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140-1131: American victory [REDACTED] United States [REDACTED] Vermont [REDACTED]   Great Britain Iroquois (minus Oneida) [REDACTED] Horatio Gates [REDACTED] Philip Schuyler [REDACTED] Arthur St. Clair [REDACTED] Benedict Arnold  ( WIA ) [REDACTED] Benjamin Lincoln  ( WIA ) [REDACTED] Israel Putnam [REDACTED] George Clinton [REDACTED] James Clinton  ( WIA ) [REDACTED] John Stark [REDACTED] James Livingston [REDACTED] John Burgoyne   [REDACTED] [REDACTED] William Phillips  ( POW ) [REDACTED] Simon Fraser   † [REDACTED] Barry St. Leger [REDACTED] Luc de la Corne [REDACTED] Henry Clinton [REDACTED] Friedrich Adolf Riedesel  ( POW ) [REDACTED] Heinrich von Breymann   † Joseph Brant The Saratoga campaign in 1777

280-656: A sortie from Fort Stanwix and raided the nearly empty indigenous camp. This, combined with the significant casualties they suffered at Oriskany, was a major blow to the morale of St. Leger's native allies. On August 10, Benedict Arnold left Stillwater, New York for Fort Stanwix with 800 men of the Continental Army from Schuyler's Northern Department. He expected to recruit members of the Tryon County militia when he arrived at Fort Dayton on August 21. Arnold, however, could only raise about 100 men, as most of

420-852: A Massachusetts man noted for his influence with the New England militia. He ordered 750 men from Israel Putnam 's forces defending the New York highlands to join Gates' army in August, before he was certain that Howe had indeed sailed south. He also sent some of the best forces from his own army: Colonel Daniel Morgan and the newly formed Provisional Rifle Corps, which comprised about 500 specially selected riflemen from Pennsylvania , Maryland , and Virginia , chosen for their sharpshooting ability. This unit came to be known as Morgan's Riflemen . On September 7, Gates ordered his army to march north. A site

560-519: A copy of his instructions to Carleton, which plainly stated that the northern army was to make a junction with Howe's army at Albany. In a letter from Germain to Howe dated May 18, 1777, he made clear that the Philadelphia expedition should "be executed in time for you to co-operate with the army ordered to proceed from Canada and put itself under your command." This last letter, however, was not received by Howe until after he had departed New York for

700-481: A detachment to Oneida Lake in pursuit, but turned the rest of his force east to rejoin the American forces at Saratoga. St. Leger's eventually arrived with elements of his expedition at Fort Ticonderoga on September 27. Their arrival was too late to effectively support Burgoyne, whose army was already being hemmed in by the growing American forces around him. The advance of Burgoyne's army to Fort Edward was, as with

840-462: A full-scale invasion due to the lateness of the season. Carleton was heavily criticized in London for not taking advantage of the American retreat from Quebec, and he was also intensely disliked by Germain. This, combined with rival Henry Clinton 's failed attempt to capture Charleston, South Carolina , placed Burgoyne in a good position to get command of the 1777 northern campaign. Burgoyne presented

980-416: A garrison of about 3,000 regulars and militia, had no idea on July 1 of the full strength of Burgoyne's army, large elements of which were then just 4 miles (6.4 km) away. St. Clair had been ordered by General Schuyler to hold out as long as possible, and had planned two avenues of retreat. Open skirmishing began on the outer defense works of Ticonderoga on July 2. By July 4, most of the American garrison

1120-474: A great deal of credit as the commanding general for the greatest American victory of the war to date. He may have conspired with others to replace George Washington as the commander-in-chief. Instead, he received the command of the main American army in the South. He led it to a disastrous defeat at the 1780 Battle of Camden , where he was at the forefront of a panicked retreat. Gates never commanded troops in

1260-596: A letter from Lord Germain which introduced the plan but lacked some details. This produced another of the conflicts of command that plagued the British throughout the war. Lieutenant General Burgoyne technically outranked Major General Carleton, but Carleton was still the governor of Quebec. Germain's instructions to Burgoyne and Carleton had specifically limited Carleton's role to operations in Quebec. This slight against Carleton, combined with Carleton's failure to get command of

1400-487: A mile (1 km) to Barber's wheat field on a rise above Mill Brook, where they stopped to observe the American position. While the field afforded some room for artillery to work, the flanks were dangerously close to the surrounding woods. Gates, following the removal of Arnold from the field command, assumed command of the American left and gave the right to General Lincoln. When American scouts brought news of Burgoyne's movement to Gates, he ordered Morgan's riflemen out to

1540-550: A moral certainty that in the course of a few years, every right of Americans will be taken away, and governors and councils, holding at the will of a Minister, will be the only legislatives, in the colonies. On June 19, 1775, the members of the Second Continental Congress called themselves the "delegates of the United Colonies" and appointed George Washington the "General and Commander in chief of

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1680-418: A petition signed by line officers convinced Arnold to stay in camp. During this period there were almost daily clashes between pickets and patrols of the two armies. Morgan's sharpshooters, familiar with the strategy and tactics of woodland warfare, constantly harassed British patrols on the western flank. As September passed into October it became clear that Clinton was not coming to help Burgoyne, who put

1820-556: A post until we shoot a general." Over the objections of the New York delegation, Congress sent Gates to take command of the Northern Department on August 10. It also ordered states from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts to call out their militias. On August 19, Gates arrived at Albany to take charge. He was cold and arrogant in manner, and pointedly excluded Schuyler from his first war council. Schuyler left for Philadelphia shortly after, depriving Gates of his intimate knowledge of

1960-570: A push at [Fort] Montgomery in about ten days." (Fort Montgomery was an American post on the Hudson River, in the New York Highlands south of West Point ). If Clinton left New York on September 22, "about ten days" after he wrote the letter, he still could not hope to arrive in the vicinity of Saratoga before the end of the month. Burgoyne, running low on men and food, was still in a very difficult position, but he decided to wait in

2100-467: A regular engagement and that they would only fight behind strong and powerful works. In recognition of his contribution to the battles at Saratoga, General Arnold had his seniority restored (he had lost it after being passed over for promotion earlier in 1777). However, Arnold's leg wound kept him in bed five months. Later, while still unfit for field service but serving as military governor of Philadelphia, Arnold entered into treasonous correspondence with

2240-428: A road through the wilderness for his guns and troops, a task that took about two weeks. They moved out of Skenesboro on July 24 and reached Fort Edward on July 29, finding that Schuyler had already abandoned it in a retreat that ended at Stillwater, New York . Before he left Skenesboro, Burgoyne was joined by about 500 Indians (mostly Ottawas , but also Fox , Mississauga , Chippewa , and Ojibwe , as well as members of

