Fishkill cuts deeply, as it runs to the Hudson. Being threatened in
front, flank, and rear, Burgoyne had to form three separate camps,
facing as many different ways. One fronted the Fishkill and commanded
the usual fording-place. A second looked east at the enemy posted across
the Hudson; a third faced the west, where the ground rose above the
camps, and hid itself in a thick forest.
Though he secured his camps as well as he could, Burgoyne meant to make
no delay here. But it was no longer in his power to control his own
acts. The want of energy shown in the retreat had given the Americans
time to close every avenue of escape against him.
Let us note how the fate of armies is decided. Active pursuit did not
begin until the morning of the ninth, when the retreat was first
discovered. A start of ten hours had thus been gained by the British.
Their artillery had so cut up the roads as to render them next to
impassable for our troops. Frequent halts had to be made to mend broken
bridges. From these causes, even so late as the morning of the tenth,
our army had advanced but three miles from the battle-ground. But
Burgoyne had marched, when he marched at all, like a general who means
to be overtaken. Four thousand men were being pushed around his right;
an equal number followed in his rear; while fourteen hundred more
menaced with destruction any attempt he might make to ford the river.
No choice being left but to continue the retreat by the west bank,
pioneers were sent out, under a strong escort, to make the road
passable.
But the golden moment had already flown. By this time Gates's van had
come up with Burgoyne. Morgan's corps had crossed the Fishkill at a
point above the British camps, had taken post within rifle-shot, and had
thus fastened upon the enemy a grip never more to be shaken off.
As a last resort, the British general decided to attempt a night
retreat, leaving behind the artillery he had so persistently dragged
after him when the fate of his army was hanging on its speed alone.
Before this desperate venture could be put to trial, worse news came to
hand. It was learned that Stark, with two thousand men, was in
possession of Fort Edward, and of all the fords below it. Turn what way
he would, Burgoyne found a foe in his path.
[Sidenote: Oct. 13.]
Even General Burgoyne now saw no way open but surrender; either he must
do this, or let his soldiers be slaughtered where they stood. Cannon and
rifle shot were searching every corner of his camp; retreat was cut off;
his provisions could be made to last but a day or two longer at most;
the bateaux were destroyed; his animals were dying of starvation, and
their dead bodies tainting the air his soldiers breathed; water could
only be had at the risk of life or limb, as the American sharpshooters
picked off every one who attempted to fetch it from the river; and no
more than thirty-five hundred men could be mustered to repel an
assault;--a crisis had now been reached which loudly called on the
British general, in the name of humanity, to desist from further efforts
to maintain so hopeless a struggle.
Burgoyne called his officers together in council. The absence of such
men as Frazer, Baum, Breyman, Ackland, Clarke, and others from the
meeting, must have brought home to the commanding general, as nothing
else could, a sense of the calamities that had befallen him; while the
faces of the survivors no less ominously prefigured those to come. A
heavy cannonade was in progress. Even while the council was
deliberating, a cannon-ball crashed through the room among them, as if
to enjoin haste in bringing the proceedings to a close. The council
listened to what was already but too well known. Already the finger of
fate pointed undeviatingly to the inevitable result. A general lassitude
had fallen upon the spirits of the soldiers. The situation was
manifestly hopeless to all.
There could be but one opinion. Enough had been done for honor. All were
agreed that only a surrender could save the army.
[Sidenote: Oct. 14.]
Without more delay, an officer was sent to General Gates. At first he
would listen only to an unconditional surrender. This was indignantly
rejected. Two days of suspense followed to both armies. Indeed, the
vanquished seemed dictating terms to the conqueror. But if the British
dreaded a renewal of hostilities, the Americans knew that Clinton's
forces[57] were nearing Albany from below. Gates lowered his demands.
The British army was allowed the honors of war, with liberty to return
to England, on condition of not serving against the United States during
the war. These terms were agreed to, and the treaty was duly signed on
the seventeenth.
