The Battle of Freeman's Farm: September 19, 1777
The first battle of Saratoga, also known as the Battle of Freeman’s Farm, occurred on September 19, 1777. This bloody action was the culmination of months of maneuvering and combat that began that spring. The British were hoping that three different invasion forces would advance towards Albany, New York from the north, south, and west. By capturing Albany, the British would effectively cut off the New England states from the rest. However, the southern advance never truly materialized, and the western advance was driven back at Fort Stanwix and Oriskany. The only column left was the army under the command of British General John Burgoyne.
The day ended with the British holding Freeman’s Farm, but it had been an incredibly bloody affair. Nearly 600 British soldiers had been killed, wounded, or captured and more than 300 Americans had been killed, wounded or captured. One of the hardest hit regiments was the 62nd Regiment of Foot which lost more than half their strength, 210 men, in the fighting around Freeman’s Farm. While a British tactical victory, it had been a Pyrrhic victory. They had lost more men and had been halted on their attempt to strike at Gates’ main force on Bemis Heights. The British remained at Freeman’s Farm and began to fortify their position just a mile and a half from Bemis Heights. The two sides remained encamped in their respective positions for the next three weeks before fighting again at the Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777.
On September 18, 1781, American and French commanders, including George Washington, and Comte de Rochambeau, met with French Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse on his flagship, the Ville de Paris, to finalize plans for the Siege of Yorktown, which was a decisive battle in the American Revolution. The meeting secured de Grasse's commitment to keep the French fleet in the Chesapeake Bay to support the siege, ensuring French naval superiority against the British and providing the necessary support for the final victory.
239 years ago, today. September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The signing marked the conclusion of the Convention, which had convened from May 25 to September 17 to draft a new form of republican government to replace the Articles of Confederation. The document, a plan for a new government with a bicameral legislature, was then sent to the Confederation Congress for ratification by the states.