2380-583: A sixth had been built, and three had been captured after the Battle of Valcour Island . These provided some transport as well as military cover for the large fleet of transport boats that moved the army south on the lake. The army that Burgoyne launched the next day had about 7,000 regulars and over 130 artillery pieces ranging from light mortars to 24-pound (11 kg) pieces. His regulars were organized into an advance force under Brigadier General Simon Fraser , and two divisions. Major General William Phillips led

2520-536: A slow retreat since Burgoyne's capture of Ticonderoga early in July, under the command of Major General Philip Schuyler , and was encamped south of Stillwater, New York . On August 19, Major General Horatio Gates assumed command from Schuyler, whose political fortunes had fallen over the loss of Ticonderoga and the ensuing retreat. Gates and Schuyler were from very different backgrounds and did not get along with each other. They had previously argued over command issues in

2660-498: A time while he was at Skenesboro, had observed that the area was rich in draft animals and horses, which might be seized for the army's benefit (including the mounting of Riedesel's currently unmounted dragoons ). Pursuing this idea, Burgoyne sent Colonel Friedrich Baum 's regiment to obtain supplies from the armory in Bennington, Vermont on August 9, along with some Brunswick dragoons. Most of Baum's detachment never returned from

2800-475: A track in that direction. The troops Morgan's men saw were an advance company from Hamilton's column. Morgan placed marksmen at strategic positions, who then picked off virtually every officer in the advance company. Morgan and his men then charged, unaware that they were headed directly for Burgoyne's main army. While they succeeded in driving back the advance company, Fraser's leading edge arrived just in time to attack Morgan's left, scattering his men back into

2940-497: A written plan to Lord Germain on February 28, 1777; Germain approved it and gave Burgoyne command of the main expedition. Burgoyne's invasion plan from Quebec had two components: he would lead the main force of about 8,000 men south from Montreal along Lake Champlain and the Hudson River Valley while a second column of about 2,000 men (which Barry St. Leger was chosen to lead), would move from Lake Ontario east down

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3080-765: The British Army in Boston . On July 6, 1775, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia issued A declaration by the representatives of the United Colonies of North America, now met in General Congress in Philadelphia, setting forth the causes and necessity of their taking up arms. They concluded, "We mean not to dissolve that union which as so long and so happily subsisted between us, in which we sincerely wish to see restored....We have not raised armies with ambitious designs of separating from Great Britain, and establishing independent states." On May 10, 1775,

3220-583: The Comte de Vergennes , then the Foreign Minister, outlined a series of proposals that led to secret French and also Spanish support of Congress, and some preparations for the possibility of war, including expansion of their navies. Vergennes did not think open participation in the war was diplomatically or politically feasible until Washington's army demonstrated its strength and ability to gain military victories without significant assistance. To further

3360-527: The Continental Army 's Northern Department and its defense of the Hudson River—was of the movements of Howe's army in New York. They had no significant knowledge of what was being planned for the British forces in Quebec, in spite of Burgoyne's complaints that everyone in Montreal knew what he was planning. The three generals disagreed on what Burgoyne's most likely movement was, and Congress also rendered

3500-763: The Iroquois ) from the Great Lakes region under the leadership of St. Luc de la Corne and Charles Michel de Langlade . Lieutenant Colonel St. Leger proceeded up the St. Lawrence by bateaux and crossed Lake Ontario to arrive at Oswego without incident. He had about 240 British regulars, supported by 90 jäger from Hesse-Hanau , 250 Loyalists from the King's Royal Regiment of New York , and 50 Canadien militia. They were joined by 100 British Indian Department rangers led by John Butler , and 800 indigenous warriors led by

3640-482: The Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, and two days later, on July 4, unanimously adopted the " Declaration of Independence ", written principally by Thomas Jefferson , which read in part: Congress appointed George Washington "General & Commander in chief of the army of the United Colonies and of all the forces raised or to be raised by them" on June 19, 1775, and on June 22 instructed him to take charge of

3780-625: The Mohawk River valley in a strategic diversion. Both expeditions would converge upon Albany, where they would link up with troops from Howe's army, proceeding up the Hudson. Control of the Lake Champlain– Lake George –Hudson River route from Canada to New York City would cut off New England from the rest of the American colonies. The last part of Burgoyne's proposal, the advance by Howe up the Hudson from New York City, proved to be

3920-663: The National Park Service as the Saratoga National Historical Park , which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The park preserves a number of the buildings in the area and contains a variety of monuments. The Saratoga Monument obelisk has four niches, three of which hold statues of American commanders: Gates and Schuyler and of Colonel Daniel Morgan. The fourth niche, where Arnold's statue would go,

4060-424: The 1777 campaign. Howe said that if Germain sent him substantial reinforcements, he could launch multiple offensives, including sending 10,000 men up the Hudson River to take Albany, New York . Then, in the autumn, Howe could move south and capture the U.S. capital of Philadelphia . Howe changed his mind soon after writing this letter: the reinforcements might not arrive, and the retreat of the Continental Army over

4200-464: The 3,900 British regulars on the right, while Baron Riedesel's 3,100 Brunswick–Lüneburgers held the left. His regular troops started out in good condition, but some, notably some of the German dragoons , were poorly equipped for wilderness fighting. Colonel St. Leger's expedition was also assembled by mid-June. His force, a mixed company of British regulars, Loyalists , Hessians , and rangers from

4340-456: The 9th held in reserve. The battle then went through phases alternating between intense fighting and breaks in the action. Morgan's men had regrouped in the woods, and picked off officers and artillerymen. They were so effective at reducing the latter that the Americans several times gained brief control of British field pieces , only to lose them in the next British charge. At one point it

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4480-435: The American defensive line, and skirmishes occurred between American scouting parties and the leading elements of his army. The American camp had become a bed of rising intrigue ever since Arnold's return from Fort Stanwix. While he and Gates had previously been on reasonably good terms in spite of their prickly egos, Arnold managed to turn Gates against him by taking on officers friendly to Schuyler as staff, dragging him into

4620-441: The American general Horatio Gates on October 17. In this critical British loss on the field of battle, the coordinated movements that had been drawn up in far away London did not materialize. Colonel Barry St. Leger had been assigned to move east through the Mohawk River valley on Albany, New York , but was forced to retreat during the siege of Fort Stanwix after losing his Indigenous allies. The major expedition planned from

