GiiAr. 3. 



REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 



41 



BURGOYSE S PROCLAMATION. 



AMERICANS ABANDON TICONDEROC. A. 



following the example without orders. 

 This fire was made at random, and the 

 effect of it was to produce so much smoke 

 that the enemy could not be seen till they 

 were beyond the reach of the American 

 guns ; and consequently every individual 

 except one escaped. 



On the 4th of July, Gen. Burgoyne 

 issued a proclamation designed to spread 

 terror among the Americans, and per- 

 suade them to come and humble them- 

 selves before him, and through him, sup- 

 plicate the mercy of their offended king. 

 The number and ferocity of the Indians, 

 their eagerness to be let loose upon the 

 defenceless settlements, the greatness 

 of the British power, and tlie utter inabil- 

 it}"^ of the rebellious colonies to resist it, 

 were all set forth in bold relief. His gra- 

 cious protection was promised to all those 

 who should join his standard, or remain 

 quietly at their homes ; but utter destruc- 

 tionwas denounced upon all such as should 

 dare to oppose him. This proclamation 

 was couched in terms the most pompous 

 and bombastic ; but upon the Americans 

 it produced no other emotions than those 

 of derision and contempt. Its threaten- 

 ings and its promises were alike disre- 

 garded — none were terrified by the for- 

 mer, and none were won by the latter.* 



Although every possible exertion had 

 been made by St. Clair and his men, the 

 state of the American works and of the 

 garrison was not such as to insure a 

 long and vigorous defence. The old 

 French fort had been strengthened by 

 some additional works, several block 

 houses had been erected, and some new 

 batteries had been constructed on the 

 side towards lake George. The Ameri- 

 cans had also fortified a high circular hill 

 on the east side of the lake opposite to 

 Ticonderoga, to which they had given the 

 name of Mount Independence. These 

 two posts were connected by a floatinfj' 

 bridge tvrelve feet wide and one thousand 

 feet long, which was supported by twenty 

 two sunken piers of large timber. This 

 bridge was to have been defended by a 

 boom strongly fastened together by bolts 

 and chains ; but this boom was not com- 

 pleted when Burgoyne advanced against 

 the works. 



Notwithstanding the apparent strength 

 of the posts occupied by the Americans, 

 their works were all effectually overlook- 

 ed and commanded by a neighborino- emi- 

 nence called Sugar Hill, or Mount Defi- 

 ance. This circumstance was well known 



*Thi9 pompous jjroclamaUon, together witli an 

 amusing burlesque upon the same, written by a 

 young officer and designed for the soldiers of the 

 American army, may be found in Williams' History, 

 volume 2, page 4.30. 



Pt. ii. b 



to the American officers, and they had a 

 consultation for the express purpose of 

 considering tiie propriety of fortifying this 

 mountain; but it was declined, because 

 they believed the British would not think 

 it practicable to plant cannon upon it, 

 and because their works were already so 

 extensive, that they could not be properly 

 manned, the whole garrison cojisistiiig of 

 only 2,546 continental troo])s, and 1301) 

 militia ; the latter very badly armed and 

 equipped. 



St. Clair was sensible that he could not 

 sustain a regular siege ; still he hoped 

 that the confidence of Btirgoyne would 

 induce him to attempt to carry the Amer- 

 can works by assault, against which he 

 was resolved to defend himself to the last 

 extremity. But to the surprise and con- 

 sternation of the Americans, on the 5th 

 of July, the enemy appeared upon Mount 

 Defiance, and immediately commenced 

 the construction of a battery. This bat- 

 tery, when completed, would effectually 

 command all the American works on both 

 sides of the lake, and the line of commu- 

 nication between them ; and, as there 

 was no prospect of being able to dislodge 

 the enemy from this post, a council of 

 war was called, by which it was unani- 

 mously agreed that a retreat should be 

 attempted that very night, as the only 

 nreans of saving the army. 



Accordingly, about two o'clock in the 

 morning of the Gth of July, Gen. St. 

 Clair, with the garrison, left Ticonderoga, 

 and at about three o'clock the troops on 

 Mount Independence were put in motion. 

 The baggage, provisions and stores were, 

 as far as practicable, embarked on board 

 200 batteaux, and despatched, under con- 

 voy of five armed gallies, to Skenesbor- 

 ough, while the main body of the army 

 proceeded by land on the route through 

 Hubbardton and Castleton. These affairs 

 were conducted with secrecy and sili-vice, 

 and unobserved by the enemy, till a 

 French officer, iiuprudently and contrary 

 to orders, set fire to his house. The 

 flames immediately illuminated the whole 

 of Mount Independence, and revealed to 

 the enemy at once the movements and 

 designs of' the Americans. It at the same 

 time impressed the Americans with such 

 an idea of discovery and danger, as to 

 throw them into the utmost disorder and 

 confusion. 



About four o'clock, the rear guard of 

 the Americans left Mount Independence, 

 and were brought off by Col. Francis in 

 good order; and the regiments which 

 had preceded him, were soon recovered 

 from their confusion. When the troops 

 arrived at Hubbardton, they vrere halted 



