Burgoyne’s Campaign of 1777: The Second Stage
Friday, September 19, 2014 (8:30 AM to 5 PM)
Ticonderoga, New York
Our Tour Leaders: Michael Gabriel and Bruce Venter
Tour Fee: $125
America’s History is proud to continue its partnership with Fort Ticonderoga by again offering a one-day tour of British Lt. Gen. John Burgoyne’s campaign of 1777. Led by Michael Gabriel and Bruce Venter, we will visit many sites important to the second phase of the campaign, including Skenesborough Harbor (present-day Whitehall), Fort Ann, the three gravesites of Jane McCrea, Fort Edward, and the Bennington battlefield on the Walloomsac River.
During the summer and fall of 1777, one of the great military campaigns of world history was fought in the dense forests and rolling fields of upstate New York. John “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne led a combined force of some 9,000 British Redcoats, German hirelings, Tories and Native Allies. This army descended from Canada, aiming to cut off the Mid-Atlantic colonies from New England.
Burgoyne’s invasion was part of a three-pronged strategic plan to break the back of the rebellion. His army marched directly south through a near-impenetrable wilderness, attempting to reach its final objective: Albany. But American fortunes changed decisively on the west bank of the Hudson River near Saratoga. The surrender of Burgoyne’s army in October 1777 was more important to the Patriot cause than any other single event during the American Revolution; this “turning point” arguably led to Yorktown four years later.
This America’s History tour will pick up Burgoyne’s invasion as his army reforms at Skenesborough after defeating both a Patriot rear guard at Hubbardton and the remnants of Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair’s retreating army at Skenesborough. From Whitehall we will drive to Fort Ann to discuss a battle that pitted the 9th Regiment of Foot against a makeshift Patriot force trying to slow the British juggernaut. We will follow Burgoyne’s line of march to Sandy Hill (present-day Hudson Falls) where we’ll visit the final resting place of Jane McCrea to tell her story and its impact on the campaign. We’ll have lunch at the historic Anvil Restaurant in Fort Edward and see what’s left of the famous fort that served as a rallying point for Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler’s northern army. (There’s another gravesite for Jane McCrea in Fort Edward as well as one along our route to the south.) After lunch we will follow Lt. Col. Friedrich Baum’s route to the Walloomsac where we’ll visit four battle sites: the German Redoubt, the Tory Redoubt and the fighting at the bridge, plus the site of where Lt. Col. Heinrich von Breymann’s relief column was stopped by Col. Seth Warner’s Green Mountain Boys.
We will return to Fort Ticonderoga in plenty of time for you to attend the opening session of Fort Ticonderoga’s American Revolution Seminar.
Tour Registration fee: $125.00
What’s included: Motor coach transportation, lunch, snack and beverage breaks, all admissions and gratuities, a map and materials package and the services of two tour leaders selected for their knowledge and expertise.
Our Tour Leaders: Dr. Michael P. Gabriel is the author of The Battle of Bennington: Soldiers and Civilians (2012), Major General Richard Montgomery: The Making of an American Hero and numerous articles. He is a history professor at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania and has lectured several times at Fort Ticonderoga. Dr. Bruce M. Venter, president of America’s History, LLC is an experienced tour leader of the Colonial and Revolutionary War period. His article, “Behind Enemy Lines: Americans Attack Burgoyne’s Supply Line” appeared in the May/June issue of Patriots of the American Revolution magazine. He led last year’s tour of Burgoyne’s Campaign of 1777: The Early Stages.
Register Online:
Register by phone, e-mail or postal mail:
- Toll-free: 1-855-OUR-HISTORY (687-4478)
- Email us at: info@AmericasHistoryLLC.com
- Postal mail: America’s History LLC, P. O. Box 1076, Goochland, VA 23063
Visa, Master Card and Discover accepted. We take checks too!
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