in 1777 the british ministry had planned, in addition to the operations of the main army against philadelphia, an invasion from canada, apprehensions of which had led the americans into their late unsuccessful attempt to conquer that province. such supplies of men or money as they asked for were readily voted; but in england, as well as in america, enlistments were a matter of difficulty. lord george germaine was possessed with an idea, of which sir william howe found it very difficult to disabuse him, that recruits might be largely obtained among the american loyalists. in spite, however, of all the efforts of tryon, delancey, and skinner, the troops of that description hardly amounted as yet to twelve hundred men; and howe complained, not without reason, of the tardiness of the ministers in filling up his army.
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the american northern department, again placed under the sole command of schuyler, had been so bare of troops during the winter that serious apprehensions had been felt lest ticonderoga might be taken by a sudden movement from canada over the ice. the northern army was still very feeble; and the regiments designed to reinforce it filled up so slowly, notwithstanding the offer of large additional bounties, that massachusetts, connecticut, and new hampshire were obliged to resort to a kind of conscription, a draft of militia men to serve for twelve months as substitutes till the regiments could be filled. in forming121 the first new england army, the enlistment of negro slaves had been specially prohibited; but recruits of any color were now gladly accepted, and many negroes obtained their freedom by enlistment.
the middle and southern colonies, whence washington’s recruits were principally to come, were still more behind-hand. of the men enlisted in those states, many were foreign-born, redemptioners, or indented servants, whose attachment to the cause could not fully be relied upon. congress had offered bounties in land to such germans as might desert from the british, and howe now retorted by promising rewards in money to foreigners deserting the american service. congress, as a countervailing measure, at washington’s earnest request relinquished a plan they had adopted of stopping a portion of the pay of the indented servants in the army as a compensation to their masters for loss of service. that compensation was left to be provided for at the public expense, and the enlisted servants were all declared freemen.
washington was still at morristown, waiting with no little anxiety the movements of the british. the expected reinforcements and supplies, especially tents, the want of which had kept howe from moving, had at last arrived. burgoyne had assumed the command in canada; but what his intentions were washington did not know—whether he would advance by way of lake champlain, or, what seemed more probable, would take shipping in the st. lawrence and join howe in new york. nor could he tell whether howe would move up the hudson to co-operate with burgoyne, or whether he would attempt philadelphia; and if so, whether by land or water.
philadelphia, however, seemed the most probable object of attack; and the more effectually to cover that city, leaving putnam in the highlands with a division of eastern troops, washington, on may 28th, moved to a piece of strong ground at middlebrook, about twelve miles from princeton. he had with him forty-three battalions, arranged122 in ten brigades and five divisions; but these battalions were so far from being full that the whole amounted to only eight thousand men.
on june 13th howe marched out of new brunswick with a powerful army, designing apparently to force his way to philadelphia. washington called to his aid a large part of the troops in the highlands; the new jersey militia turned out in force; arnold, to whom had been assigned the command at philadelphia, was busy with mifflin in preparing defences for the delaware. it was howe’s real object, not so much to penetrate to philadelphia as to draw washington out of his intrenchments and to bring on a general engagement, in which, upon anything like equal ground, the british general felt certain of victory. with that intent he made a sudden and rapid retreat, evacuated new brunswick even, and fell back to amboy. the bait seemed to take; the american van, under stirling, descended to the low grounds, and washington moved with the main body to quibbletown. but when howe turned suddenly about and attempted to gain the passes and heights on the american left, washington, ever on the alert, fell rapidly back to the strong ground at middlebrook. in this retrograde movement stirling’s division lost a few men and three pieces of artillery; but the american army was soon in a position in which howe did not choose to attack it.
defeated in this attempt to bring on a general action, and having made up his mind to approach philadelphia by water, the british commander, on june 30th, withdrew into staten island, where he embarked the main body of his army, not less than sixteen thousand strong, leaving clinton, who had been lately honored with the order of the bath, to hold new york with five thousand men, and, by expeditions up the hudson and into new jersey, to co-operate as well with burgoyne as with the attack upon philadelphia.
