Page:The Galaxy, Volume 5.djvu/92

84 when the army again moved, at four o'clock in the afternoon, it was obliged to leave behind the tents and camp equipage, which fell most opportunely into the hands of the Americans. Aside, however, from this, it is a matter of record that the men, through their officers, pleaded with Burgoyne to be allowed to proceed, notwithstanding the storm and darkness; while the officers themselves, says Mrs. Riedesel, "pronounced the delay madness." But whatever were the motives of the English general, this halt lost him his army, and, perhaps, lost the British Crown her American colonies.

In the night of the 10th the drenched army marched through Saratoga, and attempted to cross the Hudson. It was now, however, too late—the river was already guarded; and, wading the Fishkill with the water shoulder deep, they bivouacked in a wretched position on its opposite bank. The army, having advanced but a short distance from their first camping place of the preceding night, were still more astonished at this new delay, and again requested to be allowed to push on. Burgoyne, however, would not permit it; and while the army were suffering from cold and hunger, and every one was looking forward to the immediate future with apprehension, "the illuminated mansion of General Schuyler," says the Brunswick journal, "rang with singing, laughter, and the tinkling of glasses. There Burgoyne was sitting, with some merry companions, at a dainty supper, while the champagne was flowing. Near him sat the beautiful wife of an English commissary, his mistress. Great as the calamity was, the frivolous general still kept up his orgies. Some were even of opinion that he had merely made that inexcusable stand for the sake of passing a merry night. Riedesel thought it his duty to remind his general of the danger of the halt, but the latter returned all sorts of evasive answers." This statement is corroborated by Mrs. Riedesel, who also adds: "The following day General Burgoyne repaid the hospitable shelter of the Schuyler mansion by burning it, with its valuable barns and mills, to the ground, under pretence that he might be better able to cover his retreat, but others say out of mean revenge on the American general."

The golden moment, however, had fled. The following morning, the 10th, it was discovered that the Americans already occupied the Battenkill on the opposite bank of the Hudson, while Stark, with two thousand men, held the river at Fort Edward. Thus hemmed in and completely invested on all sides, the articles of capitulation were signed by the respective chiefs of the two armies on the 17th of October; and the same day the British marched out of camp and laid down their arms. The victory was complete.