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Essay on Battle of Saratoga
General Clinton, who had been left with a small force in New York, started up the Hudson to do what he could for Burgoyne. But as soon as he let Howe know what he was doing, he was discouraged and requested, instead of going up the Hudson, to send part of his force to Philadelphia to help reduce the forts on the Delaware. Howe would not make an attack of any kind on the coasts of New England to check the movement of the militia of that region against Burgoyne. Clinton did his utmost. He waited for some seventeen hundred reinforcements that were to arrive, and then started up the Hudson with only two or three thousand men, meeting with some success.
He took the Highland forts October 6, with thousands of rebel muskets and vast quantities of ammunition, military tools, and supplies. But he moved slowly, and was too late. Even if he had been able to advance farther up, his little force was hopelessly inadequate to cope with the New England troops that were collecting far to the north of him, near Lake Champlain. (Radzilowski, John, 2000)For a time after leaving Canada Burgoyne and his eight thousand men met with good success, drove the Americans before them, took Ticonderoga, and gained a decided victory at Hubbardton. But difficulties increased as they advanced. The greatest efforts were made all over New England to collect and send forces that would overwhelm Burgoyne, now that Howe and his 18,000 men had gone to Philadelphia, and Clinton, on account of his small numbers, was helpless in New York.
The English appear to have believed that violence and handcuffs were used to force patriots to serve, and that the New England prisons were filled with delinquents. Washington also sent reinforcements from his little army that was playing around Howe. By this means about 11,000 patriot militia were collected and hurried.......
