Freeman's Farm (First Battle of Saratoga)

The fighting that occurred around Freeman's Farm was the first combat action of the Saratoga Campaign and is thus known as the First Battle of Saratoga. The opening of combat occurred on September 19, 1777. The American militia employed sharpshooters against the British which caused the British to lose two men for every one American.

The start of the Saratoga Campaign occurred at Freeman's Farm. Burgoyne marched his forces south from Canada in an attempt to split the New England colonies from the rest of the American colonies. Before the British advance on Saratoga, the British had taken Fort Ticonderoga. Additionally, "American forces were not particularly well organized or prepared" (Battle of Saratoga, First), primarily because the American forces that Burgoyne had faced were militia forces and the American command structure was disorganized.

The start of the battle at Freeman's farm occurred when Burgoyne attempted to flank the entrenched American position on Bemis Heights, the location of the Second Battle of Saratoga. Around 10:00 AM on September 19, "Burgoyne ordered the British army to advance in three columns" (Battle of Saratoga, First). The first column would take the river road, along the Hudson, and bring the artillery and guard supplies. The center column was to attack the American forces on the nearby Bemis Heights, while the final column would navigate the wooded area on the American left flank.

Major General Benedict Arnold predicted the British flanking maneuver and placed a large number of American forces in Burgoyne's way. Eventually, Burgoyne gained control of Freeman's Farm, but "at the cost of significant casualties" (Battle of Saratoga, First). Arnold petitioned Gates to move his forces into the wooded area, "where the American skill at woodlands combat would be at an advantage" (Battle of Saratoga, First). At the onset of the battle, the American marksmen "picked off virtually every officer in the advance company" (Battle of Saratoga, First). The American forces then advanced, unaware that the main British force was ahead of them. Once the American forces ran into the main British force, a battle ensued and the Americans scattered back into the woods. An American, James Wilkinson, returned to the main American camp and called for reinforcements. Gates ordered two more regiments to support the American left flank.

After the battle at Freeman's Farm, skirmishing between small pockets of American and British forces continued, while both forces continued to have reinforcements arrive. During this phase of combat, the control of the battlefield changed hands multiple times. For example, "the Americans several times gained brief control of British field pieces, only to lose them in the next British charge" (Battle of Saratoga, First). Near the end of the day, the American forces retreated to their defensive lines, granting the British control of the field, but at a heavy cost, down to about 6000 fighters from the original 7500 soldiers.

The Battle of Saratoga (First)/Freeman's Farm, Revolutionary War. Accessed May 4th, 2023. https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1777/first-battle-saratoga/.

Saratoga: Freeman's Farm/Bemis Heights, American Battlefield Trust. Accessed May 4th, 2023. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/saratoga.

Saratoga National Historical Park, National Park Service. Accessed May 4th, 2023. https://www.nps.gov/sara/index.htm.

The Saratoga Campaign, Revolutionary War. Accessed May 4th, 2023. https://revolutionarywar.us/campaigns/1777-saratoga-campaign/.