APPENDIX, 449 



^u regiment. Surrounded on every fide by the enemy, but calm and un- 

 daunted, colonel Warner fought his way through all oppofition, brought 

 off the troops that relufed to capitulate with Hale, checked the enemy irt 

 their purfuit, and, contrary toall expeftation, arrived fafe with his troops 

 at Manchefter. To the northward ot that town the whole country was 

 deferted : The colonel determined to make a ftand at that place ; encour- 

 aged by his example and firmnefs, a body of the militia foon joined him ; 

 and he was once more, in a fituation to proteft the inhabitants, harrafs the 



• enemy, and breakup the advanced parties. 



On the i6th ot Auguft, the vicinity of Bennington became the feat of 

 a memorable battle. Col. Baum had been dispatched by general Bar- 

 goync to attack the American troops and deftroy the magazines at Ben- 

 nington. Gcneial Starks, who commanded at that place, had intelligence 

 ot the approach of the enemy ; and lent orders on the morning of the l6tli 

 to col. Warner at Mancheller, to march immediately to his airiftance. In 

 the mean time Starks with the troops which were affembled at Benning- 

 ton, had attacked the enemy under colonel Baum, and, after a fcvere ac- 

 tion, had captured the whole body. Juft as the aftion was finifhed, in- 

 telligence was received that a large reinforcement of the enemy had arri- 

 ved. Fatitjucd and exhaufted by fo long and fevere an adion, Starks 

 was doubtful whether it was poflible for his troops to enter immediately 

 Upon another battle wih a frelh body of the enemy. At that critical mo- 

 ment Warner arrived with his troops from Manchefter. Mortified that 

 he had not been in the aftion, and determined to have fome part in the 

 glory of the day, he urged Starks immediately to commence another action. 

 Starks confeoted ; and the colonel inllantly led on his men to battle. — 

 The Americans rallied from every part of the field, and the fecond action 

 became a* fierce 3nd decifive as the firft. The enemy gave way in every 

 direction; srreat numbers of them were flain, and the reft faved them- 

 felves altogether by the darknefs of the night. Starks afcribed the laft 

 vidtory very much to colonels Warner and Herrick ; and fpoke in the 

 hij;hell terms oi their fuperior information and activity, as that to whicK 

 he principally owed his fuccefs. The fuccels at Bennington gave a de- 

 t'five turn to the affairs of that campaign. Stark?, Warner and the other 

 officers, with their troops, joined the army under general Gates: Victory 

 every where followed the aitetnpts of the northern army; and the cam- 

 paign terminated in the furrender of Burgoyne and his whole army, at Sar- 

 atoga, on Oft. ij, 1777. 



^ The conteft in the northern department being in a great meafure deci- 

 d-^d by the capture of Burgoyne, Warner had no further opportunity to 

 dilcover !iis prowefs in defence of his beloved ftate ; but ferved occafion- 

 Tlly at different places on Hudfon's river, as the circumllances of the war 

 required, and always with reputation. Defpairing of fuccefs in the nor- 

 thern parts, the enemy carried the war into the fouthern Hates ; and neither 

 New York or Vermont any longer remained the places of dilUnguilhed 

 enterprize. But fuch had been the fatigues and exertions of the colonel, 

 tlist when he leturned to his iamily in Bennington, his conftitution, natu- 

 rally firm and vigorous, appeared to be v.orn down ; and nature declined 

 under a complication of disorders, ocsafioned by the exceffive labors and 

 fuiferings he had palled through. 



Moft of thofe men who have been engaged with uncommon ardor in 

 the caufe of their country, have been fo (wallowed up with the patriotic 

 paflian, as to negleft that attention to their private interelt which other 

 men purfue as the ruling padion. Thus it proved with colonel Warner : 

 intent at firft upon laving a ftate, and afterwards upon laving a country^ 



VOL. II H 3 



