Editing John Burgoyne

{{Short description|British Army officer, playwright and politician (1722–1792)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = John Burgoyne
| image         = File:General John Burgoyne - Reynolds c. 1766.jpg
| image_size    = 
| alt           = A portrait of John Burgoyne
| caption       = ''[[Portrait of John Burgoyne]]'' by [[Joshua Reynolds]], {{circa|1766}}
| nickname      = Gentleman Johnny
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|df=yes|1722|02|24}}
| birth_place   = [[Sutton, Bedfordshire]], Great Britain
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1792|08|04|1722|02|24}}
| death_place   = [[Mayfair]], London, Great Britain
| placeofburial = [[Westminster Abbey]]
| allegiance    = [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]
| branch        = [[British Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1737–1784
| rank          = [[General (United Kingdom)|General]]
| unit          = 
| commands      = [[Commander-in-Chief]], Ireland<br>[[King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)|4th Regiment of Foot]]<br>[[Convention Army]]<br>[[Saratoga campaign|Anglo-Canadian expeditionary force]]<br>[[Governor of Fort William]]<br>[[Battle of Valencia de Alcántara|Anglo-Portuguese expeditionary force]]<br> [[16th The Queen's Lancers|Burgoyne's Light Horse]]
| battles       = {{tree list}}
* [[War of the Austrian Succession]]
* [[Seven Years' War]]
** [[Raid on St Malo]]
** [[Raid on Cherbourg]]
** [[Battle of Saint-Cast]]
** [[Capture of Belle Île|Battle of Belle Île]]
** [[Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762)|Spanish invasion of Portugal]]
*** [[Battle of Valencia de Alcántara]]
*** [[Battle of Vila Velha]]
* [[American War of Independence]]
** [[Siege of Boston]]
** [[Invasion of Quebec (1775)|Invasion of Quebec]]
***[[Invasion of Quebec (1775)#Carleton's counteroffensive|British counteroffensive]]
** [[Saratoga campaign]]
*** [[Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777)|Siege of Fort Ticonderoga]]
***[[Battles of Saratoga#First Saratoga: Battle of Freeman's Farm (September 19)|Battle of Freeman's Farm]]
***[[Battles of Saratoga#Second Saratoga: Battle of Bemis Heights (October 7)|Battle of Bemis Heights]]{{POW}}
{{Tree list/end}}
| awards        = [[Privy Council of Great Britain]]
| relations     = [[John Fox Burgoyne]]<br>[[Hugh Burgoyne]] [[Victoria Cross|VC]]<br>[[Geoffrey Hornby]]
| laterwork     = Member of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] for [[Preston (UK Parliament constituency)|Preston]] ([[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]]), [[The Maid of the Oaks|Dramatist]]
| signature     = J.Burgoyne signature.png
}}

[[General (United Kingdom)|General]] '''John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne''' (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a [[British Army]] officer, playwright and politician who sat in the [[House of Commons of Great Britain]] from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the [[Seven Years' War]] when he participated in several battles, most notably during the [[Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762)|Spanish invasion of Portugal]] in 1762.

Burgoyne is best known for his role in the [[American Revolutionary War]]. He designed an invasion scheme and was appointed to command a force moving south from Canada to split away New England and end the rebellion. Burgoyne advanced from Canada but his slow movement allowed the Americans to concentrate their forces.  Instead of coming to his aid according to the overall plan, the British Army in New York City moved south to capture Philadelphia. Burgoyne fought [[Battles of Saratoga|two small battles]] near Saratoga but was surrounded by American forces and, with no relief in sight, surrendered his entire army of 6,200 men on 17 October 1777. His surrender, according to the historian [[Edmund Morgan (historian)|Edmund Morgan]], "was a great turning point of the war, because it won for Americans the foreign assistance which was the last element needed for victory".{{sfnp|Morgan|1956|pp=82–83}} France had been supplying the North American colonists since the spring of 1776.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1904500|jstor=1904500|last1=Van Tyne|first1=C. H.|title=French Aid Before the Alliance of 1778|journal=The American Historical Review|year=1925|volume=31|issue=1|pages=20–40|doi=10.2307/1904500|hdl=2027/mdp.39015027014961|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Burgoyne and his officers returned to England; the enlisted men became prisoners of war. He came under sharp criticism when he returned to London.

