"Battle of Bennington"

"Peter Clark Letter"

Bennington August 18 1777

These with my love to you and my Dear Children and Brothers Sisters Hoping you are well as I am at present Except something of a cold and much Fatagued with marching and Last Saturdays action We are now about twenty miles East of Stillwater we Came to this town Last monday from manchester Last wednesday the whole Brigade was paraded  to march to Stillwater and while under arms  the General Received inteligence that there
was a Large Body of the Enemy Coming to Destroy the Stores at Bennington whereupon the Brigade was Dismissed until towards night and then sent
of Lt Coll Gray of LondonDarey with about two Hundred men who Early the next morning discovered the enemy at a mill about 7 miles from this
place and finding them a large body after firing  at Each other a few times Retreated and met the Brigade about half way between this mill
and Bennington where the Brigade made a stand and threw up a slity brest work the Enemy Came down within about a mile & ½ of us and made a stand their number we could not find out but it appears by prisoners taken there was about 15 Hundred the next Day was friday and by Reason of Rainey wether Nothing of any concequence was done the next day Saturday August 16 at 20 minits past three in the after noon the Battle began in Earnest we Being at thistime on Every part of them and as near as I can 
tell I think the battle held about ½ an Hour andwas Equel to Bunker Hill Excepting there was not so many Cannon the Enemy had two Brass
Field pieces we had none the Lord of hosts  Sent them of[f] in Such hast they Left their all and Run however we took many of thembut here I must not End for we had anotherBattle much harder than the first for we were all most tired out and many of ourpeople gone of[f] with the Presoners and we
those that persued those that fled were mett by two Regements of Hessian Regulars about Eight Hundred besides Toryes who were all fresh hands who had not beenin the first Battle which Brought on anotherbattle which Continued until dark butfinily they were obliged to flee before us
and leave behind them two more Brassfield peaces small arms and other things So God gave us a Compleat Victory over themmany think it to be all things Considered the greatest Victory Won since the War by the Americans