4760-455: The American revolution, were attracted to the profession of arms. Three subalterns of the 20th regiment on this occasion, the oldest of whom did not exceed the age of seventeen years, were buried together The final stroke of the battle belonged to the British. Around 3 pm, Riedesel sent a messenger to Burgoyne for instructions. He returned two hours later with orders to guard the baggage train, but also to send as many men as he could spare toward

4900-511: The American right flank. In a calculated risk, Riedesel left 500 men to guard the vital supply train and marched off toward the action with the rest of his column. Two of his companies advanced on the double and opened vicious fire on the American right, and Fraser's force threatened to turn the American left flank. In response to the latter threat, Arnold requested more forces, and Gates allowed him to dispatch Ebenezer Learned 's brigade ( 2nd , 8th and 9th Massachusetts ). (If Arnold had been on

5040-526: The American troops. Burgoyne's forces were thrown back to the positions that they held before the September 19 battle, and the Americans captured a portion of the entrenched British defenses. The American Revolutionary War was approaching the two-year point, and the British changed their plans. They decided to split the Thirteen Colonies and isolate New England from what they believed to be

5180-596: The Americans holding the field of battle, however, they were also forced to withdraw because of the catastrophic casualties they had suffered, including the mortal wounding of their leader, Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer . Warriors from the Iroquois nations fought on both sides of the battle, marking the beginning of a civil war within the Six Nations . During the Oriskany action, the besieged Americans staged

5320-472: The Americans returned with an even larger force. Burgoyne found himself trapped by much larger American forces with no relief, so he retreated to Saratoga (now Schuylerville ) and surrendered his entire army there on October 17. His surrender, says historian Edmund Morgan , "was a great turning point of the war because it won for Americans the foreign assistance which was the last element needed for victory." Burgoyne's strategy to divide New England from

5460-564: The Americans were capable of putting up stiff resistance. Burgoyne's army was reduced by about 1,500 men as a result of the Ticonderoga actions. He left 400 men to garrison the magazine at Crown Point and another 900 to defend Ticonderoga, and the battles that followed resulted in about 200 casualties. The bulk of St. Clair's army retreated through the New Hampshire Grants (present-day Vermont ). St. Clair issued appeals to

5600-687: The Army of the United Colonies". On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee , after receiving instructions and wording from the Fifth Virginia Convention , proposed to Congress that they cut their political ties with Britain , declare themselves independent, and create a constitution. Known as the Lee Resolution , and passed by the delegates on July 2, 1776, it referred to the United Colonies, reading in part: Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to

5740-543: The August 16 Battle of Bennington , and the reinforcements he had sent after them came back after they were ravaged in the same battle, which deprived Burgoyne of nearly 1,000 men and the much-needed supplies. What Burgoyne had been unaware of was that St. Clair's calls for militia support following the withdrawal from Ticonderoga had been answered, and General John Stark had placed 2,000 men at Bennington . Stark's force enveloped Baum's at Bennington, killing him and capturing much of his detachment. The death of Jane McCrea and

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5880-529: The Battle of Bennington, besides acting as rallying cries for the Americans, had another important effect. Burgoyne blamed his Indian and Canadian allies for McCrea's death, and, even after the Indians had lost 80 of their number at Bennington, Burgoyne showed them no gratitude. As a result, Langlade, La Corne, and most of the Indians left the British camp, leaving Burgoyne with fewer than 100 Indian scouts. Burgoyne

6020-457: The Breymann redoubt, Arnold moved toward that action, recklessly riding between the lines and remarkably emerging unhurt. He led the charge of Learned's men through the gap between the redoubts, which exposed the rear of Breymann's position, where Morgan's men had circled around from the far side. In furious battle, the redoubt was taken and Breymann was killed. Arnold's horse was hit in one of

6160-788: The British Secretary of State for the Colonies and the government official responsible for managing the war, to set strategy for 1777. There were two main armies in North America to work with: General Guy Carleton's army in Quebec and General William Howe's army, which had driven George Washington 's army from New York City in the New York campaign . On November 30, 1776, Howe—the British commander-in-chief in North America —wrote to Germain, outlining an ambitious plan for

6300-733: The British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress, unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence , which was overseen by the Committee of Five and written principally by Thomas Jefferson in Philadelphia over a period of two weeks in June 1776. On September 9, 1776,

6440-588: The British defenses. Burgoyne was therefore compelled to retreat, and his army was surrounded by the much larger American force at Saratoga, forcing him to surrender on October 17. News of Burgoyne's surrender was instrumental in formally bringing France into the war as an American ally, although it had previously given supplies, ammunition, and guns , notably the de Valliere cannon which played an important role in Saratoga. The battle on September 19 began when Burgoyne moved some of his troops in an attempt to flank

6580-416: The British position at Fort Ticonderoga. Lincoln had collected 2,000 men at Bennington by early September. Brown and a detachment of 500 men captured poorly defended positions between Ticonderoga and Lake George , and then spent several days ineffectually bombarding the fort. These men, and some of the prisoners they freed along the way, were back in the American camp by September 29. In the American camp,

6720-432: The British. He received command of the fort at West Point and plotted to hand it over to the British, only to flee into the British lines when the capture of his contact John André led to the exposure of the plot. Arnold went on to serve under William Phillips, the commander of Burgoyne's right wing, in a 1781 expedition into Virginia. Although he left the direction of the battle to subordinates, General Gates received

6860-710: The Chesapeake. To attack Philadelphia Howe could either have moved overland through New Jersey or by sea via the Delaware Bay, both options would have kept him a position to aid Burgoyne if necessary. The final route he took, through the Chesapeake Bay, was immensely time-consuming and left him wholly unable to assist Burgoyne as Germain had envisioned. The decision was so difficult to understand that Howe's more hostile critics accused him of deliberate treachery. Burgoyne returned to Quebec on May 6, 1777, bearing

7000-466: The Continental Army in August. Burgoyne sent forces out from his main body to pursue the retreating army, which St. Clair had sent south via two different routes. The British caught up with elements of the retreating Americans at least three times. General Fraser and elements of Riedesel's troops faced determined resistance in Battle of Hubbardton on July 7, and that same day the vanguard of

7140-528: The Grants. Burgoyne settled into the house of Loyalist Philip Skene at Skenesboro while the pieces of his army regrouped and he considered his next steps. He penned letters describing the British victory, intended for public consumption. When this news reached the capitals of Europe, King George was happy, and the Comte de Vergennes was not, as the news effectively scuttled an early proposal for French entry into

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7280-498: The Indian department, numbering about 750 men left Lachine , near Montreal , on June 23. Burgoyne's army traveled up the lake and occupied the undefended Fort Crown Point by June 30. The screening activities of Burgoyne's Indian support were highly effective at keeping the Americans from learning the details of his movements. General Arthur St. Clair , who had been left in command of Fort Ticonderoga and its surrounding defenses with

