USA > New York > The Pennsylvania and New York frontier : history of from 1720 to the close of the Revolution > Part 21
USA > Pennsylvania > The Pennsylvania and New York frontier : history of from 1720 to the close of the Revolution > Part 21
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The battles of Oriskany and Bennington had been fought by the frontiersmen, acting independently and without assistance from the nerve- less Schuyler and his despondent army. Schuyler kept many miles between him and the British, and fell back to Saratoga, then to Stillwater and finally retreated to the mouth of the Mohawk, where he established his camp, August 14th, although Burgoyne was at Fort Edward, many miles away. His letters and complaints indicate his complete lack of resolution.1
August 1st, Congress, without negative vote, resolved that Schuyler should repair to headquarters and directed Washington to appoint his suc- cessor, but Washington refused to make any appointment, although the country expected him to appoint Gates. Then, Congress by a vote of eleven states appointed Gates. Washington, in a brief note ordered him to assume command of the northern department. Schuyler relinquished his com- mand, probably, with chagrin, but perhaps with the inward satisfaction a man feels when relieved of a task too great for his accomplishment. Schuyler was a patriotic, generous and amiable man, who meant well but was misplaced. Like many ambitious civilians, he craved military distinc- tion, but he was no soldier, never commanded in any action and probably never served in any engagement.
Gates restored confidence. The New York and New England militia joined him and having reorganized the disorderly army, Gates moved northward and September 12th, occupied Bemis Heights, about three miles above Stillwater. He chose a strong location, and Kosciusko, a Pole, wisely selected by Gates, as his engineer, laid out an intrenched camp, extending westward from the Hudson river, along the heights, to the high hills. It effectually barred Burgoyne's march southward. September 18th, the British were within five miles of the American line; and the two
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engagements which followed have been called the battles of Stillwater, Bemis Heights and Freeman's Farm, but are generally known as the Battles of Saratoga.
The first battle began at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, of September 19th, when the British advance on Bemis Heights was halted by Morgan's riflemen. They came through the woods in three columns, at a considerable distance apart. The left column comprising the Brunswick regiments, the 47th British regiment, the heavy artillery and baggage under Riedesel moved close to and parallel with the river, and guarded the boats. The right column composed of the English grenadiers, 24th Brunswick gren- adiers, the light battalion and cannon under Fraser followed the Quaker Springs road. Burgoyne commanded the center and under him were the 9th, 20th, 21st and 62nd regiments' and light artillery. It was this column, that Morgan intercepted and checked. Fraser wheeled his column from and at right angles to the road and hurried to Burgoyne's assistance. From this united force, Morgan's men recoiled. Gates sent Arnold with nine Continental regiments to support him; and at 4 o'clock, the engagement along the whole line became furious. The British cannon were captured by the Americans and retaken in fierce hand to hand struggles. It is said, they passed back and forth seven times. The American line was covered by a wood, and in front of them was the open meadow of Freeman's Farm for the possession of which there was a desperate endeavor. The Americans gained the advantage, but the timely arrival of Riedesel with a part of his force checked their advance.
The best British account is contained in the diary of Lieutenant Digby (page 273) an officer in that army, who says:
"From the situation of the ground, and their being perfectly acquainted with it, the whole of our troops could not be brought to engage together, which was a very considerable disadvantage, though everything possible was tried to remedy the inconvenience, but to no effect ; such an explosion of fire, I never had any idea of before, and the heavy artillery joining in concert, like peals of thunder, assisted by the echoes of the wood, almost deafened us with the noise. To an unconcerned spectator, it must have had the most awful and glorious appearance, the different Battalions moving to relieve each other, some being pressed and almost broke by the superior numbers. General Burgoyne was everywhere and did everything that could be expected from a brave officer and Brig. Gen. Fraser gained great honor by exposing himself to every danger."
Night put an end to the contest. The British retained the open fields of Freeman's farm, and the Americans retired to their entrenchments on Bemis Heights. From the British standpoint, Digby says: "It was a dear bought victory, if I can give it that name." The verdict of history is that Burgoyne lost, as he was checked in his purpose of penetrating the Amer- ican lines. The Americans lost between three and four hundred, and the British losses exceeded six hundred. Burgoyne made his camp on the battle
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field, which he entrenched and fortified on the right, near the woods by a defence called the Great Redoubt. For sixteen days, the armies faced each other across a narrow interval of neutral ground.
