Burgoyne, John

(1723-1792), one of the chief British commanders in the Revolutionary War, was a member of the House of Commons, and an army officer; he reached the grade of lieutenant-general, served in Canada in the early stages of the war, and was in 1777 intrusted with the command of a large force which was to pierce the American center. He ascended Lake Cham plain and captured the forts without great difficulty. But his march from the head of the lake to Fort Edward was delayed by Schuyler’s obstructions, while the auxiliary force under St. Leger came to grief, and Baum’s diversion into Vermont was defeated at Bennington. He fought the first indecisive battle of Still water with Gates’ army September 19, 1777; in the second battle on October 7 ie was defeated, and was obliged to surrender with nearly 6,000 men at Saratoga October 17. He returned to England the next year and published in 1780 his ‘‘State of the Expedition.”’ He was an author of some note, composing a number of poems and comedies.