Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga

Subject: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From:
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 09:10 PM

I first heard this song from Tom Glazer's "Musical Heritage of America" volume I, (CBC Records, 1974). It is also included in The Burl Ives song book ; American Song In Historical Perspective, c1953. Although I have heard that it was written to the tune "Brennan on the Moor", Glazer plays it in an upbeat, light-hearted manner.

A little bit of background on the battle that this song talks about. "Gentleman" Johnny Burgoyne was the darling and dandy of the British army, and he fancied himself as much. He brought down an entourage of excess with him on his campaign, along with delicacies and fineries to eat and amuse himself with. There were quite a few wagons of just his stuff that it took the army far too long to get where they were going. The plan of the battle was to penetrate into the interior of the colonies and go directly east to where Boston was. Also, from the south, Cornwallis would move north, the British envisioned that they would squeeze the colonies by this ill-conceived tactic. But, they were unprepared for the terrain and they were unfamiliar with it as well. Gates, the American general, was nicknamed "Granny Gates" by his troops because he wore his spectacles down on his nose and had a feminine face that made him look like an old grandmother. His wife pressed him to snatch away the number one ranking the Continental Congress granted George Washington. Gates was for quite some time, conspiring against Washington rather than doing his plans for battle. He was credited with the victory but hardly did anything in reality to cause it. The mention of "Baum" and the "Hessians" were the German mercenary soldiers who were pressed into service for the British, many taken from their homelands unwilling by order of one of the King Fredericks. For reasons no one has come up with an adequate answer for, Burgoyne sent out Baum who didn't understand English really didn't understand his orders, and who was sent rather blindly towards Bennington, Vermont. (See "The Riflemen Of Bennington"). John Stark and the Green Mountain boys of Vermont routed Baum and his confused troops. In the final stanza, mention is made of General Herkimer, who was stationed in the rural south to midwest of the state of New York. Although Gates did luck out by gaining the responsibility for the victory of this battle, it was a decisive blow against the British, and the victory should not in any way be underestimated. There is a famous painting of Burgoyne handing over his sword to Gates. The Yankees, as always in our American tradition, prided themselves on their commonness, and of their own lack of uniform and dress. Burgoyne returned to England in defeat and took up a career as an actor; Gates will forever be known as "Galloping Gates" when he took troops down south to help the Swamp Fox defeat Cornwallis (see "Cornwallis Country Dance") and when it seemed that his troops were outmatched, deserted them. The song takes place in the year of October 7, 1777.


THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA
^^
Come unto me ye heroes, and I the truth will tell,
Concerning many a soldier, who for his country fell.
Burgoyne, the King's commander, and cursed Tory crew,
With Indians and Canadians, he up Lake Champlain flew.
He up Lake Champlain flew, he up Lake Champlain flew,
With Indians and Canadians, he up Lake Champlain flew.

Before the Ticonderoga, full well both night and day,
Their motions we observed, before the bloody fray.
Burgoyne sent Baum to Bennington, with Hessians there he went,
To plunder and to murder, was fully their intent.
Was fully their intent, was fully their intent,
To plunder and to murder, was fully their intent.

But little did they know then, with whom they had to deal,
It was not quite so easy, our stores and stocks to steal.
Stark would only give them a portion of his lead,
With half his crew 'ere sunset, Baum lay among the dead.
Baum lay among the dead, Baum lay among the dead,
With half his crew 'ere sunset, Baum lay among the dead.

The Nineteenth of September, the morning cool and clear,
Gates addressed his army, each soldier's heart to cheer.
"Burgoyne" he cried, "advances, but we will never fly,
But rather than surrender, we'll fight 'em till we die!"
We'll fight 'em till we die!" We'll fight 'em till we die!"
But rather than surrender, we'll fight 'em till we die!"

The Seventh of October, they did capitulate,
Burgoyne and his proud army we did our prisoner take.
And vain was their endeavor, our men to terrify,
Though death was all around us, not one of us would fly.
Not one of us did would, not one of us did would fly,
Though death was all around us, not one of us would fly.