7420-547: The Iroquois war chiefs Sayenqueraghta , Cornplanter , and Joseph Brant . Leaving Oswego on July 26, the expedition marched to Fort Stanwix on the Mohawk River , and began besieging it on August 2. About 800 members of the Tryon County militia and their Oneida allies marched to relieve the siege, but a detachment of St. Leger's force ambushed them on August 6 at the Battle of Oriskany . After several hours of fighting, St. Leger's force abandoned their attack. This left

7560-696: The Mohawk River, about 3,000 troops were in the Hudson River highlands under the command of General Israel Putnam , and Schuyler commanded about 4,000 troops (inclusive of local militia and the troops at Ticonderoga under St. Clair). Ever since the Seven Years' War , France's foreign ministers , beginning with Choiseul , had followed the idea that the independence of Britain's North American colonies would be beneficial for France, and furthermore that French attempts to recover parts of New France would be detrimental to that cause. When war broke out in 1775,

7700-694: The Second Continental Congress formally dropped the name "United Colonies of North America" in favor of the "United States of America" in the July Declaration of Independence . Congress called on the colonies to rename themselves as states, with new constitutions. On March 14, 1776, as proposed by John Adams to the Congress: After the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, New England American patriot militias mobilized to surround

7840-559: The Second Continental Congress formally dropped the name "United Colonies" in favor of the “United States of America." Congress ordered, “That in all continental commissions, and other instruments, where, heretofore, the words ‘United Colonies’ have been used, the stile be altered for the future to the 'United States.'” Battles of Saratoga Freeman's Farm: Bemis Heights: [REDACTED]   Great Britain The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked

7980-538: The Second Continental Congress unanimously resolved: In preparation for independence, Congress defined treason as levying war against the United Colonies, adhering to the King, or providing aid or comfort to the enemy. In early 1776, the cause of independence was widely promulgated in Thomas Paine 's pamphlet Common Sense . He called on the 13 colonies to write a new constitution: Congress voted Independence in

8120-411: The aim of French participation in the war, Vergennes closely monitored news from North America and London , and worked to remove impediments to Spanish participation in the war. Vergennes went so far as to propose war to King Louis XVI in August 1776, but news of Howe's capture of New York City scuttled that plan. Most of Burgoyne's army had arrived in Quebec in the spring of 1776 and participated in

8260-411: The approach to Ticonderoga, preceded by a wave of Indians, which chased away the small contingent of troops left there by Schuyler. These allies became impatient and began indiscriminate raids on frontier families and settlements, which had the effect of increasing rather than reducing local support to the American rebels. In particular, the death at Indian hands of the young Loyalist settler Jane McCrea

8400-693: The area. United Colonies The precise place or date of its origin is unknown. John Adams used the phrase "united colonies" as early as February 27, 1775, in a letter entitled "To the Inhabitants of the Colony of Massachusetts-Bay" published in the Boston Gazette : They have declared our cause their own—that they never will submit to a precedent in any part of the united colonies, by which Parliament may take away Wharves and other lawful estates, or demolish Charters; for if they do, they have

8540-413: The army had reached the upper Hudson as early as the end of July, but logistical and supply difficulties delayed the main army at Fort Edward . One attempt to alleviate these difficulties failed when nearly 1,000 men were killed or captured at the August 16 Battle of Bennington . Furthermore, news reached Burgoyne on August 28 that St. Leger's expedition down the Mohawk River valley had turned back after

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8680-460: The army on short rations on October 3. The next day, Burgoyne called a war council in which several options were discussed, but no conclusive decisions were made. When the council resumed the next day, Riedesel proposed retreat, in which he was supported by Fraser. Burgoyne refused to consider it, insisting that retreat would be disgraceful. They finally agreed to conduct an assault on the American left flank with two thousand men, more than one-third of

8820-576: The army retreat. Burgoyne decided to reconnoiter the American left flank to see if an attack was possible. As an escort, the generals took Fraser's Advanced Corps, with light troops and the 24th Foot on the right and the combined British grenadiers on the left, and a force drawn from all the German regiments in the army in the center. There were eight British cannon under Major Williams and two Hesse-Hanau cannon under Captain Pausch. Leaving their camp between 10 and 11 am, they advanced about three-quarters of

8960-495: The army was to take the rough road from Skenesboro to Fort Edward via Fort Anne, while the heavy artillery was to be transported down Lake George to Fort William Henry , and then over land to Ft. Edward. Riedesel's troops were sent back up the road toward Castleton , primarily as a diversion intended to suggest that he might be aiming for the Connecticut River . Burgoyne's decision to move the army overland via Fort Anne

9100-516: The army's Northern Department. The army was growing in size because of increased militia turnout following calls by state governors, the success at Bennington, and widespread outrage over the slaying of Jane McCrea , the fiancée of a Loyalist in Burgoyne's army by Indians under Burgoyne's command. This massive outpouring of militia continued as the battle progressed (and Burgoyne had no way of obtaining reinforcements). This sealed Burgoyne's fate. By

9240-431: The army, on October 7. The army he was attacking, however, had grown in the interval. In addition to the return of Lincoln's detachment, militiamen and supplies continued to pour into the American camp, including critical increases in ammunition, which had been severely depleted in the first battle. The army Burgoyne faced on October 7 was more than 12,000 men strong and was led by a man who knew how much trouble Burgoyne

9380-463: The army. Consequently, the carts were poorly constructed of green wood, and the teams were driven by civilians who were at a higher risk of desertion. On June 13, 1777, Burgoyne and Carleton reviewed the assembled forces at St. John's on the Richelieu River , just north of Lake Champlain, and Burgoyne was ceremonially given command. In addition to five sailing ships built the previous year,

9520-431: The campaign happened in August at the Battle of Bennington when militia forces from Vermont , New Hampshire , and Massachusetts defeated, killed, and captured around 1,000 Brunswick–Lüneburg and Hessian troops from Burgoyne's army. Then, after losses in the Battles of Saratoga in September and October, his deteriorating position and the ever-increasing size of the American army forced him to surrender his forces to

9660-526: The campaign was planned and initiated by Lieutenant General John Burgoyne . Commanding a main force of some 8,000 men, he moved south in June from Quebec , boated south on Lake Champlain to Fort Ticonderoga and from there boated south on Lake George , then marched down the Hudson Valley to Saratoga . He initially skirmished there with the Patriot defenders with mixed results. The turning point of

