Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-08-27

of the foe. And short enlistments were
growing difficult; for in those sparse,
new and poor settlements how could the
men be spared from their homes :? The
camp, too, was as fatal as the battle
field. 1t was invaded by camp fever and
dysentery. and steadily beleagured by
the small pox. At one time in '76,
Schuyler in three months lost half of
his ten thousand men by death and de-
sertion, and two fifths of the remainder
were on the sick list.
Each northern state carried special
burdens. Vermont was engaged in the
long and gallant strife for state rights
and individual ownership of the soil.
New York was overrun with loyalists,
of whom numbers had been sent to the
New England states for safe keeping
two hundred at one time in the jails and
houses of New Hampshire. The state
OF New Hampshire so intensely patriotic
that only seven hundred and seventy
three out of her whole population had.
whether for conscientious or political
scruples, refused to sign the pledge, to
visit the foe "with arms, at the risk of
our lives and our fortunes" was yet dis
tracted with the magnitude and the null
titude of her efforts. l may not weary
you with the long recital. Enough that
when state militia enrolment extend
ed from the age of sixteen up to fifty
and had "alarm list" to sixty-fve, and
when at length orders are given to draft
one-half even of that alarm list, we may
be sure that the strain has reached her
vital forces.
The outlook, also, in these earlier
months of the year was forbidding. A
fearful feet lay southwark at the center
of the nation, ready to strike at any
P1iV VI ouI fdoe OOaS1 ilne' 1uc way was
well-nigh clear for an early invasion
from the north. Canadian sympathies
were lost. The Indian tribes, that six
months before had refused to mingle in
this quarrel" as they phrased it, "be-
tween two brothers and one blood, were
listening to the enemy. Franklin was
waiting in vain at the French court for
a recognition of our country.
And now the plot was deepening.
Burgoyne, in London, laid before King
George in February, plan to close the
war, Howe had sent across the ocean
a still larger scheme (Howe proposed to
open the campaign of the southern army,
with $500 men in three army corps; one
to cover New Jersey, one to act on the
side of Rhode Island with view to re-
covering Boston, and the third to move
up north to Albany and there join the
army of the north), which "strlke terror
through the country and try and break
down all resistance to His Maiesty's
troops" Both agreed in this, that Cne
army should move up the Hudson, an
other descend from the north and met
at Albany. They would thus cut the
rebel serpent in twain and separately
crush its New England head and it
southern body.
The scheme was good one. 1t Nigh
have adjourned our liberties for fift,
years. Who marred the plot? +? In Eng
land King George and Lord George Ger
, main in America, Sir John Burgoyn
and Charles Lee. The dull king had
| way of meddling in detail with all tn
} business of his great empire. In tn
British museum you can read in his ow
| handwriting his comments on the pla
: of Burgoyne, restricting his forces, with
q holding all discretionary power, and re
quiring him simply to join Howe at Al
r bany. But that equally positive order
f were not issued to Lord Howe we ma
thank Lord George German. The nil
e lister called at his Office. The dispatcl
|. all written, was not ''fair-copied."
e Germain hurried off heedlessly to tt
o country. The unsigned dispatch W;
n pigeon-holed and was found again-a
# ter the surrender at Saratoga.
l. There have been worse commando
J. and not many more polished gentleme
e of his style than Sir John Burgoyne, I"
r. man of wit. fashion and HONOR sa,
,e Macaulay. He eloped with Lord Derby
e daughter and was forgiven by the fam
n ly. He wrote elaborate letters, gente
2, comedies and flaming proclamation
D. "The charm of his manner" it was sal
70 neither man nor woman could easi
!. resist" That was left for the Gre,
20 Mountain boys. He wore on his fng
IS diamond ring given him by the Xii
le of Portugal for his gallant dash at V
f. lencia d'Alcantara, and Burgoynt
D. Light Horse was the favored regime
ne that George the Third loved often to l
tn view. He was brave officer, go
ke colonel and moderate general. 1t
rn useless to cxtol him greatly as col
ur mander. He did three things that a
st not done by great commanders.
n, needlessly moderated his enemy, he k
be his best opportunity, and in the last ]
wv sort he declined the responsibility viii