REVOLUTIONARY WAR (File #4c) Contents Saratoga, 1777.............................p.2 Verifying Murphy's Sharpshooting...........p.8 ......p.11 See also: revwar4a, etc USAMHI RevWar - Battles RefBranch je 1976; dv Apr 90 SARATOGA, 1777 A Working Bibliography Contents General...................................p.1 Mohawk Valley.............................p.2 Bennington................................p.3 Orders/Reports............................p.4 Personal Narratives/Biographies - American.............................p.4 - British/German/Loyalist..............p.4 Specialized Aspects/Perspectives..........p.5 Site Guides/Commemorations................p.5 Miscellaneous.............................p.6 GEN/MISC Adams, C.F. Campaign of 1777. Paper prepared for MA Hist Soc, Oct 1910. E233A21. Bennett, A.M. Advance and Retreat to Saratoga in the American Revolution. Boston: Gregg, 1972; orig pub 1927. 58 p. E233B472. Byrd, Martha. Saratoga. Phila: Auerbach, 1973. E241S2B97. Digby, William. The British Invasion from the North: The Campaigns of Generals Carleton and Burgoyne from Canada, 1776-1777, with the Journal of Lieut. William Digby. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1887. 412 p. E233D57. With 53d (or Shropshire) Regiment of Foot. Drake, Samuel A. Burgoyne's Invasion of 1777 with an Outline Sketch of the American Invasion of Canada 1775-76. Boston: Lee & Shepard, 1889. 146 p. E233D762. Also an 1896 printing. Elting, John R. The Battles of Saratoga. Monmouth Beach, NJ: Freneau, 1977. E241S2E48. Saratoga p.2 Furneaux, Rupert. The Battle of Saratoga. NY: Stein & Day, 1971. 304 p. E233F9. Luzader, John. Decision on the Hudson: The Saratoga Campaign of 1777. Wash, DC: Natl Park Serv, 1975. 80 p. E241S2L89. Neilson, Charles. An Original, Compiled and Corrected Account of Burgoyne's Campaign and the Memorable Battles of Bemis's Heights, Sept. 19 and Oct. 7, 1777.... Albany, NY: Munsell, 1844. 291 p. E233N41, RareBk. Nickerson, Hoffman. The Turning Point of the Revolution: Or Burgoyne in America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1928. 500 p. E233N63. Incls appendix on strengths of forces. Peyster, John Watts de. Major general Philip Schuyler and the Burgoyne Campaign in the Summer of 1777. Address before NY Hist Soc, 2 Jan 1877. NY: Holt, 1877. 26 p. E233D415. Stevens, John A. The Burgoyne Campaign. Address on one hundredth celebration of Battle of Bemis Heights, 19 Sep 1877. NY: Randolph, 1877. 43 p. E233S841. Stone, William L. Memoir of the Centennial Celebration of Burgoyne's Surrender, Held at Schuylerville, N.Y. Under the Auspices of the Saratoga Monument Association on 17th of October 1877. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1878. 189 p. E241S2S8. Historical speeches of William L. Stone, George William Curtis, B.W. Throckmorton, H.L. Gladding. MOHAWK VALLEY Herkimer's Victory: The Battle of Oriskany and Relief of Fort Schuyler.... Utica, NY: White & Floyd, 1877. 8 p. E211P94. Johnson, John. Orderly Book of Sir John Johnson During the Oriskany Campaign, 1776-1777...The Life of Sir John Johnson by J.W. de Peyster...; Tories or Loyalists in America. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1882. 255 p. E233J67, RareBk. Oneida Hist Soc. Memorial of the Centennial Celebration of the Battle of Oriskany, August 6, 1877. Utica, NY: Roberts, 1878. 198 p. E241O6O53. Saratoga p.3 Peyster, John Watts de. Oriskany, 6th August, 1777, the Decisive Collision of the American Revolution. NY: Barnes, 1878. 13 p. E241O6D42. Steuben Society of America. Boston Branch. The Battle of Oriskany August 6, 1777. 1927. 