Grudgingh^ reinforcements were then given to Arnold, and he continued for four hours a spirited action with the whole of the British right, though his force at no time exceeded three thousand, or, as some have said, twenty-five hundred men. Both Reidesel and Burgoyne afterwards described this battle as having been fought with great obstinacy and valour, the fire having been unusually fierce and well sustained. Burgo3me, though he could claim no decisive advantage, having indeed been repulsed and thwarted by the Americans, yet remained in possession of his ground and proceeded to strengthen his position. His situa-

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tion was sufficiently grave. From almost every quarter came discouraging news, the one exception being the arri\'al of a messenger with a dispatch from Sir Henr}' Clinton, informing him of the projected expedition up the Hudson and proposed co-operation with the northern arm>\ In rei^l}' to this communication Burgoyne urged Clinton to hasten, and ])romised to endeavour to wait for him until the 12 th of October. But, either made impatient by the desertions that were rapidly reducing his army, or rendered bold by the apparent disinclination of the superior American force to oppose him, or swayed from his purpose by the councils of his officers, he determined, upon the 7th of October, "to make a grand movement on the left of the American camj), to discover whether he could force a jxassage, should it be necessary to advance, or dislodge it from its position, should he have to retreat." Hidden b}' the intervening forest, with fifteen hundred picked troops formed within a mile of the American left, the British commander dispatched a reconnoitring part}' to gain the rear of Gates's position and feign an attack to cover the actual assault. But through the watchfulness of the Americans this ])lan resulted in a complete failure.