The rise of the politically friendly [[Shelburne ministry]] in 1782 saw a brief revival of his military career. He was appointed commander-in-chief of crown forces in [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]] and appointed colonel of the [[4th Regiment of Foot]]. However the return to power of the [[1784 British general election|Tories]] in 1784 marked the end of Burgoyne's active service. Burgoyne was also an accomplished playwright, known for his works such as ''[[The Maid of the Oaks]]'' and ''[[The Heiress (1786 play)|The Heiress]]'', but his plays never reached the fame of his military career. He served as a member of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] for many years, sitting for the seats of [[Midhurst (UK Parliament constituency)|Midhurst]] and [[Preston (UK Parliament constituency)|Preston]].

==Early life==

===Family and education===
John Burgoyne was born in [[Sutton, Bedfordshire|Sutton]], [[Bedfordshire]] on 24 February 1722, son of Army officer Captain John Burgoyne (died 1768; son of [[Burgoyne baronets|Sir John Burgoyne, 3rd Baronet]]), of [[Sherbourne, Warwickshire]],<ref>Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 28th edition, Sir Bernard Burke, Harrison & Sons, 1866, p. 154</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/member/burgoyne-john-1723-92|title=Burgoyne, John (1723–92), of Hertford Street, Mayfair, Mdx. &#124; History of Parliament Online|website=www.historyofparliamentonline.org}}</ref> and Anna Maria, daughter of Charles Burneston, a wealthy [[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]] merchant.{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|pp=3–4}}<ref>London marriage licences 1521–1869, ed. Joseph Foster, Bernard Quaritch (Piccadilly), 1887, p. 219</ref> There were rumours that Burgoyne was in fact the [[illegitimate]] son of [[Robert Benson, 1st Baron Bingley|Lord Bingley]], who was his [[Godparent|godfather]]. When Bingley died in 1731, his will specified that Burgoyne was to inherit his estate if his daughters had no male issue.{{sfnp|Billias|1969|p=145}}

From the age of 10, Burgoyne attended the prestigious [[Westminster School]], as did many British army officers of the time such as [[Thomas Gage]], with whom Burgoyne would later serve.{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|p=4}} Burgoyne was athletic and outgoing and enjoyed life at the school where he made numerous important friends, in particular [[Lord James Strange]].{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|pp=4–5}} In August 1737, Burgoyne [[Purchase System|purchased a commission]] in the [[Horse Guards Regiment|Horse Guards]], a fashionable cavalry regiment. They were stationed in London and his duties were light, allowing him to cut a figure in [[High society (group)|high society]]. He soon acquired the nickname "Gentleman Johnny" and became well known for his stylish uniforms and general high living which saw him run up large debts. In 1741 Burgoyne sold his commission, possibly to settle gambling debts.

The outbreak of the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] led to an expansion in the size of the [[British Army]]. In April 1745, Burgoyne joined the newly raised [[1st Royal Dragoons]] as a [[Cornet (military rank)|cornet]], a commission he did not have to pay for as it was newly created.{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|p=6}} In April 1745, he was promoted to lieutenant. In 1747, Burgoyne managed to scrape the money together to purchase a [[Captain (land)|captaincy]]. The end of the war in 1748 cut off any prospect of further active service.

===Elopement===
[[File:John Burgoyne, 1758, (after Allan Ramsay).jpg|thumb|John Burgoyne, 1758, (after Allan Ramsay)]]
Through his friendship with Lord Strange, Burgoyne came to know Strange's sister, Lady Charlotte Stanley, the daughter of [[Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby|Lord Derby]], one of Britain's leading politicians. After Derby refused permission for Burgoyne to marry Charlotte, they [[elope]]d together and married without his permission in April 1751.{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|pp=6–7}} An outraged Derby cut his daughter off without a penny. Unable to support his wife otherwise, Burgoyne again sold his commission, raising £2,600, which they lived off for the next few years.

