American Revolution: Mount Independence VT

This is a fort site on a peninsula across from Fort Ticonderoga (Ticonderoga is in NY, on Lake Champlain here, on the far side). There had been an old French fort here first, then it became a fort for patriots.




This is a place for those who love their own imaginations. Foundations, graves, depressions for bulwarks and entrenchments, fabulous vistas of Lake Champlain, barracks remains, old rock forms, paths, parts of buildings, but no great preservation as at Fort Ticonderoga. It was built to ensure that the British could be stopped on their way south from Canada to Saratoga - like a pincer place.

However, the Americans did not need it for that, abandoned it, and the British took it over and eventually burned it as they retreated to Canada. See ://www.revolutionaryday.com/usroute7/independence/default.htm. It is off Route 7, a long and old highway through most of New England, north to south. This is a fine leaf-color route in the fall.

There was disease, so a hospital and infirmary area is there, blockhouse, barracks, all that a fort needed. It just fell into disuse. Visit the museum - see in particular how wounds and illnesses were treated or not.

Go anyway and walk - paths and hiking trails, any length, any direction. A real joy. Fit your time with the trail you choose.

American Revolution: Battle of Saratoga NY

The Revolutionary War - echoes of elementary school. Refresh your memory with a loop around several battlefields. One alone will not do it. We chose the Saratoga NY-Ticonderoga NY-Bennington VT general route.

The War had begun in 1775, and the British had hopes of ending it at this battle at Saratoga. There were three prongs to the attack planned by the British - 10,000 soldiers from Canada under General Burgoyne (who had just retaken Fort Ticonderoga to the north; the Patriots had earlier taken it from the British), a second British army from Lake Ontario to the Mohawk River, and a third British army under General Howe from New York. There were Germans fighting with General Burgoyne, other nationalities also represented.

On this Battlefield, General Benedict Arnold fought with distinction - see his later status as a "turncoat" to the British, at World Wars and Other Wars: Benedict Arnold, "Turncoat" issue.


Saratoga National Park cannon

The American plan was to keep the British divided. There were only about 8500 Americans. See the battles history at ://www.nps.gov/sara/historyculture/index.htm. There is a fine drive around and through the battlefield, with markers and narratives explaining.

There is an annual re-enactment of the battle, see ://www.saratoga.org/battle1777/reenact.html
Saratoga Surrender Memorial Tower, Victory, NY. A pedestal is empty, for Arnold.
Then, go to the National Cemetery nearby for the many war heroes and veterans there.

Saratoga National Cemetery.

Prepare for a surprise. Here is veteran Wilbert Thomas Lagassse in the cemetery named after Gerald Brooks Hunt Solomon, a NY congressman. See http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000675 Fields of rows of headstones, and Mr. Lagasse claims the best tan. America. Would Mr. Solomon admire?



Lake Saratoga, NY. Near the battlefield, home of the fine old Victorian resort at Saratoga Springs and racetrack, see http://www.nyra.com/index_saratoga.html.

Many fine B&B's.

Bug alert. Ominous. With a 5-day overall trip, in summer, our windshields were almost clean. No bugs. A few butterflies, very few, on the vast battlefields. Have we finally broken the food chain? Remember when each stop for gas meant scraping the windshield, hard, with that liquid, just to get those millions off? And the wings in the grille?

American Revolution: Fort Ticonderoga NY

Fort Ticonderoga NY, fife and drum

Do time a visit with the many re-enactments. This is in NY State, north of Saratoga. For a timeline on the Revolutionary War, see ://members.aol.com/ntgen/hrtg/revtmln.html.

There is a fine drive to the Fort, through woods with markers and narratives for the battles and skirmishes. Here the Black Watch regiment fought for the British. Follow the memorials. Costumed guides are at the main fort.

Benedict Arnold, here a colonel I understand, fought with distinction. Later despised as a turncoat, one who is disloyal and deserts his prior cause, see ://www.thefreedictionary.com/turncoat, he was nonetheless brilliant. Nothing is simple.