202

OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH.

This force was destined to invade the United States by the way of Lake Champlain and the Hudson, unite with the British army then at New York, and thus cut off all communication between the northern states and those lying south of the Hudson. New England was then to be overrun and reduced to obedience, as a preparation for the complete subjugation of the southern country.

The first attempts of Burgoyne were as successful as the condition of his army entitled the ministry to expect. The Indians, gained by presents, or stimulated by the hopes of plunder, joined him in considerable numbers. Burgoyne, to quiet his conscience, rendered somewhat uneasy by the employment of such auxiliaries, exhorted them to kill none but such as appeared in arms against them, and to spare the women and children whom the fortune of war might put into their hands. The Indians promised compliance with this injunction, but paid not the slightest regard to it afterwards.

On the 2nd of July the English army encamped on both sides of the narrow channel which connects Lake Champlain and George, with a naval force on the water, near Ticonderoga. To this strong fortress the Americans had retired at the end of the preceding year; and now it was garrisoned with about 6,000 men, under General St. Clair.

The approaches of the British were rapid and decisive. Soon after their appearance before the American works, they took possession of Sugar-hill; an eminence which overlooked the fortifications, and enabled them to place their batteries to great advantage, but which the Americans had supposed it was impossible to ascend. On the 5th, every step had been taken to render the investment complete.

St. Clair, however, conscious of his inability to defend the place, and anxious at the same time to avoid the necessity of surrendering his troops prisoners of war, abandoned the works, when he was nearly surrounded, and retreated over Mount Independence to Castleton, and thence to Skeensborough, in the vicinity of Lake George. Previous to his departure, he had ordered the baggage and military stores to be sent by water to the same place; but the vessels which were employed for that purpose, were attacked by the English ships, and either destroyed or rendered unfit for service; and in consequence of this disaster, the Americans set fire to their boats and fortifications at Skeensborough, and retreated towards Fort Ann. On land, the royalists

ADVANCE OF BURGOYNE.

203

were not less successful. Colonel Francis, and a body of provincial troops, were defeated with great slaughter by General Reidesel; and by the skilful manoeuvring of Burgoyne, St. Clair was prevented from reaching Fort Ann. An engagement then took place in the woods, in which the Americans were defeated, and compelled to retire to Fort Edward, on the Hudson, where St. Clair joined General Schuyler on the 12th of July.

The loss of Ticonderoga was one for which the United States were not prepared. Neither the strength of the invading army, nor the weakness of the garrison, appears to have been understood. It was universally believed that the whole force of Canada did not exceed 6,000 men; and therefore no adequate measures were taken to enable St. Clair to maintain his position. Washington complained of this indistinct information and its fatal consequences in a letter addressed to General Schuyler, the commander of the northern army, and at the same time expressed a hope that the confidence, which Burgoyne derived from success, would hurry him into measures, which in their consequences might be favourable to the Americans. In this expectation he was not disappointed.

The army of General Schuyler did not exceed 4,400 men. With that force he could not face the British army; and in order to gain time, he sent detachments of his men, who broke down the bridges; cut down trees so as to fall across the roads, and intermingled their branches, and threw every possible obstacle in the way of Burgoyne's advance. He also solicited reinforcements of regular troops; called on the militia of New England to join the regular army, and used all his personal influence in the surrounding country, to inspire the people with military ardour and patriotic enthusiasm. The militia of New England were not willing to serve under General Schuyler; and General Lincoln was appointed to raise and command them. Arnold was directed to join the northern army; Colonel Morgan and his riflemen were also attached to it; and tents, artillery, and other munitions of war, were diligently provided.

Meantime Burgoyne, who had been obliged to halt at Skeensborough, to rest his troops and bring forward his artillery, baggage, and military stores, was commencing his march towards the Hudson, greatly elated with his past success. His progress was so effectually retarded by the

204

BATTLE OF BENNINGTON.

obstructions which General Schuyler's men had thrown in his way, that he was frequently occupied a whole day in advancing with the army a single mile. It was not till the 30th of July that he reached Fort Edward, which General Schuyler had quitted a short time before, retreating to Saratoga. Burgoyne might have much more easily reached Fort Edward by the way of Lake George; but he had been led up the South river in pursuit of the retreating Americans; and he persevered in that difficult route, lest he should discourage his troops by a retrograde movement.

At Fort Edward, Burgoyne found it necessary to pause in his career. He was greatly in want of provisions and draught horses; and his carriages had been broken and needed repairs. It was not till the 15th of August that he succeeded in transporting a quantity of supplies from Fort George.

In order to obtain a further supply, he had detached Colonel Baum, a German officer with 500 men, partly cavalry, two pieces of artillery and 100 Indians, to surprise Bennington, in Vermont, and seize a large deposit of carriages, corn, flour, and other necessaries, which had been collected by the Americans in that place.

