Mountain Boys were worth double their number of redcoats.  About sunset, the greater part of our men were engaged, and the enemy was beaten in every part of the field.  We drove them from the hills down towards Van Shaick’s, killing, wounding, and taking prisoners all the time.  At Van Shaick’s mill they made their last stand.  They had placed a small party of Tories in the building, and a party of Germans rallied in front of it.  But it was no use, the Germans were driven away and the men in the house forced to surrender.  Our men pursued the enemy to the Hoosick, and captured the greater part of ’em.  I really believe, if night hadn’t come on, we would have taken every man of ’em.  But General Stark ordered the men to return, for fear they would fire upon each other in the gloom.  Before I came back, however, I caught a Tory lurking near the edge of the woods.  Now I hated Tories worse than the Britishers or Germans, and I had a strong notion to shoot him, and I told him so; but he begged hard for his life, and said he never intended to take up arms against his countrymen again:  I took him back to our troops and put him with the other prisoners.”

“What was the loss of the enemy that day?” enquired Pitts.

“I heard since, that it was nine hundred and thirty-four men, including killed, wounded, and prisoners,” replied Ransom.  “I recollect we buried two hundred and seven of them.  Our own loss was one hundred killed, and about the same number wounded.  Besides the prisoners, we took four pieces of brass cannon, more than two hundred and fifty swords, several hundred muskets, several brass drums, and four ammunition wagons.  So you see, we had plenty of plunder.”

“I suppose the men were not allowed to take any thing but the swords and muskets,” said Kinnison.

“Yes, the baggage fell to us,” said Ransom, “and all the fixins of the German camp; the cannon, drums, wagons and standards were not taken away.”

“I guess that was one of the completest victories ever gained,” said Kinnison.  “Only to think of militia flogging regulars in that style.  What could the enemy expect from our regulars?”

“There’s as much credit due to General Stark for that victory, as was ever given to him or as we could give to a general,” said Ransom.  “If he had not taken command of the troops, there would have been very little resistance to Baum’s advance.  The plan of attack was formed with great skill, and the general went into the battle with the determination to win it or leave his body on the field.  Such a man as John Stark would make soldiers out of cowards.”

Mr. Hand here proposed three cheers for General Stark and his Green Mountain Boys, and they were given with a hearty will.  One of the young men then announced that he had a song, which had been sung at an anniversary of the battle of Bennington, and which he would now sing, if the company wished it.  Of course, the company did wish it, and the young gentleman sang the following words:—­