These audio tour files accompany a shorter, 2-mile hike along the Wilkinson Trail using the Liaison (cutoff) trail.
NPS
Narrated completely by kids...for kids!
How might the Battles of Saratoga appeared through the eyes of young people?
Download these audio files to your device and listen in to hear their perspectives as you hike the Battlefield accompanied by your Narrator, Mary Morton, and George Williams...and the adult with your group of course. Or you can listen to them directly from the website, but service can be poor in the park.
Start playing each narration at its respective Station Marker: Track A at Station A, Track B at Station B, and so on.
After listening to these narrations you may even be able to teach a little history to the adults in your group!
These audio tour files accompany a shorter, 2-mile hike along the Wilkinson Trail using the Liaison (cutoff) trail. Please use a copy of the Wilkinson Trail Map to better understand the tour sequence. A downloadable copy of this map may be found on our Maps page.
Our special thanks to David and Ginger Hildebrand, who kindly allowed us to use selections from their recordings of "The White Cockade" and "The Road to Boston" for this project.
Be prepared! Wear sturdy shoes, bring water, snacks, bug spray, and sunscreen!
The Children’s Version of this audio-guided hike uses a shorter part of the trail, called the Liaison Trail. Narrations for this tour go along with the Trail Station Markers.
Start playing each audio track when you get to its Trail Station: Track A at Station A, Track B at Station B, and so on. Continue walking as you listen to each track.
[Colonial violin music ends.]
[Selection from "The White Cockade," courtesy David and Ginger Hildebrand]
Wilkinson Trail - Kids Tour - Station A
This the is the second station for the audio tour.
Narrator) As you walk along this trail, you are following in the footsteps of British and American soldiers who fought in the Battles of Saratoga in September and October of 1777. Along the way you will meet two witnesses of the battles: a 14-year old girl named Mary Morton, and a12-year old boy named George Williams. As part of your hike, they will talk about their roles here at Saratoga and provide you with a personal view of the world-changing events that happened here. We hope you enjoy your visit!
[Sounds of birds chirping.]
(Girl's voice: Mary Morton) Good day to you. My name is Mary Morton. I am 14 years old and my mother and I are camp followers here with the British Army under General John Burgoyne.
[Faint sound of camp noises, background conversation begin.]
My father, Joseph Morton, is a Sergeant in His Majesty’s Sixty-Second Regiment. He joined the Sixty-Second about 5 years ago, but it was not until earlier this year, 1777, that he brought my mother and me from Ireland to follow along with him. I thought it might be an adventure, but it has been very difficult.
(Boy's voice: George Williams) Good day! My name is George Williams. I was born in Newfoundland, Canada. I am 12 years old and serving as a volunteer with General John Burgoyne here in the American colonies. As a proper gentleman, my family’s social status allows me to volunteer with His Majesty’s army, where I train as a soldier in hopes of becoming an officer, in command of my own men. I accompany my uncle, Major Griffith Williams, serving in the Royal Regiment of Artillery. It has been 3 long, hot, tiring months since we left Canada to march into the colony of New York.
(Mary) It is September, 1777. There are a great many people in General Burgoyne’s camp, over seven thousand I am told. One of my duties as a camp follower is helping soldiers with day-to-day life. As they struggle to end the American Rebellion, we camp followers clean soldiers’ laundry, [sounds of hand-washing laundry] mend their torn clothing, get water and firewood, and help take care of the sick. Often times, the men in my father’s regiment go days or even weeks without a proper washing. I then have to wash the dirty clothing of many men in the nearest stream. I often wish we were back in Ireland, where I only had to wash clothes for my landlord and his family.
When it comes to food, I am grateful General Burgoyne allows some of the daily rations to be given to camp followers. Sadly, we are only given a quarter pound of salted beef or pork and a quarter pound of flour each day. The meat is so salty, and usually fatty and filled with bones, (pause) and sometimes has insects. It is often difficult to eat!
Sometimes there is so little food, even for the soldiers in my father’s regiment, [sounds of birds chirping] we camp followers have to steal food from nearby farms and fields. We take wheat, corn, potatoes, turnips, whatever we can find. Mother always taught me it is wrong to steal, but steal we must if we are to eat.
[Sounds of a horse riding by.]
(George) As a gentleman volunteer with the Royal Artillery, I must help prepare my men for battle. We practice for hours each day so the cannon crews [sound of a cannon blast] know what to do in battle. Like other gentleman volunteers, [some indistinct orders in the background] I am sometimes assigned to Guard Duty. Many of the volunteers believe it is beneath their status. [Sounds of a horse-drawn wagon passing by.] But a general order was issued saying we must take part in it. I personally find nothing wrong with the job. I am glad, however, I am able to dine with the officers. The food we eat is so much better than what the regular soldiers, or even the camp followers, receive.
(Narrator) Here at Station C, please follow the trail to your right and proceed to Station D while listening to the narration.
