The Battle of Saratoga

During the summer of 1776, a powerful army under British General Sir William Howe invaded the New York City area. His professional troops defeated General George Washington’s less trained forces. Royal army advanced upon the American camp in three separate columns within the present day towns of Stillwater and Saratoga. Royal army advanced upon the American camp in three separate columns within the present day towns of Stillwater and Saratoga. urgoyne had been stopped about a mile north of the American line with his army roughly treated. Shaken by his "victory," the British commander ordered his troops to entrench in the vicinity of the Freeman Farm and await support from Clinton, who was supposedly preparing to move north toward Albany from New York City. Faced by a growing American army without hope of help from the south, and with supplies rapidly diminishing, the British army became weaker with each passing day.

Burgoyne had to choose between advancing or retreating. He decided to risk a second engagement, and on October 7 ordered a reconnaissance-in-force to test the American left flank. Ably led and supported by eight cannon, a force of 1,500 men moved out of the British camp. Before the enemy's flanks could be rallied, Gen. Benedict Arnold -who had been relieved of command after a quarrel with Gates- rode onto the field and led Learned's brigade against the German troops holding the British center. Under tremendous pressure from all sides, the Germans joined a general withdrawal into the fortifications on the Freeman Farm. Within an hour after the opening clash, Burgoyne lost eight cannon and more than 400 officers and men. Flushed with success, the Americans believed that victory was near.

Arnold led one column in a series of savage attacks on the Balcarres Redoubt, a powerful British fieldwork on the Freeman Farm. After failing repeatedly to carry this position, Arnold wheeled his horse and, dashing through the crossfire of both armies, spurred northwest to the Breymann Redoubt. An ill advised American invasion of Canada had come to an alarming end, its once confident regiments reduced to a barely disciplined mob by smallpox and pursuing British troops through the Lake Champlain Valley. The second battle, the Battle of Bemis Heights, occurred on October 7th, when Burgoyne determined to break free from the encircling colonial forces and drive them from the field. The British troops and their German allies were devastated, and nearly lost their entrenched positions. Fighting on horseback, Benedict Arnold, received a wound in his leg during this battle; his contribution to the battle is commemorated by a statue of his boot, with no other reference to the hero turned traitor.

Overall the Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the Revolutionary War. There were around 6,000 soldiers, including militia and sharp shooters. Nearly 1,000 of those soldiers were killed, wounded, captured or missing at the end of the battle. American militiamen turned back an attack on British soldiers in September. The militiamen defeated the British once more three weeks later.