Volume 7, Number 4 February 2017 Chapter Officers for 2017 Welcome to this issue of your Colorado River Chapter, Red, White and Blue Newsletter. This Newsletter is an official publication of the Colorado River Chapter, AZSSAR.

We hope you enjoy this Newsletter and the updates and information it provides.

Chapter Meetings

Next Chapter Meeting February 11th Mohave County Library Lake Havasu City L to R: Jimmie Bodenhamer, Registrar/Genealogist; Michael Boop, Secretary/Treasurer; Donald Colorado River Chapter rotates meetings between Reighard, President; Ray Lackey, Vice-President Kingman and Lake Havasu in hopes that one location will be more appealing to you than the other.

Our meeting location in Kingman is Mohave Chapter Member Birthdays Community College, 1971 Jaegerson Ave, Kingman, which is about 4-5 miles north of I-40. The meeting February 2017 room is in the Library Building in a really nice conference room across from the Library. Ronald Smith – 25th Our meeting location in Lake Havasu is Mohave County Library in the K-Mart Plaza at 1770 North March 2017 McCulloch Blvd, Lake Havasu City. James McConnell – 4th Ray Lackey – 24th Donald Reighard – 29th

Jimmie Bodenhamer - 29th () Michael Patrick Boop 7 July 1777

This battle occurred on a clear and warm day with American Lieutenant Colonel Warner’s 1,100 soldiers serving as a rear guard for the Patriots who were occupying a1, 000 foot elevation known as Zion Hill east of what is today known as East Hubbardton, . This hill is the dominate terrain feature in an area known for its thickly wooded hills.

President Donald Reighard presents Michael Boop his Supplemental Certificate for his Patriot ancestor Joseph Mishler

Joseph Mishler was from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and served as a Private in the Militia with Captain Smuller’s Company, 9th Battalion from Apr-May 1779 and Captain Ream’s Company, 3d Battalion from Dec 1780 to 1783.

Campaigns and Battles of the American Revolution (1775-1783)

Our series on Battles of the American Revolution continues with this issue’s installment – Battle of Hubbardton (Saratoga Campaign). I hope you find it interesting and informative! Earlier in the spring of 1777, (as you may recall from previous battles) British Major General Burgoyne had been dispatched to Quebec to take charge of British forces in Canada and lead an offensive into western , in an attempt to crush Patriot forces in the region. It had been anticipated that once he easily crushed the Schuyler had tasked St. Clair to defend the fort, and Patriot soldiers in western NY that he would march surrounding area, which is what led up to St. Clair’s south to Albany and join up with British General decision to give of the fort in order to protect his Howe’s army already there for additional offensive men, once Burgoyne’s men had occupied Mt operations. Defiance directly above .

