USA > New York > Fulton County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 7
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 7
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The plan of the campaign on the part of the British army near New York was, to take possession of the city and the islands in its vicinity, and to ascend the Hudson, while Carlton should move down from Canada and thus separate the Eastern from the other States. Two ships succeeded in pissing the batteries and ascended the Hudson to furnish the Tories of
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OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.
Westchester with arms, but all their attempts to land were frustrated and they returned. On the 22d of August a British force of ten thousand men, with forty pieces of cannon, landed on the south side of Long Island, in the vicinity of New Utrecht, and advanced in three divisions upon the Americans stationed in and about Brooklyn. The Hessians, under De Heister, formed the centre. The left, along New York Bay, was com- manded by General Grant, and the right, which led in the action, was commanded by Clinton and Cornwallis. While Grant and De Heister were diverting the Americans on the left and centre, the division on the right was to make a circuitous march and fall upon the Americans in the rear. This division left the Flatlands on the night of the 26th, and guided by a Tory, gained possession of the Bedford and Jamaica passes before General Sullivan, who commanded in that quarter, was aware of the move- ment. While this advantage was being gained Grant was making a movement toward Brooklyn, and early in the morning came into collision with the Americans under Lord Stirling on the present site of Greenwood Cemetery, when an engagement took place without material advantage to either side. De Heister advanced and kept up a counnnade on the works at the Flatbush pass. In the meantime, Clinton liad gained a position in the rear of the Continental army and commenced to attack them. De Heister then pressed forward, and Sullivan, perceiving the peril of his army, attempted to retreat, but it was too late. They were met by Clinton's forces and driven back upon the Hessians. Some forced their way through the ranks and reached the fortifications, but after a desperate struggle and great loss of life, Sullivan himself and the greater part of the left wing of the American army were taken prisoners. Cornwallis hastened to cut off the division under Stirling, who was not yet aware of the situa- tion. A part of his force succeeded in crossing Gowanus Creek in safety, but many were drowned or taken prisoners. Sterling himself was captured and a decisive victory gained by the British. About five thousand were engaged on the side of the Americans, of whom five hundred were killed or wounded and eleven hundred taken prisoners. These were confined in loathsome prison-ships on the East River, where they suffered indescrib- able privations and hardships. Fortunately for the Americans, Howe did not dare to attempt an assault upon their fortifications in Brooklyn, but encamped about a third of a mile distant, and waited for the support of the fleet.
On the 28th, the day after the battle, the British began to cannonade the intrenchments. At night a heavy fog settled over the battle-field and remained all of the following day. When night had added its darkness to the mist which had obstructed the vision of the hostile parties through- out the day, Washington, with the remainder of the troops on Long Island, silently crossed the East river in safety to New York. The British forces took possession of the American works and prepared to attack New York. Washington knew that with his dispirited and undisciplined army he could not successfully oppose them, and decided to evacuate the city. On the 15th of September Howe landed with about four thousand men under cover of his fleet at Kipp's Bay, on the east side of Manhattan Island, near the foot of what is now Thirty-fourth street. Two brigades of militia, sta- tioned for defence in that quarter, were panic-stricken and retreated dis- gracefully despite all the efforts of their officers to rally them. Putnam, who had charge of one column of the army, was compelled to leave in great haste, and narrowly escaped being captured. The Americans re- treated to Harlem, and the British took possession of New York and held it until the e Inse of the war.
