moft of the artillery men being killed, and the horses en- CHAP. tirely destroyed. The troops in general retreated in good order, though very hard preffed; but they had fcarcely entered their camp, when the Americans ftormed it with great fury, rufhing through a fevere fire of grape-fhot and small arms with the most defperate valour. Arnold led on the attack with his ufual impetuofity, but met with a brave refiftance from the light infantry under lord Balcarras, who had been ordered to defend that part of the line. The engagement continued with the utmost obftinacy on both fides, until Arnold was feverely wounded, and forced to retire. His party, though fomewhat disheartened by this accident, continued the attack for fometime longer, but, after many brave efforts, were finally repulfed. In another quarter, where the Germans were pofted, the Americans carried the entrenchments fword in hand, totally routing the enemy with the loss of their baggage, tents, and artillery; nor could the poft afterwards be regained, though general Burgoyne fent orders for that purpose. In this attack, colonel Breymen, who commanded the Germans, was killed, with a great number of his men. Several officers of distinction, befides brigadier-general Frazer, were also killed and taken; though the lift of killed, wounded and prisoners sent to this country were avowedly imperfect. XVI. 1777. By means of the advantages the Americans had gained in this engagement, a dangerous opening was now made on the right flank and rear of the royal army, which rendered a change of pofition abfolutely neceffary to prevent a total deftruction. This was accordingly executed that very night with the greatest filence, order, and intrepidity; the whole army moving to the heights adjacent, where they could no longer be attacked with advantage. Next day, October 8th, being fenfible that nothing less Oct. 8. than a fuccefsful and decifive action could relieve him from his difficulties, general Burgoyne continued repeatedly to offer battle to the enemy, though without fuccefs; as they were now preparing to furround him in fuch a manner as should preclude every poffibility of escape. For this purpose, a strong body was pushed forward to turn the right flank of the royal army, which, if once accomplished, would have completely inclosed it on every fide. To prevent this disaster, an immediate retreat to Saragota was determined, and executed that very night without lofs. The hospital with the fick and wounded now fell into the hands of the enemy, but they were treated with great humanity by the victors; and, indeed, general Gates behaved CHAP. on all occafions to those whom the fortune of war put in XVI. his power, with fuch tenderness and humanity as did. honour to his character. 1777. furroun ded, and obliged to capitulate. On the arrival of the troops at Saratoga in the morning of October 10th, they found a body of the enemy already arrived, and throwing up entrenchments on the heights before them. These retired on their approach over a ford in Hudson's river, and joined a greater force which had been ftationed to prevent the paffage of the royal army. Every hope, therefore, was now cut off, except that of making a retreat to Fort George. For this purpose, a detachment of artificers, under a strong escort, was fent to repair the bridges, and open the road to Fort Edward. They had not, however, been long departed from the camp, when the fudden appearance of the enemy in great force obliged the general to recal the escort fent along with them; and foon after, on a very flight attack of a small party of the enemy, the provincial guard abandoned their post, and left the workmen to shift for themfelves, who thereupon were obliged to defift from their operations, having only began to repair the firft bridge. The enemy now proceeded to execute the last operation neceffary for the complete reduction of the British army, viz. the cutting off their only refource for provifions, which had hitherto been brought to the camp by Hudfon's river. The farther fhore of the river was therefore lined with strong detachments of the enemy, and the batteaux, loaded with provifions and neceffaries, were of confequence exposed to continual attacks, notwithstanding all the care that could be taken. Many of them fell into the hands of the enemy, and a number of men were loft in the fkirmishes fought on thefe occafions. At last it was found that the provifions could only be preferved by landing and bringing them up the hill to the camp; and this could not be accomplished without the utmost difficulty and danger. In these deplorable circumstances, councils of war were The army held, in order to confider of the poffibility of a retreat. The only measure that carried even the appearance of poffibility was, to gain Fort Eward by a night march, the troops carrying their provifions on their backs. The im poffibility of repairing the roads and bridges, and of conveying, in their present fituation, the artillery and carriages, were too evident to admit of a question, and it was proposed to force the fords at or near Fort Edward. But whilft preparations were making for carrying into execution this forlorn and defperate refolve, news were 1777. brought that the enemy had already taken measures for CHAP. preventing every poffibility of escape, and that even this XVI. Jaft refource was cut off. Befides, being ftrongly entrenched oppofite to the fords which the British intended to pass, they had a camp well guarded with artillery on the high grounds between fort Edward and fort George; whilft their parties were every where fpread over the oppofite fhore of the river, to watch or intercept the motions of the army; and, on their own, the enemy's posts were so close, that they could scarcely make the smallest movement without difcovery. In this fituation, they remained for fome time, lying conftantly on their arms, whilst a continued cannonade pervaded all the camp, and even rifle and grape shot fell in every part of the lines. Their numbers were now reduced to 3500 effective fighting men, of which scarce 2000 were British; so much had the army been reduced by the defertion of the Canadians, and the many heavy loffes they had fuftained in an almoft continual feries of action for two months paft. Some hope, however, they ftill entertained of being relieved by their friends from New-York; or, by an attack from the enemy, to have an opportunity of dying