The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-10-21

gan the erection Of this font. That
WAS the birth OF the West Point of the
north. Two Years later it was occu-
pied by Montca!m. who enlarged it.
and then marched to Fort William
Henry. where Caldwell. y. Y. now
stands. This he captured and then
returned. masSacriny women and chill
dr,n on his way.
To-day there can vet be seen the
massive stone and earth embankment
and the level places at the top where
tie cannon were planted. Long.
trrnch-likc dcprcs>ionS in the earth
still remain: but what they were for
no one knows Above this at the very
crown of tie hills. stand the ruined
walls OF the old barracks and officers
quarters. erected about 1860 hy Gen
eral Amherst upon scale of great
manniliccncc. after Abercromhip had
finally captured the place from the
French. They were built in the form
of a hollow square with courtyard in
the centre. where Ethan Allen years
later drew up his men and demanded
the surrender Of the fort.
The visitor examining this courtyard
and the ruins will find small passage
way leading into the earth from what
was originally the cellar of the eastern
barracks. Following this for few
feet. he will emerge into an under
ground room thirty feet long by fifteen
wide. From the eastern end of this
room there are two small tunnels, one
on each corner. which lead downward
and in the direction of Lake Cham
plain. These passage-ways could be
followed 10y man on his hands and
knees. but no explorer yet has had
courage to penetrate them more than
few feet Wherc they 90 or what
they We're for no one knows. To the
south of these, long, trough-lile de
pre- ssion in the ground, running
straight down the hill to the lake, shows
the underground passage, which was
built to enable the soldiers. in case Of
siege, to reach the waters edge under
cover. But now its roof has fallen in
for the entire distance.
\ mile TO the west are the old French
lest battles. which for nearly one hun
drro wears ragged around The Gate
way to the Country. In July, lI5S,
the day after Lord Howe's death at
the outlet of Lake George, Abercrom-
bic ordered an advance upon the
French. who were firmly intrenched be-
hind breastworks. which can still be
traced through the woods across the
ridge of the promontory. The French
had ftlled great oak trees in front of
their trenches, with the branches
sharpened and pointing outward.
Against this the sturdy English soldiers
threw themselves, and endeavored to
force their way.
Ili,tnry- ..'Elr,,, Ill tl,o
Scotch Highlanders cut their way to
the very summit of the ramparts, and
while some, toppling over, pierced by
many wounds, fell fighting to the last,
the rest, borne lack by the furious
storm OF iron which flew from that line
OF fire, rctreated su!Icnlv, to reform for
another advance For four hours, un-
der the hot July sun. this unequal con-
test lasted the English columns adj
vancin1 like waves of the ocean to dash
iii impotrnt fairy upon that terrific
shore OF death, and. breaking, recede
in rivuIets blood. The recall sounded
at last. and they retrcated in disorder
frightened when no one pursucd-to
their boats at Lake George. where they
rc-cml,arhcd and returned to Fort
William Henry
The English lost 3S5 Killed and ,356
wounded in this battle: the French 1871
killed and 2Il wounded. But General
Amherst returned the next year. laid
siege to the fort, and captured it with
out tiIInG Il single shot, the French
abandoning it after setting fire to the
works. The English held it from this
time until Ethan Allen captured it.
But the Americans were forced to give
it up two Years later. when General
Burgovne appeared before it with
300 men. st. Clair was in command.
and on July 4th, l71., he abandoned
il. and stole away in the night to join
;atts ut Saratoga.
That is all of the story. All that
remain, to-day of old Fort Ticonderoga
is a heap of ruins and Il glorious his
tory. \ heap Of ruins that tn State
of New York cares :, little for that
she allows it to remain in private
han'tS, the crumhlinr walls torn to
pieces year hy year to make stone
fences for the farmers. The point of
land which the British government
spent forty mliIinn dollars upon, and
which the American patriots bled and
dird to capture, is now a opw pasture,
where th" meek eyed herds gaZ peace
fully the Irnr day throu rh. The
Gateway to the Country has served
its country, and is npw forgotten 10y it,
". J. W,nc .Im"I