What The Convention Army Ate - "They Will Want About 400 Barrels Of Flour"

When the British Army surrendered at Saratoga on October 17, 1777, Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne's soldiers were close to starving.   Brigadier-General William Whipple "who with Gen. Glover conducted G. Burgoyne & his Army prisoners from Saratoga to Cambridge..." shared with the Reverend Ezra Stiles that Massachusetts Militia troops had captured three-quarters of the supplies Burgoyne had left, and at the time of surrender "... Burgoyns Army had but one day's Store of Bread left & this bad ... & the failure of Stores obliged him to surrender on the 17th." [1]  Article V of the Articles of Convention shifted the responsibility for feeding Burgoyne's men to his American captors, providing: "The troops are to be supplied on their march ... with provisions, by General Gates's orders, at the same rate of rations as the troops of his own army...". 

Neither British or American soldiers ate well by today's standards.  Their diet was monotonous at best - fresh or salted meat, and bread or flour for the most part, and limited by the circumstances which they found themselves in.  Circumstances were dire for Burgoyne's men immediately prior to their surrender.  Colonel John Greaton of the 3rd Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Line wrote to Major-General William Heath on October 5th: "Deserters come in every day - they complain very much of their Provision', as to their bread I saw some of it myself, it was as black as your Shoe, and very sower, as to Meat they draw but ten oz. of Pork pr. day, the Prisoners say they have not eat one Mouthfull of fresh Provision since they left Cannada..." [2] 

Preparing food on the campaign was a challenge as well.  Soldiers generally ate in small groups, a "mess", usually made up of those sharing a tent.  Wives who followed their husband on the campaign would often cook for their mess, but soldiers in a mess of single men took on that duty themselves, as seen above at Mount Independence, Vermont during the annual "Soldiers On The Mount" re-enactment on Labor Day weekend (the square metal sheet under the fire is a modern touch, to avoid burning the vegetation as much as possible).

Feeding over 6,000 people on a three week march from New York through Massachusetts required planning and coordination.  Deputy Commissary General of Purchases Jacob Cuyler's "General Return of Stores and Provisions in the Northern Department" for November of 1778 provides some insight as to what may have been available and where.  A year after the surrender at Saratoga, thousands of bushels of wheat, barrels of flour and live cattle were on hand in various locations including Albany, Kinderhook, and as far away as New Hampshire, as well as lesser quantities of salt beef, hard bread, rice, and rum, brandy and gin. 

Cuyler took steps immediately after the surrender to ensure both the captives and their guards would be fed.  On October 18, 1777, he wrote from Albany: "Dear Sir. This moment I have received direction from Genl. Gates to supply the prisoners and those who will guard them, to the amount of six thousand. They will be at Kinderhook by Monday night. You will immediately order a man to remain on the road and order fifty head of cattle to come to you out of the first drove he meets to supply them, Capt. Spenir will bring fifty more by Monday night. They will want about 400 barrels of flour to be issued and to support them on the road. What quantity have you got at the Landing and at the Mills? Let me know before I go to bed so as that I may regulate myself accordingly. I will this evening send a man to assist you and will apply to the Q. M. G. to send some person to procure carriages. This is a matter of the greatest consequence, therefore please exert yourself. Yours in haste, Jacob Cuyler."  [3]  

If those supporting the march assumed the entire column would pass through Kinderhook, New York, that expectation was quickly shattered.  Brigadier-General John Glover, tasked with getting the prisoners to Boston, divided them into two columns and sent them along two routes "... for the better supplying of which & the conveniency of the Inhabitants of the country through which they marched... [as] the number of Prisoners, Drivers of waggons, Bat-horse-men & the Guards, are at least 6,000, I am put to great difficulty to find provisions for them." [4]  

Feeding over 6,000 people would require more food than could perhaps be supplied or carried from the start of the march.  On October 22, 1777, Glover notified Jeremiah Powell of the Massachusetts Council that he had "... endeavored to collect Provisions to serve them to Worster; will you Please to order Some to meet me at that place." [5]  Massachusetts Militia Private David How, whose regiment was to guard the British column, noted that on the day of the surrender: "This after noon we Drawd 4 Days provisions In Order for a march". [6]  The following day, October 18th, German troops did likewise, one source noting: "We received provisions from the American stores, and regaled our palates with fresh meat after they had tasted almost nothing but salt pork the whole campaign." [7]

Some British troops would draw rations on October 21st on their stop between Schaghticoke and Hoosick, New York, and in Massachusetts in Williamstown on the 23rd, Worthington on the 26th, Brookfield on November 1st, and Worcester on November 3rd to last them to Charlestown. [8]  Others, marching quicker and at the front of the column, would first draw provisions in Williamstown on the 22nd, and later in Spencer on November 2nd, as though that had halted there the day before "... the commissary being absent, could not draw". [9]  German troops would draw rations in Kinderhook on October 23rd, West Springfield on October 30th, and likely again after that though it was not noted in the various diaries and journals of the prisoners or their guards. [10] 

How was the food?  The Germans were pleased with what they received, at the start of the march at least.  Others less so perhaps.  Sergeant Roger Lamb of the 9th Regiment of Foot would note: "From the outset of our marching we experienced much hardship ... and scanty provisions." [11]  For those with the means, more was available for purchase along the way - yet again another topic for another day.

[1] Stiles, Rev. Ezra, Literary Diary, Vol. 2, p. 239.  A transcription of Whipple's "Journal" is posted on the website of the Portsmouth Athenaeum.

[2] Wilshin, F.F., National Park Service Narrative Report For March, April and May, 1941, p. 46.

[3] Collier, Edward A., A History of Old Kinderhook, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, NY, 1914, p. 186.

[4] Upham, William, Memoir of General John Glover, p. 32; Gardner, G.A., Glover's Marblehead Regiment, p. 12.

[5] Glover's Marblehead Regiment, p. 12.

[6] How, p. 48.

[7] Letters From America, p. 114.

[8] How, pp. 49-50.

[9] Bartlett, p. 401.

[10] Specht Journal, pp. 104 and 107.

[11] Lamb, Memoirs, p. 212.

Next Week: Claverack, New York - "Blessing For Our Journey"

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

 Annotated Bibliography