9800-470: The center column, consisting of the 9th , 20th , 21st , and 62nd regiments , which would attack the heights, and General Simon Fraser led the right wing with the 24th Regiment and the light infantry and grenadier companies, to turn the American left flank by negotiating the heavily wooded high ground north and west of Bemis Heights. Arnold also realized such a flanking maneuver was likely, and petitioned Gates for permission to move his forces from

9940-599: The climax of the Saratoga campaign , giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War . British General John Burgoyne led an invasion army of 7,200–8,000 men southward from Canada in the Champlain Valley , hoping to meet a similar British force marching northward from New York City and another British force marching eastward from Lake Ontario ;

10080-602: The colonists throughout the Revolutionary War . Prior to the Battle of Saratoga, France did not fully aid the colonists. However, after the Battles of Saratoga were conclusively won by the colonists, France realized that the Americans had the hope of winning the war, and began fully aiding the colonists by sending soldiers, donations, loans, military arms, and supplies. The battlefield and the site of Burgoyne's surrender have been preserved, and are now administered by

10220-456: The early action. Arnold led the American chase, and then led Poor's men in an attack on the Balcarres redoubt. Balcarres had set up his defenses well, and the redoubt was held, in action so fierce that Burgoyne afterwards wrote, "A more determined perseverance than they showed … is not in any officer's experience". Seeing that the advance was checked, and that Learned was preparing to attack

10360-490: The end of the battle, Burgoyne's army totaled 5,791, and the effective colonial force was about 12,000 men. General George Washington 's strategic decisions also improved the situation for Gates' army. Washington was most concerned about the movements of General Howe. He was aware that Burgoyne was also moving, and he took some risks in July. He sent aid north in the form of Major General Benedict Arnold , his most aggressive field commander, and Major General Benjamin Lincoln ,

10500-587: The enemy's path than to remove them after they were down, this brought Burgoyne's advance to a crawl, tiring his troops and forcing them to use up supplies. On July 11 Burgoyne wrote to Lord Germain, complaining that the Americans were systematically felling trees, destroying bridges, and damming streams along the road to Fort Edward. Schuyler also employed scorched earth tactics to deny the British access to local provisions. Despite Burgoyne's lack of movement, his scouts were active; some of Schuyler's work crews were attacked. Schuyler's tactics required Burgoyne to build

10640-461: The entrenched American position on Bemis Heights. American Major General Benedict Arnold anticipated the maneuver and placed significant forces in his way. Burgoyne did gain control of Freeman's Farm, but it came at the cost of significant casualties. Skirmishing continued in the days following the battle, while Burgoyne waited in the hope that reinforcements would arrive from New York City. Patriot militia forces continued to arrive, meanwhile, swelling

10780-647: The evolution of this story and believes it is without foundation in contemporary materials, and that Arnold remained at Gates' headquarters, receiving news and dispatching orders through messengers. Arnold biographer James Kirby Martin, however, disagrees with Luzader, arguing that Arnold played a more active role at Freeman's Farm by directing patriot troops into position and possibly leading some charges before being ordered back to headquarters by Gates. … an attack or even menace of an attack on Fort Montgomery must be of great use ... Burgoyne to Clinton, September 23, 1777 Burgoyne's council discussed whether to attack

10920-507: The expedition, led to his resignation later in 1777, and to his refusal to supply troops from the Quebec regiments to garrison the forts at Crown Point and Ticonderoga after they were captured. George Washington , whose army was encamped at Morristown, New Jersey , and the American military command did not have a good picture of British plans for 1777. The principal question on the minds of Washington and his generals Horatio Gates and Philip Schuyler —who both were at turns responsible for

11060-493: The failed Siege of Fort Stanwix . General William Howe had taken his army from New York City by sea on a campaign to capture Philadelphia instead of moving north to meet Burgoyne. Most of Burgoyne's Indian support had fled following the loss at Bennington, and his situation was becoming difficult. He needed to reach defensible winter quarters, requiring either retreat back to Ticonderoga or advance to Albany, and he decided to advance. He then deliberately cut communications to

11200-537: The fall of Ticonderoga, and Gates was more than willing to help assign the blame to reluctant generals. Some in the Congress had already been impatient with General George Washington , wanting a large, direct confrontation that might eliminate occupation forces but which Washington feared would probably lose the war. John Adams , the head of the War Committee, praised Gates and remarked that "we shall never hold

11340-435: The far left, with Poor's men ( 1st , 2nd , and 3rd New Hampshire ) on the left; the 2nd and 4th New York Regiments on the right, and Learned's 1st New York , 1st Canadian , 2nd , 8th and 9th Massachusetts Regiments, plus militia companies, in the center. A force of 1,200 New York militia under Brigadier General Abraham Ten Broeck was held in reserve behind Learned's line. In all, more than 8,000 Americans took

11480-470: The field that day, including about 1,400 men from Lincoln ' s command that were deployed when the action became particularly fierce. The opening fire came between 2 and 2:30 pm from the British grenadiers. Poor's men held their fire, and the terrain made the British shooting largely ineffective. When Major Acland led the British grenadiers in a bayonet charge, the Americans finally began shooting at close range. Acland fell, shot in both legs, and many of

11620-433: The field thereafter. In response to Burgoyne's surrender, Congress declared December 18, 1777, as a national day "for solemn Thanksgiving and praise"; it was the nation's first official observance of a holiday with that name. Once news of Burgoyne's surrender reached France , King Louis XVI decided to enter into negotiations with the Americans that resulted in a formal Franco-American alliance and French entry into

11760-404: The field, these forces might have instead faced the larger danger posed by Riedesel's force.) Fortunately for the American right, darkness set in, bringing an end to the battle. The Americans retreated back to their defenses, leaving the British on the field. Burgoyne had gained the field of battle, but suffered nearly 600 casualties. Most of these were to Hamilton's center column, where the 62nd

11900-417: The field. Fraser's column was slightly delayed and had not yet reached the field, while Hamilton's column had also made its way across a ravine and was approaching the field from the east through dense forest and difficult terrain. Riedesel's force, while it was on the road, was delayed by obstacles thrown down by the Americans. The sound of gunfire to the west prompted Riedesel to send some of his artillery down

12040-415: The final volleys, and Arnold's leg was broken by both shot and the falling horse. Major Armstrong finally caught up with Arnold to officially order him back to headquarters; he was carried back in a litter. Arnold wished that he was shot in the heart, knowing that if he died in the battle, he would have kept the fame as a heroic martyr. The capture of Breymann's redoubt exposed the British camp, but darkness

