A Few Bloody Noses by Robert Harvey

Author:Robert Harvey [HARVEY, ROBERT]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HIS036030
ISBN: 9781590209424
Publisher: The Overlook Press
Published: 2011-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

15

The Trap

Other things being equal, Howe’s capture of the American capital should have signalled the beginning of the end. In every engagement but one the Americans had been mauled – often badly. Only the previous winter’s skirmishes had suggested there was life in the American cause. But within weeks Howe’s superb achievement in capturing Philadelphia had been overshadowed by news of a disaster slowly engulfing the British army sent under Burgoyne’s leadership down from Canada into the wilds of northern New York State.

On 20 June 1777 Burgoyne had assembled his expeditionary force from Canada for the historic march down the Hudson valley that was intended to defeat the American rebels decisively. His army of 7,000 men had gathered at Cumberland Point, some way north of Valcour Island, where the major battle had taken place on Lake Champlain a year before. It consisted of six British battalions, making up two brigades, and two brigades of Germans, all but one of their battalions being Brunswickers, the last Hessians. The army had 35 guns, 6 howitzers and 6 mortars.

There were 300 Indians to act as scouts, some 1,500 Canadians, and another 100 loyalists, their numbers swelling later in the journey briefly to 700, declining to 400 at the campaign’s end. Burgoyne was supported by two outstanding officers, his chief of staff, Major-General William Phillips, a veteran of Minden, and General Simon Fraser, in charge of a crack corps of light infantry. The commander of the German troops was Baron Adolf von Riedesel.

Burgoyne launched his campaign with a high-sounding proclamation threatening to punish those who

inflicted arbitrary imprisonment, confiscation of property, persecution and torture unprecedented in the inquisitions of the Romish church [upon] the most quiet subjects, without the distinction of age or sex, for the sole crime, often only suspicion, of having adhered in principle to the government under which they were born.

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