Such was the impatience of some of the militia to return home before the
royal army had been brought to surrender, and so little their concern to
be spectators of the event, that one of the Northampton regiments went
off the day before the flag came out from Burgoyne. Another regiment
took itself away while the treaty was in agitation. But the fate of the
army will confirm the truth of what its commander wrote to lord George
Germain, “August the 20th, the great bulk of the country is undoubtedly
with the congress in principle and zeal.” When after the convention the
officers went into the American camp, they were surprised; and some of
them said, that of all the camps they had ever seen in Germany or
elsewhere, they never saw any better disposed and secured.
The return signed by gen. Burgoyne, of the foreigners at the time of the
convention, amounted to 2412. The British consisted according to him of
10 officers present—145 commissioned—the staff 26—sergeants and drummers
297—rank and file 2901—in all 3379: this added to the Germans, makes
5791. The American account, to show what was the sum total of the royal
army acting in the northern department against the country, goes on to
reckon, the sick taken 928—the wounded 528—prisoners of war before the
convention 400—deserters 300—lost at Bennington 1220—killed between the
17th November to the 18th of October 600—taken at Tyconderoga 413—killed
in gen. Herkimer’s battle about 300—making in all 4689. According to
this way of reckoning, the royal force was 10480. It was probably full
10000 strong, including Canadians and provincials and exclusive of
Indians, drivers, suttlers, &c. Among the prisoners taken were six
members of parliament.
The train of brass artillery was a fine acquisition; it consisted of 2
twenty-four pounders—4 twelves—20 sixes—6 threes—2 eight inch
howitzers—5 five and a half royal ditto—and 3 five and a half inch royal
mortars—in all, 42 pieces of ordnance.—There were 4647 muskets—6000
dozen of cartridges, beside shot, carcasses, cases, shells, &c.
Burgoyne was desirous of a general return of the army commanded by Gates
at the time of the convention. The latter understood him, and was
careful not to lessen the return by suppressing a single man. The
continentals, all ranks included, were 9093: the militia 4129, in all,
13222; but of the former, the sick on furlough were 2103; and of the
latter, 562. The number of the militia was continually varying; and many
of them were at a considerable distance from the camp.
We now enter upon the retaliation of the measures pursued by the British
below Albany. You have been told what were the sentiments of gen.
Putnam, on the 9th, as to their sailing up to within sixteen miles of
the American camp, before removed from the neighborhood of Stillwater.
Sir H. Clinton, however, instead of pushing up the river, intrusted the
business to Sir James Wallace and gen. Vaughan. The latter had under him
3600 men. Sir James commanded a flying squadron of light frigates,
accompanied with the necessary appendage of barges, batteaux and boats,
for landing the troops, and all other movements. By the 13th they
reached Kingston alias Æsopus, a fine village, as you would call it; but
on this side the Atlantic, a good town. Upon Vaughan’s landing the
troops, the Americans, being too weak to make resistance, abandoned
their battery of three guns, after spiking them. They left the town
immediately for their own safety, without firing from the houses upon
the British. Vaughan, however, was told that Burgoyne had actually
surrendered;[78] and the town was doomed to the flames. The whole was
reduced to ashes, and not a house left standing. The American governor
Clinton was a tame spectator of the barbarity, but only for want of a
sufficient force to attack the enemy. This seemingly revengeful
devastation was productive of a pathetic but severe letter from gen.
Gates (then in the height of victory) to gen. Vaughan. The latter with a
flood tide might have reached Albany in four hours: there was no force
to have hindered him. When he burnt Livingston’s upper mills, had he
proceeded to Albany and burnt the American stores, Gates, as he himself
has declared, must have retreated into New-England. The royalists may
justly remark upon the occasion—“Why a delay was made of seven days
after Clinton had taken the forts we are ignorant of. The highland forts
were taken the 6th of October; Æsopus was burnt the 13th; Burgoyne’s
convention was signed the 17th. There was no force to oppose even open
boats on the river; why then did not the boats proceed immediately to
Albany? Had Clinton gone forward, Burgoyne’s army had been saved. Putnam
could not have crossed to Albany. The army amused themselves with
burning Æsopus, and the houses of individuals on the river’s bank.”[79]
While the British were manœuvreing in and about the North-River, doing
mischief to individuals, without serving their own cause in the least,
gen. Gates had express upon express, urging him to send down troops to
oppose the enemy. On the 14th he wrote to governor Clinton, “I have
ordered the commanding officer at Fort Scuyler to send Van Schaak’s
regiment without delay to Albany—desired brigadier-general Gansevoort to
repair to that city, and take the command of all the troops that may
assemble there—and have sent down the two Æsopus regiments, the Tryon
county militia, and most of the militia of Albany county.” But he would
not weaken his hold of Burgoyne by any detachment of continentals from
his own army or of New-England militia. The New-York state militia, that
repaired to the governor to assist the inhabitants, did as much mischief
as the enemy, the burning of houses and other buildings excepted. It is
too much the case of all militia, that when they march to the assistance
of their countrymen against a common enemy they do the former a great
deal of damage. The laxness of their discipline, and their unreasonable
claims, of indulgences from those whom they are to protect, made them
expensive and disageeable guests.
