US History

Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Battle of Saratoga and the winter encampment at Valley Forge as turning points in the Revolutionary War.

A map displaying the American and British lines during the second Battle of Saratoga.

This map displays the position taken by General John Burgoyne, leading the British forces, on October 10, 1777. The battle ended on October 16, 1777 when General Horatio Gates, leading the American forces, stopped the British invasion into the Hudson valley. This map was drawn by Isaac Chapman and was derived from a sketch drawn by an American officer during the battle.

Excerpts from a 1975 National Park Service publication which explores the key events of the Saratoga campaign. 

This National Park Service document, written by John Luzader and called “Decision on the Hudson: the Saratoga Campaign of 1777,” chronologically outlines the major events of the Battles of Saratoga. 

A letter to John Hancock from Horatio Gates concerning the victory at Freeman’s Farm during the Saratoga campaign.

American General Horatio Gates wrote this four-page handwritten letter, dated October 12, 1777, to John Hancock, who was then serving as President of the Continental Congress. Gates speaks to the condition of his men as well as the whereabouts of General Burgoyne. 

Transcription:

Campt at Saratoga Oct 12th 1777
 
Sir,

I have the satisfaction to acquaint your Excellency with the great success of the of the Army of the United States in the [section torn]
 
On the 7th just the heavy attacked [section torn] Picked up on loss which decent [section torn] about the same hour of the day, and near [section torn] same spot of ground where that of the 19th of Sept was fought. From 3 o’clock in the Afternoon until almost Night the Conflict was very warm & bloody, when the heavy by a precipitate retreat determined the Fate of the Day leaving in our Hand eight pieces of Brass cannon, the Tents and Baggage of men Flying Army, a large quantity of [section torn] ammunition, a considerable number [section torn] wounded and Prisoner amongst [section torn] following principal officer [section torn] who commanded the artillery, Major Ackland who commanded the Corps of Grenadier, Capt. Money(?) who commanded L. M. Gnl and Sir Francis Clark  principal Aide de Camp to his Excellency Genl Burgoyne. The loss upon our side is not more than killed and
 
[page 2]

wounded. Amongst the latter is the gallant Major Genl Arnold whose Leg was fractured
by a Musket Ball as he was forcing the heavy’s Breach Work(?). Too much Praise cannot be given to the Corps commanded by Col. Morgan consisting of his [section torn] Regiment, and the light infantry of the [section torn] under Major Dearborn. But it would be [section torn] not to say that the whole body organized [section torn] the Honor & applause due to such exalted Merit. The Night after the action the heavy took part in the strong entrenched camp upon their loſs. Genl. Lincoln, whose decision was opposite to the heavy, going in the Afternoon to direct a cannonade to annoy their Camp, received a Musket Ball in his Leg which shattered the Bone. This has deprived me of the Assistance of one of the best officers as well as Men.  His Loss at this Time [section torn] too much regretted. I am in Hopes his [section torn] be saved.
 
The 9th at midnight the heavy quitted their entrenchments & retired to Saratoga. Early in the Morning of the 9th I [received] the enclosed letter from Genl Burgoyne acquainting me that he left his whole Hospital to my protection, in which are 300 wounded officers & soldiers. Brigadier
 
[page 3] 

Brigadr Genl Frazer who commanded the flying army of the heavy was killed the 7th [Oct] ___ At one o’clock in the Morning of the 10th I [received] the enclosed letter from Genl Burgoyne with Lady Harriet Ackland. That morning as soon as the army could be properly put in Motion, I marched in Pursuit of the heavy and arrived here in [section torn] and found the heavy had taken [section torn] the opposite side of the (unclear) Hill in a entrenched camp which they occupied upon their advancing down the Country. The heavy have burnt all the houses before them as they (unclear). The extensive Buildings and Mills & belonging Major Genl Schuyler are also laid in ashes.
 
This shameful Behavior [section torn] by sending a Drum with the enclosed [section torn] to Genl Burgoyne.
I am [section torn] your Excellency that [section torn] a deep Root in the Royal [section torn] particularly among the Germans who come to us in shoals. I am so (unclear) pressed on every side with Buiness that is impossible for me to be more
 
[page 4]

more particular now, but I hope in a few days to have Leisure to acquaint your Excellency with every Circumstance at present omitted.
 
I am with great respect your Excellency’s most obd hble Ser.
 
Horatio Gates
 
His Excellency John Hancock, Esq.
 
