The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1778-04-15 00:00:00, page 1

Frem tbe LONDON GAZETTE.
WbtUnall.% December 15, 1777-
rir' "IS afternoon Capt. Craig, 0! the 27th regi
■ ment, arrived from Qjei> c, with the folios
ing duplicate of a letter from Lieut. Gtner.l
Burgoyne to Lord George Germaine, the original of
which has not yet bc^n received.
M, Lord, Albany, Oflober to.
"CT O possibility of communication tith your Lerd
(hip having exlfted since the beginning of Sep
temper, at which time my last dispatches were tent
away, I have to report to your L r ship the pre ceed
fogs of the army under my command from that period ;
a series of hard toil, inerffant effort, stubborn a&nn,
till disabled in the cellat ralbranches ot the army by
the total defection of the Indians; the defection or the
timidity of the Canadians n provincials, feme indi
viduals excepted; difap,cinted in the last hope of any
timely co operation from other armi $; the regular
troops reduced by 1< ffes from the b ft pats to 3500
fighting ran not tooo of which were British ; omy
three da s pavilions, on short allowance, in (tore ; in
hefted by ah army of 16000 men, and no app^e^t
means of retreat remaining ; I called into council all
the General Field Officers, a d Captains commanding
corps, and, by Their unanimous concurrence and ad
vice, I was induced to open a treaty with M.jor Gen.
Gates.
Your Lord (hip will fee by the papers tranfmrtted here
with th* ddagrceaule pr°'pe& which attended th: fi.it
overtures, nu^ when the terms concluded ^recdinfy^,
I ttuft the spirit of the councils I have menti^^,
which, un&r such cfrcumftmces, di&ated infte&i or
submitting, wid not be refufed a (hare of credit.
Before I anter upon a detail of those events, tthink
it a duty r\f juffice, fay Lord, to take upon myfer' the
measure of having pass tab Bodfords rive r , to force
a passage tq Albany. I did net think myfelf authorised
to c&l any tnen into council, when the peremptory te
nor of my Inders, and the fcafon of the year, admitted
no alternative.
Provisions for about 30 days h Ying been brought
forward, t e other necessary llores prepared, and the
bridge of boats carapleated, the army passed Hudson’s
river th, 1/jth a^d 14th of September, and encamped
upon the heights anq in the plains of Saratoga, the
enemy being then in the neighbourhood of Stdiwatei.
15th. The whole a'my made a movement forward, and
encamped in a good petition in a place called Dovogot.
:6th. It being found that there were lev ral bridges
to repair, that work wai begun under cover of ftong
detachments, and the fame opportunity was taken to
reconnoitre the country.
17th. The array renewed their march, repaired other
bridges, and encamped on advantageous ground, about
four miles from the enemy.
:3th. The enemy appeared in confiderahle force to
©b%ua the farther repair of bridges, and with a view,
^ B was thought, to draw on an a^ion where artille
ry could not be employed ; a small lots was sustained n
skirmishing, but the work of the bridges was eff^^d.
x9«h. The passages of a great ravin, and other roads
towards the enemy, being reconnoitred, the army ad
vanced in the following order,
B;±. G-n. Frifer's corps, fuftairied hy Lieut. Cel.
Braymer,T corps, made a circuit to pass the ravin com
modio"tiy, without quitting the heights, and after
ward^ to cover the march of the line to the ri^ht ; these
corns moved in three columns, and bed the Indians,
Canadians and Provincials on th~ir fronts and flanks.
The Britfh line, led by me in person, raffed the ravin
in a direst line south, and formed in order of battle as
sass as they gained the fumuit, where they warted to
give time to Fraser’s corps to make a circuit, and to
enable the left wing and artillery, which, under the
command of Majors Gen. Philips and Reidefel, kept
the great road and meadows near the river in two co
lumns, and had bridges to repair, to be equally ready
to proceed. Theqyh regiment guarded the batteattx.
The signal guns, which had been previously fettled 0
give notice of all the columns being ready to advance,
having been fired between one and two o'clock, the
march continued, the scouts and flankers of the column
of the British line were loon tied upon from f mal par
ties, but with no effeft; after about an heir's march,
the picquets, which made the advanced guard of that
column, were attacked in force, and obliged to give
ground, but they were feon rallied and sustained.
On the firft opt ning of the wood, I formed the troops:
a few cannon (hot dislodged the enemy at a home from
which the picquet had been attacked ; and Brigadier
General Fraser's corps had arrived with such precision
in point of time, as to be found on a very advantageous
height on the right of the British.
'^^^^^A
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O R
R A L
WEDNESDAY, APR 11, 1 ,n, 1778.