Burgoyne's situation when gathering up his trophies, and issuing his
presumptuous proclamation at Ticonderoga, compared with the straits to
which his reverses had now brought him--a failure before his king and
country, a captain stripped of his laurels by the hand he professed to
despise, a petitioner for the clemency of his conqueror--affords a
striking example of the uncertain chances of war. It really seemed as if
fortune had only raised Burgoyne the higher in order that his fall might
be the more destructive at last.
[Illustration: WHERE THE SURRENDER TOOK PLACE.]
FOOTNOTES:
[53] FRAZER'S BURIAL would not have been molested had our artillerists
known what was going forward. Seeing so many persons collected in the
redoubt, they naturally directed their fire upon it.
[54] THIS BODY OF AMERICANS was led by Colonel John Fellows, whom Gates
had ordered to seize the fords as high up as Fort Edward.
[55] FISHKILL, or Fish Creek, is the outlet of Saratoga Lake. Though a
rapid mill-stream, there were several fords. The precipitous banks were
a greater obstacle to troops than the stream itself.
[56] HEIGHTS OF SARATOGA are in what is now called Schuylerville, a
village owing its prosperity to the water-power of the Fishkill. At the
time of the surrender, there were only a few houses strung along the
river road. Schuyler's house stood in the angle formed by the entrance
of the Fishkill into the Hudson. On arriving at Saratoga, Burgoyne
occupied this house as his headquarters, but burned it to the ground
immediately on the appearance of the Americans. On the opposite (north)
bank of the Fishkill was old Fort Hardy, built during the French War, to
cover the ford of the Hudson at this place. Within this fort, Burgoyne's
army laid down its arms, October 17, 1777. On the heights back of the
river a granite obelisk, one hundred and fifty-four feet high, has been
built to commemorate the event.
[57] CLINTON'S FORCES carried Forts Montgomery and Clinton, in the
Highlands, by assault on the sixth. Having thus broken down all
opposition to their advance up the Hudson, they reached Kingston
(Esopus) on the thirteenth, burned it, and were within a few hours' sail
of Albany when news of Burgoyne's surrender caused them to retreat down
the river.
XVI.
THE SEVENTEENTH OF OCTOBER, 1777.
The closing scene of this most memorable campaign is thus described by
one of the actors in it. He says,--
"About ten o'clock we marched out, according to treaty, with drums
beating, and the honors of war; but the drums seemed to have lost their
former inspiriting sounds, and though we beat the Grenadiers' March,
which not long before was so animating, yet now it seemed by its last
feeble effort as if almost ashamed to be heard on such an occasion.
"I shall never forget the appearance of the American troops on our
marching past them. A dead silence reigned through their numerous
columns. I must say their decent behavior to us, so greatly fallen,
merited the utmost praise.... Not one of them was uniformly clad. Each
had on the clothes he wore in the fields, the church, or the tavern;
they stood, however, like soldiers, well arranged, and with a military
air, in which there was but little to find fault with. All the muskets
had bayonets, and the sharpshooters had rifles. The men all stood so
still that we were filled with wonder. Not one of them made a single
motion as if he would speak with his neighbor. Nay, more, all the lads
that stood there in rank and file, kind nature had formed so trim, so
slender, so nervous, that it was a pleasure to look at them, and we were
all surprised at the sight of such a handsome, well-formed race. The
whole nation has a natural turn for war and a soldier's life.
"The generals wore uniforms, and belts which designated their rank, but
most of the colonels were in their ordinary clothes, with a musket and
bayonet in hand, and a cartridge-box or powder-horn slung over the
shoulder. There were regular regiments which, for want of time or cloth,
were not yet equipped in uniform. These had standards, with various
emblems and mottoes, some of which had a very satirical meaning for us."
The number of regular troops, British and German, who laid down their
arms at Saratoga was 5,591. The camp-followers amounted to two hundred
more. Forty-two pieces of artillery, nearly five thousand muskets, with
ammunition for both, fell into the victors' hands.
XVII.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF DEFEAT.
We come now to the reasons why Burgoyne's surrender proved decisive to
the cause of American independence.
