USA > New York > Washington County > Washington county, New York; its history to the close of the nineteenth century > Part 27
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233
BURGOYNE ENCAMPS AT SARATOGA.
N. Y .- within a few miles of the Northern Division of the Continen- tals under Gates-Burgoyne selecting General Schuyler's House as his headquarters.1
After crossing the bridge, the 9th, 20th, 2ist and 62nd regiments, with the artillery, were stationed on the plain near the river (the present " Bullard farm ") between the barracks and the Fishkill-the batteaux on the right bank being crossed on the right bank by six companies of the 47th. These barracks were used as a hospital and were located on the north side of the road to Saratoga Springs, directly upon the present site of the barns of the late Hon. Alonzo Welsh of Schuylerville, who resided a few rods east of the barns in the main village street of Schuylerville. The barracks were stand- ing and occupied by a farmer up to within forty years. In March, 1867, Mr. Welsh, while plowing back of his barn, came across the burying place of the hospital. The bones thus exhumed, he carefully reburied.
The hills around Saratoga were so densely covered with woods and underbrush that it was impossible to place the army in position to withstand an attack from the Americans. Accordingly, all of the generals carefully inspected the high ground nearest the camp and agreed upon a position to be taken up at a moment's notice in case of an attack. The situation of the army, moreover, was rendered still more precarious by the fact of its being divided by the river, and thus obliged to be constantly on its guard. New entrenchments were therefore thrown up, especially on the eastern side of the river.
After the evacuation of Fort Edward, Schuyler, as we have seen, had fallen down the river, first from Moses Creek to Stillwater, and then to Van Schaick's Island at the mouth of the Mohawk and, as we have already said, he was superseded by Gates, who, on the 8th of September, advanced with six thousand men to Bemis Heights-three miles north of Stillwater. These heights were at once fortified under the direction of the Polish engineer, Kosciuszko. Along the brow of the river he threw up a line of breastworks about three-fourths of a
1 It will be remembered that General Schuyler had been superseded by General Gates, who arrived and assumed the command of the Northern army on the 19th of August Schuyler leav- ing Stillwater and retreating to Van Scaick's Island at Half Moon mnow Waterford, N. Y. being considered, from a military point of view. a mistake a fact which the opponents of Schuyler in the Continental Congress among whom, to his shame be it spoken, was John Adams, owing to his ridiculous jealousy of New York men did not fail to take advantage of.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
mile in extent, with a strong battery at each end, and one in the cen- ter, in such positions as to sweep the alluvial meadows between them and the river. A line of entrenchments, also, ran from west to east half a mile in length and terminated on the east end on the west side of the intervale. The right wing occupied a hill nearest the river and was protected in front by a wide, marshy ravine, and behind this by abattis. From the foot of the hill, across the flats to the river, an entrenchment was opened, at the extremity of which, on the margin of the river, another strong battery was constructed. The left wing commanded by Arnold (who, after the defeat of St. Leger at Fort Stanwix had joined Gates) extended on to a height three-quarters of a mile further north-its left flank being also protected on the hillside by felled trees or slashings. Gates's headquarters were in the center, a little south of what was then and is now (1900) known as the " Neil- son Farm."
On the 15th the Germans. as has been stated, having crossed the river and destroyed the bridge, Burgoyne gave the order to advance "in search of the enemy," supposed to be some where in the forest, for, strange as it appears, that General had no knowledge of the posi- tion of the Americans, nor had he taken pains to inform himself upon this vital point. The army in gala dress, with its left wing resting on the Hudson, set off on its march with drums beating, colors flying and their arms glistening in the sunshine of the lovely autumn day. "It was a superb spectacle," says an eye-witness, "reminding one of a grand parade in the midst of peace."1 That night they pitched their camp at Dovegate House (Coveville). 2
1 In one of the tablets of the Saratoga Monument, this march of the British army is well rep- resented showing the ladies as to a picnic-going through the woods-with some of the officers holding their lap-dogs, etc. This is not exaggerated, for from contemporary accounts, it all took place as represented.