12180-419: The goal was to take Albany, New York . The southern and western forces never arrived, and Burgoyne was surrounded by American forces in upstate New York 15 miles (24 km) short of his goal. He fought two battles which took place 18 days apart on the same ground 9 miles (14 km) south of Saratoga, New York . He gained a victory in the first battle despite being outnumbered, but lost the second battle after

12320-488: The grenadiers also went down. Their column was a total rout, and Poor's men advanced to take Acland and Williams prisoner and capture their artillery. On the American left, things were also not going well for the British. Morgan's men swept aside the Canadians and Native Americans to engage Fraser's regulars. Although slightly outnumbered, Morgan managed to break up several British attempts to move west. While General Fraser

12460-463: The heights to meet potential movements, where the American skill at woodlands combat would be at an advantage. Gates, whose preferred strategy was to sit and wait for the expected frontal assault, grudgingly permitted a reconnaissance in force consisting of Daniel Morgan's men and Henry Dearborn 's light infantry. When Morgan's men reached an open field northwest of Bemis Heights belonging to Loyalist John Freeman, they spotted British advance troops in

12600-535: The hope that Clinton would arrive to save his army. Burgoyne wrote to Clinton on September 23, requesting some sort of assistance or diversion to draw Gates' army away. Clinton sailed from New York on October 3, and captured Forts Montgomery and Clinton on October 6. The furthest north any of his troops reached was Clermont , where they raided the estate of the prominent Patriot Livingston family on October 16. Unknown to either side at Saratoga, General Lincoln and Colonel John Brown had staged an attack against

12740-405: The importance of the American left, and the need to control the heights there. After the morning fog lifted around 10 am, Burgoyne ordered the army to advance in three columns. Baron Riedesel led the left column, consisting of the German troops and the 47th Foot , on the river road, bringing the main artillery and guarding supplies and the boats on the river. General James Inglis Hamilton commanded

12880-422: The influence of Philip Skene, whose property would benefit by the improved road Burgoyne would have to build. General Schuyler, at Albany when he received word of Ticonderoga's fall, immediately rode to Fort Edward, where there was a garrison of about 700 regulars and 1,400 militia. He decided to make Burgoyne's passage as difficult as possible, using the axe as a weapon; as it was much easier to fell large trees in

13020-404: The main army met Pierse Long 's retreating companies in a skirmish at Skenesboro (now Whitehall). These were followed by another standoff in the Battle of Fort Anne on July 8, in which a forward company of the British army was nearly decimated. These actions cost the Americans about 50% more casualties than those incurred by the British, and they demonstrated to the British officers present that

13160-549: The main fortification and the positions on Mount Independence on July 6. The uncontested surrender of the supposedly impregnable fort caused a public and political uproar. Although a later investigation cleared both Schuyler and St. Clair of any wrongdoing in the withdrawal, it caused the Continental Congress to replace Schuyler with General Horatio Gates as commander of the Northern Department of

13300-452: The militiamen who had been at Oriskany refused to participate. Arnold instead resorted to subterfuge. He staged the escape of a Loyalist captive, who convinced St. Leger that Arnold was coming with a much larger force than he actually had. Upon receiving this news, St. Leger's indigenous allies withdrew and took most of the remaining supplies with them. St. Leger was forced to abandon the siege and head back through Oswego to Quebec. Arnold sent

13440-404: The more Loyalist middle and southern colonies. The British command devised a plan to divide the colonies with a three-way pincer movement in 1777. The western pincer under the command of Barry St. Leger was to progress from Ontario through western New York, following the Mohawk River, and the southern pincer was to progress up the Hudson River valley from New York City. The northern pincer

13580-488: The most controversial part of the campaign. Germain approved Burgoyne's plan after having received Howe's letter detailing his proposed offensive against Philadelphia. Whether Germain told Burgoyne, who was still in London at that time, about Howe's revised plans is unclear: while some sources claim he did, others state that Burgoyne was not notified of the changes until the campaign was well underway. Historian Robert Ketchum believes that Burgoyne would probably have been aware of

13720-456: The mutual resentment between Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold finally exploded into open hostility. Gates quickly reported the action of September 19 to the Congress and Governor George Clinton of New York, but he failed to mention Arnold at all. The field commanders and men universally credited Arnold for their success. Almost all the troops involved were from Arnold's command and Arnold was

13860-478: The next day, and a decision was reached to delay further action at least one day, to September 21. The army moved to consolidate the position closer to the American line while some men collected their dead. The attack on the 21st was called off when Burgoyne received a letter dated September 12 from Henry Clinton , who was commanding the British garrison in New York City. Clinton suggested that he could "make

14000-448: The north so that he would not need to maintain a chain of heavily fortified outposts between his position and Ticonderoga, and he decided to cross the Hudson River while he was in a relatively strong position. He ordered Baron Riedesel , who commanded the rear of the army, to abandon outposts from Skenesboro south, and then had the army cross the Hudson just north of Saratoga between September 13 and 15. The Continental Army had been in

14140-407: The one directing the battle while Gates sat in his tent. Arnold protested, and the dispute escalated into a shouting match that ended with Gates relieving Arnold of his command and giving it to Benjamin Lincoln. Arnold asked for a transfer to Washington's command, which Gates granted, but instead of leaving he remained in his tent. There is no documentary evidence for a commonly recounted anecdote that

14280-443: The ongoing feud between the two. These conditions had not yet reached a boil on September 19, but the day's events contributed to the situation. Gates had assigned the left wing of the defenses to Arnold, and assumed command himself of the right, which was nominally assigned to General Lincoln, whom Gates had detached in August with some troops to harass the British positions behind Burgoyne's army. Both Burgoyne and Arnold understood

14420-499: The opinion that Burgoyne's army was likely to move to New York by sea. Partly as a result of this indecision, and the fact that it would be isolated from its supply lines if Howe moved north, the garrisons at Fort Ticonderoga and elsewhere in the Mohawk and Hudson valleys were not significantly increased. Schuyler took the measure in April 1777 of sending a large regiment under Colonel Peter Gansevoort to rehabilitate Fort Stanwix in

14560-522: The problems that lay ahead had he been notified of the Philadelphia plan. Whether Germain, Howe, and Burgoyne had the same expectations about the degree to which Howe was supposed to support the invasion from Quebec is also unclear. What is clear is that Germain either left his generals with too much latitude or without a clearly defined overall strategy. In March 1777, Germain had approved of Howe's Philadelphia expedition and did not include any express orders for Howe to go to Albany. Yet Germain also sent Howe

