Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1851-12-11
Is.ere..InE Re,eI..,s.ar, ReI.e.
THE RkvNE, Wednesday, Nov. 5. Isl.
70 He Editor Of the Meas York Daily Timer:


Saratoga; and as these revolutionary
relics are getting very rare, l thought
| | would jot down the fact for The
Daily Times.
In Burgoyne's address to his
troops just before embarkiDg, he at
taches great importance TO fortihca-
tions, because he saws, "the enemy,
infinitely inferior to the kings troops
in open space and hardy combat, is
we'll fitted by disposition and Prac-
tice for the stratagems and enter
prise Of little war" A little farther
on he says:
"The officers will take all proper
opportunities, and especially at the
beginning of the campaign, TO incul-
cate in the mems minds a reliance
upon the bayonet. Men OF half
their bodily strength, and even cow
ards may be their match in firing;
but the onset Of bayonets, in the
valiant is irresistible. The enemy,
convinced OF this truth, place their
whole dependence in entrenchments
and rife pieces. 1t will be our glory
and preservation to storm when pos
sible."
He had occasion TO alter both OF
these opinions in the last battle Of
Bemis Heights. when in the open
field, our troops not only charged
iercely on the British genadiers, but
even on the artillery itself. sweep
ing it like a whirlwind. To his
amazement also he saw the Ameri-
can line not ouly press sternly back
his iron columns till they were glad
to take shelter behind their entrench-
ments, but "Storm" the entrenchments
Themselves, and the soldiers unable to
force the abattis charged boldly into
the very sally port, clearing every
thing in their passage.
But it would take up too much
room in your paper TO quote all that
is interesting in this revolutionary
relic, and ! will mention only one or
two things al the close. After the
battle of the 10Th September, in
which neither party could claim the
victory, Burgoyne's order Of The
day is filled with compliments to his
troops for their behavior, but after
the second battle-that Of the 9Th
OF October-no mention of the en-
gagement is made. 1t was too sore
a subject TO touch upon. Just before
it took place, however, | find this
entry in the order of the day:
"His Excellency the Lieut.-1ener-
al is pleased to make a present OF
t,oelue barrels of rum to the troops,
to be distributed as follows: German
corps, three barrels; officers do,
one" &c, &c.
The terrible Sth of October is at
hand, and twelve extra barrels of
rum are poured down the throats of
the soldiers TO enable them TO over
whelm the American troops in the
"littLe war," which, after all, is to be
finished with "a clap of thunder"
In the capitulation that followed,
| find the sixth article aroused the ire
of Burgoyne exceedingly. In it
General Gates said:
"The troops under bis Excellency
Gen. Burgoyne's command may be
drawn up in their encampment.
where they will be ordered TO
ground arms, and may thereupon be
marched 10 the river side, to be
passed over in their way towards
Boston,"
Burgoyne, in reply said:
"This article is inadmissible in any
extremity. Sooner than this army
will consent to ground their arms
in their encampment they will rush
on the enemy determined 10 take no
quarter"
The proud spirit was sufficiently
humbled in surrendering his army TO
the rebels without the additional
modification of seeing them ground
their arms in their encampment.-
The requisition itself showed how
completely conquered he was, and
be chafed nnder it. At sunset he
sent Major Kingston to the Ameri-
can army with the message:
"If Gen. Gates does not mean TO
recede from the 9th article, the trea-
ty ends at once. The army to a.
man will proceed to any act Of des-
peration rather than submit to that
article"
Another was therefore substituted,
allowing the British army to march
out of their intrenchments with the
honors of war.
Two other incidents are recorded
here as having occurred during the
progress of the treaty, which show
how painfully sensitive the humilia-
ting position Of the proud comman-
der had rendered him. One was a
request that two British officers
might inspect the American army