The Weakest Links at the Weakest Point

French Canadians guarded the two fortified log cabins protecting the left of Colonel Breymann's defenses, and the corners of those cabins are marked with white posts with red tops. They were also the only soldiers in Burgoyne's army forced to serve against their will. Burgoyne complained that these drafted Canadians were "disinclined to the service, [and] spiritless." Their lack of enthusiasm for the Crown's cause is easy to understand, since many had recently fought against the British in the French and Indian War from 1754 to 1763. American riflemen, Indian warriors, and French Canadians often carried knives like this, and knives sometimes had to be used in combat.

Saratoga, New York · United States