XXXI. neral Burgoyne was compelled to employ them; but CIA P. an army composed of different nations and interests, could not be relied on for exertions in proportion to its numbers. THIS misfortune, and the failure of general St. Leger's operations, formed the leading features in the ruin of general Burgoyne's expedition, and he heard of both nearly at the fame time. The expedition against Bennington proved that the Brunswickers could not well be employed feparately, and the Americans felt lefs apprehenfion at that fuperiority of difcipline which in an open country would have given the Germans a decided advantage. A party of American loyalists, on their way to join general Burgoyne attached themselves to colonel Baum's corps, and were destroyed with it, which prevented, in a great measure, fimilar 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 difpirited their countrymen who had not been in action, fo that a very extenfive 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 deferters, who thus obtained a scalp to exhibit as a trophy. 1777. Effects of thefe dif afters. commands the Ame THE Americans, on the other hand, unused to fuccefs Gates for a long period, felt its full force, and flocked to the standard of general Gates, whom congrefs had ricans. appointed to arreft the progrefs of the British and German forces. * The manner of obtaining these barbarous trophies is no object of confideration among the Indians, cunning being as much refpected as valour by a people whofe fubfiftence depends principally upon hunting. For this reafon the rewards which Burgoyne gave to the Indians for living prifoners bore no eftimation in compariton with their fealps, and great difguft was occafioned by reftricting them in this point; at leaft it was made a strong ground for quitting him; fo that while he was abufed by the Americans for cruelty, the Indians deferted him for the want of it, and thus he fuffered the ufual inconvenience which attends half measures. GENERAL С НА Р. XXXI. 1777. Burgoyne croffes Hudfon's River. 18th Sept. Advances to Saratoga. 19th. Battle of GENERAL BURGOYNE, who had croffed the Hudfon's 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 provifions from Canada, and having no other refource in contemplation, except the co-operation of genera! Howe's army, fent an officer to Albany for intelligence. HAVING by immenfe labour collected a month's falt provifions, general Burgoyne, under all these difcouragements, determined to advance, according to inftructions, which he conceived to be fo peremptory, and connected with the general operations of the king's forces in America, that he did not even attempt to shelter himself under the opinion of a council of war, but again croffed the Hudson's, and took poft on the heights of Saratoga, giving up all communication with his magazines in Canada. AFTER pafling fome days in repairing roads, or apStill Water. proaching the American forces, general Burgoyne's army again advanced in feveral columns, the grenadiers, light infantry, ninth, twentieth, twenty-first, twenty-fourth, and fixty-fecond 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 Rhetz, Specht, Reidesel, and Heffe Hanau, infantry, with Breyman's grenadiers and chaffeurs, and part of the forty-feventh British regiment, followed the great route to Albany by the ri ver fide, for the security of the baggage and provifions, 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 loyalifts, and eighty Canadian light infantry. ABOUT noon, the Americans, under general Arnold, who, the preceding day, had fired upon fome ftrag *3 glers, glers, attacked the British corps with great fpirit, and a fevere conflict continued until dufk, when Philips, who commanded the left column, brought up the Germans to join in a general charge, which was completely fuccessful, the Americans being driven within their lines. This advantage was, however, dearly purchafed, most of the artillery-men were killed at their guns, and the fixty-fecond regiment loft more than two thirds of its effective foldiers; the other British corps alfo fuffered in a great proportion, and in the course of this day, general Burgoyne's force fuftained a lofs of more than fix hundred men. THE Americans certainly lost an equal number, but they had now tried their ftrength with every nation opposed to them, and general Burgoyne being obliged to halt, for the collection and care of his wounded, produced the effect of a defeat, and encouraged a fpirit of enthusiasm throughout the New England ftates, which general Gates foon felt by reinforcements of every defcription, many perfons even bringing their own provifions, as well as ammunition, to his army. С НА Р. A FURTHER misfortune had befallen general Burgoyne, on the day preceding this action, the Americans having fecretly detached a corps to his rear, furprised three companies of the fifty-third regiment, and destroyed the boats on lake George, which had been employed in the conveyance of provifions; and though unequal in numbers, and wanting artillery for the capture of Ticonderoga, an attempt was made upon it, as well as Diamond Island, in the middle of the lake, where there was a depôt of ftores for the British army. THUS, in fact, was the retreat of general Burgoyne effectually prevented; and with a fuperior army in his front, he judged it prudent to wait events and intelligence from the fouthward, ftrengthening the pofition which he had taken after the action of the 19th of September, between Freeman's Farm and Still Water. FINDING XXXI. 1777. 