With the upcoming semiquincentennial (250-year) anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the American Colonies from Imperial British rule, I decided I should start a series of geocaches highlighting well known and lesser known parts of history regarding the American War of Independence.
Siege of Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix in northern New York played a critical role in the Saratoga campaign of 1777. The fort was a target for British who sent 1,500 troops and native allies to capture it. The 700 defenders of 3rd New York Regiment were prepared for attack.
The British arrived at the fort on Aug. 2, 1777 and demanded it's surrender. The Americans refused and both sides settled in for a siege. On August 6th, the British established their encampent six miles from the fort.
While the British were out attacking American relief columns, the Americans sent a sortie of 250 men from the fort, who promptly looted the vacant British camp. The destruction and looting of their camp, combined with their losses from the attack on the relief columns, greatly damaged the relationship between British and their allies.
On August 12, American General Benedict Arnold (before becoming a turncoat) led another relief column towards Fort Stanwix. Arnold had only 700 men. Instead of engaging the British directly, Arnold used disinformation to undermine British morale. Fearing that Arnold was marching on his lines rapidly with 3,000 men, and with growing discontent among the native allies, the British abandoned the siege on August 22nd.
Instead of capturing the critical Mohawk River valley, the retreating British troops tried to relieve the main army hemmed in by the American forces at Saratoga (GCB7Z1M). But they did not arrive in time, and on October 17, 1777, the British were forced to surrender their entire army of the Saratoga campaign, forever changing the course of the American Revolution.
When Gen. Benedict Arnold did ultimately openly change sides during the War of American Independence, he was given £6,315 (£1 million today) plus a general's annual salary of £360 (£60,000 today). What was the British's original offer?
- £10,000 (£1.6 million today) = N 41° 21.331′ W 88° 33.464′
- £20,000 (£3.3 million today) = N 41° 21.327′ W 88° 34.542′
- £30,000 (£4.9 million today) = N 41° 20.726′ W 88° 33.359′