Everything about Fort Ticonderoga totally explained
Fort Ticonderoga is a large
eighteenth-century fort built at a strategically important narrows in
Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access to the north end of
Lake George in the state of
New York,
USA. The fort controlled both commonly used trade routes between the English-controlled
Hudson River Valley and the French-controlled
Saint Lawrence River Valley. The name "Ticonderoga" comes from an
Iroquois word
tekontaró:ken, meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways". Fort Ticonderoga was the site of four battles over the course of 20 years.
History
Construction
In
1755, the French began construction of
Fort Carillon(Fort Ticonderoga). The name "Carillon" comes from a former French officer of Spanish descent, Pierre de Carrion, who established a trading post at the site in the late 17th century. Construction proceeded on the fort slowly through
1756 and
1757. The fort's primary goal was to control the south end of Lake Champlain and to prevent the British from getting a toe hold on the lake.
Ticonderoga during the French and Indian War
In 1757 the French launched a very successful attack upon
Fort William Henry from the nearly complete Fort Carillon.
The garrison of the Fort was by Regiment de la Reine. For an account of the regiment at Fort Ticonderoga see the following link:
(External Link
).
On
July 8,
1758 the British, under General
James Abercrombie, staged a frontal attack against hastily assembled works outside the fort's main walls (which were still under construction) in the
Battle of Carillon. Abercrombie tried to move rapidly against the few French defenders, opting to forgo field cannon, he relied upon his 16,000 troops. The British were soundly defeated by 4,000 French defenders. This battle gave the fort a reputation for invulnerability, although the fort never again repulsed an attack. The
42nd Regiment of Foot (the Black Watch) was especially badly mauled in the attack on Fort Carillon, giving rise to a legend involving the Scottish Major
Duncan Campbell.
The terrifying reputation of the
Native Americans, for the most part allied to the
French, is thought to have provoked the wave of panic that apparently overtook
British troops retreating in great disorder by day's end. French patrols later found equipment strewn about, boots left stuck in mud, and many wounded on their stretchers left to die in clearings. In fact, few Natives were actually present during the battle, a large contingent of them having been sent by French governor
Vaudreuil on a useless mission to
Corlar. The misdirection of Indian fighters gave
Montcalm all the more reason to pester at his rival Vaudreuil, complaining that his actions had cost them the opportunity to completely destroy the retreating British (who would later regroup south of Lake George).
The fort was captured the following year by the British, under General
Jeffrey Amherst, in the
Battle of Ticonderoga.
The fort during the American Revolution
No longer considered a "front line" fortification, Ticonderoga wasn't well-maintained by the Crown and manned by a token force.
On
May 10,
1775, the British garrison of 22 soldiers was surprised by a small force of Vermonters who called themselves the
Green Mountain Boys, and were led by
Ethan Allen and
Benedict Arnold, who entered the fort through a breach in the wall. Allen was known for saying, "Come out you old Rat!" to the English soldiers . Allen later claimed that he demanded to the British commandant that he surrender the fort "In the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!"; however, his surrender demand was made to a junior officer, not the commandant, and no other witnesses remembered Allen uttering such a phrase. Not a single shot was fired. The colonies obtained a large supply of cannons and powder, much of which was hauled 300 km by
Henry Knox during the winter of
1775-
1776, to
Boston, to support the
Siege of Boston. The fort itself was marginally defensible, but at least provided shelter and an excellent view of the surrounding waterways.
In
1775, the British returned from Canada and moved down
Lake Champlain under
General Carleton. A ramshackle fleet of American gunboats delayed the British until winter threatened
(see: Battle of Valcour Island), but the attack resumed the next year under
General Burgoyne.
Ticonderoga's role in the Saratoga Campaign
In
1777 the British forces moving south from
Canada drove the Americans back into the fort, then hauled cannon to the top of undefended
Mount Defiance, which overlooked the fort.
"Where a goat can go, a man can go; and where a man can go, he can drag a gun"
- Maj. Gen. William Phillips, as his men brought cannon to the top of Mt. Defiance in 1777
Faced with bombardment,
Arthur St. Clair ordered Ticonderoga abandoned on
July 5,
1777. Burgoyne's troops moved in the next day.
The colonials quickly withdrew across the Lake to
Fort Independence on the
Vermont side of the Lake. They soon abandoned that fort as well and retreated south to Saratoga.
Seth Warner, now the leader of
Vermont Republic's
Green Mountain Boys, having conducted the American rear guard the previous year as the Americans retreated from Quebec to Ticonderoga, showed his prowess and cool headedness by very nearly defeating the pursuing British. The rear guard led by Americans Warner, Francis and Titcomb demonstrated significant effectiveness in this defensive maneuver. Warner almost certainly would have defeated the larger British force had it not been for the arrival of the flanking German troops sent by Burgoyne. This rear guard is known as the skirmish at Hubbardton and ultimately allowed Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair to retreat to Saratoga with the majority of the Ticonderoga force. This set up the ultimate defeat of Burgoyne later that year in Saratoga. In total 67% of Warner's troops made it through the rear guard battle and effectively stopped the British pursuit.
Abandonment of the fort
After Burgoyne's defeat at
Saratoga, the fort at Ticonderoga became increasingly irrelevant. The British abandoned Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point in
1780. Local farmers began stripping building materials, such as dressed stone, from the old forts. Also, the climate in the area caused considerable freezing and thawing, with resulting buckling of stone walls.
The fort is privately owned and was restored in
1909. It is maintained as a tourist attraction, opening for the season on May 10th every year, closing in late October. Re-enactments of the
French and Indian War period are held annually. Since it's privately owned and is very well-maintained, the federal government has never tried to make the fort a part of the
National Park System, though it can be surmised (and would probably be publicly demanded) that the government would take over the site should any unforeseen economic situations occur.
The fort was declared a
National Historic Landmark in 1960
Legacy
Its role in early American history led to
five different U.S. Navy vessels and two classes of warship to be named after it.
The town of
Ticonderoga, New York, located on Lake George in the area where the fort stands, also carries its name.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Fort Ticonderoga'.
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