24 p. E241O6K6. BENNINGTON Bennington Battle Monument and Hist Assoc. Centennial Anniversary of the Independence of the State of Vermont and the Battle of Bennington, August 15 and 16, 1877. Rutland, VT: Tuttle, 1879. 252 p. E241B4B3. Coburn, Frank W. The Centennial History of the Battle of Bennington Compiled from the Most Reliable Sources, and Fully Illustrated with Original Documents.... Boston: Littlefield, 1877. 72 p. E241B4C6. Foster, Herbert D., ed. Stark's Independent Command at Bennington. Manchester: Standard, 1918. E241B4F7. Contains: "Reminiscences of General Stark" by James Randall; "General John Stark" by Robert R. Law; "Battle of Bennington" by William O. Stillman. Gilmore, George C., comp. Roll of New Hampshire Soldiers at the Battle of Bennington August 16, 1777. Manchester: Clarke, 1891. 55 p. E241B4G4. Vermont Centennial Commission. Dedication of the Bennington Battle Monument, and Celebration of the Hundredth Anniversary of the Admission of Vermont as a State, at Bennington, August 19, A.D., 1891. Bennington, VT: Banner, 1892. 203 p. E241B4V5. Vermont Sesqui-Centennial Commission. Bennington, Vermont 1777-1927. The Commission, 1927. 120 p. E241B4V4. Speeches and poetry. Saratoga p.4 ORDERS/REPORTS Burgoyne, John. A State of the Expedition from Canada as Laid Before the House of Commons. London: Almon, 1780. ca 200 p. E233B98, RareBk. Contains supplement, "Orders Respecting the Principal Movements, and Operations of the Army to the Raising of the Siege of Ticonderoga," 26 p. Also 1969 reprint. Continental Army. General Orders Issued by Major-General Israel Putnam, When in Command of the Highlands, in the Summer and Fall of 1777. Ed by Worthington C. Ford. Brooklyn, NY: Hist print, 1893. 86 p. E233U56. A View of the Evidence Relative to the Conduct of the American War Under Sir William Howe, Lord Viscount Howe, and Gen. Burgoyne; as Given Before a Committee of the House of Commons, Last Session of Parliament.... London, 1779. 154 p. E230V67, RareBk. PERSONAL NARRATIVES/BIOGRAPHIES - AMERICAN Arnold, Issac N. "Benedict Arnold at Saratoga." Reprinted from United Service (Sep 1880). Bound in E241C9C9. Willett, William M. A Narrative of the Military Actions of Colonel Marinus Willett. NY: Arno, 1969; orig pub 1831. 162 p. E207W65W72. - BRITISH/GERMAN/LOYALIST Burgoyne, John. Orderly Book of Lieut. Gen. John Burgoyne from His Entry into the State of New York until His Surrender at Saratoga, 16th Oct., 1777. Ed by E.B. O'Callaghan. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1860. 221 p. E233B97. Saratoga p.5 Digby, William. The British Invasion from the North: The Campaigns of Generals Carleton and Burgoyne from Canada, 1776-1777, with the Journal of Lieut. William Digby. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1887. 412 p. E233D57. With 53d (or Shropshire) Regiment of Foot. Hadden, James H. Hadden's Journal and Orderly Book: A Journal Kept in Canada and Upon Burgoyne's Campaign in 1776 and 1777. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1884. 581 p. E233H12. Royal Arty officer. Pausch, George. Journal of Captain Pausch, Chief of the Hanau Artillery During the Burgoyne Campaign. Trans from German. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1886. 185 p. E233P33. Riedesel, Friederike. Letters and Journals Relating to the War of the American Revolution, and the Capture of the German Troops at Saratoga. Trans from German. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1867; reprinted by Arno, 1968. 