USA > New York > New York City > History of the New Netherlands, province of New York, and state of New York : to the adoption of the federal Constitution. Vol. II > Part 14
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The British troops had scarcely entered their lines, when the Americans, led by General Arnold, pressed forward, and, under a tremendous fire of grape-shot and musketry, assaulted their works throughout their whole extent, from right to left. Towards the . close of the day, the enemy's intrenchments were forced by the left of the Americans, led by Arnold in person, who, with a few of his men, actually entered the works ; but his horse being killed, . and the general himself badly wounded in the leg, they were forced to retire, and the approach of darkness induced them to desist from the attack. Meantime, on the left of Arnold's detachment, the Massachusetts troops, under Colonel Brooks, had been still more successful-having turned the enemy's right, and carried by storm the works occupied by the German reserve. Colonel Breyman, their commander, was killed ;, and his corps, reduced to two hun- dred men, and hotly pressed on all sides, was obliged to give way. This advantage was retained by the Americans ; and darkness put an end to an action equally brilliant and important to the continen- . tal arms. Great numbers of the enemy were killed, and two hundred prisoners taken. The loss of the Americans was inconsiderable .*
* Stone's Life of Brant, Vol. I. pp. 271-273.
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ARNOLD AT SARATOGA,
In the night Burgoyne drew off his army, and placed them in a stronger position on the heights, nearer to the source of the river- thus avoiding an engagement with an enemy who possessed part of his works, and lay ready to renew the attack in the morning.
Of Arnold's behaviour at the battle of the 7th of October, Mr. Sparks* gives this account : " Arnold having no command, was dis- covered to be in a state of high excitement and apparent irritation. He continued in camp for some time, but at length, without instruc- tions or permission, rode off in a full gallop to the field of battle. This being told to Gates, he sent Major Armstrong after him with orders. As soon as Arnold saw Armstrong, anticipating the pur- port of his message, and doubtless remembering the peremptory order to return while on his way out to the former action, he put spurs to his horse and quickened his speed. Armstrong pursued, tracing the erratic movements of Arnold, and keeping up the chase for half an hour, without being able to approach near enough to speak to him. And in fact, Arnold received no orders during the day, but rode about the field in every direction, seeking the hottest parts of the action, and issuing his commands wherever he went.
" Being the highest officer in rank, that appeared on the field, his orders were obeyed when practicable ; but all accounts agree, that his conduct was rash in the extreme, indicating rather the frenzy of a madman, than the considerate wisdom of an experienced general. He threw himself heedlessly into the most exposed situations, brandishing his sword in the air, animating his troops, and urging them forward. But the brilliant manœuvre with which the engage- ment was closed, the assault of the enemy's works and driving the Hessians from their encampment, was undoubtedly owing in the first case to Arnold. He gave the order, and by his personal bravery set an example to the troops, which inspired them with ardour and hurried them onward. He was shot through the leg whilst riding gallantly into the sally-port, and his horse fell dead under him. The success of the assault was complete, and crowned the day with victory.
" It is a curious fact, that an officer who really had no command in the army, was the leader in one of the most spirited and important battles of the revolution. His madness, or rashiness, or whatever it may be called, resulted most. fortunately for himself. The wound he received, at the moment of rushing into the very arms of danger and of death, added fresh lustre to his military glory, and was a new claim to public favour and applause. In the heat of the action he struck an officer on the head with his sword, an indignity and offence, which might justly have been retaliated on the spot in the
* American Biog. Vol. III. pp. 117, 113, 119.
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ARNOLD AT SARATOGA.
. most fatal manner. The oficer forbore : and the next day, when he demanded redress, Arnold declared his entire ignorance of the act, and expressed his regret. Some persons ascribed his wild · temerity to intoxication, but Major Armstrong, who assisted in re- moving him from the field, was satisfied that this was not true. Others said he took opium. This is conjecture, unsustained by proofs of any kind, and consequently improbable. His vagaries may perhaps be sufficiently explained by the extraordinary circum- stances of wounded pride, anger, and desperation, in which he was placed. Gates was not on the field, nor indeed did he leave his encampment during either of the battles of Behmus's Heights."
