General+Burgoyne

General John Burgoyne By Brandon Forthman

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The American Revolutionary War was a major part of Lt. General John Burgoyne's military career. He was born February 24, 1722 in Sutton, England. When he was young, he and the daughter of the Earl of Darby eloped. He lived happily for seven years after he eloped. He also had to pay his debts from past events, so he had to sell his commission. He was reinstated into the British Army after the seven years' war started. Burgoyne was a Brigadier-General in Portugal. General Burgoyne gambled excessively and was very reckless in his ways of gambling.

When the American Revolution started, Burgoyne was in charge of the reinforcements for the British Army. He was to attack from Canada into the colonies with his reinforcement troops. He became a Lieutenant General after he took Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Edward, both in New York. Lieutenant General Burgoyne was defeated at Saratoga, New York by the American Army. It then turned out to be a turning point in the war. Burgoyne had 3500 troops at Saratoga where he was defeated. Burgoyne demanded, but never received, a trial. He lost his regiment and a governorship which he held. In 1782, when his political friends came into office, he was restored to his rank, given a colonelcy, and made commander-in-chief in Ireland. After the fall of the Rockingham government in 1783, he withdrew more and more into private life, his last public service. His last government participation was in the impeachment of Warren Hastings. John Burgoyne died in London on Aug. 4, 1792. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England.