[Note along Margin]<br/>
Copy of Letter from Horatio Gates Campt at Saratoga<br/>
Oct. 12, 1777 

A lithograph showing the types of redoubts (fortifications) used by the artillery during the Battles of Saratoga.

A lithograph showing the moment Benedict Arnold is wounded while attacking a German fortification during the fighting at Saratoga.

This image was drawn by Alonzo Chappel (1828-1887) and shows the wounding of an infamous American general and eventual turncoat, Benedict Arnold. During the second Battle of Saratoga on October 7, 1777, Arnold led Connecticut troops in an attack on the sparsely guarded Breymann Redoubt. (A redoubt is a type of fortification.) Arnold raced for the opening between the guarded Hession redoubts and cabins. When Arnold entered the redoubt, a Hessian soldier fired at him. One bullet struck him in the leg and another struck his horse, killing it and pinning Arnold underneath. Arnold refused to let his leg be amputated; he convalesced for several months and his leg never fully healed. 

A nineteenth-century lithograph which depicts British General John Burgoyne’s formal surrender to American General Horatio Gates.

On October 17, 1777, British General John Burgoyne formally surrendered to American General Horatio Gates. This was a turning point in the American Revolution because it prevented the British from dividing New England from the rest of the colonies. After this victory was announced, the French formally entered the war on the side of the Americans by declaring war on the British in February 1778. Note that officers on both sides approach each other on horseback. 

Excerpts from an 1852 pamphlet sharing anecdotes from the life of George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette.

This pamphlet was published by Nathaniel Hervey in 1852 and recounts short narratives about both General Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. The selected excerpts focus on the scene at Saratoga and the winter at Valley Forge. Hervey states in the preface of the pamphlet that he relied on the primary source record in order to write his pamphlet. 

A map detailing the Continental Army’s encampment at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777 to 1778.

This map was drawn by Antoine-Jean-Louis Le Bègue de Presle Duportail (1743-1802) and is labeled in French. Duportail served as tactical advisor to George Washington and later as the French Minister of War. The title on the map reads “Brouillon et Plan du Camp de Vallee Forge-Ordre de Battuelle du Premier ligne,” which when translated reads “Draft and Plan of the Camp of Valley Forge-Order of Battalion of the First line.”

An excerpt from *The History of Valley Forge*, written by Henry Woodman, whose father was a soldier with George Washington’s troops. 

This book contains a series of letters concerning Henry Woodman’s father Edward Woodman and his remembrances from the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge. In the two selected letters, Woodman details the headquarters established by George Washington and his officers as well as the experiences of the approximately ten thousand soldiers stationed at Valley Forge. 

A lithograph depicting George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette during the Valley Forge winter.

This image, drawn by Alonzo Chappel (1828-1887), not only depicts George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette but also displays the plight of the average soldier during the 1777 winter at Valley Forge. 

An 1877 lithograph, *The March to Valley Forge*. 

This lithograph by Felix Octavius Carr Darley shows Continental troops as they marched to winter encampment in Valley Forge. 

A nineteenth-century lithograph entitled *The Prayer at Valley Forge*. 

This image shows George Washington kneeling in prayer during the winter encampment at Valley Forge. 

A photograph of George Washington’s headquarters at Valley Forge. 

Washington’s headquarters at Valley Forge was originally known as the Isaac Potts House. Washington and his aides resided in this home during the Valley Forge winter of 1777 to 1778. The home, controlled by the National Park Service, has been restored and is open for visitors. This photograph is part of a postcard archive at West Chester University. 

A photograph of a reconstructed soldier’s hut at Valley Forge.

This photograph is of a reconstructed soldier’s hut located at Valley Forge. During the winter of 1777 to 1778, the Continental soldiers built a city of two thousand huts laid out in parallel lines. The men also constructed trenches, fortifications, and a bridge over the Schuylkill River. 