2 Up to three years since, this house was in existence. But, vandalism being triumphant, and the state-notwithstanding the plea of the D. A. R .- paying no attention to their expostulations, it has been within the last two years torn down. We can not speak of this without the strongest terms of reprobation. Fortunately, however, I got some of the timbers from which -- through the courtesy of Mr. C. S. Closson of Schuylerville, N. Y .- I had several relics made, one of which I sent to Lady Carnovan, the widow of Lord Carnovan, late Lieutenant-General of Ireland the great nephew of Lady Harriet Acland.
It may be as good a place as any now to say to the reader, that the limits assigned for this history, forbid me to give the very many anecdotes connected with the Burgoyne Campaign. All who wish to investigate further are therefore referred to either " Sylvester's Account of Sar- atoga," or Johnson's " History of Washington County," where they will have full information- though chiefly taken from my works. Also, in regard to the origin of the name " Coveville" the reader is referred to my " Burgoyne's Campaign" for a letter to the author from the late Dr. Asa Fitch.
235
BURGOYNE ADVANCES FROM SARATOGA.
On the following morning, the enemy's drums were heard calling the men to arms, but, although in such close proximity, the invading army knew not whence the sounds came, nor in what strength he was posted. Indeed, it does not seem that up to this time Burgoyne had sent off eclaireurs or scouting parties to discover the situation of the enemy. Now, however, he mounted his horse to attend to it himself, taking with him a strong body-guard, consisting of the four regiments of Specht and Hesse-Hanan with six heavy pieces of ordnance and two hundred workmen to construct bridges and roads. This was the party with which he proposed "to scout, and if occasion served " --- these were his very words-" to attack the Rebels on the spot." This remarkable scouting party moved with such celerity, as to accomplish two and a half miles the first day.1 when in the evening, the entire army, which had followed on, encamped at Sword's House, within five miles of the American lines.
The night of the 18th passed quietly, the scouts that had finally been sent out having returned without trace of the enemy. Indeed, it is a noteworthy fact, that throughout the entire campaign Burgoyne was never able to obtain accurate knowledge either of the position of the Americans or of their movements, whereas, all his own plans were openly known long before they were officially given out in orders. " I observe," writes Mrs. General Riedesel at this time, "that the wives of the officers are beforehand informed of all the military plans. Thus the Americans anticipate all our movements, and expect us whenever we arrive, and this of course, injures our affairs."
On the morning of the 19th, a further advance was again ordered, an advance which prudence dictated should be made with the greatest caution. The army was now in the immediate vicinity of an alert and thoroughly aroused enemy, of whose strength they knew as little as of the country.2 Notwithstanding this, the army not only was divided into three columns, each marching half a mile apart, but at 11
1 A New Hampshire regiment, while endeavoring to head off Clinton and save Albany, marched forty miles from Saratoga (Schuylerville) in fourteen hours and forded the Mohawk below Cohoes Falls. Belknap's New Hampshire. Col. Otto Williams, the bosom friend of Washing- ton. marched forty miles on the 18th of November, 1781. Bancroft X, 473. Tarleton rode seventy miles in twenty-four hours, destroying public stores on the way. Idem. And Cornwallis, in marching order, pursued Greene's tightened retreating troops at the rate of thirty miles a day.
2 . At this encampment (Sword's House) several of our men having proceeded into a field of potatoes, were surprised by a party of the enemy that killed about thirty of them. They might without difficulty have been surrounded and taken prisoners, but the Americans could not resist the opportunity of shedding blood."-Lamb's Memoirs, Dublin, 1811.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
o'clock a cannon fired as a signal for the start, echoes through the still aisles of the primeval forest, informing the Americans both of the position and the forward movement of the British.
1
HUDSON RIVER
5
1
Left Column under Riedesel.
6
1
Centre Column under Burgoyne .
2
3/
4
Right Column under Fraser.
ROUTE OF THE ENGLISH TROOPS TO FREEMAN'S FARM.