Our opening chapter states that England took Canada from France in 1759,
and annexed it to her own dominions in 1763. This conquest came about
through what is known in history as the Seven Years' War, which had not
only raised all Europe in arms, but had lighted the flames of war
throughout our own continent also. The great battle was fought on the
plains of Quebec. Victory decided for England. Defeated France had, at
last, to give up Canada to her ancient enemy.
France came out of this conflict sorely humbled. She was brooding over
her defeat, when the American colonies took up arms. The colonists at
once turned with confidence to France; now was her chance to cripple
England, to get back what she had lost, to gain the friendship of a
grateful people, and make them her debtor for all time. But France would
not go to war unless assured that her doing so would turn the scale
against England. The memory of her humiliation was too recent, the
chances of the contest too doubtful, to admit of any other course of
conduct on her part. Meanwhile, she gave us much secret help, but none
openly. The course of events was, however, closely watched, and when
Burgoyne's surrender was known in Paris, it was seen that the day of
revenge had come at last. Doubt and hesitation gave way before the
general demand for war. Franklin was openly received at Versailles.
Within three months, the French court had acknowledged our independence.
Her armies and fleets prepared to give us active aid, and it was not
doubted that her example would soon be followed by Spain and Holland.
Thus, Burgoyne's surrender gained for us at once recognition as a
nation, and the alliance of the first military power of Europe.
The effect of the surrender in England is thus described by Gibbon, the
historian, who was then sitting in Parliament: "Dreadful news indeed! An
English army of nearly ten thousand men laid down their arms, and
surrendered, prisoners of war, on condition of being sent to England,
and of never serving against America. They had fought bravely, and were
three days without eating. Burgoyne is said to have received three
wounds; General Frazer, with two thousand men, killed; Colonel Ackland
likewise killed. A general cry for peace."
England now gave up the colonies for lost. In truth, it needed no
prophet to foretell that what England could not do before, she could do
still less now, with France against her. From this time forward, the war
was carried on more to save the nation's pride than with any hope of
success. The military policy underwent an instant change; it now looked
rather to destroying our commerce and ports, than to marching large
armies into the interior of the country, to meet with a like fate to
Burgoyne's. Howe was ordered to evacuate Philadelphia. In Parliament, a
plan was hurriedly put forth to grant everything the Americans had asked
for, except independence. As Gibbon well said, the two greatest
countries of Europe were fairly running a race for the favor of America.
The movements taking place on the continent showed everywhere a feeling
hostile to England. No nation was ever so friendless as she, none had so
richly deserved the coldness with which the other powers now treated
her. Spain and Holland were getting ready to follow the lead of France.
It was well known that England could not carry on the war without the
aid of mercenaries. The King of Prussia and the Empress of Austria now
refused to permit any more German soldiers to go to America. In the
threatening condition of affairs at home, England could not spare
another army for so distant a field. Whichever way England looked, she
saw either open enemies or half friends. Everywhere the sky was dark for
her, and bright for us.
At home the surrender of Burgoyne thrilled the whole land, for all felt
it to be the harbinger of final triumph. The people went wild with joy;
salvos of artillery, toasts, bonfires, illuminations, everywhere
testified to the general exultation. The name of France was hailed with
acclamations. At once a sense of national dignity and solidity took the
place of uncertainty and isolation. Now and henceforth, the flag of the
United States was known and respected; abroad as at home, on the sea as
on the land.
Burgoyne's disaster has been charged to the grossest carelessness on the
part of some under official of the British War Office. It is said that
the orders for Sir William Howe were never put in the despatch bag at
all, but lay forgotten until the catastrophe at Saratoga brought them to
light. On such trifles does the fate of nations sometimes hang.
Certainly, greater unity of purpose in the two generals might have given
the history of the campaign a different reading. But all such
conjectures must fall before the inexorable logic of accomplished
results. The world has long since passed upon the merits of the great
conflict which set America free. Its verdict is recorded. The actors are
but as dust in the balance.
INDEX.
ALLEN, ETHAN, takes Ticonderoga, 17;
goes before Montgomery, 19.
ARNOLD, BENEDICT, marches to Canada, 19;
takes command of our flotilla, and fights the enemy, 22; 25, _note_;
sent to relieve Fort Stanwix, and does it by a stratagem, 92;
part at Bemis' Heights, 112;
storms the enemy's intrenchments, 121, 122;
wounded, 122.