When the convention troops began their march to Boston, the Americans
lined the hill and road on each side. They expected to have met with
many insults while passing through the centre of them, supposed to be
between 11 and 12 thousand; but to their great surprise, not even the
least gesture was made us of by way of insult. When they had marched on,
Gates pushed the army forward, with the utmost expedition, to stop the
cruel career of the British up the North-River. Upon the approach of the
Americans Vaughan and Wallace retired to New-York.
It will be some days, before the vessel for France with the news of
Burgoyne’s fate, can sail; which admits of my adding to the present
letter, destined to go by that conveyance, some other matters proper for
insertion.
The Rev. Mr. Duche, formerly the chaplain of congress, made an attempt,
by writing, on the patriotism of gen. Washington; nothing more need be
said of the transaction than what the general has done, in a letter of
October the 16th,——“To Mr. Duche’s ridiculous illiberal performance I
made a very short reply by desiring the bearer, Mrs. Ferguson of
Graham-park, if she should hereafter, by any accident, meet with Mr.
Duche, to tell him, I should have returned it unopened, if I had had any
ideas of the contents.”
Some persons in congress have been and are manœuvreing to get gen.
Conway promoted, which occasioned the commander in chief’s writing the
next day to a confidential friend—“I ask why the youngest brigadier in
the service (for I believe Conway is so) should be put over the heads of
the eldest? I am assured they will not serve under him, I have been a
slave to the service; I have undergone more than most men are aware of,
to harmonize so many discordant parts; but it will be impossible for me
to be of any further service, if such inseperable difficulties are
thrown in my way.”
Before the last year’s Massachusetts general court expired, they passed
an act to support and enfore the regulating act, made in January, under
the title of an act to prevent monopoly and oppression. By this new act,
committees were vested with most extraordinary powers, “which,” as the
act says, “can only be justified in cases wherein the very existance of
the community is depending.” The vanity and folly however of regulating
acts has been so seen and felt, that they have been repealed by the new
general court, within these five days.
Boston and Marblehead have been under great difficulties for want of
flour and Indian corn; and must have suffered much had it not been for
the state importations. On the 15th of August there was not flour in the
capital sufficient for the inhabitants longer than the next day, except
what belonged to the state. The sea-ports and neighboring towns of this
state have been used to receive their supplies of flour mostly by water,
and from the places now in the hands of the British; they are therefore
liable to be distressed by the operations of the war, though happily
exempted from being the seat of it, since the evacuation of Boston.
A secret expedition has been carrying on against Newport, without gen.
Washington’s having ever been consulted upon it, or knowing from whence
or whom it originated. Gen. Spencer was stationed at Providence, and of
course conducted it.—The states of Rhode-Island, Connecticut and
Massachusetts furnished almost the whole of the troops. The militia who
were called out opon the occasion, readily engaged in the service, for
they were filled with the expectations of success, and the hopes of
plunder. Every thing went on well for some time, without the British
troops knowing that preparations were making for passing over to
Rhode-Island, and attacking them. At length a half-witted fellow,
without seeing consequences, of his own head carried over in his boat to
the island a Jew, whom he landed, and who was to go to Newport, and the
neighbourhood, and procure all the intelligence he could and then to
return with his information to gen. Spencer. The Jew went to the enemy
and acquainted them with the expedition that was going forward. Upon
this the British immediately took proper measures for their security.
Gen. Spencer however, perfected his preparations. The time and manner
for carrying the militia over was settled. Brigadier Palmer, who headed
those from the Massachusetts, had his orders given him, but instead of
executing them with life and spirit, he neglected and disobeyed them.
His conduct occasioned a failure of the expedition. Spencer’s courage
would have led him to have attempted carrying the island, after this
disappointment, and with a smaller body of troops than were originally
to have been employed; but others would not consent to it. The employing
of the Connecticut militia in this service, contributed greatly to, if
not wholly caused that weakness in the American force stationed on the
North-River, which occasioned the loss of the forts Montgomery and
Clinton.
A long letter for doct. Fothergill goes by the present opportunity. The
writer mentions that the Americans are determined not to part with their
independence, and proposes that there should be an immediate
acknowledgment of it, on the part of Breat-Britain, and an entering upon
a commercial alliance with the United States, before any foreign power
interferes.—Numbers have been for some time dissatisfied with the
French, because of their not affording more speedy, open, and important
assistance. They flatter themselves that the capture of Burgoyne’s army
will produce a change in the politics of France. An adoption of the
above proposal will be the best expedient for over-reaching her in any
design of injuring our native country.