I. Bemis Heights.
2. Freeman's Farm.
3. Route of Fraser to assist Burgoyne.
4. Road to Quaker Springs.
5. Dovegate's.
6. Sword's House.
The left column, which followed the river-road, consisted of four German regiments, and the 47th British, the latter constituting a guard for the batteaux. These troops, together with all the heavy artillery and baggage, were under the command of General Riedesel. The right column, made up of the English Grenadiers and the light battalion, with eight six-pounders under Lieutenant-Colonel Brey- mann, was led by General Fraser, and followed the present road from Quaker Springs to Stillwater, on the heights. The center column, also on the heights and midway between the left and right wings, consisted of the 9th, 20th, 21st and 62d regiments, with six six-poun- ders, and was led by Burgoyne in person. The front and flanks of the center and right columns were protected by Canadians, Provin-
237
BRITISH ENCOUNTER COLONEL MORGAN.
cials and Indians. The march was exceedingly tedious, as frequently new bridges had to be built and trees cut down and removed.1
About one o'clock in the afternoon Colonel Morgan," who with his sharpshooters had been detached to watch the movements of the British and harass them, owing to the dense woods, unexpectedly fell in with the center column and sharply attacked it ; whereupon Fraser, on the right, wheeled his troops, and coming up forced Morgan to give way. A regiment being ordered to the assistance of the latter, whose numbers had been sadly scattered by the vigor of the attack, the battle was renewed with spirit. By four o'clock the action had become general, Arnold, with nine Continental regiments and Mor- gan's corps, having completely engaged the whole force of Burgoyne and Fraser. The contest, accidentally begun in the first instance, now assumed the most obstinate and determined character-the sol- diers often being engaged hand to hand. The ground being mostly covered with woods embarassed the British in the use of their field artillery, while it gave a corresponding advantage to Morgan's sharp- shooters. The artillery fell into the hands of the Americans at every alternate discharge, but the latter could neither turn the guns upon the enemy nor bring them off.
Meanwhile, General Riedesel, who had kept abreast of the other two columns, and had reached the present site of Wilbur's Basin, hearing the firing, hastened through the woods to the relief of the commander-in-chief. When he arrived on the scene, the Americans were posted on a corner of the woods. In front of this corner of the forest and entirely surrounded by dense woods was a vacant space on which the English were drawn up in line. The struggle was for the possession of this clearing-known then as it is to this day-as " Free- man's Farm." The timely arrival of the German general alone saved the army of Burgoyne from total rout. Charging on the double- quick with fixed bayonets, he repelled the Americans; and Fraser and Breymann were preparing to follow up this advantage, when they were recalled by Burgoyne and reluctantly forced to retreat. General
" It is of interest, and also a curious fact, that all of the present roads, now in existence be- tween Schuylerville and Stillwater on both sides of the river, follow out the very ones cut out by Burgoyne's engineers- showing how skillfully the latter took advantage of the topographical conditions of the country.
2 It should be remembered that Washington, himself, detailed Morgan to the relief of Gates, ignoring, for the time, the necessity of keeping Morgan with him, so we see the prescience of Washington.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
Schuyler, referring to this, in his diary says: " Had it not been for this order of the British general, the Americans would have been, if not defeated, at least held in such check as to have made it a drawn battle, and an opportunity afforded the British to collect much pro- vision of which they stood sorely in need." The British officers also shared the same opinion. Fraser and Riedesel severely criticised the order, telling Burgoyne in very plain terms that "he did not know how to avail himself of his advantages." This reaction was, more- over, the more striking, because they had placed the utmost confi- dence in his capacity at the beginning of the expedition. They were also, still more confirmed in their dislike, by the general belief that he was addicted to drinking. Neither does this seem to be owing to n unwillingness to fight or a lack of esprit; for when, subsequently, the men were reduced to short rations, "they put up," says General Riedesel, " with this, as also with all the fatiguing labors, duties and night watches, with the greatest patience and perseverance."
In connection with this battle, the heroism of Lieutenant Hervey of the 62d regiment, and nephew to the adjutant-general of the same name, should not be forgotten. Early in the action he received sev- eral wounds and was repeatedly ordered off by Lieutenant-Colonel Anstruther, but his enthusiasm would not allow him to leave his brave comrades as long as he could stand. Presently, however, a ball striking one of his legs, his removal became a necessity, and while he was being borne away, another bullet wounded him mortally. In this situation the surgeon recommended him to take a powerful dose of opium if he would avoid seven or eight hours of dreadful torture. To this he consented and when the Colonel entered the tent with Major Harnage, who were both wounded, they asked whether he had any "affairs they could settle for him ?" His reply was, that being a minor everything was already adjusted; but he had one request which he retained just life enough to utter, and with the words " Tell my unele I died like a soldier," he expired.