BATTEN-KILL, British take post at, 70, 87.
BAUM, FREDERIC, commands British expedition to Bennington, and
marches, 70;
composition of his force, 70;
hears the Americans are waiting for him, 75;
notifies Burgoyne, and goes on, 75;
discovers Stark, and intrenches himself on the Walloomsac, 78, 81;
defeated, 83, 132.
BENNINGTON, VT.; Burgoyne's plan to seize stores at, 68;
Baum marches for, 72;
Battle of Bennington, 83, 84, 85;
trophies of, 85; 86, _note_;
results of the battle, 88, 89.
BEMIS' HEIGHTS; position of the army described, 99;
battle of September 19, 106, 107, 108, 111; 112, _note_.
BOUQUET RIVER; Burgoyne halts at, 37.
BRANT, JOSEPH, at Oriskany, 91; 94, _note_.
BREYMAN, HEINRICH C., posted in support of Baum, 70;
marches to Baum's aid, 81;
his slowness fatal to Baum, 84;
defeated, and badly cut up, 85;
his retreat to camp, 89;
part in Battle of Bemis' Heights, 105;
killed, 122.
BROWN, JOHN, attacks Ticonderoga, 114; 115, _note_.
BURGOYNE'S ARMY, composition of, 33, 34;
passes Lake Champlain, 35; 36, _notes_ 1 and 2;
invests Ticonderoga, 40, 43;
fights at Hubbardton, 47, 48;
at Fort Anne, 52;
joined by loyalists, 61;
concentrated, and leaves Skenesborough, 66;
arrives at Fort Edward, 66;
joined by savages, 66;
compelled to halt for provisions, 66, 69;
is moved forward to support the expedition to Bennington, 70;
falls back after the defeat of Baum, 87;
its losses, 88;
crosses the Hudson, 102;
order of march from Saratoga to Bemis' Heights, 105;
slow advance, 105;
gives battle to Gates, 106;
troops in action, 107;
on the defensive, 116;
on short rations, 117;
inactivity of, 117;
ordered to fight Gates again, 118;
troops selected, 119;
meets defeat, 121;
camp assaulted and turned, 122;
forms new line, 124;
retreats, 127;
soldiers dispirited, 129;
reaches Saratoga, 129;
makes a last stand, 130;
its camps, 130;
compelled to surrender, 133;
numbers at this time, 138.
BURGOYNE'S CAMPAIGN discussed, 10-14;
demand for re-enforcements, 11;
deficiency of transportation service, 12;
cause of failure, 13;
plan of, 26-32;
results in surrender, 133;
effect of it in Europe, especially in France, 140;
effect at home, 141;
said to have failed through blundering in the War Office, 142.
BURGOYNE, JOHN; his personal traits, 9;
his plan of campaign, 26 _et seq._;
his army, 33;
his proclamation, 38;
aims to cut off St. Clair from Schuyler, 45;
takes Skenesborough, 51;
follows up his successes, 52;
_resume_ of his campaign thus far, 52;
sends Riedesel to Castleton, 61;
chooses the Fort Anne route to Albany, 61;
his reasons, 62;
march obstructed, 65;
reaches Fort Edward, 66;
plans how to provide for his army, 68;
desire to strike New England, 68;
orders the expedition to Bennington, 70;
how composed, 70;
combinations overthrown by Baum's defeat, 87;
his losses up to this time, 88;
his Indians desert him, 88;
compelled to halt again, 90;
hears of St. Leger's retreat, 93;
his choice of evils, 101;
decides to cross the Hudson, 102;
marches in search of Gates, 105;
order of march, 105;
gives battle, 106 _et seq._;
troops in action, 107;
holds his position, but makes no advance, 113;
brings on another battle, 118, 119;
calls his three best generals to his aid, and commands in person,
119;
is defeated, and driven into his works, 121;
orders a retreat, 127;
finds a force confronting him on the east bank of the Hudson, 128;
loses valuable time, 128;
burns his baggage, 129;
arrives at Saratoga, 129;
finds retreat cut off, 131;
his camp untenable, 132;
surrenders his army, 133;
scene described by eyewitnesses, 135, 138.