During this time, General Lincoln attempted the seizure of Ticon- deroga ; and although unsuccessful, captured four companies of the 53rd British regiment. Gates transferred some of the troops, which had been under Arnold during the first engagement, to the command of Adjutant General Wilkinson, and this so enraged Arnold, that he relinquished his command and demanded his passports to Washington's headquarters. This Gates granted, but evidently recanting of his rashness, Arnold lingered at Bemis Heights. The impetuous Arnold and the deliberate Gates were incompatable characters and no harmony could exist between them.
The second battle of Saartoga has been variously described, and is hard to understand. This is due to the extent of territory, it, probably, being the most extensive battlefield of the Revolution, and the confusion, necessarily incident to a great battle. It began about 10 o'clock in the morning of October 7th. The British entrenchments, guarding their camp and facing the west extended northward from the Great Redoubt to Brey- man's hill; and the southern entrenchments running at right angles from the Great Redoubt to the river, faced the American line. The British left, resting on the river was commanded by Phillips, the center by Riedesel, and the right including the Great Redoubt and the entrenchments facing the west by Earl Balcarras. The American forces were commanded by Nixon and Glover on the right, Lincoln in the center and Morgan and Learned on the left.
The British entered a wheat field about a mile southwest of the Great Redoubt and began cutting the grain for forage. The story is told, that Wilkinson, Lincoln and Arnold reconnoitered the enemy lines and reported to Gates. Lincoln said: "The firing on the river is merely a feint. Their object is your left. A strong force of 1500 men is marching to plant them- selves on yonder height. It is in danger." Gates replied: "I will send Morgan and his riflemen and Dearborn's infantry." Arnold said : "That is nothing. You must send a strong force." This stung Gates and he retorted : "General Arnold, I have nothing for you to do, you have no business here." But, on the more temperate representations of Lincoln, he sent sufficient forces.
By 2 o'clock, the lines of battle had been formed. The British right composed of infantry, under Earl Balcarras, was posted some distance west of the Quaker Springs road which ran north and south and nearly at right angles to the American line. In front were five hundred men under Fraser. The center also west of the road was occupied by the German troops under Riedesel; and the left, east of the road, was held by the grenadiers under Ackland and Williams. At right angles to the British line and flanking its rights wing were Morgan's riflemen. The American left was held by Dearborn's infantry, and the center by Poor's brigade. These were all west of the road. The American right, mostly east of the
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road, was held by Learned's brigade. Both battle lines were nearly parallel and extended in an easterly and westerly direction.
Morgan began the engagement, and he and Dearborn pushed back the British right wing and it gave way, but Balcarras succeeded in rallying his men behind a stone fence, some distance in the rear of his first position. Meanwhile Poor and Learned attacked the Germans and grenadiers. Poor's men charged with intrepidity, and Ackland was wounded. The grenadiers broke and fled. The Americans furiously assaulted the enemy's center ; and Balcarras, being driven back, Morgan's riflemen swung in on the flank of the Germans. Fraser, detecting they were about to be surrounded, went to their assistance. Morgan observed this movement, took aside Tim Murphy, a noted sharp shooter and ordered him to shoot Fraser, who was the inspiration of the British resistance. A little later, Fraser fell mortally wounded, at a point some distance north of the original British lines, which had been pushed back by the severity of the American attack. Soon after, Fraser fell,2 the British became demoralized, and American reinforcements pouring in, Burgoyne, about an hour after the battle began, ordered a retreat of his army to the Great Redoubt and within his entrench- ments. The Americans had won the Battle of Saratoga.
