Bemis's Heights, battles of.
General Schuyler, with his feeble army, had so successfully opposed the march of
Burgoyne down the
valley of the Hudson that he had not passed
Saratoga the first week in August, 1777.
When the expedition of St. Leger from the
Mohawk and the defeat of the Germans at
Hoosick, near
Bennington, had crippled and discouraged the invaders, and
Schuyler was about to turn upon them, and strike for the victory for which he had so well prepared, he was superseded by
General Gates in the command of the
Northern army.
Yet his patriotism was not cooled by the ungenerous act, the result of intrigue, and he offered
Gates every assistance in his power.
Had the latter acted promptly, he might have gained a victory at once; but he did not. At the end of twenty days he moved the army to a strong position on Bemis's Heights, where his camp was fortified by
Kosciusko, the Polish patriot and engineer.
Burgoyne called in his outposts, and with is shattered forces and splendid train of artillery he crossed the
Hudson on a
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bridge of boats (Sept. 13, 1777), and encamped on the
Heights of Saratoga, afterwards Schuylerville.
New courage had been infused into the hearts of the
Americans by the events near
Bennington and on the upper
Mohawk, and
Gates's army was rapidly increasing in numbers.
Burgoyne felt compelled to move forward speedily.
Some American troops, under
Col. John Brown, had got in his rear, and surprised a British post at the foot of
Lake George (Sept. 18). They also attempted to capture
Ticonderoga.
Burgoyne  |
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Neilson House on Bemis's Heights.1 |
had moved slowly southward, and on the morning of Sept. 19 he offered battle to
Gates.
First battle.
His left wing, with the immense artillery train, commanded by
Generals Phillips and
Riedesel, kept upon the plain near the river.
The centre, composed largely of German troops, led by
Burgoyne in person, extended to a range of hills that were touched by the
American left, and upon these hills
General Fraser and
Lieutenant-Colonel Breyman, with grenadiers and infantry, were posted.
The front and flank of
Burgoyne's army were covered by the Canadians, Tories, and Indians who yet remained in camp.
General Gates, who lacked personal courage and the skill of a good commander, resolved to act on the defensive.
General Arnold and others, who observed the movements of the
British, urged
Gates to attack them, but he would give no order to fight.
Even at 11 A. M., when the booming of a cannon gave the signal for the general advance of
Burgoyne's army, he remained in his tent, apparently indifferent.
Arnold, as well as others, became extremely impatient as peril drew near.
He was finally permitted to order
Col. Daniel Morgan with his riflemen, and
Dearborn with infantry, to attack the Canadians and Indians, who were swarming on the hills in advance of
Burgoyne's right.
These were driven back and pursued.
Morgan's troops, becoming scattered, were recalled, and with
New England troops, under
Dearborn, Seammel, and
Cilley, another furious charge was made.
After a sharp engagement, in which
Morgan's horse was shot under him, the combatants withdrew to their respective lines.
Meanwhile
Burgoyne had moved rapidly upon the
American centre and left.
At the same time the vigilant
Arnold attempted to turn the
British right.
Gates denied him reinforcements, and restrained him in every way in his power, and he failed.
Masked by thick woods, neither party was now certain of the movements of the other, and they suddenly and unexpectedly met in a ravine at
Freeman's farm, at which
Burgoyne had halted.
There they fought desperately for a while.
Arnold was pressed back, when
Fraser, by a quick movement, called up some German troops from the
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British centre to his aid.
Arnold rallied his men, and with
New England troops, led by
Colonels Brooks,
Dearborn,
Scammel,
Cilley, and
Major Hull, he struck the enemy such heavy blows that his line began to wave and fall into confusion.
General Phillips, below the heights, heard through the woods the dine of battle, and hurried over the hills with fresh English troops and some artillery, followed by a portion of the Germans under
Riedesel, and appeared on the battle-field just as victory seemed about to be yielded to the
Americans.
The battle continued.
The British ranks were becoming fearfully thinned, when
Riedesel fell heavily upon the
American flank with infantry and artillery, and they gave way. The
Germans saved the
British army from ruin.
A lull in the battle succeeded, but at the middle of the afternoon the contest was renewed with greater fury.
At length the
British, fearfully assailed by bullet and bayonet, recoiled and fell back.
