In the summer of 1777, British General John Burgoyne launched a three-pronged advance towards Albany, New York, with the goal of splitting off New England from the other colonies. One 1,800-man contingent, half Loyalists and half Native Americans, moved east from Lake Ontario to the Mohawk River Valley. Their primary target was the 500-man American garrison at Fort Stanwix. General Nicholas Herkimer, commander of the Tryon County militia based thirty miles away at Fort Dayton, was informed of the siege and assembled 700 militiamen to march to the fort’s relief.

Following their loss at Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, the British Army was in a bad way, but there was still hope. General John Burgoyne had 6,000 well-trained soldiers and, although greatly outnumbered by the Continental Army, British-controlled Fort Ticonderoga was only fifty miles away.

General John Burgoyne’s British Army crossed to the west bank of the Hudson River in mid-September to continue its march towards Albany. General Benedict Arnold had placed American troops in a virtually unassailable position on high ground called Bemis Heights. On September 19, Burgoyne moved through heavy woods around the American flank, hoping to surprise the Continentals. However, Arnold, anticipating this move, sent Captain Daniel Morgan’s Virginia riflemen and Major Henry Dearborn’s light infantry to attack the British at Freeman’s Farm before they could deploy.

In the eight weeks since capturing Fort Ticonderoga, British General John Burgoyne had seen his army go from being invincible to facing starvation and defeat. The Americans were having issues as well. With the loss of Fort Ticonderoga, New Englanders in Congress had the perfect excuse to remove General Phillip Schuyler, who was strongly disliked, from command. He was replaced with General Horatio Gates, and General George Washington sent his best field commander, General Benedict Arnold, to assist as well. Unfortunately, Gates resented Arnold’s fame and that resentment would almost cost the Continental Army this campaign.

As General John Burgoyne’s British Army advanced deeper into New York in the summer of 1777, his supply line lengthened, making it more difficult to obtain supplies, especially given the wretched roads in the area. Living off the land was not an option as the Continental Army destroyed any provisions they could not carry off as they retreated. With the situation growing desperate, Burgoyne dispatched a detachment to capture a stockpile of supplies at Bennington. On August 16, these troops walked into a buzzsaw in the form of Colonel John Stark and 2,000 angry New Hampshire militiamen spoiling for a fight.