Show I John V 11 H JP Wor boy AI a 1 EI E i. i 4 Y is 1 s Of 0 R ing i iwas was r I N n fy s 's t her h L y a S G 1 c ki a 9 b. b f ta wy y that D y ZI 1 girlAnd girl girl- And rAA 1 1 drea be tit Ps J v La ur X i t imps I 1 I at III enter or th Any An r. r t to own BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON HONG MONG the many sesquicentennial celebrations cele cele- which have already been observed or which are yet to take place there Is none more moie InterestIng Interest Interest- Ing than the one which will beheld be beheld held at ut Bennington Vermont on August 16 of this year It commemorates commemorates com corn the victory of Gen John Stark and his his' force of patriots pa pa- over the British troops commanded commanded commanded com- com b by Colonel Baum Haum which had been sent by General Burgoyne to capture the large stores stoies of supplies that had been placed In this little Vermont village The sesquicentennial n. n nial celebration of this American victory Is of particular Interest for more more- than one It ItIs ItIs Itis Is tt a n high spot In the history of the Green Mountain Moun l talc tain state but its historical importance Is far greater than that of jan nn event ent In the history of ot otone one state or of tim tile three states Vermont ermont New r Ha Hampshire e and nd Massachusetts Iassac all aH of which have a share in the tine glory of or that victory For one thing Bennington Dennington was an Important event In the campaign which proved to be the turning point of the American Revolution The defeat of Baum and the failure to capture the supplies which Burgo Burgoyne ne so sorely needed was the second blow that had been struck at the ambitious ambitious ambitious am am- plan of this British sil general to split the colonies by cutting off the head hend of the rebellion New England from the rest The first blow low had been struck ten da days s 's earlier when the expedition of ot Col CoI Barry St St. Leger failed before Ft Schuyler ler lerIn In In western New York Sesquicentennial celebrations celebrations celebrations of this part of the campaign the campaign the Battle of Oriskany and the successful defense of Ft Schuyler ler will ter-will will also be held this summer These celebrations celebrations cele cele- and the one at Bennington are a preliminary preliminary preliminary pre pre- to the one which will be held In October at Saratoga where was fought one of the Fifteen Decisive Battles DaWes of the World and where the final downfall of Burgoyne Burgone took place Since Bennington Bennington Ben Ben- was was one of the steps which led to Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Sara Sara- toga the celebration there this sum summer ner has nationwide nationwide na na- wide tion-wide significance In recognition of th that t fact there was vas was was' formed some time ago ngo a United Vermont States sesquicentennial centennial commission of ot which President CoolIdge Coot Cool Idge Is Is Is' Isa a member and this commission cooperating co S ing with the Vermont State mate Sesquicentennial commission headed heRded by John Spargo who is also president of pt t the Vermont HIstorical society and of ot the Benn Bennington Battle Monument and Historical Historical His His- association will have charge of the dual sesquicentennial anniversary that of the Independence independence Inde inde- of Vermont and of the Battle of ot Ben Ben- In honor of these events the United States government has lias Issued a commemorative half dollar and early In August will Issue a a commemorative commemorative com com- postage stamp In addition to these the local association has Issued another medal designed by Charles Keck reproductions of which are ara shown above hive Five hundred of these medals In bronze have been struck ck ck off and they have already t taken ken a high place among the rarities and ond are much sought after by numismatists On the medal shown above appears Fays Fay's Tavern which was the headquarters of the Council Coun cal cil of ot Safety at at the the time time of the battle and there General Stark held his most Important councils of war The victory wreath of laurel surrounding the T Tavern vrn bears the thc names of somo some of the patriots patriots pa pa- prominently Identified with the battle Three names are especially notable since they represent the states of New Hampshire Vermont and Massa Massa- New Hampshire Is represented by the name of General Stark since that state had given him the rank of of general and placed him In command command