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We had a good day touring Fort Ticonderoga and then later the Saratoga Battlefield. When someone asked what Ticonderoga meant, I thought it was named for a nearby pencil factory, but I was wrong (rare of me as I am seldom wrong) it means the land between two waters. Oh, the Native Americans and their penchant for using one long word that means a whole bunch of words. Anyway, guide, Jim, did a good job presenting Fort Ti by starting with the Battle of Carillon. However, he should have had us go to the lower level of the museum to view the portion of the fort dedicated strictly to that battle. It gives a real good understanding of exactly what happened. The young guides could have been asked many more questions as the taller one had been working at the fort for the last ten years and was a wealth of information. Before visiting the fort, I had no idea just how massive the fort was. I teach about Fort Ti as part of the Revolutionary War, and have great stories about Ethan Allen, but no real way to actually explain a fort at this time. The pictures taken yesterday will help immeasurably as I teach this section to my students. I know that every time I have a slideshow of the setting for a novel we are studying or a specific historical event, it breathes life into what we are studying. Imagine if students could actually visit the fort on a field trip themselves.
Jim, our guide, dressing up to enliven the group
Later in the afternoon, we toured the Saratoga Battlefield. This seemed to be Jim’s expertise as Jim was livelier (heck, he even dressed as an elf to get us to pay more attention) and more animated and focused as he told some real good stories of various personalities during the battle. My students will absolutely love the story of Morgan and his revenge on British officers for the brutal whipping he received during the French and Indian War. Jim also explained the wheat field and the final portion of the battle very well. Saratoga is such an important battle, but is hard to grasp as so much happened. In fifth grade we teach the overview of the battle and explain the importance of victory for the Continentals as France would then enter the war against Britain. Now, with the new information from Jim, I will able to spend more time on Saratoga and present it in more depth.
I really do take issue with Jim and his comparison of Benedict Arnold and Timothy McVeigh. To compare the two to evoke an emotional response is comparable, but to then say that if some people want to honor Arnold then why not McVeigh “because he was a war hero too” is ridiculous. The two are not comparable that way. First of all, McVeigh was an enlisted man and not a major general like Arnold. McVeigh was a war hero earning a Bronze Star for his effort during Desert Storm in the Gulf War, but did not lead thousands of men into numerous battles in the fight for Independence. McVeigh was reprimanded by the army for wearing a T-shirt purchased in support of the Ku Klux Klan. In high school, McVeigh hacked into government computer systems. McVeigh was convicted of detonating a truck bomb in front of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people, including 19 children under the age of 6. It was the deadliest act of terrorism within the United States prior to September 11, 2001. McVeigh sought revenge against the federal government for the Waco Siege in which he had hoped to inspire a revolt against what he considered a tyrannical federal government.
Benedict Arnold, a major general, was bellicose towards others and demanding, but did much for his country prior to his betrayal. Jim presented Gates as extremely innocent and was just trying to tell Congress of the victory and not slighting Arnold in the least and that the young teen age officers took great offense and rile Arnold. Gates was much more cunning than this and did slight Arnold and gathered all the credit for the victory himself. We must remember that Gates is the same general that lobbied the Continental Congress to demote Washington and place him as Commander-in-Chief of the army. If Gates were trying to supplant Washington, one would think he would not elevate a lesser officer’s achievements over his own. Of course Gates took the lion’s share of credit for the Battle of Saratoga. Jim also mentioned that Benedict Arnold was communicating with the British in 1779 long before he was insulted. No, the insults started at Saratoga.
To further prove his point, Jim told how Congress tried to court-martial Arnold because he was government wagons to move his own personal belongings. However, he was acquitted in most formal inquiries. Congress investigated his accounts, and found that he owed it money after he had spent much of his own money on the war effort. Frustrated and bitter, Arnold decided to change sides in 1779, and opened secret negotiations with the British.
It is obvious Jim cares little for Arnold, but he should maybe think of a better example than Timothy McVeigh to compare to Arnold. Arnold was not a terrorist, and he did not kill unsuspecting and innocent people in a devastating bomb because he was angry at the government’s actions. Arnold issues had to deal with how he was treated by other officers and Congress, and not some imagined threat against white Americans. Turning a fort over for capture by just opening the gates and letting the enemy inside may be traitorous, but it is not the appalling and horrific terrorist act of bombing people.
It was nice to have Paul’s sister, Mary, along with us for the day.
Hutch, I know you were also shocked at much of what Jim said at the commemorative sculpture to Benedict Arnold. I would like you to also offer some remarks regarding what was presented.
Mark: though though-provoking, I had the same reaction to our guide’s polemic on Benedict Arnold and Tim McVeigh. Arnold may have been a despicable traitor, but he was not a cold-blooded murderer and terrorist. I thought he was much too forgiving (perhaps forgetful) of Gates’s shortcomings. Gates was every bit the egotistical and self-promoting man that Arnold was, and he did try to claim credit for Arnold’s successes. As for the monument, I have no problem with it being on the field, as I think we need to take the good with the bad. Having a small marker denoting Arnold’s undeniably heroic leadership at the turning point of the war in no way glorifies him or expunges his later treasonous actions from his record .
Excellent blog! I thought his ending of the tour with a comparison of McVeigh and Arnold was sort of odd. The thing I would like more clarification on would be if Arnold allowed the indescriminate and unjustified sacking of that town Jim had talked of. If Arnold was indeed responsible, he certainly does not deserve a monument. I remember discussions of this kind going on near the later years of the Viet Nam War regading Lt. William Calley. He might have been a better example to use in this discussion. I was not aware of those other things McVeigh had done beyond his military service. Scott also said some of McVeigh’s anger may have resulted from his being denied entry into some elite military group due to his not being able to keep pace with their training–due to having the wrong size boots!
Mark,
Nice breakdown about the differences between Benedict Arnold and Tim McVey. You seem well versed on Arnold…can you recommend any good books or resources? How do you explain Arnold to your students?
Howard
I have a book that I picked up at Saratoga. It was his bio with his profile on it. I will send specific info later. I am preparing a lesson on Arnold and will send it to you later.