At that moment
Arnold was at headquarters, seated upon a powerful black horse, and in vain urging
Gates to give him reinforcements.
Hearing the roar of the renewed battle, he could no longer brook delay, and turning his horse's head towards the field of strife, and exclaiming, “I'll soon put an end to it!”
went off on a full gallop, followed by one of
Gates's staff, with directions to order him back.
The subaltern could not overtake the general, who, by words and acts, animated the
Americans.
For three hours the battle raged.
Like an ocean tide the warriors surged backward and forward, winning and losing victory alternately.
When it was too late,
Gates sent out the New York regiments of
Livingston and
Van Cortlandt and the whole brigade of
General Learned.
Had
Gates complied with
Arnold's wishes, the capture of
Burgoyne's army might have been easily accomplished.
Night closed the contest, and both parties slept on their arms until morning.
But for
Arnold and
Morgan, no doubt
Burgoyne would have been marching triumphantly on
Albany before noon that day. So jealous was
Gates because the army praised those gallant leaders, that he omitted their names in his official report.
The number of
Americans killed and wounded in this action was about 300; of the
British about 600.
Second battle.
Burgoyne found his broken army utterly dispirited on the morning after the first battle, and he withdrew to a point 2 miles from the
American lines.
Arnold urged
Gates to attack him at dawn, but that officer would not consent.
Burgoyne was hoping to receive good news from
Sir Henry Clinton, who was preparing to ascend the
Hudson with a strong force.
So he intrenched his camp, put his troops in better spirits by a cheerful harangue, and resolved to wait for
Clinton.
The next morning he was himself cheered by a message from
Clinton, who promised to make a diversion in his favor immediately; also by a despatch from
Howe, announcing a victory over
Washington on the
Brandywine (see
Brandywine, battle of).
Burgoyne gave the glad tidings to his army, and wrote to
Clinton that he could sustain his position until Oct. 12.
But his condition rapidly grew worse.
The American army hourly increased in numbers, and the militia were swarming on his flanks and rear.
His foraging parties could get very little food for the starving horses, the militia so annoyed them.
In his hospitals were 800 sick and wounded men, and his effective soldiers were fed on diminished rations.
His Indian allies descrted him, while, through the exertions of
Schuyler,
Oneida warriors joined the forces of
Gates.
Lincoln, with 2,000 men, also joined him on the 22d; still
Gates remained inactive.
His officers were impatient, and
Arnold plainly told him that the army was clamorous for action, and the militia were threatening to go home.
He told him that he had reason to think that if they had improved the 20th of September it might have ruined the enemy.
“That is past,” he said: “let me entreat you to improve the present time.”
Gates was offended, and, treating the brave
Arnold with silent contempt, sat still.
A long time
Burgoyne waited for further fidings from
Clinton.
On Oct. 4, he called a council of officers.
It was decided to fight their way through the
American lines, and, on the morning of oct. 7, 1777, the whole army moved.
Towards the
American left wing
Burgoyne pressed with 1,500 picked men, eight brass cannon, and two howitzers, leaving the main army on the heights in command
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of Brigadiers Specht and
Hamilton, and the redoubts near the river with
Brigadier-General Gall.
Phillips,
Fraser, and
Riedesel were with
Burgoyne.
Canadian rangers, loyalists, and Indians were sent to hang on the
American rear, while
Burgoyne should attack their front.
This movement was discerned before the
British were ready for battle.
The drums of the
American advanced guard beat to arms.
The alarm ran all along the lines.
Gates had 10,000 troops — enough to have crushed the weakened fee if properly handled.
he inquired the cause of the disturbance, and then permitted
Colonel Morgan to “begin the game.”
Morgan soon gained a good position on the
British right, while
General Poor, with his New Hampshire brigade, followed by General Ten Broeck, with New-Yorkers advanced against their left.
Meanwhile, the
Canadian rangers and their companions had gained the
American rear, and attacked their pickets.
They were soon joined by grenadiers.
The
Americans were driven back to their lines, when a sharp fight ensued.
By this time the whole British line was in battle order, the grenadiers under
Major Acland, with artillery under
Major Williams, forming the left; the centre composed of British and grenadiers under
Philips and
Riedesel, and the right of infantry under Earl Balcarras.