washington knew from spies, of whom he always had123 a number in new york, that a fleet of transports was fitting out there, but its destination was kept secret. perhaps howe meant to proceed up the hudson to co-operate with burgoyne; and the probability of such a movement seemed to be increased by the arrival of news that burgoyne was advancing up lake champlain. perhaps, with the same object of aiding burgoyne, howe might make an attempt upon boston, thus finding employment at home for the new england militia and preventing any reinforcements to schuyler’s army. under these impressions, washington moved slowly toward the hudson; but when the british fleet went to sea, he retraced his steps toward the delaware; and news arriving that the ships had been seen off cape may, he advanced to germantown. instead of entering the delaware, the british fleet was presently seen steering to the eastward, and all calculations were thus again baffled. it was thought that howe was returning to new york or had sailed for new england, and the army was kept ready to march at a moment’s notice. washington, in the interval, proceeded to philadelphia and there had an interview with congress.
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the force in canada at burgoyne’s disposal had been a good deal underrated by washington and by congress; nor could they be induced to believe that anything was intended in that quarter beyond a feigned attack upon ticonderoga, in order to distract attention from philadelphia. hence the less pains had been taken to fill up the ranks of the northern army, which, indeed, was much weaker than congress had supposed. at least ten thousand men were necessary for the defence of ticonderoga alone; but st. clair, who commanded there, had only three thousand, very insufficiently armed and equipped. the posts in the rear were equally weak.
it was a part of burgoyne’s plan not merely to take ticonderoga, but to advance thence upon albany, and, with the co-operation of the troops at new york, to get124 possession also of the posts in the highlands. the british would then command the hudson through its whole extent, and new england, the head of the rebellion, would be completely cut off from the middle and southern colonies.
burgoyne started on this expedition with a brilliant army of eight thousand men, partly british and partly germans, besides a large number of canadian boatmen, laborers, and skirmishers. on the western shore of lake champlain, near crown point, he met the six nations in council, and, after a feast and a speech, some four hundred of their warriors joined his army. his next step, on june 29th, was to issue a proclamation, in a very grandiloquent style, setting forth his own and the british power, painting in vivid colors the rage and fury of the indians, so difficult to be restrained, and threatening with all the extremities of war all who should presume to resist his arms.
two days after the issue of this proclamation, burgoyne appeared before ticonderoga. he occupied a steep hill which overlooked the fort, and which the americans had neglected because they thought it inaccessible to artillery. preparations for attack were rapidly making, and st. clair saw there was no chance for his troops except in instant retreat. the baggage and stores, placed in bateaux, under convoy of five armed galleys, the last remains of the american flotilla, were despatched, on july 6th, up the narrow southern extremity of the lake to skenesborough, now whitehall, toward which point the troops retired by land, in a southeasterly direction, through the new hampshire grants.
while general fraser pursued the retreating troops, followed by general riedesel with a corps of germans, burgoyne forced the obstructions opposite ticonderoga, and, embarking several regiments, he speedily overtook the american stores and baggage, all of which fell into his hands.
125
burgoyne’s route
126 the garrison of skenesborough, informed of burgoyne’s approach, set fire to the works and retreated up wood creek to fort anne, a post about half-way to the hudson. they had a sharp skirmish with a british regiment which followed them; but, other troops coming up, they set fire to the buildings at fort anne and retired to fort edward.
the van of st. clair’s troops, at the end of their first day’s march, had reached castleton, a distance of thirty miles from ticonderoga; but the rear, which included many stragglers, and amounted to twelve hundred men, contrary to st. clair’s express orders, stopped short at hubberton, six miles behind, where they were overtaken on the morning of july 7th and attacked by fraser. one of the regiments fled disgracefully, leaving most of their officers to be taken prisoners. the two other regiments, under francis and warner, made a stout resistance, but when riedesel came up with his germans they too gave way. francis was killed, and many with him; some two hundred were taken prisoners. those who escaped, though dispersed for the moment, reached st. clair in detached parties. warner, with some ninety men, came up two days after the battle. this was at rutland, to which place st. clair, having heard of the fall of skenesborough had continued his retreat. for some time his whereabouts was unknown, but, after a seven days’ march, he joined schuyler at fort edward, on the hudson. here was assembled the whole force of the northern army, amounting to about five thousand men; but a considerable part were militia hastily called in, many were without arms, there was a great deficiency of ammunition and provisions, and the whole force was quite disorganized.
