CHAP also made to believe that five to one of the people were

XXXIII.

1777.

Aug.

14.

royalists.

It was soon noised abroad that the enemy were on the way, and the Green Mountain Boys began to assemble. Colonel Stark having been slighted, as he thought, at the recent appointment of officers by Congress, had withdrawn from the Continental army. He was invited to take command of the assembling yeomanry; he accepted the invitation with joy. Expresses were sent in every direction to warn the people to drive off their cattle and horses, and conceal their grain and wagons, and also to Manchester, for Seth Warner to hasten to Bennington with his regiment.

When Baum-who moved very slowly, his men stopping in the woods every few minutes to dress their lineswas within six miles of Bennington, he heard of Stark's approach; he halted, began to intrench, and sent to Burgoyne for reinforcements. Colonel Breyman was sent to his aid, with five hundred Hessians and two field-pieces. A severe storm prevented Stark from making an attack, and also retarded the march of Breyman and Warner. During the night the Berkshire militia joined Stark. An incident may show the spirit of the times: "Among these militia was a belligerent parson, full of fight, Allen by name, possibly of the bellicose family of the hero of Ticonderoga." "General," cried he, "the people of Berkshire have been often called out to no purpose; if you don't give them a chance to fight now they will never turn out again." "You would not turn out now, while it is dark and raining, would you?" demanded Stark. "Not just now," was the reply. "Well, if the Lord should once more give us sunshine, and I don't give you fighting enough," rejoined the veteran, "I'll never ask you to turn out again.'

1

'Irving.

BATTLE OF BENNINGTON-CHANGE OF PROSPECTS.

433

XXXIII.

1777.

Aug.

16.

The next morning the sun did shine, and Stark drew CHAP. out his forces. When he came in sight of the enemy, turning to his men he exclaimed: "There are the redcoats! We must beat to-day, or Molly Stark's a widow.” The attack was made in both rear and front at the same time. The Indians and Tories generally fled to the woods. Baum defended his lines with great determination, and his field-pieces were well manned, but after two hours' fighting, the works were stormed. The Americans had no artillery, but they rushed up within a few yards of the enemy's cannon, the better to take aim at the gunners. At length Baum fell mortally wounded, and his men surrendered.

Scarcely was the battle ended, when Breyman appeared on the one side, and Warner, who had marched all night in the rain, on the other. The fighting was renewed, and continued till night. Favored by the darkness, Breyman left his artillery and made the best of his way back to Burgoyne. About two hundred of the enemy were slain, and six hundred taken prisoners. A thousand stand of arms and four pieces of artillery fell into the hands of the Americans, who had but fourteen killed and forty wounded.

What a change a few weeks had produced in the prospects of the two main armies! To the American, the militia were flocking, the brigades from the Highlands had arrived, and Morgan with that terror of the Indians, his riflemen, five hundred strong. Disasters, in the mean while, crowded upon Burgoyne. The side enterprises of St. Leger and Baum had failed; the New Hampshire and Massachusetts troops were pressing on toward Ticonderoga to cut off his supplies and intercourse with Canada. The Indians, in great numbers, were deserting. They had taken umbrage because their atrocities were to be hereafter restrained. Burgoyne was a gentleman, humane and cultivated; he abhorred these outrages, and, to his honor be it said, preferred that the savages should leave his army,

XXXIII.

CHAP rather than they should remain and be unrestrained. The disgrace of employing them belongs to his government at 1777. home, not to him.

Sept.

It was at this juncture that Gates arrived to take command. He found the army in high spirits, nearly six thousand in number, and increasing every day. Schuyler met him with his usual highminded courtesy, explained fully the condition of the two armies, and offered him all the assistance he could give, by his counsel or otherwise. So little could Gates appreciate such generous impulses, that, a few days after, when he called his first council of war, he omitted to invite Schuyler.

Leaving the islands at the mouth of the Mohawk, Gates moved up the river and took position on Behmus's Heights—a ridge of hills extending close to the river-bank and lying just south of Saratoga. There he intrenched his army by strong batteries on the right and left.