In October 1751, Burgoyne and his new wife went to live in [[continental Europe]] travelling through France and Italy. While in France, Burgoyne met and befriended the [[Étienne François, duc de Choiseul|Duc de Choiseul]] who would later become the [[Foreign Minister of France|Foreign Minister]] and directed [[France in the Seven Years War|French policy during the Seven Years War]]. While in Rome, Burgoyne had his [[portrait]] painted by the British artist [[Allan Ramsay (artist)|Allan Ramsay]].{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|p=7}} In late 1754, Burgoyne's wife gave birth to a daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth, who was to prove to be the couple's only child. In the hope that a granddaughter would soften Derby's opposition to their marriage, the Burgoynes returned to Britain in 1755. Lord Strange interceded on their behalf with Derby, who soon changed his mind and accepted them back into the family. Burgoyne soon became a favourite of Derby, who used his influence to boost Burgoyne's prospects.{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|p=7}}

==Seven Years War==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2017}}
{{further|Great Britain in the Seven Years War}}
A month after the outbreak of the [[Seven Years' War]], Burgoyne bought a commission in the [[11th Hussars|11th Dragoons]]. In 1758, he became captain and lieutenant-colonel in the [[Coldstream Guards]].{{sfnp|Stokesbury|1979}}

=== Raids on French coast and capture of Belle Île ===
{{Main|Raid on St Malo|Raid on Cherbourg|Capture of Belle Île}}

In 1758, he participated in several expeditions against the [[France|French coast]]. During this period he was instrumental in introducing [[light cavalry]] into the British Army. The two regiments then formed were commanded by [[George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield|George Augustus Eliott]] (afterwards [[Lord Heathfield]]) and Burgoyne. This was a revolutionary step, and Burgoyne was a pioneer in the early development of British light cavalry. Burgoyne admired independent thought amongst common soldiers, and encouraged his men to use their own initiative, in stark contrast to the established system employed at the time by the British army.{{sfnmp|Chisholm|1911|Stokesbury|1979}} 

In 1761, Burgoyne, as lieutenant-colonel-commandant of the sixteenth light dragoons, participated in the a British amphibious expedition to capture the French island of Belle Île off the Brittany coast. During the siege of the island's main citadel Le Palais, Burgoyne was entrusted with a negotiation for an exchange of prisoners.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Burgoyne |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rcdNAQAAMAAJ |title=Sketch of the life of Lieutenant-General Burgoyne. The maid of the Oaks. The lord of the manor |date=1808 |publisher=C. Whittingham |language=en}}</ref>

===Portuguese campaign===
{{Main|Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762)}}
In 1761, he sat in parliament for [[Midhurst (UK Parliament constituency)|Midhurst]],<ref name=HOP>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/burgoyne-john-1723-92 |title=Burgoyne, John (1723–92) |website=[[History of Parliament Online]] |access-date=3 December 2017}}</ref> and in the following year he served as a [[brigadier general (United Kingdom)|brigadier-general]] in Portugal which had just entered the war. Burgoyne won particular distinction by leading his cavalry in the capture of [[Valencia de Alcántara]] and of [[Battle of Vila Velha|Vila Velha de Ródão]] following the [[Battle of Valencia de Alcántara]], compensating for the Portuguese [[Siege of Almeida (1762)|loss of Almeida]]. This played a major part in repulsing a large [[Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762)|Spanish force bent on invading Portugal]].{{sfnmp|Chisholm|1911|Stokesbury|1979}} Burgoyne's conduct during the invasion greatly impressed his superior; the Field Marshal [[William, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe|Count La Lippe]]. La Lippe commissioned the 1766 portrait of Burgoyne by [[Joshua Reynolds]] and the painting was held by Lippe's descendants until 1943.<ref name=Frick>{{cite web |url=https://collections.frick.org/objects/126/general-john-burgoyne|title=Burgoyne, John |website=[[The Frick Collection]] |access-date=4 February 2024}}</ref><ref name=Rey>{{cite journal |url=https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1001/archfaci.3.4.300|title= Sir Joshua Reynolds' ''General John Burgoyne''|journal= Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery|date=October 2001 |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=300 |doi=10.1001/archfaci.3.4.300 |access-date=4 February 2024 |last1=Duffy-Zeballos |first1=Lisa }}</ref>

