Posted on 07/04/2003 1:46:14 PM PDT by Wolfstar
The following eyewitness account by a very young, heroic American soldier wounded at the Battle of Bennington, Vermont, is exerpted from the book, "The Revolution Remembered: Eyewitness Accounts of the War for Independence," copyright 1980, edited by John C. Dann from Revolutionary War pension applications filed circa 1830 and held in the National Archives.
In his foreword, Dann writes that this oral history of Revolutionary War veterans is, perhaps, the first of its kind gathered in our country, and on an immense scale: There are some 80,000 applications from Revolutionary War veterans and other participants (women who cooked for the army, ex-slaves, etc.). Dann selected 79 accounts for his book. The exerpt is from the application of David Holbrook, born 1760 in Sturbridge, Mass. Holbrook volunteered at aged 16, in December 1776, in the Rhode Island militia. He later served one term in the Continental army and four in the Massachusetts militia of Berkshire County. His father, a farmer, saw active duty as a commissary, and his older brother was a surgeon.
Dann writes that he selected Holbrook’s account because of his description of the Battle of Bennington, which was one of the decisive American victories, but one very poorly documented. The heroic "old man" seen by Holbrook...must have been an officer in Seth Warner's regiment. Warner's arrival in mid-battle was largely responsible for the final victory.
Although David Holbrook's account is written in a matter-of-fact style, this 16-year-old lad, son of a farmer, and a militia volunteer, fought with tremendous bravery. He was seriously wounded and yet kept fighting until the British were defeated.
[BEGIN HOLBROOK EXERPT]
...and hearing the alarm that the enemy were about to attack Bennington, this declarer started immediately and got to Bennington the same night...And, the next day being the 16th of August, Capt. Enos Parker...selected a company of 60 or 70 men from the [volunteers], of which this declarer was one, and marched them across the river by a circuitous route of five or six miles, mostly through woods, with all possible silence and brought them up in a piece of woods at the enemy’s rear, where a line was formed...when the American army, upon three sides of the British encampment, made a simultaneous attack...
The American army made a rush upon the British entrenchments, which being received by the British with boldness, the battle became general and desperate immediately and continued about two hours close combat without form or regularity, each American fighting according to his own discretion until the entrenchments were completely routed, and those [British] who had not been killed and had not escaped, surrendered at discretion.
At about the time of the general rout of the British...Colonel Herrick of the Green Mountain Rangers rode near where the declarer was and cried out, "Boys, follow me." This declarer with one other ran after him about two miles to Ramplar Mills, where he [Herrick] stopped his horse, and drew up his piece, and fired, and then wheeled his horse and said there was a reinforcement of British coming, which was soon discovered to be from 900 to 1200...soldiers with a nine- and six-pounder and a band of music.
...this declarer and his companion, having got out of breath, ran behind a haystack and rested til the British army came along and then went out from behind the stack and discharged their pieces at the enemy, and ran. The enemy returned fire by the discharge of the six-pounder, which gave general alarm. The Americans then ran together and formed a line...but the Americans, in pursuing those who escaped from the entrenchments, had got scattered and fatigued, and but few assembled at first, but kept falling in continually until a line was formed along a fence on the northeast side of the meadow...
And the British army formed in a line in the meadow and extended across the road. And the firing commenced as soon as they came within musket shot, but the Americans, not being sufficiently strong to keep the ground, retreated from tree to tree, firing as they left the trees, until they came to a ravine where was a log fence, then made a halt, and held the ground.
The British came up about 16 rods and stood. The firing then continued some time without cessation...And, about the same time, an old man, with an old Queen Anne's iron sword and mounted upon an old black mare, with about 90 robust men following him in files two deep, came up and filed in front of the company commanded by Captain Parker, in which this declarer then was. And, just as the old man had got his men to the spot and halted, his mare fell, and he jumped upon a large white oak stump and gave the command.
Captain Parker, seeing the old man's company between him and the enemy, ordered his men to file in between their files, which were some distance apart...and the battle became desperate. And immediately this declarer heard a tremendous crash up in the woods at the right wing of the American troops, which was seconded by a yell, the most terrible that he had ever heard. Then he heard the voice of Colonel Warner, like thunder, "Fix bayonets. Charge."
