ition　to　the　eastward。　This　force　consisted　of　about　five　hundred　and　fifty　white　troops；　chiefly　Hessians；　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　Indians；　all　under　the　command　of　Colonel　Baum。　They　were　within　four　miles　of　Bennington　on　August　13；　1777；　and　encamped　on　a　hill　just　within　the　boundaries　of　the　State　of　New　York。　The　news　of　the　advance　of　Burgoyne　had　already　roused　the　people　of　New　York　and　New　Hampshire；　and　the　legislature　of　the　latter　State　had　ordered　General　Stark　with　a　brigade　of　militia　to　stop　the　progress　of　the　enemy　on　the　western　frontier。　Stark　raised　his　standard　at　Charlestown　on　the　Connecticut　River；　and　the　militia　poured　into　his　camp。　Disregarding　Schuyler's　orders　to　join　the　main　American　army；　which　was　falling　back　before　Burgoyne；　Stark；　as　soon　as　he　heard　of　the　expedition　against　Bennington；　marched　at　once　to　meet　Baum。　He　was　within　a　mile　of　the　British　camp　on　August　14；　and　vainly　endeavored　to　draw　Baum　into　action。　On　the　15th　it　rained　heavily；　and　the　British　forces　occupied　the　time　in　intrenching　themselves　strongly　upon　the　hill　which　they　held。　Baum　meantime　had　already　sent　to　Burgoyne　for　reinforcements；　and　Burgoyne　had　detached　Colonel　Breymann　with　over　six　hundred　regular　troops　to　go　to　Baum's　assistance。　On　the　16th　the　weather　cleared；　and　Stark；　who　had　been　reinforced　by　militia　from　western　Massachusetts；　determined　to　attack。
  Early　in　the　day　he　sent　men；　under　Nichols　and　Herrick；　to　get　into　the　rear　of　Baum's　position。　The　German　officer；　ignorant　of　the　country　and　of　the　nature　of　the　warfare　in　which　he　was　engaged；　noticed　small　bodies　of　men　in　their　shirtsleeves；　and　carrying　guns　without　bayonets；　making　their　way　to　the　rear　of　his　intrenchments。　With　singular　stupidity　he　concluded　that　they　were　Tory　inhabitants　of　the　country　who　were　coming　to　his　assistance；　and　made　no　attempt　to　stop　them。　In　this　way　Stark　was　enabled　to　mass　about　five　hundred　men　in　the　rear　of　the　enemy's　position。　Distracting　the　attention　of　the　British　by　a　feint；　Stark　also　moved　about　two　hundred　men　to　the　right；　and　having　thus　brought　his　forces　into　position　he　ordered　a　general　assault；　and　the　Americans　proceeded　to　storm　the　British　intrenchments　on　every　side。　The　fight　was　a　very　hot　one；　and　lasted　some　two　hours。　The　Indians；　at　the　beginning　of　the　action；　slipped　away　between　the　American　detachments；　but　the　British　and　German　regulars　stubbornly　stood　their　ground。　It　is　difficult　to　get　at　the　exact　numbers　of　the　American　troops；　but　Stark　seems　to　have　had　between　fifteen　hundred　and　two　thousand　militia。　He　thus　outnumbered　his　enemy　nearly　three　to　one；　but　his　men　were　merely　country　militia；　farmers　of　the　New　England　States；　very　imperfectly　disciplined；　and　armed　only　with　muskets　and　fowling…pieces；　without　bayonets　or　side…arms。　On　the　other　side　Baum　had　the　most　highly　disciplined　troops　of　England　and　Germany　under　his　command；　well　armed　and　equipped；　and　he　was　moreover　strongly　intrenched　with　artillery　well　placed　behind　the　breastworks。　The　advantage　in　the　fight　should　have　been　clearly　with　Baum　and　his　regulars；　who　merely　had　to　hold　an　intrenched　hill。
  It　was　not　a　battle　in　which　either　military　strategy　or　a　scientific　management　of　troops　was　displayed。　All　that　Stark　did　was　to　place　his　men　so　that　they　could　attack　the　enemy's　position　on　every　side；　and　then　the　Americans　went　at　it；　firing　as　they　pressed　on。　The　British　and　Germans　stood　their　ground　stubbornly；　while　the　New　England　farmers　rushed　up　to　within　eight　yards　of　the　cannon；　and　picked　off　the　men　who　manned　the　guns。　Stark　himself　was　in　the　midst　of　the　fray；　fighting　with　his　soldiers；　and　came　out　of　the　conflict　so　blackened　with　powder　and　smoke　that　he　could　hardly　be　recognized。　One　desperate　assault　succeeded　another；　while　the　firing　on　both　sides　was　so　incessant　as　to　make；　in　Stark's　own　words；　a　〃continuous　roar。〃　At　the　end　of　two　hours　the　Americans　finally　swarmed　over　the　intrenchments；　beating　down　the　soldiers　with　their　clubbed　muskets。　Baum　ordered　his　infantry　with　the　bayonet　and　the　dragoons　with　their　sabers　to　force　their　way　through；　but　the　Americans　repulsed　this　final　charge；　and　Baum　himself　fell　mortally　wounded。　All　was　then　over；　and　the　British　forces　surrendered。
