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Congress paid the honors due for this gallant defence to Greene, Smith and Hazlewood, voting to each the thanks of the American people, and an emblematic sword.

Sad hours had meanwhile passed on the eastern bank of the Delaware. Extricated from among the dead bodies of his soldiers, the youthful Donop was approached by Duplessis. Perceiving from his accent that he was a French officer, he exclaimed in that language, "I am content. I die in the hands of honor itself." Tenderly nursed by Duplessis, he died the third day. From his death bed, he wrote to Count St. Germain, commending this young officer to his kindness. As his last moment approached, contrasting his own fate with that of the gallant volunteer in a glorious cause, the expiring soldier said, with his latest breath, "It is finishing a noble career early, but I die the victim of my ambition and of the avarice of my sovereign.'

99*

* De Chatellux's Travels, 260-266.

CHAPTER XI.

THREE days after these brilliant affairs, authentic advices were received of the issue of the campaign at the north. Although Burgoyne reached Skenesborough on the ninth of July, such were the obstructions interposed by Schuy ler and the difficulties of the route, that his progress was very slow. On both sides of his line of march large trees were felled into his path. The artillery mired at every step. So numerous were the creeks and marshes, forty bridges or causeways were constructed by him, one nearly two miles long, of logs. The scalping of a young female under circumstances of sad and peculiar interest had roused the whole country; vengeful wrath succeeding to affright.

Delayed in this wilderness by the unexpected impediments, and afflicted with the barbarity of his savage allies which he labored to prevent, Burgoyne did not encamp upon the Hudson, until after the lapse of sixteen days, a distance from Fort George of only eighteen miles. He was now buoyant with the hope that the prize was within his grasp. Yet the spirit of his enemy ought to have warned him of his dangers. On his way, a sally was made from Fort Anne. The Americans were driven back. They again formed and rushed on, their officers shouting to

them to advance, driving the British before them. These retreated to a hill, where the pursuit ceased for want of ammunition. Even the picket guard had not bullets for the night.

The scenes of distress among the poor inhabitants, flying from their farms and habitations, were most grievous; their immense crops of wheat and corn destroyed or abandoned, many of them, without means of subsistence.

On the approach of Burgoyne, Schuyler retired from Fort Edward to Saratoga, where he issued a proclamation invoking the people to repair to his standard, and threatening punishment as traitors to those joining the enemy. His total force was two thousand five hundred continentals, and two thousand militia. The British and German regulars advancing upon him, were about six thousand.

*

Hoping reinforcements, he intended taking advantage of some heights at Moses Creek, five miles below, there to have met his adversary. No reinforcements came up. "A great part of the militia was dismissed to reap their harvests, others deserted by companies." Thus reduced, instead of strengthened, Schuyler retired to Stillwater, a few miles down the Hudson. Here at first he ordered Lincoln to join him. But learning the embarrassments of Burgoyne, and the feeble garrison at Ticonderoga, he directed him with the eastern militia to move to his rear, and cut off his supplies. Notwithstanding his own diminished strength, being informed of the advance of St. Leger, but not of his repulse, he ordered Arnold, as advised in the letter written by Hamilton, with three regiments of regulars to relieve Fort Schuyler. Thus weakened by these provident measures, with the approval of a council of war, he fell back to Van Schaick's Island, a very defensible position, at the confluence of the Hudson

*Corres. Revo'n., i. 515.

and the Mohawk, which he began to intrench, intending to make a stand.* "We propose," he wrote, "to fortify our camp, in hopes that reinforcements will enable us to keep our ground, and prevent the enemy from penetrating further. Not a word from Massachusetts on my repeated applications; nor am I certain that Connecticut will af ford us any succor."†

The loss of his means of transportation, and the fear of an interruption of his communications with Lake George, whence he drew all his supplies, now prompted Burgoyne to possess himself of Bennington, a town twenty miles east of the Hudson. It was the depository of a large quantity of stores and wagons, under the protection of small temporary groups of militia. To capture them and to mount his cavalry, he detached thither a party of about five hundred men under Colonel Baume, one third dismounted dragoons, fifty British rangers, the residue provincials, Canadians and Indians. In their support, he ordered Colonel Breyman to proceed to Battenkill, on a rapid stream of that name emptying into the Hudson, and advanced his main body.

Baume encountered a much larger force than he had anticipated, led on to battle by a person familiar with arms. John Stark, the son of "a Glasgow man," a Scotch presbyterian, had, in frequent conflict with the Indians, shown such prowess as "a ranger," that his name was familiar to the ear of every borderer of his native New Hampshire, whose energetic colonial militia system had

* "General Schuyler, after the capture of Ticonderoga, collected the scattered remnants of the brigades of General St. Clair, and with these and some militia, gathered by great exertions, took post near Halfmoon. This was the nucleus of the army, which was afterwards put under the command of Gates.” -Leben und Wirken des Friederichs Adolph Riedesel, ii. 192. Leipzig, 1836. + Aug. 4.

well prepared her for the struggles of the revolution. He was at the battle of the "Bloody Pond" near Fort Edward, rose to the rank of colonel, was with Amherst at the taking of Ticonderoga from the French; and in the region near which he now rendered his most signal service to his country, became known to Schuyler during the advance of Lord Howe. At Bunker's Hill he was on the left of the American line; and in the vanguard with Sullivan when he dashed into Trenton. Men of inferior merit were promoted above him. He retired dissatisfied.

Schuyler knew his value. He appealed to his patriotism, and persuaded him in this great emergency to resume his sword. The militia of New Hampshire hastened to his standard, and, augmented by those under Warner, numbered two thousand men.

Baume saw his danger, ordered Breyman to hasten forward, and quickly intrenched himself. Stark fulfilled the promise of his life. He boldly stormed the intrenchments, killing and making prisoners near the whole of the enemy. "The militia," the veteran wrote, "advanced through fire and smoke, and mounted breastworks well fortified and defended with cannon."-"The battle was the hottest I ever saw. It was like one continued clap of thunder." *

Breyman arrived, but too late. He attacked the pursuing militia, when Warner came up with a party of continentals. The rest of the Americans followed. After a severe conflict, losing his baggage and artillery, Breyman escaped under cover of night, meeting Burgoyne advancing with a small force to his aid. "Our troops," Lincoln wrote, "behaved in a very brave and heroic manner. They pushed the enemy from one work to another, thrown

* In compliment for his gallantry, Massachusetts voted him "a suit of clothes and a piece of linen."

VOL. I.-20

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