CORPORATE STAFF RIDES
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The Battle of Saratoga Staff RideWhy Visit Saratoga? The Continental Army Maps of the Campaign Organization of Forces at Saratoga Principal Commanders --British-- --American-- The Articles of Convention (Burgoyne's Surrender) Sources for Visiting Saratoga & Other Sites of the Campaign The Stamps of Saratoga Wargaming Saratoga The Art of Saratoga The US Navy's Tribute Why Visit Saratoga?The Saratoga National Histoical Park provides a wonderful venue to conduct a brief history tour of one of the pivotal battles of world history. The Saratoga Staff Ride Tour is a half-day visit to the most decisive strategic ground of the American Revolution. The victory ended with the surrender of the entire British Expeditionary Army of nearly 6,000 men to the Continental Army.
Saratoga pits the vainglorious, well-connected and talented British Gen. John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne against the ambitious, but cautious American Gen. Horatio Gates, a would-be rival to George Washington. At Saratoga, each commander was well served by talented subordinates, especially Gates whose victory largely rested on Polish volunteer Taddeus Kosciuszko, Daniel Morgan and his riflemen, and especially Benedict Arnold, who held no formal command at the crucial moments of the campaign. The day-long tour examines the campaign through their decisions and and the words of ordinary soldiers, while standing on the same ground, which is essentially unchanged. Gates and his team performed brilliantly on the world-historical stage. How well would you do? The Battle of Saratoga Staff Ride tour positions the battle in the context of domestic political events, as well as the conflicting global interests of England, France and the other major powers. The late summer and early fall of 1777 is one of those rare moments that highlights grand strategy as well as theater-wide operations, while offering a rich weave of successful tactics, innovative engineering, legendary leadership examples, effective decision-making, and those pesky intruders ... personality & chance.
Organization of Forces at Saratoga
Principal CommandersThe BritishLt. General John Burgoyne
Gen. John Burgoyne, Reynolds, Oil on canvas, 1766, Frick, New York
Army officer, politician and author, was baptised at St Margaret's Church Westminster on 5 February 1723, as the son of Capt. John Burgoyne and Anna Maria (Burneston). It was however rumoured that his real father was Robert, Lord Bingley. John was educated at Westminster School and joined the army in 1737. He served in America, being present at the battle of Bunker Hill. His coffin-plate described him as "the Right Honourable John Burgoyne, Lieut.General of His Majesty's Forces, Colonel of the Fourth Regiment of Foot, and one of His Majesty's most honourable Privy Council of the Kingdom of Ireland". (Source: Westminster Abbey)
"A state of the expedition from Canada : as laid before the House of commons (1780) ", John Burgoyne
Brig. General Simon Fraser, KIA
LTC 24th Regiment of Foot, with rank of "Brigadier General, in America only" in 1776. Commander, Advance Corps in the Burgoyne Campaign, including the grenadier battalion, light infantry battalion, 24th Regiment, company of British marksmen (commanded by his nephew, Captain Alexander Fraser), Indians, Tpories, Canadian militia and artillery. He was mortally wounded at Saratoga, October 7, 1777, reputedly by Pvt. Timothy Murphy, Morgan's Rifles. Baroness Frederika von Riedesel witnessing his death, later wrote, "I heard him often exclaim, between moans, 1Oh, fatal ambition! Poor General Burgoyne! My poor wife.'"He was buried on the field.
Maj. General Friedrich von Reisedel
Maj. Gen. Baron Friederich von Reisedel
Educated in law at Marburg, at 18 became an ensign in a Hessian battalion in English service. Aide to Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick in the Seven Years' War and rapidly promoted. Captain of the Hessian Hussars (1760), Col. of the Black Hussars (1762), adjutant-general of the Prussian Army (1767), and Colonel of carbineers (1772). Advanced to the rank of major-general and given command of the Brunswickers on the left of Burgoyne's Expedition. Steady, cool-headed, professional.