the region between skenesborough and the hudson was an almost unbroken wilderness. wood creek was navigable as far as fort anne; from fort anne to the hudson, over an exceedingly rough country, covered with thick woods and intersected by numerous streams and morasses, extended a single military road. while burgoyne halted127 a few days at skenesborough to put his forces in order and to bring up the necessary supplies, schuyler hastened to destroy the navigation of wood creek by sinking impediments in its channel, and to break up the bridges and causeways, of which there were fifty or more on the road from fort anne to fort edward. at all those points where the construction of a side passage would be difficult he ordered trees to be felled across the road with their branches interlocking. all the stock in the neighborhood was driven off, and the militia of new england was summoned to the rescue.
the loss of ticonderoga, with its numerous artillery, and the subsequent rapid disasters came like a thunderbolt on congress and the northern states. “we shall never be able to defend a post,” wrote john adams, president of the board of war, in a private letter, “till we shoot a general.” disasters, the unavoidable result of weakness, were ascribed to the incapacity or cowardice of the officers. suggestions of treachery even were whispered, and the prejudices of the new-englanders against schuyler broke out with new violence. in the anger and vexation of the moment, all the northern generals were recalled, and an inquiry was ordered into their conduct; but the execution of this order was suspended on the representation of washington that the northern army could not be left without officers. washington shared the general surprise and vexation, but he had confidence in schuyler, and he did all in his power to reinforce the northern army. two brigades from the highlands, morgan with his rifle corps, the impetuous arnold, and lincoln, a great favorite with the massachusetts militia, were ordered to the northern department. washington declined the selection of a new commander tendered to him by congress, and that selection, guided by the new england members, fell upon gates.
burgoyne meanwhile issued a new proclamation for a convention of ten deputies from each township, to assemble at castleton, to confer with governor skene, and to128 take measures for the re-establishment of the royal authority. schuyler, in a counter-proclamation, threatened the utmost rigor of the law of treason against all who complied with burgoyne’s propositions. subsequently to the declaration of independence, the inhabitants of vermont had organized themselves into an independent state, had applied to congress for admission into the union, and had adopted a constitution. a continental regiment had been raised and officered in vermont, of which warner had been commissioned as colonel. but congress, through the influence of new york, disclaimed any intention to countenance the pretensions of vermont to independence; and the vermont petition for admission into the union had been lately dismissed with some asperity. if burgoyne, however, founded any hopes of defection upon this circumstance, he found himself quite mistaken.
the advance from skenesborough cost the british infinite labor and fatigue; but, beyond breaking up the roads and placing obstacles in their way, schuyler was not strong enough to annoy them. these impediments were at length overcome; and burgoyne, with his troops, artillery, and baggage, presently appeared on the banks of the hudson. the british army hailed with enthusiasm the sight of that river, object of their toil, which they had reached on july 29th with great efforts indeed, but with an uninterrupted career of success and a loss of not above two hundred men.
it now only remained for the british to force their way to albany; nor did it seem likely that schuyler could offer any serious resistance. his army, not yet materially increased, was principally composed of militia without discipline, the troops from the eastward being very little inclined to serve under his orders and constantly deserting. fort edward was untenable. as the british approached, the americans crossed the river, and retired, first to saratoga, and then to stillwater, a short distance above the mouth of the mohawk.
129 hardly had schuyler taken up this position when news arrived of another disaster and a new danger. while moving up lake champlain, burgoyne had detached colonel st. leger, with two hundred regulars, sir john johnson’s royal greens, some canadian rangers, and a body of indians under brant, to harass the new york frontier from the west. on august 3d st. leger laid siege to fort schuyler, late fort stanwix, near the head of the mohawk, then the extreme western post of the state of new york. general herkimer raised the militia of tryon county, and advanced to the relief of this important post, which was held by gansevoort and willett, with two new york regiments. about six miles from the fort, owing to want of proper precaution, herkimer, on august 6th, fell into an ambush. mortally wounded, he supported himself against a stump and encouraged his men to the fight. by the aid of a successful sally by willett, they succeeded at last in repulsing the assailants, but not without a loss of four hundred, including many of the leading patriots of that region, who met with no mercy at the hands of the indians and refugees.
