A Gathering Storm

A Gathering Storm (HMOKZ)

Location: Eagle Bridge, NY 12057 Rensselaer County
Buy New York State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 42° 56.309', W 73° 18.257'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 491 views
Inscription

North

By the end of July 1777, the British invasion from Canada under General John Burgoyne had progressed to Fort Edward on the Hudson River. Desperately in need of supplies, Burgoyne dispatched an expedition on August 11 under Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum to capture the American storehouses at Bennington, Vermont, which were thought to be guarded by only a handful of rebel militia. About half of Baum's troops were mercenaries who spoke only German. Although from Brunswick, these men, like all German troops, were commonly called "Hessians" by the Americans. The rest of Baum's force consisted of small detachments of British sharpshooters, Indians, Canadians, and American loyalists.

The British, however, had grossly underestimated American strength. New Hampshire had raised more than 1,500 men under General John Stark to meet Burgoyne's threat, and additional militia from Vermont and western Massachusetts also turned out. On August 14, aware that American resistance was growing, Baum encamped his troops on and around this hill, just five miles from Bennington, to await further reinforcements.

On August 16, following a day of rain, Stark deployed his troops to attack Baum from all sides. In a two-hour battle, Baum's outposts collapsed and his main position atop this hill was overrun, but not before Baum's dragoons fought off the attackers with their sabers. Too late to help Baum, reinforcements under Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich Von Breymann approached from the west, only to be driven off by Seth Warner's Continental Regiment. Baum was killed in the battle, as were over 200 of his men, and all but a few of the remainder became American prisoners.

"Wherever the King's forces point, militia to the amount of three or four thousand assemble in twenty-four hours," a frustrated Burgoyne wrote to his superiors after the defeat. Vermont, he added, contained "the most rebellious race on the continent, and hangs like a gathering storm upon my left." The Americans made their stand at Saratoga, where Burgoyne, his army weakened by dwindling supplies, surrendered on October 17, 1777.

[ Sidebar: ]
Colonels Nichols & Herrick Join Forces
At 3:00 PM on August 16, a column of 200 New Hampshire militiamen led by Colonel Moses Nichols joined a column of 300 Vermont troops under Colonel Samuel Herrick at a point several hundred yards to the north of this site. Both columns had escaped detection by marching wide around Baum's fortifications. Five hundred militiamen formed for battle and charged the breastworks on this hill. Baum's men responded with a murderous fusillade of cannon and musket fire, which lasted until their ammunition was exhausted. The Americans converged on the hill, and in savage hand-to-hand combat overran Baum's main position. Only a handful of the defenders escaped death or capture.

Nichols' Approach.
Colonel Moses Nichols led 200 New Hampshire militia around this hill to avoid detection by Baum's sentries.
Details
HM NumberHMOKZ
Tags
Placed ByBennington Battlefield State Historic Site
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, October 27th, 2014 at 8:16am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18T E 638354 N 4755378
Decimal Degrees42.93848333, -73.30428333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 42° 56.309', W 73° 18.257'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds42° 56' 18.54" N, 73° 18' 15.42" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)518
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 24 Battlefield Ln, Eagle Bridge NY 12057, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?