14700-401: The province. The remaining forces were assigned to Burgoyne for the campaign to Albany. The regular forces were supposed to be augmented by as many as 2,000 militiamen raised in Quebec; by June, Carleton had managed to raise only three small companies. Burgoyne had also expected as many as 1,000 Indians to support the expedition. About 500 joined between Montreal and Crown Point. Burgoyne's army

14840-500: The right side of the British camp were anchored by two redoubts. The outermost one was defended by about 300 men under the command of the Hessian Heinrich von Breymann , while the other was under the command of Lord Balcarres . A small contingent of Canadians occupied the ground between these two fortifications. Most of the retreating force headed for Balcarres' position, as Breymann's was slightly north and further away from

14980-416: The rough tracks through the wilderness, took time to follow. On August 3, messengers from General Howe finally succeeded in making their way through the American lines to Burgoyne's camp at Fort Edward. (Numerous attempts by the British generals to communicate were frustrated by the capture and hanging of their messengers by the Americans.) The messengers did not bring good news. On July 17, Howe wrote that he

15120-522: The routing of Continental Army troops from the province. In addition to British regulars , the troops in Quebec included several regiments from the German principalities of Hesse-Cassel , Hesse-Hanau (from whose name the common reference of Hessian comes) and Brunswick–Lüneburgers under the command of Baron Friedrich Adolph Riedesel . Of these regular forces, 200 British regulars and 300 to 400 Germans were assigned to St. Leger's Mohawk valley expedition, and about 3,500 men remained in Quebec to protect

15260-536: The siege of Boston. Congress created a series of new agencies in the name of the United Colonies, including a Navy. On September 14, 1775, Washington, as "Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies of North America", instructed Colonel Benedict Arnold to invade Quebec , seize military stores, and attempt to convince French Canadians to join the American Revolution . On September 9, 1776,

15400-587: The size of the American army. Disputes within the American camp led Gates to strip Arnold of his command. British General Sir Henry Clinton moved up from New York City and attempted to divert American attention by capturing Forts Clinton and Montgomery in the Hudson River highlands on October 6, and Kingston on October 13, but his efforts were too late to help Burgoyne. Burgoyne attacked Bemis Heights again on October 7 after it became apparent that he would not receive relieving aid in time. This battle culminated in heavy fighting marked by Arnold's spirited rallying of

15540-445: The south was not launched due to miscommunication with London when General William Howe sent his army to take Philadelphia rather than sending it up the Hudson River to link up with Burgoyne. A last-minute effort to reinforce Burgoyne from New York City was made in early October, but it was too little, too late. The American victory was an enormous morale boost to the fledgling nation. More importantly, it convinced France to enter

15680-400: The south. Learning that Morgan was in trouble, Gates ordered out two more regiments ( 1st and 3rd New Hampshire ) to support him, with additional regiments ( 2nd New York , 4th New York , the 1st Canadian , and Connecticut militia ) from the brigade of Enoch Poor to follow. Burgoyne arrayed Hamilton's men with the 21st on the right, the 20th on the left, and the 62nd in the center, with

15820-458: The southern colonies had started well but slowed due to logistical problems. He won a small tactical victory over American General Horatio Gates and the Continental Army in the September 19 Battle of Freeman's Farm at the cost of significant casualties. His gains were erased when he again attacked the Americans in the October 7 Battle of Bemis Heights and the Americans captured a portion of

15960-429: The states for militia support, and also arranged to have as much of the area's livestock and supplies delivered to Fort Edward on the Hudson River, where the American armies would regroup. St. Clair reached Fort Edward on July 12 after five days of grueling marches. Some of the remnants that had been scattered at Hubbardton rejoined the army, but Seth Warner and the remains of his regiment were stationed at Manchester in

16100-604: The two sides signed the capitulation. On October 17, Burgoyne surrendered his army to Gates. The British and German troops were accorded the traditional honors of war as they marched out to surrender. The troops formed the Convention Army , named after the convention that granted them safe passage back to Europe. However, the Continental Congress revoked the convention, and the Convention Army

16240-410: The upper Mohawk valley as a step in defending against British movements in that area. Washington also ordered four regiments to be held at Peekskill, New York that could be directed either to the north or the south in response to British movements. American troops were allocated throughout New York theater in June 1777. About 1,500 troops (including those of Colonel Gansevoort) were in outposts along

16380-641: The war in alliance with the United States, openly providing money, soldiers, and munitions, as well as fighting a naval war worldwide against Britain. Toward the end of 1776, it was apparent to many in England that the pacification of New England was very difficult due to the high concentration of Patriots . The British decided to isolate New England and concentrate on the central and southern regions where Loyalists supposedly could be rallied. In December 1776, General John Burgoyne met with Lord Germain ,

16520-596: The war. This moved the conflict onto a global stage. As a consequence, Britain was forced to divert resources used to fight the war in North America to theaters in the West Indies and Europe , and rely on what turned out to be the chimera of Loyalist support in its North American operations. Having been defeated by the British in the French and Indian War more than a decade earlier, France found an opportunity to undercut British power and ultimately of revenge by aiding

16660-486: The war. British diplomats increased pressure on the French and Spanish, demanding that they close their ports to American shipping. While this demand was refused, it markedly increased the tensions between the powers. The news was also harshly received by Congress and the American public, including slanders that St. Clair and Schuyler had been bribed. On July 10, Burgoyne issued orders for the next series of movements. Most of

16800-459: The west of the heights lay more heavily forested bluffs that would present a significant challenge to any heavily equipped army. Moving very cautiously, since the departure of his Native American support had deprived him of reliable reports on the American position, Burgoyne advanced to the south after crossing the Hudson. On September 18, the vanguard of his army had finally reached a position just north of Saratoga, about 4 miles (6.4 km) from

16940-482: The winter of 1776–77 made Philadelphia an increasingly vulnerable target. Therefore, Howe decided that he would make the capture of Philadelphia the primary object of the 1777 campaign. Howe sent Germain this revised plan, which Germain received on February 23, 1777. Burgoyne, seeking to command a major force, proposed to isolate New England by an invasion from Quebec into New York. This had already been attempted by General Carleton in 1776, although he had stopped short of

17080-433: The woods. James Wilkinson , who had ridden forward to observe the fire, returned to the American camp for reinforcements. As the British company fell back toward the main column, the leading edge of that column opened fire, killing a number of their own men. There was then a lull in the fighting around 1:00 pm as Hamilton's men began to form up on the north side of the field, and American reinforcements began to arrive from

