This Day in History 10.17.09

On this day in 1777, the Americans defeated the British at Saratoga.

Here's the real interesting bit: There are several monuments and statues commemorating the great victory. Why is this interesting? I'll tell you.

Benedict Arnold injured his leg during the battle. This monument is for him, but you won't find his name anywhere on it.

It gets better.

The Saratoga Monument (first picture shown) has four niches:

Daniel Morgan

Horatio Gates

Philip Schuyler

Benedict Arno- Wait. Where is he?

America obviously does not pay tribute to traitors, no matter what they did beforehand. While America was appreciative of Arnold's sacrifice at Saratoga, his later actions erased it.

Just the fact that a fourth niche was created and then left empty makes a pretty bold statement, doesn't it?

Download an e-book from Google Books about the battle put out by the The Saratoga Monument Association.

Also, on this day in 1781, General Cornwallis surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown.