This Vermont colonel’s disobedience helped save the American Revolution

Warner’s Desperate Stand at Hubbardton Saves American Army

The Battle of Hubbardton was a fight most Americans never hear about. When British guns showed up at Fort Ticonderoga in July 1777, the Americans ran.

Colonel Seth Warner and his Green Mountain Boys stayed back as the rear guard. They set up camp on Monument Hill with troops from Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

At dawn on July 7, British forces caught them by surprise. For three hours, Warner’s men held their ground.

They lost the battle but won something bigger – time. The delay let the main army escape and later crush the British at Saratoga.

The quiet Hubbardton Battlefield in Vermont still shows where these men made their stand.

British Cannons Forced Americans to Flee Fort Ticonderoga

British troops dragged cannons up Mount Defiance on July 5, 1777, creating big trouble for American forces at Fort Ticonderoga.

General Arthur St. Clair faced a tough choice when enemy guns suddenly showed up on the high ground above him. He ordered a quick nighttime escape, moving his 2,500 men in darkness.

With too few boats, most soldiers had to walk through Vermont. St. Clair led his tired troops on a roundabout path through Hubbardton toward Castleton to avoid the British.

Green Mountain Boys Stayed Behind as Lookouts

Colonel Seth Warner got orders to wait at Hubbardton for the American rear guard. His Vermont fighters, the Green Mountain Boys, took positions with Colonel Nathan Hale’s 2nd New Hampshire Regiment.

Warner put his men at the back of the army as it moved east on the Mount Independence-Hubbardton Military Road.

St. Clair wanted Warner to follow with the rearguard and stop about one and a half miles from the main army at Castleton, giving them time to react if the British caught up.

Simon Fraser’s Troops Raced After the Fleeing Americans

British General Simon Fraser jumped into action early on July 6 when he saw the empty American fort.

He gathered his best forces and chased after them with grenadiers, light infantry, two companies of the 24th Regiment, plus about 100 Loyalists and Indian scouts.

General Friedrich Riedesel followed with his Brunswick fighters, telling the rest of his German troops to catch up quickly.

Fraser pushed his men hard, closing in on Colonel Ebenezer Francis’ 11th Massachusetts Regiment at the back of St. Clair’s army.

Warner Ignored Orders and Made Camp for the Night

Late on July 6, the worn-out troops under Francis and Hale finally reached Hubbardton where Warner waited. Though St. Clair told them to keep going to Castleton, Warner chose to camp overnight instead. He used his past experience from the Quebec campaign to set up his men for defense on Monument Hill.

Warner put guards on the road toward Ticonderoga but didn’t post enough lookouts around the whole area, leaving his men open to surprise.

Tired British Soldiers Camped Just Three Miles Away

General Riedesel caught up with Fraser around 4 PM and took charge as the senior officer. Fraser wanted to keep chasing the Americans, but Riedesel said his tired German troops needed rest.

After talking it over, Fraser got permission to move three more miles forward, putting his forces just three miles from the Americans at Hubbardton.

Both leaders agreed to wake their men at 3 AM on July 7 and start chasing again at first light.

Morning Breakfast Interrupted by Gunfire

Fraser’s troops stumbled through the darkness after their 3 AM wake-up but moved slowly on the rough road. Around 7:15 AM, they neared Hubbardton just as some of Hale’s men were cooking breakfast.

American guards spotted the British and fired warning shots. Francis’ Massachusetts troops had just lined up to march when they heard gunfire.

British soldiers began showing up on the hill behind them, forcing the Americans to quickly change from marching to fighting positions.

Americans Fought Back From Strong Defensive Positions

Massachusetts soldiers quickly took cover and fired a deadly volley at the out-of-breath British troops climbing toward them. The Americans held a strong spot on Monument Hill and stopped several British attacks.

Some of Hale’s New Hampshire men scattered during the surprise but managed to regroup.

British forces, including two companies from Fraser’s 24th Regiment led by Major Robert Grant, attacked along a nearby brook but met strong resistance from the American defenders.

Colonel Francis Almost Turned the Tide of Battle

American troops fell back to Monument Hill and fought off multiple British attacks. Colonel Francis took a bullet in the arm but kept fighting, spotting a weakness in Fraser’s left flank.

He led his Massachusetts men in a bold counterattack up Monument Hill, threatening to break the British line. The Americans pushed back Fraser’s main force, putting the British commander in real trouble.

For a brief moment, it looked like the outnumbered Americans might win against their professional British opponents.

Germans Arrived Singing Battle Hymns

After more than an hour of desperate fighting, Riedesel’s Brunswick grenadiers showed up at the perfect time for the British.

The German troops marched into battle singing hymns with a military band playing beside them, making them seem like a much larger force.

Riedesel sent his grenadiers to help Fraser’s failing flank while sending his jägers against the American center.

The fresh German troops hit the American flank, turning a potential British defeat into a sudden advantage.

Brave Colonel Francis Fell During the Retreat

American lines broke as they found themselves caught between two enemy forces. Soldiers ran across an open field, trying to avoid being surrounded by the British and Germans.

Colonel Francis, already wounded but still shouting orders, died in a volley of musket fire while crossing an exposed wheat field.

His death crushed American morale, sending the remaining troops running across Pittsford Ridge toward Rutland and New Hampshire. The organized defense fell apart into a desperate race for safety.

Three Hours of Fighting Saved the Continental Army

The Battle of Hubbardton cost the Americans dearly: 41 killed, 95 wounded, and 234 captured. British and German forces suffered 60 killed and 138 wounded.

Though technically defeated, Warner’s three-hour stand inflicted such heavy losses that Fraser abandoned further pursuit of St. Clair’s main army.

This breathing room allowed the Continental forces to regroup and later fight successfully at Bennington and Saratoga.

Burgoyne’s ambitious 1777 campaign to split the colonies, first slowed at Hubbardton, eventually ended with his surrender at Saratoga months later.

Visiting Hubbardton Battlefield, Vermont

You can visit Hubbardton Battlefield at 5696 Monument Hill Road in Castleton for $8 (adults) or $1 (kids 6-14).

The visitor center has museum exhibits and a fiber optic battle map showing how Warner’s Green Mountain Boys fought their delaying action.

Walk the battlefield trail with interpretive signs marking where the fighting happened. Check out the 1859 monument too.

The annual Revolutionary War encampment happens July 12-13, 2025.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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