Saratoga National Battlefield in New York

Saratoga is the pivotal battle of the American Revolution. Some historians regard it as one of the pivotal battles of world history. The National Park is laid out around a one way 9 mile road that allows visitors to see all of the various battlefields that comprise the overall battle of Saratoga. One of the highlights was a lecture delivered by a Park Ranger on the realities of 18th century medicine. As you can imagine, it was brutal without anesthesia, medicine for pain, antibiotics, sterile conditions, x-rays, proper medical tools, etc. Any wound in the central part of the body was usually fatal. Medical care in ancient Rome was more advanced.

If you are ever near Albany, New York, be sure to visit. Saratoga is an essential part of American history. This is hallowed ground.

This page has photos from the Saratoga Monument & the Saratoga battlefield. You may want to consult the map before you proceed. There are no photos of the home of General Schuyler, but I visited it too. It is a stardard part of a visit to Saratoga. The auto time out has been set on each photo below to allow you to read all of the words.

Reading a short overview article will aid your understanding of the photos below.

The obelisk is situated near where the commanding British General Burgoyne surrendered on October 17, 1777. It was started on the 100th anniversary and finished in 1883. The obelisk is 155 feet tall with observation windows at the top. Inside are a dozen or so bronze plaques explaining various aspects of the event.

Even a casual observer without knowledge of the importance of the Battle of Saratoga would come to the conclusion that something very important happened here because of the dozens of monuments scattered over the battlefields. They are dedicated to individuals or companies of soldiers. They are of every imaginable style. They emphasize different things. They were dedicated at differing times. Here are 6 examples:

The battlefields are situated several miles south of the Saratoga Monument. Major battles took place here on September 19, 1777 and the pivotal battle on October 7, 1777. The photos below were taken during the 9 miles drive thru the National Park, which has a series of stops. I have emphasized the historical signs and have few photos of the battlefields themselves, but the photos shown are representative of the topography. The auto time out of each photo was set to allow you to read all the words on the signs.

Please note the Boot Monument to Benedict Arnold, who was a hero and the key figure in this pivotal battle of the Revolution. He suffered in pain for 7 or 8 months and resisted the doctors who wanted to amputate his leg. This terrible and tragic wound started a chain of events that led to his treason. Later I discovered that Benedict Arnold is one of my many famous distant cousins.