Creek. This ftroke feemed to complete the ruin of their illfated army, for the batteaux were deeply loaded, befides their bag. gage, with ammunition, ftores, and provifions; fo that they were now left naked in the woods, deftitute of provifion, and without any other means of defence, than what they derived from the arms in their hands. Confufion and difmay, equally attended their main body on the left. The foldiers had loft all respect for, and confidence in their commanders. It would be fruitlefs to expect refolution, where no order nor command could be maintained. at no Brigadier Frazer continued and fupported the chafe through the vehement heat of a burning day, with his ufual activity and vigour. Having received intelligence that the enemy's rear were great distance, and were commanded by Colonel Francis, one of their best and bravest officers, his troops lay that night on their arms. He came up 7th. with the enemy at five in the morning, whom he found strongly pofted, with great advantage of ground, and a ftill greater fuperiority in point of number. As he expected every moment to be joined by General Reidefel, and was apprehenfive that the enemy might efcape if he delayed, he did not hesitate to begin the attack. The advantages which they poffeffed in ground and number, and perhaps more than both, the goodness of their commander, induced them to make a better stand than might have been expe&ed from their condition in other refpects. was As Frazer's corps was not fupported near fo foon as had been expected, the engagement long; and though the light infantry and grenadiers gave feveral ftriking proofs of their fuperiority, affairs were ftill undecided and critical. The arrival of the Germans was at length decifive. The enemy fled on all fides, leaving their brave commander, with many other officers, and above 200 private men, dead on the field. About the fame number, befides a Colonel, seven Captains, and ten Subalterns were taken prifoners. Above 600 were fuppofed to be wounded, many of whom perifhed miferably in the woods. The principal lofs on the fide of the royal army, was that of Major Grant, brave officer, who was killed. St. Clair, with the van of the American army, was at this time at Castletown, about fix miles farther on. Upon the account of this disaster, and of the more fatal ftroke at Skenesborough, and under the apprehenfion of being intercepted at Fort Anne, he ftruck on to the woods on his left, probably uncertain whether he should direct his courfe towards the New England provinces and the upper part of the Connecticut, or to Fort Edward. 2 During thefe advantages on the left, Colonel Hill was detached with the 9th regiment from Skenesborough towards Fort Anne, in order to intercept the fugitives who fled along the Wood Creek, whilft another part of the army was employed in carrying batteaux over the falls, in order to facilitate their movement to diflodge the enemy from that post. [K] 4 In In that expedition, the Colonel was attacked by a body of the enemy, confifting, as he conceived, of fix times the number of his detachment, who finding all their efforts in front ineffectual to force the judicious pofition which he had taken, attempted to furround the regiment. This alarming attempt put him under a necef fity of changing his ground in the heat of action. Nothing lefs than the most perfect difcipline, fupported by the cooleft intrepidity, could have enabled the regiment to execute fo critical a movement in the face of the enemy, and in fuch circumitances. It was however performed with fuch fteadiness and effect, that the enemy, after an attack of three hours, were fo totally repulfed, and with fuch lofs, that after fetting fire to Fort Anne, they fled with the utmost precipitation towards Fort Edward, upon the Hudfon's river. The lofs of the royal army, in all this fervice, and in fo many different engagements, fome of which were warm, and feemed liable to lofs, was very fmall. The whole in killed and wounded, not much exceeding two hundred men. Such was the rapid torrent of fuccefs, which swept every thing away before the northern army in its outfet. It is not to be wondered at, if both officers and private men were highly elated with their fortune, and deemed that and their prowess to be irrefiftible; if they regarded their enemy with the greatest contempt, confidered their own toils to be nearly at an end, Albany to be already in their hands; and the reduction of the northern provinces to be rather a matter of fome time, than an arduous task full of difficulty and danger. At home, the joy and exultation was extreme; not only at court, but with all those who hoped or wifled the unqualified fubjugation, and