he said wilkie's conduct endeared me to me.seemed to be the life and soul of the headquarters of the army. he in the capacity governed at headquarters. and this is a part of what he really contributed to was the extraordinary victory at saratoga when gates' army trapped the general's army up against the banks of the hudson river and forced a surrender. and gates certainly felt that wilkinson played a major role. this is not exact portraiture but we're assuming the guy holding the flag behind gates is indeed wilkinson because he was so close to gates both professionally and personally he would refer to him as a son. you're a son to me he wrote on several occasions. and when the news of the great victory was taken to congress, it came with strong recommendations, a certain absolute insistence that this kid of 20 should be made a general and so he became the youngest american general in the army. so that's part of the power of his charm. i think the other part again of his personality -- this is his wife nancy, formerly known as a