USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 15
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Thrown into complete disorder, Burgoyne's column regained their camp, leaving ten guns and hundreds of their dead and wounded on the bloody field. But this martial rage of Arnold was not yet appeased. Before all the English had reached their intrenchments he was again upon them. Repelled in the cen- ter by a heavy fire of grapeshot, he flung him- self upon the German reserves on the hill at the extreme British right with irresistible fury, and crashing through their intrenchments, al- though himself severely wounded in the leg, gained an opening upon the rear of the British camp. Colonel Breyman, while gallantly re- sisting the charge, fell, shot through the heart, when the Germans fled or surrendered. Then the abrupt darkness of an American autumn evening fell upon the blood-stained field, and in mercy interposed its shadow between the weary combatants.
There was now nothing for General Bur- goyne to do but to retreat. During the night of the 7th, after the battle, the British army changed its position by retreating to the bank of the Hudson, at what is now called Wilbur's Basin. On the morning of the 8th the Amer- icans advanced a large force to the plain be- low the British to watch their motions. Bur- goyne remained all day of the 8th at Wilbur's Basin.
III .- THE BURIAL OF FRASIER.
The reader will remember that General Frasier was mortally wounded in this battle and was carried from the field to the Smith house, near the British hospital, on the bank of the river, where he lingered in great agony until eight o'clock on the morning of the
8th, when he died. Before his death, General Frasier sent, with the "kindest expression of his affection for General Burgoyne, a request that he might be carried without parade by the soldiers of his corps, at sunset, to the great redoubt, and buried there." This last, dying request of his favorite general Burgoyne would not refuse, so all through the desolate day of the 8th the British army waited for the burial, amid continual alarms, exposed to the fire of the Americans, and in a momentary expectation that another general engagement would be brought on.
At length the weary hours passed away, and, in the darkening gloom of the autumnal even- ing, which was intensified by the lowering clouds of the coming tempest, the funeral cor- tege marched to the burial place. In his statements made afterward, Burgoyne gives this eloquent delineation of the scene :
"The incessant cannonade during the solemnity ; the steady attitude and unaltered voice with which the cler- gyman spoke, though frequently covered with dust which the shot threw up on all sides of him ; the mute but ex- pressive mixture of sensibility and indignation upon every countenance ; these objects will remain to the last of life upon the mind of every man who was present. The growing darkness added to the scenery, and the whole marked a characteristic of that juncture that would make one of the finest subjects for the pencil of a master that the field ever exhibited. To the canvas and to the page of a more important historian, gallant friend, I consign thy memory. There may thy talents, thy manly virtues, their progress and their period, find due distinc- tion ; and long may they survive-long after the frail record of my pen shall be forgotten."
The Americans, seeing a collection of peo- ple without knowing the occasion, at first cannonaded the procession, and their shot covered it with dust, but as soon as they saw it was a funeral train they ceased throwing shot at it and began firing minute guns in honor of the distinguished dead.
The soldier who shot General Frasier was Timothy Murphy, a native of Virginia and a member of Morgan's rifle corps. After the surrender of Burgoyne, the company to which
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Murphy belonged was sent to Schoharie, and Cherry Valley, where Murphy became distin- guished in the border warfare of the period. A romantic incident in his life at Schoharie was his marriage to the girl of his choice, who ran away from her father's house and braved the dangers of the Indian war-trail, on foot and alone, in her journey from one fort to an- other, to meet her lover.
IV. - BURGOYNE'S RETREAT.
After the burial of Frasier, at nine o'clock in the evening, the retreat of the British army began, Major General Riedesel commanding the van-guard and Major General Phillips the rear. The wounded and dying who fell in the previous battles were abandoned by the Brit- ish and left in their hospitals, with a recom- mendation to the mercy and kind treatment of the Americans, couched in touching language by General Burgoyne. On the morning of the 9th the British army arrived at Dovegat, now Coveville, where the rear guard was at- tacked by the Americans, but a pouring rain prevented much damage from the encounter.