Then the old man on the stump cried out, "Charge, boys," and jumped from the stump and ran towards the enemy. His men, some with and some without bayonets, followed suit and rushed upon the enemy with all their might, who seeing us coming, took to their heels and were completely routed.
This declarer, in scaling...the breastwork of the enemy...put his right hand upon the top of the breastwork and threw his feet over, but his right leg was met by a British bayonet which held it fast, and he pitched headfirst into the entrenchment, the soldier hit him a thump upon the head. But he [the British soldier] was dispatched by the next [American] man that came up, and this declarer was thereby relieved, and in the heat of feeling forgot his wounds. But when the enemy fled...he found himself exhausted and could not pursue, the blow upon his head and the wound in his leg having occasioned the loss of considerable blood. He found himself unable to walk and was put upon a horse and carried back to Bennington...
]END EXERPT]
(Excerpt) Read more at press.uchicago.edu ...
amen.
My great great great great great grandfather was John Walker of Orange County, North Carolina; he was an aide de camp for George Washington during the Revolutionary War; in my research I found this little history, and it's worth sharing, IMO.
--------------------
*NOTE: Aaron Walker was my great great great great uncle:
--------------------
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF AARON WALKER (Haywood Co., TN)
The short biographical history that follows was written at the request of my children that they might know and thus be able to transmit to their posterity the character of their ancestors as best I may be able to transmit it.
My ancestors as far back as I can learn came from Ireland and settled in Maryland in or about what year, I have never been able to learn --- only that it was before the war for independence.
My Great Grand Father was Named John, and in company with one of his brothers, Philip, moved and settled in Orange County, N.C., about 10 miles North West of Hillsborough before the Revolutionary War and as a soldier took part in it on the side of the Colonies, and for Independence, but in what division or under what general I have not been able to learn. But his son Ashford Walker, Kept his uniform coat that he wore in the service and carried it with him when he moved from North Carolina to Haywood County, Tennessee, about the year 1830. His daughter Mrs. Wilder who is now living assures me that it was well preserved and that she recollects distinctly how it was made. It was blue trimed with red and she thinks had some marks of being the coat of an officer. I recollect very distinctly up to the year 1848, that there was a military company kept up in that neighborhood and had been for many years before as I was told, and the uniform was a blue coat trimed with red straight breated, cut square back from the front, with a short square skirt behind. I suppose it was the uniform coat of the Company to which my Great Grand Father belonged, as that neighborhood was noted for its numerous and patriocit adherents and supporters of Independence, the principle of whom were the numerous families of Mebanes, who were distinguished for their bravery.
My Great Grand Father married a Miss Ashford and they had Eleven sons, but no daughters. As this was somewhat remarkable I will give their names: I can not give them in the order in which they were born, but only the number of names: William, James, George, Abner, John, Aaron, Philip, Job, Joshua, Ashford, and Hugh. Not a one of the number had a double name that I ever heard of. They all married and settled within a radious of ten miles and all had families and with but one exception, large ones, and so far as I know were all highly respectable people. My Grand Father was named Aaron and married Sallie Bird, and settled and died in that County. My Father was named Empson, a family with which our family was connected as far back as we could learn. My father married Martha Currie, whose father came to this country from Ireland shortly after the war of 1776.
My Father settled in one mile of the old homestead where he lived from1825 until the year of 1842, when he moved to Haywood Co., Tennessee and settled ten miles east of Brownsville.
I was born in Orange County, North Carolina, on the 4th day of October 1828, so I was 14 years old when my Father moved to Tennessee. As there was not a mile of railroad in the State at that time, we moved in wagons and were 33 days on the road.
As we came by the Hermitage, we all went down and made a short call on General Andrew Jackson, who came out and invited us in and although but a small boy, I was very much impressed with his manner and appearance.
I never could go to school long at a time on account of my health, but improved the time I could spare the best I could by studying at home.
