General john burgoyne revolutionary war reenactment

Early in the morning on July 7th, 1777, musket shots rang out over the ridge in Hubbardton, Vermont.

This was the only Revolutionary War battle fought entirely on Vermont soil. More than two centuries later, at 8 a.m. on a bright Sunday, nearly 200 reenactors loaded up their muskets and walked out on that same grassy hill in front of a crowd of spectators.

In July 1777, the British had invaded from Canada and were trying to split New England from the rest of the colonies.

General john burgoyne revolutionary war reenactment clothing

British General John Burgoyne chased the Americans from Mount Independence in Orwell, Vermont 20 miles southeast to Hubbardton. That's where the American rear guard engaged Burgoyne’s troops. It was a minor battle, and the British won the field.

"While the American force considered themselves defeated, in fact it was a strategic victory," said Rob Keenan, who narrated the reenactmen