The bone of Arnold's leg being fractured he was removed to Albany, where he remained confined to his room all winter. His suffering situation was somewhat mitigated by a resolution of con- gress, which was a salve to his wounded honour. They gave him . the rank which was fully his due, and General Washington accom- panied the information with a request that he would repair to the army as soon as his honourable wounds would permit, that his country might have his services in the ensuing campaign. In the spring he went to New Haven, and was received with marked' respect for his military character, and while there General Wash- ington showed his sense of his eminent qualifications for the tented and embattled field, by dividing with him and General Lincoln three setts of military ornaments, which had been presented by a person in France, to the first of American captains, and the two chieftains he should consider worthy to share the compliment with him. This was a testimony which the conduct of Arnold in scenes of blood deserved : when next he becomes conspicuous in the history of New York, we shall see how little he deserved to be ranked with Lincoln and Washington as the assertor of his country's rights and the promoter of, her happiness.
We now return to the the closing scenes of the great drama of Saratoga. After the decisive victory obtained by the American army on the 7th of October, all were now animated by success. Next day, General Gates threw large detachments higher up the river to oppose the retreat of the enemy ; but did not venture to attack him in his new position. Burgoyne, however, was obliged to abandon the strong post he had chosen. Ou the night of the 10th of October, he retreated to Saratoga with the loss of his hos- pital, and part of his baggage and provision. He gained a position on the bank of the Hudson, but found his antagonists already on the opposite side prepared to dispute his passage. The British army was now surrounded by a constantly increasing, and already numerically superiour force, flushed with victory, and anticipating complete conquest. All these advantages were nearly lost. On the morning of the 11th, Gates informed his general officers of his
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CAPTURE OF BURGOYNE.
having received certain intelligence that the main body of the Bri- tish army had been marched off for Fort Edward ; and that only the rear guard was now in the camp, who were to follow, leaving the heavy baggage behind. In consequence, orders were issued to attack the camp forthwith ; and the officers repaired to their posts accordingly. The oldest brigade crossed the Saratoga creek, and a second brigade was following, when, by the accidental en- counter of an English deserter, General Glover learned that the whole army were in the encampment, and he found that the Ame- rican troops were marching directly upon Burgoyne's park of artil- lery, masked by a line of brushwood. The advancing troops were halted ; Gates countermanded lis orders, and the brave men so nearly sacrificed, retreated ; but not without loss from the fire opened upon them by the enemy's batteries. It was on this oct a- sion that the British burnt Schuyler's house, mills, and other build-' ings, as they sheltered the Americans from the artillery. Burgoyne's situation was now nearly desperate. His Indians and Canadians had deserted him. He had no hopes of aid from Sir Henry Clin- ton. His gallant army was reduced from nearly eight thousand, to three thousand five hundred fighting men. He was surrounded by enemies increasing daily, and already four times his number. Of provisions he had not more than enough for three days. Thus circumstanced, he resolved to abandon every thing but the arms of his companions, and such food as they could carry on their backs, and to force a march up the river by night, cross, and push for Fort George. But even this was found impracticable. Every avenue of escape was guarded. He was obliged to open a treaty with Gates, which terminated in surrender, by a convention.
Had Schuyler retained the command of the army as much would have been gained, if not more. . He would have had the same Morgan and Arnold to assist him. The militia were already encouraged by the success of Starke, Willet, and Gansevoort ; and the jealousy of the New England men would not have prevented them from defending their firesides, or sharing in the triumphs, a prospect of which was fully open to them before Philip Schuyler was superseded by a man immeasurably his inferiour. But a British army surrendered to Horatio Gates, and the whole conti- nent rang with shouts and songs of praise to the conqueror of Burgoyne. Schuyler was forgotten, or vilified ; and in comparison with the triumphant Englishman, Washington was considered un- worthy of confidence. Such was popular delusion, heightened by the artful and selfish.
Mr. Stone* says, " flushed with his fortuitous success, or rather
* Stone's life of Brant, Vol. I, p. 278.