Burgoyne had thrown a bridge of boats over the Hudson, and led over the English portion of his army to Saratoga, while the Hessians remained on the eastern side. Both divisions moved slowly down the river. There were deep ravines and woods between the two armies, and knolls covered with dense forests; also, in one place, a cleared field. On the nineteenth it was announced that the enemy were in motion toward the American left. Here Arnold commanded, while Gates took charge of the right. It was the intention of the British to draw the Americans in that direction, and then to make an assault on their centre, when thus weakened, and cut their way through to Albany. Gates designed to wait the attack in his camp, but Arnold wished to hold the enemy in check, and not permit them to turn the American left. After much solicitation, he obtained permission from Gates to send Morgan with his riflemen to check the enemy. The riflemen soon met, and put to flight the advance-guard, but pursuing them with two much ardor they came upon a

BATTLE OF BEHMUS'S HEIGHTS.

435

XXXIII

19.

strong column, and were themselves forced to fall back in CHAP confusion. Arnold now came to their aid with other regiments, and soon he was contending almost-hand to hand 1777. with the entire British right wing. He sent repeatedly to Gates for reinforcements, which the latter refused to send, and excused himself on the ground that he would thus weaken his own wing; and Arnold, with only three thousand men, was left for four hours to sustain the attack. The severest conflict was around, and in the open field. The Americans were posted on the one side in a dense Sept. wood, where cannon could not be used; the British on the opposite side in a thin pine grove, where they could use their artillery. When the British would move into the field, the American riflemen would drive them back, and when the Americans became the pursuers, the British would sweep their ranks with their cannon. A dozen times this field was lost and won. The riflemen repeatedly took possession of the British artillery, but the roughness of the ground would not permit them to secure the guns; and before they could turn them, they themselves were driven off at the point of the bayonet. Night ended the contest; the Americans withdrew to their camp, and the British remained on the field of battle. The latter lost more than five hundred, while the Americans lost less than three hundred. They looked upon the result as a triumph; they had accomplished all they intended, and the enemy had failed in their designs.

Two days before the battle of Behmus's Heights, a detachment of Lincoln's militia, under Colonel Brown, had seized the posts at the outlet of Lake George; also a fleet of bateaux laden with provisions for Burgoyne's army, and three hundred prisoners. The same party united with another, and laid siege to Ticonderoga.

Burgoyne's intercourse with Canada was thus cut off; his provisions were fast diminishing, and his horses were dying for want of forage. At this moment of darkness

XXXIII

CHAP came a gleam of light—a note from Sir Henry Clintoninforming him that in a few days he would make an effort 1777. to ascend the Hudson. In hopes of maintaining his posi tion until Clinton could relieve him, Burgoyne began to fortify his camp. For nearly three weeks the two armies watched each other. Almost every day advanced parties skirmished, but as Gates was deficient in ammunition, he hesitated to attack.

Meantime there was trouble in the American camp. The soldiers attributed the success of the late battle to generalship of Arnold. But for some reason, jealousy perhaps, Gates removed him from his command.

Hearing nothing further from Clinton, Burgoyne resolved to risk a battle, and cut his way through the opposing force. He therefore sent a detachment of fifteen hundred picked men to take position within a mile of the Oct. American lines. A New Hampshire brigade attacked this division furiously, and Morgan, with his riflemen, managed to cut them off from their camp.

7.

Arnold was in his tent, brooding over the treatment he had received, and had almost resolved to leave the army. Suddenly he heard the noise of battle; his ruling passion was instantly on fire. Mounting his horse, he rode with all speed to the scene of conflict. Gates, who saw him as he dashed away, exclaimed: "He will do some rash thing," and sent after him orders, by Major Wilkinson, to return; but in vain,-Arnold heard only the roar of battle. He rushed into the thickest of the fight, cheered on the men, who answered him with shouts of recognition. To those looking on, he seemed insane. By his exertions the British lines were broken again and again, but as often General Frazer would rally his men and renew the conflict. Presently Frazer fell mortally wounded by one of Morgan's riflemen. The whole line gave way, abandoned their cannon, and with the greatest effort regained their camp. In