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The American Revolution
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Indian allies were discontented in the wake of the battle. They abandoned
the expedition at the approach of another American relief column. Over-
estimating the relief column’s size, St. Leger retreated to Lake Ontario in
late August. He later pulled back to Quebec.
Burgoyne, meanwhile, had run into troubles of his own. American forces
chopped down large trees to block roads. They destroyed bridges. Burgoyne’s
column slowed to a crawl. His supplies began to run out. And Burgoyne
received a letter from General Howe. It informed him that Howe would
not be leading a force up the Hudson Valley,
as Burgoyne expected.
By early August, the British column was
still more than 50 miles north of Albany. Bur-
goyne detached 800 men from his main force.
Commanded by Friedrich Baum, a Hessian
lieutenant colonel, the detachment was to
march southeast to the town of Bennington
(in present-day Vermont). There, the soldiers
were to seize horses, cattle, and other badly
needed supplies.
A 2,000-strong American militia force
quickly assembled to counter the threat. Com-
manded by General John Stark, it consisted
largely of NewHampshiremen. On August 16,
Stark’s force surrounded and routed Baum’s
General John Stark commanded militia
fromNewHampshire. His men defeated
part of the British army at the Battle of
Bennington, Vermont.
During the Revolutionary War, a significant number of women
accompanied armies in the field. Often, they were wives of sol-
diers. They performed a variety of essential duties, including
cooking and caring for the wounded. They shared in the hardships
faced by the army and were subject to military discipline.
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