tryon county, which included the whole district west of albany, abounded with tories. it was absolutely necessary to relieve fort schuyler, lest its surrender should be the signal for a general insurrection. arnold volunteered for that service, and was despatched by schuyler with three regiments; with the rest of his army he withdrew into the islands at the confluence of the mohawk and the hudson, a more defensible station than the camp at stillwater.
the command of lake george, as well as of lake champlain, had passed into the hands of the british. that lake furnished a convenient means of transportation; a large quantity of provisions and stores for the british army had arrived at fort george, and burgoyne was exerting every effort for their transportation to his camp on the hudson. the land carriage was only eighteen miles, but the roads130 were so bad and the supply of draught cattle so small that, after a fortnight’s hard labor, the british army had only four days’ provisions in advance.
“to try the affections of the country, to mount riedesel’s dragoons, to complete peter’s corps of loyalists, and to obtain a large supply of cattle, horses, and carriages,” so burgoyne expressed himself in his instructions, it was resolved to send a strong detachment into the settlements on the left. colonel baum was sent on this errand, with two pieces of artillery and eight hundred men, dismounted german dragoons and british marksmen, with a body of canadians and indians, and skene and a party of loyalists for guides.
langdon, the principal merchant at portsmouth, and a member of the new hampshire council, having patriotically volunteered the means to put them in motion, a corps of new hampshire militia, called out upon news of the loss of ticonderoga, had lately arrived at bennington under the command of stark. disgusted at not having been made a brigadier, stark had resigned his continental commission as colonel, and, in agreeing to take the leadership of the militia, had expressly stipulated for an independent command. on that ground he had just declined to obey an order from lincoln to join the main army—a piece of insubordination which might have proved fatal, but which, in the present case, turned out otherwise. informed of baum’s approach, stark sent off expresses for militia and for warner’s regiment, encamped at manchester, and joined by many fugitives since the battle of hubberton. six miles from bennington, on the appearance of stark’s forces (august 14th), baum began to intrench himself, and sent back to burgoyne for reinforcements. the next day was rainy, and stark, also expecting reinforcements, delayed the attack. baum improved the interval in throwing up intrenchments. breyman marched to his assistance, but was delayed by the rain and the badness of the roads, which also kept back warner’s131 regiment. having been joined on august 16th by some berkshire militia under colonel simmons, stark drew out his forces, and about noon approached the enemy. “there they are!” exclaimed the rustic general—“we beat to-day, or molly stark’s a widow!” the assault was made in four columns, in front and rear at the same time, and after a hot action of two hours the intrenchments were carried. the indians and provincials escaped to the woods; the germans were mostly taken or slain. the battle was hardly over, and stark’s men were in a good deal of confusion, when, about four in the afternoon, breyman was seen coming up. warner’s regiment luckily arrived at the same time. the battle was renewed and kept up till dark, when breyman abandoned his baggage and artillery, and made the best retreat he could. besides the killed, about two hundred in number, the americans took near six hundred prisoners, a thousand stand of arms, as many swords, and four pieces of artillery—a seasonable supply for the militia now flocking in from all quarters. the american loss was only fourteen killed and forty-two wounded.
just at the moment when a turn in the affairs of the northern department became fully apparent, the two brigades from the highlands having arrived, and the militia fast pouring in, schuyler, much to his mortification, was superseded by gates on august 22d. he still remained, however, at albany, and gave his assistance toward carrying on the campaign. the day after gates assumed the command, morgan arrived with his rifle corps, five hundred strong, to which were presently added two hundred and fifty picked men under major dearborn, of scammell’s new hampshire regiment.
