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October 17th, 1777: The first large-scale surrender of British forces in the Revolutionary War.
"The Hand of Providence works wonderfully in favour of America" Oliver Boardman, Middletown
British general and playwright John Burgoyne surrenders 5,000 British and Hessian troops to American General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York, on this day in 1777.
On October 13, some 20,000 Americans had surrounded the British, and four days later Oct. 17th Burgoyne was forced to agree to the first large-scale surrender of British forces in the Revolutionary War.
Burgoyne successfully negotiated that his surviving men would be returned to Britain by pledging that they would never again serve in North America. The nearly 6,000-man army was kept in captivity at great expense to the Continental Congress until the end of the war.
Soon after word of the Patriot victory at Saratoga reached France, King Louis XVI agreed to recognize the independence of the United States and French Foreign Minister Charles Gravier, Count de Vergennes, made arrangements with U.S. Ambassador Benjamin Franklin to begin providing formal French aid to the Patriot cause. This assistance was crucial to the eventual American victory in the Revolutionary War.
Oliver Boardman, a Connecticut soldier, was born in Middletown, August 2, 1758 .
A diary which he kept during this period is now in the possession of the Connecticut Historical Society. It contains an entry for each of his fifty-six days of service from September 2 to October 27, carefully written, and is an interesting and valuable contribution to Revolutionary Records. He was in his place in the American ranks as they stood on the right and left while Burgoyne’s surrendered army passed between them. Of this surrender he says: “It was a glorious sight to see the haughty Britons march out and surrender their arms to our army, which, but a little before, they despised and called ‘ Poltroons; ‘they, however, before the surrender, were convinced of their error, having in two engagements seen the greatest bravery that was ever displayed.”
October 20 he writes: “I was one of fifty that were called out of the regiment to guard one hundred and twenty-eight prisoners of war to Hartford.” He makes an entry on each day of this journey.
The following is a copy of the journal regarding the company referred to:
“Monday. 20th. 1 was one of fifty that was called out of the regiment to guard 128 prisoners of war to Hartford. At evening we crossed the ferry and put up at Green Bush,” (New York.) “Tuesday, 21st. We marched from Green Bush to Canter Hook.” (Now Kinder Hook, New York.) “Wednesday, 22d. We marched from Canter Hook to Nobletown.” (Now Hillsdale, New York.) “Thursday, 23d. We marched from Nobletown to Sheffield,” (Massachusetts.) “Friday, 24th. We march from Sheffield to Rockwells, about the middle of the Greenwoods.” “Saturday, 25th. We marched from Rockwells to Simsbury,” (Connecticut.) “Sunday, 26th. We marched from Simsbury to Hartford (Connecticut), and delivered 123 prisoners to the sheriff; five of them left us on the march.”
The arrival of this company in Hartford is confirmed by the Hartford Courant under date of Tuesday, October 28, 1777, it being reported in that paper as follows: “Last Sunday arrived in town 128 prisoners, among whom were several Hessian officers. They were taken at the northward before the capitulations.”
Information from a Hartford Courant article written by Diana Ross McCain and the History Channel.
Click For: Boardman’s Total Journal!
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