In the mean time the enemy, not acqninted with
the combination of the m rch, had moved in great
force but of their k treuchments, with a view of turning
the line upon the right; and being checked by the po
rtion of Brigadier Gen. Fraser, counter marched in
order todireft their great rifort to thel ft of thißririfh.
From the nature of the country movements or this
nature, however near, may be erfaed without a pof
fibilty of their being difeovered. About ihree o'clock
the action began by a very vigorous attack on the Bri
ti fn line, and continued with great obftinscy till after
sun-set. Tne enemy being continually supplied with
frefh troops, the theft lay upon the 20th, 21st, arid
6zd regiments, mbit parts or which were engaged near
four hours without intermission ; the grh had been ors
dered early in the day to form in reserve. The gre
n diets and 24th regiment were feme part of the time
brought into 2&ion, as were part of the light infantry;
an I all these corps charged with their uAul spirit. The
r flemen, and other parts of Bremen's corps were al
so of service; but it nas not thought advrf^bk to eva
cuate the height where Gen. Fraser was posted, other
wise th m partially and occasionally.
Major Gen. Philips, upon riot hearingthe firing,
found his way through a ddqcult pirt of the wood to
the icene cf ether, and brought up with him Mfor
Williams, and four pieces of artillery, and £om that
moment I ftoori indebted to thatgriiart and jud crisis
fecund for incefLht a;;d most material fbrvric ; part!
cutarly for refionng the athon in % poin< illicit was
critically p;r^e. by a great tuprri fit; pi tire, :ni to
which he led up the 20th regimen # . at the urmoft per
fon.il hazard.
Major Gen, Rridsfel exerted himfelf to bring up a
part cf the left wing, and arrived in time to charge the
enemy with regularity and bravery.
J ft as the hgm-ci Med, the en my give ground on
all fines, and left us cornUe^t matt r. of t.~.c 5 Id, with
the lori of 500 on their tide; aim, as fuppokd, thrive
that number wounded. — 1 he darken 3 preventing a
purfirr, the prifimis we e tew.•
The 'tehavibiir of theoff erg and m^n in general was
exemplary. Brigari rGen.Rafertock his petition in
the be inning of the day with ' great judgment, and
fuftrined the a&ion with Quilant pr-finceof min' and
vigour. Br gadier Gen. Hamilton was the whole time
engaged, and acquitted himOlf with gr at honour,
a&.yity and good condua. Th. artilriY in gener.l
was di;tin„urihen, and tn^ brigade untie, C^pt Jones,
who was kried in the addon, wa, confpicu.ully !?.
The army l.y co their arms the night o' the 19th,
and, the next day took a petition nearly within c-r^cn
foot of the enemy, fortifying their right, aad Lend
ing their left to as to Cover the meadows &ou : h which
the gre-t river runs, and where the bateaux arid
hofpirals were placed. The 47th regiment,' and the
regim nt of Hesse H mad, witri a co: ps of provincials,
encamped in the meadows as a farther security.
It was loon found that no Luit#, honour excepted,
were obtained by the preceding victory ; the enemy
Working with redoubled ardour to ttrer.gthen thrir
left, Iheir right was unattackable already.
On our tide, it became expedient to ere& strong
redoubts for the prot &ion of the magazines and hos
pital, not znly ^grinftafudden attack, but also for their
security in case of a march to turn the enemy’s flank.
21st. A messenger arrived from Sir Harry Clinton,
with a letcer in cyphers, infojmlng me of his intention
to attack Fort Montgomery in about ten days from
the date of his letter, which was the roih of Septem
ber. This was the only mJF ngerof many that I ap
prehend were difpatebed by Str W. Howe and him,
that had reachetimy camp since the beginning of Ao
guft. He was lent back the fame night to inform Sir
Harry of my fixation, and of the necessity of a diver
sion, to oblige General Gates to detach from Ids ar
my, and my intention to wait favourable events in
that pofirion, if poffiole, to the 12th of Oftober.
In the course of the two following days, two officers
in disguise, and other confidential persons, were dis
patched by different routes, with verbal meflages to
the fame erf.a; and I continued fortifying my camp
and watching tlie enemy, whose numbers encreafed
every day.
3d of Oftoben I thought it advisable to diminish
the soldiers rations, in order to lengthen out the pro
visions, to which measure the army submitted with
the mmoft chearfulnels. The difficulties of a retreat
to Canada were clearly foremen, as was the dilemma,
fhouid the retreat be effected, of leaving at liberty
such an army as General Gates's to aft against Sir
William Howe.
This confideratian operated forcibly to determine me
to abide events as feng as poffiric, and I reasoned thus:
T H E
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ADVERTISER.
