In 1777, General John Stark kept the British from turning the tables on the Americans when a large raiding force sought to take precious supplies at Bennington, Vermont. General Stark’s militia led the Americans in decisively defeating the British force. This crucially important battle improved the American forces’ morale and so weakened General Burgoyne’s army as to aid in its capture two months later at Saratoga. Burgoyne’s defeat brought the French into the war against Britain and ensured an American victory. The flag flying over the military stores at Bennington was an unusual one. Like some other American banners of the time, this one had 13 stripes - only the two outer ones were white instead of red. Like the other contemporary flags, this one displayed 13 stars against a blue square - only 11 were arranged in a semi-circle over the numbers “76,” while the twelfth and thirteenth appeared in the upper corners of the blue canton. This banner, with its unconventional arrangement of Stars and Stripes, is known today as the Bennington Flag, and was widely reproduced for display during the Bicentennial.