What The Convention Army Looked Like - "The Most Agreeable Sight That My Eyes Beheld"
Among the many American witnesses present at the start was Colonel Jeduthan Baldwin, who recorded in his diary that on October 17th, "About 11 o clock the enemy laid down there arms & Marched out thro our Army the most agreeable sight that my eyes beheld". Others such as Doctor Samuel Merrick noted "... I had a good view of them." and they numbered "... between five to six thousand..." Massachusetts Militia Colonel Ralph Cross echoed Baldwin's assessment, noting it was "... a Grand Sight as ever was Beheld by Eye of man in America... Their Extent three deep as Upon Their March was Supposed to be Seven miles in Length with Baggage etc." Sergeant Ebenezer Wild of the First Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Line observed from his position that, "At half after 3 o'clk Gen' Burgoyne's army began to pass us, and they continued passing till sunset..." [1]
A colorful description of the start of the march came years later, in 1833, from "a Farmer of Saratoga" who had been present in his youth at the surrender, and "... whose memory outlives his better days". "The Sexagenary" recalled that once Burgoyne's men had laid down their arms, they continued their march with the British in the lead, wading across Fish Creek as the bridge there had been destroyed. "The light infantry waded through first, and their clean, white kerseymares were soon soiled with mud and water. ... Finer and better looking troops I never saw. They were not seen to much advantage however, for their small-cloths and gaiters having been wet in the creek, the dust adhered more readily to them in consequence." His view of the German troops was less favorable, noting: "The Hessians came lumbering in the rear. When were they ever in the advance? Indeed, their equipments prevented such an anomality. Their heavy caps alone were equal to the weight of the whole equipment of a Light Infantry soldier. ... The Hessians were extremely dirty in their persons, and had a collection of wild animals in their train - the only American they had captured. Here you saw an artilleryman leading a black grizzly bear, ... a tamed deer would be seen tripping lightly after a grenadier. Young foxes were also observed looking sagaciously at the spectators from the top of a baggage wagon, or a young raccoon securely clutched under the arm of a sharp-shooter. There were a good many woman accompanying the Germans, a miserable looking set of oddly dressed, Gypsy featured females they were." [2]
The Sexagenary's account appears correct with regard to the army marching separately by nationality, even before heading across the Berkshires on their separate routes. British troops left Burgoyne's lines at Saratoga in present-day Victory Woods first, followed by the Germans. This makes sense given how the army was organized and operated throughout the campaign. British Lieutenant William Digby noted that on October 17th, still out of sight of the American forces, "About 10 o'clock, we marched out... with drums beating..." Major-General Friedrich Riedesel's Memoirs note he called the German troops under his command together at eight o'clock that morning, "... and informed them of their fate..." and they left their camp at eleven o'clock to surrender their arms, while a footnote claims "... the drummers stamped their drums to pieces..." [3]
Within each division, brigades likely marched by regiment and regiments by company, to the extent possible, as Article VII of Convention allowed officers to remain with their men and assemble them for roll call. Individual units were distinguishable by regiment. British infantry wore red coats with various color facings (cuffs, collars and lapels), the 24th of the Advanced Corp, green; the 20th, 21st and 62nd of the First Brigade yellow, blue and buff respectively; the 9th, 47th and 53rd of the Second Brigade yellow, white and red. German infantry wore blue coats likewise trimmed with colored facings. Specht's Brigade with the regiments von Rehtz, von Spehct and von Riedesel with white, red and yellow, Gall's Hesse-Hanau, crimson. German soldiers also wore blue and white striped linen trousers, issued to them at the start of the summer campaign to make their clothing lighter. [4] Photos of several re-created units from Burgoyne's army can be found on the websites of the British 24th Regiment, 47th Regiment and 62nd Regiment of Foot; and the German Regiment von Riedesel.
Sexagenary's account is suspect in several aspects. It seems unlikely that the British light infantry troops started their day with clean white overalls after four months of campaigning, especially in light of the days leading up to the surrender that included sleeping on the ground in their wet clothes, and "lying in wet trenches newly dug." [5] At most, Sexagenary would have seen three light infantry companies together, those of the 29th, 31st and 34th, separate from their parent regiments which had remained in Canada. While there was a British advance corps that included all of the light infantry and grenadier companies during the campaign, Lieutenant (Lord) Francis Napier of the British 31st Regiment of Foot noted "[October] 17th. The Advanced Corps of the Army dissolved, the flank Company's of the Regiments on the spot joining their respective Battalions. The Flank Company's of the Regiments in Canada were formed into a Corps under the direction of the Earl of Balcarres Major to the 53rd. Regt." [6]
The challenges of the march led to separation and stragglers. Within days of leaving Saratoga, the time it took for the column to pass had stretched from hours to days. Militiaman David How, a guard with the British column, noted that on the second day of the march at St. Croix, New York, they were "... waiting for The Wagons & Sick" and two days later "... We Over Took the Body of Regulars at Williamstown..." Five days later, on leaving Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Riedesel recorded that of the Germans, "Several of the men had already remained behind, in consequence of fatigue and want of shoes". A week later, in Brookfield, Wasmus noted that he had encountered stragglers along the road. [9]
Along with the columns of marching men were wagons and bat-horses (baggage horses belonging to the officers), and officers on horseback. At times it was "... impossible to describe the confusion that ensued;" wrote British Ensign Thomas Anburey of his column, "carts breaking down, others sticking fast, some oversetting, horses tumbling with their loads of baggage, men cursing, women shrieking, and children squalling!" Among the many carts and wagons was one with the German element that drew attention, the carriage of the Baroness von Riedesel. At some point prior to the march, she "... had made for my calash a top of course linen painted with oil paint. ... I do not know if whether it was my vehicle which aroused the people's curiosity, for it really looked like a wagon in which rare animals were being transported, but I was often obliged to stop, because the people wanted to see the German general's wife with her children." [10]
Interest in viewing the passing of the Convention Army continued through to the arrival of the Germans in Cambridge on November 7, 1777. Hannah Winthrop viewed them as they passed. It was an astonishing sight she wrote . "... I never had the least Idea, that the Creation producd such a Sordid Set of Creatures in human Figure - poor dirty emanciated men, great numbers of women, who seemd to be the beasts of burthen, having a bushel basket on their back, by which they were bent double, the contents seemd to be Pots & kettles, various sorts of Furniture, children peeping thro gridirons... Such Effluvia filld the air while they were passing, had they not been smoaking all the time, I should have been apprehensive of being Contaminated by them..." [11]
Is it fair to say they were "sordid"? No doubt that after four months of hard campaigning and three weeks on the road on the march to Cambridge, the men, women, children and animals of the Convention Army were dirty, tired and worn (though neither Winthrop nor anyone else mentions the bear, deer, fox and raccoons that "Sexagenary" recalled fifty-six years later...) . However, it may be worth noting that when given a day of rest in Springfield, Riedesel's men took time to repair torn clothes and shoes. [12]
[2] Sexagenary, pp. 111-112; 116-118.
[3] Digby p. 319; Riedesel, Memoirs, pp. 187-189.
Next week - Post Roads and Milestones - "53 Miles To Boston"
For more on the Convention Army's 1777 march from Saratoga to Boston, see:
1777 March Blog Home Overnight Stopping Points Towns and Villages Along the Way
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