CHAP. XI.

1777.

cred on the way, in all the cold-blooded ferocity of favage manners. Her father had uni formly been a zealous loyalift: but it was not always in the power of the moft humane of the British officers, to protect the innocent from the barbarity of their favage friends.

General Burgoyne was fhocked by the tragic circumstances that attended the fate of this lovely, unfortunate girl; but he attempted to palliate the crime, though he did not neglect an endeavour to inflict due punishment on the perpetrators. Yet fuch was the temper of his Indian adherents, that inftead of inflicting death, he was obliged to pardon the guilty chiefs, notwithstanding the cry of justice, and the grief and refentment of her lover.* The

*The earl of Harrington obferved in evidence on Burgoyne's trial, that it was his opinion and that of other officers, that when general Burgoyne threatened the culprit with death, and infifted that he fhould be delivered up, that it might have been attended with dangerous confequences. Many gentlemen of the army befides himself believed, that motives of policy alone, prevented him from putting this threat in execution; and that if he had not pardoned the murderer, which he did, the total defection of the Indians would have enfued. He obferved, that "the confequences on their return through Canada might "have been dreadful: not to fpeak of the weight they "would have thrown into the oppofite fcale, had they "gone over to the enemy, which I rather imagine would

"have been the cafe."

beft coloring that could be given the affecting tale was, that two of the principal warriors, under a pretence of guarding her perfon, had, in a mad quarrel between themselves, which was beft entitled to the prize, or to the honor of the efcort, made the blooming beauty, fhivering in the diftrefs of innocence, youth, and defpair, the victim of their fury. The helplefs maid was butchered and fcalped, and her bleeding corpse left in the woods, to excite the tear of every beholder.

In addition to the complicated embarraffments the British commander had to conflict, provifions grew fhort in the camp; he was obliged to leffen their rations, and put his fol diers on allowance. The most he could hope, as he obferved himself in a letter to fir Henry Clinton, was to hold out to the twelfth of October, or effect a retreat before, in the best posfible manner. The laft expedient he foon found impracticable, by the precaution taken by general Gates, to guard all the paffes, to cut off all fupplies, and nearly to furround the British army. In this uncertain and diftressed fituation, general Burgoyne waited with all the anxiety of a faithful fervant, and the caution and vigilance of an able commander, from the action on the nineteenth of September until the feventh of October, without any nearer prospect of a diverfion in his favor. He then found it neceffary to make a general movement, either

CHAP. XI.

1777.

CHAP. XI.

1777.

to decide the fate of his brave officers and men in the field of battle, by a general engagement, or force a retreat.

General Gates equally prepared, either for attack or defence, a warm engagement enfued, which proved fatal to many of the best officers in the British line; but after a fharp conflict of feveral hours, and the highest exhibitions of military prowess, the British found it neceffary to recover their camp before evening, which they did in fome diforder. They had fcarcely entered it when it was ftormed on every fide. Lord Balcarras with his light infantry, and a part of the British line, were ordered to throw themselves into the intrenchments, which they executed with fpirit, and made a gallant and refolute defence. But the action led on by the ardent and undaunted Arnold, who acquitted himfelf with his ufual intrepidity, was vigoroufly pufhed in fpite of the moft valiant oppofition, until almoft in the moment of victory, Arnold was dangerously wounded, and his party obliged to retreat. The Americans were fortunate enough to carry the intrenchment of the German reserve, commanded by colonel Breyman, who was killed in the engagement. All the artillery and equipage of the brigade, and about two hundred officers and privates were captured.

1777.

The engagement was continued through the CHAP. XI. whole of this fated day, which clofed the fcene of conflict and mortality on many brave men, and a number of officers of diftinguished valor. The firft in name who fell, was brigadier general Frazier. "Before his death, general Fra"zier requested, that his body might be carried "to his grave by the field-officers of his own 66 corps, without any parade, and buried there. “About sunset, the body was brought up the "hill, attended only by the officers of his own family. They paffed in view of the greatest part of both armies. Struck with the humility of the fcene, fome of the first officers of "the army joined the proceffion, as it were "from a natural propenfity, to pay the laft at"tention to his remains.

"The inceffant cannonade during the folem, nity; the fteady attitude, and unaltered "voice of the chaplain, though covered with "the duft which the fhot threw up on all "fides; the mute, but expreflive fenfibility on

66

every countenance; the growing dufkiness "of the evening, added to the fcenery,-com"bined to mark a character, and to furnish the "finest subject for the pencil of a master, that any field has exhibited."

Colonel Breyman, and fir James Clark, aidde-camp to general Burgoyne, were alfo killed.

* Extracted from a letter of general Burgoyne.

CHAP. XI.

1777.

Major Ackland was dangerously wounded, and taken prisoner. Lady Ackland, whofe conjugal affection had led her to accompany her hufband through all the dangers and fatigues of a campaign in the wilderness, was a woman of the most delicate frame, of the genteeleft manners, habituated to all the foft elegancies, and refined enjoyments, that attend high birth and fortune. Her fufferings exhibit a story so affecting to the mind of fenfibility, that it may apologize for a fhort interlude, in the most interesting detail of military tranfactions.

She had accompanied major Ackland to Canada in one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-fix. After which fhe traverfed a vaft woody country, in the moft extreme feasons, to visit her husband fick in a poor hut at Chamblee. On the opening of the campaign of one thousand feven hundred and seventyfeven, the positive injunction of her husband, prevented her rifking the hazards expected before Ticonderoga. There major Ackland was badly wounded, on which the croffed the Champlain to attend him. She followed his fortune and fhared his fatigues, through the dreary way to fort Edward, there lodged in a miserable tent, which by accident took fire by night, when both major Ackland and herself were faved by an orderly ferjeant, who dragged them from the flames almoft before they awaked.