Night put an end to the conflict. The Americans withdrew within their lines, and the British and German forces bivouacked on the bat- tlefield, the Brunswicks composing in part the right wing. Both par- ties claimed the victory, yet, as the intention of the Americans was not to advance, but to maintain their position, and that of the Eng- lish, not to maintain theirs, but to gain ground, it is easy to see which had the advantage of the day.
239
BURGOYNE PAUSES.
In this battle an unusual number of youthful officers fell on the British side, as their army abounded at this time, with young men of high respectability, who, after several years of peace, anterior to the Revolution, were attracted to the profession of arms. Three subal- terns of the 20th regiment, on this occasion-the oldest of which did not exceed the age of seventeen years-were buried together. In confirmation of this I cite the following: "The morning after the action, I visited," says General Wilkinson, "the wounded prisoners, who had not been dressed and discovered a charming youth not more than sixteen years old lying among them, feeble, faint, pale and stiff in his gore. The delicacy of his aspect and the quality of his clothing attracted my attention and I found on enquiry, that he was an Ensign Phillips. He told me he had fallen by a wound in his leg or thigh and as he lay on the ground was shot through the thigh by an army follower, a murderous villain,' who owned up to the deed, but I now forget his name. The moans of the hapless youth affected me to tears. I raised him from the straw on which he lay, took him in my arms and removed him to a tent, where every comfort was provided and every attention paid to him, but his wounds were mortal and he expired on the 21st. When his name was mentioned to General Gates he exclaimed, ' Just Heaven, he may be the nephew of my wife,' but enquiries afterward showed that the fact was otherwise."
It was the intention of General Burgoyne, the morning following this engagement to attack the Americans on their left with his entire force. His sick and wounded were disposed of at the river; the army was drawn up in order of battle, and he waited only for the dispersion of a heavy fog, when General Fraser observed to him that the grena- diers and light infantry, who were to lead the attack, appeared fatigued by the duty of the preceding day, and that if he would sus- pend the operation until the next morning (the 21st) he believed they would enter into the combat with greater spirit. Burgoyne yielded to this suggestion, the orders were countermanded and the troops re- turned to their quarters." Meanwhile, in the course of the night a spy reached the British general with a letter from Sir Henry Clinton,
1 There were plenty of such both on the American side, as well as on the British. Let us do justice to each side, for the fact is that as many, if indeed, not more atrocities were committed by the Americans than by the British.
2 In this connection see General Wilkinson's Memoirs, showing that had Burgoyne attacked the Americans on the 21st he would have gained a decisive victory.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
advising him of his intended ascent of the Hudson for his relief. Thereupon, he resolved to postpone the meditated attack and await the arrival of Clinton at Albany.1
Accordingly, the day that was to have witnessed a renewal of the action of the 19th, Burgoyne devoted to the laying out of a fortified camp. , He made the site of the late battle his extreme right and ex- tended his entrenehments across the high ground to the river. For the defense of the right wing, a redoubt (known as the "Great Re- doubt ") was thrown up on the late battlefield, near the corner of the woods that had been occupied by the Americans during the action, on the eastern edge of the ravine. The defense of this position was entrusted to the corps of Fraser. The reserve corps of Breymann was posted on an eminence on the western side of the ravine, for the protection of the right flank of Fraser's division." The right wing of the English was placed in close proximity to the left wing of Fraser, thus extending the line on the left to the river bank, at Wilbur's Basin, where were placed the hospital and supply trains. The entire front was protected by a deep muddy ditch, running nine hundred paces in front of the outposts of the left wing. This ditch ran in a curve around the right wing of the English brigade, thereby separat- ing Fraser's corps from the main body.
! That Burgoyne, however, believed that he was whipped by the result of the action of the 19th of September, is evident from this fact. In the library of the late John Carter Brown of Provi- dence, R. I., there is a volume of Stedman with marginal notes in the hand-writing of Sir Henry Clinton, who onee owned the book, and which I have myself seen. In that portion of the work where Stedman speaks of the failure of Burgoyne. Clinton writes as follows: " If General had not been sure of a co-operation, 'tis pity he ever passed the Hudson. Sir Henry Clinton, think- ing General Burgoyne might want some co-operation (though he had not called for it in any of his letters) offered in his of the 12th of September, to make an attempt on the forts as soon as the expected reinforcements should arrive from Europe. General Burgoyne fought the Battle [ the first battle] of Saratoga on the 19th, and on the 21st, tells General Clinton in answer, that no at- tempt, or even the menace of an attack would be of use."