==Politics==

In 1768, he was elected to the House of Commons for [[City of Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] as a [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]]. For the next few years he occupied himself chiefly with his parliamentary duties, in which he was remarkable for his general outspokenness and, in particular, for his attacks on [[Robert Clive|Lord Clive]], who was at the time considered the nation's leading soldier. He achieved prominence in 1772 by demanding an investigation of the [[East India Company]] alleging widespread corruption by its officials and much later in life Burgoyne would take an active part in the [[Impeachment of Warren Hastings]].<ref name=HOP/> During the interwar years Burgoyne devoted much attention to art and drama (his first play, ''[[The Maid of the Oaks]]'', was produced by [[David Garrick]] in 1775).{{sfnp|Chisholm|1911}}

==American War of Independence==
===Early campaigns===
[[File:General John Burgoyne.jpg|thumb|{{center|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;General John Burgoyne<br><small>engraving by S. Hellyer, 1860</small>}}]]
{{Main|American Revolutionary War}}
In the army, he had been promoted to major-general and made [[Governor of Fort William]] (commander of the major British Army garrison in Scotland). At the outbreak of the [[American Revolutionary War]], he was appointed to command British reinforcements, and arrived in Boston in May 1775, a few weeks after the first shots of the war had been fired. He participated as part of the garrison during the [[Siege of Boston]], although he did not see action at the [[Battle of Bunker Hill]], in which the [[British Army during the American War of Independence|British forces]] were led by [[William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe|William Howe]] and [[Henry Clinton (1730–1795)|Henry Clinton]]. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities, he returned to England long before the rest of the garrison, which evacuated the city in March 1776.{{sfnmp|1a1=Harvey|1y=2001|1p=209|2a1=Stephens|2y=1886|2p=341|3a1=Stokesbury|3y=1979}}

In 1776, he was at the head of the British reinforcements that sailed up the [[Saint Lawrence River]] and relieved [[Quebec City]], which was [[Battle of Quebec (1775)|under siege]] by the [[Continental Army]]. He led forces under General [[Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester|Guy Carleton]] in the drive that chased the Continental Army from the [[province of Quebec (1763-1791)|province of Quebec]]. Carleton then led the British forces onto [[Lake Champlain]], but was, in Burgoyne's opinion, insufficiently bold when he failed to attempt the capture of [[Fort Ticonderoga]] after winning the naval [[Battle of Valcour Island]] in October.{{sfnp|Stokesbury|1979}}

===Saratoga campaign===
{{further|Saratoga campaign}}

The following year, having convinced King [[George III]] and his government of Carleton's faults, Burgoyne was given command of the British forces charged with gaining control of Lake Champlain and the [[Hudson River]] valley. The plan, largely of his own creation, was for Burgoyne and his force to cross Lake Champlain from Quebec and capture Ticonderoga before advancing on [[Albany, New York]], where they would rendezvous with another British army under General Howe coming north from New York City, and a smaller force that would come down the [[Mohawk River]] valley under [[Barry St. Leger]]. This would divide [[New England]] from the southern colonies, and, it was believed, make it easier to end the rebellion.{{sfnp|Stephens|1886|p=341}}

From the beginning, Burgoyne was vastly overconfident.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} Leading what he believed was an overwhelming force, he saw the campaign largely as a stroll that would make him a national hero who had saved the rebel colonies for the crown.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} Before leaving London, he had wagered [[Charles James Fox]] 10 pounds that he would return victorious within a year.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} He refused to heed more cautious voices, both British and American, that suggested a successful campaign using the route he proposed was impossible, as the failed attempt the previous year had shown.

