Captain James Small

As an eighteen year old, James enlisted at the beginning of the Revolutionary War and continued to serve until he was promoted to Sergeant. AS an old man, he told Rev. Storer that the service at Saratoga was the hardest day's work during the war. He described the Provincials gathering around Burgoyne at Stillwater during the night and to begin the battle at daylight. Burgoyne retreated during the day to Saratoga; breastworks were thrown up by the Americans in the afternoon and evening and the whole army watched through the night. At ten the next morning the British troops laid down their arms and were sent under an escort to Cambridge. The remainder of the American forces then marched directly to Albany, drew their rations, having had nothing served to them for 48 hours. One gun was fired by the British after they arrived at Saratoga. Mr. Small was exceedingly ashamed of their ragged uniforms when Burgoyne's finely equipped forces marched through the American lines.