The "Bennington" battle was actually fought right here in Hoosick

Here is a fun bit of neighborhood pride: the Battle of Bennington, one of the big turning points of the Revolutionary War, was not actually fought in Bennington, Vermont. The real fighting happened right here on the New York side of the line, at Walloomsac near Hoosick Falls. It just got named for the Vermont supply depot the British were marching toward.

On August 16, 1777, American militia led by General John Stark of New Hampshire and Colonel Seth Warner of Vermont beat back a detachment of British General Burgoyne’s army. The win cost Burgoyne men and supplies he could not spare, and it helped set up the American victory at Saratoga that fall. That is some serious history for a quiet corner of the Capital Region.

Today you can walk the ground yourself at Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site on Route 67. There is a trail system of a little under three miles, a picnic area, and interpretive signs that walk you through how the day unfolded. Guided tours run during the warm-weather season and can be set up by appointment, so it makes for an easy, low-cost afternoon with the kids or out-of-town guests.

If you want the human side of the story, the Louis Miller Museum on Main Street in the village, run by the Hoosick Township Historical Society, ties the battle into the broader history of the town. Between the battlefield and the museum, you can spend a full day learning why this little mill village mattered to a young country.