Convention Army
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (April 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
The Convention Army (1777–1783) was an army of British and allied troops captured after the Battles of Saratoga in the American Revolutionary War.
[edit] History
On October 17, 1777, British General John Burgoyne negotiated terms of surrender of his remaining force from the Saratoga Campaign with American General Horatio Gates. The terms were titled the Convention of Saratoga, and specified that the army would be sent back to Europe after giving a parole that they would not fight again in North America. A total of about 5,800 British Army, Hessian, and Canadian troops were sent on to Boston by Gates.
The Continental Congress ordered Burgoyne to provide a list and description of all officers to ensure that they would not return. When he refused, Congress revoked the terms of the Convention. In November 1778, the Convention Army was marched south 700 miles (1,100 km) to Charlottesville, Virginia, and held at the hastily, poorly constructed Albemarle Barracks until 1781. For several years they had an important economic impact on the Blue Ridge area of Virginia.
The Virginia troops assigned to guard duty were generally better fed and equipped than any other forces, so that prisoner letters would reflect a strong Army. Money sent by the prisoner's families in Britain and Germany provided a lot of hard currency and coin for the back-country area. High ranking officers, and sometimes their wives, such as the Major General Riedesel and his wife and Major General William Phillips were sought as guests on the social scene.
In 1781, when British forces became active in Virginia, the army was again moved, this time being marched north to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Except for specific officer exchanges, they were held there until 1783. When the war formally ended, those who survived the forced marches and camp fevers were sent home.
