The next destination on my Virtual Hike was the Saratoga National Historical Site in New York. This is where the battle of Saratoga was fought during the Revolutionary War.

The previous destination on my virtual hike was Chestertown, New York.

The virtual hike from Chestertown to the Saratoga Battlefield was through the Hudson River Valley. The route also passed by Lake George and several nature preserves and recreation areas.

Here near the beginning of the route you can see the route through the forests with snow on the ground.

The route crossed the Hudson River in several places. This was in Warrensburg, New York.

Here is where the route passed Lake George which is large lake just south of Lake Champlain. It is interesting that this lake drains to the north and the close by Hudson River drains to the south.

The virtual hike finally made it to the Saratoga National Historical Park where the main part of the Battle of Saratoga took place during the Revolutionary War.

Here is where I have a family connection. According to a journal written in the late 1800’s one of my ancestors may have fought there.

“James Row along with two of his brothers came to America in the year ___ (1777), as a British soldier under the command of Burgoyne.  Fore some reason not known he deserted or was forced to leave the British just before, during or after the second battle of Sarantoga, N.Y. As to whether he ever took active part in the war again is not known; however he settled in Dutchess Co. N.Y.  where he married and lived until he was probably (55) fifty-five or sixty years of age when he moved into the western part of the state of N.Y., near Lake Senica where he died. He lived to be over eighty years old.”

Warren Layton Row

Note: Wording and spelling retained from original except a missing date for the Saratoga Campaign was added.

I still have not been able to find any records that show James Row or his brothers in the British army, but I continue to look occasionally. I have verified other information in the journal and have yet to find anything that is not correct, so I have faith that this is also true. James Row is my 5th Great Grandfather.

The next destination on my Virtual Hike also has a family connection.

I have been setting shorter distances between destinations for better motivation for my daily walking and so far it has been working. I have been walking more each day and have made good progress on my Virtual Hike. I am still a few stops behind on my posts.

Now that I am in New York I am heading south down through, or near, the Hudson River Valley. I have some interesting stops planned along the way including several with family connections.

Steven

Images in this post are from Google Maps and Street View.