116 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



men from Vermont, who put themselves under 

 his command ; and he was at the head of four- 

 teen hundred men. Most of them had been in 

 the two former campaigns, and well officered ; 

 and were in eveiy respect a body of very good 

 troops. Schuyler rej>eatedly urged Stark, to 

 join the troops under his command, but he de^ 

 clined Complying. He was led to this conduct 

 not only by the reasons which have been men- 

 tioned, but by a difference of opinion as to the 

 best method of opposing Burgoyne. Schuyler 

 wished to collect ail the American troops in the 

 front, to prevent Burgoyne from marching on 

 to Albany. Stark was of opinion that the sur- 

 est way to check Burgoyne, was to have a body 

 of men on his rear j ready to fall upon him in 

 that quarter, whenever a favorable -opportunity 

 should present. The New England militia had 

 not formed a high opinion of Schuyler, as a gen- 

 eral ; and Stark meant to keep himself in a situ- 

 ation, in vvhich he might embrace any iavorable 

 opportunity for action, either in conjunction wiih 

 him, or otherwise ; and with that vie w intended 

 to hang on the rear of the Britibh trocps, r.- .' 

 embrace the first opportunity ^vhi.ch shoulil j; •:- 

 sent, to make an attack upon that quarter, lis-' 

 appointed and vexed at Stark's proceeds. us, 

 Schuyler complained to Congress ; and e Au- 

 gust the nineteenth, Congress resolved, " That 



* the council of New Hampshire be informed, 

 •; that the instructions which general S' rk siivs 



* he has received from them, are destructive of 

 •^ military subordination, and highly prejudicial 



* to the common cause at this crisis : and that 

 ' therefoi"e they be desired to instruct general 



