Part III. 



GAZETTEER OF VERMONT. 



17 



BENNINGTON. 



BENMNGTON. 



in that province as the " Bennington 

 mob;" and it became the policy of tlie 

 governor to represent to the public and to 

 the crown, that the opposition to that prov- 

 ince was produced by a few ambitious and 

 lawless inhabitants of Bennington. Im- 

 mediately after tlie visit from the posse, 

 the people of the grants began to form 

 their voluntary associations for military 

 discipline, under the denomination of 

 "Green Mountain 603^8." The union of 

 the several towns on the west side of the 

 mountains, through conventions of their 

 agents and committees, became more 

 compact and efficient ; and from this pe- 

 riod the events connected with the New 

 York controversy, properly belong to the 

 general history of the state, to which the 

 reader is referred in part second. Itmay, 

 however, be mentioned that among the 

 relics of this period which still remain at 

 Bennington, is " the big cannon," a heavy 

 iron 6 pounder, which was brought from 

 the fort at east Hoosic in 1772, for the 

 purpose of being used in the defence of 

 the grants against an expected invasion 

 of the British regulars under governor 

 Tryon. It was kept in town and occu- 

 pied a position, perhaps, " more for orna- 

 ment than use," at Stark's encampment 

 before the battle of Bennington. The 

 terms on which the piece was obtained 

 from the fort, are not known ; but its 

 rather uncertain ownership hns occasion- 

 ally, for many years past, afforded an ex- 

 cuse for the young men and boys of sever- 

 al of the neighboring towns in this nnd the 

 adjoining states of New York and Massa- 

 chusetts, to exercise their powers in ^tcal- 

 inrr it back and forth from each other ; in 

 which ?/(?fC!Wir operation they have some- 

 times, when stimulated by the approach 

 of a celebration of the anniversary of in- 

 dependence, or of Bennington battle, ex- 

 hibited a skill and adroitness that might 

 have won the approbation of a Spartan 

 father. The people of Bennington never 

 at any time recognized the jurisdiction of 

 New York. All the warnings of their 

 town meetings, up to Dec, 176'J, are enti- 

 tled "Province of N. H. ' Tliose of asubse- 

 quent date, until the state established a 

 regular government in 1778, are entitled 

 simply " town of Bennington," without 

 any designation of province or state. The 

 people of Bennington took an early and 

 active part in favor of American liberty. 

 Here was held the council of Allen, Eas- 

 ton, Warner and others, in which the ex- 

 pedition to Ticonderoga was planned, in 

 May, 177.5; and a considerable portion 

 of the Green Mountain boys, who joined 

 the expedition, were from this town. 

 Throughout the war the people of Ben- 

 Pt. iru 3 



nington furnished their full share of men 

 and sujjplies for carrying it on. Benning- 

 ton was for sometime a depot for provis- 

 ions and public stores belonging to the 

 United States. To obtain possession of 

 these provisions and stores was the prin- 

 cipal object of Burgoyne in sending his 

 expedition to Bennington, which termi- 

 nated so unfavorably to him, and so glori' 

 ously to the American cause, by the vic- 

 tory, at this place, of August 16th, 1777.* 

 SoMie of the most prominent of the ear- 

 ly inhabitants of Bennington deserve a 

 passing notice. Snvuiel Robinson, Sen., 

 who died in England in 1767, has already 

 been mentioned. Next to him, among 

 the first settlers, was James Brcakenridge, 

 who was a large land holder, owning a 

 considerable tract in the northwest part 

 of the town, lie had been a lieutenant in 

 the French war, and was an active and 

 useful man. He was sent to England, 

 withJehiel Hawley, of Arlington, as an 

 agent for the settlers in the fall of 1772, 

 and returned the next year. Seth Warner 

 is too \xe{\ known to require any thing to 

 be said of him. He came to Bennino-ton 

 early, was an active and efficient opponent 

 of the Yorkers, was Colonel of a Conti- 

 nental regiment throughout the war, and 

 died at Woodbury, Connecticut, soon af- 

 ter its close. f £</(ffw^//t/i resided in Ben- 

 nington for two or three years previous 

 to the war, and also for a time after 

 the peace.]: Moses, Siimuel and Jon- 

 athan Roliinson, sons of Samuel Robinson, 

 Sen., were prominent men. Moses Rob- 

 inson was the first colonel of militia in the 

 state, and with his regiment was often in 

 active service during the war. He was 

 afterwards chief judge of the supreme 

 court, governor of the state and senator 

 in Congress. He died in 1813. Samuel 

 Robinson was an active and prominent 

 military man in the state service, and be- 

 came colonel of the militia when that post 

 was of more importance than it is reckon- 

 ed at present. He commanded one of the 

 Bennington companies of militia in Ben- 

 nington battle, and Capt. Elijah Dewey 

 commanded the other. Jonathan Robin- 

 son became chief judge of the supreme 

 court, and a senator in Congress. John 

 Fassctt and Stephen Fay were among the 

 early leading men of the town. John 

 Fassett, Jvn., was also a prominent man, 

 and held the office of judge of the supreme 

 court for several years. Dr. Jonas Fay, 

 son of Stephen, held many important 

 posts in the state, and was a noted and 

 useful man, as was also his brother Jo- 



* For a full .iccount of the Bennington biittlCj see 

 pan socund, page 4o. 

 \ See part second) page 20. J Ibid. 