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GATES'S ARROGANCE.
with the success attending , his fortuitous position, Gates did not wear his honour with any remarkable meekness. On the contrary, his bearing even toward the commander-in-chief was far from re- spectful. He did not even write to Washington on the occasion, until after a considerable time had elapsed. In the first instance . Wilkinson was sent as the bearer of despatches to congress, but did not reach the seat of that body until fifteen days after the articles of capitulation had been signed ; and three days more were occu- pied in arranging his papers before they were presented. The first mention which Washington makes of the defeat of Burgoyne, is contained in a letter written to his brother on the 18th of October -the news having been communicated to him by Governour Clin- ton.' He spoke of the event again on the 16th, in a letter addressed to General Putnam. On the 25th, in a letter addressed to that of- ficer, he acknowledges the receipt of a copy of the articles of capi- tulation from him-adding, that that was the first authentick intelli- gence he had received of the affair, and that he had begun to grow uneasy, and almost to suspect that the previous accounts were pre- mature. And it was not until the 2d of November that Gates deigned to communicate to the commander-in-chief a word upon the sub- ject, and then only incidentally, as though it were a matter of secondary importance."
Although Schuyler had no command, he had never ceased his ser- vices, and was with the American army. Gen. Burgoyne gives this testimonial of Schuyler's gentlemanly deportment : "I positively as- sert that there was no fire by order or countenance of myself or any other officer, except at Saratoga. That district is the property of General Schuyler. There were large barracks built by him : they took fire by accident, when filled with my sick and wounded sol- diers. General Schuyler had likewise a very good dwelling-house, exceeding large storehouses, great saw-mills, and other out-build- ings, to the value, perhaps, of ten thousand pounds. A few days before the negotiation with General Gates, the enemy were ap- proaching to pass a small river preparatory to a general action, and were covered from the fire of my artillery by those buildings. I gave the order to set them on fire : that whole property I have described was consumed. One of the first persons I saw after the convention was signed, was General Schuyler. I expressed my regret at the event which had happened, and the reasons which had occasioned it. He desired me to think no more of it ; said that the occasion justified it, according to the rules and principles of war, and he should have done the same. , He did more-he sent an aid-de-camp to conduct me to Albany, in order, as he express- ed, to procure me better quarters than a stranger might be able to find. This gentleman conducted me to a very elegant house, and, to my great surprise, introduced me to Mrs. Schuyler and her
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GENTLEMANLY DEPORTMENT OF SCHUYLER.
family ; and in this general's house I remained during my whole stay at Albany, with a table of more than twenty covers for me and my friends, and every other demonstration of hospitality."
The Baroness Riedesel says, " when I drew near the tent, a good-looking man advanced towards me, and helped the children from the calash, and kissed and caressed them; he then offered me his arm, and tears trembled in his eyes. 'You tremble,' said he ; 'do not be alarmed, I pray you.' 'Sir,' cried I, ' a coun- tenance so expressive of benevolence, and the kindness which you have evinced towards my children, are sufficient to dispel all appre- hension.' He then ushered me into the tent of General Gates. The gentleman who had received me with so much kindness, came and said to me, 'You may find it embarrassing to be the only lady in such a large company of gentlemen ; will you come with your children to my tent, and partake of a frugal dinner offered with the best will ?' ' By the kindness you show to me,' returned I, 'you induce me to believe that you have a wife and children.' He in- formed me that he was General Schuyler. Never did a dinner give me so much pleasure as this."
Burgoyne did not receive intelligence of the success of Sir Henry Clinton at the forts in the Highlands until after his surren- der. This may be attributed to the failure of a message despatched by the English commander-in-chief, who fell into the hands of the American Clinton, by one of those apparent accidents that rule the fate of men and armies. The messenger bore a letter enclosed in a silver ball, with only the words " nous y voici : and nothing be- tween us but Gates." The unfortunate bearer had to pass the American posts in disguise, and would probably have done so in safety, but that a New England regiment under Colonel Webb had joined Governour Clinton, who was at New Windsor collecting troops, and the soldiers were clothed in red coats, which had been taken in an English store ship : some of them were on guard at an out-post, and the spy mistaking them for friends, put himself in their power and betrayed his quality. He swallowed the silver ball, but too late : an emetic revealed his errand, and the poor wretch was sacrificed to the policy (perhaps the justice) of war. To this circumstance was owing the ignorance of Burgoyne, that the southern British army was on its way to his relief. Had this messenger reached him, he might not have risked the fatal en- counter on Behmus's Heights; but it is vain to indulge in surmises of what might have been-the duty of history is to record that which we know has been.
