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　when；　at　a　later　date；　he　pictured　George　III　as　gloating　over　the　scalps　of　his　subjects　in　America。　The　Seneca　Indians　alone；　wrote　Franklin；　sent　to　the　King　many　bales　of　scalps。　Some　bales　were　captured　by　the　Americans　and　they　found　the　scalps　of　43　soldiers；　297　farmers；　some　of　them　burned　alive；　and　67　old　people；　88　women；　193　boys；　211　girls；　29　infants；　and　others　unclassified。　Exact　figures　bring　conviction。　Franklin　was　not　wanting　in　exactness　nor　did　he　fail；　albeit　it　was　unwittingly；　to　intensify　burning　resentment　of　which　we　have　echoes　still。　Burgoyne　had　to　bear　the　odium　of　the　outrages　by　Indians。　It　is　amusing　to　us；　though　it　was　hardly　so　to　this　kindly　man；　to　find　these　words　put　into　his　mouth　by　a　colonial　poet：

　I　will　let　loose　the　dogs　of　Hell；　Ten　thousand　Indians　who　shall　yell；　And　foam；　and　tear；　and　grin；　and　roar　And　drench　their　moccasins　in　gore：。　。　。　I　swear；　by　St。　George　and　St。　Paul；　I　will　exterminate　you　all。

Such　seed；　falling　on　soil　prepared　by　the　hate　of　war；　brought　forth　its　deadly　fruit。　The　Americans　believed　that　there　was　no　brutality　from　which　British　officers　would　shrink。　Burgoyne　had　told　his　Indian　allies　that　they　must　not　kill　except　in　actual　fighting　and　that　there　must　be　no　slaughter　of　non…combatants　and　no　scalping　of　any　but　the　dead。　The　warning　delivered　him　into　the　hands　of　his　enemies　for　it　showed　that　he　half　expected　outrage。　Members　of　the　British　House　of　Commons　were　no　whit　behind　the　Americans　in　attacking　him。　Burke　amused　the　House　by　his　satire　on　Burgoyne's　words：　〃My　gentle　lions；　my　humane　bears；　my　tenderhearted　hyenas；　go　forth！　But　I　exhort　you；　as　you　are　Christians　and　members　of　civilized　society；　to　take　care　not　to　hurt　any　man；　woman；　or　child。〃　Burke's　great　speech　lasted　for　three　and　a　half　hours　and　Sir　George　Savile　called　it　〃the　greatest　triumph　of　eloquence　within　memory。〃　British　officers　disliked　their　dirty；　greasy；　noisy　allies　and　Burgoyne　found　his　use　of　savages；　with　the　futile　order　to　be　merciful；　a　potent　factor　in　his　defeat。

A　horrifying　incident　had　occurred　while　he　was　fighting　his　way　to　the　Hudson。　As　the　Americans　were　preparing　to　leave　Fort　Edward　some　marauding　Indians　saw　a　chance　of　plunder　and　outrage。　They　burst　into　a　house　and　carried　off　two　ladies；　both　of　them　British　in　sympathyMrs。　McNeil；　a　cousin　of　one　of　Burgoyne's　chief　officers；　General　Fraser；　and　Miss　Jeannie　McCrae；　whose　betrothed；　a　Mr。　Jones；　and　whose　brother　were　serving　with　Burgoyne。　In　a　short　time　Mrs。　McNeil　was　handed　over　unhurt　to　Burgoyne's　advancing　army。　Miss　McCrae　was　never　again　seen　alive　by　her　friends。　Her　body　was　found　and　a　Wyandot　chief；　known　as　the　Panther；　showed　her　scalp　as　a　trophy。　Burgoyne　would　have　been　a　poor　creature　had　he　not　shown　anger　at　such　a　crime；　even　if　committed　against　the　enemy。　This　crime；　however；　was　committed　against　his　own　friends。　He　pressed　the　charge　against　the　chief　and　was　prepared　to　hang　him　and　only　relaxed　when　it　was　urged　that　the　execution　would　cause　all　his　Indians　to　leave　him　and　to　commit　further　outrages。　The　incident　was　appealing　in　its　tragedy　and　stirred　the　deep　anger　of　the　population　of　the　surrounding　country　among　whose　descendants　to　this　day　the　tradition　of　the　abandoned　brutality　of　the　British　keeps　alive　the　old　hatred。

