The Battles of Saratoga marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion army of 7,200–8,000 men southward from Canada in the Champlain Valley, hoping to meet a similar British force marching northward from New York City and another British force marching eastward from Lake Ontario; the goal was to take Albany, New York. The southern and western forces never arrived, and Burgoyne was surrounded by American forces in upstate New York 15 miles (24 km) short of his goal. He fought two battles which took place 18 days apart on the same ground 9 miles (14 km) south of Saratoga, New York. He gained a victory in the first battle despite being outnumbered, but lost the second battle after the Americans returned with an even larger force.
General John Burgoyne was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, most notably during the Portugal campaign of 1762.
The Saratoga campaign in 1777 was an attempt by the British high command for North America to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley during the American Revolutionary War. It ended in the surrender of the British army, which historian Edmund Morgan argues, "was a great turning point of the war, because it won for Americans the foreign assistance which was the last element needed for victory."
The 1777 Siege of Fort Ticonderoga occurred between the 2nd and 6 July 1777 at Fort Ticonderoga, near the southern end of Lake Champlain in the state of New York. Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's 8,000-man army occupied high ground above the fort, and nearly surrounded the defenses. These movements precipitated the occupying Continental Army, an under-strength force of 3,000 under the command of General Arthur St. Clair, to withdraw from Ticonderoga and the surrounding defenses. Some gunfire was exchanged, and there were some casualties, but there was no formal siege and no pitched battle. Burgoyne's army occupied Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, the extensive fortifications on the Vermont side of the lake, without opposition on 6 July. Advance units pursued the retreating Americans.
Drake's Regiment of Militia also known as the 2nd New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up at Portsmouth, New Hampshire on September 8, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Ebenezer Learned's brigade of the Continental Army. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17 the regiment was disbanded on December 15, 1777.
Evans' Regiment of Militia also known as the 4th New Hampshire Militia Regiment was called up at Exeter, New Hampshire on September 8, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Ebenezer Learned's brigade of the Continental Army. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17 the regiment was disbanded on December 15, 1777. The Regiment was called up again as part of Gen. John Sullivan's army at the unsuccessful Battle of Rhode Island in 1778.
Reed's Regiment of Militia also known as the 6th Middlesex County Militia Regiment was called up at Littleton and Westford, Massachusetts on September 27, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Briskett's brigade of Massachusetts militia. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, the regiment was disbanded on November 9, 1777.
Storer's Regiment of Militia also known as the 3rd York County Militia Regiment was called up at York County, Maine then part of Massachusetts on August 14, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment was assigned to Gen. John Paterson's Brigade on October 3, 1777. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17 the regiment was disbanded on November 30, 1777, at Queman's Heights.
Johnson's Regiment of Militia also known as the 4th Essex County Militia Regiment was first called up for the Siege of Boston and Bunker Hill in 1775. The regiment was called up a second time at Andover, Massachusetts on August 14, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Warners' brigade and would capture six British cannon at the Battle of Bemis Heights. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, the regiment was disbanded on November 30, 1777.
Ashley's Regiment of Militia also known as the 1st Berkshire County Militia Regiment was called up in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in July 1777 and sent for a month to Fort Edward and on September 19, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Paterson's brigade.
Bullard's Regiment of Militia also known as the 5th Middlesex County Militia Regiment was called up at Sudbury, Massachusetts on August 16, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of Gen. Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17 the regiment was disbanded on October 21, 1777.
Woodbridge's Regiment of Militia, also known as the "1st Hampshire County Militia Regiment" and "Woodbridge's (25th) Regiment" and "The 25th Regiment of Foot". On April 20, 1775, the day immediately following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Woodbridge's regiment was formed and marched to Cambridge, Massachusetts near Boston, and participated in the siege of Boston and the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Cushing's Regiment of Militia was called up at Westborough, Massachusetts on August 16, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in Brigadier General Jonathan Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, the regiment was disbanded on November 29, 1777.
Sparhawk's Regiment of Militia, also known as the 7th Worcester County Militia Regiment. The Regiment took its name from its commander, Col. Nathan Sparhawk. The regiment spent the winter of 1776–1777 with Gen. George Washington's main army at Morristown, New Jersey. The regiment was again called up at Barre, Massachusetts on August 16, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join John Stark at Bennington, Vermont and then to General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17 the regiment was disbanded on October 18, 1777.
Wells' Regiment of Militia, also known as the 5th Hampshire County Militia Regiment, was an American unit called up at Shelburne, Massachusetts, on September 22, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Fellow's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, 1777, the regiment was disbanded the next day.
Gill's Regiment of Militia also known as the 3rd Suffolk County Militia Regiment was called up at Stoughton, Massachusetts on August 12, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in Gen. Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, the regiment was disbanded on December 12, 1777.
Whitney's Regiment of Militia also known as the 2nd Worcester County Militia Regiment was called up at Harvard, Massachusetts on October 2, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Fellow's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17 the regiment was disbanded on October 26, 1777.
Holman's Regiment of Militia also known as the 5th Worcester County Militia Regiment was called up at Sutton, Massachusetts on September 26, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17 the regiment was disbanded on October 27, 1777.
Wright's Regiment of Militia also known as the 5th Hampshire County Militia Regiment was called up at Northfield, Massachusetts on September 22, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Nixon's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, the regiment was disbanded on October 18, 1777.
Gage's Regiment of Militia also known as the 4th Essex County Militia Regiment was called up at Bradford, Massachusetts on October 2, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Nixon's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, the regiment acted as part of the guard for the prisoners to Prospect Hill and disbanded on November 7, 1777.
