Bemis Heights Overlook

The bluff above the Hudson River where Thaddeus Kosciuszko engineered the American defensive position in September 1777. The overlook reveals immediately why the position was formidable: the river road below is commanded by artillery from above, and any army marching south had to pass through this bottleneck. From here, Burgoyne's army was forced to cross open ground and ravines under fire rather than moving freely along the river.