com com- mand of ot Its militia Vermont is represented by Col tol Seth Warner commander of the Vermont forces and said mild to be the real victor at the bat bat- tle The name Allen at the bottom In the center cente stands for Parson Allen of Massachusetts rh The rue Theother other names are those of the captains of the local companies of ot militia and the local victims who perished on the field On the r reverse side of the medal Is a u Green Mountain Boy with his fire fire- lock poised guarding the Stars and ond Stripes The of the Stars and Stripes on this a 4 fi F i nn a ci 9 t tars Y Lat Lac the t. t medal medal is of particular Importance because It represents represents represents some unknown history which has come corne to light during th the preparations lons for the celebratIon celebration tion of or orthis this anniversary As a result of the Investigations Investigations investigations In In- of John Jahn Spargo whose qualifications ons as a historian are indicated by the positions which he holds some of the history of the United States fl flag g may have to be rew rewritten itten According to the popular belief the first American flag composed of alternate red and add white stripes and a field of blue with white stars upon It to fly In the face of or orthe the enemy vas was that which was ra raised over Ft Schuyler ler on August 3 1777 Historians generally have accepted this fact even though the evidence was not absolutely conclusive The researches of Mr 11 Spargo have developed the fact that the honor claimed for Ft Ft Schuyler In reality belongs to Bennington In an address on on Vermont and the Stars and Stripes In n 1777 made before the y Vermont Society of the Sons of the American Revolution a short time ago he presented the results of his Investigations Investigations which h d demolished the tradition of the raising raisIng rais rais- ing of a Stars and Stripes flag itt ut Ft Schuyler at least so far as the stars In the blue field are concerned In the Bennington Battle museum museum- visitors at the celebration this ummer summer will see seethe seethe the flag which was raised by Sark's Shirks Shirk's forces years ago ngo which so far as Is now known Is the oldest Stars and Stripes flag In existence and which It Is believed as a result of Mr Spargo's researches was the first flag of ot Its kind to o fly In th the face of the tike enemy and therefore takes that honor from the Ft Schuyler banner It Is this flag which Is shown on the medal reproduced above This flag Is of unique design the stripes being Tn rn the reverse order that Is the white stripe on top The stars are nrc seven pointed and anil arranged arranged ar ar- ar- ar ranged In the form of a Masonic arch This Bennington b battle flag has a 1 romantic history his his- tory It Is b believed to have been p at the Battle of Saratoga and the surrender of Burgoyne p and eventually came calve Into the possession of ot Na thaniel Fillmore more grandfather of ot Millard Fillmore President of ot the United States who preserved it and handed it down to his descendants For many years it was In the tike possession of members of his family who lived In In Illinois but eventually It was turned over to the Bennington Battle Monument an and Historical ass association Among the thc names frames on the victory wreath shown on the medal Is that of Fillmore which stands for tor Nathaniel Fillmore who preserved for tor- posterity this historic relic Just as Mr r. Spargo in connection with the for the B Bennington plans sesquicentennial has corrected some of the erroneous Ideas about the first Stars and Stripes to be he carried Into battle It Is appropriate ate that some popular misconceptions about the battle Itself be he corrected In the first place the tube battle Itself was not tou fought ht at Bennington In state of Vermont but at 1 In the the of New York state Bennington was the headquarters of ot General Stark and so the battle has come down to us named after that town even though It was fought six sir miles away awny According to the popular Idea the victory victor was won by General Stark his Green l Mountain ln Boys and thus Implying that Stark was a Vermonter He Be was not He was a native of Manchester r New Hampshire and had served with distinction as a colonel at the Battle of ot Bunker er Hill and under Washington at Trenton Trenton- and Princeton He Be had resigned from the Continental Continental Con Con- army because he hc had hall been passed over In the making of promotions anI and anal the people of ot New Hampshire felt that he