The Battle of Saratoga

The Battle of Saratoga

The Battle of Saratoga was a major turning point in the American war of Independence. In it General

Horatio Gates of the Continental Army defeated British General John Burgoyne in two battles. This

great American victory help tremendously in the diplomatic talks that helped bring France into the war.

During the year 1777 British General John Burgoyne began his march from Canada to capture

Albany. His march was part of a master plan to cut the colonies in half by dividing New England from

the Southern and Middle colonies. As part of this plan British General William Howe was supposed to

make a junction with Burgoyne at Albany. A British force was also sent to capture Charleston in the

South, and gather southern loyalist support.

Burgoyne's march began successfully and he re-captured the fortress of Ticonderoga (called

Fort Ti by Americans) by mounting cannon on Mt Defiance.

This made Fort Ti completely vulnerable, and it surrendered without firing a shot. He then cut his

communications with Canada, and began marching toward his goal.

American attacks on his supply lines forced him to send a foraging party to the village of Bennington.

They where bloodily repulsed by farmers however, and Burgoyne lost nearly a 1/6 of his army's

strength because of desertion and casualties from the battle.

However his army continued it's march toward Albany. They marched as far as a village called

Saratoga. Gate's Army was well intrenched on Bemis Heights, but Burgoyne decided to attempt a

flanking maneuver which Benedict Arnold (on Gate's staff at the time) anticipated. Gates allowed some

troops to

harass Burgoyne's troops, and the conflict then erupted into the Battle for Freeman Farm (the farm

belonged to a Loyalist named John Freeman). The first battle ended with the British winning a Pyrrhic

victory, as they suffered very heavy losses, which combined with desertion, and the losses at

Bennington left Burgoyne's army weaker than 7,000 men while Gates army numbered around 9,000 at

Freeman's Farm. Burgoyne was pressured to retreat, but feeling that his reputation was very much at

stake he decided to make another attack. He personally scouted the American left flank to see if a

flanking attack was possible. He determined that it was and proceeded to pursue it. Nearly 8,000

Americans took the field against 6,000 some British troops. The fight was very fierce, with Gates

committing more troops as the conflict progressed taking some of them from the right wing of his

army.

The British were defeated in this Battle and began a disorganized rout to their intrenchments.

Burgoyne was nearly killed as several bullets hit his horse, clothes and hat. General Simon Fraser

wasn't so lucky and was mortally wounded by a marksman in a tree. His death severely affected the

fighting power of the British. After the Battle of Bemis Heights Burgoyne's hope rested on Sir Henry

Clinton's army for succour. However this help did not arrive, and realizing the hopeless of his position

as his army was melting away from desertion he reached a decision to surrender.

This Battle perhaps more than any other (except maybe Yorktown) contributed to the eventual

American-Allied victory. Negotiations with France had been slow since the French King was unsure if

the rebels even has a chance. The American victory at Saratoga showed him that the Americans could

win. Spain also joined the war after overcoming fears of rebellion in her own colonies. France's

negotiations with Spain also contributed to their joining. The Netherlands (or Holland) also began 

to attack the British although their main contribution was money in the form of loans.

BY CWS