washington and his comrades in arms-第20章

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　people　hostile　and　he　doubted　the　sincerity　even　of　those　who　professed　their　loyalty。

After　Burgoyne　had　been　a　month　at　Fort　Edward　he　was　face　to　face　with　starvation。　If　he　advanced　he　lengthened　his　line　to　flank　attack。　As　it　was　he　had　difficulty　in　holding　it　against　New　Englanders；　the　most　resolute　of　all　his　foes；　eager　to　assert　by　hard　fighting；　if　need　be；　their　right　to　hold　the　invaded　territory　which　was　claimed　also　by　New　York。　Burgoyne's　instructions　forbade　him　to　turn　aside　and　strike　them　a　heavy　blow。　He　must　go　on　to　meet　Howe　who　was　not　there　to　be　met。　A　being　who　could　see　the　movements　of　men　as　we　watch　a　game　of　chess；　might　think　that　madness　had　seized　the　British　leaders；　Burgoyne　on　the　upper　Hudson　plunging　forward　resolutely　to　meet　Howe；　Howe　at　sea　sailing　away；　as　it　might　well　seem；　to　get　as　far　from　Burgoyne　as　he　could；　Clinton　in　command　at　New　York　without　instructions；　puzzled　what　to　do　and　not　hearing　from　his　leader；　Howe；　for　six　weeks　at　a　time；　and　across　the　sea　a　complacent　minister；　Germain；　who　believed　that　he　knew　what　to　do　in　a　scene　three　thousand　miles　away；　and　had　drawn　up　exact　instructions　as　to　the　way　of　doing　it；　and　who　was　now　eagerly　awaiting　news　of　the　final　triumph。

Burgoyne　did　his　best。　Early　in　August　he　had　to　make　a　venturesome　stroke　to　get　sorely　needed　food。　Some　twenty…five　miles　east　of　the　Hudson　at　Bennington；　in　difficult　country；　New　England　militia　had　gathered　food　and　munitions；　and　horses　for　transport。　The　pressure　of　need　clouded　Burgoyne's　judgment。　To　make　a　dash　for　Bennington　meant　a　long　and　dangerous　march。　He　was　assured；　however；　that　a　surprise　was　possible　and　that　in　any　case　the　country　was　full　of　friends　only　awaiting　a　little　encouragement　to　come　out　openly　on　his　side。　They　were　Germans　who　lay　on　Burgoyne's　left　and　Burgoyne　sent　Colonel　Baum；　an　efficient　officer；　with　five　or　six　hundred　men　to　attack　the　New　Englanders　and　bring　in　the　supplies。　It　was　a　stupid　blunder　to　send　Germans　among　a　people　specially　incensed　against　the　use　of　these　mercenaries。　There　was　no　surprise。　Many　professing　loyalists；　seemingly　eager　to　take　the　oath　of　allegiance；　met　and　delayed　Baum。　When　near　Bennington　he　found　in　front　of　him　a　force　barring　the　way　and　had　to　make　a　carefully　guarded　camp　for　the　night。　Then　five　hundred　men；　some　of　them　the　cheerful　takers　of　the　oath　of　allegiance；　slipped　round　to　his　rear　and　in　the　morning　he　was　attacked　from　front　and　rear。

A　hot　fight　followed　which　resulted　in　the　complete　defeat　of　the　British。　Baum　was　mortally　wounded。　Some　of　his　men　escaped　into　the　woods；　the　rest　were　killed　or　captured。　Nor　was　this　all。　Burgoyne；　scenting　danger；　had　ordered　five　hundred　more　Germans　to　reinforce　Baum。　They；　too；　were　attacked　and　overwhelmed。　In　all　Burgoyne　lost　some　eight　hundred　men　and　four　guns。　The　American　loss　was　seventy。　It　shows　the　spirit　of　the　time　that；　for　the　sport　of　the　soldiers；　British　prisoners　were　tied　together　in　pairs　and　driven　by　negroes　at　the　tail　of　horses。　An　American　soldier　described　long　after；　with　regret　for　his　own　cruelty；　how　he　had　taken　a　British　prisoner　who　had　had　his　left　eye　shot　out　and　mounted　him　on　a　horse　also　without　the　left　eye；　in　derision　at　the　captive's　misfortune。　The　British　complained　that　quarter　was　refused　in　the　fight。　For　days　tired　stragglers；　after　long　wandering　in　the　woods；　drifted　into　Burgoyne's　camp。　This　was　now　near　Saratoga；　a　name　destined　to　be　ominous　in　the　history　of　the　British　army。

