Schuylerville in Saratoga County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
. . . their cannon shot . . . reaching every part of our camp
. . . [our] men lay continuously upon their arms [weapons], [with] the enemy incessantly cannonading us, and their rifle and cannon shot reaching every part of our camp..
Thomas Anbury,
ensign, 24th Regiment of Foot
Imagine a heavy British cannon roaring and bucking backward on this emplacement each time it fired. Blue-coated British gunners here in Victory Woods dueled back and forth for days with American cannoneers set up on the high ground across Fish Creek.
Cannonballs, some weighing as much as 24 pounds, flew at hundreds of miles per hour. The solid iron shot smashed everything in its path – trees, flesh, or bone. Artillery rained down instant death or destruction and struck fear in the hearts of soldiers.
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General Burgoyne brought 138 cannon, mortars, and howitzers on his expedition to capture Albany and defeat the rebellion against the British Crown. In 1777 no factory in North American could produce weapons as daunting as Burgoyne’s artillery. After the British surrendered here, these expensive, high-tech guns were used against their former owners to win American independence.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Revolutionary . A significant historical year for this entry is 1777.
Location. 43° 5.648′ N, 73° 35.517′ W. Marker is in Schuylerville, New York, in Saratoga County. Marker can be reached from Monument Drive, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located along a walking trail through Victory Woods. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Schuylerville NY 12871, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Last Ditch Defenses (within shouting distance of this marker); Victory Woods (within shouting distance of this marker); Burgoyne Hopelessly Surrounded (within shouting distance of this marker); The Stench of Failure (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Good Place to Set Up Camp (about 400 feet away); You’ve Been Robbed! (about 400 feet away); Fraser’s Corps (about 800 feet away); Two Brothers Meet Again (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Schuylerville.
More about this marker. The background of the marker features a picture of Americans firing artillery on the British fortifications. It has the caption of “Warley Camp, 1778: the Mock Attack (detail) by Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg, R.A., 1779. The Royal Collection © 2010 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”
A photo of a cannon captured at Saratoga appears above the sidebar.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Take of tour of Victory Woods, where the British army under Gen. John Burgoyne retreated to after the Battles of Saratoga, and from where he surrendered on October 17, 1777.
Also see . . .
1. The Battle of Saratoga. Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce website entry (Submitted on February 25, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Saratoga National Historic Park. National Park Service website. (Submitted on July 17, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
3. A British perspective on the Battle of Saratoga from BritishBattles.com. (Submitted on July 17, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 535 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 17, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.