Sir Henry Clinton to the Rescue

The chapter discusses the attempt by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton to support Burgoyne’s army. Clinton was Howe’s second-in-command and remained in New York with a small force while Howe went to Philadelphia with the main army. Clinton had received only positive reports from Burgoyne, but on September 22, he received a message that Burgoyne was in dire trouble. Clinton organized a small force to go up the Hudson River, hoping to pull Gates south and away from Burgoyne. Burgoyne dug in to wait for Clinton. Clinton quickly captured the American forts Clinton and Montgomery in the Hudson Highlands, but after burning Esopus, New York (present-day Kingston), Clinton’s force—now under Major General John Vaughan—was forced to return to New York City. In the meantime, Howe had captured Philadelphia, but was unable to defeat Washington in a decisive battle, despite winning the battles of Brandywine and Germantown.