Underlining the plan was the belief that Burgoyne's aggressive thrust from Quebec would be aided by the movements of two other large British forces under Generals Howe and Clinton, who would support the advance. However, [[George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville|Lord Germain]]'s orders dispatched from London were not clear on this point, with the effect that Howe took no action to support Burgoyne, and Clinton moved from New York too late and in too little strength to be any great help to Burgoyne.
[[File:Burgoyne 1777.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Burgoyne's march on Albany June–October 1777]]
As a result of this miscommunication, Burgoyne ended up conducting the campaign single-handedly. He was not yet aware that he would not be gaining additional support, and was still reasonably confident of success. Having amassed an army of over 7,000 troops in Quebec, Burgoyne was also led to believe by reports that he could rely on the support of large numbers of Native Americans and [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|American Loyalists]] who would rally to the flag once the British came south. Even if the countryside was not as pro-British as expected, much of the area between Lake Champlain and Albany was underpopulated anyway, and Burgoyne was skeptical any major enemy force could gather there.{{sfnp|Stokesbury|1979}}

The campaign was initially successful. Burgoyne [[Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777)|gained possession]] of the vital outposts of Fort Ticonderoga and [[Fort Edward (village), New York|Fort Edward]], but, pushing on, decided to break his communications with Quebec. The news of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga was hailed in Britain as a great victory, which even King George III is said to have celebrated<ref name="Nickerson161">[[#Nickerson|Nickerson (1967)]], p. 161</ref> and Burgoyne was subsequently promoted to lieutenant-general. Burgoyne's force however was eventually hemmed in by a superior force led by American Major General [[Horatio Gates]]. Several attempts to break through the enemy lines were repulsed at [[Battle of Saratoga|Saratoga]] in September and October 1777. Benedict Arnold played a significant role in those battles. Burgoyne's [[aide-de-camp]] [[Sir Francis Clerke, 7th Baronet|Sir Francis Clerke]] was killed on 15 October.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/articles/murphy.htm|title=Timothy Murphy: Frontier Rifleman|publisher=New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center}}</ref> On 17 October 1777, Burgoyne surrendered his entire army, numbering 5,800. This was the greatest victory the American forces had up to that point in the Revolutionary War, and it proved to be the turning point in the war, as France entered into an alliance with the American Patriots.{{sfnp|Stephens|1886|p=341}} Burgoyne's journey through the wilderness of New York was hampered by his insistence of bringing 30 carriages of fine clothes and champagne.
{{clear}}

===Convention Army===
[[File:Surrender of General Burgoyne.jpg|thumb|right|350px|''[[Surrender of General Burgoyne]]'' by [[John Trumbull]]]]
{{further|Convention Army}}Rather than an outright [[unconditional surrender]], Burgoyne had agreed to a convention that involved his men surrendering their weapons, and returning to Europe with a pledge not to return to North America. Burgoyne had been most insistent on this point, even suggesting he would try to fight his way back to Quebec if it was not agreed. Soon afterwards the [[Continental Congress]] repudiated the treaty and imprisoned the remnants of the army in [[Massachusetts]] and [[Virginia]], where they were sometimes maltreated. This was widely seen as revenge for the poor treatment that prisoners-of-war of the Continental Army had received while imprisoned.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Following Saratoga, the indignation in Britain against Burgoyne was great. He returned at once, with the leave of the American general, to defend his conduct and demanded but never obtained an inquiry. He was deprived of his regiment and the [[Governor of Fort William|governorship of Fort William in Scotland]], which he had held since 1769. The government demanded that Burgoyne at once return to America to re-join the [[Convention Army]] and continue negotiations for its return. When Burgoyne refused he was [[The London Gazette#"Gazetted"|gazetted]] out of the army with loss of rank;<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=12026 |page=1 |date = 30 October 1779}}; {{London Gazette |issue=12026 |page=1 |date=30 October 1779}}</ref> a rare public rebuke of a high-ranking officer for which Burgoyne received widespread ridicule in Britain. He was not formally re-instated to the army until 1782 when the Whigs returned to power. Following the defeat, France recognised the United States and formally entered the war on 6 February 1778, transforming it into a global conflict.

