To his later undoing he succeeded.

It was he, and not, as had been expected, General Carleton, who was appointed to lead the expedition of 1777 from Canada to the Hudson.

Burgoyne was given instructions so rigid as to be an insult to his intelligence.

He was to do one thing and only one thing, to press forward to the Hudson and meet Howe.

At the same time Lord George Germain, the minister responsible, failed to instruct Howe to advance up the Hudson to meet Burgoyne.