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A History | Revolutionary War Battles | The Battle of Bennington - August 16, 1777
The Battle of Bennington - August 16, 1777
General Burgoyne's first major defeat occurred when he sent a force of Hessians west of the Connecticut River
to seize cattle and other supplies. The force, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Fredrich Baum, was ordered to
head to Bennington and seize rebel supplies. Awaiting Baum near Bennington were nearly 2,000 American militia
men led by John Stark of New Hampshire. At Van Schaick Mill, Baum's forces ran into the advance guard of the
American forces, and both sides prepared for battle the next day, next to the Wallomsac River. The British
were in makeshift fortifications on a height north of the river. On August 16, after a rain delay, Stark's
men attacked. In a complicated multi-pronged attack, they captured or killed the entire British force. By
late in the afternoon, a British relief expedition arrived. The relief expedition was met by Warner's Green
Mountain Boys. They forced the British to pull back. With the help of Stark's forces, the withdrawal turned
to a route. By the end of the battle, 207 Hessians lay dead and 700 were captured. The Americans lost 20 dead
and another 40 wounded.
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