On the evening of the 9th the British army reached the Fishkill, and crossing the ford, took possession of the heights of Saratoga. They had been twenty-four hours in marching a distance of eight miles in a pitiless rain- storm, and scarcely able to stand from cold and exposure, bivouacked in the darkness on the soggy ground, without food and without camp-fires till the morning of the roth. The Fishkill was swollen by the abundant rains, and poured a turbid torrent down the declivity of the hills through its narrow channel. The artillery was not taken across the dangerous ford till daylight of the morning of the 10th. When the vanguard of the British reached Saratoga General Fellows was encamped on the west side of the Hudson, with a small body of Americans, his main force being posted on the hills on the east side of the Hudson, upon the site of old Fort Clinton of the colonial
period. Upon the approach of Burgoyne, General Fellows retired with his detachment to this strong position on the hills on the east side of the river, to cut off the retreat of the British in that direction. A strong detach- ment of American troops had also been sent by General Gates to take possession of the roads and bridges above Saratoga, in the di- rection of Fort Edward, and the British army was already most effectually hemmed in and surrounded on every side by the victorious Americans.
On account of the pouring rain and the al- most impassable condition of the roads, Gen- eral Gates did not reach the south bank of the Fishkill, with the main body of his army, until four o'clock on the afternoon of the 10th. Upon his arrival there he encamped his army along the heights bordering Fish creek on the south, and, supposing that General Burgoyne would continue his retreat, ordered an advance across the creek at daybreak in the morning. On the morning of the 11th, in pursuance of this order, Colonel Morgan crossed the Fishkill, and, to his surprise, found the enemy's pickets in position, indicating that the main body was close at hand. General Hixon, with his brig- ade, also crossed the Fishkill and surprised the British pickets at Fort Hardy. General Learned, at the head of two more brigades, crossed the creek and advanced to the sup- port of Colonel Morgan.
During all this time a thick fog prevailed, through which nothing could be seen at the distance of twenty yards. General Learned advanced and had arrived within two hundred yards of Burgoyne's strongest post, when the fog suddenly cleared up and revealed to the astonished Americans the whole British army in their camp under arms. The Americans beat a hasty retreat in considerable disorder across the Fishkill under a heavy fire from the British artillery and small arms, and soon re- gained their camp on the heights along the south bank of the stream,
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CHAPTER XIX.
THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION ( Contin- ued ) - THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE SURRENDER - THE "CONVENTION OF SARATOGA."
I. - NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN GENERAL GATES AND GENERAL BURGOYNE.
The British army was now in a most critical position. The main body of the line, under General Burgoyne, was encamped on the heights north of the Fishkill. The Hessians, under Riedesel, were located on the ridge ex- tending northerly toward the Marshall house, and the artillery was on the elevated plain ex- tending between the Hessians and the river flats. In this exposed position the British army was completely surrounded by the Amer- ican forces. There was not a spot anywhere throughout the whole British encampment which was not exposed to the fire of the American batteries posted on the heights around.
On the 12th of October General Burgoyne called a council of war, which assembled on the heights of Saratoga. There were present Lieutenant General Burgoyne, Major General Phillips, Major General Riedesel, and Briga- dier General Hamilton. To this council Gen- eral Burgoyne stated the situation of affairs to be as follows:
"The enemy in force, according to the best intelli- gence he can obtain, to the amount of upwards of four- teen thousand men and a considerable quantity of artil- lery, are on this side of the Fishkill and threaten an attack. On the other side of the Hudson's river, be- tween this army and Fort Edward, is another army of the enemy, the number unknown, but one corps, which there has been an opportunity of observing, is reported to be fifteen hundred men. They have likewise cannon on the other side the Hudson's river, and they have a bridge below Saratoga church by which the two armies can communicate. The bateaux of the army have been destroyed, and no means appear of making a bridge over the Hudson's river, were it even practicable, from the position of the enemy. The only means of retreat,
therefore, are by the ford at Fort Edward, or taking the mountains in order to pass the river higher up by rafts, or by any other ford, which is reported to be practicable with difficulty, or by keeping the mountains to pass the head of Hudson's river, and continue to the westward of Lake George all the way to Ticonderoga. It is true this last passage was never made but by the Indians or very small bodies of men. In order to pass cannon, or any wheeled carriages, from hence to Fort Edward, some bridges must be repaired under fire of the enemy from the opposite side of the river, and the principal bridge will be a work of fourteen or fifteen hours. There is no good position for the army to take to sustain that work, and if there were the time stated as necessary would give the enemy on the other side of the Hudson's river an opportunity to take post on the strong ground above Fort Edward, or to dispute the ford while General Gates' army followed in the rear.