Now here's a health to Herkimer, and our commander Gates,
To freedom and to Washington, whom every Tory hates.
Likewise unto our Congress, God grant it long to reign,
Our country, rights, and justice, forever to maintain.
Forever to maintain, forever to maintain,
Our country, rights, and justice, forever to maintain.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From: georgeward
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 03:12 AM

This is a compressed version of a much longer ballad with at least some claim to being contemporary with the events it describes.It lays out the entire "North Campaign" of 1777. Only one of the Saratoga songs that does that in full.

If I recall(and I'm not going back to notes of thirty years ago at 3 a.m.),the earliest known source is ca. 1836. But this is Mudcat, and someone may know of an earlier one.

Our old singing partner, Tim Kavanaugh, sings this to a much more somber tune, Sara Cleveland's tune to "The Paisley Officer". So we did it for fifteen years, when Tim, Vaughn and I did the historical music program at the Saratoga national Historic Park (the Saratoga battlefield).And so we recorded it (on quaint old vinyl).

Short or long, slow or fast, it has conceivably survived for 226 years. Well worth posting, Guest (says this obviously biased Yorker).

In the original, BTW, the last stanza begins, "Now here's a health to Arnold and our commander Gates". Benedict Arnold was a hero at Saratoga, although later a traitor (one hint the song my be contemporaneous with the events). Nicholas Herkimer (and Col. Barry St. Leger in confrontation with whose forces he died in the Mohawk Valley - not in southern NY) get themselves a whole stanza earlier in the ballad.

Can't post the whole text anytime soon. Someone else perhaps?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 03:25 AM

Dear Guest - slight objections to the Hessian "mercenaries, pressed into service". They were either conscripts or volunteers. The Hessians were bound by treaties with the British to mutual assistance in case of war. Fighting in "subsidies" was a practice not uncommon all over Europe in these times. The British even payed in peacetime for the Hessian army to maintain its top standard.
During the war against the rebels in America the Hessian and other German soldiers received double pay; the "English Money" layed the ground for many peasant families for an upstart into University careers. A late friend of mine told me that his family never could have changed to an academic one without the money his gret-great-grandfather had brought back from America. A not so small lot of volunteers enlisted in the German contingents because they got a good pay and were promised land in the colonies to settle after the end of hostilities.
My proud batallion, the Hessian Jagers, can look back without shame to this part of its history - the breakthrough at Flatbush, NY, first in, last out at Yorktown, and a lot of fierce fighting in between. For the duration they took volunteers who had to qualify at the shooting range; only the best were accepted.
If you read some German sources about the "selling of Hessian soldiers" you must be always aware who wrote about it. Prussian sources tried to hammer a wedge between the people and the reigning family because they wanted the "English money" of the reigning house (and unfortunately got it in 1866). In the nearly 100 years before it was put to a good use for the economic and industrial development of our small contry.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From: Gerard
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 11:54 AM

To georgeward and Wilfried:
First to georgeward: Thank you for your comments. I am new here and don't know how much anyone knows on this site, I am pleased to find people who know more than I do, like yourself and Wilfried. Yes, you are correct in saying that this was probably written quite sometime after the battle. However, I am curious, around what year did broadsides fall out of popular demand?

I stayed at a motel in Saratoga Springs in May of 1998. There is a statute on the street I was on, and it was a few miles from the National Park. I am very pleased to know that you played at the historical music program. When I had asked the clerk at the motel if he had ever heard of the song "Battle Of Saratoga" he said he did not, but that it was probably played by musicians who attend the music program. I really wish I could go back out there again in the future and listen to the musicians playing there. I live in San Jose, California, and took a trip back east to see some of the sites I was singing about. Could you relate more of your experience playing there? What other songs did you play? What were the instruments? Fascinating story about the later deletion of Arnold in favor of Herkimer, and I agree that it probably is a revision. Thank you also about the information on his death in Mohawk Valley...

