Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-24
from the New-Hampshire Patriot
FORT .TICONDEROGA.

miles north of Whitehall, the southern bound
of Lake Champlain, on an emlnence, stands the
ruins of Fort Ticonderoga This fort is on
point Of land formed by the river which runs
from Lake George, and which here connects
with Lake Champlain. Over the lake on the
Vermont side, in the town OF Shoreham, is an
emincnce called Mount Independence, and over
the mouth of the river running from Lake
George ON the west, at the distance of one mile
7 TO the summit, is Mount Defiance, probably six
hundred feet higher than Ticonderoga ITSELF
Visiting the ruins Of Ticonderoga, it is mat
ter of wonder TO the behoder, that more thar
one hundred years ago, in this then wilderness,
in which beasts of prey, and more fierce and mer-
CHESS savages prowled, works exhibiting SO
much skill in the art of warfare, and so great
expense of manuel labour and money, should
have been attempted. The fort itself covered
an era of two or three acres: from Il to the wa
ter on either side, were subterraneous passages,
and under its walls, buried deep in the earth,
were concealed excavations, calculated either
to protect magazines Of gunpowder and other
implements OF war and provisions, or for the
concealment of prisoners or myriads OF men
ready to fall on the beseging enemy This for
tress has been in ruins ever since II was desert
ed, and the combustible part of it destroyed by
Gen. ST Clair on the 4th of July, l777, ar the
approach of Gen. Burgoyne, who then secretly,
and with almost incredible labor, drew up and
planted his heavy cannon on the pinnacle OF
Mount Defiance, which overlooked and COM
manded the fort, and the iGea of which, from
its supposed impractic ability, never entered the
head of either the American or any other COM
mander who had formerly possessed IL. The
block house then erected by Burgoyne, still re-
mains on Defiance, which is not now apparent
ly less rough and preci pitous than the steepest
mountains in the northern region OF New
Hampshire.
In the year 1853, ten thousand provincial
troops, principally from New England, and Sc
ven thousand regulars, embarked from the head
of Lake George, to proceed against Ticondero-
ga, then in the possession of the French &c
neral Abercrombie, commander in chief and
Lord Howe, young Nobleman of progresses
ing manners, and idolzed by the army both
British and American, accompanied the eXDe-
dition. 1885 boats were employed to transport
an army certain Of success and animated with
zeal against their enemies. Their distance
from the upper to the lower extremity OF Lake
George is "a miles; and between the place OF
embarkation and Champiain, distance OF a
bout three miles, are several falls, making the
bed of the one lake two hundred feet lower than
the other. The Bcitish took possession OF
mill which was then erected on one OF these
falls, and killed and took prisoners about five
hundred of the enemy, driving him back to the
fort without much difficulty. The mex day The
army was brought up TO the French lines, who
had thrown up, but MOI entirely finished, an IN
trenchment across the isthmus from one river
to the other, covering the fort
This intrenchment is still to be traced, and
is in as good preservation as many mtrench-
ments that were thrown up in the war OF 1913. /
1t has two redoubts, and deep abattis, and
must have been much higher than more recent
works which are less prominent after not SO
long lapse Of time intervening Inc attack
was vigorously commenced by the English, and
was obstinately defended by the French; 1t last
ed four hours, and during this time the English
were REFUSED three several times. Not"llh-
s,apdinp his superiority of force, General Abel-
crombie shameruIly ordered retreat. he
Fno)ish loss in all was 1914, principally regu-
lars. the French very trllng, although they are
,aid not 10 have imagined defence possible. The
r,l,art Howe was killed early in the action
The French force was differently stated at from
wclye hundred 10 six Thousand.
Another interesting incident relative to this
ancient fort, was its surprise and capture by
Ethan Allen. at the dawn of the morning OF
Nav l7,1775, few days after the battle of Lex
nplon. The manner in which Allen summon |
I'd the British officer TO surrender, is probably
recollected by every one who knows any thing
Of the history of that eccentric character Al |
ter entering the fort. the surprised British COM /
mander required of Allen by what authority he
made the demand: "By the authority OF Jeho-
yah and Of the Continental Congress was The
answer. An aged gentleman, who now keeps
the tavern at Shoreham Point, opposite Ikon-
deroga, this day gave me the following addl-
,ional particulars of this transaction: The par
" who volunteered 10 take Ticonderoga, was
headed by Allen and Arnold and consisted Of
about sixty persons, collected from the town Of
Rutland and other new settlements west Of the
in Vermont, the whole Of which SET
Elements could then hardly be said to consist of
hundreds. At Shoreham Point, there then
lived man by the name Of Rowley, the distance
from this point across the lake is half mile,
and it is one mile from the fort. Allen and his
party arrived at this point the forenoon prey-
Gus. When he arrived he found there was no
boat of sufficient magnitude 10 take his men "a
cross. He employed Rowley, who made the err