A Revolutionary War General Escapes History’s Margins

NY Times ^ | 10-22-12 | JULIE TURKEWITZ

[Pharmboy]

Over 150 people gathered Sunday at Trinity Church in Manhattan to honor Gen. Horatio Gates. Mention “the Victor at Saratoga” and people may think that you are talking about a horse. Yet that so-called victor, Gen. Horatio Gates, the commander of the American forces at the Battle of Saratoga, played a crucial role in the triumph there over the British forces of Gen. John Burgoyne in October 1777.

Though other figures of the War of Independence are still widely revered and studied, Gates faded from the national memory. He died in New York in 1806 and was buried at Trinity Churchyard in Lower Manhattan. Precisely where is not known.

snip...

While it was Gates’s strategy that achieved victory, it was Arnold who led that final attack. That is why Arnold, not Gates, is often credited with the victory. “It was his strategy that was successful,” said Mr. Kaplan, referring to Gates. Saratoga was a decisive moment, spurring the French to enter the war on the side of the Americans, which helped secure eventual victory.

“Many people today,” Mr. Kaplan said, would say that “Benedict Arnold won it.

“I say it’s bunk,” he continued. “The whole thing was over before Arnold even jumped in.”

snip

Yet Gates might have helped put himself on the path to relative obscurity. He had a falling out with George Washington. And in 1780, his forces were defeated at the Battle of Camden in South Carolina.

[Pharmboy]

Yeah...that's it...Gates had a 'falling out' with the General. How about his role in the Conway Cabal, Mr. Kaplan? And Gates might have lost Saratoga if it hadn't been for Arnold...and the article makes it sound as if the army ranks swelled because of Gates' presence: nonsense. And Gates ran so fast after his defeat at Camden, that he was laughed at for years about it.

Otherwise, the article is correct.

[Pharmboy]

General Gates

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...

[afraidfortherepublic]

There is a wonderful quilt pattern named “Burgoyne Surrounded”...

[afraidfortherepublic]

[wideawake]

Rather than fight with Washington at Trenton, Gates decided to journey to Congress instead and lobby for Washington's job.

That sort of backfired.

At Saratoga, Arnold - sent by Washington - ignored Gates, attacked Burgoyne in contravention to Gates' intentions and carried the day.

Gates worked hard to earn his obscurity. Rehabilitating him is even siller than rehabilitating McClellan.

[Repulican Donkey]

Granny Gates was a backstabbing political animal whose envy of Washington killed his career. He even tried to lead an officers’ mutiny after Yorktown. He was a petty man. Unlike Nathaniel Greene and Daniel Morgan, Gates deserves to be forgotten.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Can’t you just imagine the ladies hunched over the quilting frame discussing the news of the day — or recounting history of the recently won Battle at Saratoga? I’m sure that these old patterns also were used to keep history alive in the minds of their children.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Probably didn’t help that Horatio Gates was English. He wasn’t a ‘native born’ American hero...

[BubbaBasher]

Is this another installment of the “National Treasure” series? Trinity church? Gates?

[2banana]

Saratoga - one of the turning points of the revolution that no one really knows about.

[Pharmboy]

That’s just terrific...I imagine that dates back right to RevWar times...perhaps put together by a lady in upstate NY or New England. Thanks much for posting.

[Pharmboy]

Nice to see my fellow Freepers with a similar take on Gates.

Funny, even when the NY Times writes about the RevWar, they get it wrong.

Both of the English-born RevWar generals, Lee and Gates, vied for Washington's command and did what they could to undermine him.

Charles Lee is buried in the Christ Church cemetery, Philadelphia, along with true RevWar heroes (I believe there are six Signers buried there).

[pgkdan]

Gqates had a falling out with General Washington?? A falling out? I’d say it was more treachery than a falling out! And Granny Gates was Not the victor at Saratoga. Benedict Arnold was.

[skinkinthegrass]

thxs, for the post ((history lesson :)

[WhiskeyX]

Gates did more to help the British and Tory cause than the American Patriot cause. The New York Times continues to dig itself into an ever deeper hole of false propaganda. How much longer before it succumbs to a fiscal poverty equal to its moral impoverishment?

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Not to take away from his service during the revolution, but Morgan led federal forces to supress the Whiskey Rebellion.

[afraidfortherepublic]

There are lots of quilt names that reflect periods, or events, in our history. Some of them have different names for the same pattern, depending upon the peiod. For instance "Rocky Road to Dublin" became "Rocky Road to California" and later became "Drunkard's Path" during the period leading up to the Temperance movement. It is also called "Rob Peter to Pay Paul" for those who were more Biblically inclined. There are other patterns that go by these names too, but this is the one I am thinking about.

I have this one done by my great grandmother in blue and white from the mid 1800s. I spotted the same blue and white fabric in a quilt fragment in a museum in TX dating from the early days of the Republic of Texas. I believe mine was done in Missouri and brought to Oregon Territory when my great grandmother married my great grandfather.

[Pharmboy]

Yes...I was wondering if the ‘Surrounded’ pattern had already existed and was renamed, or it had been created after the battle. Thanks for the info about the quilts and the communication purpose (aside from keeping us warm) served by them.

[chargers fan]

Thank goodness he finally got kicked out for Green

[NonValueAdded]

Saratoga anniversary (belated) bump