Saratoga

Saratoga Saratoga National Historical Park New York Changing the World At first, many thought the American Revolutionary War would be a quick win for the mighty British Empire, but by fall of 1777 it had dragged on for over two years. Great Britain had a twopart plan for victory. In one, the British succeeded by capturing Philadelphia. In the other, they aimed to reestablish British rule in upstate New York. BURGOYNE Mount Independence Fort Ticonderoga July 2–6 Connected to Saratoga’s battles are upward of 30,000 people of many backgrounds, including Oneida warriors (left) and German followers (right). They served for many reasons important to their situations and cultures. In the eightyear conflict, allegiances could change with the tide of war. FRASER Hubbardton July 7 Skenesborough Lake George ABOVE—BREYMANN REDOUBT BY DON TROIANI, © DON TROIANI. ALL IMAGES—NPS UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED. ILLUSTRATED FIGURES— © DON TROIANI; BURGOYNE—© THE FRICK COLLECTION / SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS; SCHUYLER—© NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY / JOHN TRUMBULL; GATES—THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART / GIFT OF LUCILLE S. PFEFFER, 1977; KOS’CIUSZKO—WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / KARL G. SCHWEIKART Fort Ontario Lake Champl ai n Departs St. Johns, Canada, June 17 For Diverse Reasons Gen. John Burgoyne launched an army from Canada to advance along New York’s waterways and capture Albany. He had many advantages, but American resistance was strong. At Saratoga, two fierce battles led to the first-ever surrender of a British army, marked the war’s turning point, and changed the world forever. (Oswego) LAKE National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior O N TA R I O (Whitehall) July 7 Fort Anne Fort George ST. LEGER July 7–8 Captured July 29 Departs Fort Ontario, July 26 Kingsbury July 22 Fort Edward Captured July 30 Siege August 2–22 Despite the Odds Fort Dayton The British advance across the farm at about 3 pm but are slowed by American troops commanded by Gen. Benedict Arnold. After fighting for over three hours in dense woods and farm fields, the British waver. When Burgoyne calls German troops to the field late that evening, Gen. Horatio Gates denies Arnold’s request for reinforcements, and the Americans withdraw. The first battle of Saratoga is a British victory, but strong American resistance unnerves Burgoyne. The British have 590 casualties; the Americans, 320. Arnold attacks at about 4 pm (map below). British Gen. Simon Fraser, entrusted to command a withdrawal, is mortally wounded. Within an hour, the British retreat to a redoubt (log fort) at Freeman Farm. Arnold pursues, but his attack on the redoubt fails. Then, Still battling along the lower Hudson (background map at right), Clinton and later Gen. John Vaughan have no expectation of reaching Albany. Vaughan reaches as far as Clermont before he withdraws. There will be no additional help for Burgoyne. The plan has failed. October 17, 1777 Burgoyne ceremoniously surrenders his sword to Gates. The British Army lays down its arms and marches into captivity. A much-needed victory for the Americans, Saratoga is the Revolutionary War’s turning point. It reinvigorates the American cause and inspires challenges to Great Britain’s dominance worldwide. Bennington The Sprouts er (Cohoes / Waterford) Albany Burgoyne crosses the river, approaches the heights, and prepares to attack. Whose plan will work? Arnold spies an opportunity at a weaker, lesser-defended fort under the command of Col. Heinrich Breymann. Arnold leads an attack, going around the fort’s open southern flank (painting at top), and is wounded in the leg. The defenders flee, and the battle ends in a resounding American victory. Darkness ends the second battle of Saratoga. The British add 630 casualties; the Americans, 150. Gates pursues without difficulty and besieges Saratoga. The demoralized British are surrounded and outnumbered nearly three to one. Unable to maintain the situation, Burgoyne calls for peace. August 16 GATES Saratoga’s Legacy Decisively defeated, Burgoyne retreats northward on the night of October 8, progressing slowly through a torrential thunderstorm. Exhausted, freezing, and half-starved, his army arrives at the little village of Saratoga on October 9. Walloomsac Hudson Meanwhile, Gen. Horatio Gates (above) has replaced Schuyler. Fresh with supplies and reinforcements, he marches north to meet Burgoyne head-on. Arnold returns from Fort Stanwix and joins Gates. Col. Tadeusz Kos’ciuszko (right), a Polish engineer in the September 19; October 7 wk Artifacts of War Clermont Burned October 18 Red Hook Objects left behind help us piece together and tell the stories of Saratoga. The ones below from the battles survive in the museum collection