My Mother was a good woman -- a strict old time Presbyterian and was careful to train her children and to chatechise them and teach them the way they should live. My Father was not a member of the Church until a few years before his death, when he made a profession of religion and joined the Church. My parents raised three sons and four daughters all of whom were members of the church.
I made a profession of religion and joined the Presbyterian Church at Union on the 16th of August 1846 and was publicly baptised by Rev. J.W. Strother of Brownsville, who was at that time pastor of that Church.
On the 13th day of December 1854, I married Martha Hannah, daughter of John and Mary Williams. I then settled where I now live, two miles North West of Brownsville.
In early life I was inclined to believe in the doctrine commonly known as Armenianism, but after studying the Bible as best I could I became a decided Calvinist. In Church government, I am a Presbyterian believing that to be the form of government adopted by the Apostles. I was first a Deacon in the Church, but in the year of 1869 I was elected and ordained a Ruling Elder in the Church at Brownsville, to which church I moved my membership shortly after I settled there.
In early life I had some desire to be a politician and studied the teachings of Jefferson and Hamilton, they being the leaders of the two great parties that sprang up shortly after the formation of the government. I heartily adopted the doctrines of Jefferson and have been a Democrat all of my life. (<--------***MY NOTE: OMG!!!!) I loved the constitution of my country and was in favor of its being observed and obeyed according to what was known as a strict construction, which I regarded as essential to our prosperity and peace as a great confederacy of States, but when in 1860 I saw that nearly all of the Northern States had by their Legislatures, nullified the provision for the return of fugitive slaves and some of them had made it a felony for a man to even claim one within their borders; and further that time of them (Ohio and Penn.) had through their Governors refused to surrender on requisition of Governor Wishe of Va. some of the accomplices of John Brown in his murderous raid into Va. I came to the conclusion that we had better withdraw from the government and established one our own, especially as the party that approved of Browns raid, was soon to take possession of all parts of the government, so I was in favor of secession and voted for it. I believed that we would have war, but was confidant we would be able to sustain our intependence. I would have enlisted early that I did, but my health was such I could not leave home. I was suffering from an enlarged liver, which produced a distressing cough. My friends thought I was taking consumption, but early in 1864 fearing that the South would soon be overpowered, I volunteered and joined the 14th Tennessee Calvary, commanded at that time by Col. White.
My family Physician, Dr. Sevier remonstrated with me and said that I would be in a hospital soon. He gave me a certificate as to my health, so that I I was not able to stand the service, it would enable me to get a discharge, but contrary to all expectations my health improved rapidly, so in a few months time it was restored so that I have been a healthy man every since. Our Regiment was in active service all year. I was in every fight that the Regiment was in, and whenever a call was made for men to perform any hazardous duty I was always one of the volunteers. On the 24th of September 1864, I was wounded in the right fore arm at the taking of a fort on the Nashville and Decatur R.R. at a place called Sulphur Trestle in North Alabama. I was sent to a hospital at Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi. I was soon furoughed and came home, but as the leaders of my arm were served, it was several months before I was fit for duty, or able to be of any service as a soldier and by that time I saw that the South would have to submit, so I did not return to the command as it would only have been to be parolled.
I submitted as best I could to the inevitable and have been as true and loyal to the government since I was to it before. I never felt that we were rebels, believing that we had the right to withdraw from the Federal Government when ever it failed to give protection to person of our guaranteed rights under the Constitution, this right having been reserved by some of the States when the Government was first founded. I was before the war a pro slavery man, but am now glad that it is forever abolished and at an end.
There being on Chaplin in the Regiment to which I belonged, a man by the name of Coressett and myself agreed at the request of the good men of the Regiment to hold and conduct prayer meeting service whenever we could, which we did until I left when wounded. The men attended the services well and were always very attentive. I found it very profitable to my own spiritual interests and it also gave me many opportunities to do good that I otherwise would not have had. saw so much wickedness in camp that my soul was stired within that I seldom let an opportunity to reprove it pass uninimproved, and I was always treated with respect when I did so. I formed a very strong attachment for my co-laborer brother, Crossett, but have not seen him since I left the battlefield.
