On September 24, 1779, General Sullivan's military pack horses, returning through the valley from their 450 mile journey, had reached the end of their endurance, and he was compelled to dispose of these partners in the cause of American freedom. A few years later, the skulls of the horses were placed along the trail in defiant fashion by a few returning Native Americans. The location, first known as "The Valley of the Horse Heads," was later changed to Horseheads, NY, the only community in the United States dedicated to the service of the American Military Horse.