PART FIVE (7 May 2015): SARATOGA NATIONAL HISTORIC
PARK
Despite
the name given to this place because it’s a US National Park, I’ve always known
it as “Saratoga Battlefield.” I think the last time I was here was in
high school when we biked the tour trail with the Boy Scouts. Once again,
this was something which was close to me (after all the times I drove from Glens Falls to Saratoga ),
and I never thought to come over and check it out. When there is
something of interest in your area, especially of historical significance, you
should always make it a point to check it out.
This is
located off of Route 4 south of Schuylerville (which is also known part of
Route 32 here). During the time when the battle took place, this area was
known as “Saratoga ,”
thus the name was accurate for when the event happened.
After
driving in a short distance past lightly-wooded field, you reach the visitor’s
center. I’m sure I’d been inside that building before, but didn’t recall
it, so all the more reason to make the return trip.
The
visitor’s center has a short film detailing the events of the battle (which
took place in September and October 1777), as well as a diorama and artifacts
of the period. One of the things present were some costumes of the
period. I decided to put on the British uniform, because that would make
me a “red shirt” and guarantee my death before the end of the episode.
(Apologize for the geeky Star Trek reference.)
I
recommend you take the time to examine these items first, as it gives a lot of
background of the people involved, like British generals John Burgoyne and
Henry Clinton, and American leaders Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold.
The display also gives an overview of how the American Revolution unfolded
after the conclusion of the battle, including France
and Spain
joining the battle against the British, and the eventual American
victory. It is easily arguable that had the American’s lost the battle
here, the revolution would’ve soon been crushed.
The major
attraction is the park road tour, which can be walked, biked, or driven
(depending on your choice). Even though it was a warm sunny day, we used
the car to traverse to each of the stops in order to be most expedient.
As this was a self-guided tour, what was really nice was being able to dial up
the audio portion of the tour on my smart phone and listen to it as we wandered
around the various stops.
The park
is designed to look as it did not long after the conclusion of the engagement,
although of the original buildings only the Neilson farmhouse still
stands. During other times of the year, when there were re-enactors
present, visitors could go inside the structure.
Near the
farmhouse was a tomb to some unknown American soldiers were discovered in the
area. I’m sure when they were buried their identities were known, but
that’s faded with time.
At both
the American and British forts (called redoubts), there’s a number of white
posts spaced out along the hill. These represent where the fortified
walls used to be. These walls were around seven feet tall during the
battle, and made of logs.
While it
would’ve been nice to see the battlefield looked during the time of the
engagements, it was nice to be able to gaze upon the natural beauty of the area
(which doesn’t look much different now than it did a couple hundred years
earlier).
As you
travel along the park road tour, there’s many small obelisks showing the
skirmish sites, and cannons are place where some of the other fortifications
stood.
Additionally
there’s also monuments to each of the major players involved, like the “boot
monument” to Benedict Arnold (as he received a leg wound).
Not all
of the monuments and obelisks are at any of the ten sections on the tour.
If you’re biking or walking the park road, then it’s easy to stop and read them
all, but it’s a little more difficult to do when driving (unless you want to
just let your car idle for a few minutes as you do so).
At the
conclusion of the park road tour, near the site of the British hospital, you’re
able to see both the Hudson River and current Route 4, which was the “Road to Albany ” during the time
of the battle. This gives you some idea of what the combatants were
seeing during those days.
There
were few others we encountered along the way, so we were able to get the feeling
of this place and the perspective of what transpired here. This was a
battlefield where people died at. Mum commented she gets weird chills
when visiting all battlefield, with Gettysburg
being the most profound. I’m sure that has something to do with the
“hundreds” killed at Saratoga versus the
“thousands” at Gettysburg .
Just my observation there.
Due to
this being a pivotal piece of American history, anyone who lives within a
reasonable driving distance should make this a destination.
For more information on the places visited or mentioned:
Schuylerville
(NY): http://www.villageofschuylerville.org/
British
General John Burgoyne: http://www.revolutionary-war.net/john-burgoyne.html
British
General Henry Clinton: http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/americanrevolutio1/p/hclinton.htm
American
General Horatio Gates: http://www.britannica.com/biography/Horatio-Gates
American
Commander Benedict Arnold: http://www.biography.com/people/benedict-arnold-9189320#early-life
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