Horatio Gates was born in England, in 1728. He early embraced the
career of arms, and rose to the rank of major by the force of merit
alone. At the capture of Martinico, he was to aid general Monkton,
and, after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, was stationed at Halifax in
Nova Scotia. Seven years afterwards, he was again called into active
life, by the breaking out of a new war, and was with Braddock when
that unfortunate commander was defeated, in 1755. In consequence of a
severe wound which he received in the battle, he was for some time
debarred from active service; and, at the conclusion of the peace, he
repaired to his native country. He soon, however, returned, and
purchased an estate in Virginia, on which he resided until the
commencement of the revolutionary war in 1775, when he was appointed
adjutant-general by congress, with the rank of brigadier. In July,
1775, he accompanied the commander-in-chief to Massachusetts, where he
continued until June in the following year, when he received the chief
command of the army which had just retreated from Canada. This gave
great umbrage to general Schuyler, who had hitherto superintended the
forts and garrisons of New York, and now expressed his determination
to resign, unless the injury were redressed. Congress, in consequence,
endeavored to reconcile the pretensions of the two generals, by
assigning to them authorities in some measure independent of each
other. Schuyler was directed to provide and equip a naval armament, in
order to obtain and preserve the command of the lakes and rivers which
maintained the communications between Canada and the maritime and
Hudson country, and Gates was enjoined to coöperate in this service as
far as laid in his power. But they were only able to equip about 15
vessels, half of which were little better than boats, which were
placed under the command of Arnold, who was opposed by a much superior
force under Carleton. The first step of Gates occasioned some surprise
and much clamor. The American forces had retreated to Crown Point,
where such ravages were made among them by the small-pox, that Gates
abandoned that fortress, and concentrated his army at Ticonderoga.
This movement, which opened to the enemy the whole navigation of lake
Champlain, was greatly condemned by Washington and all the
field-officers. The unexpected retreat of general Carleton relieved
them from the necessity of defending Ticonderoga. After this retreat,
Gates marched with a considerable detachment to the assistance of
general Washington, and continued with him, during his operations in
the middle colonies, until the spring of 1777, when he resumed his
command on the northern frontier. Here he was shortly afterwards
superseded by Schuyler. But in August following, when Burgoyne had
obtained possession of Ticonderoga, defeated St. Clair, occupied fort
Ann and Skeensborough, and had arrived at fort St. Edward, on the
upper branches of the Hudson, Gates was reinstated in the command. At
fort St. Edward, Burgoyne remained for some time, in order to collect
necessaries, and then, passing the Hudson, encamped at Saratoga. Gates
immediately put himself in motion with an equal force, and, Sep. 19,
an almost general engagement took place without any decisive result.
Oct. 8, another action occurred, in which the British were totally
defeated, and, on the 16th, Bugoyne surrendered with his whole army.
This was, perhaps, the most important achievement of the whole war, or
the one which had the greatest effect in giving it a favorable result.
About this time, when the popularity of general Gates was at its
highest point, intrigues were commenced for elevating him to the
station occupied by Washington, which were as shameful as they were
unsuccessful. How far he himself was engaged in them, or whether he
was concerned in them at all, it is not in our power to state; nor
should we wish to enter into any details respecting it.
In June, 1780, Gates received the chief command of the southern
districts. In this quarter, the affairs of the colonies were in a very
bad condition. Charleston had been taken, and general Lincoln
captured. When Gates assumed the command of the southern army, it
scarcely amounted to 1500 men, badly supplied in every respect. After
collecting all the troops he could, and equipping them as well as he
was able, he advanced against the enemy, whom he met, August 16, under
Cornwallis, at Camden, where the Americans were totally defeated.
About fifty days after this disaster, general Greene was sent to
supersede Gates, whose conduct was subjected to the investigation of a
special court. After a long and tedious inquiry, he was finally
acquitted, and reinstated in his command in 1782; but, in the interim,
the war had been brought to a glorious termination by the capture of
Cornwallis. When peace was made, he retired to his Virginia estate,
and, in 1790, removed to New York, having first emancipated all his
slaves, and provided for such of them as could not provide for
themselves. On his arrival at New York, he was presented with the
freedom of the city, and, in the year 1800, was chosen a member of the
state legislature, in consequence of the critical balance of parties
at that time, but resigned the seat as soon as the purpose for which
he accepted it was gained. He died April 10, 1806, in the 78th year of
his age.
General Gates possessed a handsome person, rather inclined to
corpulency in the middle of his life; was courteous in his manners,
and kind and generous in his disposition. He was a classical scholar
and a sincere Christian.