In justice to Burgoyne, however, it should be said that Stedman was here clearly in error. First. It will be remembered by my readers who have followed this history that Burgoyne ex- pressly stipulated that Clinton should join him. Again, which has lately been discussed, which fact, of course Stedman could not know when he wrote the above, the orders for Clinton to make a junction with Burgoyne were made out by Lord George Germaine, but owing to his going to a din- ner-party, he forgot to send them by a ship, and hence they were pigeon-holed. (See Lickey's His- tory of England.) On such trivial things does the fate of empires sometimes depend.
" The traces of Breymann's entrenchments are yet (1900) very plainly to be seen. They lie about twenty rods northwest of Leggett's house. The place is considerably elevated by nature, and is known among the farmers in the vicinity as Burgoyne's Hill. Properly, it should be Brey- mann's Hill. It was at the northeast corner of this eminence that Arnold was wounded in the action of the 7th of October. A tablet commemorating this event has been erected by General de Pevster.
241
BURGOYNE AT FREEMAN'S FARM.
General Burgoyne made his headquarters between the English and German troops on the heights at the left wing.' This was the new camp at Freeman's farm.
During the period of inaction which now intervened, a part of the army, says the private journal of one of the officers, was so near to the Americans that "we could hear his morning and evening guns and other noises in his camp very distinctly, but we knew not in the least, where he stood, nor how he was posted, much less how strong he was." "Undoubtedly," naively adds the Journal, "a rare case in such a situation."
Meanwhile, the work of fortifying the camp was continued and a place d'armes was laid out in front of the regiments and fortified with heavy batteries. During the night of the 21st considerable shouting was heard in the American camp. This, accompanied by the firing of cannon, led the army to believe that some holiday was being cele- brated. Lamb also bears testimony to the close proximity of the Americans. " We could," says that observant and exceedingly inter- esting writer, "distinctly hear the Americans felling and cutting trees, and they had a piece of ordnance, which they used to fire as a morning gun, so near us that the wadding struck against our works." On the 28th, a captured cornet, who had been allowed by Gates to go to the British camp for five days gave an explanation of the shouting heard on the night of the 21st. This was that General Lincoln with a strong body of men composed of New Hampshire, Connecticut and Washing- ton county militia-the latter called out by the strenuous exertions of General Schuyler, although he was no longer in command-had at- tempted to surprise Ticonderoga and, though unsuccessful in that effort, had captured four companies of the 53d, together with an
1 The " Taylor House " tthe foundations of which are on the river bank about one-fourth of a mile north of Wilbur's Basin has often been mistaken for the headquarters of Burgoyne. The Brunswick Journal, however, is very explicit in stating that " Burgoyne camped between the English and German troops of Riedesel on the heights at the left wing." This statement, more- over, receives additional confirmation in the following incident. On one of my visits to the bat- theground, 1 pointed out to Mr. Wilbur (on whose land we were then standing), the place desig- nated by the Brunswick Journal's original maps as Burgoyne's Headquarters. " That." exclaimed Mr. Wilbur, "explains what Ihave often wondered at." He then stated that when he first plowed up that particular spot, he was accustomed to find great quantities of gin and wine bot- tles, and that until now, he had often been puzzled to know "how on earth those bottles got there !"
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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
armed brig and one batteau. Thus-singularly as it may appear- Burgoyne was indebted to an enemy in his front for information res- pecting his own posts in his rear.
But the action of the 19th had essentially diminished his strength, and his situation began to grow critical. His despatches were inter- cepted and his communications with Canada cut off by the seizure of the posts at Skenesborough (Whitehall) and at the head of Lake George. The pickets were more and more molested, the army was weakened by the sick and wounded and the enemy swarmed on its rear and flanks, threatening its strongest positions. In fact, the army was as good as cut off from its outposts, while in consequence of its close proximity to the American camp, the soldiers had but little rest.
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