Existing comment:
. . . again the rebels rushed furiously on our men.
-- a Hessian soldier
Panel 8, 1954
The Battle of Bennington on August 16, 1777, was a violent clash between a group of combatants whose backgrounds were diverse in nationality and race. Uniformed Hessian, or German-born, professional soldiers hired by the British army were among the enemy troops that battled against the American "rebel" forces, which included black soldiers, as Lawrence did in this painting. By quoting a letter written on August 31, 1777, by a Hessian soldier, Lawrence used the words of the defeated opponent to testify to the strength of the Americans. |