NY, USA
Kosciuszko Fortifies Bemis Heights
September 12, 1777
Polish engineer Thaddeus Kosciuszko selected and fortified the American position on Bemis Heights overlooking the Hudson River. The position was formidable: bluffs commanding the river road, with ravines and dense timber channeling any British approach into killing grounds.
Kosciuszko's engineering forced Burgoyne to choose between costly frontal assaults and risky flanking movements through difficult terrain. The fortifications transformed a stretch of riverside farmland into a position that a determined army could hold against superior numbers — which is exactly what the Americans did.
People Involved
British commander who led the northern invasion from Canada, expecting to split the colonies along the Hudson. His surrender of nearly 6,000 troops at Saratoga was the worst British defeat of the war and triggered French entry into the conflict.
Polish military engineer who designed the American fortifications on Bemis Heights at Saratoga. His selection of terrain and placement of defensive works forced Burgoyne into frontal assaults against prepared positions.