We ended up spending a
long time at Mount Independence, as we happened upon a huge group of
Revolutionary War Re-enactors, marching, playing fifes and drums, and
firing cannon on each other. Nevertheless, we were able to make
up for lost time and got a very good picture of the movement of troops
and reasons for various victories and defeats.
Two weeks later, we
visited the Oriskany
Battlefield (see this excellent map
of the battlefield), Fort
Stanwix and the home of
General Herkimer. The picture of the planned three-pronged
advance into New York State by the British was now complete.
Here is a great map
of The
British Northern Campaign of 1777.
Friday afternoon: Leave
Syracuse, drive to Vermont.
Friday night: Spend
the night in a Castleton area motel. (We stayed at Jen's Motel, 1122
Business Route 4, Center Rutland, VT 05736 Ph: 802-773-9480. It
was immaculately clean and very reasonably priced.)
9:00 - 9:45 AM -- Mile
Mark 0
Breakfast in Castleton,
VT: In the spring of 1775, Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, Edward
Mott, John Brown and Benedict Arnold had breakfast here while they made
final plans for the attack on Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Crown Point.
9:45 - 10:10 AM -- Mile
Mark 0 - 6.5
Castleton to the
Hubbardton Battlefield: Travel up the old military road to the
Hubbardton Battlefield.
10:10 - 10:45 AM -- Mile
Mark 6.5
Hubbardton
Battlefield: On July 7, 1777, the rear guard of Americans
retreating down the military road from Fort Ticonderoga were attacked
here by British forces.
10:45 - 11:15 AM -- Mile
Mark 6.5 - 28.6
Hubbardton to Mount
Independence: Continue your travels up the old military road to
Mount Independence.
11:15 - 12:00 noon -- Mile
Mark 28.6
Mount
Independence: Winter home for over 2000 American troops from
1776-1777.
12:00 - 12:45 PM -- Mile
28.6 - 58.8
Mount Independence
to Fort Crown Point: Travel up the east side of Lake Champlain, but
watch out for cows in the road
12:45 - 2:15 Mile
Mark 58.8 - 59.2
Eat lunch somewhere
and visit Fort
Crown Point: This historic site holds the impressive ruins of
Fort Crown Point, including redoubts, barracks and parade ground.
2:15 - 2:45 PM -- Mile
Mark 59.2 - 75.8
Crown Point to Fort
Ticonderoga : Travel down the down the other end of the old
military road.
2:45 - 5:00 PM -- Mile
Mark 75.8
Fort
Ticonderoga: Visit the restored Fort Ticonderoga. No fort in
the world has had such an active, yet short history. In two decades,
this fort was the center of attack by great nations six times, four of
those were between 1775-1777.
Spend the night in
Ticonderoga (We stayed at the Super 8 Motel in
Ticonderoga and found it to be quite fine.)
8:30 - 9:15 --
Breakfast in Ticonderoga
9:15 - 9:50 AM -- Mile
Mark 75.8 - 104.2
Fort Ticonderoga to
Skenesboro (today's Whitehall): Travel south along the rugged west
side of Lake Champlain with occasional spectacular overlooks.
9:50 - 10:30 AM -- Mile
Mark 104.2 - 106.4
Skenesboro
(today's Whitehall) : Where is the home of the US Navy?
Annapolis? Norfolk? Nope, thanks to Benedict Arnold, it's right here on
Lake Champlain!
10:30 - 10:45 AM -- Mile
Mark 106.4 - 117
Skenesboro (today's
Whitehall) to Fort Ann: Travel down US Route 4, which for the next
fifty miles parallels the route that British Forces took in 1777 to
divide the American colonies.
10:45 - 11:00 AM -- Mile
Mark 117
Fort
Ann: Spend a few minutes in this little town that was once the
farthest south that one could travel by water from Lake Champlain.
11:00 - 11:20 AM -- Mile
Mark 117 - 129.2
Fort Ann to Fort
Edward: Before the Champlain Canal, this road was a portage route
for water travelers.
11:20 - 11:30 AM -- Mile
Mark 129.2 - 130
Fort
Edward: Meet the Hudson River at was once a great carrying
place for Lake Champlain and Lake George.
11:30 - 11:40 AM -- Mile
Mark 130 - 137.2
Fort Edward to Fort
Miller: Cross the Champlain Canal and travel down the east bank of
the Hudson River.
11:40 - 11:45 AM -- Mile
Mark 137.2 - 139
Fort
Miller: Drive through this tiny little town that was once a
great gathering place.
11:45 - 11:50 AM -- Mile
Mark 139 - 143.1
Fort Miller to
Schuylerville : Cross the Hudson River and travel down its west
bank.
11:50 - 2:30 PM -- Mile
Mark 143.1 - 144.1
Schuylerville:
Eat lunch and visit the town where a British surrender became the
turning point in the American Revolution. Tour the Schuyler House.
2:30 - 2:45 PM -- Mile
Mark 144.1 - 150.8
Schuylerville to
the Battles of Saratoga: There are many historical markers along
this part of US Route 4.
2:45 - 4:30 PM -- Mile
Mark 150.8 - 163
Battles
of Saratoga: Visit the Saratoga Battlefield National Park.
4:30 - 8:00 PM: Go to
Saratoga Springs, have dinner, drive home.
OR...
4:30 - 4:45 PM -- Mile
Mark 163 - 168.4
Battles of Saratoga
to Stillwater: Travel from what was the farthest extent of the 1777
British invasion to the American side.
4:45 - 5:00 PM -- Mile
Mark 168.4
Stillwater:
This village was once the Headquarters of General Philip Schuyler,
commander of the American forces during the greater part of the British
invasion.
5:00 - 5:15 PM -- Mile
Mark 168.4 - 178.8
Stillwater to
Waterford: Continue down the west bank of the Hudson River. If you
have extra time, take the detour to the Battle of
Bennington.
5:15 - 5:20 PM -- Mile
Mark 178.8 - 180
Waterford:
A colonial ford across the Mohawk River.
5:20 - 5:30 PM -- Mile
Mark 180 - 181.3
Waterford to
Peebles Island: Cross the Hudson one more time.
5:30 - 6:00 PM -- Mile
Mark 181.3 - 184
Peebles
Island: Visit the park on the other side of the water ford
where Americans prepared to make their last stand against the British
invasion of 1777.
6:00 - 9:00 PM -- Look for
dinner in the area, take 9R to Route 87 south and head home.
OR ...
6:00 - 6:30 PM -- Mile
Mark 184 - 202.8
Peebles Island to
Albany: Travel to the end of US Route 4.
6:30 - 8:30 PM -- Mile
Mark 202.8
Albany:
Drive through what was once the goal of the British invasion of 1777.
See the restored home
of Major General Philip Schuyler. Have dinner (or stay the night!)
at the Mansion Hill Inn and
Restaurant.
8:30 - 10:30 -- Drive home. |
