Reference Entry
BATTLE OF BENNINGTON
On August 16th, 1777, American militia under Brigadier General John Stark struck a British foraging column near Bennington in what is now Vermont. The British force, made up of German auxiliaries and Loyalists, had been sent out from General Burgoyne’s main army to gather supplies and horses for the invasion toward Albany.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Battle of Bennington
On August 16th, 1777, American militia under Brigadier General John Stark struck a British foraging column near Bennington in what is now Vermont. The British force, made up of German auxiliaries and Loyalists, had been sent out from General Burgoyne’s main army to gather supplies and horses for the invasion toward Albany. Stark’s New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont militia, joined by Green Mountain Boys under Seth Warner, attacked in a coordinated fashion, enveloping the enemy’s position. The resulting American victory cost the British much of a valuable detachment and denied Burgoyne the supplies and loyalist support he badly needed. The battle helped convince local communities that militia could stand up to professional troops when well led and fighting on familiar ground. In the larger campaign, Bennington weakened Burgoyne’s army just weeks before it marched into the disasters that culminated at Saratoga, a turning point that helped bring French support to the American cause.
Read the complete weekly DispatchTrackpads Source Register
