[siebert] the AMERICAN LOYALISTS 11 



both as to character and numbers. Writing to Germaine, August 20, 

 1777, he was loth to admit that he had more than ''about 400," of whom 

 he declared not half were armed "who may be depended upon," the 

 rest being "trimmers merely actuated by interest."* It has already 

 been noted that Lieutenant Colonel Kingston's figures place the loyalist 

 contingent at six hundred and eighty on September 1, or only ten days 

 later than the date of Burgoyne's statement. We must believe, there- 

 fore, either that Burgoyne gave too small a number, or that a consider- 

 able accession of loyalists took place during the days immediately 

 following Baum's defeat. In either case, the figures are totally mislead- 

 ing as to the whole number of provincials who joined the expedition. 

 On this point the best evidence we have is the accumulated testimony 

 of the loyalist volunteers themselves, which indicates approximately 

 three times the number mentioned by Kingston, not counting those 

 who joined St. Léger. We may be sure, however, that his own catas- 

 trophe at Saratoga did not improve Burgoyne's opinion of the loyalists : 

 he not only failed to introduce a word in their behalf into his articles 

 of capitulation, but also "blamed them for his defeat." t 



Happily, the Tories possessed sufficient prudence to make up for 

 their neglect by their commander-in-chief. Of those who remained 

 with him until the surrender many escaped before the actual capitula- 

 tion, although Lieutenant Colonel Kingston testified that he had never 

 heard of any corps finding its way back to Canada. However, he 

 admitted that the matter of flight had been discussed and that the 

 guides with the expedition had said that those attempting escape must 

 break into small parties and follow the Indian paths. X This is evidently 

 what was done by the majority. Those who first succeeded in getting 

 away to Canada were Captain Mackay and his company, and Captain 

 Fraser. A week before his surrender, Burgoyne had sent Captains 

 Fraser and Mackay with their light troops back to assist in opening a 

 road to Ft. Edward, on the line of retreat. On the appearance of the 

 enemy in considerable numbers Fraser's men were recalled, while the 

 provincials under Mackay "ran away," according to Burgoyne,* that 

 is, started northward for Ticonderoga. 



On October 19, British the commandant at Mt. Independence 

 reported MacKay's arrival at the head of one hundred volunteers and 

 Canadians, adding that other small parties had since come in.^ Captain 



♦Burgoyne, State of the Expedition, ap. xlvi. 



tibid., 133, 134, ap. Ixxxiv; Flick, Loyalism in New York, 109, 110. 



jlbid., 115. 



^Burgoyne, State of the Expedition, ap. xcii. 



«Can. Arch., 1890, 102. 



