142 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



computing that Burgoync would soon conquer 

 the New England States, they made and sung 

 their son^^s of gallantry and triumph ; and glow- 

 ed with the hope an.d prospect, that another bat- 

 tle would conquer and captivate the whole brit- 

 ish army. 



General Burgoyne endeavored to put the most 

 favorable appearance on the adverse situation 

 of his own affairs. His army lay all night upon 

 the ir arms, at some distance from the field Of 

 buttle ; and in the morning took a position near- 

 iy within cannon shot of the Americans; for- 

 tifying their right, and extending their left in 

 such a manner as to cover the meadows through 

 which thc>, river runs, and where their batteaux 

 and hospital were placed. The engagement 

 bad answered so little to the expectation of the 

 Indians, that their prospects of plunder were 

 now gone. They also disliked the hard ^and 

 dangerous services in which they were employ- 

 ed ; and were disgusted by the checks they re- 

 ceived on account of the murder of Miss 

 M'Rea, and other inhumanities ; And they took 

 this opportunity to desert in large bodies, and 

 some of them repaired to general Gates. M. 

 St. Lue le Corne was at the head of the sava- 

 ges. This officer had been a famous French 

 partisan ; and had been distinguished in Nova 

 Scotia, and at fort William Henry in 1757, 

 for animating the Indians to butcher and scalp 

 the English in a barbarous manner. Qn this 

 pccasion, according to Burgoyne's account, 

 *^* The Indians, and Mr. St. Lue at the head of 

 them, deserted."* Four of their tribes, tlie 



Burgoyne'* speech in Parliament in 1778, 