Although Burgoyne at the time was widely held to blame for the defeat, historians have over the years shifted responsibility for the disaster at Saratoga to [[George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville|Lord Germain]], the [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]]. Germain had overseen the overall strategy for the campaign and had significantly neglected to order General Howe to support Burgoyne's invasion, instead leaving him to believe that he was free to launch his own attack on [[Philadelphia]].

==Later life==
[[File:Burgoyne's house, London.jpg|thumb|right|200px|10 [[Hertford Street]], London W1, Burgoyne's home in later life]]

Although elected as a [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] Burgoyne had been a supporter of the [[North Ministry|North government]]. Following his return from Saratoga he began to associate with the [[Rockingham Whigs]]. In 1782 when his political friends came into office, Burgoyne was restored to his rank, given the colonelcy of the [[King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)|King's Own Royal Regiment]], made commander-in-chief in Ireland and appointed a [[Privy Council of Great Britain|privy councillor]]. After the fall of the [[Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham|Rockingham]] government in 1783, Burgoyne withdrew more and more into private life. His last public service was his participation in the [[impeachment of Warren Hastings]].<ref name=HOP/>  He died quite unexpectedly on 4 August 1792 at his home in [[Mayfair]], after having been seen the previous night at the theatre in apparent good health.  Burgoyne is buried in [[Westminster Abbey]], in the North Walk of the Cloisters.<ref>[[Arthur Penrhyn Stanley|Stanley, A.P.]], ''Historical Memorials of Westminster Abbey'' ([[London]]; [[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]]; 1882), pp. 238/9.</ref>

After the death of his wife in 1776, Burgoyne had four children by his mistress Susan Caulfield; one was Field Marshal [[John Fox Burgoyne]], father of [[Hugh Talbot Burgoyne]], [[Victoria Cross|VC]]. A grandchild of Burgoyne, Admiral [[Geoffrey Hornby]] was notable in helping to [[Pig War (1859)|avert a war]] between the United States and Great Britain in the 19th century.

==Dramatist==
In his time Burgoyne was a notable playwright, writing a number of popular plays.  The most notable were ''[[The Maid of the Oaks]]'' (1774){{sfnp|Doderer-Winkler|2013|pp=59–74|loc=chapter: [https://books.google.com/books?id=yPGSmgEACAAJ&pg=PP1 ''The fête champêtre at Lord Stanley's ... Everybody agrees it was beyond any entertainment ever given in the Country'' – Ephemeral Works for Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby by Robert Adam, London, 1773 and The Oaks, Epsom, 1774]}} and ''[[The Heiress (1786 play)|The Heiress]]'' (1786). He assisted [[Richard Brinsley Sheridan]] in his production of ''[[The Camp (play)|The Camp]]'', which he may have co-authored.{{sfnp|Thomson|2006|pp=120–121}} He also wrote the libretto for [[William Jackson (organist born 1730)|William Jackson]]'s only successful opera, ''The Lord of the Manor'' (1780). He also wrote a translated [[semi-opera]] version of [[Michel-Jean Sedaine]]'s work ''[[Richard Coeur de Lion (play)|Richard Coeur de lion]]'' with music by [[Thomas Linley the elder]] for the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane|Drury Lane Theatre]] where it was very successful in 1788.<ref>{{Cite Grove |last1=Baldwin |first1=Olive |last2=Wilson |first2=Thelma |title=John Burgoyne|name-list-style=amp}}</ref> Had it not been for his role in the American War of Independence, Burgoyne would most likely be foremost remembered today as a dramatist.