The second phase of the battle, in which Arnold distinguished himself, did little to enhance the victory. After the enemy's retreat, the American army realigned itself, more than a mile from the site of the first engage- ment, and in front of the Great Redoubt and the entrenchments running north from it to Breyman's hill. Patterson's and Glover's brigades were pursuing Balcarras and Arnold placed himself at their head and led a furious charge, which drove Balcarras within the protection of the redoubt. Arnold galloped here and there, senseless of danger, and as stated, by Samuel Woodruff, a participant, "more like a madman, than a cool and discreet officer." The Americans drove a detachment of Canadians from a poorly fortified interval between the entrenchments and Breyman's hill, and this enabled them to surround the hill, which was occupied by Colonel Breyman and a force of Brunswickers. General Matoon has stated in a letter published in the Saratoga Sentinel, November 10, 1835:
"Arnold says to Col. Brooks, "Let us attack Balcarras's works." Brooks replied, "No Lord Ackland's detachment has retired there, we can't carry them." Well, then let us attack the Hessian lines." Brooks replies, "With all my heart." We all wheeled to the right and advanced. No fire was received, except from the cannon, until we got within about eight rods, when we received a tremendous fire from the whole line. But a few of our men, however, fell. Still advancing, we received a second fire, in which a few men fell, and Gen. Arnold's horse fell under him, and he himself was wounded. He cried out, "Rush on, my brave boys." After receiving the third fire, Brooks mounted their works, swung his sword and the men rushed into their works."
Colonel Breyman was killed, and night ended the conflict. In this second phase of the battle, the Americans only captured the detached out-
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post on Breyman's hill, but did not penetrate the enemy's main entrench- ments.
These facts would seem to dispose of the myth, that Arnold won the second battle of Saratoga. Benedict Arnold was not a great general. He was always spectacular and his maddened daring captured the imagination, and imparted a glamour, which accepted by the multitude, sober sense, ever since, has had a hard time to overcome.
Burgoyne, leaving behind his wounded, retreated during the night of the 8th but due to heavy rains, did not reach Saratoga until the evening of the next day. Due to the rain, Gates did not begin his pursuit until noon of the 10th, but he reached the south side of the Fishkill, opposite Saratoga, by 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Before the battle, Gates, antici- pating a British retreat, sent Colonel Fellows wtih fourteen hundred men to occupy the east bank of the Hudson opposite Saratoga (the present Schuylerville) and prevent escape by the ford at that place. After the battle he dispatched a force to hold a position near Fort Miller ; and two thousand men to bar the roadway from Saratoga to Fort George. Misap- prehending a movement by the British as a general retreat, the Americans advanced early in the morning of the 11th, in a dense fog, but being informed by a deserter, that the enemy was still in camp, the troops were withdrawn before any engagement occurred.
Hemmed in on all sides, Burgoyne, on the 13th, opened negotiations for surrender, but they were protracted until the 16th, when terms were agreed to. During that night a messenger arrived from Clinton with news that his army was ascending the Hudson and had occupied Kingston, which news tempted Burgoyne to repudiate the surrender. But the next morning, Gates formed his whole army in battle line and sternly informed Bur- goyne, that unless he immediately signed the articles, he would open fire. Burgoyne in the jaws of inexorable fate complied. During the afternoon of October 17th, the British grounded their arms, Burgoyne handed his sword to Gates and the surrender was accomplished.
The official number surrendered was 5,581, but according to Digby, it did not include the Canadians sent to Canada and the sick and wounded. The terms of surrender were liberal, and the prisoners were to be paroled. They were marched to Boston to be sent to England, but Congress repudiated this provision of the treaty and they were imprisoned at Charlottesville, Virginia.
Saratoga was the decisive battle of the Revolution and so considered in Europe. France, upon receipt of the news, began negotiations with Franklin for a treaty of alliance with the United States. Gates was the hero of the hour, but since, due to a variety of reasons, his reputation has suffered. The extreme partisans of Washington were jealous of Gates' vic- tory and its comparison with Washington's defeats at Brandywine and Germantown, fought about the same time. Schuyler"s friends belittled him. His conduct of the northern campaign has been little criticised, as it seems to be free of mistakes. He was a trained English soldier, who came here as a captain and fought with Braddock, when he was severely
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wounded. After the French and Indian War, he purchased a farm in Virginia, where he made his home. He was a Whig from the beginning and none of his critics has impeached his patriotism. He was a kindly, temperate man, devoted to his family and chivalrous to his adversaries, as evidenced in his admirable letter in the Lady Ackland affair. In his official report, he named Arnold his bitter enemy, together with Morgan and Dearborn as officers who specially distinguished themselves. By his successful conduct of the Saratoga campaign, Horatio Gates merits the esteem of the American people.3
NOTES-CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
1. As early as June 30th, when the enemy had not yet appeared, Schuyler wrote Washington: "Should an accident happen to Ticonderoga, and General Bur- goyne make a push to gain the south part of the lake, I know of no obstacle to prevent him." The same day, he wrote Van Cortland: "I am very apprehensive that should disaster befall the garrison of Ticonderoga, the enemy might possess himself of Fort George, before we can be in force to make opposition."
