Saratoga 1777: the Crucible

special section: Upstate n.Y. Battlefields “British 10th Foot Light Infantry Charging no. 1” Saratoga 1777: (ref. 18014). The Crucible James H. Hillestad draws inspiration from the turning point of the American Revolution to deploy W. Britain figures in a diorama Text and Photos: James H. Hillestad n invitation to a good friend’s Princeton in New Jersey. defeat the Northern Department of the wedding last fall at Lake George, Responding to these major setbacks, American Army. He would then go on to AN.Y., expanded into a side trip to British Gen. John Burgoyne, Carleton’s invade New England and reoccupy Boston, the Saratoga National Historical Park, second in command, proposed an the hotbed of revolutionary sentiment. which in turn inspired an American ambitious plan to King George III and Revolutionary War battlefield diorama. Lord Germain, the secretary of state for THE PLAN UNFOLDS !e focus was the pivotal clash at America. Burgoyne wanted to attack the All went well, at first. Freeman’s Farm during the Battles of Americans in a way that would isolate American-held Fort Ticonderoga Saratoga. New England from the other colonies. commanded the Lake Champlain/Lake I used 1:32-scale, matt-finished He promoted his plan without either the George waterway corridor extending figures and scenic accessories from W. knowledge or the concurrence of Howe. from the St. Lawrence River to the north Britain to re-create the clash in miniature. to the Hudson River to the south. After !e toy soldiers recruited for the scene CAMPAIGN PLAN Burgoyne’s soldiers took command of included British 10th Foot Light Infantry “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne’s campaign high ground with artillery and nearly pitted against Colonial militiamen and plan called for a three-pronged invasion surrounded the Americans’ defenses, Continental Line Infantry of New York/ of New York by British armies operating fort commander Gen. Arthur St. Clair New Jersey. along major waterways. withdrew his 3,000 troops July 6, 1777. !e major strike force, commanded by Most of the American army escaped BATTLE BACKGROUND Burgoyne, would descend on Albany by eastward to Vermont. !ere the Colonials Sir Guy Carleton, the British governor way of Lake Champlain and the Upper suffered another defeat in the Battle of of Canada, had attempted to invade the Hudson River. Hubbardton. Province of New York from the north A smaller army, under the command of Meanwhile, the sick and wounded, by way of Lake Champlain in 1776. His Brig. Gen. Barry St. Leger, would advance together with the rebel army’s baggage, drive was blunted at Valcour Island by an on Albany from Lake Ontario and the fled down Lake George in a flotilla. American flotilla led by Benedict Arnold Mohawk Valley. Burgoyne dispatched troops in pursuit. Oct. 11. !e third pincer would be elements of !ey captured some of the Americans at Less than two months later, Sir Howe’s main army, which would proceed Skenesborough (Whitehall), N.Y. William Howe, the British commander in northward from New York City along the Unhappily for Burgoyne, his good chief in North America, suffered defeats Hudson. fortune had run out. at the hands of American Gen. George Burgoyne’s plan called for the three St. Leger’s force met stiff resistance at Washington in the Battles of Trenton and British forces to link up at Albany and Fort Stanwix (Rome, N.Y.), an American Figures by W. Britain animate the First Battle of Saratoga diorama. 20 TOY SOLDIER & MODEL FIGURE special section: Upstate n.Y. Battlefields To cut off the Revolution’s heart in new England, Burgoyne planned a three- pronged offensive aimed at Albany, n.Y., from the north, south and west. post guarding the western gateway to the Mohawk Valley, and the nearby Battle of Oriskany Aug. 6. !e imminent arrival of a relief column commanded by Gen. Arnold decided the issue. !e British retreated west to Oswego, N.Y., on the shore of Lake Ontario. As for Howe, not having a vested interest in the overall plan, he opted to leave Burgoyne to shift for himself in the back country of the upper Hudson. Instead of completing his part of the plan, Howe embarked on a seaborne invasion of the Chesapeake. Philadelphia, the American capital, was his ultimate goal. PRELUDE TO SARATOGA Despite these unpropitious events, Burgoyne elected to abandon his supply American troops open fire. line to Canada. He captured a few enemy supply depots a bit north of where the “Continental Line “Colonial Militia new York/new Jersey Standing Firing no. Standing Firing no. 1” 1” (ref. 18043). (ref. 18016). “Continental Line new York/new “British 10th Foot Jersey Light Infantry nCO Advancing no. 1” (ref. 18042). no. 1” (ref. 18018). TOY SOLDIER & MODEL FIGURE 21 special section: Upstate n.Y. Battlefields “Continental Line new York/ new Jersey Drummer no. 