"The intelligence from the lower part of Hudson's river is founded upon the concurrent reports of prison- ers and deserters, who say it was the news in the enemy's camp that Fort Montgomery was taken ; and one man, a friend to the government, who arrived yesterday, men- tions some particulars of the manner in which it was taken.
"The provisions of the army may hold out to the 26th; there is neither rum nor spruce beer.
" Having committed this state of facts to the consid- eration of the council, the general requests their senti- ments on the following propositions:
"First .- To wait in the present position an attack from the enemy or the chance of favorable events.
"Second .- To attack the enemy.
"Third .- To retreat, repairing the bridges as the army moves, for the artillery, in order to force the passage of the fort.
"Fourth .- To retreat by night, leaving the artillery and the baggage ; and should it be found impracticable to force the passage with the musketry, to attempt the . upper ford or the passage round Lake George.
" Fifth .- In case the enemy, by extending to their left, leave their rear open, to march rapidly to Albany."
" Upon the first proposition : Resolved, That the pro- vision now in store is not more than sufficient for the re- treat should impediments intervene, or a circuit of the country become necessary ; and as the enemy did not at- tack when the ground was unfortified, it is not probable that they will do it now, as they have a better game to play.
" The second, unadvisable and desperate, there being no possibility of reconnoitering the enemy's position, and his great superiority of numbers known.
"The third impracticable.
"The fifth thought worthy of consideration by the lieutenant general, Major General Phillips and Briga-
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dier General Hamilton, but the position of the enemy yet gives no opening for it.
" Resolved, That the fourth proposition is the only re- source ; and that, to effect it, the utmost secrecy and silence is to be observed ; and the troops are to be put in motion from the right, in the still part of the night, with- out any change in the situation."
It was soon ascertained by General Bur- goyne, who sent out a scouting party for the purpose, that owing to the strength of the American detachment along the Hudson above Saratoga, the last proposition was utterly im- practicable, and it was therefore likewise aban- doned.
On the 13th General Burgoyne called an- other council of war. It was composed of general officers, field officers, and captains com- manding corps. As this body of officers was deliberating on the heights, at the headquar- ters of the commander, cannon balls from the American guns crossed the table at which they sat. The following is copied from the minutes :
" The lieutenant general having explained the situa- tion of affairs, as in the preceding council, with the ad- ditional intelligence that the enemy was intrenched at the fords of Fort Edward, and likewise occupied the strong position on the pine plains between Fort George and Fort Edward, expressed his readiness to undertake, at their head, any enterprise of difficulty or hazard that should appear to them within the compass of their strength or spirit. He added that he had reason to believe a capitulation had been in the contemplation of some, per- haps of all, who knew the real situation of things ; that upon a circumstance of such consequence to national and personal honor, he thought it a duty to his country and to himself to extend his council beyond the usual limits, that the assembly present might justly be esteemed a full representation of the army, and that he should think him- self unjustifiable in taking any step in so serious a matter without such a concurrence of sentiment as should make a treaty the act of the army as well as that of the general.
" The first question, therefore, he desired them to de- cide was whether an army of three thousand five hun- fighting men, and well provided with artillery, were jus- tifiable, upon the principles of national dignity and military honor, in capitulating in any possible situation ? " Resolved, Mem. con., in the affirmative.
"Question second - Is the present situation of that nature ?
" Resolved, Mem. con., that the present situation jus- tifies a capitulation upon honorable terms."
General Burgoyne then drew up a message. to General Gates, and laid it before the coun- cil. It was unanimously approved, and upon that foundation the treaty opened.