(George) It is now the 19th of September, 1777. This morning,[sounds of a military drum playing "assembly" command] General Burgoyne started marching our army south, through this area, in hopes of sweeping around and overwhelming the Americans. I know our troops will be victorious! We are well trained, and our German allies under the command of Baron von Riedesel aid us greatly.
[Drumming ends.]
[Sounds of birds chirping, hand-washing laundry.]
(Mary) This morning, September 19th, General Burgoyne began advancing our troops to do battle with the Rebel Americans. What will become of Mother and me if something should happen to Father in battle? Would we be allowed to return home? Or must we remain with this army? I would hate to have to stay in this awful place. I pray that he will return safely!
[More sounds of laundry washing.]
Mother says there is talk that many of us camp followers may be ordered for duty as nurses. I have never had to care for a wounded soldier before. I am afraid what will happen. The sight of blood often makes me faint. What will I do if I must tend to a soldier who has lost a limb? I would surely pass out! And what would I do if Father were wounded? Oh, how I pray to wake from this terrible nightmare.
(George) Not far ahead of you is the farm of a local man, John Freeman, who is loyal to our King George. That is where most of the battle took place earlier today, the 19th of September. General Burgoyne advanced his forces [sounds of military fife music, indistinct orders] in three large groups, spread out over 2 miles. Around noon, the middle group saw the Rebels, just north of Freeman’s farm, and the musket fire began.
[Sounds of musket firing.]
The shooting continued for the next three hours until the Americans began heavily attacking our men, especially the Sixty-Second Regiment. [Scattered musket fire] I heard that the Sixty-Second lost somewhere around one hundred sixty men killed or wounded. The Rebels also captured forty more. The Sixty-Second was then forced to abandon their position above Freeman’s Farm. Things looked bleak for General Burgoyne until my uncle, Griffith Williams, and his men arrived on top of the hill with two more cannons.
[Continued musket firing, a few cannon blasts and some orders.]
I was excited to join my uncle in the fight against the Rebels. This was my first battle, but our training paid off. We forced the Americans to leave the battlefield, and we retook it for General Burgoyne!
[End of battle sounds.]
[Sounds of crickets and katydids, occasional campfire crackling.]
(Mary) It is now early evening on September 19th, and I can see the results of today’s terrible battle. Mother and I have no word yet on Father’s whereabouts, and we are afraid. Our army lost many men today, though General Burgoyne assures us that the Rebels lost many more. Does he understand how many of these men had families, even children like me?
How our losses may affect us is unclear, though. One thing I am sure of: the Americans are strong and determined, and this will not be the last time our brave troops face them. The fighting is far from over.
[Sounds of campfire crackling, indistinct background conversations.]
(Mary) The Rebel Americans fled earlier today. Much of our army is now camped here on John Freeman’s farm. The soldiers are all so very tired, now that the excitement of battle has passed. Mother and I are exhausted from worry, as we still have no word on whether Father is well, or even alive!
(Narrator) Here at Station F, turn left on the Liaison Trail. It goes through the meadow and through a wooded ravine. After the ravine, the trail reconnects with the main part of the Wilkinson Trail at Station N, where you will turn left again.
[Indistinct background conversation.]
(George) Not a full day has passed since yesterday’s battle and something incredible has occurred. I have been promoted, and made an officer! Many officers were wounded or killed in yesterday’s intense fighting, including Ensign Levinge Phillips of the Sixty-Second Regiment. Ensign Phillips was mortally wounded, then captured by the Rebels.
I have been promoted in his place as an Ensign in the Sixty-Second Regiment. I am just twelve years old! Yet, I am a gentleman and must remain calm and live up to the trust placed in me. I also have faith in my men, with whom I have trained a lot. Still, though I cannot show it to anyone, (pause) I am scared.
[Sounds of birds chirping, occasional campfire crackling.]
(Mary) I learned today that Father returned safely after yesterday’s battle, thanks be to God. I am so grateful he is unharmed! But others were not so fortunate, for their fathers or husbands did not return.
There was little time to rejoice, however, as I was brought in to work in our camp’s hospital. I acted as a nurse to help some of the wounded soldiers. I removed and washed their bandages, and then put them back on the soldiers. If a soldier develops a fever, I must help bring it down by covering his head with wet cloths to cool him. It is the easiest job they have me do here.
I now see blood regularly, but I no longer pass out. There are so very many wounded soldiers.
Earlier today, before going to work in the hospital, Father told me his company’s Ensign, Levinge Phillips, was mortally wounded and captured by the Rebel Americans. He then told me General Burgoyne gave the position to a boy only 12 years old! How can a lad just two years younger than myself lead men like my father into battle, just because he comes from a wealthy family. I hate this place!
(Narrator) Here at Station N, turn LEFT, back onto the main part of the Wilkinson Trail.
[Indistinct background camp conversations.]
(George) It is now October 4th. Two weeks ago, on September 21st, General Burgoyne received a letter [sounds of a horse riding by] from General Henry Clinton in the City of New York. Apparently, some of General Clinton’s forces were to advance north. They planned to attack Rebel defenses about one hundred fifty miles south of us.