The next day an advance party of the British were attacked, and after a severe skirmish, driven back with considerable los Howe, perceiving that the Americans were strongly intrenched upon Harlem Heights, de- termined to gain their rear, cut off their communw ation with the north and east, and hem them in. He sent a part of his feet up the Hudson. and transferred the main body of his army in boats to Westchester county, landing them at Throck's Neck. When Washington saw this movement, he sent a detachment to oppose their landing. All the passes were well guarded, and a detachment was intrenched at White Plains. The main army advanced in that direction and intrenched upon the hills from Fordham to White Plains. On the 28th of October the enemy came up and attacked General Me Dougal, on Chatterton's Hill. Jh Dougal, after an obstinate resistance, was forced to fall back to intrenchments above White Plains. While lowe was preparing to storm their encampment at this place, Washington withdrew, unobserved by the enemy, to North Castle, where strong breastworks had been erected, and awaited an
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attack; but Howe, not deeming it prudent to assail him in so strong a posi- tion, retreated toward New York, preparatory to the contemplated reduc- tion of Fort Washington, which was soon environed by the British forces. It was gallantly defended by Colonel Magaw until he was overpowered by a superior force and compelled to surrender. Fort Lee, on the opposite side of the Hudson, was abandoned on the approach of the enemy, and Washington, who had crossed the Hudson, retreated through New Jersey to the opposite side of the Delaware river, closely pursued by the enemy. On the night of the 25th of December, he recrossed the river and gained an important victory at Trenton, and, shortly afterwards, another at Princeton, and then went into winter quarters at Morristown.
General Gates, who had been appointed to the command of the North- ern forces, apprehensive that General Carlton would follow up his success in Canada and attempt to capture Crown Point and Ticonderoga, aban- doned the former, and concentrated his forces at the latter. A small squadron was formed and placed upon Lake Champlain, under the com- mand of Arnold, in August. Carlton constructed a fleet at St. Johns. Arnold sailed down the lake, but, being ignorant of the strength of the armament preparing against him, fell back to Valcour's Island. On the IIth of October, the British fleet passed around the east side of the island and took up a position south of the American squadron. An action began about noon and continued until night. One of the schoon- ers in Arnold's fleet was disabled, and burned to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy. The British force was greatly superior, and as another engagement would have been extremely hazardous, it was deemed advisable to return to Crown Point. The night was exceedingly dark, and the Americans succeeded in sailing through the British fleet un- observed, although the latter had been stationed in a line across the lake in anticipation of such a movement. On reaching Schuyler's Island, ten miles distant from the British fleet, they stopped to make some repairs, and, on being discovered at daylight, were pursued by the enemy. On the 13th, the British ships, three in number, came up with and attacked the " Washington," which, after a heroic defence for some time, was com- pelled to surrender, and her commander, with all of his men, were taken prisoners. The whole force was now concentrated in an attack upon the "Congress," which maintained the unequal contest with unflinching reso- lution for four or five hours, till it was reduced to a complete wreck. Ar- nold then ran the craft into a creek and burned it, together with the rest of his boats, and, marching to Crown Point, where the remainder of the feet was stationed, sailed for Ticonderoga. General Carlton took pos- session of Crown Point and threatened Ticonderoga, but, abandoning his design, he prudently withdrew to Canada.
The Provincial Congress, which had assembled at White Plains on the 9th of July, and approved the Declaration of Independence, appointed a committee to draw up and report a Constitution. The occupation of New York city, and part of Westchester county by the British greatly disturbed the labors of the convention, and finally, in February, they repaired to Kingston, where the draft of a Constitution was prepared by John Jay, and adopted on the 21st of April, 1777. George Clinton was elected Gov- ernor under the new Constitution, and took the oath of office on the 3Ist of July, following.
The principal object of the British in the campaign of 1777 was to carry out their cherished design of separating the Eastern from the Southern colonies, by controlling the Hudson river and Lake Champlain. The most prominent feature of the plan was the advance of an army from Canada, under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, who had superseded General Carlton. It was intended that Burgoyne should forte his way down the Hudson as far as Albany, while Sir Henry Clinton was to proceed up the river and join him, and thus a free communication between New York and Canada would be established, and the colonies separated. In order to distract the attention of the Americans, and the more completely subdue the Western border, Colonel St. Leger was to ascend the St Lawrence with a detachment of regulars, accompanied by sir John Johnson, with a regiment of loyalist> and a large body of Indians. From Oswego the expedition was to pene- trate the country to Fort Schuyler, on the present site of Rome, and after its capture sweep the Mohawk valley and join Burgoyne at Albany. Bur- goyne arrived in Canada early in March. Unavoidable difficulties having greatly embarrassed his first movements, it was past the middle of June before his army was assembled at Cumberland l'oint, on Lake Champlain. The main army, of more than seven thousand men, appeared before Crown Point, and occupied that post on the 30th of June. Having issued a pro-
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MOVEMENTS OF BURGOYNE-BATTLES OF BENNINGTON AND ORISKANY.
