CHAP. 1777. Effects of and Burgoyne was compelled to employ them; but an army composed of different nations and interests, could not be relied on for exertions proportionate to its numbers. This misfortune, and the failure of St. Leger's these disasters. operations, formed the leading features in the ruin of Burgoyne's expedition, and he heard of both nearly at the same time. The expedition against Bennington proved that the Brunswickers could not well be employed separately, and the Americans felt less apprehension at that superiority of discipline which in an open country would have given the Germans a decided advantage. A party of American loyalists, on their way to join Burgoyne, attached themselves to Baum's corps, and were destroyed with it, which prevented, in a great measure, similar attempts to join the royal army. The Canadians and Indians who effected their retreat from Baum and Breyman's corps, detailed with exaggeration the valour of the Americans who had driven them back, and dispirited their countrymen who had not been in action; so that a very extensive defection took place among the Indians, and the Canadian boatmen and drivers employed with the army took every opportunity to return home, although it was known that many were killed by the Indian deserters, for the sake of scalps to exhibit as trophies*. Gates commands the Americans. Burgoyne son's river. The Americans, on the other hand, unused to success for a long period, felt its full force, and flocked to the standard of General Gates, whom Congress had appointed to arrest the progress of the British and German forces. General Burgoyne, who had crossed the Hudson's crosses Hud- river, by a bridge formed of felled trees, cut in lengths and fastened together, fell back upon Duer's House, to cover the convoy of provisions from Canada, and, hav The manner of obtaining these barbarous trophies is no object of consideration among the Indians, cunning being as much respected as valour by a people whose subsistence depends principally upon hunting. For this reason the rewards which Burgoyne gave to the Indians for living prisoners bore no estimation in comparison with their scalps, and great disgust was occa sioned by restricting them in this point; at least, it was made a strong ground for qutting him; so that, while he was abused by the Americans for cruelty, the Indians deserted him for the want of it. ing no other resource in contemplation, except the cooperation of General Howe's army, sent an officer to Albany for intelligence. CHAP. XXXI. 1777. Saratoga. Having, by immense labour, collected a month's 13th Sept. salt provisions, Burgoyne, under all these discourage- Advances to ments, determined to advance, according to instructions, which he conceived to be so peremptory, and connected with the general operations in America, that he did not even assemble a council of war, but again crossed the Hudson's, and took post on the heights of Saratoga, giving up all communication with his magazines in Canada. Battle of Still Water. After passing some days in repairing roads, or ap- 19th. proaching the American forces, his army advanced in several columns, the grenadiers, light infantry, ninth, twentieth, twenty-first, twenty-fourth, and sixty-second British regiments on the right, with their artillery, taking two roads on the heights and through the woods to Freeman's farm. The German regiments of Retz, Specht, Reidesel, and Hesse Hannau, infantry, with Breyman's grenadiers and chasseurs and part of the forty-seventh British, followed the great route to Albany by the river side, for the security of the baggage and provisions, floated down in boats, or drawn in carriages on this, the only good road. Of the five hundred Indians originally with the army, not more than fifty now remained, who were attached to the British column on the right, with two hundred American loyalists, and eighty Canadian light infantry. About noon, the Americans, under General Arnold, who, the preceding day, had fired upon some stragglers, attacked the British corps with great spirit, and a severe conflict continued until dusk, when Philips, who commanded the left column, brought up the Germans to join in a general charge, which was completely successful, the Americans being driven within their lines. This advantage was, however, dearly purchased; most of the artillery men were killed at their guns, and the sixty-second regiment lost more than two-thirds of its effective soldiers; the other British corps also suffered in a great proportion, and, in the CHAP. 1777. 18th Sept. The Americans destroy the transports. 3rd Oct. Increasing His lines attacked. course of this day, Burgoyne's force sustained a diminution of more than six hundred men. The Americans lost an equal number; but they had now tried their strength with every nation opposed to them; and the halt which General Burgoyne was obliged to make for the collection and care of his wounded, produced the effect of a defeat, and encouraged a spirit of enthusiasm throughout the New England states, which General Gates soon felt by reinforcements of every description, many persons even bringing their own provisions as well as ammunition to his army. On the day preceding this action, the Americans secretly detached a corps to Burgoyne's rear, which surprised three companies of the fifty-third regiment, and destroyed, on lake George, the boats employed to convey provisions; and, though their numbers were inadequate, and their artillery defective, attempted to capture Ticonderoga, as well as Diamond Island, in the middle of the lake, where there was a depôt of stores. Thus, in fact, was the retreat of Burgoyne effectually prevented; and, with a superior army in his front, he judged it prudent to await events and intelligence from the southward, strengthening the position which he had taken after the action