On the morning of the 14th of October, Major Kingston delivered the message to Gen- eral Gates, at the American camp, which was in the words following :
"To Major General Gates :
" After having fought you twice, Lieutenant General Burgoyne has waited some days in his present position, determined to try a third conflict against any force you could bring to attack him.
"He is apprised of the superiority of your numbers, and the disposition of your troops to impede his supplies and render his retreat a scene of carnage on both sides. In this situation, he is impelled by humanity, and thinks himself justifiable by established principles and prece- dents of state and of war, to spare the lives of brave men upon honorable terms. Should Major General Gates be inclined to treat upon that idea, General Burgoyne would propose a cessation of arms during the time necessary to communicate the preliminary terms by which, in any ex- tremity, he and his army mean to abide."
In the afternoon of the 14th, Major King- ston returned to the British camp with the following propositions from General Gates, which are given below, with the answer to each, made by General Burgoyne and ap- proved by his council of war.
PROPOSITION.
"I .- General Burgoyne's army being reduced by re- peated defeats, by deser- tion, sickness, etc ; their provisions exhausted, their military horses, tents and baggage taken or destroyed; their retreat cut off and their camp invested, they can only be allowed to sur- render as prisoners of war.
"II .- The officers and soldiers may keep the bag- gage belonging to them. The generals of the United States never permitted in- dividuals to be pillaged.
ANSWER.
"Lieutenant General Bur- goyne's army, however re- duced, will never admit that their retreat is cut off while they have arms in their hands.
Noted.
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PROPOSITION.
"III .- The troops under his excellency, General Bur- goyne, will be conducted by the most convenient route to New England, marching by easy marches and suffi- ciently provided for by the way.
"IV .- The officers will be admitted on parole and treated with the liberality customary in such cases so long as they by proper be- havior continue to deserve it; but those who are ap- prehended having broken their parole, as some Brit- ish officers have done, must expect to be closely con- fined.
" V .- All public stores, artillery, arms, ammuni- tion, carriages, horses, etc., etc., must be delivered to commissioners appointed to receive them.
"VI .- These terms being agreed to and signed, the the troops under his excel- lency, General Burgoyne's command, may be drawn up in their encampment, when they will be ordered to ground their arms, and may thereupon be marched to the river side on their way to Bennington.
" VII. - A cessation of arms to continue till sun- set to receive General Bur- goyne's answer. (Signed.) " HORATIO GATES. "Camp at Saratoga, October 14."
At sunset the same evening Major Kingston met the adjutant general of the American army, General Wilkinson, in the American camp, and delivered the foregoing answers to General Gate's proposals, and also the follow- ing additional message from General Bur- goyne :
ANSWER.
Agreed.
There being no officers in this army under the de- scription of breaking parole this article needs no an- swer.
All public stores may be delivered, arms excepted.
This article is inadmis- sible in any extremity. Sooner than this army will consent to ground their arms in their encampment, they will rush on the en- emy determined to take no quarter. (Signed.)
J. BURGOYNE '
" If General Gates does not mean to recede from the sixth article the treaty ends at once. The army will, to a man, proceed to any act of desperation rather than to submit to that article. The cessation of arms ends this evening."
General Gates was at first disposed to insist upon the objectionable article, but after some further negotiations he substituted the follow- ing article :
'. The troops under General Burgoyne to march out of their camp with the honors of war and the artillery of the intrenchments to the verge of the river, where their arms and their artillery must be left. The arms to be piled by word of command from their own officers "
" A free passage to be granted to the army under General Burgoyne to Great Britain, upon condition of not serving again in North America during the present contest ; and the port of Boston to be assigned for entry of transports to receive the troops whenever General Howe shall order. '
On the 15th the above amended proposals of General Gates were presented to the British council of war, and being satisfactory, General Burgoyne was authorized to sign a definite treaty.
