The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 Part 24

IN CONGRESS.

_Resolved_, That the thanks of Congress, in their own name, and in behalf of the inhabitants of the thirteen United States, be presented to Major-General Gates, commander-in-chief in the northern department, and to Major-Generals Lincoln and Arnold, and the rest of the officers and troops under his command, for their brave and successful efforts in support of the independence of their country, whereby an army of the enemy, of ten thousand men, has been totally defeated; one large detachment of it, strongly posted and intrenched, having been conquered at Bennington; another repulsed with loss and disgrace from Fort Schuyler; and the main army of six thousand men, under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, after being beaten in different actions, and driven from a formidable post and strong intrenchments, reduced to the necessity of surrendering themselves upon terms honourable and advantageous to these States, on the 17th day of October last, to Major-General Gates; and that a medal of gold be struck, under the direction of the Board of War, in commemoration of this great event, and in the name of these United States presented by the President to Major-General Gates.

Tuesday, November 4, 1777.

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_General Gates to the President of Congress._

To His Excellency John HANc.o.c.k, Esq., Camp Saratoga, President of Congress. October 18, 1777.

Sir: I have the satisfaction to present Your Excellency with the convention of Saratoga, by which His Excellency Lieutenant-General Burgoyne has surrendered himself and his whole army into my hands, and they are now upon their march for Boston.

This signal and important event is the more glorious, as it was effected with so little loss to the army of the United States.

This letter will be presented to Your Excellency by my adjutant-general, Colonel Wilkinson, to whom I must beg leave to refer Your Excellency for the particulars that brought this great business to so happy and fortunate a conclusion.

I desire to be permitted to recommend this gallant officer in the warmest manner to Congress, and entreat that he may be continued in his present office, with the brevet of a brigadier-general.

The honourable Congress will believe me when I a.s.sure them that, from the beginning of this war, I have not met with a more promising military genius than Colonel Wilkinson, and whose services have been of the greatest importance to this army.

I am, Sir, Your Excellency's most obedient and humble servant, Horatio GATES.

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_Articles of Convention between Major-General Gates and (p. 011) Lieutenant-General Burgoyne._

I.

The troops under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne to march out of their camp, with the honours of war and the artillery of the intrenchments, to the verge of the river, where the old fort stood, where the arms and artillery are to be left, the arms to be piled by word of command from their own officers.

II.

A free pa.s.sage to be granted to the army under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne to Great Britain, on condition of not serving again in North America during the present contest; and the port of Boston is a.s.signed for the entry of transports to receive the troops whensoever General Howe shall so order.

III.

Should any cartel take place by which the army under General Burgoyne, or any part of it, may be exchanged, the foregoing article to be void, as far as such exchange be made.

IV.

The army under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne to march to Ma.s.sachusetts Bay by the easiest, most expeditious and convenient route, and to be quartered in, near, or as convenient as possible to, Boston, that the march of the troops may not be delayed when transports arrive to receive them.

V.

The troops to be supplied, on their march and during their being in quarters, with provisions, by General Gates's orders, at the same rate of rations as the troops of his own army; and, if possible, the officers' horses and cattle are to be supplied with forage at the usual rates.

VI.

All officers to retain their carriages, bathorses, and other cattle, and no baggage to be molested or searched, Lieutenant-General Burgoyne giving his honour that there are no public stores secreted therein. Major-General Gates will, of course, take the necessary measures for the due performance of this article. Should any carriages be wanted, during the march, for the transportation of officers' baggage, they are, if possible, to be supplied by the country at the usual rates.

VII.

Upon the march, and during the time the army shall remain in quarters in Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, the officers are not, as far as circ.u.mstances admit, to be separated from their men. The officers are to be quartered according to rank, and are not to be hindered from a.s.sembling their men for roll-call, and other necessary purposes of regularity.

VIII. (p. 012)

All corps whatsoever of Lieutenant-General Burgoyne's army, whether composed of sailors, bateaumen, artificers, drivers, independent companies, and followers of the army, of whatever country, shall be included in the fullest sense and the utmost extent of the above articles, and comprehended in every respect as British subjects.

IX.

All Canadians and persons belonging to the Canadian establishment, consisting of sailors, bateaumen, artificers, drivers, independent companies, and many other followers of the army, who come under no particular description, are to be permitted to return there; they are to be conducted immediately, by the shortest route, to the first British post on Lake George, are to be supplied with provisions in the same manner as the other troops, and are to be bound by the same condition of not serving during the present contest in North America.

X.

Pa.s.sports to be immediately granted for three officers, not exceeding the rank of captains, who shall be appointed by Lieutenant-General Burgoyne to carry despatches to Sir William Howe, Sir Guy Carleton, and to Great Britain, by the way of New York; and Major-General Gates engages the public faith that these despatches shall not be opened. These officers are to set out immediately after receiving their despatches, and are to travel the shortest route and in the most expeditious manner.

XI.

During the stay of the troops in Ma.s.sachusetts Bay the officers are to be admitted on parole, and are to be allowed to wear their side arms.

XII.

Should the army under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne find it necessary to send for their clothing and other baggage to Canada, they are permitted to do it in the most convenient manner, and the necessary pa.s.sports granted for that purpose.

XIII.

These articles are to be mutually signed and exchanged to-morrow morning at nine o'clock, and the troops under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne are to march out of their intrenchments at three o'clock in the afternoon.

Horatio GATES, Major-General.

J. BURGOYNE, Lieutenant-General.

Saratoga, October 16, 1777.

To prevent any doubts that might arise from Lieutenant-General Burgoyne's name not being mentioned in the above treaty, Major-General Gates hereby declares that he is understood to be comprehended in it as fully as if his name had been specifically mentioned.

Horatio GATES.

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_Thomas Jefferson to Colonel Humphreys._ (p. 013)

To Colonel HUMPHREYS, Paris, December 4, 1785.

London.

Dear Sir: I inclose a letter from Gatteaux, observing that there will be an anachronism if, in making a medal to commemorate the victory of Saratoga, he puts on General Gates the insignia of the Cincinnati, which did not exist at that date. I wrote him, in answer, that I thought so, too, but that you had the direction of the business; that you were now in London; that I would write to you, and probably should have an answer within a fortnight; and that, in the mean time, he could be employed on other parts of the die. I supposed you might not have observed on the print of General Gates the insignia of the Cincinnati, or did not mean that that particular should be copied. Another reason against it strikes me: Congress have studiously avoided giving to the public their sense of this inst.i.tution. Should medals be prepared to be presented from them to certain officers, and bearing on them the insignia of the order, as the presenting them would involve an approbation of the inst.i.tution, a previous question would be forced on them, whether they would present these medals. I am of opinion it would be very disagreeable to them to be placed under the necessity of making this declaration. Be so good as to let me know your wishes on this subject by the first post, and be a.s.sured of the esteem with which I am, dear Sir, your friend and servant, Th: JEFFERSON.

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_Colonel Humphreys to Thomas Jefferson._