VT, USA
Tonight We Are All Widows or We Are Not
About General John Stark
What Stark said before the battle has been polished into something more quotable than anything a militia general was likely to say in a field in August 1777. The version that entered history — that they would defeat the enemy or Molly Stark would be a widow — is probably a compression of something longer.
What he was communicating was that this was not a professional army following orders. These were men whose farms were at stake. Stark had resigned his Continental commission rather than serve under officers he considered inferior. He took this command voluntarily. The militia that produced the Bennington victory had no supply chain, no pension, no winter quarters. What they had was a reason — and Stark was telling them he understood exactly what that reason was.
The exact words don't matter as much as what they meant: that the men in that field knew what they were fighting for, and that Stark was one of them.
Sources
Primary & Secondary Sources
A State of the Expedition from Canada
J. Almon (London) (General John Burgoyne) · PRIMARY · TIER1
Burgoyne's own published defense of the Saratoga campaign including documents related to the Bennington operation. Contains Baum's correspondence and Burgoyne's retrospective analysis of the defeat.
Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site Interpretive Program
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation · INSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
State historic site documentation for the Bennington Battlefield in New York state, where the actual battle was fought. Includes archaeological survey results, terrain analysis, and interpretive materials.
General John Stark's Report on the Battle of Bennington to General Schuyler, August 22, 1777
Library of Congress, Papers of the Continental Congress · PRIMARY · TIER1
NH Historical Society Primary Source Set — includes Stark's Battle of Bennington report to Gen. Schuyler, August 22, 1777, alongside Hancock and Washington letters. Confirmed live 2026-07-08. Previous URL (memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwcc.html) is a retired AmMemory page.
Lieutenant Colonel Baum's Dispatch to General Burgoyne, August 14-15, 1777
Public Record Office, Kew (British National Archives) / Transcribed in Burgoyne's State of the Expedition · PRIMARY · TIER1
Baum's final communications before the battle describing the composition of his Hessian-British force and his underestimation of American resistance. Published in Burgoyne's parliamentary defense.
Saratoga: A Military History of the Decisive Campaign of the American Revolution
Savas Beatie (John F. Luzader) · SECONDARY · TIER1
Comprehensive military history of the Saratoga campaign with the fullest modern treatment of the Battle of Bennington, analyzing its strategic impact on Burgoyne's subsequent surrender.
Bennington Museum: Bennington Battle Flag and Collections
Bennington Museum · INSTITUTIONAL · TIER2
Museum holding the Bennington Battle Flag--one of the oldest surviving American flags--along with other Revolutionary War artifacts, correspondence, and the famous monument. Collections documentation available on request.
https://historicsites.vermont.gov/bennington-battle/research
historicsites.vermont.gov · SECONDARY · TIER2
Discovered by agentic enrichment for Bennington
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/bennington
www.battlefields.org · SECONDARY · TIER2
Discovered by agentic enrichment for Bennington
https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-battle-of-bennington-an-american-victory-teaching-with-historic-places.htm
www.nps.gov · SECONDARY · TIER2
Discovered by agentic enrichment for Bennington
The Battle of Bennington
Vermont Historical Society (Hiland Hall) · SECONDARY · TIER2
Early scholarly reconstruction of the battle drawing on survivor interviews and regimental records. Still valuable for the Green Mountain Boys' perspective and Vermont militia participation.
The Green Mountain Boys: Vermont's Militia in the American Revolution
Vermont Division for Historic Preservation · SECONDARY · TIER2
Published history of Vermont's militia from the Ethan Allen period through the Bennington campaign, documenting the Green Mountain Boys' evolving organization and their decisive role at Bennington.
The Toll of Independence: Engagements and Battle Casualties of the American Revolution
University of Chicago Press (Howard H. Peckham, ed.) · SECONDARY · TIER2
Standard reference providing verified casualty figures for the Battle of Bennington: approximately 207 British and Hessian killed, 700 captured, and fewer than 100 American casualties.
Vermont Historical Society: Battle of Bennington Collections
Vermont Historical Society · INSTITUTIONAL · TIER2
Archival and museum collections including militia muster rolls, correspondence, regimental flags, and artifacts from the Battle of Bennington and the Green Mountain Boys.
Battle of Bennington -- Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundation · TERTIARY · TIER3
General reference overview of the battle with map and order of battle. Narrative is accurate in outline; casualty figures and tactical details should be verified against Luzader and Peckham.
Visit Bennington: Battle Anniversary and Heritage Sites
Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce · TERTIARY · TIER3
Tourism resources for Bennington including the Bennington Battle Monument, Bennington Museum, and the annual Battle of Bennington celebration held each August.