The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-08-02

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ever remain stamped upon the memory
of future generations. and the story of
" Old Ethan and his men will be repea-
ted while time lasts
Nature always finds chord of sympa
thy in the human heart, which responds
in harmony TO her own sweet music and
when her silent, eloquent language weaves
in with its teachings Of the past, or when
in the midst of her beauties, some
crumbling monument Of history stands out
aged yet speaking, the bosom of the most
stupid churl is open to the genial warmth
and the eloquent sun of sentiment. Bro
ken arches and ruined ramparts are al
ways eloquent and suggestive of valiant
deeds, even where their special teachings
are not comprehended; but far greater
are the impressions which they make
when the patriotism we adore has hal
lowed them to every American heart.
These thoughts are impressed upon us
while visiting the ruins of Ticonderoga for
there the first trophy of our war for In
dependence was won, and British Off
Ger first stopped a prisoner to the aroused
colonists, driven to rebellion by unnatur-
al oppression.
Ticonderoga is an Iroquois word, signi-
flying sounding water, and was applied by
the Indians to rushing water at the outlet
of Lake George, at the Falls. The
French first built fort at Crown Point,
(called Fort Frederic) and established
themselves upon the peninsula of Ticon-
deroga in 1855 and commenced the cree
ton of the Fort, which they called Fort
Carlton. French word meaning chime,
jingling noise, &c. This peninsula is ell
evated more than one hundred feet above
the Lake and contains as we should Judge
about five hundred acres. Nature and
skill made it a strong place. Water was
upon three sides, and deep swamp ex-
tended nearly across the fourth. Within
a mile north of the fortress intrenchments
were thrown up, the remains of which are
still to be seen at each side of the road
and are known as the " French lines"
The most complete part of the Fort
now standing is what is called the Ba-
kerry" which is an arched room, deeply
covered with earth, making it perfectly
bomb-proof This room is very well
preserved, but the entrance steps are
much broken, and the passage is so much
filled with rubbish, that descent into il
is quite difficult. 1t is twelve feet wide
and thirty long On the right is a win.
dow, and at the end was once fire place
and chimney, now in ruins. On each
side Of the fireplace are ovens, ten feet
deep. For more than half century the
walls of the Fort have been the spoil fol
all those who chose to avail themselves o.
such convenient quarry.
On the point of the promontory, Just
above the steamboat landing, are the re.
mains of the "Grenadier's Battery "a
strong redoubt built of earth and stone
1t was constructed by the French, ant
enlarged by the English, 1t commanded
narrow part of the Lake, between tina
point and Mount Independence, and GOV
cred the bridge which was made by tn,
Americans, extending across to the latte
eminence.
We missed the venerable white-ha Tree
man that we saw there when we first Wis
tied the Fort. He used to stay in tn,
northern line of the barracks, and whel
visitors arrived he would very kindly of
fer his services to help unravel the his
torical subject before them. He wa
kind and intelligent, although he wa
then more than eighty years old anc
one could gain pleasure and profit in hear
ing the relation OF his personal experienc,
and of his familiar knowledge Of the seem
around us. Isaac Rice was the name o
the old guide, who, like scores of Others
had fought our battles for freedom, ant
lived the allotted term of human life, wa
'"f !" hi sif arc;icoa..Giiin' 81 tRe'aeapa 10
sustenance, and to feel the practical in
gratitude Of a country reveling in enjoy
rment which his privatons in early man
, hood helped to secure He perlorme,
garrison duty at Ticonderoga under St
, Clair, was in the field at Saratoga il
HI, and served a regular term in tn
army, but in consequence Of some lack o
documents or some technical error, he los
his legal title to Il pension, and at owe
, eighty years of age the feeble old soldie
, was compelled to gain precarious sup
port for himself. from the free-wil offer
ings of visitors to the ruins, of the fort
, ress, where he was garrisoned when
stood in the pride Of its strength, befor
Burgoyne scaled the heights Of Noun
Defiance. His body now rests beneat
, the cold clods Of the valley,yet his memo
~ will remain with those who have ha
, the pleasure of seeing and conversin
with him to their latest breath.
Precisely at four o'clock Capt Gran
I blew the whistle and there was a genera
hurrying for the boat. The party wer
S highly grateful to the Commander for tn
, ample time given to view ard medtat
= upon the ruins of the old Fort. TIL
company of about 80 were pleasant an
t joyful, the company from Vergennt
and the party from Middlebury seemin
e to be " congenial spirits. The trut
, is, we like the frank, cordial and fricndl
manner Of the Vergennsers, and shall r.
I member this excursion as one of ii
/. bright spots in this chequered and varyin
q life. But hold on, we are wandering
/. we were about to sly that the steam W;
I let on and the boat moved north for POI
|. Henry-arrived there, made short stol
a and moved on again for Westport. A
S we run into the bay,n front of Westpor
N. y, one Of the most splendid view
J. presented itself that the eye could loo
v upon. The little town nestled down in
e kind of valley, running down to the wa
q ers Of the bay-the shores on either sic
!. of the town, fringed all along with kin
: Of hedge-like forest-the lofty, cragg
Y broken Adirondacks forming the bael
!, ground of the picture, the sun lust closiI