"The Man Who Shot Simon Fraser" Topic

"Brigadier General Simon Fraser was dead, shot through the intestines while rallying his troops that clear afternoon of October 7th 1777. The battle of Bemis Heights was at its climax. The patriot forces, energetically and enthusiastically led by Benedict Arnold, were being slowly pushed back by the British and Brunswickers. Throughout the fight General Fraser had been conspicuous by his leadership and courage. He was continuously riding up and down the lines rallying his troops without regard to his personal safety. Now he was mortally wounded. As Fraser was led from the field, the tide of battle turned and the Americans could claim another victory. So much is known fact. However, what exactly happened to bring about the death of Simon Fraser has led to much speculation.. Many accounts of the battle of Freeman's Farm on September 19, 1777, and of Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, often called collectively the battles of Saratoga, have been written. Most have some comment on the shot that killed Simon Fraser. The distance of the shot, impossible to determine now, has been cited as anywhere from 300 yards to 500 yards. What transpired to bring about Fraser's death has been matter of considerable literary license. One of the earliest accounts was written by a British Sergeant, Roger Lamb. In his Original and Authentic Journal of Occurances During the Late American War published in 1809, Lamb claims that General Fraser, on his deathbed, said he "saw the man who shot him; he was a rifle man, and aimed from a tree."[1] The idea that in the midst of battle the General could have seen the distant marksman and recognize that the man had shot him seems very remote. In the Nov 10, 1835 issue of the Saratoga Sentinel,[2] reprinted in William L. Stone's 1877 The Campaign of Lieut. Gen. John Burgoyne and the Expediton of Lieut. Col. Barry St. Leger, there appeared a letter of October 7, 1835 from Ebenezer Mattoon of Amherst, MA. Mattoon was a lieutenant in an artillery company during the battle. He was writing to correct the statement made by a battlefield guide that Fraser was shot by General Morgan's men. In his letter Mattoon states that the shot that killed Fraser did not come from Morgan's men at all. Mattoon says that he was helping a wounded officer leave the field when the "very dense" smoke cleared and he saw that "our infantry appeared to be slowly retreating and the Hessians slowly advancing, their officers urging them on with their hangers." He continues…"Just at that moment, an elderly man, with a long hunting gun, coming up…"

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