The Battle of Hubbardton: The Rear Guard Action That Saved America

British and German troops ran into stubborn rebel resistance at Hubbardton, Vermont, on July 7, 1777. The day would ultimately turn the tide for the Patriot cause. After capturing Fort Ticonderoga, the British, under Lieutenant General John Burgoyne, pursued a retreating Continental army under Major General Arthur St. Clair. In the fields and hills around Hubbardton, a tenacious American rear guard of about 1,200 derailed the British generals plan for a quick march to Albany. The British won a tactical victory, but they suffered precious losses. Patriots, under Colonel Seth Warner, Colonel Ebenezer Francis and Colonel Nathan Hale, left the British and Germans bloodied while also saving untold casualties from their own army. Burgoyne and his weakened force ultimately surrendered at Saratoga on October 17, 1777, paving the way for a French alliance with the colonies and American independence.

Dr. Bruce M. Venter is president of America's History, LLC, a tour and conference company that offers tours of Revolutionary War battlefields and historic sites. The company annually holds a nationally recognized conference on the American Revolution in Williamsburg, Virginia. Dr. Venter serves as first vice-president of the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond. His forthcoming book, Kill Jeff Davis: Union Raid on Richmond," will be published by the University of Oklahoma Press in 2015."