The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 01
History
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 01
United States -- Foreign relations -- 1775-1783; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources
The better to effect his purpose, General Burgoyne had detached
General St Leger with a body of regular troops, Canadians and Indians,
by the Oneida Lake and Wood Creek, to take fort Schuyler, (formerly
Stanwix) and to make an impression along the Mohawk river. This part
of his plan has been totally defeated by the bravery of General
Herkimer, with the Tryon county militia, and by the gallant defence of
fort Schuyler, by Colonel Gansevoort and Lieutenant Colonel Willet.
The former of these met the enemy in the field, defeated them, and
killed a great number of their Indian allies. This defeat being
obtained by militia, they dispersed as usual, and left the enemy to
collect and lay siege to fort Schuyler, which was defended with great
gallantry by the two officers above mentioned, until the approach of
General Arnold, with a body of troops, occasioned the enemy to raise
the siege of that fortress and retreat with great precipitation,
leaving their baggage, ammunition, provisions, and some of their
artillery, which fell into our hands. Another body of troops was
detached by General Burgoyne, under command of Lieutenant Colonel
Baum, to the eastward, for the purpose of collecting horses to mount
the troopers, provisions, and teams, for the use of the army. This
detachment was met, attacked, and defeated by the brave General Stark,
and the New Hampshire militia, at a place called Bennington, and now
rendered famous by the total overthrow of fifteen hundred regular
troops, (posted behind works fortified with cannon,) by two thousand
militia.
The two wings of General Burgoyne being thus cut off, his body
remained inactive until the 19th of last month, when he moved on to
attack General Gates, who commands the northern army, and who was well
posted at Behmus's Heights. The consequence of this attack, you will
see related by General Gates himself, among the enclosed papers, as
well as the account of our successes in the rear of the enemy, on the
lakes George and Champlain, by Colonel Brown, who had been detached by
General Lincoln, who is also in General Burgoyne's rear, with a
strong body of troops. Surrounded, as it is on all sides, with little
prospect of safe retreat, and a strong army in front, growing stronger
every day by reinforcements, we hope, ere long, to give you
information of definitive success over the British army in that
quarter. An Aid of General Gates, who brought us these last accounts,
says, that by the concurring testimony of prisoners, deserters, and
some of our own people, who escaped from the enemy, their loss could
not be less than one thousand, or twelve hundred men, in killed,
wounded, and missing; and that General Burgoyne himself was wounded in
the shoulder by a rifle ball.
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