General Starke, with the New Hampshire militia, 400 strong, happened to be in that vicinity, on his way to join General Schuyler. He heard first of the approach of the Indians, and soon afterwards of the regular force. He collected his brigade, sent expresses to the neighbouring militia to join him, and also to Colonel Warner's regiment at Manchester. On the morning of the 14th of August, he marched against the enemy, at the head of 700 men; and sent Colonel Gregg, with a party of 200, to skirmish in their front, and retard their progress. He drew up his men in order of battle; but, on coming in sight of him, Baum halted on advantageous ground; sent an express to Burgoyne informing him of his situation; and fortified himself as well as circumstances would permit.

After some skirmishing, on the morning of the 16th, Starke commenced a furious attack on the royal forces. Baum made a brave defence. The battle lasted two hours, during which he was assailed on every side by an incessant discharge of musketry. He was mortally wounded; his troops were overpowered; a few of them escaped into the woods and fled, pursued by the Americans; the rest were killed or

FORT SCHUYLER INVESTED.

205

taken prisoners. Thus,' says a British historian, in whose language we have chosen to record some of these events, ' without artillery, with old rusty firelocks, and with scarcely a bayonet, their militia entirely defeated 500 veterans, well armed, provided with two pieces of artillery, and defended by breastworks.' This was not the only subject of astonishment with which the Americans furnished their enemies during this campaign.

After the victory, the greater part of the militia dispersed in quest of booty; and this imprudence nearly proved fatal to them, for on receiving Baum's express, General Burgoyne had sent Colonel Breyman, with 500 men, to his assistance; and if Colonel Warner's regiment of continentals had not arrived just as he came up, and was attacking the scattered militia, they would have fared but indifferently. Breyman maintained the conflict till dark; when abandoning his artillery and baggage, he retreated, and, escaping under cover of the night, with a shattered remnant of his detachment, regained the camp.

Thus the victory at Bennington was complete. The Americans took four brass field-pieces, 1,000 muskets (a very seasonable supply for the ill-armed militia,) 900 swords, and four baggage waggons. The British lost 700, in killed, wounded, and prisoners; and the Americans 100, in killed and wounded.

This was Burgoyne's first check; and it was a serious one. Its moral effect, in raising the depressed spirits of the Americans, was of immense importance to their cause. Previous to this, dejection and alarm pervaded the northern states; but success now infused spirit and vigour into the militia, and gave a new aspect to affairs on the Hudson.

But the defeat at Bennington was not Burgoyne's only misfortune. He had sent General St. Leger with a detachment of regular troops, Canadians, Royalists, and Indians, to take Fort Schuyler, on the Mohawk river, which was garrisoned by about 600 continentals under Colonel Gansevoort. St. Leger arrived there on the 2nd of August, invested the place with an army 1,600 strong, and summoned the garrison to surrender. Gansevoort replied that he would defend the place to the last.

Meantime General Herkimer with 700 militia was sent to his support. This party fell into an ambuscade of British and Indians, and after a vigorous defence, was compelled to retreat.

T

206

MURDER OF MISS MACREA.

Herkimer lost 400 men and fell himself in the battle. General Schuyler then despatched Arnold, with a body of regular troops, to Fort Schuyler; but before he reached the fort, St. Leger, being foiled in his attempts on the works, and deserted by his Indian allies, who had been very roughly handled in the late engagements, raised the siege and retired. Arnold finding no occasion for his assistance, soon returned to

camp.

It was at this period that a circumstance transpired, which, although it involved only a case of individual suffering, is of importance on account of the degree to which it exasperated the feelings of the Americans, and incited them to an active prosecution of the war. Mr. Jones, an officer of the British army, had gained the affections of Miss Macrea, a lovely young lady of amiable character and spotless reputation, daughter of a gentleman attached to the royal cause, residing near Fort Edward; and they were engaged to be married. In the course of the service, the officer was removed to some distance from his bride; and became anxious for her safety and desirous of her company. He engaged some Indians of two different tribes to bring her to camp, and promised a keg of rum to the person who should deliver her safely to him. She dressed to meet her bridegroom, and accompanied her Indian conductors; but, on the way, the two chiefs, each being desirous of receiving the promised reward, disputed which of them should deliver her to her lover. The dispute rose to a quarrel; and according to their usual method of disposing of a disputed prisoner, one of them instantly cleft the head of the lady with his tomahawk. This being one of the legitimate consequences of the British employing Indian allies, was laid hold of by the Americans, and recited in the newspapers with such circumstances of pathos and warmth of colouring, as to set the people in a complete ferment of rage and indignation against their enemies. The militia rose in great numbers and repairing to the scene of action, augmented the army opposed to Burgoyne to a most formidable array.

Burgoyne still flattered himself with being able to effect a junction with the British at New York, and thus separate the New England states from the middle and southern portions of the union, so that they might be overrun and conquered at leisure. But he was encompassed with difficulties. He was obliged to bring supplies from Fort George; an undertaking of considerable difficulty; and then having constructed a