In no small sense, however, the success of the American cause may be attributed to the skill of the colonial infantry who, under the daring leadership of Arnold and Morgan, had proved themselves more than a match for the British veterans. Furthermore, the American ability to increase their numbers within a short period of time materially added to their ultimate success. The speed with which the county and State governments called up the militia levies and forwarded the needed supplies enhanced the American position; so that as Burgoyne’s manpower and supply situation became increasingly desperate, Gates’ became stronger. Although most of the fighting at Saratoga was done by Continental troops, corresponding to what we would call regulars the presence of the militia made possible the commitment to the battles of the better trained and organized Continentals.
This famous painting of the surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga, by John Trumbull, is of a memorial nature. It does not attempt to reconstruct the actual scene. The four figures in the central foreground are Generals Phillips, Burgoyne, and Gates, and Colonel Morgan. Courtesy Yale University Art Gallery.
Burgoyne cannon. This 24-pounder bronze gun was one of the pieces of artillery surrendered by the British at Saratoga.
View east from Fraser’s Hill with the Hudson Valley Hills and Green Mountains in the distance, showing the terrain held by the British line and the ground most bitterly fought over in the battle of October 7. On the bluffs overlooking the river is the site of the Great Redoubt (1) where Fraser was buried and from where the British began their retreat northward to Saratoga (now Schuylerville). The Breymann Redoubt (2) was in the cleared area adjacent to the woods. The Freeman Farm (3), where the battle of September 19 began, was later included within the British lines. The Balcarres Redoubt ran from the Freeman Farm right to (4).
The employment of Indians by the British and the outrages perpetrated by them upon the civilian populace, of which the murder of Jane McCrae was the most noted, helped to give a sense of urgency to the people of the region. This resulted in a greater degree of wholehearted support of the American military effort than might otherwise have been the case.