clamation, intended to terrify the inhabitants into submission, Burgoyne prepared to invest Ticonderoga, then in command of General St. Clair. On the east shore of Lake Champlain, on Mount Independence, there was a star-fort, so connected with Ticonderoga, on the west side of the lake, by a floating bridge, as to obstruct the passage of vessels up the lake. For want of a sufficient force to man all its defences the outworks toward Lake George were abandoned on the approach of Burgoyne. A detachment of the enemy, under General Fraser, took Mount Hope, and thereby cut off St. Clair's communication with Lake George ; and at the same time the abandoned works of the Americans, more to the right, were occupied by General Phillips. On the south side of the outlet of Lake George, and op- posite Mount Independence, is a lofty eminence, then known as Sugar-loaf Hill, which was found to completely command the works both at Ticon- deroga and Fort Independence. A battery was planted on its summit by the British during the night, and St. Clair, on perceiving his critical situa- tion, at once called a council of war, by which it was unanimously decided that immediate evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga was the only chance of saving the army. During the ensuing night such military stores and provi- sions as could be removed, together with the sick and disabled troops, were embarked on batteaux, and sent up the lake to Skenesborough, as Whitehall was then called, under convoy of five armed galleys and a de- tachment of six hundred men, under Colonel Long, while the main body of the army was to cross the lake and proceed to the same point by land. The garrison passed over the floating bridge to Mount Independence about two hours before daylight, and would probably have made their re- treat undiscovered had not the house of the commander at Fort Indepen- dence been set on fire just at this time. This unfortunate occurrence threw the Americans into disorder, for the light of the conflagration re- vealed their movements to the British, who made immediate preparations for pursuit. St. Clair's force made a disorderly retreat to Hubbardton. On the following morning General Fraser came up with his brigade, and com- menced an attack. The conflict was for some time fierce and bloody. The Americans had almost surrounded the left wing of the British when General Riedesel came up with reinforcements, and St. Clair made a precipitate retreat. The boats which conveyed the military stores and the detachment of Colonel Long reached Skenesborough safely. But Burgoyne in a few hours broke through the boom and bridge at Ticonderoga, in which the Americans had placed much reliance, and with his fleet rapidly pursued them ; and while they were landing at Skenesborough three regiments dis- embarked at South Bay with the intention of gaining the road to Fort Ed- ward, and cutting off their retreat. On the approach of the British gun- boats Colonel Long's men destroyed three of their galleys and several buildings, and escaped capture by a rapid flight to Fort Anne. Two days after the battle at Hubbardton, St. Clair retreated to Fort Edward. Bur- goyne was joined at Skenesborough by the detachments of Fraser and Riedesel, and prepared to push forward to the Hudson. Lieutenant- Colonel Hill was sent forward to Fort Anne to intercept such as might retreat to that post, and to watch the movements of the Americans. This post was guarded by Colonel Long, with about five hundred men, mostly convalescents. Hill's force exceeded this number. Colonel Long did not wait for an attack, but marched out to give battle, and gained a decided advantage ; but their ammunition giving out, they were obliged to give way; and aware of their inability to hold the Fort against General Phillips, who was approaching with reinforcements, set fire to it, and fell back on Fort Edward.
CHAPTER XI.
THE BATTLE OF PENNINGTON-ST. LEGER'S FAILURE AT ORISKANY AND FORT SCHUYLER-BURGOYNE'S DEFEATS AND SURRENDER.
Burgoyne remained at Skenesborough nearly three weeks while detach- ments were building bridges and repairing the road to Fort Anne. This delay greatly diminished his supphes, and on arriving at Fort Anne he sent a detachment under Colonel Baum to surprise and capture a quantity of stores which he had heard was collected at Bennington, and with the expectation of receiving material aid from the loyalists in that quarter. General Schuyler had not sufficient force to defend Fort Edward, and throwing all the obstructions possible in Burgoyne's way from there to Fort Anne, retreated down the valley of the Hudson. Colonel Baum on his march to Bennington, reached Cambridge on the 13th of August.
