Battle of Saratoga

There are battles in a war that are turning points. Some turning points are known to the participants at the time; for others, it is a change recognized by historians. The American and British belligerents of the Battle of Saratoga may not have been aware of the significance of their engagement. The outcome of the conflict changed the tide in favor of the Americans, not through outright victory, but in what the success meant to the rest of the world.

Fig. 1 - John Trumball's painting "The Surrender of General Burgoyne."

Battle of Saratoga: Summary

In the summer of 1777, the British continued to divide the continent. British General John Burgoyne established a force of nearly 8,000 men in Canada. With his force in New York, General William Howe would move to capture Philadelphia and send a force north to Albany, New York. At the same time, Burgoyne would march south through the Hudson River valley.

By August 1777, the British were on the move south. Burgoyne had recaptured Fort Ticonderoga on the southern end of Lake Champlain. Ticonderoga fell to patriot control in 1775. His forces were victorious in several more minor engagements at Hubbardton and Fort Edward on the Hudson River. Though his troops suffered a defeat at the Battle of Bennington, they continued their march south toward Albany.

Battle of Saratoga: Date

By September, the British forces were occupying the northern areas of Saratoga. Burgoyne had suffered significant setbacks at the hands of logistics, guerilla warfare, and the dense New York wilderness to get to Saratoga. His large artillery carriages and baggage wagons clumsily foundered in the heavy forests and ravines. The patriot militia slowed progress, who felled trees across the army's path and engaged in minor skirmishes along the route. The British took 24 days to travel 23 miles.

By the time Burgoyne maneuvered into position by mid-September, General Gates, commander of the Continental Army of the North, had already dug into defensive positions on Bemis Heights with 8,500 men with the assistance of additional forces under the command of General Benedict Arnold and Colonel Daniel Morgan. The goal was to disrupt the British advance south. Gates established an artillery base that could fire on British troops that advanced towards them by road or the Hudson River, as the woodlands would not allow for large troop deployments.

Burgoyne’s First Attack: September 19, 1777

Burgoyne divided his force of 7,500 men into three detachments and used all three groups to engage the American defenses, expecting a weakness to break the Patriot lines. The first engagement is between Burgoyne’s center column and Virginia riflemen under the command of Col. Daniel Morgan at Freeman’s Farm. The fighting is intense, and in the day-long engagement, control of the field swings between the British and the Americans several times. The British called up 500 Hessian reinforcements and took control by the evening of the 19th. Though Burgoyne was in control, the British took heavy losses. Anticipating reinforcements from New York under the command of General Clinton, Burgoyne moves his forces into a defensive position around the Americans. This would be a costly mistake.

Battle of Saratoga: Map - First Engagement

Fig. 4- The positions and maneuvers of the first engagement of the Battle of Saratoga

Burgoyne’s Second Attack: October 7, 1777

As rations dwindle, the British react to their situation. Burgoyne plans an attack on the American position at Bemis Heights. However, the Americans learn of the plan in advance. As the British moved into place, the Americans engaged and forced the British back into their defenses in an area known as Blaccarres Redoubt. An additional garrison of 200 Hessians defended a nearby area known as the Breymann Redoubt. Under the command of General Benedict Arnold, the Americans quickly take the position. By the end of the day, the Americans had advanced their position and forced the British back to their defensive lines, having suffered heavy casualties.

Battle of Saratoga: Map - Second Engagement

Fig. 5 - This map shows the positions and maneuvers of the second engagement of the Battle of Saratoga.

Burgoyne’s Attempt to Retreat and Surrender: October 8 - 17, 1777

On October 8, 1777, Burgoyne ordered a retreat north. The weather is uncooperative, and heavy rain forces them to halt their retreat and occupy the town of Saratoga. Low on rations ammunition with wounded men, Burgoyne orders the army to build up defenses and prepare for an American attack. By October 10, 1777, the Americans maneuver around the British, cutting off any form of supply or route for retreat. Over the next two weeks, Burgoyne negotiates the surrender of his army, nearly 6,200 men.

Battle of Saratoga Map: Final Engagement.

Fig. 6- This map shows the final encampment of Burgoyne's forces and the maneuvers of the American's to surround his position

Battle of Saratoga Facts¹:

The Battle of Saratoga Importance & Significance

Both commanders react to their successes and humiliations in the aftermath of the Battle of Saratoga. Horatio Gates rides the coattails of his victory and a groundswell of popular support to attempt to remove George Washington as commander-in-chief, known as the Conway Cabal. His political effort to remove Washington fails, but he remains in command of American forces.

Most significant, as the news of the American victory and impressive resistance against the British reaches Paris, the French are convinced to form an alliance with the Americans against their bitter rival, the British. The American delegation led by Benjamin Franklin began to negotiate the terms of the Treaty of Alliance with France, and by February 1778, the American Congress and France ratified the treaty. France agrees to send weapons, supplies, troops, and, most importantly, their navy to assist the Americans in their fight for independence, tipping the war in the American’s favor. Additionally, after the treaty with France, Spain and the Netherlands supported the American cause.