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Fort Ticonderoga was originally built by the French as Fort Carillon (pr: Carry-own) in the 1750's. It repulsed the first attack by a superior British force in 1758, but was later abandoned when another superior British force approached from Lake George in 1759. The now "English" fort is renamed Fort Ticonderoga.
On May 10, 1775, a small Vermont militia force known as the "Green Moutain Boys" led by Ethan Allen stages a pre-dawn attack on Fort Ticonderoga. They find the fort defended by one lone sentry, whose firelock (flintlock musket) misfires as the rebels suddenly emerge around the corner of one of the bastions. The surprised sentry was quickly overpowered and knocked to the ground.
Ethan Allen's men, along with Benedict Arnold, storm into the barracks of the token British force and capture all the British Troops without firing a single shot. Ethan Allen then bangs on the door of the commander's quarters and demands that he "Surrender in the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress." Of course, the Continental Congress wasn't even aware of this action until well after the fact.
The Continentals held the fort until July 5, 1777 when General John Burgoyne's army successfully placed canons atop Mt. Defiance overlooking Fort Ticonderoga. That evening, seeing that their position was untenable, the Continental Commander, Arthur St. Clair, evacuated Fort Ticonderoga across the floating bridge to Mt. Independance on the opposite side of the lake. The British pursued and a delaying action was fought by the Continentals at Hubbardton, Vermont. This delaying action allowed the bulk of his army to escape south and eventually join up with General Phillip Schuyler's army near Saratoga.
After General Burgoyne is defeated at the battles of Saratoga, the British General Powell burned all the buildings at Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Independence. He then withdrew his force to Canada, and Fort Ticonderoga was never garrisoned again.
The "Grand Encampment" at Fort Ticonderoga is one of the largest reenactments with hundreds of reenactors and usually at least 6-8 canon batteries. The feeling of history that permiates the fort and the authenticity of the encampment has to experienced to be appreciated. If you can only attend one reenactment in the Northeast, it should be Fort Ticonderoga.
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