1” Diorama by James H. Hillestad depicting the First (ref. 18027). Battle of Saratoga’s clash at Freeman’s Farm. “Continental Line new York/ new Jersey Fifer no. 1” (ref. 18028). Hudson makes a sharp turn west. He Bennington, Vt. Most of them were either his southward advance on Albany. His spent the month of August at one of killed, wounded or captured by American troops marched along improvised wagon them: Fort Edward of French and Indian militia led by Gen. John Stark and Col. tracks bordering the west bank of the War fame. Seth Warner in the Aug. 16 Battle of Hudson River. Boats were used to float Hoping to find supplies and badly Bennington. It actually took place about many of his supplies down the river. needed horses for his dismounted cavalry, 10 miles west on the New York side of Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, the new Burgoyne sent a contingent of about the border. commander of the Northern Department 800 of his German mercenaries toward In early September, Burgoyne resumed of the American Army, had not been idle. He started entrenching his troops on “Colonial Militia at Bemis Heights just south of old Saratoga Port Arms no. 2” (Schuylerville, N.Y.) Sept. 12. !e ridge (ref. 18057). of bluffs in the Town of Stillwater, N.Y., is located southeast of today’s city of Saratoga Springs. !e Patriot position on Bemis Heights overlooked a section of the Hudson and river road where the terrain created a natural and unavoidable bottleneck for the advancing British army to squeeze “British 10th Foot Light through. Gates’ men built formidable Infantry Standing Firing defenses with 22 cannons. From their no. 1” (ref. 18026). vantage point, they could strike both the waterway and the road through the narrow defile. “British 10th Foot Light Infantry Advancing no. 1” (ref. 18048). “Colonial Militia at Port Arms no. 1” (ref. 18045). The British defend behind “Colonial Militia Standing scant cover. Loading no. 1” (ref. 18044). 22 TOY SOLDIER & MODEL FIGURE special section: Upstate n.Y. Battlefields Bemis Heights overlooking the Hudson River. British light infantry are called out. BATTLE JOINED accompanied the center column. !e British Burgoyne, with 6,000 men, would now be general’s local Tory and Indian scouts had confronted by 9,000 Americans. !e latter deserted him, so like the mythical Argus, it included Arnold’s 1,200 Continentals, was “all eyes and no sight.” fresh from their victorious campaign His troops ran into Continentals and against St. Leger. Morgan’s riflemen, who were concealed in !ere was also a detachment of 500 woods near a 15-acre clearing known as riflemen (described by Washington Freeman’s Farm. !e owner, John Freeman, The battlefield’s “Boot Monument” as “chosen men”), commanded by the was a Loyalist who had headed north to memorializes Arnold’s wound and his legendary Col. Daniel Morgan. His Fort Edward to meet up with Burgoyne’s heroism at Saratoga. His name, however, men had earned Washington’s sobriquet army. was omitted due to his later changing sides through years of fighting Indians along the For three hours, the fight swayed to in the war. frontier. Morgan was a remarkable figure and fro across the clearing. After the -- a brawling, untutored frontiersman, British were reinforced by troops from who signaled his riflemen in battle with their left wing, the Americans retired to BATTLE RESUMES turkey calls! Bemis Heights. Burgoyne renewed his offensive Oct. 7, On Sept. 19, Burgoyne divided his army So ended the First Battle of Saratoga. triggering the Second Battle of Saratoga. into three columns to sweep around where !e encounter cost the British force about His troops, however, were a shadow of he thought the Americans might be. He 600 men -- double the American losses. what they had been just a month before. “Continental Line American Continentals new York/new and militia fire from Jersey Kneeling positions in the woods. Loading no. 1” (ref. 18020). “Continental Line new York/new Jersey Reaching for Cartridge no. 1” (ref. 18019). TOY SOLDIER & MODEL FIGURE 23 special section: Upstate n.Y. Battlefields British light infantrymen go into action. Map showing the opposing armies’ movements during the First Battle of Saratoga. !ey were low on forage for their horses. to echo through the woods, however, Morgan’s riflemen. !e men were on half-rations. Many of Arnold rode from the camp to direct Ten days later, Burgoyne surrendered the Redcoats had succumbed to weakness the attack. !e general rallied troops his command of 5,791 officers and men and disease. Winter was coming soon. who assaulted and captured the enemy’s and 35 cannons. On the American side, Gates now had Breymann Redoubt. But in the course of 11,000 men and his army was growing the action, the valiant Arnold was seriously THE AFTERMATH daily.

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