News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-02-19


that day Burgoyne set out to crush the
Revolutionists on his front, and crown his
victorious march from Canada to the lnte-
rior by attaining Albany and junction
with Gen. Clinton, who was making equal
ly successful progress up the Hudson. NO
foreign power had as yet recognized Amer
lean independence, and the eyes or the
world were literally turned upon military
events then passing on the line of the Hud-
son and the little lakes. Burgoyne was a
leader fitted for his task, and had the How
err of British regulars and German auxlI-
iaries His opponent, Gates, had the supe-
rior force in numbers, but many OF ms
troops were militia and volunteers for the
eampaign-fair weather soldiers, whose eff
cheney depended upon their being kept at
a white heat of enthusiasm.
Burgovne moved a column forward to
flank Gates on the left, but the attempt
was discovered in the American camp, and
was foiIed by sharp tactics and by coun-
Ter attack. Arnold was in his tent, a gen.
eral without command. Gates had de-
prived him of his soldiers by detaching the
division he had previously commanded, so
as to bring it under Gen. Lincoln, and
without displacing Arnold by positive or
ders had ignored his presence in camp in
manner to indicate that the commanding
general would gladly be rid of him.
When the battle began in earnest Arnold
said to his aids: ''No man shall keep me in
my tent today. If 1 am without COM
mand 1 will fight in the ranks; but the
soldiers. God bless theml will follow my
lead. Come on, victory or deathF' Then
ieaping into his saddle on the back of his
black war horse Warren, named for the
hero of Bunker Hill, he gaIloped, or rather
flew, on his thoroughbred steed across the
field to the post of danger. Gates bur
riefily dispatched an aid after the impetu-
GUS soldier. with a peremptory order for
him TO return TO camp. "He might do
some rash thing" was the explanation ac-
companying the order. Arnold saw the
aid approaching him across the field, and
giving Warren the rein he sped on out of
reach and found one of his own brigades.
The soldiers received him with wild cheers,
another Marmion on the field of Floddep,
and he Immediately dashed against the
British center In the forefront OF the
fight he rode erect, brandishing his sword,
shouting orders and appealing to men, and
SO rapid were his movements and changes
OF position that Gates aid was unable to
get within speaking distance and order
the inspired war god back to his tent.
Fortunately for the cause of American
Arnold and his black horse kept in the van
OF the Americans the remainder of the day.
The foes in front of Arnold were the
Hessians under Riesedel and British regu-
lars under Phillips. BuPgoyne's right and
left TANKS had been broken, but his center
was made firm by line of his best German
troops under able commanders. Arnold
was repulsed in his first charge and went
at il again, riding at the very front of his
men. This is a commonplace saying and
often means nothing, but in ArnOld's case
it was literally true. This was Arnold's
way on many occasions, and especially upon
this one. Some time before that he had
set out for battlefield. saying, you will
hear of my being victorious or no morel''
His conduct at Saratoga has been called
~rlsh,'' ''frantic,' "mad," ''frepzied,"
furious and 'drunken"-this last from
Gates. who was not upon the field at all.
And Arnold was not alone in his high yalof
at Saratoga. Across the lines, in Bur
goyne's camp. there was another war god
incarnate in the person of Gen. Fraser,
man to lead picked companies, forlorn
hopes and desperate enterprises.