St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-31

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,n
were Fastening to the enemy. Frank
lin was waiting in vain at the French
Court for recognition of our country
And now the plot was deepening,
Burgoyne in Lyndon laid before the
King, George, in February, a plan to
close the war, Howe had sent across the
ocean a still larger scheme. Lord
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 of isola-
ting Boston and so break down all re-
sistance to his majesty's troops" Both
agreed in this, that one army should
go up the Hudson, another descend
from the north and west ut Albany.
They would thus cut the rebel serpent
in twain, and repeatedly crush its New
England head and its Southern body.
The scheme was Il good one, it might
have adjourned oar liberties for fifty
years. Who marred that plot In
England, King George and Lord George
Germain, in America Sir John Bur-
goyne and Charles Lee. The dull king
had way of meddling in detail with
all the business of his great empire. In
the British Museum YOU can read in his
own handwriting, his comments on the
plan of Burgoyne, restricting his forces,
withholding all discretionary power,
and requiring him simply 'to join Howe
| lt AIl.1nN- Rnt that ann1llHr
orders were not issued to Howe, we may
thank Lold George Germain. The
Minister called at his office. The dis
patch, all written, was not 'fair-copi-
ed.n SO Germain hurried off heedlessly
to the country. The unsigned dispatch
was pigeon n-holed and was found again
after the surrender at Saratoga.
| There have been worse commanders,
and not many more polished gentlemen
of his style than Sir John BurgOyne. A
man of wit, fashion and honor. Says
Macaulay: EHe eloped with Lord
! Derby's Daughter, and was forgiven by
the family. He wrote elaborate letters,
genteel comedies, and flaming procla-
nations" "The charm of his manner"
it was said, "neither man or woman
could resist" That was left for the
Green Mountain Boys. He wore on his
finger Il diamond ring given him by the
king of Portugal for his gallant dash at
| Valencia dAlcantara, and Burg0yne's
Light Horse was the favored regiment
that George the Third loved often to
review. He was IA brave officer, and a
moderate general. 1t is useless to eX-
tol him justly as commander. He did
thee things that are not done by great
commanders. He needlessly underrat-
ed his enemy, he lost his best opportu-
nifty, and in the last resort he declined
the responsibility which would have
given up an expedition and saved his
army. Give him credit for Il good plan.
Another man should have executed the
plan. That man was Sir Guy Carleton,
his last years commander and the gov
ernor of Canada. He knew the country,
understood the people and controlled
the preparations. Cautious lis we'll as
peaceful, he was all the more tormiIa-
BILE because he was wise, concliatOry
and humane.
But in the high councils of heaven.
and the small arithmetic of King
George, it was ordered otherwise. Bur
goyne was followed by the sanguine
hopes of the British nation. Lord North
looked for the ''speedy quelling of the
rebellion. The Riding of Manchester
had subscribed for two regiments to
conquer market. The country gen
tlemen were loudly loyal. The oppo-
sitiOn in the commons WAS well-nigl
silenced. Bishops and clergy breathed
ont war; the staid pulpit of the Estab-
lishment rung with exhortations to
!, smite the rebels, and even the heart ot
the humane king became OsSitied till Inc
could say, "Every means of distressing
: America must meet with my concur
| renee"
BurgOyne was in Montreal full
, month before he applied for means %
) transportation, and the inadequacy o.
this supply at last was chief cause O
his disaster. His body of troops, though
: smaller than he asked, was a splendid
: army corps. BurgOyne had asked tol
5000 regular troops exclusive of artil
5 leTy, 1000 Canadians to act as escort:
2 and working parties, and one Thousand
/ Indians, besides large number of pro
: vincials for transport duties. He re
f ports his actual force at PSI regulars
one hundred and forty one Canadian
| militia, and SOB Indians. This is ex
: elusive of 5ll artillerymen and the ac
cessiOn of tories from the States. Blu
t he was oblige to leave one thousano
t men to garrison Saratoga, greatly to hi
= regret. He thought that Carleton shOult
. have furnished the garrison, and after
r ward complained that it "drained thu
life blood of his force" The German
: soldiers had learned war when Freder
/ ick was at his best, and the Britisl
\ Of Enfrlon1
}, magnificent park of artillery, and
= body of picked cannOniers accOmpanie,
= the march. The officers Phillips ant
t Riedesel, Frazer and Hamilton, King
L ston, BalccarIas and Ackland were me
= of brilliant and various distinction. Fo
e an army of its size no finer body cOul
: have been set down on this continent.
II The general knew, or ought to hav
S known, his foe. He was i'll BOstO
r when the British army was, as he ex
S pressed it, "unrecovered from the con
Y sternation of LeXington.n He had di
Y rected the firing of the batteries agains
e Bunker Hill, and had handsomely CON
IS mended the obstinate defence and tn
V orderly retreat He therefore only in
If posed on himself when he prOclaime
to his army that the enemy were ''ir
Il finitely inferior to the kings troops
e open space and hardy combat" Th
is event made it even ludicrOus in him t
|. announce that they relied only on ell
5, trenchments and rife-pieces, and it wi
e be our glory and preservation to starve
- And it was still graver folly to thIeate
d that enemy with ''devastatiOn, famir
te and every cOncomitant horror" For
i only exasperated when he sought
: terrify. Had he had thousands of Il