unconditional fubmiffion of the colonies. The lofs in reputation was greater to the Americans, and capable of more fatal confequences, than even that of ground, of pofts, of artillery, or of men. All the contemptuous and moft degrading charges which had been made by their enemies, of their wanting the refolution and abilities of men, even in the defence of whatever was dear to them, were now repeated and believed. Those who ftill regarded them as men, and who had not yet loft all affection to them as brethren; who alfo retained hopes that a happy reconciliation upon conftitutional principles, without facrificing the dignity or the juft authority of government on the one fide, or a dereliction of the rights of freemen on the other, was not even now impoffible, notwithstanding their favourable difpofitions in general, could not help feeling upon occafion, that the Americans funk not a little in their eftimation. It was not difficult to diffuse an opi nion, that the war in effect was over; and that any further refiftance, would ferve only to render the terms of their fubmiffion the worse. Such were fome of the immediate effects of the lofs of thofe grand keys of North America, Ticonderoga and the lakes. this General Burgoyne continued for fome days, with the army partly at Skenesborough, and partly spread in the adjoining country. They were under the neceffity of waiting for the arrival of tents, baggage, and provifions. In the mean time, no labour was fpared in opening roads by the way of Fort Anne, for advancing against the enemy. Equal induftry was ufed in clearing the Wood Creek from the obftacles of fallen trees, funken ftones, and other impediments which had been laid in the way by the enemy, in order to open a paffage for batteaux, for the conveyance of artillery, ftores, provifions, and camp equipage. Nor was lefs diligence ufed at Ticonderoga, in the carrying of gun-boats, provifion veffels, and batteaux, over land into Lake George. Thefe were all laborious works, but the fpirit of the army was at that time fuperior to toil or danger. General Schuyler was at Fort Edward upon the Hudfon's river, where he was endeavonring to collect the militia, and had been joined by St. Clair, with the wretched remains of his army, who had taken a roundabout march of feven days through the woods, in which, from the exceeding badnefs of the weather, with the want of covering, pro vifions, and all manner of neceffaries, they had fuffered the moft extreme mifery. Many others of the fugitives had also arrived; but fo totally broken down, that they were nearly as deftitute of arms, ammunition, and all the materials of war, as they were of vigour, hope, and fpirit, to ufe them with effect. Although the direct distance from Fort Anne, where the batteaux navigation on Wood Creek determined, or even from Skenef borough to Fort Edward, was no greater, than what in England would be confidered as a moderate ride of exercife, yet fuch is the favage face and impracticable nature of the country, and fuch were the artificial difficulties which the induftry of the enemy had thrown in the way, that the progrefs of the army thither, was a work of much preparation, time, and labour. It will fcarcely be believed in after times, and may now be received with difficulty in any other part of the world, that it coft an active and fpirited army, without an enemy in force to impede his progrefs, not many fewer days in paffing from one part to another of a country, than the diftance, in a direct line, would have measured miles. Yet fuch, however extraordinary, is the fact. Befides that the country was a wilderness in almost every part of the paffage, the enemy had cut large timber trees in fuch a manner, on both fides of the road, as to fall across and lengthways, with their branches interwoven; fo that the troops had feveral layers of thefe frequently to remove, in places where they could not poffibly take any other direction. The face of the country was likewife fo broken with creeks and marshes, that in that fhort space, they had no less than forty bridges to conftruct, befides others to repair; and one of thefe was of log-work, over a morals two miles in extent. All these toils and difficulties were encountered and overcome by the troops with their ufual fpirit and alacrity. The enemy were too weak, too much difpirited, and probably too much afraid of the Indians, to add very materially to to thefe difficulties. Some fkirmifhing and firing there was, however, on every day's march, in which, as ufual, they conftantly came off lofers. It is true, that General Burgoyne might have adopted another route to Hudfon's river, by which most of theie particular difficulties