Battle+of+Bennington

Battle of Bennington August 16th, 1777 (American Victory)

[|The Battle of Bennington] was an American battle that took place on August 16, 1777, during the American Revolution. This battle took place minutes away from Bennington, Vermont in Walloomsac, New York. [|John Stark] along with Colonel Seth Warner led the 2,000 American men into battle. This battle started when British general [|John Burgoyne] planned to invade the American supply depot and split the American colonies in two. He sent [|Colonel Friedrich Baum] to take 800 men to raid on the supply. When Baum arrived he noticed he was outnumbered and called for reinforcements. Baum stayed put while he waited for his backup. Stark knew British troops were coming in from the east and decided to head off and find them, rather than defend the supply depot in Bennington. This is the reason why the battle took place in Walloomsac, New York only five minutes away from Bennington. [|General Stark sent detachments] under [|Colonel Moses Nichols] to circle Baum’s force and attack from his left. He also sent detachments under [|Colonel Samuel Herrick] to circle and attack at Baum’s right, and under Colonels David Hobart and [|Thomas Stickney] to attack Baum from the south. Stark with his remaining men, attacked from the front. The battle began at three o’clock in the afternoon.  [|Colonel Heinrich von Breymann] arrived just after the rest of Baum’s troops had surrendered and Colonel Seth Warner’s Vermont militia also showed up just as Stark and Breymann went into battle. Warner helped Stark counterattack and drive Breymann and his men from the battle field. [|The Battle of Bennington ended] with 207 British and Hessians killed and 700 captured to only 40 killed and 30 wounded Americans. The victory in Bennington supported the American triumph at Saratoga.   Map of The Battle of Bennington **__Interesting Fact__**: The Germans wore blue coats and kept the Prussian style [|grenadier] [|mitre] with brass front plate. The Americans dressed in whatever clothing they had and carried such weapons as were available. Few had bayonets. John Stark (August 28, 1728-May 8, 1822)

 "Live Free or Die; Death is Not the Worst of Evils."

[|John Stark]was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He was well-known for his nickname “The Hero of Bennington” after his service in the Battle of Bennington as a commander of the U.S. He was also well known for popularizing the New Hampshire motto [|“Live Free or Die”.]Stark served as a second lieutenant under [|Major Robert Rogers] during the [|French and Indian War]. He gained valuable combat experience and detailed knowledge of the northern frontier of the American colonies while working with Rogers. Stark was possibly the best military leader in Granite State history. [|At the start of the Revolution]he disguised himself at Bunker Hill, and he served in the Quebec campaign with [|George Washington]at Princeton and Trenton. Before going into battle at The Battle of Bennnington Stark yelled, "They are your enemies, the Red Coats and the Tories. They are ours, or this night Molly Stark sleeps a widow!" He yelled this to get his men excited and ready to fight. John was married to Molly Stark and they had ten children.

Friedrich Baum (1727-1777) 

[|Friedrich Baum] was a Brunswick [|dragoon] Lieutenant Colonel in British service during the Revolutionary War. He served under Major General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel who was in control of the [|Dragoon Regiment Prinz Ludwig]. Baum supported General John Burgoyne’s 1777 campaign to attack Lake Champlain-Hudson River passage way, which soon led to Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga on October 15, 1777. For Baum, the campaign ended at the [|Battle of Bennington], on August 16, 1777. On August 9th, 1777 [|Baum] and his men marched to Fort Miller where they waited until they were joined by the Indians. On August 11th Baum, his men, and the Indians marched off towards Bennington. On August 14th Baum’s men encountered a detachment of Stark’s men. He knew they were getting close. When Baum was a just a few miles from Stark’s position he realized Stark’s force was much bigger than he expected. He sent a second message to Burgoyne calling for reinforcements. On August 15th it rained preventing battle. On August 16th after the weather cleared, around three o’clock Baum found himself and his men surrounded by gunfire. At the end of the battle Baum was left fatally wounded and the rest of the Germans had surrendered. The total German and British losses added up to 207, including Baum, and 700 captured. Videos:  [|http://www.history.com/topics/john-burgoyne/videos#american-revolution] []

Battle of Bennington Monument



Battle of Bennington Marker <span style="color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"> **<span style="color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Incription: **<span style="color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">The Expedition led by Lieut. Col. Baum Sent to Seize Military Stores here, was Defeated by Volunteer Amer- ican Militia Forces from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont, Commanded by General John Stark, Aided By Colonels Warner and Herrick, of Vermont, Symonds, of Massachusetts, and Nichols of New Hampshire.