Burgoyne, John:

$7,500 · Offered by William Reese Company

A STATE OF THE EXPEDITION FROM CANADA, AS LAID BEFORE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, BY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL BURGOYNE, AND VERIFIED BY EVIDENCE; WITH A COLLECTION OF AUTHENTIC ... The first edition, in large quarto format, of Burgoyne's defense of his conduct as the commander of the British expedition down the Hudson Valley from Canada in 1777. Intended to cut the New England colonies off from the rest of rebellious America, the expedition ended in disaster at Saratoga, where American forces soundly defeated Burgoyne and forced his capitulation. Described by historian Edmund S. Morgan as "a great turning point in the war," the American victory at Saratoga was a determining factor in France's decision to support the American cause and crucial to America's eventual victory in the War of Independence. Herein Burgoyne answers the inquiry of the House of Commons, demonstrating that the forces he was given were not sufficient for the task. This is the most important source for information about the campaign, illustrated with excellent maps and plans. The "Plan of the Encampment and Position of the Army under His Excelly. Lt. General Burgoyne at Swords House on Hudson's River near Stillwater..." depicts, among other particulars, the "First and Second Positions of that part of the Army engaged on the 19th of September." Tipped to the margin of that plan, as an overlay, is a section of a similar map depicting the "Third and Fourth Positions..." of the Army on that same date. The "Plan of the Enc

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