Further　misfortune　now　crowded　upon　Burgoyne。　The　general　of　that　day　had　two　favorite　forms　of　attack。　One　was　to　hold　the　enemy's　front　and　throw　out　a　column　to　march　round　the　flank　and　attack　his　rear；　the　method　of　Howe　at　the　Brandywine；　the　other　method　was　to　advance　on　the　enemy　by　lines　converging　at　a　common　center。　This　form　of　attack　had　proved　most　successful　eighteen　years　earlier　when　the　British　had　finally　secured　Canada　by　bringing　together；　at　Montreal；　three　armies；　one　from　the　east；　one　from　the　west；　and　one　from　the　south。　Now　there　was　a　similar　plan　of　bringing　together　three　British　forces　at　or　near　Albany；　on　the　Hudson。　Of　Clinton；　at　New　York；　and　Burgoyne　we　know。　The　third　force　was　under　General　St。　Leger。　With　some　seventeen　hundred　men；　fully　half　of　whom　were　Indians；　he　had　gone　up　the　St。　Lawrence　from　Montreal　and　was　advancing　from　Oswego　on　Lake　Ontario　to　attack　Fort　Stanwix　at　the　end　of　the　road　from　the　Great　Lakes　to　the　Mohawk　River。　After　taking　that　stronghold　he　intended　to　go　down　the　river　valley　to　meet　Burgoyne　near　Albany。

On　the　3d　of　August　St。　Leger　was　before　Fort　Stanwix　garrisoned　by　some　seven　hundred　Americans。　With　him　were　two　men　deemed　potent　in　that　scene。　One　of　these　was　Sir　John　Johnson　who　had　recently　inherited　the　vast　estate　in　the　neighborhood　of　his　father；　the　great　Indian　Superintendent；　Sir　William　Johnson；　and　was　now　in　command　of　a　regiment　recruited　from　Loyalists；　many　of　them　fierce　and　embittered　because　of　the　seizure　of　their　property。　The　other　leader　was　a　famous　chief　of　the　Mohawks；　Thayendanegea；　or；　to　give　him　his　English　name；　Joseph　Brant；　half　savage　still；　but　also　half　civilized　and　half　educated；　because　he　had　had　a　careful　schooling　and　for　a　brief　day　had　been　courted　by　London　fashion。　He　exerted　a　formidable　influence　with　his　own　people。　The　Indians　were　not；　however；　all　on　one　side。　Half　of　the　six　tribes　of　the　Iroquois　were　either　neutral　or　in　sympathy　with　the　Americans。　Among　the　savages；　as　among　the　civilized；　the　war　was　a　family　quarrel；　in　which　brother　fought　brother。　Most　of　the　Indians　on　the　American　side　preserved；　indeed；　an　outward　neutrality。　There　was　no　hostile　population　for　them　to　plunder　and　the　Indian　usually　had　no　stomach　for　any　other　kind　of　warfare。　The　allies　of　the　British；　on　the　other　hand；　had　plenty　of　openings　to　their　taste　and　they　brought　on　the　British　cause　an　enduring　discredit。

When　St。　Leger　was　before　Fort　Stanwix　he　heard　that　a　force　of　eight　hundred　men；　led　by　a　German　settler　named　Herkimer；　was　coming　up　against　him。　When　it　was　at　Oriskany；　about　six　miles　away；　St。　Leger　laid　a　trap。　He　sent　Brant　with　some　hundreds　of　Indians　and　a　few　soldiers　to　be　concealed　in　a　marshy　ravine　which　Herkimer　must　cross。　When　the　American　force　was　hemmed　in　by　trees　and　marsh　on　the　narrow　causeway　of　logs　running　across　the　ravine　the　Indians　attacked　with　wild　yells　and　murderous　fire。　Then　followed　a　bloody　hand　to　hand　fight。　Tradition　has　been　busy　with　its　horrors。　Men　struggled　in　slime　and　blood　and　shouted　curses　and　defiance。　Improbable　stories　are　told　of　pairs　of　skeletons　found　afterwards　in　the　bog　each　with　a　bony　hand　which　had　driven　a　knife　to　the　heart　of　the　other。　In　the　end　the　British；　met　by　resolution　so　fierce；　drew　back。　Meanwhile　a　sortie　from　the　American　fort　on　their　rear　had　a　menacing　success。　Sir　John　Johnson's　camp　was　taken　and　sacked。　The　two　sides　were　at　last　glad　to　separate；　after　the　most　bloody　struggle　in　the　whole　war。　St。　Leger's　Indians　had　had　more　than　enough。　About　a　hundred　had　been　killed　and　the　rest　were　in　a　state　of　mutiny。　Soon　it　was　known　that　Benedict　Arnold；　with　a　considerable　force；　was　pushing　up　the　Mohawk　Valley　to　relieve　the　American　fort。　Arnold　knew　how　to　deal　with　savages。　He　took　care　that　his　friendly　Indians　should　come　into　contact　with　those　of　Brant　and　tell　lurid　tales　of　utter　disaster　to　Burgoyne　and　of　a　great　avenging　army　on　the　march　to　attack　St。　Leger。　The　result　was　that　St。　Leger's　Indians　broke　out　in　riot　and　maddened　themselves　with　stolen　rum。　Disorder　affected　even　the　soldiers。　The　only　thing　for　St。　Leger　to　do　was　to　get　away。　He　abandoned　his　guns　and　stores　and；　harassed　now　by　his　former　Indian　allies；　made　his　way　to　Oswego　and　in　the　end　reached　Montreal　with　a　remnant　of　his　force。

News　of　these　things　came　to　Burgoyne　just　after　the　disaster　at　Bennington。　Since　Fort　Stanwix　was　in　a　country　counted　upon　as　Loyalist　at　heart　it　was　especially　discouraging　again　to　find　that　in　the　main　the　population　was　against　the　British。　During　the　war　almost　without