The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-09-20


It decided the American cOlOnists tC
fight the War of the Revolution, so the
victory over Burgoyne at Saratoga
takes similar rank, because for all
practical purposes it decided that con
test and determined the establishment
of the American republic. Its conse'
Quences were strikingly direct quite as
much for the inspiration they gave the
American party in the British parlia.
ment as for the effect they produced
in determining the French to JOIN with
us.
The Americans having suffered de-
feat at White Plains, Long island,
Forts Washington and Lee, Brandy
wine ana Germantown, reverses which
Outweighed the successes at Trenton,
Bennington and Princeton, the British
ministry determined to strike the de-
cislve blow by splitting New England
from the rest of the country. To this
end command of the Hudson river was
TO be gained by the simultaneous ad-
vanCes of an army from Canada and
|
at Albany. The British authorities
were still of the belief that no raw
troops could or would stand against
trained British regulars in the open.
The plan was ably formed. Had it sue
ceeded there is every human prob
ability that the submission of the colo
MES must have enSued. 10
Strong re-enforcements were sent
TO Canada, while in command of the
invading army was assigned General
BurgOyne. This able and interesting
officer is the individual who appears
in Bernard Shaw'S play, "The Devils
Disciple" as "Gentlemanly Johnny"
OF regular troops, exclusive Of artll-
lery. he had 1900, half of them Ger
mans He had also an auxiliary force
Of some $500 Canadians. Incidentally
he summoned to his aid the Indians of
the lake region, by reason of which he
was eXcoriated in America and CON
demned in England, where Burke pic
tured him as addressing MY gentle hy-
enas; my tender-hearted wolves"
Advancing down Lake George, he
forced st. Clair to evacuate Crown
Point and its Notifications on July 5,
1777. Driving opposition before him,
he reached the left bank of the Hud-
son on July 30. To oppose him con-
gress hurried up its pet, General
Gates, while as an assistant Washing
ton sent Arnold one of the most fiery
and valorous Of leaders. To their
standards tlocked the provincial mi
litia Of the northern states, while Bur- !
goyne made further preparations at
Fort Edward
Now, however, there befelI the Brit
lsh two severe disasters. st. Leger |
had been sent from Canada across
Lake Ontario to take Fort Stanwix,
after which he was to join Burgoyne
on the Hudson. Instead of accom-
plishing his mission, st. Leger ran into
n disastrous beating and scurried back
home. Almost simultaneously large
force of Germans, under Colonel Baum,
Sallying forth to capture American SUD-
plies at Bennington, were attacked and
utterly routed. Lieutenant Colonel
Breyman, hurrying up with 500 more
Germans to support Baum, was also
attacked and driven back. In these
two actions the British lost more than
six hundred able soldiers.
Yet because he could no longer keep
open his line of communication Bur-
goyne was forced to push forward. He
the river, advancing then to
Saratoga, which the Americans had
evacuated. Here he waited for the aid
Of Sir Horny Clinton. who embarked
at New ork with 5000 crack troops,
but who didn't embark soon enough
because somebody in the British war
office mislaid letter. in consequence
Of which ClintOn's re-enforcements did
not reach him until September
Burgoyne, becoming impatient, mean
While took out his right wing under ]
his personal command, encOuntering
IateS and Arnold about four miles
rom Saratoga. At nightfall he was
Master of the field, but he had lost 800 d
more men and the Americans had 4
'heered themselves by demonstrating n
gain their ability TO stand against his d
egulars.
While Gates force was continually +
rowing, BurgOyne was suffering from +
assertions on the part of his Indians 6
nd Canadians. He was now reduced q
less than six thousand men. Incl +,
all Of these We're hungry. It n
'as this, as much as anything, which n
etermined Burgoyne to attack even q
the face of much superior enemv. "
he American right, resting upon the q
lver, he recognized as too strong for
i'm. The left he believed he could
orce. And against this he headed /,
nee again in person column of 1.5OO a