48 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part II. 



SECOND ACTION NEAR STILLWATER. 



SURRENDER OF BURGOYNE. 



unorganized assemblage of cowardly Yan- 

 keesj'vvhicli could never be brought to face 

 regular British and German troops upon 

 the field of battle. And when they came 

 to see those, whom they regarded as des- 

 picable back-woodsmen, maintaining, in 

 their rustic homespun and leather aprons, 

 with no other arms than rusty fowling 

 pieces, an animated and determined at- 

 tack upon the royal troops, till darkness 

 put it out of their power to continue it, 

 their hearts sunk within them, and the 

 most sanguine could not suppress fearful 

 forebodings with regard to the termina- 

 tion of their expedition. 



The Indians in particular, were so dis- 

 heartened, that nearly all of them imme- 

 diately left the British service, and about 

 250 of them came over and joined tlie 

 American army. The Canadians and 

 Tories also deserted in large numbers. 

 From the '^Oth of September to the 7th of 

 October, the two armies lay very near 

 each other and skirmishes between small 

 parties were continually kept up. During 

 this time the American army was receiv- 

 ino- daily accessions from the surrounding 

 country, while that of the British was 

 continually diminishing by desertion and 

 other causes. On tlic 7th, Genera] Bur- 

 <royne put himself at the head of 1500 

 regulars, for the purpose of covering a 

 foraTino- party, and discovering whether 

 it would bo possible to force a passage 

 down the Hudson, should it be found ne- 

 cessary to alter his position. 



As soon as Gates received intelligence 

 of tlie marching of this detachment, he 

 put his troops in motion to meet them, 

 and about four o'clock in the afternoon an 

 action commenced which continued till 

 nitrht, and was one of the most animated 

 and obstinate ever fought in America. 

 The British troops were at length com- 

 pelled to retreat to their camp, and some 

 of their entrenchments were carried by 

 the Americans sword in hand ; their loss 

 in the conflict was very severe, compared 

 with thatof the Americans. Gen. Fraser, 

 Col. Breymen and several other officers 

 were slain, and Sir James Clark, Major 

 Williams and Maj. Ackland were wound- 

 ed and taken prisoners. The Americans 

 took in the whole, 200 prisoners, nine 

 pieces of cannon, and a large quantity of 

 ammunition and camp equipage. 



As the force of Burgoyne was thus con- 

 stantly diminishing, while that of Gates 

 was daily augmenting by fresh arrivals, it 

 became obvious that nothing short of a 

 retreat to Canada could now prevent the 

 complete overthrow of the royal army. 

 This Burgoyne attempted as a dernier re- 

 sort, but soon found that the Americans 



had so completely hemmed him in, as to 

 render it utterly impracticable. Gates 

 now employed every means to cut off the 

 supplies of the enemy, and tlie situation 

 of the roval army became so desperate, 

 that, on the 13th of October, Burgoyne 

 called a council of war, by which it was 

 unanimously determined to propose a 

 capitulation. The next day, Major Kings- 

 ton was sent to the Americans ; hostilities 

 were suspended ; and on the 15th and 

 IGth, the articles of capitulation were 

 severally agreed upon, and were to be 

 signed the ne.xt day. During the night 

 of the 16th, Burgoyne received intelli- 

 gence that a British army was advancing 

 up the Hudson to his assistance ; and as 

 the capitulation was not yet signed, he 

 was of opinion that it was best to suspend 

 the execution of it, and trust to events. 

 But his council decided that the public 

 faith was already pledged for the execu- 

 tion of the treaty. 



Gates, who was well apprised of the 

 advance of the British up the Hudson, 

 and fearful that Burgoyne might be en- 

 couraged by it to further resistnnce, got 

 every thing in readiness for attacking him 

 on tlie morning of tlie 17th. At nine 

 o'clock, the time fixed for signing the ar- 

 ticles, he sent Colonel Greaton on horse- 

 back to Genernl Burgoyne for his signa- 

 ture, allowing him only ten minutes to go 

 and return. The business was accom- 

 plished in the time specified, and the 

 Americans marched back to their camp to 

 the tune of Yankee-Doodle. The wliole 

 number of troops, which were surrender- 

 ed by this capitulation, was .5752, together 

 with all the arms and military stores be- 

 longing to the British army. 



This event terminated the career of 

 Burgoyne and of the northern Britisli ar- 

 my in America, and nearly put an end to 

 the war in the vicinity of Vermont. The 

 regular force under Gates was moved oft" 

 to combat the enemy in other quarters, 

 and the sturdy yeomanry, who had rallied 

 around his standard and fought the battles 

 of their country, now returned to their 

 homes. The country which had been 

 made desolate by the ravages of war, be- 

 gan again to be inhabited ; and the inhabi- 

 tants were allowed once more to devote 

 their attention to their civil and domestic 

 affairs. 



'We have been thus particular respect- 

 ing the invasion of Burgoyne, as well on 

 account of its effects in breaking up the 

 settlements in the western parts of Ver- 

 mont, as of the important part performed 

 by the Green Mountain Boys in check- 

 inn-, and finally capturing the British 

 army. In this business the people of Ver- 



