>> IN AUGUST 1777, BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN STARK AND HIS
COLONIAL TROOPS DEFEATED A CONTINGENT FROM GENERAL JOHN
BURGOYNE'S BRITISH ARMY IN WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE BATTLE OF
BENINGTON.
IT'S BEEN CALLED A KEY TURNING POINT IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION.
IN BENINGTON, VERMONT THEY BUILT A MONUMENT IN 1889 TO
COMMEMORATE THIS OFTEN OVERLOOKED EVENT FROM THE EARLY
DAYS OF OUR NATION.
>> THIS IS THE BENINGTON MONUMENT, PLACE ON THE MAIN
STREET OF WHAT WAS BENINGTON IN 1777.
JOHN STARK WANTED TO PROTECT THIS VILLAGE, AND THEY BEGAN THE
FIGHT OF PROTECTING YOUR VILLAGE, NOT IN THE VILLEGE, BUT
OUT ON THE RIVER.
THEY CALLED IT THE BATTLE OF BENDINGTON BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT
WAS BEING PROTECTED.
BURGOYNE WAS COMING DOWN FROM MONTREAL.
HE WOULD PROPOSE THE THREE-POINT PLANNED ATTACK, GENERAL HOWL WAS
TO COME UP FROM NEW YORK AND OVER THE MOHAWK RIVER AND MEET
HIM IN ALBANY.
IT WAS A GOOD IDEA ON PAPER, IF IT WORKED OUT, BUT SO MANY
THINGS IN REAL LIFE DON'T, AS THIS ONE DIDN'T.
HE WENT AFTER GEORGE WASHINGTON.
THEY FELL VICTIM TO A ROUIX, BENEDICT ARNOLD LET OUT THE
RUMOR THAT HE HAD 5,000 MEN COMING AFTER HIM, AND HE ONLY
HAD 500 HIMSELF, SO HE TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO CANADA.
SO BURGOYNE WAS LEFT ON HIS OWN.
IT GOT STARTED AT 3:00 IN THE AFTERNOON, AUGUST 16.
JOHN STARK TALKS ABOUT IT BEING ONE SOUND FOR THE WHOLE DAY,
PRACTICALLY.
AND THEY LOST ABOUT 200 MEN.
WE LOST ABOUT 25.
BUT, WE CAPTURED ABOUT 700.
I THINK THAT IT WAS JEFFERSON WHO SAID THE BATTLE FOUGHT AT
BENINGTON WAS THE FIRST LINK IN A LONG CHAIN OF EVENTS IN THE
FREEDOM OF AMERICA, LOOKING AHEAD TODAY.
>> WELCOME TO THE BENINGTON BATTLE MONUMENT, AND LET ME SHOW
YOU INSIDE.
THE BENNINGTON BATTLE MONUMENT IS AN OBALISQU QUE, THIS ONE IS
NOT FLAT, IT DATES BACK TO THE EGYPTIAN TIMES.
THEY LIFTED THE STONES, USING STEAM POWERED BARRACKS.
THE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE OF THIS ONE IS HEADER IN STRUCTURE.
IT'S A BIT LIKE THE OLD TETRA ONES WHERE YOU LOCK ONE HEADWAY
AND ONE CROSSES LIKE ATON, AND IT GOES UP, AND THERE IS NO IRON
IN THIS.
WHEN YOU GET TO THE TOP OF THIS, MONUMENT, YOU DON'T GET ANY SWAY
LIKE YOU DO IN A MODERN BUILDING.
THE MONUMENT WAS BUILT IN 1887.
IT WAS COMPLETED IN 1891.
AND IT WAS DEDICATED ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF VERMONT
BECOMING AMERICA'S 14 OF THE STATE.
ONE OF THE PRIMARY MOVERS AND SHAKERS FOR THIS, WAS A FELLOW
NAMED HIGHLAND HALL, HE BECAME THE GOVERNOR, AND HE WAS OUR
FIRST HISTORIAN.
THE FELLOW WHO WAS OUR ARCHITECT, IS J. PHILIP OUT OF
BOSTON.
HE HAD A WAY OF TELLING KIND OF A STORY, USING ARCHITECTURE.
306 FEET, 4.5 INCHES TO THE TOP OF THE STAR, THE TWO BANDS YOU
SEE UP THERE, THE LOWER ONE, THE NARROW ONE IS 8 FEET TALL, AND
JUST HAPPENS TO BE IN THE REVOLUTION.
THE WIDER BAND THAT YOU SEE UP THERE, 13 FEET TALL, 13
COLONIES.
AND THE OBSERVATION LEVELS, AT THE 177.7 FEET, THOSE ARE THE
DIGITS THAT ARE IN THE YEAR OF THE ACTUAL BATTLE.
IS THIS AN IMPORTANT SYMBOL?
YES.
IS IT A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT?
YES.
IS THERE SOMETHING MORE, MOST DEFINITELY.
OF THOSE 700 SOLDIERS, WHO WERE CAPTURED HERE, MANY OF THEM SAID
LOOK, WE HAVE GOT NOTHING FOR US BACK HOME.
YOU HAVE GOT ALL OF THIS.
IF WE LAY DOWN OUR ARMS, CAN WE STAY?
WE SAID YEAH.
AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THE CORRIDOR TO NEW YORK, AND YOU CAN FOLLOW
THE CORRIDOR TO BOSTON.
AND YOU WILL FIND VILLAGES AND CITIES AND TOWNS THAT HAVE
FAMILIES THAT CAN TRACE THEIR ROOTS BACK TO THIS AFTERNOON.
THIS AUGUST 16th, 1777.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS IMPORTANT.
TO UNDERSTAND, THEY BECAME CITIZENS, YOU KNOW.
THEY ARE PART OF WHAT AMERICA IS.
THIS IS WHY WE'RE HERE.