I saw many things that amused me, even when under fire. I will give one instance. When General Forrester met the Federal General Smith at Oxford, Miss. the regiment to which I belonged was sent to the front and a line of battle was formed and a skirmish line was thrown forward for two or three hundred yards. I was one of the number and when the enemy advanced, as they soon did the batteries opened fire and as we were between the lines, but below them, the shells flew directly over our heads, making a very unpleasant sound as they passed. And to add to this the enemies sharp-shooters began to fire at us. The man on my left began to complain of being very sick. I told him that I was very hungry as I had not had any thing to eat for several days but green corn, for I could not eat the hard-tack that had been issued as it was badly spoiled. He told me that he had some biscuits in his haversack that I was welcome to as he never did expect to need them. I watched my chance and slipped over to him, he turned his haversack to me and I thrust my right hand in it and found three large, good flour biscuit. I at first thought I would be polite and leave him one at least, but my appetite over powered my regard for politeness, so I brought all three our with my hand, and then hastened back to my post and ate them as quickly as possible for fear I might loose them. Starkey, (for that was his name,) soon became very sick indeed and wanted to leave, but I told him that the moment he left his post or started back across the field that the enemies sharpshooters would bring him down. I laughed heartily when I thought what his condition would be that night, as it was late in the day and I knew he would not be able to get any thing more, at least before the next day. But his loss was my gain that time as the enemy soon fell back and Starkey was ordered into line, while I was ordered forward as one of the pickets for the night and a part of it was spent in skirmishing with the enemy and but for the contents of Starkey's haversack, I would have been in a bad fix.
A few days after the foregoing incident, General Forrest seeing that he could not fight General Smith to advantage as the forces of the later greatly out numbered his, as General Smith had 10,000 infantry, 5,000 Calvary and forty pieces of artilery, while he had only about 4,000 calvary, took 21,000 picked troops and early in the night passed around Smith's right and dashed for Memphis. The regiment to which I belonged was taken, but as I was sick was left, but as soon as I was able to ride went to the front, as General Chalmers was left with the balance of the army in Smith's front to keep him from knowing that Forrest had left. I went to the 7th Tennessee Cavalry and to a company that was from my own neighborhood, commanded by Captain Davis. I found them in line with the enemy immediately in front and momentarily expecting an engagement. I was feverish and suffering for water. I saw what I took to be a spring about 200 yards in front and about half way to where the enemy was. I told Captain Davis that I must have water and that I was going to the spring for it. He asked me If I did not see the enemy burning a mill just beyond the spring and if I went they would be certain to shoot me, but I was so very thirsty I determined to risk it, so mounting my horse I rode leisurely but keeping a sharp watch on the enemy. When I reached the spring I found it a strong one, running from under a little bluff over clear white sand. I dismounted quickly took down the gourd that was hanging by and drank until satisfied, then filling my canteen remounted my horse and taking the reins well in my hands rode slowly back to the lines. The enemy thinking the game was small, or more likely not wishing to bring on a skirmish did not fire at me, for which I was very thankful. I rode up to Captain Davis and said to him, I have some of the coldest and best water I ever drank and offered it to him and he drank heartily.
So here is one final question:
How much longer do you think America is going to last, if we keep letting the liberals teach our children to be ashamed of it and to NOT VALUE OUR FREEDOMS?
I want to see a massive overhaul of the education system in this country before its too late. Especially with how our History is taught. I mean the teacher who taught me, and said the Revolution was about rich white guys not wanting to pay taxes should be run out of this country. He did every single student in the class harm. Liberal teachers need to be given basics that MUST be covered and they need to be told: Either they teach correct- NOT "politically correct"- history, or they don't teach at all. Why should they be allowed to get away with this?
This Fourth of July rant was brought on because I just got done watching Mel Gibson's movie "The Patriot", then I read the article here and I was remebering how horrible and anti-American my History classes were, and it just ticked me off- GRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr- okay I'm finished ranting .
HAPPY FOURTH EVERYBODY!GOD BLESS OUR SOLDIERS ,PRESIDENT BUSH AND FAMILIY,AND GOD BLESS AMERICA! We are going to light off fire works now-Yippeeee- my favorite part of the 4th- I love fire works!!! Have a great night freepers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.