A M E R I C A. 
forth in very oflentatious terms, tlie campaign opened with 
tiie liege of Ticonderoga. Tlie place was very ftrong, and 
garrifoned by 6000 men, under general Sinclair; never- 
thelefs, the works were fo extenlive, that even this num¬ 
ber was fcarce fufficient to defend them. They had, there¬ 
fore, omitted to fortify a rugged eminence, called Sugar 
Kill, the top of which overlooked and efiedhially com¬ 
manded the whole works ; vainly imagining, that the dif¬ 
ficulty of the afcent would be fufficient to prevent the ene¬ 
my from taking poffeffion of it. On the approach of the 
firft divilion of the army, the provincials abandoned and 
let fire to their outworks; and fo expeditious were the 
Britilh troops, that by the 5th of July every pofi was fe- 
cured which was judged necefiary for inverting it com¬ 
pletely. A road was (oon after made to the very fummit of 
that eminence, which the Americans had with fuch con¬ 
fidence fuppofed could not be afcended ; and fo much were 
they now difheartened, that they inrtantly abandoned the 
fort entirely, taking the road to Skenelborough, a place 
to the loath of Lake George ; while their baggage, with 
what artillery and military ftores they could carry off, were 
font to the fame place by water. But the Britilh generals 
were determined not to let them pafs fo ealily. Both were 
purfucd, and both overtaken. Their armed vellels con¬ 
fided only of five galleys ; two of which were taken, and 
three blown up ; on which they fet fire to their boats'and 
fortifications at Skenelborough. On this occafion, the pro¬ 
vincials loft 200 boats, 130 pieces of cannon, with all their 
provilions and baggage. Their land-forces under colonel 
Francis made a brave defence againlt general Frafer: and, 
being greatly fuperior in number, had almoft overpowered 
him, when general Reidefel, with a large body of Germans, 
came to his affiftance. The enemy were now overpowered 
in their turn; and, their commander being killed, they fled 
on all fides with great precipitation. In this atfion 200 
Americans were killed, as many taken prifoners, and above 
600 wounded, many of whom perilhed in the woods for 
want of aflitfance. 
During the engagement, general Sinclair was at Caftle- 
ton, about fix miles, from the place ; but, inftead of going- 
forward to Fort Anne, the next place of firength, he re¬ 
paired to tlie woods which lie between that fortrefs and 
Flew England. General Burgoyne detached colonel Hill, 
with the ninth regiment, to intercept fuch as fhould at¬ 
tempt to retreat towards Fort Anne. On his way he met 
with a body of the enemy, faid to be fix times as nume¬ 
rous as his own; who, after an engagement of three hours, 
were obliged to retire with great lofs. After fo many dif- 
affers, defpairing of being able to make any ftand at Fort 
Anne, they fet fire to it, and retired to Fort Edward. In 
all thefe engagements, the lofs of killed and wounded in 
the royal army did not exceed two hundred men. 
General Burgoyne was now obliged to fufpend his opera¬ 
tions for fome time, and wait at Skenelborough for the ar¬ 
rival of his tents, provilions, &c. He therefore employed 
this interval in making roads through the country about St. 
Anne, and in clearing a paflage for his troops to proceed a- 
gainlt the enemy. This was attended with incredible toil; 
but all obftacles were furmounted with equal patience and 
refolution by the army. In fliort, after undergoing the 
utmort difficulties that could be undergone, and making 
every exertion that man could make, he arrived with his 
army before Fort Edward about the end of July. Here 
general Schuyler had been for fome time endeavouring to 
recruit the Blattered American forces, and had been joined 
by general Sinclair with the remains of his army ; the gar- 
r.ifon ol Fort George alfo, fituated on the lake of that 
name, had evacuated the place, and retired to Fort Ed¬ 
ward. However, on the approach of the royal armv, they 
retired thence alfo, and formed their head-quarters at Sa¬ 
ratoga. Notwithftanding the great fucceffes of the Bri¬ 
tilh general, the Americans Ihewed not the leal! difpofition 
to fubmit, but feemed only to confider how they might 
make the mort effectual refinance. For this purpofe, the 
militia were every where raifed and draughted to join the 
VpL. I. No. 29. 
