The journal and letters of Samuel Curwen

19 September and 7 October 1777

Battles of Saratoga

TO BEV. ISAAC SMITH, SIDMOUTH.

Gov. Hutchinson, in a letter to Judge Sewall, writes that the news respecting the defeat of the Americans at Saratoga is corroborated by other circumstances concurring to estab* lish the credibility of the laeutenant's letter ; the remainder of the story stands on its own bottom, or in other words is doubtful ; it is, however, believed by some that two hundred of the Royal Army fell in the attack, and of the Americans fif- teen hundred are killed, wounded, and prisoners, with artillery and stores. He also writes that he has it from high author- ity, that Lord George Grermaine believes Lord Howe gone to Chesapeake Bay, but the King to the northward; my belief is that this is a stroke of Court policy, to keep down discontent in the minds of people who begin to grow im- patient. Your real Mend,

JOURNAL AND LETTERS. 367

The request long urged by General Burgoyne, of having a court-martial appointed to decide upon his conduct in the affair of Saratoga, has at last been complied with, and orders transmitted from the War-Office to the Commander-in-Chief in America for sending over such officers as mentioned by the General as necessary for his defence, by the first convey- ance, to attend the trial. If no unexpected impediment takes place, it will be held in the spring. The Administra- tion seems loth to have an inquiry made ; perhaps it will produce an exposure of orders, etc., judged not prudent at present for the public eye.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 606

BuRGOYNE, General. It is curious that a man of such celebii^ as a writer, a senator, and an officer, as the late Lieutenant-Grenoal John Burgoyne, should be found among the number of those of whose youthful days no memorial has been preserved. Neither the time, place, nor circumstances of his birth are known. Even his parentage is doubtfuL He is said, but upon what authority it does not appear, to have been a natural son of that Lord Bingley who died at an adr vanced age in 1774. That he had the advantage of a liberal educa- tion and early intercourse with polished society, is sufficiently evident from his writings ; and it is probable that he was early devoted to the profession of arms, for on the 10th of May, 1759, he was raised to the rank of Lieut-Colonel, and in the August of the ensuing year he was appointed Lieut-Colonel Commandant of the 16th Light Dragoons. His after services at different periods, in Spain, Portugal, and America, are all well known, especially the unfortunate termination of his mili- tary career at Saratoga, which, though it tarnished not his honor, cast a shade over his brow, ever afterwards conspicuous to the physiognom- ical eye. He arrived in England on parole in May, 1778, and pub- lished a letter to his constituents, throwing the blame of the failure of the expedition on Lord Sackville, (Greorge Germaine,) the Secretary of the American Department ; and a reply to it, doubtless written by Lord Sackville, exhibits some of the peculiarities of the style of Junius. He made on certain occasions no ordinary figure in Parliament, and towards the close of the year 1781, when a majority of Parliament seemed resolved to persist in the war, he joined the opposition, and advocated a motion for the discontinuance of the fruitless contest He knew that it was impossible to conquer America. ^ Passion, prejudice, and interest," said he, ^may operate suddenly and partially; but

16 August 1780

Battle of Camden

JOURNAL AND LETTERS. 187

Lord Camden said the other day in the House of Peers, on the Duke of Richmond's motion to consider the state of the nation, with liberty to refer to such papers as were before them, ^ The origin of the mistake of our ministers in com- mencing the American war^was this : they ignorantly sup- posed the Americans to be cowards, and foolishly imagined the French to be idiots."

JOUBNAL AND LETTERS. 197

tamnlt, and that they implore the King to drive from his ser- vice his ministers, and take Lords Chatham, Camden, and Shelburne.

JOURNAL AND LETTERS. 373

Lord Camden, President of the Council.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 529

the events near Philadelphia which preceded the encampment at Valley Forge. He seryed in New Jersey and Maryland, till in April, 1780, he was sent to reinforce Gen. Lincoln, then besieged in Charles- ton, but arrived too late. He was second in command to Gren. Gates ; and in the disastrous battle of Camden, Aug. 16, 1780, was at the head of the Maryland and Delaware troops, who maintained their ground till Cornwallis concentrated his whole force upon them.