It was hoped this would cause the American General here, Horatio Gates, to send soldiers to face General Clinton. That would make it easier for our General Burgoyne to deal with the remaining Americans here. But it is now early October, and we have heard nothing from General Clinton.
As we waited, hoping Clinton was on his way, the Rebel Army has grown larger and more dangerous. We may very well be outnumbered. A few days ago, General Burgoyne called a council of war with his high-ranking officers to discuss our situation. I do not know what they said. I can only assume General Clinton cannot help us. Will we retreat? We have been camped here so long that many fear we will lose if we fight the Rebels again. I must wait, and prepare my men.
[Background conversations end.]
Wilkinson Trail - Kids Tour - Station C, Part II
This is the ninth station on the audio tour and the second presentation at Station C.
(Mary) It is October 7th. Father left for battle once again. We were lucky enough once to have him safely return. I am so afraid he may not return a second time! I heard him mention to Mother how numerous the Rebel forces are. I am also worried about that stupid boy who is going to be leading Father and others into battle. He is only 12 years old! How can someone just two years younger than me be put in charge of leading of men into battle?
(George) It is now October 7th, and General Burgoyne began a move toward the Rebels. [Sound of military drum sounding "assembly" call] We left two of our defensive positions, including Colonel Breymann’s fortifications, just uphill to your right. We brought eight cannons and well over one thousand men, and were accompanied by one hundred eighty Natives who scouted ahead of us. In a large field, a distance south of here, we stopped to harvest wheat to help feed our hungry troops. There we encountered the Rebel forces.
[Drumming ends.]
Heavy fighting started around three in the afternoon. [Sounds of muskets firing] My uncle, Major Griffith Williams, did what he could to support General Burgoyne but was soon overrun. He has since gone missing. General Burgoyne ordered our troops to retreat.
Most of us went to the defenses at Freeman’s Farm, where we held the Rebels back. But here at Colonel Breymann’s defenses, [musket firing continues, some indistinct orders given] our forces could not hold. Breymann was killed, some say by his own men. The Rebels captured Breymann’s line! Our brave men tried to retake the position, but with night falling, we could not.
[Battle noises end.]
[Night sounds of crickets and katydids.]
It is now night. General Burgoyne ordered the very hasty retreat of our forces. We had to abandon our tents and our cooking gear, even as the men were trying to cook their supper. Who would have thought this possible? The Rebels seem to have won.
[Insect noises end.]
Wilkinson Trail - Kids Tour - Station B, Part II
This is the tenth and final stop on the audio tour. It is the second presentation at Station B.
(Narrator) As the British Army retreated north, their route was blocked about eight miles from the battlefield, in the Village of Saratoga, now known as Schuylerville. Trapped in a hastily and poorly built camp, [drumming ends] with little food and even less shelter, they were surrounded by the Americans and forced to surrender just a few days later, on October 17th, 1777.
What role did the American victory in the Battles of Saratoga play in the American Revolution? The Americans had very few victories in the early part of the war, making independence look nearly impossible. But the decisive American victory in the Battles of Saratoga greatly lifted American spirits and proved they had a real chance of winning the war.
The next year, 1778, France declared war on England and joined the American Army in its fight against the British. That assistance helped guarantee the independence of the United States of America.
(Mary's voice) But what happened to our two guides?
(George's voice) Yeah, what happened?
(Narrator) Good question! George Williams was a real twelve year old boy serving with General Burgoyne’s army here in New York. He retired from the American War at the age of nineteen, returned to England and enrolled in school at the Academy at Woolwich. After finishing school, he re-entered the army, joining the Twentieth Regiment, where he served for about twenty five years. After retiring, he married and lived out the rest of his life in Liverpool.
Unlike George Williams, we have no official record of a Mary Morton. We only know about her father, Joseph Morton. Family records say he was one of many British soldiers who brought his family to join him here in America. There is no record of him bringing a daughter, so we created her character. Could he have had a daughter like Mary? It’s entirely possible!
Joseph Morton was also one of many British soldiers who surrendered to American forces. He lived out the next four years with his family at a prisoner of war camp. His family did not return to Ireland after his capture. Instead, they continued living here in America. Sadly, Joseph died on August 12 1781. No one knows what happened to his family after that. [Colonial harpsichord music begins] But many British soldiers, and their families, made new homes and new lives here in America.
The Battles of Saratoga are not just names and dates in a textbook. They involved real people, with lives and stories. We hope you have enjoyed your walk through history and hearing about Battles of Saratoga and the American Revolution.
If you have any questions, feel free to check with the Park Rangers when you return to the Visitor Center.
Thank you for visiting us here at Saratoga National Historical Park!
[Colonial music ends.]
[Selection from "The Road to Boston," courtesy David and Ginger Hildebrand.]
Last updated: June 22, 2023
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Mailing Address:
648 Route 32
Stillwater,
NY
12170
Phone:
(518) 670-2985
Saratoga National Historical Park information desk available daily from 9am - 5pm. If no one is available to take your call, please leave a message, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.
