British Begin the Saratoga Campaign

American Revolution
Written By Tom Hand

Following the failed American invasion of Canada in 1776, British General Guy Carleton pursued the retreating Continentals as far south as Fort Ticonderoga until the approaching winter halted Carleton’s advance and he retired to winter quarters. Unhappy with Carleton, Lord George Germain, England’s secretary of state for the colonies, replaced him with General John Burgoyne. Known as Gentleman Johnny, Burgoyne had developed a great plan to defeat the Continental Army, but he was relatively unfamiliar with warfare in North America and the logistical challenges presented by its seemingly endless forests.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses how the Saratoga Campaign was doomed from the start, and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of The New York Public Library, U.S. Army Center of Military History, Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library, Brown University Library, Wikipedia. 

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The Hero of Saratoga
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General John Burgoyne had captured Fort Ticonderoga on July 6 and was advancing south. General George Washington requested that Congress send his most trusted field commander, Benedict Arnold to stop Burgoyne. Washington informed Congress that without Arnold “the most disagreeable consequences may be apprehended.”

Arnold Leads Continentals to Relieve Fort Stanwix
Arnold Leads Continentals to Relieve Fort Stanwix

The Tryon County militia sent to relieve the siege of Fort Stanwix had been badly mauled at the Battle of Oriskany on August 6, 1777. The combined Loyalist and Indian contingent under British Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger, settled back into its work of reducing the fort or forcing the American garrison to surrender.

Death and Destruction at the Battle of Oriskany
Death and Destruction at the Battle of Oriskany

The Battle of Oriskany on August 6, 1777, ended as suddenly and unexpectedly as it began. Shortly after 3 p.m., the Mohawks, Senecas, and Loyalists ceased fire on the Tryon County militiamen and headed back to their camp outside Fort Stanwix, about six miles away. The death and destruction left in their wake was frightening to behold.

The Battle of Oriskany
The Battle of Oriskany

The morning of August 6, 1777 found 700 Tryon County New York militiamen encamped at an Oneida Indian village about seven miles from Fort Stanwix, itching for a fight. They planned to make a surprise attack on the British force besieging the fort, but things did not go as expected and most would not survive the day.

The Siege of Fort Stanwix
The Siege of Fort Stanwix

The American Revolution battle with the greatest loss of American lives was not one of the better-known engagements such as Bunker Hill, Brooklyn Heights, or Camden. It was a somewhat forgotten fight in western New York at a place called Oriskany. Although not well-remembered, it had a significant impact on our fight for independence.

Americans Victorious at Saratoga
Americans Victorious at Saratoga

Following the setback at Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, in which the British had lost another 900 men, and despite the deplorable condition of the British Army, General John Burgoyne still had hope that he could somehow extricate his forces from the grip of the Continental Army. But the noose was tightening, and Burgoyne and his other commanders knew they had to act fast.

British and Americans Clash at Saratoga
British and Americans Clash at Saratoga

By mid-September 1777, British General John Burgoyne, after crossing to the west bank of the Hudson River, was committed to continuing his advance towards Albany. There was only one road he could take to get there, and that road was strongly defended by an American army, twice as large as his own.

British and Americans Poised for Battle
British and Americans Poised for Battle

In the eight short weeks since capturing Fort Ticonderoga without a fight, British General John Burgoyne had seen his army go from being invincible to facing starvation and defeat. More bad news arrived on August 28, when Indians brought word that a relief force under Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger coming from the west down the Mohawk River Valley had turned back.

Fort Ticonderoga Falls to British
Fort Ticonderoga Falls to British

The first objective for the British task force under the command of General John Burgoyne was the capture of Fort Ticonderoga on the south end of Lake Champlain. This fortress had been the key military site in the region since its construction in 1757, and the scene of conflicts both in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

British Begin the Saratoga Campaign
British Begin the Saratoga Campaign

The Saratoga Campaign of 1777 was arguably the most significant military event during the American Revolution. If the British had achieved their goals, the American colonies would have been split in two and it is very likely that our quest for independence would have failed.

Tom Hand
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