<P> Gates, following the removal of Arnold from the field command, assumed command of the American left and gave the right to General Lincoln . When American scouts brought news of Burgoyne's movement to Gates, he ordered Morgan's riflemen out to the far left, with Poor's men (1st, 2nd, and 3rd New Hampshire on the left; the 2nd and 4th New York Regiments) on the right, and Learned's (1st New York, 1st Canadian, 2nd, 8th and 9th Massachusetts Regiments, plus militia companies) in the center . A force of 1,200 New York militia under Brigadier General Abraham Ten Broeck was held in reserve behind Learned's line . In all, more than 8,000 Americans took the field that day, including about 1,400 men from Lincoln's command that were deployed when the action became particularly fierce . </P> <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>

The british surrender at the battle of saratoga in 1777