The AmericansMaj. General Horatio Gates
One of the first American "political generals", Gates had been Major in the British Army. Brigadier-General and Adjutant-General Continental Army, 17th June, 1775; Major-General Continental Army, 16th May, 1776. By the act of 4th November, 1777, it was "Resolved, that the thanks of Congress, in their own name, and in behalf of the thirteen United States, be presented to Major-General Gates, Commander-in- Chief of the Northern Department, and to Major-Generals Lincoln and Arnold, and the rest of the officers and troops under his command, for their brave and successful efforts in support of the independence of their country, whereby an army of the enemy of 10,000 men has been totally defeated, one large detachment of it, strongly posted and entrenched, having been conquered at Bennington, another repulsed with loss and disgrace from Fort Schuyler, and the main army under General Burgoyne, after being beaten in different actions and driven from a formidable post and strong entrenchments, reduced to the necessity of surrendering themselves, upon terms honorable and advantageous to these States on the 17th Day of October last to Major-General Gates; and that a medal of gold be struck under the direction of the Board of War, in commemoration of this great event, and in the name of these United States, presented by the President to Major-General Gates." (Heitman)
Colonel Thaddeus Kosciuszko
"Thaddeus Kosciuszko", Peale, Oil on canvas, Independence Hall, Philadelphia
Born Poland. Colonel-Engineer, 18th October, 1776; "brevet Brigadier-General, 13th October, 1783, to signify that Congress entertain a high sense of his long, faithful and meritorius services." Died 16th October, 1817. (Heitman)
Maj. General Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Captain in the Lexington Alarm, April, 1775; at Ticonderoga and at Crown Point, 10th May, 1775; appointed by General Washington Colonel of the Continental Army, 1st September, 1775; wounded at Quebec, 31 December, 1775; Colonel 20th Continental Infantry, 1st January, 1776, to rank from 1st September, 1775; Brigadier-General Continental Army, 10th January, 1776, and Major-General 17th February, 1777. By the resolve of Congress of 20th May, 1777, it was "Resolved, that the Quartermaster-General be directed to procure a horse and present the same, properly caparisoned, to Major-General Arnold, in the name of this Congress, as a token of their approbation of his gallant conduct in the action against the enemy in their late enterprise to Danbury, in which General Arnold had one horse killed under him and another wounded". (Heitman)
Colonel Daniel Morgan
Born VA. Captain Company of Virginia Riflemen, July, 1775; taken prisoner at Quebec, 31st December, 1775; Colonel llth Virginia, 12th November, 1776; regiment designated 7th Virginia, 14th September, 1778; Brigadier General Continental Army, 13th October, 1780. (Heitman)
Morgan's Continental Rifle Corps
Morgan's riflemen were expert marksmen and proficient in irregular warfare tactics. They were regarded by Washington as "chosen men, selected from the army at large, well acquainted with the use of rifles, and with that mode of fighting which is necessary to make them a good counterpoise to the Indian." The Corps played a key role in the Battle of Saratoga. Riflemen were deployed to concentrate accurate fire on selected targets, including officers and artillerymen. There is some evidence that a sniper from the Corps killed British general Simon Fraser ending British momentum at a crucial moment. After the close of the Battle of Saratoga, Daniel Morgan rejoined the main American army at Valley Forge and later led his Corps to victory at the Battle of Cowpens 17 January 1781. Sources for Visiting Saratoga & Other Sites of the CampaignUpdated: November 15, 2011 |
The Corporate Staff Ride Experience
Applied Battlefield Concepts LLC was formed to adapt the US Army's century-old Staff Ride technique for team-building in young companies. Antietam Corporate Staff Ride
An intensive, experiential learning-based, leadership exercise conducted on the site of the "bloodiest day" in American history. Saratoga Corporate Staff Ride
This program is structured as a half-day, corporate retreat tour of the American Revolution Saratoga Campaign, 1777. Saratoga was the decisive strategic victory of the war, and pitted the vainglorious British dandy Gen. "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne against the flagrantly ambitious American Gen. Horatio Gates. Design Your Own Corporate Staff Ride
The Corporate Staff Ride is flexible in design and can be developed internally to address the specific challenges of any organization. Principals
The Principals of APPLIED BATTLEFIELD CONCEPTS, LLC combine decades of experience as successful businessmen, historians, and military officers. Registration and Contact
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