British General John Burgoyne had triumphantly invaded New York from Canada in the summer of 1777. His hope was to capture Albany and meet other British forces there. The object was to cut off New England from the rest of the country. He had a problem, though. He was short on supplies. So when word reached him that Patriot storehouses in Bennington, Vermont were poorly defended, he planned an attack.

American General John Stark was ready to defend the supplies. A battle raged on a hill five miles from Bennington in Walloomsac. The Patriots were the victors. Loss to the American side was 30 killed and 40 wounded. Burgoyne lost 2 brass cannons, 700 arms, 700 prisoners, 207 killed and a large number wounded. This victory was the first check to the march of Burgoyne and a pivotal point in the American Revolution.

Source of historic text: Bennington Battlefield brochure, NY State, 1997.