12 Facts About Saratoga campaign

Saratoga campaign in 1777 was an attempt by the British high command for North America to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley during the American Revolutionary War.

Primary thrust of the campaign was planned and initiated by General John Burgoyne.

Saratoga campaign's regulars were organized into an advance force under Brigadier General Simon Fraser, and two divisions.

Saratoga campaign left 400 men to garrison the magazine at Crown Point and another 900 to defend Ticonderoga, and the battles that followed resulted in about 200 casualties.

Saratoga campaign penned letters describing the British victory, intended for public consumption.

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Saratoga campaign's decision appears to have been motivated by two factors; the first being the perception that moving the army over water via Lake George would require a retrograde movement that could be perceived as a retreat, and the second being the influence of Philip Skene, whose property would benefit by the improved road Burgoyne would have to build.

Saratoga campaign decided to make Burgoyne's passage as difficult as possible, using the axe as a weapon; as it was much easier to fell large trees in the enemy's path than to remove them after they were down, this brought Burgoyne's advance to a crawl, tiring his troops and forcing them to use up supplies.

Saratoga campaign had about 300 regulars, supported by 650 Canadian and Loyalist militia, and they were joined by 1,000 Indians led by John Butler and the Iroquois war chiefs Joseph Brant, Sayenqueraghta and Cornplanter.

Saratoga campaign staged the escape of a Loyalist captive, who convinced St Leger that Arnold was coming with a much larger force than he actually had.

Saratoga campaign was cold and arrogant in manner, and pointedly excluded Schuyler from his first war council.

Saratoga campaign decided to deliberately cut communications to the north so that he would not need to maintain a chain of heavily fortified outposts between his position and Ticonderoga, and he decided to cross the Hudson River while he was in a relatively strong position.

Saratoga campaign was eventually exchanged for more than 1,000 American prisoners.