American Revolution
Approved Payment to Supply General Burgoyne's Captured Saratoga British Soldiers by the Massachusetts Bay Council
November 21, 1777-Dated Revolutionary War Partly-Printed State of Massachusetts Bay, Council Members Signed, Offical Payment Warrant to Supply General Burgoyne's Captured Soldiers Taken at the Historic Battle of Saratoga, Signed by Seven Council Members including (Dr.) Oliver Prescott, Fine.
Original Revolutionary War Date, Partly-Printed Pay Warrant measures about 6.5" x 7.75". Typical light folds with water stain to upper right portion. This Document reads, in full:
"State of Massachusetts-Bay. - Council-Chamber, Nov. 21 1777 ---
You are hereby directed to pay out of the public Treasury of this State - to Capt Seth Sumner Commisary to the Troops under Genl. Burgoyne to enable him to pay for Necessities for Said Troops - the Sum of - five hundred Pounds - Said Sumner to be accountable for the same - for which this shall be your Sufficient Warrant, By Advice of Council, - (Signed) Jon. Avery Secr'y, -- (to) Honl. Henry Gardner Treasurer," -- Also, Signed at bottom by seven Mass.-Bay Council Members, Including: J. Hopkins; S. Fuller; B White; Jabez Fisher; John Taylor; R. Derby; and 1776 & 1781 Major General (Dr.) Oliver Prescott.

Docket on the blank reverse reads, in full: "War(an)t to Seth Sumner Com(misary) to Genl Burgoynes Troops 500 - Ent(ered) Book 22nd Nov. 1777 (Initialed) S Sr" and also Endorsed Signed, "Seth Sumner" boldly in full brown ink in receipt, at lower right.
In late September and during the first week of October 1777, General Horatio Gate's American Continental Army was positioned between General John Burgoyne's British Army and Albany, New York. On October 7th, Burgoyne took the offensive. The forces crashed together south of the town of Saratoga, and Burgoyne's army was broken. In a "mop-up" operation, 86 percent of Burgoyne's military command was captured. This current Document is an authorization of $500 of funds to be used in buying food and supplies for the captured British soldiers from the historic Battle of Saratoga.
Provenance: Collection of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II.
Dr. Oliver Prescott took and early and decided part in the American Revolution by entering warmly into those measures which were necessary to vindicate our national rights, and by assisting cheerfully and largely in their defense. Prior to the American Revolution he received many important appointments. In the militia he was appointed by the King as a Major, then Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel. In 1776 he was appointed a Brigadier General for Middle-sex county by the Executive Council of Mass Bay: he also was in the same year chosen a member of the Board of War. In 1781 he was appointed Second Major General of the Militia.
In 1777 he was elected a member of the Supreme Executive Council; and 1778 he was appointed the third major general of the militia throughout the Commonwealth. He was elected town clerk of Groton from 1765 to 1777, inclusive (13 years). In 1779, he, Dr. Oliver, was appointed to the office of judge of probate, &c., for the county of Middlesex, which he retained until his death.
_________
The BATTLE OF SARATOGA was the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
The scope of the victory is made clear by a few key facts: On October 17, 1777, 5,895 British and Hessian troops surrendered their arms. General John Burgoyne had lost 86 percent of his expeditionary force that had triumphantly marched into New York from Canada in the early summer of 1777.
Divide and Conquer
The DIVIDE-AND-CONQUER strategy that Burgoyne presented to British ministers in London was to invade America from Canada by advancing down the Hudson Valley to Albany. There, he would be joined by other British troops under the command of Sir William Howe. Howe would be bringing his troops north from New Jersey and New York City.
Burgoyne believed that this bold stroke would not only isolate New England from the other American colonies, but achieve command of the Hudson River and demoralize Americans and their would-be allies, such as the French.
In June 1777, Burgoyne's army of over 7,000 men (half of whom were British troops and the other half Hessian troops from Brunswick and Hesse-Hanau) departed from St. Johns on Lake Champlain, bound for Fort Ticonderoga, at the southern end of the lake.
As the army proceeded southward, Burgoyne drafted and had his men distribute a proclamation that, among other things, included the statement "I have but to give stretch to the Indian forces under my direction, and they amount to thousands," which implied that Britain's enemies would suffer attacks from Native Americans allied to the British.
More than any other act during the campaign, this threat and subsequent widely reported atrocities such as the scalping of JANE MCCREA stiffened the resolve of the Americans to do whatever it took to assure that the threat did not become reality.
The American forces at Fort Ticonderoga recognized that once the British mounted artillery on high ground near the fort, Ticonderoga would be indefensible. A retreat from the Fort was ordered, and the Americans floated troops, cannon, and supplies across Lake Champlain to Mount Independence.
From there the army set out for HUBBARDTON where the British and German troops caught up with them and gave battle. Round one to the British.
Burgoyne continued his march towards Albany, but miles to the south a disturbing event occurred. Sir William Howe decided to attack the Rebel capital at Philadelphia rather than deploying his army to meet up with Burgoyne and cut off New England from the other Colonies. Meanwhile, as Burgoyne marched south, his supply lines from Canada were becoming longer and less reliable.
In early August, word came that a substantial supply depot at BENNINGTON, Vermont, was alleged to be lightly guarded, and Burgoyne dispatched German troops to take the depot and return with the supplies. This time, however, stiff resistance was encountered, and American general JOHN STARK surrounded and captured almost 500 German soldiers. One observer reported Bennington as "the compleatest Victory gain'd this War."
Burgoyne now realized, too late, that the Loyalists (TORIES) who were supposed to have come to his aid by the hundreds had not appeared, and that his Native American allies were also undependable.
American general Schuyler proceed to burn supplies and crops in the line of Burgoyne's advance so that the British were forced to rely on their ever-longer and more and more unreliable supply line to Canada. On the American side, General Horatio Gates arrived in New York to take command of the American forces.
By mid-September, with the fall weather reminding Burgoyne that he could not winter where he was and needed to proceed rapidly toward Albany, the British army crossed the Hudson and headed for Saratoga.
On September 19 the two forces met at FREEMAN'S FARM north of ALBANY. While the British were left as "masters of the field," they sustained heavy human losses. Years later, American HENRY DEARBORN expressed the sentiment that "we had something more at stake than fighting for six Pence pr Day."
In late September and during the first week of October 1777, Gate's American army was positioned between Burgoyne's army and Albany. On October 7, Burgoyne took the offensive. The troops crashed together south of the town of Saratoga, and Burgoyne's army was broken. In mop-up operations 86 percent of Burgoyne's command was captured.
The victory gave new life to the American cause at a critical time. Americans had just suffered a major setback the Battle of the Brandywine along with news of the fall of Philadelphia to the British.
One American soldier declared, "It was a glorious sight to see the haughty Brittons march out & surrender their arms to an army which but a little before they despised and called paltroons."
A stupendous American victory in October 1777, the success at Saratoga gave France the confidence in the American cause to enter the war as an American ALLY. Later American successes owed a great deal to French aid in the form of financial and military assistance.