===Works===
*''[https://archive.org/details/dramaticandpoet00burggoog The Dramatic and Poetical Works of the Late Lieut. Gen. J. Burgoyne]'', London 1808. Facsimile ed., 2 vols. in 1, 1977, Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, {{ISBN|978-0-8201-1285-5}}.
* ''[[The Maid of the Oaks]]'' (1774), staged by [[David Garrick]] with music by François Barthélemon
* ''The Blockade of Boston'' (1776), a satire on the conduct of [[American Revolutionary War|the war]], written during the [[Siege of Boston]]
* ''[[The Camp (play)|The Camp]]'' (1778) possible collaboration with Sheridan
* ''[[The Lord of the Manor]]'' (1780)
* ''[[The Heiress (1786 play)|The Heiress]]'' (1786)
* ''[[Richard Coeur de Lion (play)|Richard Coeur de Lion]]'' (1786)
* Credited with writing the lyrics to ''[[Dashing White Sergeant]]''

==Legacy==
Burgoyne has often been portrayed by historians and commentators as a classic example of the marginally-competent aristocratic British general who acquired his rank by political connections, rather than ability.{{sfnp|Billias|1969|p=143}} However, accounts of those that served under him, particularly that of Corporal Roger Lamb, noted that Burgoyne "shunned no danger; his presence and conduct animated the troops (for they greatly loved their general)."{{sfnp|Bicheno|2003|p=151}} Accounts of the lavish lifestyle that he maintained on the Saratoga campaign, combined with a gentlemanly bearing and his career as a playwright led less-than-friendly contemporaries to caricature him, as the historian George Billias wrote, "a buffoon in uniform who bungled his assignments badly."{{sfnp|Billias|1969|p=142}} Much of the historical record, Billias noted, is based upon those characterisations.{{sfnp|Billias|1969|p=143}} Billias considered Burgoyne to be a ruthless and risk-taking general with a keen perception of his opponents and also a perceptive social and political commentator.{{sfnp|Billias|1969|p=144}}

Burgoyne has made appearances as a character in historical and [[alternate history|alternative history]] fiction.  He appears as a character in [[George Bernard Shaw]]'s play ''[[The Devil's Disciple (play)|The Devil's Disciple]]'' and its [[The Devil's Disciple (1959 film)|1959]] and [[The Devil's Disciple (1987 film)|1987]] film adaptions, portrayed by [[Laurence Olivier]] and [[Ian Richardson]] respectively. Historical novels by [[Chris Humphreys]] that are set during the Saratoga campaign also feature him, and alternate or mystical history versions of his campaign are featured in ''[[For Want of a Nail (novel)|For Want of a Nail]]'' by [[Robert Sobel]] and the 1975 [[CBS Radio Mystery Theater]] play ''Windandingo''.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

==See also==

*[[List of American Revolutionary War battles]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last=Bicheno|first=Hugh|title=Rebels and Redcoats: The American Revolutionary War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4SpSBg4aP48C&pg=PP1|year=2003|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-00-715625-2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Billias|first=George Athan|title=George Washington's Opponents|year=1969|publisher=William Morrow|location=New York|oclc=11709|url=https://archive.org/details/georgewashington00bill|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Burgoyne, John |volume=4 |pages=819–820 }}
* {{cite book|last=Doderer-Winkler|first=Melanie|title=Magnificent Entertainments: Temporary Architecture for Georgian Festivals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yPGSmgEACAAJ&pg=PP1|year=2013|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-18642-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Harvey|first=Robert|title=A Few Bloody Noses|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vavABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA209|year=2001|publisher=Little, Brown Book Group|isbn=978-1-4721-0796-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Mintz|first=Max M.|title=The Generals of Saratoga: John Burgoyne and Horatio Gates|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0qWRXcu8ldEC&pg=PP1|year=1990|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-05261-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Edmund S.|title=The Birth of the Republic 1763–1789|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KkzuMAhElTgC&pg=PP1|year=1956}}
*{{cite book|title=The Turning Point of the Revolution|url=https://archive.org/details/turningpointof01nick|url-access=registration|first=Hoffman|last=Nickerson|publisher=Kennikat|year=1967 |orig-year=1928|location=Port Washington, NY|oclc=549809|ref=Nickerson}}
* {{cite book|last=O'Shaughnessy|first=Andrew Jackson|title=The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zFc-UCp6ZQsC&pg=PP1|year=2013|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-19107-3}} pp 123–164. 
*{{Cite DNB |wstitle=Burgoyne, John (1722–1792)|display=Burgoyne, John (1722–1792)|last=Stephens|first=Henry Morse|author-link=H. Morse Stephens|volume=7|pages=340–342<!--NB dash not ndash on wikisource--> }}
* {{cite DCB |title=Burgoyne, John |last=Stokesbury |first=James |volume=4 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/burgoyne_john_4E.html |year=1979 }}
* {{cite book|last=Thomson|first=Peter|title=The Cambridge Introduction to English Theatre, 1660–1900|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UIJQD-7SmSMC&pg=PP1|year=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-83925-9}}