CANADA'S alliance desired, 15;
invasion of begun, 19;
attitude toward the colonies, 25, _note_.
CARLETON, GUY; attitude toward Burgoyne, 11, 12;
gains a naval victory over Arnold, 22, 25.
CASTLETON, VT.; Riedesel posted there by Burgoyne, 61.
CHAMBLY, FORT; position of, 16;
taken by Americans, 19;
burnt, 20.
CLINTON, SIR HENRY, notifies Burgoyne that he is coming to his relief,
116;
thinks he is only to make a diversion, 117; 122, _note_;
is near Albany when Burgoyne surrenders, 133; 134, _note_.
CROWN POINT, position of, 16;
when built, 18, _note_;
Americans fall back to, 20;
evacuated, 20;
naval battle near, 22.
DIAMOND ISLAND, unsuccessful attack upon, 114.
DUER'S HOUSE, Frazer's corps at, 68;
British army posted at, 70, 87.
FELLOWS, JOHN, commands a detachment to watch Burgoyne, 134.
FISHKILL CREEK, 129; 134, _note_.
FORT ANNE, N. Y.; Americans retreat to, from Skenesborough, 51;
Schuyler re-enforces them, 52;
combat at, 52;
burnt and abandoned, 52;
described, 55, _note_;
importance to Burgoyne, 62;
neighborhood described, 62, 63.
FORT EDWARD, position of, 16;
Schuyler at, 51;
is joined by St. Clair, after Ticonderoga falls, 51;
Burgoyne arrives at, 66;
Schuyler evacuates it, 66;
described, 66, _note_.
FORT GEORGE, position of, 16;
Americans evacuate it, 66;
and British occupy it, 66.
FORT OSWEGO, position of, 30.
FORT STANWIX, position of, 30;
St. Leger's force, 35;
garrisoned and defended, 90, 91;
attempt to relieve fails, 91;
garrison makes a sally, 92;
siege raised, 93; 94, _note_.
FRANCIS, EBENEZER, covers retreat from Ticonderoga, fights Frazer at
Hubbardton, but is killed, 51; 55, _note_.
FRAZER, SIMON, commands a corps under Burgoyne, 34, 35;
takes Mt. Hope, 40;
pursues St. Clair, 46;
comes up with the Americans at Hubbardton, and fights them, 47;
on the point of defeat is re-enforced, and gains the day, 48;
crosses the Hudson, and takes post at Saratoga, 70;
recrosses the Hudson, 87;
is posted on the right at Bemis' Heights, 105;
his force, 107;
killed, 121; 123, _note_;
buried, 127; 134, _note_.
FREEMAN'S FARM, position of, 99; 100, _note_, 105;
first collision at (Sept. 19), 106;
second battle at, 120-122.
GANSEVOORT, PETER, at Fort Stanwix, 90;
sallies out upon besiegers, 91; 94, _note_.
GATES, HORATIO, takes command of the Northern Army, 20;
his rank, 25, _note_; supersedes Schuyler, 95;
good effect on the army, 97;
orders an advance to Stillwater, 97;
want of confidence in Arnold a drawback to success, 98;
posts the army on Bemis' Heights, 98; _note_, 99;
sends Morgan to feel the enemy, 106;
re-enforces in driblets, 108;
his camp and army, 115, _note_s 1 and 2;
accepts battle again, 120;
is victorious, 121, 122;
dilatory pursuit of the enemy, 131;
comes up with Burgoyne, 131;
dispositions for attacking, 131;
receives Burgoyne's surrender, 133.
HERKIMER, NICHOLAS, marches to relieve Fort Stanwix, 91;
is waylaid and defeated, 91, 92;
dies of his wounds, 92; 94, _note_.
HESSIAN MERCENARIES, 36, _note_.
HOWE, SIR WILLIAM, participation in the campaign discussed, 14;
driven from Boston, 29;
George III. disappointed in him, 29;
gets his orders too late, 31.
