Page:Historic towns of the middle states (IA historictownsofm02powe).pdf/101

 On the 13th of September, a bridge of boats was stretched across the Hudson River—just below the mouth of the Batten Kill—for the passage of Burgoyne's army. They halted for the first night amid the charred wheat-fields of General Schuyler's farm on the south side of the Fishkill. On the morrow they hastened on to Coveville, and thence to Seward's house, where again their white tents were spread over the country.

On September 19th Burgoyne moved forward to outflank the American camp on the west. An obstinate fight of many hours about the old farm-well and in the great ravine followed, and the British failed in their attempt to pass the Americans or to weaken their line. But they held persistently to the position they had taken at Freeman's Farm and at the close of the battle fortified their camp from the point on Freeman's Farm in a line to the eastward on the bank of the river, where they built three redoubts upon three hills. The fortified camp of the Americans lay about a mile and a half below in a line parallel with the British. Here, within bugle-call of each other, for two weeks, the hostile forces sat upon the hills of Saratoga, frowning defiance at each other, and