At　Fort　Edward　Burgoyne　now　found　that　he　could　hardly　move。　He　was　encumbered　by　an　enormous　baggage　train。　His　own　effects　filled；　it　is　said；　thirty　wagons　and　this　we　can　believe　when　we　find　that　champagne　was　served　at　his　table　up　almost　to　the　day　of　final　disaster。　The　population　was　thoroughly　aroused　against　him。　His　own　instinct　was　to　remain　near　the　water　route　to　Canada　and　make　sure　of　his　communications。　On　the　other　hand；　honor　called　him　to　go　forward　and　not　fail　Howe；　supposed　to　be　advancing　to　meet　him。　For　a　long　time　he　waited　and　hesitated。　Meanwhile　he　was　having　increasing　difficulty　in　feeding　his　army　and　through　sickness　and　desertion　his　numbers　were　declining。　By　the　13th　of　September　he　had　taken　a　decisive　step。　He　made　a　bridge　of　boats　and　moved　his　whole　force　across　the　river　to　Saratoga；　now　Schuylerville。　This　crossing　of　the　river　would　result　inevitably　in　cutting　off　his　communications　with　Lake　George　and　Ticonderoga。　After　such　a　step　he　could　not　go　back　and　he　was　moving　forward　into　a　dark　unknown。　The　American　camp　was　at　Stillwater；　twelve　miles　farther　down　the　river。　Burgoyne　sent　messenger　after　messenger　to　get　past　the　American　lines　and　bring　back　news　of　Howe。　Not　one　of　these　unfortunate　spies　returned。　Most　of　them　were　caught　and　ignominiously　hanged。　One　thing；　however；　Burgoyne　could　do。　He　could　hazard　a　fight　and　on　this　he　decided　as　the　autumn　was　closing　in。

Burgoyne　had　no　time　to　lose；　once　his　force　was　on　the　west　bank　of　the　Hudson。　General　Lincoln　cut　off　his　communications　with　Canada　and　was　soon　laying　siege　to　Ticonderoga。　The　American　army　facing　Burgoyne　was　now　commanded　by　General　Gates。　This　Englishman；　the　godson　of　Horace　Walpole；　had　gained　by　successful　intrigue　powerful　support　in　Congress。　That　body　was　always　paying　too　much　heed　to　local　claims　and　jealousies　and　on　the　2d　of　August　it　removed　Schuyler　of　New　York　because　he　was　disliked　by　the　soldiers　from　New　England　and　gave　the　command　to　Gates。　Washington　was　far　away　maneuvering　to　meet　Howe　and　he　was　never　able　to　watch　closely　the　campaign　in　the　north。　Gates；　indeed；　considered　himself　independent　of　Washington　and　reported　not　to　the　Commander…in…Chief　but　direct　to　Congress。　On　the　19th　of　September　Burgoyne　attacked　Gates　in　a　strong　entrenched　position　on　Bemis　Heights；　at　Stillwater。　There　was　a　long　and　bitter　fight；　but　by　evening　Burgoyne　had　not　carried　the　main　position　and　had　lost　more　than　five　hundred　men　whom　he　could　ill　spare　from　his　scanty　numbers。

