With Musket and Tomahawk: The Saratoga Campaign and the Wilderness War of 1777

A comprehensive look at the brutal wilderness war that secured America's independence . . .

With Musket and Tomahawk is a vivid account of the American and British struggles in the sprawling wilderness region of the northeast during the Revolutionary War. Combining strategic, tactical, and personal detail, this book describes how the patriots of the recently organized Northern Army defeated England's massive onslaught of 1777, thereby all but ensuring America’s independence.

Conceived and launched by top-ranking British military leaders to shatter and suppress the revolting colonies, Britain’s three-pronged thrust was meant to separate New England from the rest of the nascent nation along the line of the Hudson River. Thus divided, both the northern and southern colonies could have been defeated in detail, unable to provide mutual assistance against further attacks.

Yet, despite intense planning and vast efforts, Britain's campaign resulted in disaster when General John Burgoyne, with 6,000 soldiers, emerged from a woodline and surrendered his army to the Patriots at Saratoga in October 1777.

Underneath the umbrella of Saratoga, countless battles and skirmishes were waged from the borders of Canada southward to Ticonderoga, Bennington, and West Point. Heroes on both sides were created by the score, though only one side proved victorious, amid a tapestry of madness, cruelty, and hardship in what can rightfully be called "the terrible Wilderness War of 1777."

MICHAEL O. LOGUSZ has served in both the Regular and Reserve branches of the U.S. Army, most recently during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007–08. He holds a B.A. from Oswego State College and an M.A. in Russian Studies from Hunter College in New York. The author of numerous articles and a previous book on WWII, Lt. Colonel Logusz has personally examined the ground of each battle he describes. He currently lives in Florida.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Wilderness War of 1777

1 The Strategic Dilemma in the Northern Theater
2 Lord Germain’s Proposal
3 Burgoyne’s Plan to Advance on Albany
4 The British Army in Canada
5 The Northern Campaign Commences
6 British Moves and Patriot Uncertainty
7 Burgoyne Advances and Fort Ticonderoga Falls
8 Cries of Retreat and Forest Combats
9 The Battle of Hubbardton
10 Fighting Off Marauders and Raiders
11 Samuel Kirkland: Chaplain and Intelligence Agent
12 Burgoyne’s Plan to Reach Fort Edward
13 Bolstering Forces on Both Sides
14 Burgoyne Hacks His Way South
15 The Tragic Case of Jane McCrea
16 The Battle of Bennington
17 Schuyler Is Relieved of Command
18 The Patriots Raid Fort Ticonderoga
19 The First Battle of Saratoga: Freeman’s Farm
20 Troops Dig In and Patriot Generals Collide
21 Burgoyne’s Strategy Unravels
22 The Second Battle of Saratoga: Bemis Heights
23 The British Begin to Collapse
24 Burgoyne Surrenders

Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index