During the night of the 15th a messenger from General Clinton arrived in the British camp with the news that he had moved up the Hudson as far as Esopus, taking Fort Mont- gomery from the Americans on the way. This information seemed to revive Burgoyne's hopes of safety. He called together the offi- cers of his council and requested them to de- clare whether they were of opinion that in case of extremity the soldiers were in a situation to fight, and whether they considered the public faith as already pledged to a surrender, no convention being then signed. A great num- ber of the officers answered that the soldiers, weakened by hunger and fatigue, were unable to fight, and all were decidedly of the opinion that the public faith was engaged. But Bur- goyne was of a contrary opinion and hesitated to sign the treaty. General Gates, on the morn- ing of the 16th, hearing of Burgoyne's delay, and being aware of the cause, formed his army in the order of battle, and sent word to the
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British general that the time having arrived he must either sign the articles or prepare himself for battle. Burgoyne hesitated no longer but signed the paper, which has ever since been known in history as the "conven- tion " of Saratoga.
II .- ARTICLES OF CONVENTION BETWEEN LIEU- TENANT GENERAL BURGOYNE AND MAJOR GEN- ERAL GATES.
"I. The troops under Lieutenant General Burgoyne to march out of their camp with the honors of war, and the artillery of intrench- ments to the verge of the river where the old fort stood, where the arms and artillery are to be left ; the arms to be piled by word of com- mand from their own officers.
"II. A free passage to be granted to the army under Lieutenant General Burgoyne to Great Britain, on condition of not serving again in North America during the present contest ; and the port of Boston is assigned for the entry of transports to receive the troops whenever General Howe shall so order.
"III. Should any cartel take place, by which the army under General Burgoyne, or any part of it, may be exchanged, the forego- ing articles to be void, as far as such exchange should be made.
"IV. The army under Lieutenant General Burgoyne to march to Massachusetts Bay by the easiest, most expeditious and convenient route, and be quartered in, near, or as con- venient as possible to Boston, that the depar- ture of the troops may not be delayed when the transports shall arrive to receive them.
"V. The troops to be supplied on their march and during their being in quarters with provisions by Gencral Gates' orders, at the same rate of rations as the troops of his own army, and, if possible, the officers' horses and cattle are to be supplied with forage at the usual rates.
"VI. All officers to retain their carriages, battle horses and other cattle, and no baggage to be molested or searched, Lieutenant Gen-
eral Burgoyne giving his honor that there are no public stores secreted therein. Major Gen- eral Gates will, of course, take the necessary measures for the due performance of this ar- ticle. Should any carriages be wanted during the transportation of officers' baggage, they are, if possible, to be supplied. .
"VII. " Upon the march, and during the time the army shall remain in quarters in Mas- sachusetts Bay, the officers are not, as far as circumstances will admit, to be separated from their men. The officers are to be quartercd according to rank, and are not to be hindered from assembling their men for roll call and the necessary purposes of regularity.
"VIII. All corps whatever of General Burgoyne's army, whether composed of sail- ors, bateau men, artificers, drivers, indepen- dent companies and followers of the army, of whatever country, shall be included in re- spect as British subjects.
" IX. All Canadians and persons belong- ing to the Canadian establishments, consist- ing of sailors, bateau men, artificers, drivers, independent companies, and many other fol- lowers of the army who come under the head of no particular description, are to be permit- ted to return there ; they are to be conducted immediately by the shortest route to the first British post on Lake George, are to be sup- plied with provisions in the same manner as other troops, are to be bound by the same conditions of not serving during the present contest in North America.
" X. Passports to be immediately granted for three officers not exceeding the rank of captain, who shall be appointed by Lieuten- ant General Burgoyne, to carry dispatches to Sir William Howe, Sir Guy Carlton, and to Great Britain, by way of New York, and Major Gencral Gates engages the public faith that these dispatches shall not be opened. These officers are to set out immediately after receiving their dispatches, and to travel the shortest route, and in the most expeditious manner.
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"XI. During the stay of the troops in Massachusetts Bay the officers are to be ad- mitted on parole, and are to be allowed to wear their side arms.
"XII. Should the army under Lieutenant General Burgoyne find it necessary to send for clothing and other baggage to Canada, they are permitted to do so in the most con- venient manner, and the necessary passports granted for that purpose.
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