the victory of stark had a magical effect in reviving the spirits of the people and the courage of the soldiers. indignation was also aroused by the cruelties reported of burgoyne’s indian allies. a most pathetic story was told of one jenny mcrea, murdered by indians near fort132 edward. her family were loyalists; she herself was engaged to be married to a loyalist officer. she was dressed to receive her lover, when a party of indians burst into the house, carried off the whole family to the woods, and there murdered, scalped, and mangled them in the most horrible manner. such, at least, was the story as told in a letter of remonstrance from gates to burgoyne. burgoyne, in his reply, gave, however, a different account. according to his version, the murder was committed by two indians sent by the young lady’s lover to conduct her for safety to the british camp. they quarrelled on the way respecting the division of the promised reward, and settled the dispute by killing the girl. even this correction hardly lessened the effect of the story or diminished the detestation so naturally felt at the employment of such barbarous allies.
the artful arnold, while on his march for the relief of fort schuyler, had sent into st. leger’s camp a very exaggerated account of his numbers. the indians, who had suffered severely in the battle with herkimer, and who had glutted their vengeance by the murder of prisoners, seized with a sudden panic, deserted in large numbers. on august 22d, two days before arnold’s arrival, st. leger himself precipitately retired, leaving his tents standing and the greater part of his stores and baggage to fall into arnold’s hands. on returning to gates’ camp, arnold received the command of the left wing.
these checks were not without their effect on the six nations. burgoyne’s indians began to desert him—an example which the canadians soon followed. the onondagas and some of the mohawks joined the americans. through the influence of the missionary kirkland, the oneidas had all along been favorably disposed. it was only the more western clans, the cayugas, tuscaroras, and senecas, which adhered firmly during the war to the british side.
the american army being now about six thousand133 strong, besides detached parties of militia under general lincoln, which hung upon the british rear, gates left his island camp, and presently occupied behmus’ heights, a spur from the hills on the west side of the hudson, jutting close upon the river. by untiring efforts, burgoyne had brought forward thirty days’ provisions, and, having thrown a bridge of boats over the hudson, he crossed to saratoga. with advanced parties in front to repair the roads and bridges, his army slowly descended the hudson—the germans on the left, by a road close along the river; the british, covered by light infantry, provincials, and indians, by the high ground on the right.
gates’ camp on the brow of behmus’90 heights formed a segment of a circle, convex toward the enemy. a deep intrenchment extended to the river on the right, covered not only by strong batteries, but by an abrupt and thickly wooded ravine descending to the river. from the head of this ravine, toward the left, the ground was level and partially cleared, some trees being felled and others girdled. the defences here consisted of a breastwork of logs. on the extreme left, a distance of three-quarters of a mile from the river, was a knoll, a little in the rear, crowned by strong batteries, and there was another battery to the left of the centre. between the two armies were two more deep ravines, both wooded. an alarm being given about noon of september 19th that the enemy was approaching the left of the encampment, morgan was sent forward with his riflemen. having forced a picket, his men, in the ardor of pursuit, fell unexpectedly upon a strong british column, and were thrown into temporary confusion. cilley’s and scammell’s new hampshire regiments were ordered out to reinforce him. hale’s regiment of new hampshire, van courtlandt’s and henry livingston’s of new york, and two regiments of connecticut militia were successively led to the field, with orders to extend to the left and support the points where they perceived the134 greatest pressure. about three o’clock the action became general, and till nightfall the fire of musketry was incessant. the british had four field-pieces; the ground occupied by the americans, a thick wood on the borders of an open field, did not admit the use of artillery. on the opposite side of this field, on a rising ground, in a thin pine wood, the british troops were drawn up. whenever they advanced into the open field, the fire of the american marksmen drove them back in disorder; but when the americans followed into the open ground the british would rally, charge, and force them to fall back. the field was thus lost and won a dozen times in the course of the day. at every charge the british artillery fell into possession of the americans, but the ground would not allow them to carry off the pieces, nor could they be kept long enough to be turned on the enemy. late in the afternoon, the british left being reinforced from the german column, general learned was ordered out with four regiments of massachusetts and another of new york. something decisive might now have occurred, but the approach of night broke off the contest, and the americans withdrew to their camp, leaving the field in possession of the british. they encamped upon it, and claimed the victory; but, if not a drawn battle, it was one of those victories equivalent to a defeat. the british loss was upward of five hundred, the american less than three hundred. to have held their ground in the circumstances in which the armies stood was justly esteemed by the americans a decided triumph.
