The Boot Monument is an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

memorial located in

Saratoga National Historical Park Saratoga National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the Town of Stillwater in eastern New York, 30 miles north of Albany. The park preserves the site of the Battles of Saratoga. Description The park prese ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It commemorates Major General

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

's service at the

Battles of Saratoga The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...

in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

, but does not name him.

Background

John Watts de Peyster John Watts de Peyster, Sr. (March 9, 1821 – May 4, 1907) was an American author on the art of war, philanthropist, and the Adjutant General of New York.Allaben, p. 205 He served in the New York State Militia during the Mexican–American War an ...

, a former

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

for the

New York State Militia The New York Guard (NYG) is the state defense force of New York State, also called The New York State Military Reserve. Originally called the New York State Militia it can trace its lineage back to the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and writer of several military histories about the Battle of Saratoga, erected the monument to commemorate Arnold's contribution to the

's victory over the British. Arnold was wounded in the foot during the Battle of Quebec, and suffered further injury in the

Battle of Ridgefield The Battle of Ridgefield was a battle and a series of skirmishes between American and British forces during the American Revolutionary War. The main battle was fought in the village of Ridgefield, Connecticut, on April 27, 1777. More skirmishin ...

when his horse was shot out from under him. His last battle injury was at Saratoga, and it occurred near where this monument is located at ''Tour Stop #7 – Breymann Redoubt''. The leg wound effectively ended his career as a fighting soldier. It reads:

Arnold's perceived offenses

Arnold suffered what he considered a series of slights and insults by the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

in the months and years following Saratoga, as the Revolutionary War continued. He also opposed treaties that brought French military assistance to the Americans. The wounded Arnold began negotiations with British agents that culminated in his changing sides in September 1780. As part of these negotiations, Arnold attempted unsuccessfully to hand his American command, the key fortification of

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, over to the British. This attempt failed because of the capture of Major

John André John André (2 May 1750/1751''Gravesite–Memorial''
Westmi ...

. Following the overall failure of the treasonous operation, Arnold escaped to the British lines. As a reward for turning his coat, Arnold was paid £6,000 and commissioned as a brigadier general in the King's troops. For the rest of the war he headed raiding parties that probed Continental Congress-controlled territories and tried to do damage. Based on one of these raids, an

apocryphal Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

story that has circulated in various versions states:

References

Sources

Randall, Willard Sterne Willard Sterne Randall is an American historian and author who specializes in biographies related to the American colonial period and the American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occur ...

. ''Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor''. Dorset Press, New York, 1990. *Sneiderman, Barney. ''Warriors Seven: Seven American Commanders, Seven Battles, and the Irony of Command.'' Savas Beatie, New York, 2006.

External links

National Park Service page on the monument
{{Coord, 43.008535, -73.639598, type:landmark_region:US-NY, display=title 1887 sculptures American Revolutionary War sites Benedict Arnold Monuments and memorials in New York (state) Marble sculptures in New York (state) Military boots Tourist attractions in Saratoga County, New York