Upon his return to England, John Burgoyne was villified by the government and on May 26, 1778, a motion was made to condemn him. Burgoyne defended himself, blaming the ministry for not giving clear orders to Maj. General William Howe whose participation was critical to the success of the offensive. After failing to receive a courtmartial, Burgoyne was stripped of all his commissions, so that he only now received his general's pay.
In 1779, he resigned all his offices and joined the opposition. In 1780, he published a defense of the campaign titled A State of the Expedition from Canada. When the coalition ministry took power in 1782, he was back in favor. His military rank was restored and he was named commander-in-chief in Ireland on June 4, 1782. In December 1783, the coalition ministry fell out of power and Burgoyne retired from public life and turned more and more to literary pursuits. In 1786, "The Heiress", a play dedicated to his father-in-law, was a success with several performances. In fact, Lord Derby even married the leading lady, Miss Farren.
Lord Derby would rear the four illegitimate children of Burgoyne and singer Susan Caulfield that were born between 1782 and 1788. In 1787, Burgoyne's last major political act was managing the impeachment of Warren Hastings. He died suddenly in London on June 4, 1792 and was buried in Westminster Abbey on August 13, 1792.
