The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-10-25
MEETING OF BURGOYNE AND
GATES AFTER The SURREN.
DER


cannon and small arms. With long !
ing eye the artillery man looked for the
last time upon his faithful gun, parting
with it as from his bride, and that for.
ever. With tears trickling down his
bronzed cheeks, the bearded grenadier
stacked his musket to resume it no more
Others, in their rage knocked off the
butts of their arms, and the drummers
stamped their drums to pieces.
Immediately after the surrender, the
British took up their march for Boston,
whence they expected to embark, and
bivouacked the first night at their old
encampment at the foot Of the hill where
Fraser was buried. AS they .debouched
from the meadow, having deposited their
arms, they passed between the Conti>
nentals who were drawn up in paralleled
lines, But on no face did they see ex-
ultation. "As we passed the American
army" writes Lieutenant Anbury, one
of the captured officers, and bitterly pref.
udiced against his conquerors, 81 did
not observe the least disrespect, or even
a tauntng look, but all was mute aston
ishment and pity and it gave us no 1t
tie comfort to notice this civil deport.
ment to a captured enemy, unsullied
with the exulting air of victors."
The English general having expressed
a desire to be introduced to Gates, Wills
kinson arranged an interview few mos
ments after the capitulation. In anticl
patton Of this meeting, Burgoyne had
bestowed the greatest care upon his
whole toilet. He had attired himself in
full court dress, and wore costly regi>
mentals and richly decorated hat with
streaming plumes. Gates, on the con-
trary, was dressed merely in plain blue
overcoat, which had upon it scarcely
anything indicative of his rank. Upon
the two generals first catching glimpse
of each other they stepped forward SIM
ultaneously, and advanced until they
were only few steps apart, when they
halted. The English general took off
his hat, and making polite bow, said
THE fortune Of war, General Gates,
has made me your prisoner"
The American general, in reply, SIM
ply returned his greeting and said:
II shall always be ready to testify that
it has not been through any fault of your
excellency."
AS soon as the introduction was over,
the other captive generals repaired to
the tent OF Gates, where they were re.
ceived with the utmost courtesy and with
the consideration due to brave but unN
fortunate men.
After Reldesel had been presented to
Gates he sent for his wife and children.
1t is to this circumstance that we owe the
portraiture Of lovely trait in General
Schuyler's character.
I'm the passage through the American
camp" the baroness writes, II observed
, with great satisfaction that no one cast
at us scornful glances; on the contrary,
they all greeted me, even showing comN
passion on their Countenances at seeing
mother with her little children in such
situation. | confess feared to come
into the enemy's camp, as the thing was
so certainly new to me. When | ap'
preached the tents, noble looking man
came towards me, took the children out
i. of the wagon, embraced and kissed
. them, and then, with tears in his eyes
helped me also to aIight. He then lee
me to the tent of General Gates, with
whom | found Generals Burgoyne anc
Philips, who were on an extremely
S friendly footing with him. Presentlythe
5 man, who had received me so kindly
, came up and said to me:
1t may be embarrassing to youto dine
with all these gentlemen; come now
with your children into my tent, where
will give you, it is true, frugal meal
t but one that will be accompanied by the
e best of wishes.
You are certainly, answered l, "a hus
band and father, since you show me SC
I. much Kindness | then learned he was
= the American General Schuyler.
The English and German Generals
dned with the American commander in
his tent on boards LAID across barrels
I, The dinner, which was served up in foul
dishes, consisted only of ordinary viands
the Americans of this period being ac
! customed to plain and frugal meals
: The drink on this occasion was cider
and rum mixed with water. Burgoynt
appeared in excellent humor. He talk
ed a good deal, and spoke very hatterins
of the Americans, remarking among
other things, that he admired the mum
Der, dress, and discipline of their army
and above all the decorum and regular
' ity that was observed.
"Your fund of men, he said to Gates
"is inexhaustible; like the Hydra's head
when cut off, seven more spring up ii
its place"
He then proposed toast to Genera
Washington-an attention that Gate
returned by drinking the health of th
King of England. The conversation ol
both sides was unrestrained, affable ant
y free. Indeed, the conduct of Gate
= throughout, after the terms Of the surren
e der had been adjusted, was marked witt
/. easy delicacy and magnanimity, as Bur
= goyne himself admitted in letter to thu
,, Earl of Derby. In that letter the cap
" tive general particularly mentioned on
$ circumstance, which, he said, exceeded
all he had ever seen or read of on Ilk
II occasion. 1t was that when the BrltiSl
h soldiers had marched out 70 the plac
q where they We're to pile their arms, not /
. man of tie american HOObS 7OaS to b
= SEEM General Gates having ordered hi
e whole army out of sight, that no one o
them could be spectator to the humlia
g ton of the British troops. This was
e refinement of delicacy and of mllltar.
it generosity and politeness. rejecting tn
Il highest credit upon the conqueror
As the company rose from the table
| the royal army filed past on their marcI
n to the seaboard. Thereupon, by pre-
:, concerted arrangement, the two general
n stepped out and Burgoyne, drawing hi
/. sword, pre- sented it, in the presence c