His camp was swept by the American guns and his men were under
arms night and day. American sharpshooters stationed themselves
at daybreak in trees about the British camp and any one who
appeared in the open risked his life. If a cap was held up in
view instantly two or three balls would pass through it. His
horses were killed by rifle shots. Burgoyne had little food for
his men and none for his horses. His Indians had long since gone
off in dudgeon. Many of his Canadian French slipped off homeward
and so did the Loyalists. The German troops were naturally
dispirited. A British officer tells of the deadly homesickness of
these poor men. They would gather in groups of two dozen or so
and mourn that they would never again see their native land. They
died, a score at a time, of no other disease than sickness for
their homes. They could have no pride in trying to save a lost
cause. Burgoyne was surrounded and, on the 17th of October, he
was obliged to surrender.
Gates proposed to Burgoyne hard terms--surrender with no honors
of war. The British were to lay down their arms in their
encampments and to march out without weapons of any kind.
Burgoyne declared that, rather than accept such terms, he would
fight still and take no quarter.
Pages:
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153