"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men… [no] controls on government would be necessary." — James Madison

A Fall in the Autumn—The Battle of Saratoga, 1777

History had a habit of bringing turmoil to Saratoga (now Schuylerville), New York. During the French and Indian War, Saratoga and the surrounding area were aggressively fought for; a little more than three decades later, this village nestled along the Hudson was the scene of a surrender that ended the grand ambitions of a British general named John Burgoyne.

Dandy. Playwright. Playboy. These and other epithets can be applied to "Gentleman Johnny," a man who once scandalously eloped with the daughter of a British politician and who later fathered four children with a mistress. Yet for all his color, Burgoyne was plainly an able military leader. He served admirably during the Seven Years’ War, fighting in coastal France and assisting in the defeat of a Spanish invasion of Portugal. In 1776, Burgoyne found himself in Canada, serving under General Guy Carleton and repelling American forces from Quebec. Yet Burgoyne thought Carleton too timid in pursuing the Americans. If he had had his way, the British would have crossed Lake Champlain and captured Fort Ticonderoga in New York. Burgoyne expressed this to his government and was eventually given the green light to not only capture the fort but also march south and take Albany, where he would meet up with forces under Colonel Barry St. Leger (arriving from the Mohawk River to the west) and General William Howe (arriving from New York City to the south). These maneuvers would help divide New England from the rest of the colonies, thus making the rebellion easier to crush.

Burgoyne was so certain the plan would work that he made a wager with a friend in London on his victory.

The general and his army of British, German, Canadian, Loyalist, and American Indian soldiers left Quebec in June of 1777. At first, victory did seem certain. Fort Ticonderoga fell with relative ease in July, as did Fort Edward. Yet Burgoyne’s luck began to change in August. Not only did American militiamen crush his attempts to seize much-needed supplies in Vermont, but also news arrived that Howe’s army was not on its way to join him—Howe had actually left New York City to capture Philadelphia. Then came word that Barry St. Leger’s men were on their way back to Quebec after failing to take Fort Stanwix in present-day Rome, New York.

Burgoyne had a choice to make. Should he retreat back to Fort Ticonderoga, or should he continue alone to Albany? He chose the latter. Perhaps he behaved like a good soldier, determined to carry out his orders and fulfill his end of the plan. Perhaps he was simply overconfident. Whatever the reason, Burgoyne set his destiny upon a cast, and he would stand the hazard of the die. And that hazard came from forces under General Horatio Gates.

Cautious. Opportunistic. Vainglorious. These and other epithets can be applied to "Granny Gates," a man who thought himself a better commander than George Washington, even though he seemed hesitant to attack the British head-on. Yet for all of his guarded behavior, Congress appointed him commander of the Continental Army’s Northern Department after the fall of Fort Ticonderoga. Well aware of Burgoyne’s movements, Gates began to erect defenses at Bemis Heights, a site just to the south of Saratoga that overlooked both the Hudson and the road to Albany. On September 13, Burgoyne crossed the Hudson River; three days later, Burgoyne heard the sounds of nearby American military drums and set up camp at Saratoga. On September 19 he divided his army into three columns, moved south, and attempted to surround Bemis Heights. Although Gates wanted to wait for a direct assault, General Benedict Arnold persuaded him at length to send some troops into the northwestern woods. A fierce battle soon erupted over a field near the woods, lasting until nightfall (this incident is sometimes referred to as the Battle of Freeman’s Farm because the field belonged to John Freeman, a Loyalist serving in Burgoyne’s army). Although the British kept the field and the Americans retreated back to their defensive position, Burgoyne had lost about 600 men in the clash, whereas Gates had lost about half that. The British built fortifications nearby and decided to halt the offensive. On September 22, Burgoyne received news from General Henry Clinton, the commander whom Howe had left in charge of New York City when he left for Philadelphia; Clinton was on his way to help. Burgoyne decided to sit tight and wait.

Patrols between the two encampments continued to skirmish, but a more subtle—and perhaps more interesting— skirmish was going on within the American ranks at Bemis Heights. In a report to Congress, Gates had taken the credit for the brave maneuvering on September 19, not even mentioning the role Benedict Arnold had played. Voices were apparently raised in an "ungentlemanly" fashion, with Gates ultimately removing Arnold from his command.

All the while Burgoyne waited for Clinton, his supplies running low and his men deserting in alarming numbers.

Something had to be done. His officers urged retreat, but Burgoyne refused. Again, the possible reasons for his perseverance are many. Perhaps he still hoped that Clinton would arrive in time to save the situation. Perhaps his pride wouldn’t let him retreat. Regardless, Burgoyne launched another attack close to Freeman’s farm. The Americans began to push the British back, but then Benedict Arnold burst upon the scene, riding his horse and rallying some of the American troops in a rash, unauthorized—but successful— charge on two fortifications to the right of Burgoyne’s camp. Arnold was wounded in action, but Burgoyne was the one who truly suffered. With his right exposed and many of his men dead, he had no choice but to retreat.

Success, glory, and the money he had bet on his victory were not to be his.

The following morning, Burgoyne’s army returned north towards their camp at Saratoga. It was not an easy march. The men were exhausted, hungry, muddy, and soaked by the autumn rain. Gates eventually followed and harassed them, closing all possible escape routes and blocking them in Saratoga. Burgoyne was holed up in the village for a week still hoping for Clinton to come to his rescue, but he had no such luck. Clinton had been ordered back to New York City by Howe. Saratoga was Burgoyne’s endgame. He officially surrendered to Gates on October 17.

Poignantly, the impact of this noted playwright’s fall and defeat was dramatic; it convinced the French that the Americans had a chance of winning the war, and as a result they joined against the British the following year. While Saratoga would eventually resume its natural quiet nature, the world would never be the same.



by Syd Greene