HUBBARDTON, VT., garrison of Ticonderoga retreats to, 44;
St. Clair's rearguard overtaken at, 47;
battle of, 47, 48, 49.
JOHNSON, SIR JOHN, at Oriskany, 91; 94, _note_.
KOSCIUSKO, THADDEUS, marks out the lines on Bemis' Heights, 98; 100,
_note_.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN, the gateway of the north, 16;
naval battle on, 22;
Burgoyne's advance, 35;
shores of, 37;
Americans driven from, 51.
LINCOLN, BENJAMIN, sent to Manchester, 74;
sketch of, 76, _note_;
makes a raid in Burgoyne's rear, 113;
joins Gates, 115;
wounded, 128.
LYMAN, PHINEAS, builds Fort Edward, 66.
MANCHESTER, VT., Warner posted at, 57;
rendezvous for militia, 73;
Lincoln and Stark at, 74.
MOHAWK VALLEY, plan for invading it, 30, 35.
MONTGOMERY, RICHARD, leads an army to Canada, 19;
killed, 20;
sketch of, 25, _note_.
MORGAN'S RIFLEMEN, 99, _note_;
attack Burgoyne, 106;
part in the battle of October 7, 120, 121.
MOUNT INDEPENDENCE described, 16;
named, 21;
Americans retreat from Ticonderoga to, 44.
MOUNT DEFIANCE, the key of Ticonderoga, 43;
seized by Burgoyne's engineers, 43;
compels the evacuation of Ticonderoga, 43;
retaken by the Americans, 114; 115, _note_.
NEWPORT, R. I., held by the enemy, 30;
Howe's strategy, 60, _note_.
NEW YORK, plans for its invasion, 26, 29, 30;
resources of for resisting Burgoyne, 58, 59.
ORISKANY, N. Y., Americans marching to Fort Stanwix are defeated at,
91.
PHILLIPS, WILLIAM, commands Burgoyne's artillery, 34;
brings up artillery at Bemis' Heights, 111.
RIEDESEL, BARON VON, commands Burgoyne's German contingent, 34;
at Ticonderoga, 40;
pursues the retreating Americans, 46;
turns defeat to victory at Hubbardton, 48;
is posted at Castleton, Vt., 61;
falls back to Fort Edward, 86;
supports Burgoyne at Bemis' Heights, 111.
SARATOGA, occupied by Burgoyne, 70;
country below described, 98;
Burgoyne's army crosses over to, 102;
falls back to, after being defeated, 129; 134, _note_.
ST. CLAIR, ARTHUR, commands at Ticonderoga, 39;
evacuates it, 43;
military record of, 44, _note_ 2; also _note_ 5;
marches for Skenesborough, 45;
halts at Hubbardton, 46;
hears Burgoyne has occupied his proposed line of retreat, and now
marches for Bennington, 51;
joins Schuyler at Fort Edward, 51;
accused of treachery, 58;
and ordered to Philadelphia, 60.
ST. JOHN'S, FORT, position of, 16;
taken by Americans, 19;
burnt, 20;
British build a fleet at, 21.
ST. LEGER, BARRY, combination with Burgoyne, 13;
his part, 30, 31;
his force, 35, 90;
lays siege to Fort Stanwix, 91;
Arnold's stratagem compels him to raise the siege, 93;
and retreat to Oswego, 93.
SCHUYLER, PHILIP, at Fort Edward, 51;
St. Clair joins him, 51;
sends a force to Fort Anne, 52;
military record of, 55, _note_;
holds Warner at Manchester, 57;
evacuates Fort Edward on Burgoyne's approach, 66;
state of his army, 66;
urges Stark to join him, 77;
sends Gansevoort to Fort Stanwix, 90;
then Arnold, 93;
superseded by Gates, 95.
SECOND BATTLE OF FREEMAN'S FARM, 120-122.
SKENESBOROUGH taken by Americans, 17;
described, 18, _note_;
made a dockyard, 21;
Americans retreat to, from Ticonderoga, 44;
set fire to, and abandoned, 51.