in anticipation of an action, gates had ordered the detached corps to join him. stark, with the victors of bennington, had arrived in camp the day before. their term of service, however, expired that day; and satisfied with laurels already won, in spite of all attempts to detain them, they marched off the very morning of the battle. in consideration of his courage and good conduct at bennington, congress overlooked the insubordination of135 stark, which, in a resolution just before, they had pointedly condemned, and he was presently elected a brigadier. howe and mcdougall about the same time were chosen major-generals.
before receiving gates’ orders to join the main body, a party of lincoln’s militia, led by colonel brown, had surprised the posts at the outlet of lake george on september 17th, and had taken three hundred prisoners, also several armed vessels and a fleet of bateaux employed in transporting provisions up the lake. uniting with another party under colonel johnson, they approached ticonderoga and beleaguered it for four days. burgoyne’s communications thus entirely cut off, his situation became very alarming, and he began to intrench. his difficulties increased every moment. provisions were diminishing, forage was exhausted, the horses were perishing. to retreat with the enemy in his rear was as difficult as to advance.
a change of circumstances not less remarkable had taken place in the american camp. gates’ army was increasing every day. the battle of behmus’ heights was sounded through the country as a great victory, and, the harvest being now over, the militia marched in from all sides to complete the overthrow of the invaders. lincoln, with the greater part of his militia, having joined the army on september 22d, he received the command of the right wing. arnold, on some quarrel or jealousy on the part of gates, had been deprived, since the late battle, of his command of the left wing, which gates assumed in person. gates was neither more able nor more trustworthy than schuyler; but the soldiers believed him so, and zeal, alacrity, and obedience had succeeded to doubts, distrust, and insubordination. yet gates was not without his difficulties. the supply of ammunition was very short, and the late change in the commissariat department, taking place in the midst of the campaign, made the feeding of the troops a matter of no little anxiety.
behmus’ or bemis’ heights
disposition of troops, october 7th
there was still one hope for burgoyne. a letter in136 cipher, brought by a trusty messenger from clinton, at new york, informed him of an intended diversion up the hudson; and, could he maintain his present position, he might yet be relieved. but his troops, on short allowance of provisions, were already suffering severely, and it was necessary either to retreat or to find relief in another battle. to make a reconnaissance of the american lines, he drew out fifteen hundred picked men on october 7th and formed them less than a mile from the american camp. the two camps, indeed, were hardly cannon-shot apart. as soon as burgoyne’s position was discovered his left was furiously assailed by poor’s new hampshire brigade. the attack extended rapidly to the right, where137 morgan’s riflemen man?uvred to cut off the british from their camp. gates did not appear on the field any more than in the former battle; but arnold, though without any regular command, took, as usual, a leading part. he seemed under the impulse of some extraordinary excitement, riding at full speed, issuing orders, and cheering on the men. to avoid being cut off from the camp, the british right was already retreating, when the left, pressed and overwhelmed by superior numbers, began to give way. the gallant fraser was mortally wounded, picked off by the american marksmen; six pieces of artillery were abandoned; and only by the greatest efforts did the british troops regain their camp. the americans followed close upon them, and, through a shower of grape and musketry, assaulted the right of the british works. arnold forced an entrance; but he was wounded, his horse was shot under him as he rode into one of the sally-ports, and his column was driven back. colonel brooks, at the head of jackson’s regiment of massachusetts, was more successful. he turned the intrenchments of a german brigade, forced them from the ground at the point of the bayonet, captured their camp equipage and artillery, and, what was of still more importance, and a great relief to the american army, an ample supply of ammunition. the repeated attempts of the british to dislodge him all failed, and he remained at night in possession of the works. darkness at length put an end to the fighting; but the americans slept on their arms, prepared to renew it the next morning. the advantages they had gained were decisive. the british had lost four hundred men in killed, wounded, and prisoners; artillery, ammunition, and tents had been captured; and the possession of a part of the works by the americans would enable them to renew the attack the next day with every chance of success. for the safety of the british army a change of position was indispensable; and, while the americans slept, the british general, with skill and intrepidity, order and silence, drew back his discomfited138 troops to some high grounds in the rear, where the british army appeared the next morning (october 8th) drawn up in order of battle. that day was spent in skirmishes. while attempting to reconnoitre, general lincoln was severely wounded and disabled from further service. fraser was buried on a hill he had designated, amid showers of balls from the american lines. the baroness de riedesel, who followed the camp with her young children, and whose quarters were turned into a sort of hospital for the wounded officers, has left a pathetic account of the horrors of that day and of the retreat that followed.
