GATES, HoRATIO (1728-1806). An American soldier, prominent in the Revolutionary War. IIe was born at Malden. Essex County, England, his parents being servants in the household of the Duke of Leeds. Ile entered the army when very young, came to America in 1753, and, as major. served under Braddock (q.v.) and was severely wounded at the defeat of the latter on July 9th of the same year near Fort Duquesne (Pitts burg). In 1760 he was stationed, as brigade major, under General Monckton, at Fort Pitt (Pittsburg), and in 1762 was Monckton's aide at the capture of Martinique. Buying a farm in Berkeley County, Va., in 1763, he lived there in retirement until July, 1775, when Congress ap pointed him adjutant-general in the regular army, with the rank of brigadier. In 1776 he was appointed to the command of the army which had lately retreated from Canada, and immediately began intriguing to supplant General Schuyler as the commander of the Northern Department. This he did through the influence 02 the New Eng land delegates in Congress, on August 2, 1777. The army under his command, aft r fighting the battles of Stillwater and Saratoga, forced Bur goyne to surrender on October 17th. ( See SARA TOGA.) Gates received nearly all of the credit. though Schuyler, Arnold, and Morgan had done most of the work, and he had been conspicu ous chiefly for incapacity and for an apparent lack of personal courage. Soon afterwards he
entered into the schemes of the Conway Cabal (q.v.), whose object was to have him appoint ed, in Washington's stead, as commander-in-chief. For a time he was president of the newly or ganized Board of War, but was detected in several falsehoods, became discredited, and with drew in 1778 to his faun in Virginia, where he remained until 1780, when he was put in com mand of the Army of the South. Owing chiefly to his wretched generalship, his forces were totally defeated near Camden, S. C. (q.v.), on August 16th by Lord Cornwallis, and on Decem ber 2d he was superseded by General Greene. A court of inquiry, appointed to investigate his conduct, sat until 1782, and finally acquitted him. He then again retired to his Virginia farm, and lived there until 1790, when, after freeing his slaves, he removed to New York City, where he remained until his death, April 10. 1806. Per sonally, he was handsome, affable, and courteous, and in society was a general favorite. For his part in the Saratoga campaign, consult Stone.
Campaign of Lieutenant-General Burgoyne (Al bany, 1877).