Questions

1. Using historical evidence from the [map of the Saratoga battlefield](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1369) and the [National Park Service publication](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1370), explain how American troops were able to stop the British forces at the Battles of Saratoga. 
2. Three nineteenth-century lithographs in this set show [fortifications at the Battle of Saratoga](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1372), [Benedict Arnold’s wounding](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1373), and the [surrender of General Burgoyne](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1374). What is the visual narrative being told in each lithograph? Why, almost a century later, might an artist choose one of these three specific moments to interpret as a way of preserving our nation’s historical narrative?
3. Summarize the anecdotes from the [pamphlet](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1375) about Washington and Lafayette. What do these anecdotes tell us about how the author, Nathaniel Hervey, interpreted the Battles of Saratoga and the winter at Valley Forge when writing in the early 1850s? 
4. On the [map of Valley Forge](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1376), what are the key geographic and man-made features included by the artist? Why might a Frenchman be the person to draw the encampment at Valley Forge? 
5. [*The History of Valley Forge*](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1377), the lithograph of [George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1378), the lithograph called [*The March to Valley Forge*](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1379), and the lithograph called [*The Prayer at Valley Forge*](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1380) all explore the experiences of Washington’s officers as well as of common soldiers. What types of actions are shown in each of the lithographs? Do these pictures differ from the account in [*The History of Valley Forge*](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1377) and if so, why might they differ? 
6. Compare and contrast the types of structure evident in the photograph of [George Washington’s headquarters](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1381) and the photograph of a [soldier’s hut](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1382). Based on the evidence, who do you believe faced a harder struggle at Valley Forge and why? 

Activity

1. Using the [map of the Saratoga battlefield](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1369) and the [map of Valley Forge](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1376), ask classroom groups to create their own three-dimensional displays of the Battle of Saratoga or the encampment at Valley Forge. Students can design the displays using craft materials provided by the teacher or brought in from home. Encourage students to use geographical skills in drafting a key to explain symbols in the display and in ensuring the display is to scale. Students can view other groups’ final products during a gallery walk as a way to reinforce prior learning on these two pivotal events of 1777. During the gallery walk, ask students to choose one three-dimensional display to evaluate by determining its historical accuracy as compared to the map. 
2. Ask students to assume the role of one of the soldiers who appears in one of the lithographs of either the Battle of Saratoga or Valley Forge. The students should create a historically-informed backstory for the soldier, based on evidence in either the [*The History of Valley Forge*](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1377) or the [National Park Service publication](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/revolutionary-war-turning-points-saratoga-and-valley-forge/sources/1370), in order to write a letter home detailing their experiences. Students will share their letters in order to explore which details of the event were deemed noteworthy by their classmates. 

Teaching Guide: Exploring Saratoga and Valley Forge in the Revolutionary War

Resources

1. [Saratoga: Freeman’s Farm/Bemis Heights](https://www.civilwar.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/saratoga), Civil War Trust. 
2. [Saratoga National Historical Park](https://www.nps.gov/sara/index.htm), National Park Service. 
3. [Valley Forge National Historical Park](https://www.nps.gov/vafo/index.htm), National Park Service. 
4. [Valley Forge,](http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/valley-forge/) George Washington’s Mount Vernon. 


Overview

After the start of the American Revolutionary War, the British attempted a two-pronged military strategy: divide New England from the rest of the states by seizing the Hudson River, and occupy the south by driving the rebels out the Carolinas and Virginia. 

Intent on the first, British General John Burgoyne led a force of eight thousand troops southward through the Hudson valley towards the town of Saratoga, New York during the summer and fall of 1777. On September 19 and again on October 7, American forces led by General Horatio Gates clashed with the British Army. By October 8, the British forces totaled less than five thousand. The American Continentals pursued, and on October 17, twenty thousand surrounded the British, leaving Burgoyne with no choice other than to formally surrender. This decisive victory at Saratoga helped persuade the French to enter the war in February 1778, providing the money, supplies, and troops needed to turn the tide to American victory. 
 
Farther south, British General William Howe sought to capture the American capital of Philadelphia. The British invaded from the south, via Chesapeake Bay, and defeated George Washington’s troops in the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. American troops under Washington then lost control of Philadelphia. Washington and his ten thousand soldiers finally retreated twenty-four miles to the west, where they set up headquarters at the village of Valley Forge. There Washington’s troops survived a difficult winter of disease, freezing temperatures, and a continual lack of supplies. 

Due to the American victory at Saratoga and the escape of George Washington and his army to Valley Forge, the Continental Army survived to fight another year. 

English

Revolutionary War Turning Points: Saratoga and Valley Forge

revolutionary-war_12_c16305fc2d6819f0f13ab9a8f3b783f7.jpg

Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration.

“The Prayer at Valley Forge,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/c16305fc2d6819f0f13ab9a8f3b783f7.

A nineteenth-century lithograph entitled The Prayer at Valley Forge.

Cite this item

Tips for Students

Item 12 of 14 in the Primary Source Set Revolutionary War Turning Points: Saratoga and Valley Forge