==Further reading==
* Bahshian, Aram Jr. "General John Burgoyne" ''History Today'' (July 1972), Vol. 22 Issue 7, p.&nbsp;470–480, online.
* [[Michael Glover (historian)|Glover, Michael]]. ''General Burgoyne in Canada and America'', Gordon & Cremonesi, 1976 
* Huddleston, F.J. ''Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne'', ''Misadventures of an English General in the Revolution'', [[Bobbs-Merrill Company]], 1927; Garden City Publishers
* Watt, Gavin K. ''[http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/canada/loyalist/resources/101042.htm The British Campaign of 1777, Volume Two – The Burgoyne Expedition: Burgoyne's Native and Loyalist Auxiliaries]'', Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2013

==External links==
{{Commons category|John Burgoyne}}
*[http://www.westminster-abbey.org/library/burial/burgoyne.htm Burgoyne burial site at ''Westminster Abbey''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014163534/http://www.westminster-abbey.org/library/burial/burgoyne.htm |date=14 October 2006 }}
*[http://gauss.suub.uni-bremen.de/suub/hist/servlet/servlet.hmap?id=248509 Map from a London Newspaper 1778]
* {{Gutenberg author |id=38354| name=John Burgoyne}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=John Burgoyne}}
* {{Internet Archive author |name=Gentleman Johnny |sopt=t}}
* [https://archive.org/details/BestOfBurgoyne "The Best of Burgoyne", excerpts from Gen. Sir John Burgoyne's stage-plays]

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{{S-start}}
{{s-par|gb}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Sir John Peachey, 3rd Baronet|Sir John Peachey, Bt]]<br />[[John Sargent (1714–1791)|John Sargent]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = Member of Parliament for [[Midhurst (UK Parliament constituency)|Midhurst]]
        | years  = 1761–1768
        | with   = [[William Hamilton (diplomat)|William Hamilton]] 1761–1765<br />[[Bamber Gascoyne (the elder)|Bamber Gascoyne]] 1765–1768}}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Henry Fox-Strangways, 2nd Earl of Ilchester|Lord Stavordale]]<br />[[Charles James Fox|Hon. Charles James Fox]]}}

{{s-bef | before = [[Sir Peter Leicester, 4th Baronet|Sir Peter Leicester, Bt]]<br />[[Sir Frank Standish, 3rd Baronet|Sir Frank Standish, Bt]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = Member of Parliament for [[Preston (UK Parliament constituency)|Preston]]
        | years  = 1768–1792
        | with   = [[Sir Henry Hoghton, 6th Baronet|Sir Henry Hoghton, Bt]]}}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Sir Henry Hoghton, 6th Baronet|Sir Henry Hoghton, Bt]]<br />[[William Cunliffe Shawe]]}}

{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef | before = [[William Kingsley]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Governor of Fort William]] | years=1769–1779}}
{{s-aft | after  = [[John Vaughan (British Army officer, died 1795)|Hon. John Vaughan]]}}
{{s-bef | before = [[John Irwin (British Army officer)|Sir John Irwin]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Commander-in-Chief]], Ireland
        | years  = 1782–1784}}
{{s-aft | after  = [[William Augustus Pitt|Sir William Augustus Pitt]]}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Studholme Hodgson]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = Colonel of the [[4th (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot]] |years=1782–1792}}
{{s-aft | after  = [[George Morrison (British Army officer)|George Morrison]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{American Revolutionary War|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgoyne, John}}
[[Category:1722 births]]
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[[Category:People from Sutton, Bedfordshire]]
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