453 
army at Saratoga ; and fuch numbers of volunteers were 
daily added, that they foon began to recover from the ter¬ 
ror into which they had been thrown. That they might 
have a commander whofe abilities could be relied on, ge¬ 
neral Arnold was appointed, who repaired to Saratoga with 
a conliderabie train of artillery ; but, receiving intelligence 
that colonel St. Leger was proceeding with,great rapidity 
in his expedition on the Mohawk River, he removed to 
Stillwater, a place about half-way between Saratoga and 
the jin®ion of the Mohawk and Hudfon’s River. The 
colonel, in the mean time, had advanced as far as Fort 
Stanwix ; the liege of which he prelfed with great Vigour. 
On the 6th of Auguft, underftandir.g that a fupply of pro¬ 
vilions, efcorted by eight or nine hundred men, was on the 
way to the fort, he difpatched Sir John Johnfon with a 
rtrong detachment to intercept it. This lie did fo effec¬ 
tually, that, belides intercepting the provilions, 400 of its 
guard were (lain, 200 taken, and the reft efcaped with 
great difficulty. The garrifon, however, were not to be 
intimidated by this difarter, nor by the threats or repre- 
fentations of St. Leger: on the contrary", they made feve- 
ral fuccefsful fallies, under colonel Wilict, the fecond in 
command; and this gentleman, in company with another, 
even ventured out of the fort; and, eluding the vigilance 
of the enemy, palled through them, in order to haften the 
march of general Arnold to their affiftance. 
Thus the affairs of colonel St. Leger feemed to be in no 
very favourable fituation, notwithftanding his late fuccefs, 
and they were foon totally ruined by the dela tion of the 
Indians. They had been alarmed by tfle report of gene¬ 
ral Arnold’s advancing with 2000 men to the relief of the 
fort; and, while the colonel was attempting to give them 
encouragement, another report was fpread, that general 
Burgoyne had been defeated with great (laughter, and was 
now flying before the provincials. On this, he was obli¬ 
ged to retreat, with the lofs of the tents, and fome of the 
artillery and military ftores. 
General Burgoyne, in the mean time, notwithftanding 
the difficulties he had already fuftained, found that he mull: 
rtill encounter more. The roads he had made with fo 
much labour and pains, were dertroyed, either by the wet- 
nefs of the feafon, or by the enemy ; fo that the provilions 
he brought from Fort George could not arrive at his camp 
without prodigious toil. On hearing of the (lege of Fort 
Stanwix by colonel St. Leger, lie determined to move 
forward, in hopes of inclofing the enemy betwixt his own 
army and that of St. Leger, or of obtaining tlie command 
of all the country between Fort Stanwix and Albany ; or, 
at any rate, a junction with colonel St. Leger would be 
effected, which could not but be attended with tlie molt 
happy confequences. The only difficulty was, tlie want 
of provilions ; and this it was propofed to remedy by re¬ 
ducing the provincial magazines at Bennington. For this 
purpofe, colonel Bauine, a German officer of great bra¬ 
very, was chofen, with a body of 500 men. The place 
was about twenty miles from Hudfon’s River ; and, to 
fupport colonel Baume’s party, the whole army marched 
up the river’s bank, and encamped almoft oppofite to Sa¬ 
ratoga, with the river betwixt it and that place. An ad¬ 
vanced party was polled at Batten Kill, between the camp 
and Bennington, in order to fupport colonel Bamne. In 
their way, the Britilh feized a large fupply of cattle, and 
provilions, which were immediately lent to the camp; but 
the badnefs of the roads retarded their march fo much, 
that intelligence of their defign was lent to Bennington. 
Underftanding now that the American force was greatly 
fuperior to his own, the colonel acquainted the general,- 
who immediately difpatched colonel Breyman with a party 
to his affiftance ; but, through: tlie fame caufes that had 
retarded the march of colonel Batune, this affiftance came 
too late. General Starke, in the mean time, who com¬ 
manded at Bennington, determined to attack the two pari¬ 
ties lepnratelv ; and, for this- purpofe, advanced againlt 
colonel Bauine, whom lie furrontided on all lides, and at¬ 
tacked with the ait-moft violence, 1 he troops defended 
5 Z themfeiv.es 