maintained at the park. Burned October 17 Kingston Burned October 16 The events at Saratoga ignited global warfare and changed the world forever. From Louisiana to Indonesia, from South Africa to the North Sea, hundreds of battles against Great Britain took place between 1778 and 1784 (map above). At the time, few foresaw the influence Saratoga would have on global colonial power in an age of empires. Burgoyne’s surrender revealed British weakness, and Great Britain’s rivals pounced. France, at last, publicly recognized an independent United States of America and allied with the new nation in 1778. This powerful Franco-American alliance triggered open war between Great Britain and France. Emboldened, Spain also declared war on Great Britain in 1779. The Netherlands’ commercial support of Great Britain’s enemies led to war in 1780. That same year, the aggression of the British East India Company toward France prompted a coalition of Indian nations, led by the Sultanate of Mysore, to declare war on Great Britain. Needing relief from five simultaneous wars, Great Britain made peace with the United States in 1783. VAUGHAN Departs October 14 River Burgoyne marches 1,700 troops out of camp to view American positions, then stops at a wheat field about a mile northwest of Bemus Heights to gather grain for his hungry army. Told of the movement, Gates dispatches Arnold to investigate. At about 3 pm, Gates sends troops to the field, and the British beat them back. Arnold returns to recommend an all-out assault, and Gates agrees. Continental Army, believes the heights near Stillwater are the best place to stop the British invasion. They overlook the river and its paralleling road, which the British must take to move on Albany. Stillwater ha Royal Crown from a British cartridge pouch device Hudson October 7, 1777 Mo r Gen. John Burgoyne’s army marches toward Bemus Heights near Stillwater. In the early afternoon at Freeman Farm, some of his troops encounter riflemen led by American Col. Daniel Morgan (map below). After a sharp firefight, both sides back off, then prepare for battle. Burgoyne learns Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, British commander in New York City, plans to distract Gates with attacks in the lower Hudson River valley. Burgoyne digs in near the heights and waits. Over two weeks pass. His food supply shrinks while Gates’ army grows. To save his faltering plan, Burgoyne decides to make his next move. Saratoga (Schuylerville) Siege October 10–16; Surrender October 17 Departs Stillwater, August 12 Burgoyne tries to seize supplies at Bennington in mid-August, but his detachments are thrashed by Gen. John Stark’s New England militia. This delays his plans to capture Albany another month. Two Battles of Saratoga September 19, 1777 ARNOLD ve Losing Native American support, St. Leger flees to Canada upon rumors that American Gen. Benedict Arnold is on his way to the fort with a large Continental force. SARATOGA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Ri Burgoyne’s advance slows due to a lack of draft animals, carriages, boats, and people to move supplies. In late July, British Col. Barry St. Leger sets out from the west to join Burgoyne at Albany but is bogged down while besieging strongly defended Fort Stanwix. STARK BAUM/ BREYMANN Oriskany August 6 In mid-June, Burgoyne (right) heads southward from Canada along Lake Champlain; the background map shows key details of the 1777 Northern Campaign. His multinational force of 10,000 outnumbers the American defenders (Continental soldier, left), who retreat south, evacuating forts and losing battles all July. American Gen. Philip Schuyler (right) considers a withdrawal to Albany. Manchester Fort Stanwix Riv Oneida Lake American soldier’s coat button Fort Constitution Captured October 8 Forts Clinton and Montgomery Twelve-pounder cannon Continental Village Burned October 9 October 6 CLINTON Departs New York, October 3 Musket lock City of New York ATL ANTI C OC EAN Explore the Sites of Saratoga Hallowed Ground Victory Woods Saratoga’s grounds, now peaceful and scenic, were not always so. The worldchanging American victory and the unprecedented British surrender came at a tremendous cost to both sides. Discover the echoes of history, including Native American, at Victory Woods. These 22 acres were the British Army’s final encampment site before the surrender. Exhibits along the half-mile, accessible boardwalk (above) tell of Burgoyne’s last stand and more. No grave markers exist to remember the fallen, but many stone monuments in the park commemorate individuals, groups, areas, and actions that helped shape the Battles of Saratoga. Schuyler House Park at Saratoga Monument, then take the path through the cemetery to the Victory Woods trailhead. Limited parking is also off Burgoyne Street at the end of Monument Drive (downhill, east of