of the 19th of i September, between Freeman's Farm and Still Water. Finding his difficulties daily augmenting, his numbers diminished to less than six thousand, and reduced to half the usual allowance of provisions, the forage exhausted, horses perishing for want, and no apparent prospect of relief, he resolved on a desperate attempt to dislodge the enemy from their post on the left. În order to cannonade them out of their position, he advanced with fifteen hundred men; but this detachment had scarcely formed within half a mile of the enemy's intrenchments, when they were suddenly attacked by a superior force under Arnold, and obliged to retreat to their camp with the loss of six pieces of cannon. They had hardly gained the lines, when a furious assault was made on them by the Americans, which was repulsed in the English quarter, and Arnold wounded; but the German intrenchments were carried, Colonel Breyman killed, about two hundred prisoners taken, and General Frazer mortally wounded. CHAP. XXXI. 1777, Saratoga, Thus critically situated, Burgoyne changed his Changes his position, with great ability and celerity, in the night position. after the action; the enemy consequently made a new disposition, but, although greatly superior in numbers, and elated with success, prudently declined an engagement, in hopes of surrounding the British army; but Burgoyne fell back in two days' march by Dovegot 8th Oct. House to Saratoga, unopposed, breaking the roads and Falls back on bridges in his retreat. Being unable, for want of carriages, to remove the wounded, who were very numerous, he left them in tents, under the care of Dr. Hayes and able assistants, with orders to send a flag of truce, conveying a recommendation of them to the humanity of General Gates and his army, in which his expectations were fully realized. Thus disembarrassed, he halted at Saratoga; precluded from a retreat to lake George, or Skenesborough, by a corps of Americans, collected on the opposite side of Hudson's river, which equally prevented a measure once contemplated, of retiring in the night to Fort Edward, to wait events. This march was in some measure arranged, each soldier being directed to carry a few days provisions on his back; but it was afterwards given up, when it was discovered that the heights of Fort Edward, and all other communications with Canada, were occupied by the enemy, and that, even in the event of reaching Fort George, the army must surrender for want of provisions; beside which, the boats on the lake had been destroyed. Calls a council of Enfeebled by daily losses, his provisions reduced to 13th Oct. eight days' subsistence, and numbers of his German soldiers being enticed to desert and become settlers, war. General Burgoyne called a council of war, at which, not only field officers, but captains assisted; and it was unanimously resolved to enter into a convention with General Gates for surrender of the army. The Arranges a convention, after some discussions, was adjusted; and, convention. considering the increasing force and advantageous CHAP. XXXI. 1777. 16th Oct. Moderation of Gates. Surrender of the British army. situation of the Americans, the terms were painful. but unexceptionable. The troops were to march out of their intrenchments, with the honours of war, to a certain distance, where they were to leave their arms and artillery: they were to have a free passage to Great Britain in transports from Boston, on condition of not serving again in America during the war, unless exchanged. The remaining articles related only to the march to New England, the return of the Canadians to their homes, and the treatment of the other officers and soldiers, until embarked for Europe*. General Gates having every thing to hope from his present success, and from speedily reinforcing General Washington's army, suffered his original draft of articles to be modified, so as to prevent a further effusion of blood, and spare as much as possible the feelings of the British troops. At the moment of this surrender, every circumstance was avoided which could be construed into an appearance of triumph. The Americans remained in their lines till the vanquished regiments had piled their arms: the captive generals were received with respect and kindness; a number of the principal officers of both armies met at General Gates's quarters, and seemed to forget in! social and convivial pleasures that they had been ( enemies. The soldiers received rations of fresh provisions from the American commissaries, and proceeded instantly on their march to Boston, having no communication with the American troops, for fear of disputest. • Burgoyne insisted that the word convention, instead of capitulation, should be used, in order to assimilate it to the treaty of Closterseven, in the seven years' war, entered into by the Duke of Cumberland, with a view of saving the disgrace of a common surrender; and by preventing all idea of the troops being prisoners to any power which might afterwards join the Americans, he hoped to get them employed, so as to enable Great Britain to send an equal number of men to America in the spring. †The number of men surrendered was 5,752, of whom 1,100, being Canadian volunteers, were by the articles permitted to return: 528 were left in the hospital when Burgoyne began his retreat to Saratoga; and it is computed that in the other actions, from the 6th of July to the time of capitulation, the loss in killed, wounded, prisoners, and deserters, was 2,933. The artillery and stores captured consisted of thirty-five brass cannons and mortars, and 7,000 stand of arms, besides the military chest, large quantities of ordnance stores, cloathing for 7,000 provincials, tents, and other articles. The papers laid before Parliament illustrative of this campaign, in all its parts, are published in the Parliamentary Register. |