Good Morning: Patriots pick up a signature win

[Okla-homey]

October 17, 1777: Patriot victory at Saratoga

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230 years ago today, during the American Revolution, British General John Burgoyne surrenders 5,000 British and Hessian troops to Patriot General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York. As an aside, there was not "a total eclipse of the sun," although you can bet Burgoyne was rather "vain."

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In the summer of 1777, General Burgoyne led an army of 8,000 men south through New York State in an effort to join forces with British General Sir William Howe's troops along the Hudson River. After capturing several forts, Burgoyne's force camped near Saratoga while a larger Patriot army under General Gates gathered just four miles away.

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British General Burgoyne

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British General Howe

On September 19, a British advance column marched out and engaged the Patriot force at the Battle of Freeman's Farm, or the First Battle of Saratoga. Failing to break through the American lines, Burgoyne's force retreated.

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American Benedict Arnold in the uniform of a Continental major general. Arnold got PO'ed later because he was denied a third star and went over to the other side. While given some responsibility by the Redcoats, they never really trusted him. He died broke and disgraced in England after the war.

On October 7, another British reconnaissance force was repulsed by an American force under General Benedict Arnold in the Battle of Bemis Heights, also known as the Second Battle of Saratoga. Note: Arnold was enjoying a meteoric rise to prominence as a Patriot commander and had not yet "turned his coat."

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Bemis Heights on Oct 7, 1777. Probably the pivotal action of the Saratoga Campaign. The painting just below depicts the American penetration at Berryman's Redoubt (mislabeled as Breyman's Redoubt) at the top left (NW corner) of this battle map.

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Making the Hessians howl: Morgan's Rifle Corps and Massachusetts Continentals turn the flank of the Hessian "Brunswick Grenadiers" at Breymann's Redoubt during the turning point Saratoga campaign of 1777. The Hessians (from the German duchy of Hesse) are in blue coats wearing tall brass hats.

Gates retreated north to the village of Saratoga with his 5,000 surviving troops. By October 17, some 20,000 Americans had surrounded the British, and Burgoyne was forced to agree to the first large-scale surrender of British forces in the Revolutionary War.

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"You're surrounded! Come on out with your hands up!"

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A painting shows British general John Burgoyne (center, in red coat) surrendering to Horatio Gates in Saratoga, New York, on October 17, 1777. The battle of Saratoga was considered the turning point of the American Revolution.

When word of the Patriot victory reached France, King Louis XVIagreed to recognize the independence of the United States and provide material, naval and personnel support. Spain and the Netherlands soon did the same.

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Louis XVI. Last of the Bourbon French kings.

Soon after, French Foreign Minister Comte de Vergennes made arrangements with U.S. Ambassador Benjamin Franklin, who had been assigned the task of schmoozing the French, to begin providing French aid to the Patriot cause.

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Ben Franklin

Ironically, the French expenditures in support of the the infant US would contribute mightily to the downfall of the king and the French Revolution. Royal coffers were still diminished from the Seven Years War (known as the French and Indian War in the colonies) which had ended the previous decade. Consequently, Louis XVI spent a great deal of money he did not have to "stick-it-to-the-Brits" and his subjects were heavily taxed as a result.
This taxation to pay for French aid to fight their old enemies the British, along with oher perceived royal excesses, ultimately led to the old boy losing his head. Literally.

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The victor: General Horatio Gates

And what of the victorious American commander at Saratoga? Gates attempted to maximize the political return on the victory, particularly since George Washington was having no present successes with the main army. In fact, Gates insulted Washington by sending reports direct to Congress instead of to Washington, his superior officer.

At the behest of Gates' friends and Congressmen from New England, Congress named Gates to head the Board of War, a post he took while keeping his field command - an unprecedented conflict of interest. Again, through the efforts of Gates and his friends in Congress, Congress at this time briefly considered replacing Washington as commander-in-chief with Gates.

The failure of the "Conway Cabal" ended this political maneuvering. Gates resigned from the Board of War, and took an assignment as commander of the Eastern Department in November of 1778. Gates is credited with the 1780 military disaster in South Carolina at the Battle of Camden. Gates survived the war, and after his wife died, married a wealthy widow. He died in 1806 and was buried in a Wall Street churchyard in NYC, but no one is sure precisely where.

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[TUSooner]

Seems like I recently read that Benjamin Franklin was with Louis-soon-to-be-signifcantly-shorter-the-16th when Louis heard the news of Saratoga.
It was at the very least a "signature" win. Arguably the most imprtant battle of the Revvy, 'cuz witout that, there wouldn't have been no Yorktown.

[GrapevineSooner]

If there was a press conference after the battle, it would have gone something like this:

Scoops Callahan: Champ, Champ, your boys really gave the Brits the 23-Skidoo there. It looked like they were doing the Jitterbug while the Brits were doing the Charleston.

[TUSooner]

If there was a press conference after the battle, it would have gone something like this:

Scoops Callahan: Champ, Champ, your boys really gave the Brits the 23-Skidoo there. It looked like they were doing the Jitterbug while the Brits were doing the Charleston.
I think I "chortled" at that for all the wrong reasons. But whatever.... :D

[GrapevineSooner]

TU,

It was in reference to a man named Tom Gribble, who produces the BaD Radio Show on The Ticket here in Dallas. He has a bit at press conferences where he plays 1920's reporter guy. After Sunday's Cowboys-Patriots game, he caused a furor in the Boston sports media by asking Bill Belichick and Tom Brady questions in an Edward R. Robinson voice using 1920's slang terms.

;)