Burgoyne led a 9,100 soldier expeditionary force The American with drawl after dark on 5 July, had south along to capture Fort been covered by Colonel Long’s men, but as he Ticonderoga, while at the same time Lieutenant withdrew, his forces almost found themselves trapped Colonel St. Leger lead 2,000 men who were to march in Skenesboro on the afternoon of 6 July, and to around to the west and attack Patriots operating in the avoid capture he ordered the town to be set on fire, Mohawk Valley before moving to Albany. and so that in the confusion, his men would be able to move toward Hubbardton (now East Hubbardton), While these operations were proceeding, General Vermont. Howe would lead the main British army north up the from New York City to join St. Leger St. Clair’s with drawl route had been different, as he and Burgoyne at Albany. moved his 2,500 men overland, south through Castleton with the intention on joining up with Long, It was hoped that these operations if successful would and much of the American artillery train at crush Patriot rebellion in New York and separate Skenesboro. New England form the rest of the colonies. However, on the way St. Clair passed through the Burgoyne reached Fort Ticonderoga in late June tiny village of Hubbardton. In doing so St. Clair left 1777, and immediately captured critical high ground Militia Lieutenant Colonel Warner behind on high above the fort which made American occupation of ground to guide trailing regiments on the Castleton. the fort untenable. American General St. Clair made But instead of the 150 men St. Clair had intended to the decision to evacuate Fort Ticonderoga on the leave Warner, he ended up with about 1,000 soldiers night of 5 July. in a camp around which he failed to post pickets for security. The British did not discover the American with drawl until the next morning. Burgoyne immediately While Werner’s men held an advantageous position orders a pursuit in an attempt to capture and destroy on Zion Hill (known today as Monument Hill) the Patriot army. without having positioned a proper advance guard the position was nearly worthless against a veteran British Brigadier General Fraser’s forces along with British army. Major General Friedrich von Riedesel’s Hessians as part of the pursuit joined forces the afternoon of Brigadier General Fraser attacked with 750 men from 6 July and camped later that day just three miles from the west at 4:40 am, & July. His initial was struck a the American rear guard. When the British regiment of New Hampshire troops commanded by discovered the Americans were so close Frasier American Colonel Hale while they were cooking decided to attack the next morning. breakfast along a small stream. This assault routed the New England infantry. For the Americans, Burgoyne’s movement into western New York had forced the scattered Patriots Warner along with regimental commander Colonel to continue to funnel into Fort Ticonderoga where Francis hastily formed their regiments and unleashed they had joined men led by Major General Schuyler a volley into the front line of attackers, killing and who was commander of American force in western wounding two dozen including some high ranking New York and this had increased the forces at the field officers. fort significantly. After this counterattack by the Patriots, the fighting Most of Warner’s men managed to reassemble and front stabilized into a 900 yard line stretching from continue evading the British southward towards the 1,200 foot rocky and wooded Zion Hill on the Bennington, VT. American left into woods on the far right. The British were forced to advance under fire uphill This heavy battle had seesawed back and forth in the which made their assault harder. Vermont thickets for more than two hours, one of the war’s leading historians claims the forgotten battle of Being the good tactician Fraser was quick to realize Hubbardton was “as bloody as Waterloo’ when one the hill was the key terrain on the field of battle, and considers the proportion of casualties to the numbers stripped men from his own left flank to increase the involved in the fighting that were either killed, punch on his right flank. It is unknown but the wounded, or captures. But estimates of losses on Americans were either forced back or by design they both sides vary greatly. allowed their left flank on the hill to slowly bend backward, which made it harder for the British to The delaying action combat at Hubbardton was a find the flank and turn and collapse it completely. British tactical success, but an American strategic victory. Warner’s initially inept stand succeeded in Colonel Francis who was commanding the delaying Burgoyne’s advance long enough to put a Americans on the right began to gain ground with his more comfortable distance between the British army Massachusetts infantry against the weakened British and St. Clair’s main American column. left flank. All along the line Patriot infantry soldiers enjoyed the advantage of fighting Indian-style from Warner’s efforts allowed St. Clair enough time to behind trees and rocks – tactics the British did not move his men southward into Vermont towards Fort fully understand or train for. This fighting while at Ann and farther south to Fort Edward on the Hudson close quarters resulted in mounting British losses. River. This route along the Hudson River to these frontier outposts wound through a thickly forested The British and Fraser were fortunate as von Riedesel region, throughout which the Patriots felled trees arrived with his grenadiers and jagers. He, too, was a from Skenesboro to Fort Edward, and also dug capable officer and quickly realized the difficulties ditches and emplaced obstacles at strategic locations they were facing that morning, and without wasting along this route, to slow the British pursuit. time, the German general pitched in his troops as quickly as they arrived, some directly forward, and This effort by the Patriots caused the British to take 3 others around to find and roll up the American flank. weeks to travel 20 miles and they did not reach the Von Riedesel ordered his band to play and his men outskirts of Fort Edward until 29 July 1777, but by sang, which had a tendency to unnerve enemy troops this time the Americans were in the vicinity of and convince them they were facing overwhelming Saratoga. numbers. The actions by the Patriots at Hubbardton we know Within minutes American Colonel Francis was killed, today signaled the beginning of the end of as the grenadiers had found Francis’s flank, and the Burgoyne’s campaign and just three months later at Massachusetts regiment was falling back. When Saratoga, Major General Burgoyne would surrender Fraser’s men finally launched a bayonet attack his entire army to American Major General Horatio against the Vermont troops on the high ground, Gates. Warner knew he had pushed his luck as far as possible. But instead of ordering a traditional Casualties; British: 35 killed, 150 wounded; withdrawal, he spread the word to “scatter and meet American: 40 killed, 40 wounded, and 234 captured me at Manchester.” (estimates), 12 artillery pieces lost.

Source: A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Savas and Dameron. NEXT: Battle of Fort Stanwix and Oriskany (Saratoga Campaign), 6 Aug 1777

Hubbardton Battlefield State Park

Hubbardton Battlefield today is a state park is managed by the State of Vermont. The park is located at 5696 Monument Hill Road, six miles east from Vermont Route 30 in Hubbardton or seven miles off Exit 5, US Route 4 in Castleton, Rutland County, Vermont.

This was the only battle fought in Vermont during the Revolutionary War. This is west side of Monument Hill where British forces attacked up this hill.

Battlefield and Visitors Center The military road to Hubbardton passed (and still does) through the center gap in the hills in the background

Hubbardton Battle Monument Located on top of Monument Hill this is the oldest Entrance to Visitors Center Revolutionary War battle monument in the US Another beautiful place in America to visit! Calendar of Upcoming Events Membership February 1st If you need assistance with a membership issue, or Chapter Newsletter Mailed know someone interested in joining the NSSAR, please provide me the contact information and I will February 11th work the issue for you. Colorado River Chapter Meeting Lake Havasu City

Jimmie Bodenhamer, Registrar/Genealogist, February 14th Colorado River Chapter AZSSAR, 5805 N Cedar Valentine’s Day Ridge Lane, Kingman, AZ 86409-9345, [email protected], (928) 692-6636. February 20th Presidents Day

March 1st Chapter Officers Chapter Newsletter Mailed Ash Wednesday Donald Reighard – President – (928) 680-4087 March 11th Ray Lackey – Vice President – (928) 754-1941 Colorado River Chapter Meeting Kingman Mike Boop – Secretary/Treasurer – (928) 753-7968 March 12th Jimmie Bodenhamer – Registrar/Genealogist – (928) Daylight Savings Time Begins 692-6636 March 17th St Patrick’s Day

April 1st Chapter Newsletter Mailed

Newsletter Editor

Hope you enjoyed this newsletter and I look forward to any comments or suggestions. Jimmie Bodenhamer, Editor, [email protected]. Need another copy of this Newsletter? It is on our AZ SAR website link.