To Wilfried Schaum
Yes, I apologize if my relation of the facts concerning the Hessians was inaccurate and may have seemed to put them in a bad light. I had only related something that I read in a book that was put out several years ago. It actually showed a painting of a German husband being captured; perhaps the artist made an overblown relation of the actual situation to make a point. I did not know that they were conscripts or volunteers. I am grateful for the knowledge you have related here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 02:51 AM

Gerard - No apologies needed. It is interesting to see how wide the Prussian propaganda of the middle 19th century is spread abroad.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From: fogie
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 04:34 AM

Can you tell me more about Saratoga, I know nothing about the place. It sounds as if it may be a memorable place if it is called "springs". I have been playing the Saratoga hornpipe since Andrew Cronshaw drew it to my attention from Kerrs. I'm sure that the battle has nothing to do with the hornpipe has it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From: Gerard
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 12:16 PM

The link below is a good place to start. I visited the park in April of 1998. It is actually quite a beautiful setting. There are cannons that I believe are original, as well as the Schuyler house, (I think that is the name of it). People jog around its perimeter. There is a tour you can take while staying in your vehicle, stopping at the sequential signs that relate what portion of the battle took place at each site. The trees here and at the area near the battle of Lexington and Concord are very different from the ones I am used to seeing in San Jose, California, where there are plenty of oaks. The trees here seem to have somewhat gnarlier branches, heavier bark; they seem to grow out more horizontally as well; this is obvious because the climate back on the east coast is more severe than where I come from. There is a panorama of the battle as well as some slides with illustrations in the Park Center. Driving around the area was quite ethereal and dreamlike for me, it is located not too far away from a portion of the Hudson River. I think that it is better to go to the site in the summer months because they have special events such as re-enactments and music, and I am sure other interesting things. I don't know if this helps at all, this is my own angle. Walking on a battlefield, you sense a certain sacredness to the ground.


http://www.nps.gov/sara/

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From: georgeward
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 01:54 PM

Fogie, the present-day small city of Saratoga Springs is some miles to
the west of the battlefield Gerard ably describes.

The battlefield does, in fact, overlook the Hudson River. A portion, Bemis Heights, commands the river route south - hence its value to the American forces. It was the last, best place to block Burgoyne's march toward Albany NY. Find Schuylerville, NY on a map. The battlefield is just south of it.

Saratoga Springs has been a spa resort for over 150 years, famous for mineral springs and for horse racing. It is also the home of Skidmore College. I'm sure a Google search will fair bury you in Saratoga websites.It is now a recreational destination year-round, not just in flat-track season (which is now).

A site that should come up, BTW, is Caffe Lena, one of the oldest and best known folk and acoustic music and experimental theatre venues in the US. Just in case it doesn't, here it is: www.caffelena.com

I agree with Gerard about the sense of sacred ground. The Saratoga battlefield is just across the Hudson from Washington County, NY, an area still largely rural and very green. Like many other former battlefields, it is an uncommonly serene place.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle of Saratoga
From: HuwG
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 09:31 AM

There is a series on the American War of Independence currently showing on BBC2, presented by Professor Richard Holmes (lecturer at RMA Sandhurst). It is balanced, and very clearly presented, with lots of action shot of re-enactments.

Holmes maintains that Saratoga was a strategic disaster caused by lack of proper coordination between British commanders.

Some additional reading I have done sugggests that the fault lay with The Secretary of State for War, Lord George Germain, who as Lord George Sackville, earlier acquired the title, "The coward of Minden".

At any rate, Burgoyne proposed to Germain that his army attack south from Canada, while (Sir William) Howe attacked north from New York, and they would meet at Albany. Meanwhile, Howe proposed that Burgoyne stay put, while Howe and Cornwallis went south to attack Philadelphia. Germain agreed with both of them, then went off to his estates. There was no chance to issue clarifications or corrections before both campaigns were launched.

So, Burgoyne attacked, but there was only a small detachment under Sir Henry Clinton left in New York, which could not make much more than a demonstration to help Burgoyne. Burgoyne seems to have been at fault in pressing forwards in spite of obvious indications that all was not well (no loyalists joined him, supporting columns and detachments were routed or foiled, he could not collect supplies from the countryside).

Given the numbers that Gates's army eventually reached, and their effectiveness (especially of Daniel Morgan's riflemen), I doubt whether Burgoyne's plan could ever have worked; though the result would have been merely a repulse, rather than the surrender of Burgoyne's entire army.