Battle Brief: Saratoga
Contributors: Elizabeth Rivera, Dylan Peterson
Battle Background:
Lord George Germain was a strategist for the British. He believed the British troops in Canada under Major General John Burgoyne needed to take control of Albany, New York and the Hudson River. This would then divide the New England colonies from all the other colonies at the Hudson River and make it easier for Britain to gain control. This battle is now known as the Battle of Saratoga. This was a deciding battle for America because if they succeeded, they would gain an ally from France and Spain.
Military Leadership
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| John Burgoyne |
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| Horatio Gates |
Plans and Objectives:
The British were fighting the Continental Army. The British strategy was "Divide-and-Conquer." Burgoyne was to invade America from Canada by advancing down the Hudson Valley to Albany and we would then be joined by other British troops under the command of Howe.
Execution
The Battle of Saratoga was actually made up of two battles only eighteen days apart. In June of 1777, Burgoyne's army of over seven thousand, half Hessian, half British, troops departed from St. Johns on Lake Champlain heading towards Fort Ticonderoga, at the southern end of the lake and proceeded southward.
The first battle took place on September 19 and is known as the, "Battle of Freeman's Farm." In this battle, Burgoyne advanced south, stopping about ten miles below Saratoga where a militia of sharpshooters from Virginia harassed the British and other colonists charged into battle.
The second battle is known as, "Battle of Bemis Heights," and took place on October 7. Burgoyne was determined to break free from the colonial forces and drove them from the field which nearly cost them the loss of their entrenched positions.
Results
The British defeated the Continental Army in the, "Battle of Freeman's Farm." It was a small, but costly victory over the American forces. But the tables turned during the, "Battle of Bemis Heights." Britain was defeated and forced to retreat. They surrendered ten days later with only 5,791 men remaining. Burgoyne lost 86% of his force and returned to England and was never given another command. This American victory convinced the French government to recognize the colonist's cause and enter the war as their ally. This victory was the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
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