Saratoga National Historical Park

From Vermont we headed further west into upstate New York.  Our first historic stop of the day was at Saratoga National Historical Park.  This site commemorates the turning point of the Revolutionary War.

After a week of negotiations, Burgoyne surrendered to Gates, on October 17, 1777. The American victory demonstrated that American troops could fight a European army, on their own terms, and win. It also convinced the French to ally themselves with the Americans and declare war against England. Later, the Spanish and Dutch did the same.

This multi-national alliance turned a civil uprising for the British into a world war, as they would have to then fight not only in North America, but in the Caribbean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, South Africa, and India --among other places.

Because of the incredible impact caused by the American victory in the Battles of Saratoga, they are known as the "Turning Point of the American Revolution", and are considered by many historians to be among the top 15 battles in world history.
--from Saratoga NHP site

Our first stop was at the park's main visitor center, up a path from the parking lot.

 Once inside we watched the orientation film.

 While the video isn't online, you can watch the map presentation online.

The visitor center had a set of costumes that kids could use to play dress-up.  I love interactive elements like these that have been added to many National Park sites.

We walked around the visitor center and saw a number of exhibits about the history of the battles.

 This was a light 6-pound cannon on loan from the United States Army Center of Military History.  It was made in England in 1756.

The best description of the Revolution that I've heard was that it was much closer to a civil war than to a revolution.  This was true even amongst some Native American tribes, for example the Iroquois Confederation was torn apart as some tribes sided with the British and some sided with the rebels.

Going through battlefields can be sobering when you realize that some who fought were not much older than your children.

These British cannons were captured at Saratoga in 1777 by victorious American forces.

One of the exhibits covered the history of Benedict Arnold.

Arnold may have worn a coat like this as an American Major General (though uniforms weren't standardized during the war).

He was wounded at Saratoga when a musket ball shattered his leg "the same one wounded at Quebec in 1775." (from exhibit signage)

This is a British Army Brigadier-general's Frock, which was the rank given to Arnold when he switched to the British side, technically a step down from his American rank.

You can get an idea of the exhibits with this panoramic shot.

We next headed to the park's tour road, our first stop being the Freeman Farm overlook.  In these fields "the first action of the Battle of Saratoga began.  Shortly after noon on September 19, American pickets posted in the Freeman House fired on advance elements of the center column of the British army." (from exhibit signage)

I love how 360º pictures can give you a good perspective on the battlefield.  Take a look at the original picture here in Google Photos where you can view it in a full 360º.

As we continued down the tour road we passed behind what were the American lines.

The lines were helpfully marked by a series of posts with blue tops marching off across the landscape.

Our next stop was at the Neilson Farm where we got out and walked around for a while.

In busier times I think they have the building open with staff inside, but it was shut tight when we came by.  I did take a glimpse in through the window and go this shot.

This monument honors the unknown American soldiers who perished in the battles of Saratoga.

Across the road is a monument in memory of Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a native of Poland who fought in the Revolution.  There is also a National Park site in Philadelphia named after him that I want to visit.

Our next stop took us down by the Hudson River where this position marks one of the American units overlooking the river and was the location of a redoubt defended by cannons and strengthened by batteries down by the edge of the river.

As we drove back towards the direction we had come (but not on the same road) made our next stop where his view overlooks what was once the Chatfield Farm, where advance pickets exchanged musket fire following the September 19, 1777 battle.

The fifth stop along the road tour is the Barber Wheat Field.  Here a number of New Hampshire troops overran part of the British lines, claiming two cannons.  It was also here that British Brigadier General Simon Fraser was hit by rifle fire.

The British advanced on this position on October 7, 1777, but after the wounding of Fraser and other setbacks Burgoyne and others fell back to their fortifications on the Freeman Farm (the area overlooked on the first stop on the driving tour.  As we drove that way we entered the location of the British lines.  The Americans tried to take the farm, known as the Balcarres Redoubt, but failed, so they moved on to the Breymann Redoubt (see below)

After the Freeman Farm site we drove on to the Breymann Redoubt stop, the seventh on the tour.  While there we saw this monument to Benedict Arnold that deliberately does not include his name.  It describes his exact situation and circumstances, but due to his later traitorous actions it doesn't include his name.  The boot symbolizes the wounding of his leg during the battle.

Here you can see the markers that show the location of the British lines.

Of course there were more cannons.  What about a battlefield be without cannons?  ;-)

Finally we reached the location of the British positions directly near the Hudson River.

Not far from here Burgoyne's troops were finally cornered and on October 17, 1777 they surrendered.  This victory encouraged other European powers like France to take up the American cause and ultimately contributed towards the ultimate British defeat.

You can see even more pictures from the battlefield in this album.

~Matt