up the action, however, until dark, by which CHAP. V. time his ammunition, though forty rounds had 1777. been delivered to each man, was very nearly expended. Abandoning his artillery and baggage, he then saved his party under cover of the night.

In this action, one thousand stand of arms, a very important supply for the militia, and nine hundred swords were taken.

General Burgoyne represented his loss in men at about four hundred; but thirty-two officers, and five hundred and sixty-four privates including Canadians and tories, were made prisoners. The number of the dead was not ascertained, because the action with Brechman had been in the woods, and had been kept up for several miles.

The British general, therefore, must have included in his estimate of loss, only his European troops.

This important success was soon followed by another of no less decisive influence on the fate of the campaign.

Fort Schuyler was fortified with more skill, and defended with more courage, than St. Leger had expected. His artillery made no impression on the walls, and his Indians, who were much better pleased with obtaining plun der and scalps, than with besieging fortresses, became very intractable. Their loss in the battle with Herkemer and Willet sat heavy

CHAP. V. on them, and they manifested much disgust 1777. with the service. In this state of mind they

received information, that Arnold was advancing on them with a large body of continental troops; and not long afterwards, were told that Burgoyne and his army had been totally defeated; a report very probably founded on the affair at Bennington. They were by no means disposed to share the ill fortune of their friends, and showed very clearly a determination not to await the arrival of Arnold. To prevail on them to continue with him, St. Leger flattered their chiefs by consulting them respecting his future operations, and called them together in council, with the hope that they might be detained by the influence of sir John Johnson, and the superintendants of Indian affairs, who accompanied him. He was mistaken. While the council was sitting, a part of them decamped, and all the rest threatened immediately to follow.

There was no longer time for deliberation. The siege was raised, and the camp broke up siege of fort with circumstances indicating excessive alarm.

St. Leger

abandons the

Schuyler, and

retires to

Ticonderoga. The tents were left standing, and the artillery,

with great part of the baggage, ammunition, and provisions, fell into the hands of the Americans. They were pursued by a detachment from the garrison, and it was stated by deserters, that the Indians plundered the remaining baggage of the officers, and massacred such

soldiers as could not keep up with the line of CHAP. V. march.

St. Leger returned to Montreal, from whence he proceeded to Ticonderoga, with the intention of joining general Burgoyne by that route.

The decisive victory obtained at Bennington and the retreat of St. Leger from fort Schuyler, however important in themselves, were still more so in their consequences. The deduction from the force of the enemy was an advantage of real magnitude. The liberation of the whole Mohawk country, by an event, which as effectually excluded the invading army from further participating in the campaign as if it had been captured; and which enabled the Americans to unite all their forces in the northern department against Burgoyne, contributed materially to the brilliant successes which followed. Their operation on public opinion was perhaps not less essential. The militia, and even the continental troops, recovered that confidence in themselves, which a continued series of misfortune had greatly diminished. An army, which had heretofore spread terror and dismay in every direction, which had before experienced no reverse of fortune, was considered as already beaten; and the opinion became common, that it was now only necessary for the great body of the militia to appear in arms, and the emancipation of their country would be certain, by the destruction of an army, from which so

1777.

CHAP. V. much had been feared. Nor was it an advan. 1777. tage undeserving a place in the estimate of consequences resulting from this change of public opinion, that the disaffected became timid, and the wavering, who, during the torrent of success, would have made a merit of contributing their aid to the victor, were no longer disposed to put themselves and their fortunes in hazard, to support an army whose fate was so uncertain.

The savage barbarities too, which had been perpetrated by the Indians belonging to the army of Burgoyne, as well as to that of St. Leger, excited still more resentment than terror. As the prospect of revenge began to open, the effect of those barbarities became the more apparent; and their influence on the royal cause was the more sensibly felt, because they were The murder indiscriminate. The murder of miss M'Crea,

of miss M'Crea.

an accomplished young lady engaged to a British officer, passed through all the papers of the continent; and the story, in itself sufficiently affecting, being retouched by the hand of more than one master, excited every where a peculiar degree of sensibility.* But there were other causes of still greater influence in producing the events which afterwards took place. The last re-enforcements of continental troops arrived in camp about this time, and added

See Note, No. III, at the end of the volume.

both courage and strength to the army. The CHAP. V. harvest, which had operated powerfully in detaining the northern militia upon their farms, was entirely over; and general Schuyler, whose continued and eminent services had not exempted him from the imputation of being a traitor, was succeeded by general Gates who possessed a large share of the public confidence.

When Schuyler was directed by congress to resume the command of the northern department, Gates had withdrawn himself from it; after which, he had repaired to head quarters, and joined the army under general Washington. When the resolutions were passed, directing an inquiry into the conduct of Schuyler and St. Clair, appointing a committee to report on the mode of conducting the inquiry, and, in the meanwhile, recalling them and all the brigadiers who had served in that department, general Washington was requested to name a successor to Schuyler. On his expressing a wish to decline this nomination, and representing the inconvenience of removing all the general officers from the department; Gates was again General Gates directed to repair thither, and take the com- cominand of mand; and the resolution to recall the brigadiers was suspended, until the commander in chief should be of opinion that it might be carried into effect with safety.

Schuyler retained the command until the arrival of Gates, which was about the 21st of

takes the

the northern

army.