The British Campaign of 1777, Volume Two - The Burgoyne Expedition: Burgoyne's Native and Loyalist Auxiliaries

By Gavin K. Watt & James F. Morrison

This new book is a companion piece to Volume 1, The St. Leger Expedition. Similar to the first volume, this second appeals to readers who enjoy the minutiae of the military campaigns of the American Revolution including detailed information about individuals of all ranks. While essentially a military work, many will find the book useful for genealogical research.

For the loyalists - i.e. the Provincials - names, ranks, regiments and service details are supplied and, in many cases, domicile, trade, family details, and place of postwar settlement. Of no surprise, some men appear on unit rosters once or twice and then disappear without a trace. In other cases, substantial military details have been found, but nothing about a man's civilian background or later settlement.

Contents include:

• List of Maps and Major Illustrations
• Acknowledgements
• I BURGOYNE'S EXPEDITION
  • Introduction
  • Structure of the Army
  • Chronology of the Expedition
  • Cast of Important Characters
• II THE AMERICAN PROVINCIALS (LOYALISTS)
  • Background
  • Provincials on Campaign
  • Rolls of the Provincial Units
  • Using These Rolls
  • Loyal Americans on the Army's Staff, in Supporting and Unaffiliated Roles
  • Jessup's King's Loyal Americans
  • Adams's Independent Ranging Company
  • Peters's Queen's Loyal Rangers
  • Hawley's Bateaux Company
  • Pfister's, Mackay's & Leake's "Loyal Volunteers"
  • McAlpin's "American Volunteers"
  • Munro's Bateaux Company
  • Van Alstine's Bateaux Company; Royal Highland Emigrants Artificers;
  • Willcox's Pioneers and Carters, and KRR NY Baggage Detachment
  • Sources of American Provincials' Information
  • Surname Concordance
• THE CANADIENS
  • Background
• THE NATIVES
  • Background
  • Nations and Alliances that Supported Burgoyne
  • Quebec Indian Department
  • Natives on Campaign
  • A Few Native Names
• Bibliography
• Index Browse the Index (PDF)

Background:

The majority of accounts about military campaigns concentrate on the big-name personalities who directed operations or commanded large formations. Their backgrounds and characters are minutely examined and their performances critiqued in depth, whereas the 'little' fellows who commanded batteries, companies and platoons and the even 'littler' men who did the rowing, heaving, carrying, digging, patrolling, guarding, fighting, bleeding and dying are rarely more than nameless ciphers. In contrast, this book is primarily about the 'little' and 'littler' men.

As Burgoyne's army was a great deal larger than St. Leger's "light expeditionary corps," other than a brief 'background' section about his Canadiens, the focus of Volume 2 will be on his native and American loyalist auxiliaries. Hopefully, a third volume will cover the Canadiens in detail - his two militia companies; body of fighting volunteers, and artificers and cart drivers.

Once again, it has proven impossible to identify more than a handful of natives, but the participating nations, their alliances, and a detailed analysis of the Quebec Indian Department are provided.

Reviews:

• ".... simply the best and most intensive study of the Loyalist Americans who served with the 1777 Army from Canada commanded by Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne ever published. It is and will always remain an essential reference book on the subject, covering the various Royalist regiment and corps unit histories, organizations, and personnel biographies The expertise and thoroughness of its author, Gavin Watt, and Todd Braisted, research assistant, are second to none". - Eric Schnitzer, Park Ranger / Historian, Saratoga National Historical Park - October 22, 2013
  
  
• "I have received volume two of "The British Campaign of 1777' and I must say that it is totally impressive. The physical quality of the book is beautiful and the research which went into the biographies of the campaign's participants is breathtaking. The result is a real genealogical treasure for anyone with an ancestor connected to Burgoyne's expedition...". - Bob Lendt, military & family history researcher
  
  
• ".... Those with Loyalist and other ancestors included are fortunate to have such a detailed reference." - John Reid, Anglo-Celtic Connections

Details:

368 Pages
Index
8.5" x 11"
Index
Bibliography
Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2013
ISBN 978-1-926797-70-0 (Hardcover)