Battles of Saratoga

The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) were two battles between the American Continental Army and the British Army fought near Saratoga, New York, concluding the Saratoga campaign in the American Revolutionary War. The second battle ended with a decisive American victory, greatly affecting the course of the conflict and persuading France to enter the war as an American ally. In both battles, General John Burgoyne commanded the British forces, while General Horatio Gates led the American force. Historian Edmund Morgan described Saratoga as "a great turning point of the war because it won for Americans the foreign assistance which was the last element needed for victory."

Intending to divide New England from the southern colonies, Burgoyne led an invasion army of 7,200 to 8,000 men southward from Canada through the Champlain Valley. Hoping to meet British forces marching northward from New York City and eastward from Lake Ontario, Burgoyne's goal was to take Albany, New York. The strategy began promisingly, but stalled due to logistical issues. British General William Howe never moved his forces north, and Brigadier General Barry St. Leger turned back his forces meant to arrive from the west, leaving Burgoyne surrounded by the Americans in upstate New York, 15 miles (24 km) short of his goal. Burgoyne fought two battles, which took place 18 days apart, on the same ground 9 miles (14 km) south of Saratoga, New York.

In the first battle, at Freeman's Farm on September 19, Burgoyne won a tactical victory over the Continental Army at the cost of heavy casualties, with the battle often called a "Pyrrhic victory." The battle began with Burgoyne's attempt to flank the entrenched American position on Bemis Heights with some of his troops. American Major General Benedict Arnold anticipated the maneuver, and placed significant forces in his way. Still, Burgoyne was able to gain the field. Skirmishes continued in the following days, while Burgoyne waited in the hope that reinforcements would arrive from New York City.

Meanwhile, patriot militia forces continued to arrive, swelling the American ranks. Within the American camp, disputes led Gates to strip Arnold of his command. Once it became apparent that he would not receive aid in time, Burgoyne attacked again in the Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7, but lost both the battle and his earlier gains. Culminating in heavy fighting, this battle was marked by Arnold's spirited rallying of the American troops. Burgoyne's forces were thrown back to the positions they held before the action of September 19, and the Americans captured a portion of the entrenched British defenses.

Following this loss, Burgoyne was compelled to retreat to Saratoga (now Schuylerville). Finding himself surrounded by a much larger force, he surrendered his entire army to General Gates on October 17. Although British General Sir Henry Clinton moved up from New York City, attempting to divert American attention by capturing Forts Clinton and Montgomery in the Hudson River highlands on October 6, and Kingston on October 13, these efforts were too late to save Burgoyne. News of the surrender at Saratoga was instrumental in formally creating the Franco-American Alliance, although France had previously given supplies, ammunition, and guns, notably the de Valliere cannon which played an important role in Saratoga.