Mission: Crush American Independence

Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne began his invasion in June 1777 with 9,000 troops moving south from Canada. Americans soon abandoned Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, and the British continued chasing them south. In August, Major General Philip Schuyler had withdrawn American troops almost to Albany, and an alarmed Congress appointed Major General Horatio Gates to replace him. The British plan then began to unravel as troops attacking Fort Schuyler (Stanwix) failed and fled back to Canada, and a raiding party suffered a stunning defeat near Bennington, Vermont. Still, by the middle of September, Burgoyne was ready to strike through this valley to take Albany, while Gates had moved his reinforced Northern Army up to nearby Bemus Heights, and both sides prepared for a great battle.

Stillwater, New York · United States