Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
107
The career of this dauutless hero uow rapiilly
drew near to its close. L'p to the battle of
Bennington almost iiuexanipled success had
attended the expedition of Biirgoj'ne. The
turning' point had come. The battle of Benning--
ton iufuseil the Americans with a new and
indomitable spirit ; the murder, by savages, of
the beautiful Miss Jane MacRae, aroused the
passions of war ; the failure of General Clinton
toco-operate with Burgoyne; tlie rush of the
militia to the aid of Gates, and the detachment
of Morgan's riflemen by Washington fi-om his
own army to the assistance of the imperiled
north, all conspired to turn the tide of success,
and invite the victorious army to a disastei',
rendered famous in the annals of history.
On September l-'ith, the British army crossed
the Hudson, by a bridge of rafts, witli the
design of forming a junction with Sir Henry
Clinton at Albany. The army was in excellent'
order and in the highest spirits, and the perils of '
the expedition seemed practically over. The
army marched a short distance along the western
bank of the Hudson, and on the 1 4th encamped
on the heights of Saratoga, distant about sixteen
miles from Albany. On the 10 th a battle was
fought between the British right wing and a
strong body of Americans. In this action the
right column was led by General Fraser, who,
on the first onset, wheeled his troops and forced
Morgan to give way. Morgan was speedily
re-enforced, when the action became general.
SINK IN KKASf;R.
When the battle appeared to he in the grasp of
the British, and just as Fraser and Breymann
were preparing to follow up the advantage, they
were recalled by Burgoyue and reluctantly forced
to retreat. Both Fraser and Riedesel (commander
of the Brunswick contingent) bitterly criticised
the order, and in plain terms informed Burgoyne
that he did not know how to avail himself of
advantages. The next day Burgoyne devoted
himself to the laying out of a fortified camp.
The right wing was placed under the command
of Fraser. The situation now began to grow
critical. Provisions became scarce. October 5th
a council of war was held, and the advice of
both Fraser and Riedesel was to fall back
immediately to their old position beyond the
Batten Kil. Burgoyne finally determined on a
r'econnaissance in force. So, on the morning of
October 7th, with fifteen hirudr-ed men, accom-
panied by Gener-al Fraser, Riedesel, arrd Phillips,
the division advanced in three columns towards
the left wing of the American position. In
advance of the right wing. General Fraser had
command of five hundred picked men. The
Americans fell upon the British advance with
fury, and soon a general battle was errgaged in.
Morgatr poured down like a torrent from the
ridge that skirted the flanking party of Fraser,
and forced the latter back, and then by a rapid
movement to the left fell upon the flank of the