Saratoga Monument). Open sunrise to sunset daily; not maintained in winter. The Benedict Arnold Monument (right), often called the “Boot Monument,” commemorates Arnold’s heroic deeds. During your visit, please help to protect and respect this hallowed ground. Saratoga Monument Standing in the larger area of Burgoyne’s final encampment site, a 155-foot obelisk (right) commemorates the American victory at Saratoga. Built by a citizens group as part of a national movement of memorialization, its cornerstone was laid on October 17, 1877—the centennial of Burgoyne’s ceremonial surrender. A series of smaller monuments on the battlefield followed. Open seasonally. Saratoga Surrender Site This expansive estate was the hub of Gen. Philip Schuyler’s business operations (the main family home was in Albany). From 1702 to 1837, it was occupied by five generations of Schuylers, including Philip and his wife Catherine (right). Prior to Burgoyne’s 1777 surrender, the British burned the original house and most outbuildings. The present house (above) was built in November 1777. The estate was populated by tenant farmers, hired workers, enslaved laborers, and their families. Enslaved African Americans lived and worked here until Philip’s 1804 death. Crops and products from the mills (chiefly lumber) were sold at markets in Albany and beyond. The house is open seasonally. Natural World Eastern phoebe The park is designated an Important Birding Area by the National Audubon Society. It benefits from the work of scientists to document and preserve the natural environment. Cedar waxwing A first for a British Army, Burgoyne ceremoniously surrendered his sword here on October 17, 1777. Today, the site features a relief sculpture of John Trumbull’s 1821 painting Surrender of General Burgoyne (left), which hangs in the US Capitol Rotunda as one of the four major events of the American Revolution. Grounds open sunrise to sunset daily; not maintained in winter. ALL IMAGES—NPS UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED. SARATOGA MONUMENT AND SCHUYLER HOUSE—NPS / MELINDA SCHMITT; CATHERINE SCHUYLER— © NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY / THOMAS MCILWORTH; SURRENDER OF GENERAL BURGOYNE—ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL / JOHN TRUMBULL; AMERICAN GOLDFINCH—© FRANK BOSTON; CEDAR WAXWING—© ARNI STINNISSEN; EASTERN PHOEBE—FLICKR / JOHN MORFFEW; MEADOW GOAT’SBEARD—PIXABAY / GERALD THURNER; WHITE-TAILED DEER—NPS / PAUL ANGELO; WOOD TURTLE—© RENEE ARBIB TRAVERSE American Goldfinch Meadow goat’s-beard Wood turtle White-tailed deer Area map depicts the extent of Saratoga National Historical Park with the Saratoga battlefield in the south and the Saratoga Surrender Site, Victory Woods, Schuyler House, and Saratoga Monument in the north. 1. War is Coming. 2. Neilson’s Farm. 3. Bemus Heights. 4. Path to War. 5. The Tide Turns, Wheatfield. 6. Freeman’s Farm, Light Infantry Redoubt. 7. The Decisive Moment, Breymann’s camp. 8. Behind British Lines, Burgoyne’s headquarters. 9. Loss and Victory, Great Redoubt. 10. Return to Saratoga. Plan Your Visit For the latest information, please visit the park website: www.nps.gov/sara. Getting Here The park consists of five separate sites. Battlefield entrances are located off US 4 and NY 32, north of Stillwater. To reach the other park sites, take NY 4 north of the battlefield. Visitor Center Stop here for restrooms, information, brochures, programs, exhibits, and a museum store. Hours of operation vary seasonally. Accessibility We strive to make facilities, services, and programs accessible to all; please call or check the park website. Touring the Park Ride along the 10-mile tour road (see maps) and explore other park sites and trails using the park cell phone tour (518-665-8185) or web-based tour (sara.toursphere.com). Tour road and trails are not plowed during snow events. Wilkinson National Recreation Trail Enjoy this 4.2-mile, marked hike through parts of a battlefield and natural habitats. Safety Tick bites can spread disease. Stay in the center of cleared trails, away from vegetation. Cover skin and hair; use insect repellent on clothing. Check for ticks on body and clothes; remove ticks promptly. Emergencies call 911 Regulations Trails are pedestrian-use only. Cycle on Tour Road only. Cyclists must wear helmets. Skateboards, in-line skates, and scooters are prohibited. Always keep pets leashed and under your control. Clean up after your pet. More Information Saratoga National Historical Park 648 Rte. 32 Stillwater, NY 12170-1604 518-670-2985 www.nps.gov/sara sara_info@nps.gov Follow us on social media. Saratoga National Historical Park is one of over 400 parks in the National Park npf_black.pdf 1 8/26/22 12:33 PM System. Learn more at www.nps.gov. Download the official NPS App. Join the park community. www.nationalparks.org IGPO:2021—416-165/82790 New in 2021