had been discriminated against because he lie was a n plain man of f the people When Burgoyne's army captured Ticonderoga In July 1777 consternation spread throughout Ver Vermont ont and New Hampshire Ver Vermont ont had but a n a. a short time previously declared its Its Independence ns os a state and ana It was felt that the capture of ot Old t. t Ti Tl had laid the ne new commonwealth open h r punishment which Burgoyne might wish to other upon Its people Vermont called she II li Hampshire for assistance In repelling the and urged that such forces as that state o M By lly raise be pla placed ed under an Independent t Instead of the regular filters c-filters of ot the army In whom they had no ria no confidence Sand land fi f Hampshire raised a force of militia and aad of go Stark In command with the rank of ot general visit cers of the Continental army resented thIs i o 0 oby oby by New v Hampshire and congress on on ci cl passed a vote of censure three days after Go victory at Bennington had been w won n and l J Jointly antly day before the news of the battle reached J august body Fer mer General Stark marched his troops to rne an Chester Vermont on August 7 and was s 's I General Lincoln with orders from General Sa sd lieler The lie Theler e eler ler to Join him at Stillwater New York He also met by the Vermont Council of ot Safety dug r r. Ihn F. F urged him to disobey Schuyler's or orders ers flim k ro c state government of New Hampshire upheld and Instead of going to Stillwater h i marc ry Bur Bur oyne O r J Bennington planning to strike l' l left wing On August 13 Stark recited rit ua da of ot the approach of a force of and anili andI rC I I II under Colonel Baum Daum On the 1 J Illes August 14 Stark and his men a t 1 III J tl till In II Colonels Warner Varner Herrick Brush and 1 n her lIeI marched out to meet Baum At the same fa faa a au al ausent to sent mes messengers messengers engers to Manchester hener's lit he litner's ners ner's regiment of Continentals which had bad hadi J c e eleft left there In charge of ot Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Stis St Sd ht I j jand and to rally the militia He then set Bras fo n meet the enemy drew diew up his forces to in bt t was array and awaited Baums Baum's attack Too POOl ever took up a 0 strong position and wa u-o. Stark drew back about a mile and apt lPt lu ht camp for the night within the present tO I I Bennington That bight a a body of ot lini Ilat by the r redoubtable doubtable lighting f p pit pa J letter lette Rev Th Allen AHen of Pittsfield e eva va tva The next morning j I F raining In torrents and Warner lied had no not Another J rived Stark decided to attack For an hour bour he ly half halt Stark could make little headway agaJ The n entrenched enemy but at last about four tova ill up l In the afternoon his men gained the crest ny j pr IU hill and after atter a n half hour of desperate hand rand fighting the enemy retreated J. J jJ rc rend d hands of the victors their mortally woun t I mander wander The house In which Baum Bauw dIed 11 Lun Lac time later Is still standing 1st sun su After the flight alight of the British stark Star chow V IO n wll wl forces scattered over the field CC t the plunder Suddenly another force o of fore ore 1111 commanded by Colonel Lieutenant hJ I I had been heen marching to reinforce Baum Baura J Jol and re lere Starks Stark's men were taken by surprise I h 1 r r line In tn the greatest disorder At a critical I ca I Warners Warner's forces appeared and I ur uric CI V u-is u S t s Starks Stark's army was volunteer tit e I 1 I lilt u composed mostly of militia an and t in that t 11 ih HI numbered the thc It Is true truo but enemy and andI ter to t t tw w was SI composed of 1400 disciplined I 1 Dr w you Oll the i troops among them the flower of at Drs have h s e and their allies the Hessians In Ia one ne j ant to r 11 men fought two stubborn e The i be 1 ji to loss of ot 80 30 killed and 40 wounded 1 nure suffered loss of than a more t Re onera 4 and mus muskets keto s 5 cannon Il whirr Mim pistols The nt ot Bennington ton d dW did victory t tl J I strike a blow at nt Burgoyne's plans Oale i. i taut was vas th the fact that it raised the them or of J fir r Own own I IJ patriots after atter a long unbroken chain chaff f ng e C eing Ing bells of Boston Pea pear hc events e The h n rejoicing g when the news became k D t gress which on August 10 had passed J And Ito nOS voted Tote tj- tj tion of censure censure on October 4 to io Stark and h his s men and made him a general In tb United States army j |