adians now began to desert Burgoyne, while, on the
other hand, Gates' army was continually reenforced by fresh bodies of
the militia. An expeditionary force was detached by the Americans, which
made a bold though unsuccessful attempt to retake Ticonderoga. And
finding the number and spirit of the enemy to increase daily, and his
own stores of provisions to diminish, Burgoyne determined on attacking
the Americans in front of him, and, by dislodging them from their
position, to gain the means of moving upon Albany, or, at least, of
relieving his troops from the straitened position in which they were
cooped up.

Burgoyne's force was now reduced to less than six thousand men. The
right of his camp was on high ground a little to the west of the river;
thence his intrenchments extended along the lower ground to the bank of
the Hudson, their line being nearly at a right angle with the course of
the stream. The lines were fortified in the centre and on the left with
redoubts and field-works. The numerical force of the Americans was now
greater than the British, even in regular troops, and the numbers of the
militia and volunteers which had joined Gates and Arnold were greater
still. The right of the American position--that is to say, the part of
it nearest to the river--was too strong to be assailed with any prospect
of success, and Burgoyne therefore determined to endeavor to force their
left. For this purpose he formed a column of fifteen hundred regular
troops, with two twelve-pounders, two howitzers, and six six-pounders.
He headed this in person, having Generals Philips, Reidesel, and Frazer
under him. The enemy's force immediately in front of his lines was so
strong that he dared not weaken the troops who guarded them by detaching
any more to strengthen his column of attack. The right of the camp was
commanded by Generals Hamilton and Spaight; the left part of it was
committed to the charge of Brigadier Goll.

It was on October 7th that Burgoyne led his column on to the attack; and
on the preceding day, the 6th, Clinton had successfully executed a
brilliant enterprise against the two American forts which barred his
progress up the Hudson. He had captured them both, with severe loss to
the American forces opposed to him; he had destroyed the fleet which the
Americans had been forming on the Hudson, under the protection of their
forts; and the upward river was laid open to his squadron. He was now
only a hundred fifty-six