Horatio
Gates was born on July 26, 1727 in Maldon, England and died of old age on April
10, 1806 in New York City. At the age of 22, Gates came to America as a
volunteer with the governor of Nova Scotia. In 1754, Gates became an American
general who fought in the French and Indian War and was the commander of both
the Northern and Southern Army of the U.S. After being defeated in the French
and Indian War, Gates was badly wounded and disabled for a long period of time
afterward.
He
was the commanding officer during the recapture of Fort Ticonderoga. Gates’
army defeated Burgoyne twice and forced his army to surrender. This victory at
the Battle of Saratoga was a major turning point of the American Revolution,
convincing France to form an alliance with America. In late 1777, he was
appointed as President of the Board of War. In November 1778, Major General
Gates resigned from the Board of War and was appointed Commander of the Eastern
Department. He then retired back to his farm in 1789, but was called back a
year later and given the command of the Southern Army. After the defeat at
Camden, Nathanael Greene soon replaced Gates.
Bibliography:
- http://www.revolutionary-war.net/horatio-gates.html
- http://www.mountvernon.org/research-collections/digital-encyclopedia/article/horatio-gates/
- http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/wwww/us/horatiogatesdef.htm