Wilkinson, as we have seen, was entrusted with the despatches of Gates to congress, announcing an army's surrender, and loitering by the way, a member proposed as his reward for his news a pair of gold spurs.
VOL. II.
17
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CONSTITUTION OF NEW YORK.
This year (1777) cannot be passed over without noticing the formation of a written Constitution for what was now declared to be the STATE of New York. The convention held at Kingston, declared that no authority should on any pretence whatever, be exercised over the people or members of this state, but such as should be derived from or granted by them ; and it vested the supreme legislative power, in two distinct bodies constituting col- lectively the legislature. It is dated at Kingston, 20th April, 1777, and signed Leonard Gansevoort, Pres. pro. tem. Among the members of this convention we find some of the most illustrious names in our state history-John Jay, Gouverneur Morris and others. Of the patriotism, intelligence and integrity of those who formed the old constitution there can be no question-nor is there a question but that it contained its faults and imperfections. But those might have been gradually healed by some few gentle applications, or what were better, the slow but steady and salutary influence of time and usage. This venerable monument of the wisdom of our high minded ancestors has been stricken to the dust. Not content with mildly lopping off some few excresences, or some limbs which drew away too much of the nutriment from the other branches, we, mad and reckless have destroyed the whole tree ; and by the Constitution of November 10, 1521, substituted a new system, which has yet to run its career of ex- periment-perhaps of mischief : which reduces the people to a populace, and concedes to the populace the right of legislating upon the most momentous subjects-the power of making, altering or abrogating the fundamental laws-the constitution itself-almost without restraint .*
* See New Const. of N. Y. Art. 2, Sect. I. The value of the electoral fran- chise has been still further lowered. And see Art. 8, as to amendments. Numbers of those who voted for the convention which formed the new Constitution thought of nothing more than to get rid of the councils of appointment and revision. One bad feature of the old constitution is retained, the inability of the highest judicial officers to continue in the exercise of their duties after sixty years of age ; (James Kent! Ambrose Spencer ! Smith Thompson ! I will not travel beyond the limits of our own state. ) They may be removed by joint resolution of the two houses of the legislature, if two thirds of the members elect of the Assembly, and a ma. jority of the members elect of the Senate concur .- Art. I, Sect. 13. Was not this last provision enough for all beneficial purposes ?
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INTRIGUES AGAINST WASHINGTON.
CHAPTER IX.
Intrigues against Washington -- France becomes a party in the war -Alarming situation of Washington-Noble conduct of Colonel William Duer-Conway-Lafayette-Falsehood and meanness of Gates.
1777 Ov the 17th of October, Burgoyne surrendered. Gates imitated, on the meeting with his humbled adversary, the conduct of the Black Prince, when from real or affected humility he entered London with the captive King of France.
How he deigned to communicate the news of his success to the commander-in-chief, has already been stated ; yet he was carrying on a correspondence with his Irish friend, Conway, in which Washington was treated with contempt.
This slight put upon Washington was premeditated, as is proved by a letter from Wilkinson to Gates, of November the 4th, saying that he is often asked the cause of this omission. It is further re- lated, respecting Morgan, that when the conquerour entertained the British officers who were prisoners, and invited his own to meet them, Morgan was omitted ; but accidentally coming into the ge- neral's quarters on business, when he departed, his name was men- tioned, and all the Britons eagerly rose and followed to see the man to whom they attributed, in a great measure, their defeat.
