John Burgoyne

The Fall of Fort Ticonderoga in July 1777

July 25, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Fort Ticonderoga was a strategic fort in Northern New York on Lake Champlain that was captured by American Revolutionaries in 1775. It’s loss in 1777 was a major blow to the war effort during the American Revolution, resulting in court-marshals of the commanding officers.

The British army, led by General John Burgoyne, began its attack on the Fort in July 1777. The Americans, under the command of General Arthur St. Clair, were outnumbered and outgunned. Burgoyne’s forces surrounded the fort and began shelling it from the north. [Read more…] about The Fall of Fort Ticonderoga in July 1777

July 7, 1777: The Battle of Hubbardton in Vermont

July 7, 2023 by Editorial Staff 4 Comments

July 7th marks the anniversary of the 1777 Battle of Hubbardton, in Vermont. The battle was one of the only engagements in what’s now the state of Vermont during the American Revolutionary War, although the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 and the Battle of Valcour Island in 1776 did spill over into Vermont as well.

Like the Battle of Bennington, it holds a particularly outsized role in the conflict itself owing to it having taken place in the lead-up to the Battles of Saratoga. [Read more…] about July 7, 1777: The Battle of Hubbardton in Vermont

The Battle of Bennington on August 16 1777

June 2, 2023 by Bob Cudmore Leave a Comment

This week on The Historians Podcast, Phyllis Chapman of Friends of the Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site discusses the Battle of Bennington, fought about ten miles from Bennington, Vermont, in the hamlet of Walloomasc, in the Town of Hoosick, Rensselaer County, NY, on August 16 1777. [Read more…] about The Battle of Bennington on August 16 1777

Taddeus Kosciusko: A Hero of Two Worlds (& The Name On That Bridge)

January 4, 2023 by Guest Contributor 10 Comments

Since it opened to traffic on April 11, 1960, millions of vehicles traveling the I-87 Northway have passed over the Mohawk River on what they think are called on “The Twin Bridges.” That bridge however, is really named for a Polish-American hero of the American Revolution – Taddeus Kosciusko. [Read more…] about Taddeus Kosciusko: A Hero of Two Worlds (& The Name On That Bridge)

Freemasons and the Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga

October 25, 2022 by Sean Kelleher 2 Comments

Over the years, much has been written about the Freemasons (or Masons) involved in the American Revolution, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere. Freemasonry is a voluntary self-betterment association that teaches moral, intellectual, and spiritual lessons through theatrical initiation ceremonies. [Read more…] about Freemasons and the Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga

Revolutionary Albany: The Battles of Saratoga & Loyalist Opposition

March 21, 2022 by Peter Hess 2 Comments

In the first days of August, 1777, Albany seemed doomed to be overrun by the British. General John Burgoyne had taken Crown Point, Fort Ticonderoga, Fort George, Fort Anne, Fort Edward and Fort Miller, the last substantial fortified place protecting the city from the north. To the west at Fort Stanwix, a siege was underway requiring many of General Philip Schyuler’s troops being sent to that fort’s defense from their camp on Van Schaick Island, now in the city of Cohoes.

Burgoyne however, had severely stretched his supply line. He was now having problems bringing up food and supplies over primitive roads that had been severely rutted and nearly destroyed by the Revolutionaries. He had to slow down to wait for food and had to keep his supply line protected all the way back to Canada, spreading his troops more thinly. [Read more…] about Revolutionary Albany: The Battles of Saratoga & Loyalist Opposition

The Marquis de Chastellux’s Visit To Saratoga Battlefield

January 2, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

The 1777 battles of Saratoga drew visitors to the region even before the Revolutionary War ended.

It is well known that the American victory at Saratoga garnered the outright support of the French. Not only did the French decide to send part of their navy, but they also sent troops under Marshal Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau.

A member of Rochambeau’s staff, François Jean de Beauvoir, Marquis de Chastellux, was particularly interested in the Battles of Saratoga. Being the ninth child of an aristocratic family, Chastellux entered into a military career. Eventually his military career and his knowledge of English led him to join Rochambeau’s staff, which brought him to the United States. [Read more…] about The Marquis de Chastellux’s Visit To Saratoga Battlefield

Spend an Evening with General Johnny Burgoyne

September 15, 2009 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

This Friday, September 18th the Friends of the Bennington Battle Monument will host an evening with Major General John Burgoyne who will give a humorous, rueful and accurate account of “what went wrong” in 1777. Burgoyne was sent to put an end to the rebellion in the colonies and secure the Lake Champlain and Hudson River corridor for England. His loss at the Battle of Bennington in August led to his ultimate defeat and surrender at Saratoga, the turning point in the American Revolution.

“Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne is portrayed by Howard Burnham, an English-born actor, author, educator and museum curator, touring the area on a journey to Saratoga and Fort Ticonderoga. Howard’s acclaimed one-man shows have played throughout England and have been on the BBC. His fully costumed dramatic monologues/lectures-in-character with Power Point last approximately 45-50 minutes. This is history with humor, a program that can be enjoyed by all ages.

The presentation, sponsored by the Friends of the Monument, will take place on September 18th at 7:30 p.m. in the Old First Church Barn on Monument Circle. It is free and open to the public, light refreshments will be served. For further information contact the Bennington Battle Monument at (802) 447-0550, information on Howard Burnham can be found on his website www.HowardBurnham.com.