| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| James N. |
Posted - November 21 2009 : 4:33:33 PM
At the time of the Revolution "Saratoga" was the name of a little village on the banks of the Hudson. It is now known as Schuylerville after its most prominent landowner, the patroon and American Major General Phillip Schuyler, who maintained a summer home there just south of the town itself. When war came to Old Saratoga, Burgoyne's army first occuppied it, later retreating here following the disasterous battles of Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights at the nearby park now known as Saratoga. Because Schuyler's house was between the American and British lines, it was burned by Burgoyne; fortunately, it was as quickly rebuilt following his surrender and is now maintained by the U.S. Park Service.
A high hill north of town is the site of the large monument commemorating the American victory, though it actually stands on what was the summit of the British defense lines. It too has been recently restored; when I last saw it a decade ago it was looking a little forlorn and shabby. Interesting features of this monument are the four arches, one on each side above the doors. Three of them contain large statues of American heroes of the battle: Generals Schuyler, Horatio Gates, and Col. Daniel Morgan. The southernmost arch ( pictured ) was deliberately left unoccupied as a sort of tribute to the REAL victor of Saratoga - Benedict Arnold!
Near the river is a small park where Burgoyne's troops actually grounded their arms. I doubt many visitors to the battlefield make it all the way up here to see why the victory is called Saratoga; it doesn't help either that the nearby and far-better known nineteenth-century town of Saratoga Springs, home to the racetrack, "stole" the name!
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