Vermont: A Study of IndependenceRobinson, Rowland Evans
History
Vermont: A Study of Independence
Robinson, Rowland Evans
Vermont -- History
In this first battle of the Revolution on Vermont soil, the Americans
lost Francis, an officer whose bravery was acknowledged by friend and
foe, and whose early death was mourned by both. In killed, wounded, and
prisoners, their loss was 324. The loss of the British force,--about
2,000 strong,--in killed and wounded, was not less than 183. Ethan
Allen, in his narrative, sets the enemy's loss, as learned from
confessions of their own officers, at 300. Among these was the brave
Major Grant, who, while reconnoitring the position of the Americans from
the top of a stump, was picked off by a Yankee rifleman. "I heard them
likewise complain that the Green Mountain Boys took sight," Allen tells
us.
Meanwhile Burgoyne was busy on the lake. By nine o'clock on the morning
of the evacuation, the unfinished boom and the bridge were cut asunder;
the gunboats and the two frigates passed these obstructions, and, with
several regiments on board, went up the channel in rapid pursuit of the
American vessels. At three in the afternoon the gunboats got within
range of the galleys, not far from Skenesborough, and opened fire upon
them. This was returned with some warmth till the frigates were brought
into action, when the galleys were abandoned, three were blown up, and
the other two fell into the hands of the enemy. Having neither the men
nor defenses here to offer any effectual opposition, the Americans set
fire to the fort, mills, and batteaux, and fled up Wood Creek toward
Fort Anne. They were pursued by Colonel Hill with the Ninth British
Regiment, upon whom they turned, and attacked furiously in front with
part of their force, while the other was sent to assail his rear. Hill
withdrew to an eminence, whither the attack followed so hotly that his
complete defeat seemed almost certain, when a large party of Indians
came up. They made the woods ring with the terrible warwhoop, which the
British answered with three lusty cheers, and the uproar of rejoicing
convinced the Americans that a strong reinforcement was at hand;
whereupon they drew off, and, again marking the course of their retreat
with conflagration by setting fire to Fort Anne, retired to Fort Edward.
On the 12th, here also St. Clair joined the main army under Schuyler,
after a weary march over wretched roads.
England was exultant over the fall of famous Ticonderoga. The king
rushed into the queen's apartments, shouting, "I have beaten them! I
have beaten all the Americans!" and such was the universal feeling in
the mother country. In America was as universal consternation, which
only found relief in storms of abuse poured upon St. Clair and upon
Schuyler, who, as commander of the northern army, received his full
share of blame, though both had done the best their circumstances
permitted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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