<P> The opening fire came between 2 and 2: 30 pm from the British grenadiers . Poor's men held their fire, and the terrain made the British shooting largely ineffective . When Major Acland led the British grenadiers in a bayonet charge, the Americans finally began shooting at close range . Acland fell, shot in both legs, and many of the grenadiers also went down . Their column was a total rout, and Poor's men advanced to take Acland and Williams prisoner and capture their artillery . On the American left, things were also not going well for the British . Morgan's men swept aside the Canadians and Native Americans to engage Fraser's regulars . Although slightly outnumbered, Morgan managed to break up several British attempts to move west . While General Fraser was mortally wounded in this phase of the battle, a frequently told story claiming it to be the work of Timothy Murphy, one of Morgan's men, appears to be a 19th - century fabrication . The fall of Fraser and the arrival of Ten Broeck's large militia brigade (which roughly equaled the entire British reconnaissance force in size), broke the British will, and they began a disorganized retreat toward their entrenchments . Burgoyne was also very nearly killed by one of Morgan's marksmen; three shots hit his horse, hat, and waistcoat . </P> <P> The first phase of the battle lasted about one hour and cost Burgoyne nearly 400 men, including the capture of most of the grenadiers' command, and six of the ten field pieces brought to the action . </P> <P> At this point, the Americans were joined by an unexpected participant . General Arnold, who was "betraying great agitation and wrath" in the American camp, and may have been drinking, rode out to join the action . Gates immediately sent Major Armstrong after him with orders to return; Armstrong did not catch up with Arnold until the action was effectively over . (A letter, written by a witness to proceedings in the camp, suggests that Arnold did in fact have authorization from Gates to engage in this action .) </P> <P> The defenses on the right side of the British camp were anchored by two redoubts . The outermost one was defended by about 300 men under the command of the Hessian Heinrich von Breymann, while the other was under the command of Lord Balcarres . A small contingent of Canadians occupied the ground between these two fortifications . Most of the retreating force headed for Balcarres' position, as Breymann's was slightly north and further away from the early action . </P>

Who was involved in the battle of saratoga