to avoid being surrounded, burgoyne was obliged to abandon his new position, and, with the loss of his hospitals and numerous sick and wounded, to fall back to saratoga on october 9th. the distance was only six miles; but the rain fell in torrents, the roads were almost impassable, the bridge over the fishkill had been broken down by the americans, and this retrograde movement consumed an entire day. the same obstacles prevented, however, any serious annoyance from the american troops. during this retreat, the better to cover the movements of the army, general schuyler’s house at saratoga and extensive saw-mills were set on fire and destroyed. a body of artificers, sent forward under a strong escort to repair the bridge toward fort edward, found that road and the ford across the hudson already occupied by the americans. the fleet of bateaux, loaded with the british supplies and provisions, was assailed from the left bank of the river, and many of the boats were taken. the lading of the others was only saved by a most laborious and difficult transportation, under a sharp american fire, up the steep river-bank to the heights occupied by the british army. even the camp itself was not safe; grape and rifle balls fell in the midst of it.
burgoyne’s situation was truly deplorable. he had heard nothing further from new york, and his effective force was now reduced to four thousand men, surrounded139 by an enemy three times as numerous, flushed with success, and rapidly increasing. all the fords and passes toward lake george were occupied and covered by intrenchments, and, even should the baggage and artillery be abandoned, there was no hope of forcing a passage. an account of the provisions on hand (october 13th) showed only three days’ supply. the troops, exhausted with hunger and fatigue, and conscious of their hopeless situation, could not be depended on, especially should the camp be attacked. a council of war, to which not field officers only, but all the captains commandant were summoned, advised to open a treaty of capitulation.
gates demanded, at first, an unconditional surrender; but to that burgoyne would not submit. the american commander was the less precise about terms, and very eager to hasten matters, lest he too might be attacked in the rear. he knew, though burgoyne did not, that the intended diversion from new york, delayed for some time to await the arrival of forces from europe, had at length been successfully made, and that all the american posts in the highlands had fallen into the hands of the british. should burgoyne continue to hold out, this new enemy might even make a push on albany.
the main defences of the highlands, forts clinton and montgomery, on the west bank of the hudson, separated from each other by a small stream, and too high to be battered from the water, were surrounded by steep and rugged hills which made the approach to them on the land side very difficult. to stop the ascent of the enemy’s ships, frames of timber, with projecting beams shod with iron, had been sunk in the channel. a boom, formed of great trees fastened together, extended from bank to bank, and in front of this boom was stretched a huge iron chain. above these impediments several armed vessels were moored. on an island a few miles higher up, and near the eastern bank of the river, was fort constitution, with another boom and chain. near the entrance of the highlands,140 and below the other posts, fort independence occupied a high point of land on the east bank of the river. it was at peekskill, just below fort independence, that the commanding officer in the highlands usually had his headquarters. the two brigades sent to the northern army, and other detachments which washington had himself been obliged to draw from the highlands, had so weakened the regular garrison that washington became much alarmed for the safety of that important post. the remainder of the new york militia, not under arms in the northern department, had been called out by governor clinton to supply the place of the detached regulars; other militia had been sent from connecticut; but, as no signs of immediate attack appeared, and as the harvest demanded their services at home, putnam allowed most of them to return. half the new york militia were ordered back again by clinton, but before they had mustered the posts were lost. putnam was at peekskill with the main body of the garrison, which amounted in the whole to not more than two thousand men. while a party of the enemy amused him with the idea that fort independence was their object, a stronger party landed lower down, on the other side of the river, and, pushing inland through the defiles of the highlands, approached forts clinton and montgomery, of which the entire garrison did not exceed six hundred men. before assistance could be sent by putnam—indeed, before he knew of the attack—the forts, much too extensive to be defended by so small a force, were both taken on october 5th. governor clinton, who commanded, his brother, general james clinton, and a part of the garrison availed themselves of the knowledge of the ground and escaped across the river, but the americans suffered a loss of two hundred and fifty in killed and prisoners. fort constitution was immediately evacuated by the few troops that held it, and two new continental frigates, with some other vessels, were set on fire to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy. even141 peekskill and fort independence were abandoned, the stores being conveyed to fishkill, whither putnam retired with his forces. the booms and chains were removed, so that ships could pass up; and a british detachment under tryon burned continental village, a new settlement on the east side of the river, where many public stores were deposited.
