He abandoned his guns and stores and, harassed now by his former Indian allies, made his way to Oswego and in the end reached Montreal with a remnant of his force.
News of these things came to Burgoyne just after the disaster at Bennington.

Since Fort Stanwix was in a country counted upon as Loyalist at heart it was especially discouraging again to find that in the main the population was against the British.

During the war almost without exception Loyalist opinion proved weak against the fierce determination of the American side.

It was partly a matter of organization.

The vigilance committees in each State made life well-nigh intolerable to suspected Tories.