HISTORY OF VERMONT. 125 



of kings. To see a body of American militia, 

 ill dressed, but little disciplined, without cannon, 

 armed only with farmer's gun^ without bayonets, 

 and who had been accustomed to fiy at their ap- 

 proach ; that such men should force the en- 

 trenchments, capture the cannon, kill and make 

 prisoners of a large body of the royal army, was 

 a matter of indignation, astonishment,^ and sur- 

 prise. In this state and feeling of both parties, 

 general Gates, to the great joy of the Americr^nsj 

 arrived at Stillwater, on August the nineteenth, 

 and took the command of the American troops. ' 

 General Schuyler had been faithful and inde- 

 fatigable in his attention to the Indian aifairs, in 

 preserving the attachment of the people to the 

 American cause, in procuring stores, supplies, 

 and recruits ; and in a discreet management of 

 economical, prudential, and cautionary arrange- 

 ments. Such services, though not inarked with 

 brilliancy, were of great use and importance. 

 Still it was necessary to have an officer of much 

 experience, at the head of the northern army ; . 

 and although the services of Schuyler were duly 

 appreciated, it was not displeasing to the Ameri- 

 can troops to have Gates placed at their head. 



The royal army, after their misfortune at Ben- 

 nington, remained quiet in their camp opposite 

 to Saratoga, expecting the approach of colonel 

 St. Ledger on the Mohawk river. This ofiicer 

 had been detached early in the campaign, to 

 make a diversion in that quarter. After com- 

 batting many difficulties, he invested ibrt Stan- 

 Tvix, now called fort Schuyler, on the third of Au- 

 gust. The fort was too weak to hold out any 

 considerable time against a regular siege, and 



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xQv. 



