The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-04-02

that day Burgoyne set out TO crush the
Revolutionists on his front, and crown his
victorious march from Canada to the ints.
rior by attaining Albany and 4 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 OF the
world were literally turned upon military
events then passing on the line Of the Hud-
son and the little lakes. Burgoyne was .
leader fitted for his task, and had the 1ow-
er Of British regulars and German auxil-
iRries His opponent, Gates, had the supo-
rior force In numbers, but many Of his
troops were militia and volunteers for the
campaign-fAir weather soldiers, whose Ell
cheney depended upon their being kept Of
q white heat Of enthusiasm.
Burgoyne moved q column forward to
flank Gates on the left. but the attempt
was discovered In the American camp, and
was fOiled by sharp tactics and by a coun-
ter attack. Arnold was In his tent, Q gen.
eral without Q command. Gates had de.
pFiVed him Of his soldiers by detaehing the
division he had previously commanded, 80
a. to bring II under Gen. Lincoln, and
without dlsplacing 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: mo man shall keep me in
my tent today. II l am without q COM
mAnd / will fight in the ranks; but the
soldiers, God bless themi will follow my
lead. Come on, victory or deathF Then
leaping into his saddle on the back Of his
black war horse Warren, named for the
hero Of Bunker Hill, be galloped, or rather
few, on his Thoroughbred steed across the
field to the post Of danger. Gates hur.
riedly dispatched an aid after the impetu-
Gus soldier, with peremptOry order for
him 10 return TO camp. He might do
some rash thing" was the explanation ac-
companying the order. Arnold saw the
aid approaching him across the fleld, and
giving Warren the rein be sped on out Of
reach and found one Of his own briRAdeS
The soldiers received him with wild chesrs,
another MaTnion on the field Of Flodden,
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
90 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
freedom, no other aid had better luck, and
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. Burgoyne'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 ct the very front Of his
men. This Is Q commonplace saying and
often means nothing, but in Arnold's case
IL 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, "Hou viii
hear Of my being victorious or no moreF'
His conduct at Saratoga has been called
"rash," frantic" mad" 'frenEied, |"
furious" and "drunken"-this last from
Gates, who was not upon the field a all
And Arnold was not alone in his high VAlor
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.