The American General Stark in the meantime had repaired to Benning- ton, and was collecting the militia to join his brigade in opposing any invasion in that direction. Hearing that a party of Indians were at Cam- bridge, he detached Colonel Gregg to attack them; and shortly after, learning that a large body of the enemy were in their rear marching on Bennington, he moved immediately to the support of Gregg. After going about five miles he met him retreating, and Colonel Baum not more than a mile in the rear. Stark at once disposed his army for battle, and Baum perceiving its strength began to intrench, and sent to Burgoyne for rein- forcements. The next day some skirmishing took place, and on the follow- ing day, August 16th, Stark arranged his army for an attack. Two de- tachments were sent to flank the enemy, while another was attracting their attention in front. As soon as the attack on the enemy's flank began the main body pressed forward, and after two hours fierce conflict, gained a decisive victory. The remnant of Colonel Baum's force in its flight was
met by Colonel Breyman with reinforcements, who pressed forward with the combined force to regain the abandoned intrenchments. Stark was also reinforced, and the conflict was renewed with vigor. The enemy at length giving way were pursued until darkness came to their rescue and enabled them with their thinned and broken ranks to escape to the main army. Colonel Baum was mortally wounded and taken prisoner. The total loss of the enemy was, in killed, wounded and prisoners, nine hundred and thirty-four, and all their artillery and military stores. Up to this time all had gone well with the boastful Briton, and his path had been illuminated with victory, but with the failure of this expedition his glory began to wane and his sky to grow dark and threatening, where hitherto it had been bright and serene.
While these events had been taking place with the main division, the expedition under Colonel St. Leger had invested Fort Schuyler, 'earlier and even now more commonly called Fort Stanwix on the site of Rome. A movement of the Mohawk valley militia to its relief, was arrested by the bloody battle of Oriskany, but while most of the beseigers were engaged in tlus conflict, their camp was sacked by the garrison ; and learning that a more formidable provincial force was on its way to raise the seige of the fort, which had held ont tenaciously, St. Leger abandoned his undertaking and returned to Canada.
Schuyler, with his army, marched down the Hudson to Stillwater, and finally to the mouth of the Mohawk, still keeping his headquarters at Stillwater and exerting all his energies for the augmentation of his force, preparatory to a conflict with Burgoyne. On the 19th of August, at the instigation of his enemies he was very unjustly superseded by General Gates, On the 8th of September, the American army advanced to Bemis's Heights, above Stillwater, which had been fortified under the superintendence of Kosci- usko. The British detachment sent to Bennington, instead of bringing back any plunder had lost largely of what they already had, as well as most of the force, and Burgoyne had hardly recovered from this unexpected shock when the news was brought him of the defeat of St. Leger at Fort Schuyler. These disasters had a very depressing effect upon his army and the Indians and loyalists began to desert, while the Americans were greatly inspirited. In view of these difficulties the British commander deemed it expedient to halt at Fort Edward. Stores having been brought forward from the posts on Lake Champlain, he proceeded down the Hud- son, and on the 18th ot September encamped at Wilbur's Basin, two miles from the American position, and prepared for battle, and the next day advanced to the attack in three divisions. General Riedesel commanded the left column, which with the heavy artillery moved down a road along the margin of the river. The centre was commanded by Burgoyne in person, and the left by General Fraser. The front and flanks of both the centre and right, were covered by Indians, Tories and Canadians. The American right, which was the main body of their army, was commanded by Gates, and the left by General Arnold. Col- onel Morgan was detached from Arnold's division and encountered the Canadians and Indians in the advance and drove them back; but they being reinforced the contest resulted in both parties finally falling within their respective lines. The actinn soon became general and the com- bined force of Burgoyne and Fraser was engaged with Arnold's divis- ion. Arnold called upon Gates for reinforcements but they were re- fused, and he, resolving to do what he could with the force at his com- mand, continued the contest with the most obstinate and determined resolution, both armies alternately advancing and retreating without a decisive victory for either. The conflict did not cease until the shades
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OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.