17220-443: Was "betraying great agitation and wrath" in the American camp, and may have been drinking, rode out to join the action. Gates immediately sent Major Armstrong after him with orders to return; Armstrong did not catch up with Arnold until the action was effectively over. (A letter, written by a witness to proceedings in the camp, suggests that Arnold did in fact have authorization from Gates to engage in this action.) The defenses on

17360-409: Was a curious one, for it contradicted his own earlier commentaries on planning the expedition, in which he presciently observed that defenders could easily block the route. His decision appears to have been motivated by two factors; the first being the perception that moving the army over water via Lake George would require a retrograde movement that could be perceived as a retreat , and the second being

17500-399: Was also very nearly killed by one of Morgan's marksmen; three shots hit his horse, hat, and waistcoat. The first phase of the battle lasted about one hour and cost Burgoyne nearly 400 men, including the capture of most of the grenadiers' command, and six of the ten field pieces brought to the action. At this point, the Americans were joined by an unexpected participant. General Arnold, who

17640-429: Was an attempt by the British high command for North America to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley during the American Revolutionary War . It ended in the surrender of the British army, which historian Edmund Morgan argues, "was a great turning point of the war, because it won for Americans the foreign assistance which was the last element needed for victory." The primary thrust of

17780-594: Was believed that Burgoyne himself had been taken down by a sharpshooter; it was instead one of Burgoyne's aides, riding a richly dressed horse, who was the victim. The center of the British line was very nearly broken at one point, and only the intervention of General Phillips, leading the 20th, made it possible for the 62nd to reform. In the memoir of Roger Lamb, a British soldier present at the battle, he wrote In this battle an unusual number of officers fell, as our army abounded with young men of respectability at this time, who after several years of general peace anterior to

17920-413: Was beset by transport difficulties before it left Quebec, something that apparently neither Burgoyne nor Carleton anticipated. As the expedition expected to travel mainly over water, there were few wagons, horses, and other draft animals available to move a large amount of equipment and supplies on the land portions of the route. Only in early June did Carleton issue orders to procure carts sufficient to move

18060-515: Was either at Fort Ticonderoga or nearby Mount Independence , the extensive fortifications on the Vermont side of the lake. Unknown to the Americans, their withdrawal from an outer defensive position cleared a way for the British to place artillery on the hilltop known then as Sugar Loaf (now Mount Defiance ), whose heights commanded the fort. St. Clair withdrew the night after spotting British cannon on Sugar Loaf on July 5, and Burgoyne's men occupied

18200-466: Was in. Gates had received consistent intelligence from the stream of deserters leaving the British lines and had also intercepted Clinton's response to Burgoyne's plea for help. While Burgoyne's troop strength was nominally higher, he likely had only about 5,000 effective, battle-ready troops on October 7, as losses from the earlier battles in the campaign and desertions following the September 19 battle had reduced his forces. General Riedesel advised that

18340-554: Was kept in captivity until the end of the war. Burgoyne's failed campaign marked a major turning point in the war. General Burgoyne returned to England and was never given another commanding position in the British Army . The British learned that the Americans would fight bravely and effectively. One British officer said: The courage and obstinacy with which the Americans fought were the astonishment of everyone, and we now became fully convinced that they are not that contemptible enemy we had hitherto imagined them, incapable of standing

18480-585: Was left with no protection in the woods against the American rangers. Burgoyne would later blame La Corne for deserting him, while La Corne countered that Burgoyne never respected the Indians. In the British Parliament, Lord Germain sided with La Corne. While the tactic of delay worked well in the field, the result in the Continental Congress was a different matter. General Horatio Gates was in Philadelphia when Congress discussed its shock at

18620-447: Was mortally wounded in this phase of the battle, according to Luzader a frequently told story claiming it to be the work of Timothy Murphy , one of Morgan's men, could be a 19th-century fabrication. The fall of Fraser and the arrival of Ten Broeck's large militia brigade (which roughly equaled the entire British reconnaissance force in size), broke the British will, and they began a disorganized retreat toward their entrenchments. Burgoyne

18760-702: Was now breached. After the second battle, Burgoyne lit fires at his remaining forward positions and withdrew under the cover of darkness. He withdrew his men 10–15 miles north, near present-day Schuylerville, New York . By the morning of October 8, he was back in the fortified positions he had held on September 16. On October 13, with his army surrounded, Burgoyne held a council of war to propose terms of surrender. Riedesel suggested that they be paroled and allowed to march back to Canada without their weapons. Burgoyne felt that Gates would not even consider such terms, asking instead to be conveyed to Boston, where they would sail back to Europe. After several days of negotiations,

18900-443: Was preparing to depart by sea with his army to capture Philadelphia, and that General Clinton, responsible for New York City's defense, would "act as occurrences may direct". Burgoyne refused to divulge the contents of this dispatch to his staff. Realizing that he now had a serious supply problem, Burgoyne decided to act on a suggestion that Riedesel had made to him in July. Riedesel, whose forces Burgoyne had stationed at Castleton for

19040-409: Was reduced to the size of a single company, and three quarters of the artillerymen were killed or wounded. American losses were nearly 300 killed and seriously wounded. It has been widely recounted in histories of this battle that General Arnold was on the field, directing some of the action. However, John Luzader, a former park historian at the Saratoga National Historical Park , carefully documents

19180-480: Was selected for its defensive potential that was known as Bemis Heights, just north of Stillwater and about 10 miles (16 km) south of Saratoga ; the army spent about a week constructing defensive works designed by Polish engineer Tadeusz Kościuszko . The heights had a clear view of the area and commanded the only road to Albany, where it passed through a defile between the heights and the Hudson River . To

19320-448: Was setting in. An attempt by some Germans to retake the redoubt ended in capture as darkness fell and an unreliable guide led them to the American line. Burgoyne had lost over 1,000 men in the two battles, leaving him outnumbered by roughly 3 to 1. American losses came to about 330 killed and wounded. Burgoyne had also lost several of his most effective leaders, his attempts to capture the American position had failed, and his forward line

19460-419: Was to proceed southward from Montreal, and the three forces were to meet in the vicinity of Albany, New York , severing New England from the other colonies. British Lieutenant General John Burgoyne moved south from the province of Quebec in June 1777 to gain control of the upper Hudson River valley. His campaign had become bogged down in difficulties following a victory at Fort Ticonderoga . Elements of

19600-474: Was widely publicized and served as a catalyst for rebel support, as Burgoyne's decision not to punish the perpetrators was seen as unwillingness or inability to keep the Indians under control. Even though the bulk of his army made the trip from Skenesboro to Fort Edward in just five days, the army's lack of adequate transport served to delay the army again, as the supply train, hampered by a lack of draft animals and carts and wagons that were capable of dealing with

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