Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/523

] his officers: and Schuyler, the able commander and zealous-hearted patriot, remained for the present at the head of the northern department. The commander-in-chief exerted himself with all diligence to send reinforcements and supplies to the army of Schuyler. The artillery and warlike stores were expedited from Massachusetts. General Lincoln, a man of great influence in New England, was sent there to encourage the militia to enlist. Arnold, in like manner, repaired thither; it was thought his ardor might serve to inspire the dejected troops. Colonel Morgan, an officer whose brilliant valor we have already had occasion to remark, was ordered to take the same direction with his troop of light horse. All these measures, conceived with prudence and executed with promptitude, produced the natural effect. The Americans recovered by degrees their former spirit, and the army increased from day to day.

During this interval, General Burgoyne actively exerted himself in opening a passage from Fort Anne to Fort Edward. But notwithstanding the diligence with which the whole army engaged in the work, their progress was exceedingly slow, so formidable were the obstacles which nature as well as art had thrown in their way. Besides having to remove the fallen trees with which the Americans had obstructed the roads, they had no less than forty bridges to construct, and many others to repair: one of these was entirely of logwork, over a morass two miles wide. In short, the British encountered so many impediments in measuring this inconsiderable space, that it was found impossible to reach the banks of the Hudson, near Fort Edward, until the 30th of July. The Americans, either because they were too feeble to oppose the enemy, or that Fort Edward was no better than a ruin, unsusceptible of defence, or finally, because they were apprehensive that Colonel St. Leger, after the reduction of Fort Stanwix might descend by the left bank of the Mohawk to the Hudson, and thus cut off their retreat, retired lower down to Stillwater, where they threw up entrenchments. At the same time they evacuated Fort George, having previously burned their boats upon the lake, and in various ways obstructed the road to Fort Edward. Burgoyne