History, Natural History & the Arts
On Monday, a small group gathered for the dedication of a historic marker commemorating the march of Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum to the Battle of Bennington in 1777.
The marker, located on County Route 113 a quarter-mile south of Route 29, identifies the location of German Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum’s encampment on August 11, 1777. [Read more…] about Marker Dedicated to Commemorate Historic March
Few men contributed as much to the American victory in the Revolutionary War, yet have been as little recognized, as a New Hampshire farmer and lumberman by the name of John Stark. Although he is not well known outside of New Hampshire, a few words he wrote live on there today: Live Free or Die. A new biography by John F. Polhemus and Richard V. Polhemus, Stark, The Life and Wars of John Stark: French & Indian War Ranger, Revolutionary War General (Black Dome Press, 2014) should help bring this remarkable man’s life into appropriate perspective.
Stark served as a captain of rangers with Robert Rogers in the French and Indian War, and as a colonel and general in the Revolution at Bunker Hill, Trenton, Princeton, Westchester, Springfield, Saratoga, Ticonderoga and West Point. His greatest achievement however, was at the Battle of Bennington. The Battle of Saratoga and the surrender of Burgoyne on October 17, 1777 was the turning point of the American Revolution, but the Battle of Bennington on August 16th set the stage. [Read more…] about ‘Live Free Or Die’: The Life And Wars Of John Stark
August 16th is a Vermont State Holiday commemorating Bennington Battle Day and the victory over the British on August 16, 1777. To celebrate this Revolutionary War victory, admission to all the state-owned historic sites will be free on Saturday, August 16, 2014.
Pack the picnic basket, grab the kids, invite your friends and neighbors, and head out to enjoy the great Vermont summer at any of the state-owned historic sites. [Read more…] about Free Day At Vermont Owned Historic Sites
Brown’s Brewing Company in Hoosick Falls and Troy, NY, has brewed a special beer in tribute to the Germans that served at the Battle of Bennington which took place in the Town of Hoosick in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War.
The historic Braunschweigers Mumme Ale is a dark, spicy beer created in the late 1400s in the German province of Braunschweig in what is now Lower Saxony, home of Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum and his elite regiment of mounted infantrymen called Dragoons. [Read more…] about New Beer Celebrates ‘Hessians’ At Battle of Bennington
Dr. Michael P. Gabriel, author of The Battle of Bennington: Soldiers & Civilians, will be giving a short presentation as part of the Road to the Battle of Bennington Inaugural Event to be held at Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site on Saturday June 7 from 2- 4 p.m.
The Path Through History Weekend event celebrates the inauguration of an interpretive driving route that follows the ill-fated excursion of German Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum to Bennington Battlefield in 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. [Read more…] about Battle of Bennington Talk, Tour On Saturday
The road once traveled to a battle that set the stage for America¹s victory in the Revolutionary War will be the focal point of a special event on Saturday, June 7.
The grand opening of the Road to the Battle of Bennington will also introduce an interpretive driving tour featuring a Lakes to Locks Passage mobile application. [Read more…] about Road to the Battle of Bennington Tour Event Planned
In August of 1777, German Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum found himself in a precaurious position as his dismounted cavalry trudged through an unfamiliar wilderness – on a continent seperated by the Altlantic Ocean from their European homes – accompanied by British marksmen, layalists, and Native Americans of uncertain discipline.
Speaking in only his native tongue, unfamiliar with war in the wilderness, wary of the rebels’ determination and having no understanding of the landscape that lay between him and his goal, Baum departed from Fort Miller to capture stores at Bennington. So begins the saga of “The Road to Walloomsac.” [Read more…] about Trail to Mark Historic March From Fort Miller to Bennington
August 16 is Vermont’s official state holiday—Bennington Battle Day, honoring the American victory over the British at the August 16, 1777 Revolutionary War battle. To celebrate the anniversary all of Vermont’s State-Owned Historic Sites will be open free on Monday, August 16 to Vermont residents and Vermonters at heart. [Read more…] about Vermont to Celebrate Battle of Bennington
Vermont’s tallest building is opening for business again, as the Bennington Battle Monument begins its season on Saturday, April 17. Built to commemorate the August 16th, 1777 Battle of Bennington – which actually took place in nearby Walloomsac, New York – this Vermont State Historic Site opened to the public in 1891, some four years after construction began in 1887, at a cost of $112,000.
The monument, a 306-foot stone obelisk, was constructed on the site of a Continental military storehouse that was the objective of the British attack. With his army short of ammunition, food and arms, British General John Burgoyne decided to attack the town of Bennington and capture the storehouse and its supplies, sending about 800 men into battle against what he thought was a militia force about half that size. [Read more…] about Bennington Battle Monument Opens for 2010
This Friday, September 18th the Friends of the Bennington Battle Monument will host an evening with Major General John Burgoyne who will give a humorous, rueful and accurate account of “what went wrong” in 1777. Burgoyne was sent to put an end to the rebellion in the colonies and secure the Lake Champlain and Hudson River corridor for England. His loss at the Battle of Bennington in August led to his ultimate defeat and surrender at Saratoga, the turning point in the American Revolution.
“Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne is portrayed by Howard Burnham, an English-born actor, author, educator and museum curator, touring the area on a journey to Saratoga and Fort Ticonderoga. Howard’s acclaimed one-man shows have played throughout England and have been on the BBC. His fully costumed dramatic monologues/lectures-in-character with Power Point last approximately 45-50 minutes. This is history with humor, a program that can be enjoyed by all ages.
The presentation, sponsored by the Friends of the Monument, will take place on September 18th at 7:30 p.m. in the Old First Church Barn on Monument Circle. It is free and open to the public, light refreshments will be served. For further information contact the Bennington Battle Monument at (802) 447-0550, information on Howard Burnham can be found on his website www.HowardBurnham.com.