of night fell upon the combatants. The Americans then retired to their encampment unpursued by the enemy. The British forces bivou- acked on the field of battle. The total loss of the former was three hundred and nineteen, and that of the latter, more than five hundred. Few actions have been more remarkable for determined bravery on both sides than this. The number of the British in the engagement was about three thousand, and that of the Americans five hundred less. Both parties claimed the victory. The object of the British was to ad- vance and gain ground, which they failed to do ; while it was not the intention of the Americans to advance, but to maintain their position, which they accomplished, and it is therefore not difficult to determine on which side the advantage lav. Though the British remained in pos- session of the battlefield through the night, they retired to their camp in the morning without advancing to renew the conflict. General Gates, in his report of the battle, said nothing of Arnold or his division, to whom all the honor was due. He was jealous of the reputation that officer had earned, and of his growing popularity with the army, and carried his meanness so far as to take from him the command of his division. Both parties strengthened their positions after the battle, but no general engagement took place for upwards of three weeks.
Burgoyne saw with painful anxiety that the American forces were rapidly increasing, while his own were daily diminishing by the desertion of his Indian allies. His provisions began to fail, and the vigilance of the Americans not only prevented any supplies reaching him, but deprived him of all communication with Sir Henry Clinton for assistance. At length he was obliged to put his troops on short allowance, and hearing nothing from Clinton, who was to make a diversion in his favor, became seriously alarmed. Amid the thickening perils, he found himself reduced to the alternative of fighting or retreating. The latter was not only inglorious bat difficult, and he resolved to make a reconnaissance in force, for the twofold purpose of ascertaining definitely the position of the enemy, and of collecting forage to supply his camp, of which it was in pressing need. On the 7th of October he, at the head of fifteen hundred men, and accom- panied by Generals Riedesel, Phillips, and Fraser, advanced toward the left wing of the American position. The movement was seasonably perceived by the Americans, and the enemy were repulsed and driven back to their lines by Morgan, who, at his own suggestion, was dispatched by a circuit- ous route to gain the right of the British, and fall upon the flanking party of Fraser at the same time an attack was to be made on the left of the British. General Poor advanced towards an eminence upon which were stationed the British grenadiers and the artillery of Ackland and Williams. He had given them orders not to fire until after the first discharge of the British guns, and they moved onward toward the frowning battery in awful silence until a sudden volley of grape-shot and musket balls made havoc among the branches of the trees, scarcely a shot taking effect upon the advancing column. At this signal Poor's men sprang forward and de- livered their fire, and opening to the right and left pressed furiously upon the enemy's flanks and gained the top of the hill, where the struggle be- came fierce and obstinate in the extreme. One cannon was taken and retaken five successive times, finally remaining in the hands of the Ameri- cans, when Colonel Cilley turned it upon the retreating enemy, and fired it with their own ammunition. Williams and Ackland were both taken prisoners, the latter being severely wounded ; and the grenadiers fled in confusion, leaving the field in possession of the Americans, thickly strewn with their dead and wounded,
As soon as the action was begun at this point Morgan's command rushed down like an avalanche from the ridge skirting the flanking party of Fraser, and assailed them with such a destructive fire that they were hastily driven back to their lines. Then, by a rapid movement, he fell upon the right Rank of the British with wuch impetuosity as to throw them into confusion. and Major Dearborn, coming up at this critical moment, completed their discomfiture. The right and left of the British lines were thus broken, but the centre had remained firm. General Arnold, who had so unjustly been deprived of his command, had been watching the progress of the battle in great excitement, and now mounted his horse and started for the battle-field. Gates sent Major Armstrong to order him back, but Arnold, suspecting his errand, was quickly beyond his reach, and ex- posed to such perils that the messenger was not anxious to follow him. Placing himself at the head of the men he formerly commanded, he rushed like an unchained tiger upon the British centre, which soon began to give way under his furious assault. General Fraser, who was com-
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