Bill O'Reilly's Legends and Lies - The Patriots by David Fisher

Author:David Fisher
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Published: 2016-04-25T07:00:00+00:00

The Last Portage of the Great Carrying Place depicts some of the hardships endured by Arnold’s troops on their incredible 1775–1776 march to Quebec.

In the ensuing months Arnold once again was caught up in military politics as other officers, men he viewed as far less deserving, were promoted over him as the Congress attempted to balance the number of generals from each state. Arnold again threatened to resign. Washington was sympathetic and wrote to Congress in his behalf, and as a result Arnold received his promotion to major general—but not the seniority he strongly felt he deserved.

It was at the crucial Battle of Saratoga, in September 1777, that Benedict Arnold distinguished himself as an American military hero—and faced the greatest humiliation of his career. The previous June, General John Burgoyne had begun the British offensive from Canada, leading eight thousand troops armed with more than 130 artillery pieces from Quebec down the Hudson River toward Albany, where he was to link up with General Howe’s troops moving north from New York. If this maneuver succeeded, New England would be isolated from the rest of the states and the war might rapidly be brought to an end. In July, “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne shocked the Continental Congress by successfully recapturing strongly fortified Fort Ticonderoga. As a result, Washington replaced Schuyler with General Horatio Gates as commander of the northern army.

Washington had seen far too much of officers who led from behind; to blunt the British offensive, he needed men who weren’t afraid to fight, men who took the battle directly to the enemy, men like Arnold. At Washington’s request, General Arnold withdrew his resignation and joined Gates at Saratoga in upstate New York. Initially the two men got along, but hostility set in when the first battle of Saratoga began on September 17. At Saratoga, the cautious Gates spread his ten thousand men across an area known as the Bemis Heights, overlooking the west bank of the Hudson River. Arnold was given command of the left flank.

Burgoyne decided to initiate his attack from that left flank, hoping to get behind Gates’s army on the heights. In anticipation, Arnold requested permission to attack before Burgoyne was prepared. Gates refused; a former British officer, he still harbored great respect for that army and preferred to maintain his secure position. He would defend the heights. But he allowed Arnold to send out elements of his own division for reconnaissance. The advance units of both armies came together at Freeman’s Farm. Both sides quickly sent reinforcements into the fighting—although Gates refused to commit his main force, certain Burgoyne would make a frontal assault. The battle raged through the afternoon; one of Arnold’s men, Captain Ebenezer Wakefield, reported watching his commander, “in front of the line, his eyes flashing, pointing with his sword to the advancing foe, with a voice that rang clear as a trumpet and electrified the line.” When the fighting was done for the day, Burgoyne’s forces had won but had paid a terrible price.

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