Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/638

* SARASVATI. 572 SARATOV. SAKASVATI, Buiusli'vi-le. A Hindu god- (l^•^^. Sie 'ac. SABATO'GA, Uattles of. Two important battl.'!, of tlic Aiiieiinin licvolution, finij;lit on Scpti'inber I'.t and Uftober 7, 1777. Karly in ilay, 1777, Uuife'o.vnf, with an English army of about 10,000. started from Canada toward .Mbaiiy. His army was weakened by Baum's defeat at JJenniiigton ((J.v.), and by the frequent guerrilla attacks ol the Amcrieau mili- tia. Crossing the Hudson on Sopteiiil)er l.Uh, he approaehed Bcmis Heights, where the Ameri- can armv. under Cieneral (iate.s (q.v.), had taken up a strong position. On the llHli he advanced with 4000 men to attack the American left, but was met by Oeiieral Benedict Arnold with a force of 3000 al"Freemairs Farm. Here a battle raged for two hours, until darkness intervened, neither side gaining a decisive advantage and each side losing from 000 to 1000 of its number. This has been variously called the battle of Freeman's Farm, the lirst battle of Bemis Heights, the first battle of Stillwater, and the first battle of Sara- toga. Burgoyne, finding that his supplies were cut ofT, and despairing of any immediate aid from New York, resolved, as a last resort, to hazard another attack. Accordingly on October 7th he advanced, with 1.500 picked men, to turn the American left. Immediately his right was at- tacked by General Poore and his left by General ilorgan;* while Arnold, though then without tech- nical authority, daslied to the front and took general command of the American forces. For some time the result remained in doubt, but the English gradually gave way after the gallant commander of their right. General Frazer, had been mortally wounded; and by a final attack, in which Arnold was severely wounded, they finally were forced behind their intrenchments. This en- gagement has also been called by some the battle nf Bemis Heights, or of Stillwater. During the night the English retreated and took up a strong jHjsition about 12 miles from Saratoga (q.v.), on the site of the present Schuylerville. Mean- while American recruits were swarming in from all sides, and soon Burgoyne was entirely surrounded, his supplies cut of!', and his forces strictly confined, by a continual bombardment, within narrow lines. Not daring to risk an- other battle and fearing an immediate attack from vastly superior numbers, he opened nego- tiations with Gates, who at first demanded an unconditional surrender, but subsequently, on the 16th, agreed to what was called the 'Convention of Saratoga.' The English were to march out with the honors of war, and were to be allowed to embark at Boston for England on condition that they would not serve again in America dur- ing the war. Accordingly on the 17th Burgoyne formally surrendered his army of between .5000 and 0000 men to Gates. Congress subsequently refused to ratify the 'convention,' and the British troops, excepting a few officers, were detained as jirisoners first in the vicinity of Boston and later at Charlottesville, Va., and elsewhere, until the close of the war. The victory aroused the greatest enthusiasm throughout the country, and was the determining event that led France to form an alliance with the United States. Con- sult: Carrington, The Battles of the American Revohitiov (New York, 1876) ; Stone, The Cam- paign of hieut.-Gen. Burgoyne (Albanv, 1877) : Walworth, Battles of Saratoga (Albany, 1891) ; and Baron Kiedesel's Memoirs and Letters and Journals (trans, by Stone, Albany, 1808). SARATOGA SPRINGS. A village in Sar- atoga County, N. Y., 3'J miles north of Albany, on the Delaware and Hudson, the Adirondack, and the Fitchburg railroads (Map: New York, G 2). It is one of the leading summer resurts in the United States, with mineral springs having a wide reputation for their medicinal properties. Races are held here during August, and the lloral fete in September also contributes largely to the popularitj- of the resort. Saratoga Lake, 4 miles distant, is much frequented for sailing and fish- ing. Saratoga Springs is noted for its large, well-equipped hotels. In the Convention Hall, which has a seating capacity of 0000. a number of political and other conventions have been held. The village has an Athena-um, the library of the Fourth Judicial District, and a public liluary; an art gallery. Saint Faith School. Saint Christina Home for Orphans, and a hospital. One of the State armories is located in Saratoga Springs. The most important industries are the bottling of mineral waters, the preparation of carbonic acid gas for market, and the manufacture of druggists' and doctors' supplies and foundry products. The government, under the revised charter of 1895, is vested in a president and board of trustees who hold oflice for two years. Population, in 1890, 11,975; in 1900, 12,409. The Indians early gave to this locality the name Sarachtague. In 1693 Major Peter Schuy- ler defeated a large force of French and Indians about three miles from the present village. In 1767 Sir William Johnson, when very ill, was- brought to the site of the present Ballston Spa by his Indian friends, and quickly recovered. Aljout 177.3 a log cabin w'as built near here, and in 1777 General Philip Schuyler erected the first frame house in the vicinity. The village really dates from about 1792, and was incorporated in 1826. (See Sakatoga, Battles of.) Consult: Stone, Bcminisccnces of Saratoga (New Y'ork, 1875) ; Brandow, The Story of Saratoga and His- tory of Scliuylerville (Albany, 1900) ; and a sketch in Powell's Historic Towns of the Middle Stales (New Y'ork, 1899). SARATOV, sa'ra-tof. A government of Rus- sia, bounded by the governments of Simbirsk and Penza on the north, the Volga on the east, As- trakhan on the south, the Province of the Don Cossacks on the southwest, and Tambov on the west (Jlap: Russia, F 4). Area, 32,024 square miles. The surface is elevated and well wooded in the north, while the central and southern parts have the character of a steppe. The region along the Volga is hilly. Besides the Volga the prin- cipal rivers of the government are the Med- vieditza, the Khoper, and the Ilovlya — all tribu- taries of the Don. Saratov belongs to the black soil belt. Agriculture is carried on extensively, and large quantities of grain are exported by the Volga. The principal cereals are rye, wheat, and oats. Tobacco is cultivated on a large scale and gardening for export forms an important occupation in the region along the Volga. The annual value of the manufactures, principally flour, is over $12,000,000. The export trade in grain is heavy. Population, in 1897, 2,419,884, mostly Great Russians. SARATOV. The capita! of the government of the same name in Russia, situated on the right