  It　was　only　just　in　time；　for　Breymann；　who　had　taken　thirty　hours　to　march　some　twenty…four　miles；　came　up　just　after　Baum's　men　had　laid　down　their　arms。　It　seemed　for　a　moment　as　if　all　that　had　been　gained　might　be　lost。　The　Americans；　attacked　by　this　fresh　foe；　wavered；　but　Stark　rallied　his　line；　and　putting　in　Warner；　with　one　hundred　and　fifty　Vermont　men　who　had　just　come　on　the　field；　stopped　Breymann's　advance；　and　finally　forced　him　to　retreat　with　a　loss　of　nearly　one　half　his　men。　The　Americans　lost　in　killed　and　wounded　some　seventy　men；　and　the　Germans　and　British　about　twice　as　many；　but　the　Americans　took　about　seven　hundred　prisoners；　and　completely　wrecked　the　forces　of　Baum　and　Breymann。
  The　blow　was　a　severe　one；　and　Burgoyne's　army　never　recovered　from　it。　Not　only　had　he　lost　nearly　a　thousand　of　his　best　troops；　besides　cannon；　arms；　and　munitions　of　war；　but　the　defeat　affected　the　spirits　of　his　army　and　destroyed　his　hold　over　his　Indian　allies；　who　began　to　desert　in　large　numbers。　Bennington；　in　fact；　was　one　of　the　most　important　fights　of　the　Revolution；　contributing　as　it　did　so　largely　to　the　final　surrender　of　Burgoyne's　whole　army　at　Saratoga；　and　the　utter　ruin　of　the　British　invasion　from　the　North。　It　is　also　interesting　as　an　extremely　gallant　bit　of　fighting。　As　has　been　said；　there　was　no　strategy　displayed；　and　there　were　no　military　operations　of　the　higher　kind。　There　stood　the　enemy　strongly　intrenched　on　a　hill；　and　Stark；　calling　his　undisciplined　levies　about　him；　went　at　them。　He　himself　was　a　man　of　the　highest　courage　and　a　reckless　fighter。　It　was　Stark　who　held　the　railfence　at　Bunker　Hill；　and　who　led　the　van　when　Sullivan's　division　poured　into　Trenton　from　the　river　road。　He　was　admirably　adapted　for　the　precise　work　which　was　necessary　at　Bennington；　and　he　and　his　men　fought　well　their　hand…to…hand　fight　on　that　hot　August　day；　and　carried　the　intrenchments　filled　with　regular　troops　and　defended　by　artillery。　It　was　a　daring　feat　of　arms；　as　well　as　a　battle　which　had　an　important　effect　upon　the　course　of　history　and　upon　the　fate　of　the　British　empire　in　America。
  KING'S　MOUNTAIN
  Our　fortress　is　the　good　greenwood；　　Our　tent　the　cypress　tree；　We　know　the　forest　round　us　　As　seamen　know　the　sea。　We　know　its　walls　of　thorny　vines；　　Its　glades　of　reedy　grass；　Its　safe　and　silent　islands　　Within　the　dark　morass。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Bryant。
  KING'S　MOUNTAIN
  The　close　of　the　year　1780　was；　in　the　Southern　States；　the　darkest　time　of　the　Revolutionary　struggle。　Cornwallis　had　just　destroyed　the　army　of　Gates　at　Camden；　and　his　two　formidable　lieutenants；　Tarlton　the　light　horseman；　and　Ferguson　the　skilled　rifleman；　had　destroyed　or　scattered　all　the　smaller　bands　that　had　been　fighting　for　the　patriot　cause。　The　red　dragoons　rode　hither　and　thither；　and　all　through　Georgia　and　South　Carolina　none　dared　lift　their　heads　to　oppose　them；　while　North　Carolina　lay　at　the　feet　of　Cornwallis；　as　he　started　through　it　with　his　army　to　march　into　Virginia。　There　was　no　organized　force　against　him；　and　the　cause　of　the　patriots　seemed　hopeless。　It　was　at　this　hour　that　the　wild　backwoodsmen　of　the　western　border　gathered　to　strike　a　blow　for　liberty。
  When　Cornwallis　invaded　North　Carolina　he　sent　Ferguson　into　the　western　part　of　the　State　to　crush　out　any　of　the　patriot　forces　that　might　still　be　lingering　among　the　foot…hills。　Ferguson　was　a　very　gallant　and　able　officer；　and　a　man　of　much　influence　with　the　people　wherever　he　went；　so　that　he　was　peculiarly　fitted　for　this　scrambling　border　warfare。　He　had　under　him　a　battalion　of　regular　troops　and　several　other　battalions　of　Tory　militia；　in　all　eleven　or　twelve　hundred　men。　He　shattered　and　drove　the　small　bands　of　Whigs　that　were　yet　in　arms；　and　finally　pushed　to　the　foot　of　the　mountain　wall；　till　he　could　see　in　his　front　the　high　ranges　of　the　Great　Smokies。　Here　he　learned　for　the　first　time　that　beyond　the　mountains　there　lay　a　few　hamlets　of　frontiersmen；　whose　homes　were　on　what　were　then　called　the　Western　Waters；　that　is；　the　waters　which　flowed　into　the　Mississippi。　To　these　he　sent　word　that　if　they　did　not　prove　loyal　to　the　king；　he　would　cross　their　mountains；　hang　their　leaders；　and　burn　their　villages。
  Beyond　the；　mountains；　in　the　valleys　of　the　Holston　and　Watauga；　dwelt　men　who　were　stout　of　heart　and　mighty　in　battle；　and　when　they　heard　the　threats　of　Ferguson　they　burned　with　a　sullen　flame　of　anger。　Hitherto　the　foes　against　whom　they　had　warred　had　been　not　the　British；　but　the　Indian　allies　of　the　British；　Creek；　and　Cherokee；　and　Shawnee。　Now　that　the　army　of　the　king　had　come　to　their　thresholds；　they　turned　to　meet　it　as　fiercely　as　they　had　met　his　Indian　allies。　Among　the　backwoodsmen　of　this　region　there　were　at　that　time　three　men　of　special　note：　Sevier；　who　afterward　became　governor　of　Tennessee；　Shelby；　who　afte