The flatteries that poured in upon him were such as his mind could not bear. His cabal openly declared that he alone was fit for the supreme command. As a step towards it, on the 27th of November, he was appointed president of the board of war, and his friend Mifflin was one of his council. The board appointed Con- way inspector-general, with the rank of major-general, and powers, " in effect," says Marshall, " paramount to those of the comman- der-in-chief," A majority of congress confirmed this appointment, although this man had been recently detected in an infamous cor- respondence with Gates, and was denounced by Washington as a "dangerous incendiary." Happily, General Greene and a num- ber of field-officers would not submit to the indignity of seeing this upstart foreign officer placed in such an office in defiance of the commander-in-chief. They remonstrated ; Conway was obliged to retire ; and the cabal was defeated in this part of their intrigue. Of General Gates as president of the board of war, I will only ob-
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ALARMING SITUATION OF WASHINGTON.
serve, that none of his plans were successful, or any of his measures efficacious. 1
I must limit myself to events in our state, or those immediately adjoining, and refer to Marshall's history, to Washington's let- ters, and other works, for the movements more to the south. Great was the necessity in which the commander-in-chief stood for re- inforcements, and urgent his call for the troops which the conven- tion of Saratoga left available. But Gates seemed disposed to withhold them as much as possible. Intoxicated by the applauses of congress and the country, he felt that the supreme command of the armies of the continent was within his grasp.
The hints and insinuations of Lec, the calumnies of Gates and his adherents, had produced a party in congress that amounted to a majority. The Irish officer who had been in the French ser- vice, Conway, soon became one of Gates's faction, and violently opposed to Washington and his friends, particularly to the Baron de Kalb and the Marquis Lafayette. This Conway, became dis- agreeable to Washington, first by presumption, and then in con- sequence of a disclosure made of a paragraph in a letter from him to Gates, in which he says, " Heaven has been determined to save your country, or a weak general and bad counsellors would have ruined it."
France had secretly encouraged the discontent, and joyfully seen the rebellion of the subjects of her great rival. Now that an army had surrendered, the mask was thrown off, and war was proclaimed, and an army was promised the United States. The motive was not considered, and gratitude filled every American breast.
General Washington attributed the successes of Sir William Howe in Pennsylvania, and his own consequent disasters, to the apathy and disaffection of the people of that state. In one of his letters on the subject, he says-" The northern army, before the surrender of General Burgoyne, was reinforced by upwards of twelve hundred militia, who shut the only door by which Bur- goyne could retreat, and cut off all his supplies. How different our case! The disaffection of a great part of the inhabitants of this state, the languor of others, and the internal distraction of the whole, have been among the great and insuperable difficulties which I have met with, and have contributed not a little to my embarrass- ments this campaign."*
Many other letters from the commander-in-chief, written du- ring the winter and spring of 1778, complain of the con- duct of the people of Pennsylvania, in supplying the enemy in Philadelphia with provisions - particularly from Bucks County.
' Letter of Washington to Landon Carter-October 27th, 1777.
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COLONEL WILLIAM DUER.
In a letter to Major-general Armstrong, of that state, dated at Val- ley Forge, March 27th, he says-" The situation of matters in this state is melancholy and alarming. We have daily proof that a ma -. jority of the people in this quarter are only restrained from supply- ing the enemy with horses and every kind of necessary, through fear of punishment ; and, although I have made a number of se- vere examples, I cannot put a stop to the intercourse."
The legislature met at Kingston, on the 1st of September, 1777, but did not form a quorum until the 10th ; when Govenour Clin- ton, in his speech, applauded the garrison of Fort Schuyler, spoke of the brave General Herkimer, and praised the militia of Tryon county. He mentions in terms of exultation the complete victory near Bennington, gained by the militia of New Hampshire, Mas- sachusetts and the northeastern counties of New York. At this time the legislature appointed delegates to the continental congress. They were, Philip Livingston, James Duane, Francis Lewis, Wil- liam Duer, and Governeur Morris. The assembly was interrupted in its work of peace by the attack upon the Highlands, and was dis- solved October 7th; but on the 5th of January, 177S, they met again at Poughkeepsie.
The commander-in-chief passed the winters of 1777 and 'S, in the cantonment of Schuylkill, his best troops mutinous from want of necessaries, he says, the want of provision, clothing, and other es- sentials, is charged to my account, not only by the vulgar, but by those in power.
The board of war consisted of General Gates, president ; Ge- neral Mifflin, quarter-master-general ; Joseph Trumbull, commis- sary-general; and Pickering, Folsom, etc.
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