated them. The Colonial forces chose
as their leader retired Continental Army Colonel John
Stark, who had fought at Bunker Hill and under George
Washington at Trenton and Princeton. Given the rank
of Brigadier General, Stark accepted the challenge
under the independent authority granted by New Hampshire
rather than under Continental Command. Under Stark’s
command was the entire Bennington force, consisting
of approximately 2,000 Vermont, New Hampshire and
Berkshire County (Massachusetts) volunteers, most
of whom were untrained. The
Battle 
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Bennington
Battle Monument
