August 21, 2024

Took a break from thru-hike training to visit Saratoga, site of a pivotal battle in the American Revolution. The British tried to cut off the Northeast from the rest of the colonies since they figured the Northeast was the heart and soul of the rebellion. The Redcoats had already taken New York City, so an additional army marched south from Canada to take back everything along the Hudson River.

The British were successful until they reached Saratoga. Both sides fought intensely, but the Brits ultimately underestimated the Americans and found it necessary to retreat northward after a second battle. The Americans pursued the British as they tried to retreat and surrounded them eight miles north in what is now Schuylerville. The British army eventually surrendered – and that was the first time in world history a British army had ever surrendered. The news of the surrender made waves around the world. The French ended up backing the American fight for independence, and the subjugated peoples of British colonies across the globe began fighting for their own independence.

The Wilkinson Trail is a four-mile loop that takes a walker through the battle sites and areas where the British marched. A nine-mile Auto Road takes the visitor through the battlefields and encampment sites.

The red farmhouse belonged to the Neilson family who fled when they heard the British were coming. General Benedict Arnold, a hero at Saratoga for his command of the American army, occupied the empty house while the troops camped nearby.

The monument in the photo is a tribute to Arnold, though he is never named in the monument. It was constructed after Arnold turned traitor in later years.

The large home belonged to Gen. Schuyler – the original was burned down by the British during their retreat. The home was immediately rebuilt. The trail with the boardwalk goes through Victory Woods, where the British encamped just before they surrendered. The Saratoga Monument was built in 1877 to commemorate America’s victory.