Use | Civil and war flag |
---|---|
Proportion | Approx. 2:3 |
Adopted | Circa 1776 |
Design | Green field with a blue canton containing 13 white stars in a "natural pattern" |
The Green Mountain Boys flag, also known as the Stark flag, is a reconstruction of a regimental flag commonly stated to have been used by the Green Mountain Boys. [1] [2] The flag of the Green Mountain Boys has also been associated with the Vermont Republic. [3] A remnant of a Green Mountain Boys flag, originally belonging to John Stark, is owned by the Bennington Museum. [4] It still exists as one of the few regimental flags from the American Revolution. Although Stark was at the Battle of Bennington and likely flew this flag, the battle has become more commonly associated with the Bennington flag, which is believed to be a 19th-century banner. [5]
Today the flag is used as the regimental flag of the Vermont National Guard unit. The regimental flag, known also as a "battle flag" or war flag, accompanies the unit on battle assignments and is physically handed to the commander of the regiment, as described by former Vermont National Guard Adjutant General Martha Rainville in an interview. [6] The flag is also a symbol of the Vermont secessionist movement.[ citation needed ] The Castleton University football team has also featured the flag in its pre-game ceremonies since its inception in 2009.[ citation needed ] Proposals have been considered to change the state flag of Vermont back to the flag to the Green Mountain Boys' design, but none have succeeded. [7]
The common reconstruction consists of a green field and a constellation of thirteen five-pointed white stars representing the thirteen colonies arranged in a natural pattern within an azure canton. The existing fragments consist of the canton from the flag, which has remnants of green silk on three sides, and a piece of green cloth with flourish from elsewhere on the flag. [4]
The Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization established in 1770 in the territory between the British provinces of New York and New Hampshire, known as the New Hampshire Grants and later in 1777 as the Vermont Republic. Headed by Ethan Allen and members of his extended family, it was instrumental in resisting New York's attempts to control the territory, over which it had won de jure control in a territorial dispute with New Hampshire.
The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, part of the Saratoga campaign, that took place on August 16, 1777, on a farm in Walloomsac, New York, about 10 miles (16 km) from its namesake, Bennington, Vermont. A rebel force of 2,000 men, primarily New Hampshire and Massachusetts militiamen, led by General John Stark, and reinforced by Vermont militiamen led by Colonel Seth Warner and members of the Green Mountain Boys, decisively defeated a detachment of General John Burgoyne's army led by Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum, and supported by additional men under Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich von Breymann.
Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous town in southern Vermont, the second-largest town in Vermont and the sixth-largest municipality in the state.
The several branches of the United States Armed Forces are represented by flags. Within the U.S. military, various flags fly on various occasions, and on various ships, bases, camps, and military academies.
The flag of the state of Vermont displays the coat of arms and motto of the U.S. state of Vermont on a rectangular blue background. The Vermont General Assembly adopted this flag on June 1, 1923.
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago. The Roman Empire also made battle standards reading SPQR a part of their vast armies. It was formalized in the armies of Europe in the High Middle Ages, with standards being emblazoned with the commander's coat of arms.
Seth Warner was an American soldier. He was a Revolutionary War officer from Vermont who rose to the rank of Continental colonel and was often given the duties of a brigade commander. He is best known for his leadership in the capture of Fort Crown Point, the Battle of Longueuil, the siege of Quebec, the retreat from Canada, and the battles of Hubbardton and Bennington.
The Bennington Battle Monument is a 306-foot-high (93 m) stone obelisk located at 15 Monument Circle, in Bennington, Vermont, United States. The monument commemorates the Battle of Bennington during the American Revolutionary War.
The Regulation Colours are the standard colours used in the armed forces of the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The geologic history of Vermont begins more than 450 million years ago during the Cambrian and Devonian periods.
Timothy Bedel was a soldier and local leader prominent in the early history of New Hampshire and Vermont.
Molly Stark, née Elizabeth Page was the wife of General John Stark, made famous by his battle cry during the American Revolutionary War. Described as "mother of 11 children, homemaker, patriot, and defender of the household", there are locations and landmarks named for her in at least four states.
The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mountain Boys as their banner. In 2009, they had 2,600 members.
Vermont Route 9 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Vermont. The highway runs 46.957 miles (75.570 km) from the New York state line in Bennington, where it continues west as New York State Route 7, to the New Hampshire state line at the Connecticut River in Brattleboro, where the highway continues as New Hampshire Route 9. VT 9 is the primary east–west highway of Bennington and Windham counties in southern Vermont. The highway connects Southern Vermont's primary towns of Bennington and Brattleboro via its crossing of the Green Mountains. VT 9 also connects those towns with Troy, New York, and Keene, New Hampshire, via the connecting highways in those states. The highway also intersects three major north–south routes: U.S. Route 7 in Bennington and Interstate 91 (I-91) and US 5 in Brattleboro.
Martha T. Rainville is a retired U.S. Air Force officer who attained the rank of major general. She was the first woman in U.S. history to become a state adjutant general when she served in that post with the Vermont National Guard.
The Bennington flag is a version of the American flag associated with the American Revolution Battle of Bennington, from which it derives its name. Its distinguishing feature is the inclusion of a large '76' in the canton, a reference to the year 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed.
The Bennington Battlefield is the Rensselaer County, New York, location where the Battle of Bennington occurred on the 16th of August 1777. It is located on New York State Route 67 in Walloomsac, New York, a historic route between Bennington, Vermont and the Hudson River. Here, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts militia under General John Stark rebuffed a British attempt led by Colonel Friedrich Baum to capture American stores. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. A portion of the battlefield is preserved in the Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site. The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved more than 23 acres of the battlefield not already part of the state historic site.
The Vermont State Guard (VSG) is the all-volunteer state defense force of the state of Vermont. The Vermont State Guard serves parallel to the Vermont National Guard, acting as a reserve force for the State of Vermont Military Department. The Vermont State Guard is a reserve force composed of individuals living as civilians when not activated, but the force can be activated in the event of an attack or natural disaster to serve as a force multiplier for the National Guard, and is assigned to fulfill the state mission of the National Guard when the National Guard is deployed.
The Bennington Museum is an accredited museum with notable collections of art and regional history. It is located at 75 Main Street, Bennington, Vermont, USA.
The 172nd Cavalry Regiment is an armored cavalry regiment of the Vermont Army National Guard, with one battalion currently active. First organized in 1861, the regiment has seen combat in the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the War on Terror. Originally an infantry regiment, elements of the unit were consolidated with an antiaircraft unit in 1959 and converted into an armored regiment. In 1964, the remainder of the 172nd Infantry was consolidated with the 172nd Armor, as an armored regiment. In 2007, elements became an armored cavalry regiment. In 1982, a new infantry unit designated the 172nd Infantry Regiment was organized in the Vermont Army National Guard, but it is not lineally related to the previous 172nd Infantry/Cavalry, sharing the numerical designation only for historical purposes.