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Seldom in history has a single military campaign had such immediate and far-ranging consequences as the series of battles and skirmishes known as "Saratoga." In the spring of 1777, determined to end the fighting once and for all, the British devised what they believed a war-winning strategy. By early fall, their entire northern army had surrendered. Kevin J. Weddle offers the most thorough account to date, showing how an operation that begin with such promise for the British turned to disaster, and why the underestimated American forces triumphed so decisively. Saratoga was a turning point in the Revolution, boosting Patriot confidence, demoralizing the Loyalist cause, and leading directly to the Franco-American alliance that would eventually secure independence. It was, as one American general called it, "The compleat victory."
List of contents
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Opening Moves
- Chapter 2: The First Invasion
- Chapter 3: A New British Strategy
- Chapter 4: A Question of American Command
- Chapter 5: Laying the Groundwork
- Chapter 6: The Fall of Fort Ticonderoga
- Chapter 7: Defeat, Retreat, Disgrace
- Chapter 8: Aftershocks
- Chapter 9: Burgoyne Moves South
- Chapter 10: The Ordeal of Philip Schuyler
- Chapter 11: The Murder of Jane McCrea
- Chapter 12: Not to Make a Ticonderoga of It
- Chapter 13: Oriskany and Relief
- Chapter 14: Cat and Mouse
- Chapter 15: Burgoyne's Dilemma
- Chapter 16: The Battle of Bennington
- Chapter 17: Gates takes Command
- Chapter 18: The Battle of Freeman's Farm
- Chapter 19: Sir Henry Clinton to the Rescue
- Chapter 20: The Battle of Bemis Heights
- Chapter 21: Retreat, Pursuit, and Surrender
- Chapter 22: British Reassessment
- Chapter 23: The Fruits of Victory
- Conclusion: Strategy and Leadership
About the author
Kevin J. Weddle is Professor of Military Theory and Strategy at the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. A West Point graduate, he served in the US Army for 28 years on active duty in command and staff positions in the United States and overseas, including Operations Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom, before retiring as a colonel.
Summary
Winner of the Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize, Winner of the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award, Winner of The Society of the Cincinnati Prize & Winner of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution 2024 NASDR Excellence in American History Book Award.
In the late summer and fall of 1777, after two years of indecisive fighting on both sides, the outcome of the American War of Independence hung in the balance. Having successfully expelled the Americans from Canada in 1776, the British were determined to end the rebellion the following year and devised what they believed a war-winning strategy, sending General John Burgoyne south to rout the Americans and take Albany. When British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga with unexpected ease in July of 1777, it looked as if it was a matter of time before they would break the rebellion in the North. Less than three and a half months later, however, a combination of the Continental Army and Militia forces, commanded by Major General Horatio Gates and inspired by the heroics of Benedict Arnold, forced Burgoyne to surrender his entire army. The American victory stunned the world and changed the course of the war.
Kevin J. Weddle offers the most authoritative history of the Battle of Saratoga to date, explaining with verve and clarity why events unfolded the way they did. In the end, British plans were undone by a combination of distance, geography, logistics, and an underestimation of American leadership and fighting ability. Taking Ticonderoga had misled Burgoyne and his army into thinking victory was assured. Saratoga, which began as a British foraging expedition, turned into a rout. The outcome forced the British to rethink their strategy, inflamed public opinion in England against the war, boosted Patriot morale, and, perhaps most critical of all, led directly to the Franco-American alliance. Weddle unravels the web of contingencies and the play of personalities that ultimately led to what one American general called "the Compleat Victory."
Foreword
Winner of the Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize, Winner of the Fraunces Tavern Museum Boll Award and The Society of the Cincinnate Prize
Additional text
Kevin Weddle's account of the Saratoga campaign offers a thoughtful and detailed analysis of the strategy, leadership, and tactics of a turning point in the American Revolution. In addition to telling a fine story, he illuminates the motives, decisions, and actions of the principal characters, including the ambitious and pompous John Burgoyne, the aloof and fatalistic Philip Schuyler, the militarily able and politically devious Horatio Gates, and the brilliant and mercurial Benedict Arnold.
