Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-01


NESS TO eUEBEc-Ers SUBSEQUENT BRAVERY AT
THE BATTLE or vALcoUR IsLASD-yUsrroI 10
HIS GOOD QUALITIES.
Special Correspondents Of Tn EVENING sr.n.
LAKE CHAMPLAIS, Oct 20.
The student Of history and lover Of nature
find real pleasure in visiting this delightful
region at this particular season. The autumn
has been remarkably fine; rarely are the noun
tain forssts more Ggow with brilliant coloring.,
the untaSe most varied and exquisite. This
beautiful Champlain valley is rich in historic
lore. As You enter from Lake George, or
Skeensborough OF colonial days, the most
famous and conspicuous point of interest 10
llconderoga; ruins Of Howport stand boldly
before You ana Ethan Aliens gigantic figure
| rises up IN spectral ylyidness demanding q
| surrender in the name Of the Great Jehovah
anu Continental Congress-" Another figure
rises Oy the SIDE OF Alien. that of Arnold,
whose presence here has left enduring record
| OF valor, heroic bearing and patriotism.
We have Just passed the one hundred aud
| fourteenth anniversary of the battle OF Valcour
| lslanG, m which Arnold contonded in a naval
| engagements OF 6reat yigor against Sir Guy
Carletons superior armament. As this battle
and AraO!d's failure have been much COM
mented on lately Ii may be interesting TO refer
TO II now in detail. giving historical connections
/ leading to the battle. After the capture of
| IiconierogI. Arnold, with a small force
| pushed down the LAKE in a schooner. surprised
| the garrison at ST. Joiu's, seized q British
s!oop and several batteries. and with his pris-
oners returned 10 IIconderoga, thus getting
! ahead OF Allen.
Lake Champlain was now virtually under
the Americana. who also controlled the ST.
Lawrence a-ove Quebec. and all the English
ports III CsDaia we're substantially within our
power except the capital. lhis now became
the object OF eager enterprise.
THE MARCH 20 QUEBEC
Washington took the bold resolution TO send
an army through the tracAless northern wilder
ness 10 Quebec. At the head OF this little army
he placed Arnold. knowing his skill. courage,
DARN. and incoGItable viii. The hardships. pri-
vations and suffering of the heroic little army
surpassed those OF Hannibal on his famous
march. But they trIumphei and gained the
Plains of Abraham Montgomery, who at
Montreal. hearing Of Arnold al Quebec. made Q
junc:ure with him and December 81, l775.
storm, d the citadel aud fell Ia the attack.
Arnold, upon whom devolyed the command.
planted himself before the capital. resolutely
determining to capture the stronghold Rein
forcements were hurried forward, and the gal-
liant leader Immediately promoted TO be briga-
der general
With the opening spring Gen. Wooster moved
down from Montreal and. out ranking Arnold,
took command. The latter. doubtless dissatis-
fed at not being permitted to continue in au-
q
an effective blow, forthwith LETT Tor Montreal.
Wooster failed to prosscute the siege, and thus
not only WAS los. ali that Montgomery died for
and Arnold's command 50 severely suffered, hut
more than these, me last hope of conquering
Canada vanished.
| With the opening OF l776 two separate cam
paigns We're contemplated by the English, one
| for the recspture OF TIconderoga. the other
against the elty of New York. Gen Howe Was
sent against the latter and Sir Guy Carleton
4
| Generals Burgoyne, Frazer, Phillips, NesDit
/ and Eeldesel.
During the summer the English were active
! IN getting up feet for service on Lake Cham
| plain. while the Americans were alike busy at
! The upper end of tine lake in building vessels,
| &c.
Gen. Arnold was placed in command, and by
| the close OF summer he was ready TO sail from
Grown Point with nine vessels carrying fifty
| Eve guns and seyenty-eight swivels, with four
hundred men. With tins force increased by
| three more vessels he cruised around the lower
! end OF the lake until late IN September, when
! he cast anchor in the narrow channel between
! Nalcour Island and the main shore. He Was
J Joined by Gen Waterbury with the galleys
| Washington, Congress and TrumbulL
ARSoLD's FLEET.
| The feet now consisted of fifteen vessels,
carrying Sc guns and 1872 swivels.
The English feet comprised twenty-nine YES
sells, mounting eighty-nine guns, manned by
| 200 seamen.
Early on the Ilth of October the English
| fleet bore up the lake toward Crown Point,
! where il WAS supposed Arnold had reiterated
A battle was imminent and soon the attack
made, the fight continuing during the day with
varying success. The English we're badly Grip
pied, while Arnold sustained much damage.
During the night council OF war decided that
the fleet should retire toward Crown Point,
convinced that it would be useless to contend
against the superior force of the enemy. His
men had fought With desperate bravery and over
sixty officers aud men were killed; many OF his
vessels were badly crippled; nearly all his am
unition spent Arnold, hotly pursued by the
British. made into small bay on the eastern side
OF the lake about eight miles from Crown Point.
Here he burned the Congress ana four gon-
dolas. after removing all the small arms they
could use, ana marched 10 the lake shore TO
Chiny Point, where they were ferrled over 10
Crown Point lis report to Gen. Schuyler
| states: Il reached Grown Point through the
woods that evening and very luckily escaped
the savages. who waylaid the road in two hours
after we passed" This terminated Arnold's
naval expedition on Lake Champlain.
he has been sharply criticised for failure in
the battle of Nalcour but our best historians
and contemporary writers do him ample JUS
tice.
This ill-starred officer. bad as was his subse-
auent career behaved with consdmmate cour-
age on that occasion. His gallantry and cour-
age inspired his men. Gates refers to him in
the highest terms Of praise, writing 70 Schuy-
Ter: at has pleased Providence TO preserve
Gen. Arnold" DC.
Thatcher (M,litary Jour-naD says: Several
letters received from Canada acknowledge that
no man ever unanswered with more dex terity,
fought with more bravery or rstreated with
more frmness than Gen. Arnold did on the
1lth and 18th instantS."
His retreat from Arnold's bay LAS now called
to Chiny Point opposite Crown Point, has
even been questioned-that Il could not have
been made within the time stated. have re-
Gently passed over the ground and can state
with confidence that the distance could be
made in three hours. The ground is firm and
dry with the exception OF a small marsh at Hos
pital creek. At Chiny Point the lake Is much
contracted and the ferrying could be exps-
ditiously made.
Looking now, one hundred and fourteen
years after the occurrence, at the ruined walls
of Ticonderoga. Fort ST. Frederick and Amerts
stupendous fertilization, at the charred tlmbers
of Arnold's fiat and the vessels lost ~ Nalcour
Ito be seen at low water) we can contemplate
the early struggle for liberty and independence
on this charming lake. Many relics have been
gathered from Arnold's burned vessels, but
much, doubtless, remains at the bottom OF the
lake A cannon taken from the spot did duty
for the patriotic sons Of Vermont az Nergeunes
and elsewhere in firing salutes. The ferry
man and people in the vicinity have many
relics j would suggest in conclusion, that
some steps be taken by the government for the
preservation Of the ruins st Tconderogs and
Grown Point. W.DnH