Battle of Bemis Heights: Difference between revisions
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#REDIRECT [[Battles of Saratoga#Second Saratoga: Battle of Bemis Heights (October 7)]] |
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{{unreferenced|date=September 2006}} |
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{{Redirect category shell|1= |
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|{{Infobox Military Conflict |
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||conflict=Battle of Bemis Heights |
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||partof=the [[American Revolutionary War]] |
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||image= |
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||caption= |
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||date=[[October 7]], [[1777]] |
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||place=[[Saratoga, New York]] |
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||result=American victory |
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||combatant1=[[Continental Army]],<br/>Patriot militia |
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||combatant2=[[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]],<br/>[[Duchy of Brunswick|Brunswick]] |
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||commander1=[[Benedict Arnold]],<br/>[[Daniel Morgan]],<br/>[[Henry Dearborn]],<br/>[[Ebenezer Learned]],<br/>[[Enoch Poor]] |
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||commander2=[[General Simon Fraser of Balnian|Simon Fraser]],<br/>[[Baron von Riedesel]],<br/>[[James Inglis Hamilton]] |
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||strength1=9,200 |
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||strength2=2,200 |
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||casualties1=50 killed,<br>150 wounded |
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||casualties2=176 killed,<br>250 wounded,<br>200 captured |
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|{{Campaignbox American Revolutionary War: Saratoga campaign}} |
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|[[Image:Saratoga-neilson.jpg|Neilson Farm on Bemis Heights|thumb|right|350px]] |
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The '''Battle of Bemis Heights''' on [[October 7]], [[1777]], is also known as the '''2nd Battle of Saratoga''' since it was the second and last major engagement in the [[Battle of Saratoga]] of the [[American Revolutionary War]]. [[Continental Army|American]] forces under Major General [[Horatio Gates]] repelled the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] Lieutenant General [[John Burgoyne]]'s attempt to take their fortified position on the heights. |
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==Background== |
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The British plan to split the American colonies along the [[Hudson River]] to [[Lake Champlain]] line was faltering. Two of the three initiatives in the [[Saratoga Campaign]] strategy had already produced little or no advantage. Burgoyne's expedition had failed in its attempt to gather supplies, most notably in the [[Battle of Bennington]] on [[August 16]]. His previous attempt to flank the American position had stalled in the first engagement of Saratoga, the [[Battle of Freeman's Farm]], on [[September 19]]. With supplies running low and no sign of the support expected from General [[William Howe]] in [[New York City]], he had to attack the Americans blocking his route to [[Albany, New York|Albany]]. |
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The American forces had been growing during the time between battles. Burgoyne's attack on the American left now faced Major General [[Benjamin Lincoln]]'s division. The division had General [[Ebenezer Learned]]'s and [[Enoch Poor]]'s brigades, Colonel [[Henry Dearborn]]'s [[light infantry]] battalion, and Colonel [[Daniel Morgan]]'s [[rifle|riflemen]]. |
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Expanded by [[militia]] units, the division now had about 3,800 men with another 1,200 militia available for immediate support. |
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==Battle== |
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[[Image:John Neilson House, Bemis Heights, Stillwater, Saratoga County, NY.jpg|thumb|Plan of battlefield of [[Battle of Saratoga]] and views of John Neilson's House from south, east and inside that served as the headquarters for the Generals [[Enoch Poor]] and [[Benedict Arnold]].]] |
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Burgoyne's plan was to use three assault elements. Brigadier [[General Simon Fraser of Balnian|Simon Fraser]] was to slide past the Americans on their left and secure the positions for the artillery. Since he was going through woodlands, he had the light infantry, along with the [[Canada|Canadian]] militia and ranger forces and Indian allies, for a total of about 700 men. [[Baron von Riedesel|Major General Riedesel]]'s Brunswickers would make the main attack to occupy the American left, with about 1,100 men and supporting artillery. Meanwhile, Major General [[William Phillips (General)|William Phillips]] would attack in a left hook to separate the left from the main American forces positioned at Bemis Heights overlooking the [[Hudson River]]. Phillip's force was just over 400 men of [[Grenadier]] Battalion under Major [[John Dyke Acland]] and the Royal Artillery under Major Williams. |
