Sunday 16 August 2009

Battle of Bennington 1777

Image from here
This battle - decisive in the Burgoyne campaign was fought today in 1777 - wikipedia article here. I'm quite partial to Revwar battles that feature Indians and this defeat helped Burgoyne's native allies to decide to desert his cause. Interestingly La Corne Saint-Luc - a former 'Hero of New France' and known as 'General of the Indians' was commanding the native contingent and was accused of deserting them at a crucial moment - a charge he refuted vehemently. Burgoyne at his trial said
"Sir, a gentleman has been in London the great part of the winter, who I wish had been called to your bar* It is for the sake of truth only I wish it, for he is certainly no friend of mine His name is St. Luc La Corne, a distinguished partisan of the French in the last war, and now in the British service as a leader of the Indians. He owes us indeed some service, having been formerly instumental in scalp- ing many hundred British soldiers upon the very ground where, though with a different sort of latitude, he was this year employed. He is by nature, edu- cation, and practice, artful, ambitious and a courtier,"

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Hessian in the U.K.

 This portrayal is 2 years in the making. Von Donop 1776. By Marshall Beresford.  Very good. Check out his Facebook page here .