gallantly, or extricating themselves with honour. Neither of thefe defirable events, however, took place; the enemy fhewed now no difpofition to attack, though their force continually increafed by the pouring in of fuch numbers of militia, as must have rendered them fuperior to a much greater force than the poor remains to which the British army was now reduced. In this deplorable extremity, therefore, general Burgoyne caused an exact account to be taken, on the evening of the 13th of October, of the whole ftock of provifions then re- oa. 13. maining in the camp, which being found fufficient for no more than three days, it became abfolutely neceffary to capitulate with the enemy. Before this was done, however, a council was called, to which the general invited, befides the fuperior officers, all those who commanded corps or divifions. The refult was, an unanimous determination to enter into a convention with the American general. The treaty was then quickly concluded; no difficulty occurring throughout the whole, excepting what was occafioned by a point of military honour, and which was yielded by general Gates. The behaviour of this gentleman was fuch as did him honour. The terms granted were moderate; army was allowed to march out with all the honours of war, and its camp artillery, to a certain place, where they were to depofit their arms. They were to be allowed a free paffage from Boston to Europe, on condition of their VOL. V. the B3 CHAP. not ferving again in North-America during the war. The XVI. army were not to be separated, particularly the men from the officers; roll calling, and other duties of regularity to 1777. be admitted; the officers on parole to be allowed to wear their fide arms; all private property to be held facred, and the public delivered upon honour; no baggage to be fearched or molefted; all perfons, of whatever country, appertaining to, or following the camp, to be fully comprehended in the capitulation; and the Canadians to be returned to their own country, liable to its conditions. All thefe, as far as general Gates was or could be concerned, were executed with the utmost punctuality. Nay, so much attention was paid to the nice delicacy of military honour, that when the British foldiers went to the place appointedto lay down their arms, the provincials were ftrictly kept. within their lines, and not allowed to be fpectators of fo great humiliation on the part of Britain. Such conduct was the more praife-worthy, as the royal army, in fome of its laft movements, had deftroyed many fine buildings, fome of them exceedingly valuable. At the fame time, the Severity, to call it by no worfe a name, exercised in the expedition we are now going to relate, would have given but too good a colour to very different proceedings on the part of the Americans. The number of troops who, on this occafion, laid down their arms, were computed by the Ame ricans at 5752, in which, though not specified, they undoubtedly included all the artificers, labourers, and followers of the camp. The fick and wounded left in the hofpital were ftated at 528; and the lofs in battle or by defertion, at 2933 men, fince the 6th of July: the whole amount of these numbers being 9213; though, by another account, the lofs in this unfortunate expedition was computed to be more than 10,00o. A fine train of brass artillery, amounting to thirty-five pieces of different forts and fizes, alfo fell into the hands of the enemy. Successful During thefe unfortunate tranfactions, Sir Henry Clinton embarked with 3000 men, accompanied by a fuitable naval force, confifting of fhips of war, armed gallies, and fmaller veffels, under the command of commodore Hotham. Their firft object was the reduction of the forts expedition Montgomery and Clinton, which though, of confiderable: ftrength, were, at that time, in a very unguarded ftate; fo that it was refolved to attempt them by affault. They were fituated on either fide of a creek, defcending from the mountains to the North-River, and their communication preferved by a bridge. Several neceffary motions being made to cover the real defign, the troops were landed. up the North-Ri ver, oa. 6. in two divifions, at fuch a diftance from their object, as CHAP. occafioned a confiderable and difficult march through the XVI. mountains; which, however, was calculated with fuched precifion, that the two detachments arrived on the oppofite 1777. fides of the creek on the 6th of October, and began a separate attack upon each of the forts at the fame time. The furprise and terror of the garrifons were increased by the appearance of the fhips of war, and the arrival and near fire of the gallies, who approached so close as to touch the walls with their oars. The affault on both fides of the creek was very vigorous, and the impetuofity of the troops fo great, that, notwithstanding a very refolute defence, both places were carried by ftorm, and very little mercy shown to the defendants. On the lofs of the forts, the enemy fet fire to two fine new frigates and fome other veffels, which, with their artillery and ftores, were all confumed. Another fort, named Conftitution, was foon after abandoned, and fet on fire. A fine thriving fettlement called Continental Village, and containing barracks for 1500 men, with confiderable ftores, was also destroyed: a large boom and chain, faid to have coft 70,000cl. and which was looked upon as an extraordinary inftance of American labour and industry, was in part destroyed, and in part carried away; a great quantity of ftores, provifions, and artillery were taken; so that, on the whole, the lofs of the Americans on this occafion was greater than on any other fince the commencement of the war. The expedition, however, did not end here. Sir James Wallace, with a flying fquadron of frigates, and general Vaughan, with a confiderable detachment of troops, continued, for feveral days, their excurfion up the river, fpreading terror and destruction. wherever they went. The extraordinary defolation attending this expedition, the neceflity of which was never made evident, produced a very fevere letter from general Gates to general Vaughan, to which the latter did not. think proper to give an answer. On the approach of that commander, however, the British troops retired to NewYork, having undoubtedly hurt their own cause more by the proofs of inhumanity they had given, than it had been forwarded by the lofs the Americans sustained, |