the evening, the corpse of the departed general, wrapped in a sheet, was brought out, and the generals accompanied it in solemn funeral procession, and in full sight of both armies. The English soldiers, by whom Fraser was greatly beloved, watched its progress with heavy hearts, while the American artillery continued to play upon the redoubt. Having reached the summit of the hill, the funeral procession came to a halt, and the chaplain, with the balls spattering the earth upon him, calmly read the whole of the impressive burial service in the Prayer Book.
Hardly was this sad duty discharged, when the army was put in motion. The sick and wounded were abandoned to the mercy of the Americans, who treated them with great humanity; and all through that night, notwithstanding the rain and mud and the state of the road, the wearied troops slowly advanced. At six in the morning, the army came to a halt; the soldiers, worn out as they were, fell asleep in their wet clothes—the officers were little better off—and the ladies accompanying the army were compelled to submit to the same privations, which they endured with unflagging cheerfulness. The bridge over the Fishkill Creek was broken down, and to cover the retreat, Burgoyne ordered General Schuyler's house and mills to be set on fire. What with the weather and other drawbacks, the army did not reach Saratoga, a distance of only six miles, until evening on the following day.
Burgoyne was now convinced that it was impossible to conduct any further offensive operations, and determined, as a last resort, to try to make good his retreat to Fort George. Artificers were accordingly dispatched under a strong escort, to repair the bridges and open the roads, but they were compelled to make a precipitate retreat.[1] The situation of General Burgoyne becoming every hour more hazardous, he resolved to attempt a retreat by night to Fort Edward; but even this retrograde movement was rendered impracticable. While the army was preparing to march, intelligence was received that the Americans had already possessed themselves of the fort, and that they were well provided with artillery. No avenue to escape now appeared. Incessant toil and continual engagements had worn down the British army; its provisions were
- ↑ Marshall, following Gordon, states a fact which shows how imminent a risk was run by the Americans when on the very eve of victory. Gates, it appears, had received what he supposed to be certain intelligence that the main body of Burgoyne's army had marched off for Fort Edward, and that a rear-guard only was left in the camp, who, after a while, were to push off as fast as possible, leaving the heavy baggage behind. On this it was concluded to advance and attack the camp in half an hour. General Nixon's being the eldest brigade, crossed the Saratoga Creek first: unknown to the Americans, Burgoyne had a line formed behind a parcel of brushwood to support the post of artillery where the attack was to be made. General Glover with his brigade was on the point of following Nixon. Just as he entered the water, he saw a British soldier crossing, whom he called and examined. This soldier was a deserter, and communicated the very important fact, that the whole British army were in their encampment. Nixon was immediately stopped, and the intelligence conveyed to Gates, who countermanded his orders for the assault, and called back his troops, not without sustaining some loss from the British artillery. General Wilkinson, in his Memoirs, confirms this statement in its main particulars. See Gordon's "History of the American Revolution," vol ii., p. 261.
