Bennington Battlefield

By early August, 1777, Maj. Gen. John Burgoyne's British army had advanced south from Canada past Lake Champlain. With his supply lines overextended, Burgoyne had to rely on the surrounding countryside to support his army. On August 9, Col. Friedrich Baum was dispatched with a mixed force of British infantry, Hessian dragoons, American Indian allies, Loyalists, and Canadians to collect supplies from a supply depot in Bennington, Vermont. About a week later, on August 14, Col. Baum skirmished with American militia west of the village of Bennington, Vermont under Col. John Stark who were sent to investigate reports of Native American activity in the area. After an American retreat into Bennington, Vermont, Baum decided to dig in and await reinforcements under Lt. Col. Heinrich Breymann before attacking the Americans. However,  the aggressive Col. John Stark attacked Baum on August 16 with a numerically superior force. Stark's Americans struck the Hessian and Tory Redoubts that afternoon and in the ensuing fight, broke the British line and mortally wounded Baum. The American victory at Bennington further deteriorated Burgoyne's army and contributed to his surrender at Saratoga two months later. 

Located outside Walloomsac, New York, 276 acres of the battlefield have been preserved. The site includes a visitor's center and walking trails. The battlefield's monuments in Walloomsac, New York were erected in 1927 by the State of New York. However, in the area of the old village of Bennington, there is the Battle of Bennington Monument, a 306-foot high stone obelisk that is located where the old supply depot was located. The obelisk was dedicated in 1891. Statues of Col. John Stark and Col. Seth Warner sit beside the monument and were erected in 2000 and 1910, respectfully.