235 p. E268R5552. SPECIALIZED ASPECTS/PERSPECTIVES Clark, Jane. "Responsibility for the Failure of the Burgoyne Campaign." Amer Hist Review 35 (1935): pp. 542-59. Per. Nelson, Paul David. "Legacy of Controversy: Gates, Schuyler, and Arnold at Saratoga, 1777." Mil Affairs XXXVII (Apr 1973): pp. 41-47. Per. Walker, Robert M. "Gentleman Johnny's Mistakes." Mil Review XXXIX (May 1959): pp. 56-62. Per. See also: - "The Convention Army" (POW - RevWar) SITE GUIDES/COMMEMORATIONS Snell, Charles W., and Wilshin, Francis F. Saratoga National Historical Park, New York. Wash, DC: GPO, 1950. 36 p. E241S2S68. Saratoga p.6 Sprague, Delos E. Descriptive Guide of the Battlefield of Saratoga. Ballston Spa, NY: Battlefield Pub, 1930. E241S2S72. Illus & map. Stone, William L. Visits to the Saratoga Battle-Grounds 1780-1880. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1895. 344 p. E241S24S88. Wemple, Edward, and Cox, Samuel S. Saratoga Monument: Remarks in House of Representatives, December 4, 1884. 4 p. E241S2W45. NY State House of Reps. MISCELLANEOUS Stone, William L. Ballads and Poems Relating to the Burgoyne Campaign. Albany, NY: Munsell, 1893. 359 p. E233S87. USAMHI RevWar - Battles RefBranch js Aug 82 NOTE: VERIFYING MURPHY'S SHARPSHOOTING AT SARATOGA Documentation is scarce on American rifleman Timothy Murphy's quarter-mile shot that mortally wounded British General Simon Fraser at Saratoga, 7 Oct 1777. We do not hold official unpublished records of either American or British forces. Nonetheless, it is significant that, of the many secondary accounts of the Murphy exploit found here, none, other than Higginbotham (see below), cites a primary source, such as a report or letter written shortly after the battle by a witness, participant or commander. One of the earliest accounts specifically addressing the circumstances surrounding Fraser's death is a letter from Daniel Morgan to Joseph Graham, dated 28 November 1781, reprinted in Virginia Historical Register, 1853, Vol 6 (not available in MHI). A quick reading of the synopsis of this Morgan letter in Daniel Morgan by Don Higginbotham (Chapel Hill: UP of No Carolina, 1961; E207M8H5), pp. 170-171, suggests that Morgan had mentioned Murphy by name, but closer examination reveals Morgan telling Graham that he sent up a tree "one of my best shots." Higginbotham, interestingly, inserts Murphy's name in brackets after that quote, but provides no substantiation for his assumption. Evidently, he believed his earlier discussion of the Murphy exploit (pp. 73-75) provided sufficient documentation, but the sources cited on those pages include only one first-person account which happens to be the Morgan letter to Graham Of course, without the letter in hand, one cannot be absulutely certain that Morgan failed to mention Murphy specifically. The description of Fraser's death on pp. 162-163 of James Graham's Life of General Daniel Morgan (NY: Derby & Jackson, 1856; E207M8G7) is based upon an unspecified recollection by Morgan. According to Graham, Morgan selected 12 of his best marksmen, led them to a suitable position, and when Fraser appeared, "saw them all raise their rifles and, taking deliberate aim, fire." The absence here of a reference to Murphy raises the suspicion that Morgan never acknoledged Murphy as the lone hero. If no contemporaneous source credited a specific rifleman, any of Morgan's men, as the years passed and memory shifted, were free to assign to themselves the crucial shot. Sharpshooting in Saratoga p.2 Another relatively early account is Roger Lamb's Original and Authentic Journal of Occurrences during the Late American War... (NY: Arno, 1968; orig pub 1809; E208L212). Lamb supposedly had personal knowledge of many of the events described and was present when the stricken Fraser gave his death-bed description of the incident. At that time, according to Lamb, Fraser stated that "he saw the man who shot him; he was a rifle man, and aimed from