After the evacuation of Ticonderoga, Schuyler wrote Washington: "With the country in the deepest consternation, no carriages to remove the stores from Fort George, which I expect every moment is to be attacked." Washington replied : "I hope a spirited opposition will check the progress of General Burgoyne's army." Washington wrote General Lincoln on his assignment to Schuyler's army; "Yester- day, I was in some doubt, whether I should send you northward, but I have this day received two letters from General Schuyler in such style, as convinces me that it is absolutely necessary to send a determined officer to his assistance." The same day he wrote Schuyler: "Nor do I see anything in it to induce a belief, that their progress will be so rapid, as not to give you time to make proper preparations and receive sufficient accessions of force to enable you to give them a vigorous and successful opposition."
As late as August 13th, Schuyler wrote Washington: "We are obliged to give way and retreat before a vastly superior force, daily increasing in numbers, and which will be doubled if General Burgoyne reaches Albany, which I apprehend will be very soon."
July 24th, Schuyler wrote the New York Council of Safety, a letter appre- hending St. Leger would meet little resistance in the Mohawk valley, join Burgoyne at Albany and that Howe would come up the Hudson and join him, that there would be an Indian uprising and that New York would be conquered, and concluding ; "These sir, are my conjectures; I sincerely wish they may never be realized, although I can not think they are ill founded. I have thus ventured freely to give my sentiments. I hope they will not be thought to arise from a principle which would disgrace a soldier, I assure you they do not ; and I hope my countrymen will never have occasion to blush for me, whatever may be the event of the campaign."
Schuyler seems to have suffered from three consuming fears, fear of the enemy, fear of public condemnation and fear of Congress, for he wrote Van Cortland :
"However, painful it is to labour under a load of calumny, I have thank God, fortitude enough not to sink under it; nor shall it depress my spirits or make me for a moment relax these exertions which are become so necessary to prevent the enemy from penetrating much further into the country, which by God's blessing I still hope to do." After adverting to St. Clair's assumption of all responsibility
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for the evacuation of Ticonderoga, he concluded: "I wish a line may be wrote to our Delegates in Congress, advising that I did not order the evacuation."
Schuyler, August 4th, with Burgoyne still at Fort Edward, confessed his influence gone by thus appealing to Governor Clinton: "The people are desponding. They want to have their spirits roused. Nothing short of your coming up to Albany with the Senate and House of Representatives will do it."
Christopher Tappan wrote Clinton, August 8th: "The express says our army have been twice alarmed. General Schuyler did, at each time in order to spirit up his troops, undertake to address them with a speech, but the last time he was inter- rupted by the discharge of a piece and the Wissiling of the ball over his head. When I reflect on the conduct of our wise politicians, how they have exerted them- selves to reestablish that Gent'ms command in that department, it gives me pain. They have not only rendered that Gentlemans situation very disagreeable and his life precarious,, but have cast by means thereof a cloud of difficulties, that God only knows whether they may not be the cause if our State falls a sacrifice to the enemy."
For letters see: Clinton Papers II, 62, 63, 101, 144, 145, 195, 199, 215: Wash- ington Writings, IV, 491, 492, 493, 505, 506, V, 1, 2, 16.
2. Mrs. Riedesel, wife of General Riedesel, who accompanied the expedition, in her Letters and Journals, pages 119 to 121, described the death of General Fraser, who was brought to the house she occupied and died in her room; and also tells of Lady Ackland's journey to Gates army to attend her wounded husband who was a prisoner there, and contains Gates' gracious reply to Burgoyne's request as follows :
"Sir: I have the honor to receive your excellency's letter by Lady Ackland. The respect due to her ladyship's rank, and the tenderness due to her person and sex, were alone sufficient sccurities to entitle her to my protection, if you consider my preceding conduct with respect to those of your army, whom the fortune of war has placed in my hands. I am surprised that your excellency should think, that I could consider the greatest attention to Lady Ackland in the light of an obligation."
