John Stark's Glory, Part Ii

...Baum’s men were caught in a hot cross-fire, many quickly were sent to the grave, their Indian allies wisely pulled out, seeing no victory to be had that day. The militia just kept pushing closer, and destroyed the Hessian powder cart, they charged their positions, muskets as clubs, the mercenaries began to loose heart. Then Colonel Baum, in his desperation, ordered his men out on a sabre charge, they bulled straight ahead at the militia, but were cut down before they got that far. Baum himself was wounded mortally, the attack being his final stand, and all the remaining British forces dropped their guns, quickly threw up their hands. The Americans had taken the hill, and went about looting the Hessians’ supplies, they were busy securing their prisoners when a new shock came before their eyes. Six-hundred-fifty more Hessian soldiers, with Heinrich von Breymann in the lead, fell upon the tired, disordered rebels, pressing the fight with surprising speed. Now Stark and his men were driven on back, struggling hard to restore formation, but at that moment the Green Mountain Boys arrived to fight for the young nation. Three-hundred-fifty threw in with John Stark, the shock British advance quickly stalled, they battled Breymann until twilight’s gloom, the Americans let him have it all. By nightfall Breymann had lost a quarter of his force, was outnumbered and mired, he’d lost all his cannons, and deduced that the only choice left was to retire. He retreated west, back to Burgoyne’s force, no attempt at a pursuit was made, Burgoyne’s mighty raid had found only blood, nine hundred casualties he had paid. Those men would’ve been useful in weeks to come, when the British went against General Gates, at Saratoga, Burgoyne faced a rout, his surrender still recalled to his day. Stark was hailed a hero for his actions, for facing down the foe eye-to-eye, what else could be expected from the great man who would declare we should ‘Live Free or Die.’ He and the militia had changed the fight, and covered themselves in great glory, by striking a blow for liberty’s cause, so a new nation might begin its story…