a tree." (p. 178). In the 10 Nov 1835 issue of Saratoga Sentinel appeared a letter of 7 Oct 1835 from Ebenezer Mattoon of Amherst, MA, (reprinted, pp. 239- 255 of William L. Stone's Visits to the Saratoga Battle-Grounds... (Albany: Munsell's, 1895; E241S2S88). Mattoon, who fought at Saratoga, recalls events of 7 Oct 1777, 58 years earlier. Wishing to correct the account of a Major Buel (a Saratoga guide), he credits the shot to "an elderly man, with a long hunting gun." Significantly, Buel's own account of the event, as repeated by Prof Silliman in Stone, Visits, pp. 112-113, does not mention Murphy by name. Instead, he credits "a few of his (Morgan's) best riflemen." So, as of 1835, one still finds no specific credit. Apparently, Murphy gets first mentioned as Fraser's assailant in Jeptha R. Simm's History of Schoharie County and Border Wars of New York... (Albany: Munell & Tanner, 1845; F127S3S59, RareBk), pp. 259- 260. Simms says the story was related to him by Murphy's son. Simms also states in another book, Frontiersmen of New York (not in MHI), that Murphy's two daughters corroborated the story (see footnote in Stone, p. 246). According to North Callahan's Daniel Morgan (NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961; E207M8C3), pp. 144-145 & 317, support for Simms's assertion was given by a "Myron Vroman, Curator of the Old Stone Fort at Schoharie, near where Murphy lived and is buried." This, credit to Murphy seems to have grown out of local accounts, a school of history often based upon oral tradition, which is difficult to document. The books cited below also discuss the incident, but add little to the information above. Most of these sources lend strength to the Murphy story merely by repeating it. If historical assertions gain veracity through repetition, Murphy's role would be unquestioned by scholars. Instead, Murphy has passed over into legend via the accretive process of myth-making. Someone shot Fraser. To call him "Murphy" is more precise and personal than to refer to him as the "Unknown Sniper." Sharpshooting in Saratoga p.3 This particular historical problem is part of a larger concern of whether we should view history as theater or science, something that moves people or is moved by them? Historians can divorce themselves from legend merely by declaring: "I don't know and I remain skeptical." However, often objectivity robs history of one of its functions -- to entertain and stir people. SOURCES Arnold, Isaac N. The Life of Benedict Arnold: His Patriotism and His Treason. Chicago: McClurg, 1888. p. 200. E278A7A72. Byrd, Martha. Saratoga. Phila: Auerbach, 1973. p. 129. E241S2B7. Carman, W.Y. "The Burial of General Fraser, Saratoga, 1777." JSAHR XLVIII (Summer 1970): pp. 63-65. Per. A painting of the scene. Coffin, Charles C. The Boys of '76. NY: Harper, 1876. pp. 237- 238. E230C67. Elting, John R. The Battles of Saratoga. Monmouth Beach, NJ: Freneau, 1977. pp. 62 & 83. E241S2E48. Lossing, B.J. Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution. Vol I. NY: Harper, 1850. p. 62. E208L883v1. Scheer, George F., and Rankin, Hugh F. Rebels and Redcoats. Cleveland: World, 1957. pp. 281-282. E275S3. Sprague, Delos E. Descriptive Guide of the Battlefield of Saratoga. Ballston Spa, NY: Battlefield Pub, 1930. pp. 74-75. E241S2S72. Stone, William L. The Campaign of Lieut. Gen. John Burgoyne.... Albany, NY: Munsell, 1877. pp. 61-62 & 368-381. E233S88. Incls reprint of Mattoon letter, with remark about Murphy's shot. Trussell, John B.B., Jr. "He Never Missed His Aim." Parameters VI (1976, No 1): pp. 48-59. Per. Ward, Christopher. The War of the Revolution. Vol 2. NY: Macmillan, 1952. pp. 529 & 900. E230W34v2.