Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 5.djvu/194

180 Baum immediately began to entrench himself. It was now the 14th of August; and, heavy rains setting in, the enemies lay still for two days, each expecting reinforcements. On the 16th Starke, a man who had risen from the ranks, being joined by some militia under colonel Simmons, drew out his troops, and led them against Baum's lines. "There they are!" exclaimed the rustic general; "we beat to-day, or Sally Stark's a widow!"

For two hours a fierce attack was kept up on Baum's entrenchments on all sides by the Americans with muskets and rifles. Baum made a most gallant defence, and three times drove them from some high ground which they occupied above his camp. Breyman was now advancing to his aid; and, had he advanced at ordinary speed, he would have been in time, and turned the scale of battle. But he had been twenty-four hours in marching sixteen miles, and came just too late! Baum was picked off by a rifleman, and fell mortally wounded. His German troops retreated into the woods, in the direction of Fort Edward, and were there met by Breyman. He re-organised the fugitives, and commenced his retreat, hotly pursued by Starke and Warner; but he made his way back to Burgoyne, but not until he had fired nearly his last cartridge; and the loss of Baum and himself amounted to about five hundred men killed and wounded.

During this time, St. Leger had been investing Fort Schuyler. The whole of his miscellaneous force did not exceed six hundred, exclusive of Indians; and on the 5th of August he learned that general Herkimer was advancing to the relief of Ganzevoort and Willett, with one thousand men. He instantly dispatched Sir John Johnson with a party of regulars and a number of Indians to waylay him. Herkimer fell into the ambush, and was himself mortally wounded. He supported himself against a stump, and encouraged his men to fight; but they



were surrounded and cut to pieces, and mercilessly tomahawked by the Indians. A successful volley on the part of Willett enabled the prisoners to escape; but they left behind them four hundred killed and wounded. St. Leger, finding that his light artillery made no impression on the walls of Fort Schuyler, and hearing a false rumour that Burgoyne was defeated, raised the siege, leaving behind him his artillery, tents, and stores. His precipitation was occasioned by the more certain news of the approach of Arnold with ten pieces of artillery and two thousand men, who, indeed, reached Fort Schuyler two days after his retreat.

Burgoyne was now in a condition which demanded all the talents of a great general. His forces were greatly reduced; those of the enemy were greatly increased, and he was precisely