General Fraser, with 500 picked men, was in advance of the
British right, ready to fall upon the left flank of the
Americans when the action should begin on the front.
It was now between three and four o'clock in the afternoon.
As
Burgoyne was about to advance, he was astonished by the thunder of cannon on his left, and the crack of rifles on his right.
Poor had pressed up the thick-wooded slope on which
Majors Acland and
Williams were posted, unobserved, until he was near the batteries, which were captured after a desperate struggle, in which the leader of the British grenadiers was severely wounded, and
Major Williams, of the artillery, was made prisoner.
Five times one of the cannon was taken and retaken.
When the
British fell back, and the gun remained with the
Americans,
Colonel Cilley leaped upon it, waved his sword over his head, dedicated the piece to the “American cause,” and, turning it upon the foe, he opened its destructive energies upon them with their own ammunition.
sir Francis Clarke,
Burgoyne's chief aide, who was sent to secure the cannon, was mortally wounded, made a prisoner, and sent to
Gates's tent.
The whole eight cannon
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Plan of battles on Bemis's Heights. |
and the possession of the field remained with the
Americans.
Meanwhile
Colonel Morgan had assailed
Fraser's flanking corps so furiously that they were driven back to their lines.
There
Morgan fell upon the
British right so fiercely that it was thrown into confusion.
A panic prevailed.
It was followed by an onslaught in front by
Dearborn, with fresh troops, when the
British broke and fled in terror.
Balcarras soon rallied them, while the centre, composed
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chiefly of Germans, though convulsed, stood firm.
Now
Arnold came upon the scene.
Gates, offended by what he called
Arnold's “impertinence,” had deprived him of all command, and he was an impatient spectator of the battle.
When he could no longer restrain himself, he sprang upon his charger and started on full gallop for the field of action, pursued by a subaltern to call him back.
He dashed into the vortex of danger, where the pursuer dared not follow.
He was received with cheers by his old troops, and he led them against the
British centre.
With the desperation of a madman he rushed into the thickest of the fight.
When, at the head of his men, he dashed into the firm German lines, they broke and fled in dismay.
The battle was now general.
Arnold and
Morgan were the ruling spirits on the
American side.
Fraser was the soul that directed the most potent energies of the
British.
One of
Morgan's riflemen singled him out by his brilliant uniform, and shot him through the body, wounding him mortally.
Then a panic ran along the
British line.
At the sight of 3,000 fresh New York militia, under General Ten Broeck, approaching, the wavering line gave way, and the troops retreated to their intrenchments, leaving their artillery behind.
Up to their intrenchments, the
Americans, with
Arnold at their head, eagerly pressed, in the face of a terrible storm of grape-shot and bullets.
The works were assailed with small arms.
Balcarras defended them bravely until he could resist no longer.
The voice of
Arnold was heard above the din of battle, and his form was seen, in the mikst of the smoke, dashing from point to point.
With the troops first of
Generals Paterson and
Glover, and then of Learned, he assailed the enemy's right, which was defended by Canadians and loyalists.
The
English gave way, leaving the Germans exposed.
Then
Arnold ordered up the troops of
Livingston and
Wesson, with
Morgan's riflemen, to make a general assault, while
Colonel Brooks, with his
Massachusetts regiment, accompanied by
Arnold, attacked the troops commanded by
Lieutenant-Colonel Breyman.
Arnold rushed into the sally-port on his powerful black horse, and spread such terror among the Germans that they field, giving a parting volley of bullets, one of which gave
Arnold a severe wound in the same leg that was badly hurt at
Quebec.
At that moment he was overtaken by the subaltern, who had been sent by
Gates to recall him, “lest he should do some rash thing.”
He had done it. He had achieved a victory for which
Gates received the honor.
The
Germans had thrown down their weapons.
Breyman was mortally wounded.
The fight ended at twilight, and before the dawn,
Burgoyne, who had resolved to retreat, removed his whole army a mile or two north of his intrenchments.
In this remarkable battle — won by an officer who had been deprived of his command — the
Americans lost, in killed and wounded, 150 men; that of the
British, including prisoners, was about 700.
Arnold was the only American
commanding officer who received a wound.
It is said that
Gates did not leave his tent all that day, not having recovered from a debauch in which he had indulged the night before.