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General Lincoln's men were extended northwest from Gates' fortifications on Bemis Heights. On the far left or western end were Colonels Morgan and Dearborn with a total of about 600 men. In his center was General Learned's brigade ([[1st New York Regiment|1st New York]]; [[2nd Massachusetts Regiment|2nd]], [[8th Massachusetts Regiment|8th]] and [[9th Massachusetts Regiment|9th]] [[Massachusetts]] Regiments), expanded by militia to about 1,800 men. Tying his forces to the main positions was General Poor's brigade ([[1st New Hampshire Regiment|1st]], [[2nd New Hampshire Regiment|2nd]], and [[3rd New Hampshire Regiment|3rd]] [[New Hampshire]]; and [[2nd New York Regiment|2nd]] and [[4th New York Regiment|4th]] [[New York]] Regiments) of just over 1,400. Behind Learned, Brigadier General [[Abraham Ten Broeck]] led 1,200 New York militia in reserve. |
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Having learned from the battle two weeks before, the attack started in the early afternoon. This would allow Burgoyne to withdraw at nightfall if necessary. The opening fire came from the Grenadiers' advance on Lincoln's right. Poor's men held fire, and the terrain made the shooting largely ineffective. When Major Acland led a bayonet charge on their position, the Americans finally began shooting at close range. Acland fell, shot in both legs, and many of the Grenadiers also went down. Their column was in a total rout, and Poor's men advanced to take both force leaders prisoner and capture their artillery. Those that escaped returned to the redoubts at Freeman's Farm. |
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On the western end, things were also not going well for the British. Morgan's men swept aside the Canadians and Indians to engage Fraser's regulars. Although slightly outnumbered, Morgan managed to break up several British attempts to move west. Meanwhile, at Gates' headquarters, [[Benedict Arnold]] paced nervously at the sounds of battle. He had been removed from command, and Gates refused to see him. |
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Finally, he leapt to his horse and rode towards the firing. Gates' only reaction was to send Major Armstrong out to order his return, but Armstrong could not catch up with him. |
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Arnold went to the light battalions on the west of the line. When he saw Fraser rally his men repeatedly, he told Morgan that the man was worth a regiment. Morgan reacted by ordering him shot, and a [[marksman]] named Timothy Murphy obliged. Fraser fell mortally wounded, and his advance fell apart. |
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Next, Arnold rode to the central action. Learned's men were having a rough time handling the [[Hessian]] advance and were yielding ground. Arnold helped to rally them, and with Learned he led their counter attack. When Morgan, Dearborn, and Poor began to close on their sides, the Hessians also withdrew to their starting positions. |
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After just about an hour of heavy fighting, the British were back to their starting position. Not content with stopping the British advance, Arnold led Learned and his men in a charge on the first redoubt. Arnold fell, shot in the same leg he had earlier injured during the [[Invasion of Canada (1775)|invasion of Canada]], but Learned's brigade carried the redoubt. |
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Even though his injury kept him from combat, Arnold went to Brigadier General [[John Paterson (politician)|John Paterson]]'s brigade ([[10th Massachusetts Regiment|10th]], [[11th Massachusetts Regiment|11th]], [[12th Massachusetts Regiment|12th]] and [[14th Massachusetts Regiment|14th]] Massachusetts Regiments) to encourage him to support the earlier attacks. But here, Gates' orders caught up with him and removed him from action. Darkness ended the battle and saved Burgoyne from further defeat. |
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==Aftermath== |
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Burgoyne, already outnumbered 3 to 1, had lost 1,000 men total including the casualties sustained during the [[Battle of Freeman's Farm]], while American losses came to about 500 killed and wounded. |
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He had lost several of his most effective leaders. The maneuver had failed, and his forward line was now breached. That night he lit fires at his remaining forward positions and withdrew under the cover of darkness. So on the morning of [[October 8]], he was back in the fortified positions he had held on [[September 16]]. |
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Burgoyne's Army was weaker than before and had fewer supplies. The American forces were still growing stronger. The following day, he withdrew another 8 miles (12 km) to [[Saratoga, New York]]. The stage was set for the final act of the Battle of Saratoga and his later surrender. |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.britishbattles.com/battle-saratoga.htm Britishbattles.com] |
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*[http://www.generalatomic.com/AmericanHistory/battle_of_bemis_heights.html Battle of Bemis' Heights, and Retreat of Burgoyne] |
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{{New York in the American Revolutionary War}} |
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[[Category:Battles of the American Revolutionary War|Bemis Heights]] |
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[[Category:Saratoga County, New York]] |
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[[Category:History of New York]] |
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[[Category:1777 in the United States]] |
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Latest revision as of 16:03, 5 June 2017
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