The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-10-10
Fort Ethan Allen.


The military post which the general
government has been building near
Burlington has recently been occu-
pied by a battalion of United States
cavalry. Vermont's ancient military
hero is honored in the christening of
the fort, which is located on land once
owned by the leader OF the Green
Mountain Boys, and in view of the spot
where nc is sleeping his last sleep.
-Four troops OF the Third Cavalry, trans
ferred from Forts Riley and Sheridan,
constitute the posts first garrison.
Competent critics say it is a fine and
commodious post, in which troops accus
toned to garrison life in the best posts
of the nation will be glad to live.
OF Fort han Allen aud its construc-
ton, the New York Sun says:
THE purpose of establishing Fort Ethan
Allen has been that of forming rallying
point on the eastern side of Lake Cham
plain for the army and for state troops
should it ever be needful, as we hope it
never may be, to wage war against our
northern neighbors. The special value of
such a post will be better appreciated ON
recalling that for century and half the
Lake Champlain region has shown itself to
be an important strategic area. 1t was so
in the French and Indian war from 1854 to
1903; it was so during the war of the Rev
nj frat in nd
then during Burgoynes campaign while
later in the war of 1912, it was the scene of
famous land and naval operations. When
the bill authorizing the post was under dis
cussion, Mr.. Grout recalled that st. Adams
had been selected by the Confederates So
journing in Canada as their point of attack
and that after the civil war the Fenians
chose Highgate as a rendezvous for invading
Canada on account of its proximity to
Montreal.
"Another point to be remembered is that
Lake Champlain, under the restrictions i'm
posed by the treaty of 1919, cannot be ade-
quately defended by the navy, since neither
Great Britain nor the United States can
now lawfully maintain upon it more than
zone vessel, not exceeding 100 tons burden
and armed with an 1S-pound cannon. Ex-
actly the same restriction is made for Lake
Ontario, while on the upper lakes two
vessels not exceeding like burden each,
and armed with like force may be main
tanned But Great Britain has to-day scores
o., light gunboats and torpedo craft that can
go through the st. Lawrence and the canals
and threaten American ports and merchant
ships on the lakes. Thus prudence die
tates preparations to cut these canals so
that hostile vessels may be checked.
"The new garrison, then, furnishes an adj
ditional guarantee of security for our
northern frontier. And the building of
Fort Ethan Allen is not all that has lately
been done to that end. Up to short time
ago single infantry company was all that
was stationed at the important post Of
Plattsburgh. Congress, however, appro-
priated $4,000 to enlarge its accommoda-
tons; and now we find in the recent redis-
tribution of troops, under General Order 40,
the entire Twenty.frst Infantry, Col.
Jewett, except the Indian company, con-
centrated at Pattsburgh Barracks from
Fort Niagara and Fort Porter. Finally at
Madison Barracks, Sacketts Harbor, at the
eastern end Of Lake Ontario, are now seven
companies of the Ninth Infantry Col.
Bartlett, and the eighth is to be added from
Fort Ontario. Pittsburgh and Madison
! Barracks and Fort Ethan Allen are all in
cluded in the new plan for frontier defence
by destroying the Canadian waterways
should the occasion require.
"Of course in taking these precautions it is
none the less hoped that Great Britain will
not stir up strife for us on this side of the
Atlantic, and that Canada may be allowed
peacefully, and in the fullness of time, to
complete her destiny, If she desires, by
casting in her lot with the Union of States