3. For authorities on Burgoyne expedition see; Clinton Papers Vol. 2; Lieu- tenant Digby's Diary ; Bancroft's History of the United States; Stone, The Burgoyne Expedition ; Lossing Field Book of the Revolution Vol. 1.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE WYOMING MASSACRE
The Indians bemoaned their losses at Oriskany and whetted their vengeance against the border settlements. Wyoming's isolation, the depletion of its fighting force by the withdrawal to Washington's army of two Continental companies recruited and stationed there, and the flight of a considerable number of Wyoming Tories to. Fort Niagara made it vulnerable to attack. There were numerous warnings of an Indian invasion. In February, 1778, Amos York and Lemuel Fitch were captured at Wyalusing ; and early in June, while Asa Budd and William Crooks were fishing in the river, near Tunkhannock, Crooks was killed by the Indians.
Late in June, Major John Butler and his rangers and Sayenqueraghta and some six hundred Seneca warriors arrived at Queen Esther's village, located a little below Tioga Point ;1 whence June 27th, they descended the Susquehanna, in canoes, to the mouth of Bowman's creek, arriving there the evening of the 29th. The next morning, leaving their canoes at the Three Islands, they marched through the hills and that night made their encampment on Mt. Lookout, overlooking the Wyoming Valley.
During the afternoon of June 30th, Frederick Ankers and Michael Showers, Tory spies, from Fort Wintermute, went up the river and at Buttermilk Falls met an Indian scouting party, and informed them, that members of the Harding family were hoeing corn in a field, some distance down the river. Ankers and Showers, followed by the Indians, made their way to the Hardings and suggested to the man guarding the hoers, that they would watch and he could help the workers, so that they could finish before dark. When the work was done, Stephen Harding Jr. went for the horses. As the others were passing through a small ravine, they were attacked by the ambushed Indians and Benjamin and Stulkely Harding were wounded. They fought, desperately, for their lives, but were over- come. John Gardner was captured and Stephen Harding Jr. and a boy named Rogers escaped and the others were killed.
Another Indian band, at the mouth of Sutton's creek, captured James Hadsall Sr., Daniel Carr and Quocko a negro, who were working in a tannery. A party who had been hoeing corn on the opposite island were attacked and James Hadsall Jr. was killed and Ebenezer Reynolds was wounded, but the latter with David Wallen and a boy, John Hadsall
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managed to escape. The Indians with their captives went up Sutton's creek and that night tortured to death old man Hadsall and the negro.
Unaware of the presence of the enemy on Mt. Lookout and leaving the valley unprotected, the next morning, Colonels Butler and Denison with the militia regiment marched up the river and secured the bodies of the Hardings, which they interred in the old cemetery in the present West Pittston. The advance guard surprised two Indians, near the bodies of the Hardings, and one of them Zebulon Marcy shot dead and the other Roasel Franklin killed with a club.
That evening, two of the Wintermute boys, long suspected of being Tories, went to the encampment on Mt. Lookout and guided the British and Indians to Fort Wintermute, located at the present corner of Battle Avenue and Valley Street, Exeter Borough, which surrendered without resistance. The next morning, Captain Caldwell of the rangers obtained the surrender of Fort Jenkins, located in the present West Pittston. An American scouting party under Captain Hewitt, during the day, was attacked in Shoemaker's Notch and one of the soldiers was killed and another captured. The night was one of consternation, prized possessions were secreted, horses and cattle were turned loose in the woods and the women and children fled to Forty Fort. Ezekiel Pierce, keeper of the Wyoming records and clerk of Westmoreland county gathered his maps, books and documents in a strong chest and these the most precious pos- sessions of the doomed settlement, guarded by the faithful old man, who slowly trudged behind the creaking ox cart, were taken to Forty Fort for security.
Early July 3rd, Major Butler demanded the surrender of Forty Fort which was refused. Most of the companies of the regiment were then assembled at Forty Fort and Colonel Denison turned its command over to Zebulon Butler, a colonel in the Continental service, at Wyoming on leave of absence. About noon, Lazarus Stewart arrived with the Hanover company. He, the most noted frontiersman of the time, was a more expe- rienced Indian fighter, than any of them, and because of his leading participa- tion in the murder of the Conestogas in the Lancaster jail, was hated and feared by the Indians from the Mohawk to the Ohio. But in this last great play of his wild career, and he was mainly responsible for the tragic day, the Indians "squared the count" and Lazarus Stewart fell in the battle or massacre which followed, and his bones, probably, rest with the others under the monument at Wyoming.
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