18th Sept. can de The Ame ftroy the transports. CHAP. XXXI. 1777. 3d Oct. Increafing difficulties of Burgoyne. 7th Oct. His attempt to extricate himself. His lines attacked. Changes his pofition. 8th Oct. Falls back to Sara toga. FINDING his difficulties daily augmenting, his numbers diminished to lefs than fix thoufand, and reduced to half the ufual allowance of provifions, the forage exhausted, horfes perifhing for want, and no apparent prospect of relief, general Burgoyne refolved on a defperate attempt to diflodge the enemy from their post on the left. In order to cannonade them out of their pofition, he advanced with fifteen hundred men; but this detachment had scarcely formed within half a mile of the enemy's intrenchments, when they were fuddenly attacked by a fuperior force under general Arnold, and obliged to retreat to their camp with the loss of fix pieces of cannon. They had hardly gained the lines, when a furious affault was made on them by the Americans, which was repulfed in the English quarter, and Arnold wounded; but the German intrenchments were carried, colonel Breyman killed, about two hundred prifoners taken, and general Frazer mortally wounded. THUS critically fituated, general Burgoyne changed his pofition, with great ability and celerity, in the night after the action; the enemy confequently made a new difpofition, but although greatly fuperior in numbers, and elated with fuccefs, prudently declined an engagement, in hopes of furrounding the British army. General Burgoyne, perceiving this intention, fell back in two day's march by Dovegot House to Saratoga, unoppofed by the enemy, breaking the roads and bridges in his retreat. Being unable to remove the wounded, who were very numerous, for want of carriages, he left them in tents, under the care of Dr. Hayes, as head of the medical department, with affiftants equally well chofen, and orders to send out a flag of truce, conveying a recommendation of them to the humanity of general Gates and his army, in which general Burgoyne's expectations were perfectly realized. Thus disembarraffed, he halted at Saratoga; precluded from a retreat to lake George, or Skenesborough, by a corps of Americans, collected in force on the oppo fite fide of Hudfon's river, which equally prevented an endeavour once thought of to retire in the night to Fort Edward, and wait events. This march was in fome measure arranged, each foldier being directed to carry a few days provifions on his back, but it was afterward given up, when it was discovered that the heights of Fort Edward, and all other communications with Canada, were occupied by the Americans, and that, even in the event of fuccefsfully reaching Fort George, the army muft furrender for want of provifions or boats to cross the lake, which had been deftroyed by the enemy, in their expedition on the 18th of September, to prevent his retreat to Ticonderoga. XXXI. 1777. 13th Oct. council of war. a conven ENFEEBLED by daily loffes, his provifions reduced to eight days fubfiftence, and numbers of his German Calls a foldiers being enticed to defert and become fettlers, general Burgoyne called a council of war, at which, not only field officers, but captains affifted; and it was unanimously refolved to enter into a convention with general Gates for furrender of the army. The con- Arranges vention, after some difcuffions, was adjusted, and con- tion. fidering the increafing force and advantageous fituation of the Americans, the terms were unexceptionable. 16th O&. 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 paffage to Great Britain in transports from Boston, on condition of not ferving in America again during the war, unless exchanged. The remaining articles related only to the march of the troops to New England, the return of the Canadians to their homes, and the treatment of the other officers and foldiers, until embarked for Europe. b Burgoyne infifted on the word convention, inftead of capitulation, being used, in order to affimilate it to the treaty of Clofterfeven, in the feven years war, (1756 to 1763,) entered into by the duke of Cumberland with a view to faving the disgrace of a coinmon furrender, 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, fo as to enable Great Britain to send an equal number of men to America in the spring. GENERAL |