Andebit et beaqui corendit, ut quostes esciendion re dit ad et prae parion es quia quas alibus sam, omnim faciden ducipidiat arum autem nobis enis es voat
Baum Site 7: The Saratoga Encampment
Listen to the Road to the Battle of Bennington Site 7 Audio Narration:
On the evening of August 11th, Wasmus reported being able to see the estate of American General Philip Schuyler on the opposite shore. He expressed enormous delight at the sight of the Dutch Reformed Church, the first church they had seen since Canada. Today, you can visit General Schuyler’s mansion which is operated by the National Park Service, on the east side of US Route 4. A historic marker located across the road, just south of the Schuyler House, identifies the location of the Dutch Reformed Church.
Today, trees block the view of the Schuyler Mansion on the opposite side of the Hudson, but in 1777, the area would have been cleared for cultivation. If you look between the trees, you can see the stone obelisk that commemorates the Battles of Saratoga, as well as the St. Stephen Episcopal Church, which stands at the southern edge of the village of Schuylerville.
…the corps had the delight of seeing the first church since Canada, which lay on the opposite side of the Hudson River. Near the church was a large manor with many respectable buildings, which belonged to Gen. Schuyler… We kept the Hudson River on our right and moved into a camp across from the church next to 2 beautiful houses. Some of the corn [grain] had been harvested and stored in the houses, some was overripe and being crushed. They had also started drawing the flax, but had run off. Their enmity against the King of England the fear of the Germans had driven them away. They were probably roaming around in the woods, for their cattle returned to the house in the evening, but were treated in an overly aggressive manner by us strange, hungry guests. — They cultivated much Turkish wheat [maize] here and many pumpkins have been planted in between. The gardens are full of fruit [and vegetables] especially potatoes, from which one can conclude that we are enjoying ourselves very much.
Julius Wasmus, August 11, 1777
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