The First Battle of Saratoga happened on September 19, 1777. On October 8 Burgoyne began to retreat, but Gates, who now had 20,000 men, surrounded him at Saratoga. The British were hoping that three different invasion forces would advance towards Albany, New York from the north, south, and west. With their plan in place, General Howe began advancing South from Lake Champlain in June of 1777. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This battle was called the Battle of Freeman's Farm. GeneralHoratio Gates,commander of the Northern Department of the Continental Army, is ready with 8,500 men. The battle of Saratoga took place on the fields of upstate New York, nine miles south of the town of Saratoga. We strive to insure accuracy on Saratoga.com however accuracy cannot be guaranteed. While the British held off the Americans, their losses were great. His advance thereafter was stalled by destroyed provisions and road obstructions created by Patriot forces. The Battle of Saratoga was deemed to be an American victory for these reasons: The Battle of Saratoga significance was primarily economic in nature. On September 21 Burgoyne received notice from Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, who had been left in command of British forces at New York, that Clinton was about to launch an attack up the Hudson Valley. The Battle of Saratoga actually comprises two battles only a couple of weeks apart. It comprised of two major battles: The Battle of Freeman's Farm was a skirmishing victory for the British and German forces, but showed logistical weakness as General Burgoyne established camp several concerns: From the 1600s to the late 1700s, Great Britain established 13 successful colonies in what is now the Eastern United States. Douglas R. Cubbison, Burgoyne and the Saratoga Campaign: His Papers (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2012), 109-115; Jim Lacey and Williamson Murray, Moment of Battle: The Twenty Clashes That Changed the World. Lacey and Murray, Moment of Battle,224. This Patriot win proved instrumental in helping them gain confidence and French aid that would lead to independence. This drove the British troops back to their redoubts at Freemans Farm. Because Benedict Arnoldanticipated the British maneuver, however, a significant contingent of American forces had been placed between the British and the main body of the American army. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! General Horatio Gates and his American soldiers had built formidable defenses on Bemis Heights, just south of Saratoga overlooking the Hudson. The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only. The dwindled remnants of the Convention Army, having spent over five years in captivity and amounting to about 1/6 of its original strength, was finally released. 576577. Saratoga | American Battlefield Trust The Saratoga Monument in Saratoga National Historical Park honors key players of the Battle of Saratoga. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. On October 7, Burgoyne was running out of supplies and options. As for the five years worth of Convention Army deserters, where did they go?