The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-11-25
Swimming Lake Champlain.

The battle of Bennington, it will be
remembered, was fought on the 10Th of
August, 1777. Resulting, as it did,
in victory for the Americans, it in
spired them to attempt to retake Fort
Ticonderoga, on the shore of Lake
Champlain, in which General Burgoyne
had left garrison. The British ship
ping had full possession of the lake,
rendering it extremely difficult for our
troops at Mount Independence to hold
any communication with those who
were on the west side, besieging the
fort. The only way this could be ac-
complished was by swimming the lake,
a distance of two miles. This was a
very hazardous attempt to make, as it
was then late in the fall, and the water
would be very cold The men were in
formed of the urgent necessity of send
ing dispatches to General Lincoln, and
the inquiry was made " if there were
any two of them who would volunteer
to swim the lake in the evening and
carry the dispatches" There was ST.
lence for few moments. Then a young
man by the name of Wallace, a Vermont
boy, stepped forward and said he would
make the attempt; then young man
named Webster, of New Hampshire,
said he would accompany him. These
young men were taken by an officer to
an eminence overlooking the lake, and
showed the course they must pursue to
avoid discovery by the British shipping,
and the point on the other side where
they would probably find the American
camp. The dispatches were prepared,
Nd xuhn tho hoI af ,,.Lt
ting down along the lake shore Wal
lace and Webster babe goodbye to
their comrades, who had come down to
the shore to see them start, and entered
the water. The dispatches were rolled
up in their clothing, and the bundle
bound upon the back part of the neck
Dy cords passing round their foreheads.
Sadly their friends watched them swim
out of sight, having but little hope of
ever seeing them again. We can
never stand it, the water is so cold"
said Wallace, after awhile, but neither
thought of relinquishing the enterprise.
When about midway of the lake the
cords which fastened Wallace's cloth
ing slipped down to his throat and
nearly strangled him, but he succeeded
in replacing the string. They passed
so near the British ships as to hear on
board the oft-repeated cry, ALPS
we'll" On they went with stout hearts.
They kept in company until they came
near the western shore, when Webster
seemed to fall into the rear few rods.
Just as Wallace struck the twigs of a
tree which lay extended into the lake
he heard Webster say, " Help, Wallace,
/ am drowning!" Wallace caught a
stick, and, rushing into the water, eX.
tended it to Webster, just as he was
sinking and drew him to the shore.
Webster could not stand and seemed
much exhausted, but was revived by a
vigorous rubbing so he could soon get
his clothes on. Webster afterwards
said he could never have reached the
shore only for the timely assistance OF
his friend. AS soon as they were q
little rested they started to find the
American camp 1t was very dark and
they were in strange place. The en-
envy were near and had their sentinels
on shore, and, what rendered their prog
ress more dangerous, they knew no
the countersign of the Americans OF
that side of the lake. After walking
about nearly an hour they were hailet
by British sentinel, but managed tt
escape. They then decided that ii wa
better for each to take a different di