would have been avoided. By returning down the South river to Ticonderoga, he might again have embarked the army on Lake George, and proceeded to the fort which takes its name, and lies at its head, from whence there is a waggon road to Fort Edward. To this it was objected, and probably with refon, that a retrograde motion in the height of vict ry, would tend greatly to abate that panic with which the enemy were confounded and overwhelmed; that it would even cool the ardour, and check the animation of the troops, to call them off from the profecution of their fuccefs, to a cold and fpiritlefs voyage; and that their expedition would undoubtedly be checked by the refiftance and delay which they must expect at Fort George; whereas, when the garrifon per was ceived that the army was marching in a direction, which likely to cut off their retreat, they would undoubtedly confult their fafety in time, by abandoning the poft. The enemy abandoned Fort Edward, and retired to Saratoga, at the approach of the royal army, which, from the impediments we have feen in the march, was not until the end of July. The enthufiafm of the army, as well as of the General, upon their arrival on the Hudfon's river, which had been fo long the object of their hopes and wishes, may be better conceived than defcribed. As the enemy, by previously abandoning Fort George, and burning their veffels, had left the lake entirely open, a great embarkation of provifions, ftores, and neceffaries, was already arrived at that poft from Ticonderoga. The army was accordingly fully and immediately employed, in tranfporting these articles, with artillery, batteaux, and fuch other matters as they judged neceffary for the profecution of their future measures from Fort George to Hudson's river. CHAP. CHA P. IX. General terror excited by the lofs of Ticonderoga, and the expected progrefs of the favages. New England governments notwithstanding show no appearance of fubmiffion. Arnold Jent with a reinforcement to the northern army. Ill effects produced by the cruelties of the Indians. Difficulties experienced by the royal army in the neighbourhood of Fort Edward, and in the conveyance of provifions and ftores from Lake George. Movement made down the North River, and a bridge of rafts thrown over near Saratoga, in order to facilitate the operations of Colonel St. Leger. Expedition to furprize the magazines at Bennington, under the conduct of Colonel Baum. Colonel Breyman ordered forward to support the expedition. Baum defeated and taken prifoner; Breyman alfo defeated. Ill confequences. Fort Stanwix obftinately defended against Colonel St. Leger. General Harkimer attempts to relieve the fort with a body of militia, who are mostly cut to pieces. Cruelty, and ill conduct of the fabages; grow fullen and intractable; oblige Colonel Sir Leger to raise the fiege with precipitation and lofs. Villainy of their behaviour on the retreat. Siege raised before the arrival of Arnold and his detachment to the relief of the fort. General Gates takes the command of the American army General Burgoyne with the royal army pass the North River at Saratoga, and advance to attack the enemy near Still Water. Difference of opinion upon that measure, as well as the motives which led to its being adopted. Severe and heavy action on the nineteenth of September. Both armies fortify their camps. Unfortunate action on the Seventh of October. Camp formed. Death of General Frazer, Colonel Breyman, and Sir James Clarke. Diftreffed fituation of the royal army. Masterly movement made, and an entire new pofition taken in the night. New engagement eagerly fought, but refused on the next day by the enemy. Retreat to Saratoga. Previous defertion of the Indians and others. Royal army reduced to the utmost streights. Nearly furrounded on all fides. Cut off from all means of fubfiftence, and pofibility of retreat. Councils of war. Convention concluded with General Gates. Terms of the convention. State of the army. Successful expedition by Sir Henry Clinton and General Vaughan up the North River. Several forts taken; Efopus and other places deftroyed. Colonel Campbell, with the Majors Sill and Grant, and Count Graboufkie, a Polish nobleman, killed in this expedition. Some obfervations on the campaign. N VOTHING could exceed the astonishment and terror, which the lofs of Ticonderoga, and its immediate confequences, fpread throughout the New England provinces. The General's manifefto, in which he difplayed the powers and numbers of the favages, added perhaps to the effect. It was remarkable, however, that in the midst of all these difafters, and confequent terrors, no fort of difpofition to fubmit appeared in any quarter. The |