Burgoyne's　condition　was　now　growing　desperate。　American　forces　barred　retreat　to　Canada。　He　must　go　back　and　meet　both　frontal　and　flank　attacks；　or　go　forward；　or　surrender。　To　go　forward　now　had　most　promise；　for　at　last　Howe　had　instructed　Clinton；　left　in　command　at　New　York；　to　move；　and　Clinton　was　making　rapid　progress　up　the　Hudson。　On　the　7th　of　October　Burgoyne　attacked　again　at　Stillwater。　This　time　he　was　decisively　defeated；　a　result　due　to　the　amazing　energy　in　attack　of　Benedict　Arnold；　who　had　been　stripped　of　his　command　by　an　intrigue。　Gates　would　not　even　speak　to　him　and　his　lingering　in　the　American　camp　was　unwelcome。　Yet　as　a　volunteer　Arnold　charged　the　British　line　madly　and　broke　it。　Burgoyne's　best　general；　Fraser；　was　killed　in　the　fight。　Burgoyne　retired　to　Saratoga　and　there　at　last　faced　the　prospects　of　getting　back　to　Fort　Edward　and　to　Canada。　It　may　be　that　he　could　have　cut　his　way　through；　but　this　is　doubtful。　Without　risk　of　destruction　he　could　not　move　in　any　direction。　His　enemies　now　outnumbered　him　nearly　four　to　one。　His　camp　was　swept　by　the　American　guns　and　his　men　were　under　arms　night　and　day。　American　sharpshooters　stationed　themselves　at　daybreak　in　trees　about　the　British　camp　and　any　one　who　appeared　in　the　open　risked　his　life。　If　a　cap　was　held　up　in　view　instantly　two　or　three　balls　would　pass　through　it。　His　horses　were　killed　by　rifle　shots。　Burgoyne　had　little　food　for　his　men　and　none　for　his　horses。　His　Indians　had　long　since　gone　off　in　dudgeon。　Many　of　his　Canadian　French　slipped　off　homeward　and　so　did　the　Loyalists。　The　German　troops　were　naturally　dispirited。　A　British　officer　tells　of　the　deadly　homesickness　of　these　poor　men。　They　would　gather　in　groups　of　two　dozen　or　so　and　mourn　that　they　would　never　again　see　their　native　land。　They　died；　a　score　at　a　time；　of　no　other　disease　than　sickness　for　their　homes。　They　could　have　no　pride　in　trying　to　save　a　lost　cause。　Burgoyne　was　surrounded　and；　on　the　17th　of　October；　he　was　obliged　to　surrender。

Gates　proposed　to　Burgoyne　hard　termssurrender　with　no　honors　of　war。　The　British　were　to　lay　down　their　arms　in　their　encampments　and　to　march　out　without　weapons　of　any　kind。　Burgoyne　declared　that；　rather　than　accept　such　terms；　he　would　fight　still　and　take　no　quarter。　A　shadow　was　falling　on　the　path　of　Gates。　The　term　of　service　of　some　of　his　men　had　expired。　The　New　Englanders　were　determined　to　stay　and　see　the　end　of　Burgoyne　but　a　good　many　of　the　New　York　troops　went　off。　Sickness；　too；　was　increasing。　Above　all　General　Clinton　was　advancing　up　the　Hudson。　British　ships　could　come　up　freely　as　far　as　Albany　and　in　a　few　days　Clinton　might　make　a　formidable　advance。　Gates；　a　timid　man；　was　in　a　hurry。　He　therefore　agreed　that　the　British　should　march　from　their　camp　with　the　honors　of　war；　that　the　troops　should　be　taken　to　New　England；　and　from　there　to　England。　They　must　not　serve　again　in　North　America　during　the　war　but　there　was　nothing　in　the　terms　to　prevent　their　serving　in　Europe　and　relieving　British　regiments　for　service　in　America。　Gates　had　the　courtesy　to　keep　his　army　where　it　could　not　see　the　laying　down　of　arms　by　Burgoyne's　force。　About　five　thousand　men；　of　whom　sixteen　hundred　were　Germans　and　only　three　thousand　five　hundred　fit　for　duty；　surrendered　to