After a short siege at Saratoga, the British asked for a ceasefire, and after days of negotiations, Generals Gates and Burgoyne signed the Articles of Convention on October 16. The next day Burgoyne's army surrendered. The Abenakis, Mohawks, and many American royalists left shortly beforehand. Gates released most of the remaining royalists, refugees, and French Canadians and sent them to Canada. The war lasted six more years after the fighting here ended. Gates' decision to chase down his foe tipped the balance of the Revolution and helped lead to American independence. Gates' reputation later suffered from failed political intrigues and loss in the Battle of Camden, South Carolina.