disposition of troops from october 11th till the surrender, october 17th
142 informed of these movements, and very anxious to have burgoyne’s army out of the way, gates agreed, on october 16th, that the british troops should march out of their camp with the honors of war, should lay down their arms, and be conducted to boston, there to embark for england, under an engagement not to serve against the united states till exchanged. having heard from a deserter of the advance of clinton, burgoyne hesitated to ratify the treaty; but, on consideration and consultation with his officers, he did not choose to run the risk of breaking it. the prisoners included in this capitulation were five thousand six hundred and forty-two; the previous losses of the army amounted to near four thousand more. the arms, artillery, baggage, and camp equipage became the property of the captors. the german regiments contrived to save their colors by cutting them from the staves, rolling them up, and packing them away with madame de riedesel’s baggage.
as soon as the garrison of ticonderoga heard of the surrender, they hastily destroyed what they could and retired to canada. putnam no sooner heard of it than he sent pressing despatches for assistance. the british had proceeded as high up as esopus, which they burned about the very time that burgoyne was capitulating. putnam had been already joined by some three thousand militia, to which a large detachment from gates’ army was soon added. as it was now too late to succor burgoyne, having dismantled the forts in the highlands, the british returned to new york, carrying with them sixty-seven pieces of heavy artillery and a large quantity of provisions and ammunition. before their departure they burned every house within their reach—a piece of malice ascribed to tryon and his tories.
the capture of a whole british army,91 lately the object143 of so much terror, produced, especially in new england, an exultation proportionate to the recent alarm. the military reputation of gates, elevated to a very high pitch, rivalled even the fame of washington, dimmed as it was by the loss of philadelphia, which, meanwhile, had fallen into the enemy’s hands. the youthful wilkinson, who had acted during the campaign as deputy adjutant-general of the american army, and whose memoirs contain the best account of its movements, being sent to congress with news of the surrender, was henceforth honored with a brevet commission as brigadier-general; which, however, he speedily resigned when he found a remonstrance against this irregular advancement sent to congress by forty-seven colonels of the line. the investigation into schuyler’s conduct resulted, a year afterward, in his acquittal with the highest honor. he insisted, however, on resigning his commission, though strongly urged by congress to retain it. but he did not relinquish the service of his country, in which he continued as active as ever, being presently chosen a member of congress.
synopsis of the principal events, chiefly
military, between the battle of
saratoga, 1777, and the battle
of yorktown, 1781
1777. congress adopts the articles of confederation. stars and stripes adopted. british evacuate new york. british occupy philadelphia. american winter-quarters at valley forge, in december.
1778. france recognizes the independence of the united states. the british evacuate philadelphia. the battle of144 monmouth. france declares war against england. the wyoming valley massacre. battle of rhode island. the british enter savannah. general george rogers clark conquers the “old northwest.”
1779. storming of stony point by the americans. paul jones, in the bon homme richard, is victorious over the british frigate serapis. the british win the engagement of brier creek. spain declares war against great britain. congress guaranties the floridas to spain if she takes them from great britain, provided the united states should have free navigation on the mississippi.
1780. lincoln surrenders to clinton at charleston. defeat of gates by cornwallis in the first battle of camden. treason of benedict arnold. capture and execution of andré. the british are defeated at king’s mountain.
1781. american victory at cowpens. the ratification of the articles of confederation by the several states completed. greene is defeated by cornwallis at guilford court-house. the british are victorious at hobkirk’s hill (second battle of camden). new london burned by arnold. battle of eutaw springs. washington and rochambeau, aided by the french fleet under count de grasse, besiege cornwallis in yorktown. surrender of cornwallis.
