the enemy was increasing in force. While at Ticonderoga he published a
foolish proclamation reminding those who persisted in rebellion that he
had it in his power to let loose the Indians upon them. Nothing would
have induced him to commit so hideous a crime, and his proclamation only
served to enrage the Americans and swell the number of their troops. The
Indians were offended by his efforts to restrain them, and deserted him;
they were no loss, for they caused more trouble than they were worth,
and some excesses which they committed, and specially the murder of a
Miss McCrae by an Indian who, it is said, was sent by her betrothed to
bring her into the British lines, excited widespread indignation.
Burgoyne was in sore need of supplies and made an attempt to seize the
insurgents' stores and horses collected at Bennington. He sent only some
500 men on this service, for he was assured that the district was
friendly. It was far otherwise. The party was surrounded on August 16,
and another detachment formed of German troops which was despatched to
help them marched so slowly that it did not come up in time. Both bodies
were defeated with a loss, perhaps, of about 500 men.

News came of the failure of St. Leger's expedition. On his arrival at
Oswego he was joined by Sir John Johnson and Butler with their loyalist
regiments, and by a force of Indians whom Johnson, one of their
superintendents, and the Mohawk leader, Brant, persuaded to march with
them. He besieged Fort Stanwix, and, on August 6, defeated a force sent
to relieve it. But his guns were too light for siege operations; the
garrison held out, and his Indians forced him to raise the siege. During
his retreat they mutinied; he was barely able to bring off his regular
troops, and lost his guns and stores. Burgoyne was in a dangerous
position; the country swarmed with enemies; "wherever the king's troops
point," he wrote, "militia to the number of three or four thousand
assemble in a few hours". He might have retreated to Fort Edward, where
he would have had communication with Lake George; but he held that he
was bound by his orders to advance, and on September 15, after
collecting provisions for about a month, he conveyed his force to the
western bank of the Hudson and cut himself off from communication with
the lakes. Besides artillery, he had then with him only 5,000 men under
arms.[126] On the 19th his force was partially engaged by Arnold at
Freeman's Farm. The