Description

On September 19 British Gen. Burgoyne moved south and engaged the Continental forces at the Battle of Freeman’s Farm, also called the First Battle of Saratoga. Early in the battle, many British officers were killed in the open fields by Virginia Col. Daniel Morgan’s sharpshooters, who were concealed in the thick woods. (One such officer, Ensign Henry Young, is seen, on the ground, at the bottom left of this painting.)  As the disheartened British advance guard began to break, the main British force arrived, followed soon after by German reinforcements that struck the American troops forcefully.

The men of the British 62^nd Regiment of Foot charged into the woods after the Americans four different times, and each time the Americans fell back, only to reform and return to their original positions, taking out more and more British soldiers. Eventually the American force of two New Hampshire regiments flanked and broke the line of the 62^nd, driving them back. (The painting depicts this action.)

The Continentals stood fast and the heavy fighting lasted for several hours, but at dusk they withdrew. Despite losing the field, the Americans had suffered just 90 killed and 240 wounded, compared with 440 killed and nearly 700 wounded for the British.

The day ended with the British holding Freeman’s Farm, but at a steep price.  The Battle of Freeman’s Farm proved to the world that the fledgling citizen/soldiers of the American Army could stand up to the vaunted British professionals.