Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-11-09

As he arrived, although he had no udlnS'
from below, he heard of the successful al
vance i'll the valley of the Mohawk. ST. lie
ger had reached Fort StanwiX without the
loss of man. 1t WAS unnecessary, there
fore Tor Eurgoyne To hasten 10 make his
junction at Albany with Howe and st. Legcr,
and on the 9Th of August he sent word Ia
Howe that he hoped to he in Albany by the
twenty-second But even as he wrote the
blow fatal to his hopes was struck. On that
very day the patriots of Tyron county. men
of German blood, led 10y Nicholas Herkm,r,
were fastening to the relief OF Fort StanwiN,
which st. LeGer had heleagrercd. The tale
has Just been cloJucutly told to 80 coo child
ren of the Mohawk valley gathered on the
field of Oriskany. and it will he told to their
chIldren's children SO long as the grass of
that field shall grow, and the waters OF the
Mohawk How. In the hot Summer morning.
Herklmer and his men marched under the
peaceful trees into the deadly ambush. aud
IN the depth of the dehle were suddenly en-
velopod in a storm OF fire and death. All
blood-red field of Oriskany, For five doubt
tul, desperate hours, without lines, or fort,
or artillery, hand to hand, with knife and
rifle with tomahawk and spear, swaylng
and struggling, slipping IN blood and ,tumh-
| ling over dead bodies, ragged the most deadly
| battle of the war Fun vi heroic deeds full
OF precious memories u sacrifice that WAS
| not lost. The stars that shone at evening
over the field, saw the Indian and the white
man stark and stiff, still locked in the death
grapple, still clenching the hair Of die foe,
still holding the dripping knife in his breast.
The brave herkimer, fatally wounded, called
for his bible and TRANQUILITY died He did
not relieve the fort, but 1t held out until
Benedict Arnold sent by Schuyler, coming
up the valley, craitily persuaded st. Legers
/ Ia, 4
the forest for number. The sayaGes fled
| st. Legers force melted away the Mohawk
| expedition had wholly failed, and the right
hand Of Burgoyne was shattered.
Every day lost to the English general was
now disaster. But his fatal improvidence
forced him to inaction. He could not move
without supplies OF food and horses, and an
expedition to secure them would also serve
as 4 diversion TO favor st Leger. Three
days after Oriskany, and before he had heard
of that battle, Burgoyne detached the eNpe-
dition 10 Bennington. New England Was
ready for him there, as New York had been
at Stanwix. Parson Allen from Pittsfield
came in his chase. Everybody else came as
he could, and when the British advance was
announced, John Stark marched his militia
Just over the line of New York, where the
enemy WAS entrenched on the uplands OF the
Waloomsic, and skilfully surrounding them,
the Yankee farmers who had hurried away
from tier Summer work swept up the hill
with fiery and resistless fury seized the blaz
ing guns. drove the veteran troops as II they
were wolves and wild cats threatening their
farms, and after a lull renewing the onset
against fresh foes the New England militia
won the famous battle of bennington ; and
the left hand OF BurGoyne was shattered.
SO soon was the splendid promise of IL |
1.
tone was changed. Il do not despond."
wrote Burgoyue ON the 2Oth OF August, and |
be had not yet heard OF ST Legcrs fate. But |
he had reason to fear. The glad light OF |
Bennington and Oriskany mad pierced the |
gloom that weighed upun the country. Ii |
was everywhere juhilant and everywhere |
rising The savagos deserted tine British |
camp. The harvest was gathered, and while
New England and New York had fallen fatal
ly upon the flanks of Burgoyne, Washington
now sent Nirginia TO JOIN New York and New
England in his front, dettching from his own
army Morgan and his men, the most famous
Iife corps OF the Revolution. But while the
prospect frightened Gen. Schuyler, by or
der OF Congress, WIS superseded by Gen.
Gates. Schuyler, most sagaclOus and dlll-
gent officer whom Washington wholly trust
ed, was removed for the alleged want of his
most obvious quality, the faculty OF compre.
hensiye organization. But the New England
militia dislked HIM, and even Samuel Adams
was impatient ot him but Samuel Adams
was also impatient of Washington. Public
irritation with the situation, and jealous in
trigue III camp and III Congress procured
removal. He was wounded TO the
heart, but his patriotism did not waver. He
in camp 10 be of what service he
could, and he entreited Congress to order n
speedy and searching inquiry into his con
duct 1t was ut last made, and lett HIM alb
solutely unstained. lie was unanimously
acquitted with the highest honor and Con
gress approved the verdict. Gen. Schuyler
did not again enter upon active military SER
vice but he and Rufus King were the first
that New York sent 10 the Senate of
the United States. Time has restored his
fame, and the history OF his State records no
more patriotic name among her lllustriOus
sons thnn that which is commemorated by
this village, the name of Philip schuyler.
Largely re-eniorced, Gates, ON the 18th of
September, advanced TO Bcmis's Heights,
which the young kosciuszku had fortified,
and there he awaited BurEoync's approach.
Burgoyne's orders had LETT him no discretion.
He must force his way to Albany. With sol
dierly loyalty, therefore, he must assume
that Howe was pushing up the Hudson, and |
that his own delay might lmperil Howe 10y
npon him. On the llth of September he an
his camp that he had sent the
lake fleet to Canada, that he had virtually |
abandoned his communications, and that his
amy must fight It's way or perish. On the
18th he crossed the Hudson, and then rc-
ceiyed his first tidings from Howe, III a letter
from him written long before, and which did ,
not even mention junction. BurgOyne had
already felt himself deserted If not betrayed,
and he comprehended his critical situation.
Howe WAS on the Delaware. and Carleton
would give him no aid from Canada. The
behind him was already swarming
with militia. He was cncampcd III "a dense
forest, with an enemy hidden i'll the same
forest before him, whose drum-beat and
gun he could hear, but whose num- ,
bers and position he did not know Yet
while he could see nothing, every movement ,
Of his own WAS noted 10y an eagle eye III II
tree top on the eastern sile oI the hudson,
and reported to Gates. And when at last
Burgoyne marched out in full array, with all
the gllttering pomp Of war to iind the foe III ,
the forest Gates Instantly knew II. Bur
goyne boldly advanced, his communication
with Canada gone, the glory of Ilconderoga
iimmcd, the union with Howe uncertain,
disaster ON the right hand and ON the left,
the peeragc and Westminster Abbey both
fhdiug from hope and he suddenly confront
ed breastworko, artillery and an eager army.
He must iirht or ilv. nor did he hesitate. At
IL o'clock ON th,. morning OF the. ls,h OF
he advanced IN three columns
towards Gatess lines on Ecmis's Heights
At o'clock the action began at O'Clock It
was general and desperate. at , o'clock Bur
roynes army was N mortal prfil at night
tnIl th. Germans had sip,,d tl. f.t,u blow. |
and the t,ttl,. ended. i:,fb .id,-s claimed
The victory. and tin. Enu,h iiyouacked ON
tbt field As ON Bnukrr Hill th, first buttI,
in America which Burroyne had seen. If TN,
were british victory another would destroy
thr Eritish army
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