The expedition I command d was evidently meant to
be hazarded; circumft^ , # es might require it should be
dev te<, ; a c iticr 1 junaigu of Mr. Gates's force with
Mr. Washington might p< ffibly decide the fate of the
war; he failure of my junction with Sir Harry Clin
ton, er the loss of my retreat to Canada, could only
be a partial misfortune.
7th. In this fituaden things continued till the 7th,
wh n no intelligence having been received es the ex
pected co operation, and four or five days fir our li
nited stay in the camp only remained, it was judged
advileable to make a movement to the enemy’s left, not
on 7 to discover whether there were any poffibie means
cf forcing a passage, should it be neceffar, to advance,
or of engaging him for the convenience of retreat,
but Jfo to cover a forage of the army, which was in
the greatest ddtrefs.on account of the fca. city.
A detachment of 1 500 regular troops, with 2 twelve
pounders, 2 howitzers, and 6 fix pounders, were or
(lertd to move, arid ^a^ commanded by myfelf, hav
ui wnh rhe Mjor General Poilios, M jor General
R; : ' fr ri, anl Brigadier General Fraser. The guard
G' the camp up<,h the heights was left to B ir adders
G nerdHendron and Speight; the redoubts and the
fl^ir .KJ Brig dier General Gol j-and as 'he force of
the emmv immediately in their front co Tiffed of mod
than double their numbers, it w., not perilhle £q
augment the corps thri marches beyond the numbers
ahjv r .it:ted,"
1 firmed the troops v ithin th ee quarters of a mile
of th enemy’s^', and Captain F fer\ rangers,
with Indians and P uncials, id order to go y fe.
cet p tks id tor woods to gain the inernyl rear, and
b)'Jh"*ing tnemfelves there to hep them in check.'
rll furt er operations intended were prevented by
ave i fudd,n and r.pid artack of the en my oh our
let . weie the Brhifo gr^^diert w^te p ffed to frp
port the ,est vring of the ii; e, .M so Armand at the
h..ad j. them ^riTintd the attack , wnh gfe^t rifolritV
onj lbt the enemy's great tyflrie r s e ablirg them
in a few minutes to expend the attack rio^g the frurt
of rhe Germans, which were•imro.duteiy.cn Ihs
right of the genadters, nopurl of that bod, could be
removed to mnke a feconri finetofoe dank, wheietbt
ibe.^ the fireGy. The ri, htwafat that Drueol
"'gagco; but it was ft,on obrerved that the enemy
we,e matching 2 large corps round their flank to en--
<b avour coturig off th ir mfo. The light infant?,
end part of the ^y-b re^tmeAr, whigh were.at thAt
p. ft, were th c ie%:e ordered to (cim V fecund line,
arrijo fertile the rttu n of tlie t.focpTintoMmp;
vvhilr. L.JI^ ra v.mcnt war proceeding,- the e^emy
pufod a frefh .nd ftang reifflo:cement to renew the
aewn upon rite left, which, oyeroowe^d by so great
a Superiority, gave way, an d th: ii, t infant !y # and
2 ^tb fwhi&.t *ere obliged to -make- a quick move
ment to save that point from Being entirely carried,
iir dcing when Br.gao'er'&niera; Frattr was mortal
ly wounds.
The danger to which the lines were ex posed be
coming at ibi9 moment of the mod serious na'u-c,
ordcis were given to M fors Genera Philips and Rjl
defel to cover the retreat, while such troops as were
most ready for the purpose returned for the defence of
the feme. Tae troops retreated hard pressed, but in
good cider. They v.ere obliged to leave fix ; ieces of
cannon, all the horses having been killed, ahd mofi
of the artillery m.n, whe thad behaved as ufnal with
the utmost bravery, under the command of Md,or
Williams, being either killed nr wounded.
The troops bad scarcely entered the c^mp, when it
was formed with great fury, the enemy ruling to
the lines und^r a severe fire of grape shot and firal:
arms. The pod of the light infantry under Lord
Belcarres, affixed by some of the line, who threw
themselves by order into those ehtienchmems, was
defended with great spirit; ard the enemj; led on by
General. Arnold, was finally tepuifed, 2nd the Gene
ral wounded ; but unbappilythe entrenchments of the
German reserve, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
Bre^men, whowas killed, were carried, and although
ordered to be recovered; they never were io ; and the
enemy, by that misfortune, gained .an opening to our
right and rear. The night put an end to the aQion.
Under the disadvantages thus apparent in our ^ na
tion, the army was ordered to quit the prelent polities
during the night, and take post upon the height above
the hospital ; thus, by an entire change of front, to
reduce the enemy to form a new difyfition. Thia
movement was effected with great order and without
loss, though all the artillery and camp were removed
at the fame time, T^ army continued offering bat
tle to the enemy in their new position the whose day
of the Bth< (Concluded in the fourth fag^)