“We are in strong position which the rebels dare not attack.”

Appearances here were deceiving. A deep ravine protected the fortification to the north, but the rear where the soldiers camped was wide open. Two massive log walls had an 80-yard-wide gap between them, and a hill to the front could give an enemy cover. The soldiers near here also faced internal difficulties. Colonel Breymann commanded the Reserve Corps, well-trained German troops, but on his right were inexperienced American royalists and on his left were French Canadians resentful of being here. His German officers did not trust them, and the need to issue orders in German, French, and English made defending this place even more difficult.

Saratoga, New York · United States