The Ordway new era., 1909-07-16
F0RT TCOIXlkI2OGN WHilW fZZLy
RESTORED

RESTORED
tity of old-fashioned knives and forks
have been found, perfect old-fash-
ioned bottle and many bar-shot. can
mister shot, mortar shells. cannon
balls and pieces of guns.
Officials of the war departments OF
both England and France, as we'll as
Of the British museum. have given
much valuable assistance in the mat
ter Of restoring the old fort on his
torically correct lines. The records
show that Fort Ticonderoga was
star" fort, and the excavations now
going forward bear out the records in
this respect. The entire fort was sur
rounded by moat about 10 or Is feet
deep, and in some places 30 feet wide.
Two drains which were used by the
former occupants OF the fort years ago
have been cleared out and are now
being used again. Two underground
stores. one located in the northwest
and the other in the southwest angle
OF the fort. have also been opened.
On the tip of the tongue OF land
which Fort Ticonderoga was built to
the grenadier battery. as it is known
locally about Fort Ticonderoga. though
there seems to be no real reason for
its being given this name. In 1855
the French began the erection of a
fort on the present site of Fort Ticon-
deroga. which they named Fort Carlton.
name meaning "A chime OF bells"
and referring to the music of nearby
waterfall. In strength this fortress
was second only to Quebec. but in
1859 the English had gained so in
numbers and the French had been
weakened so by their campaign in
Canada that the English. under com.
mand of Gen. Amherst. were able to
drive them from the stronghold and
force them from the Champlain val
ley. The year before Abercrombie.
commanding $4,000 troops. had made
an assault upon the stronghold which
was successfully repulsed by Mont
calm. commanding 1000 troops. Gen
Amherst, following the evacuation OF
the fort by the French. repaired and
rebuilt It. for before leaving they had
destroyed as much as possible OF the
fortification. The rebuilt fort was
christened Ticonderoga and was held
by the English until its capture on
May 10. 1875. by Ethan Allen and his
little company of Green mountain
boys.
History throughout all these years
has credited Allen with demanding
the surrender OF the fort In the name
of the Great Jehovah and the cont.
mental congress" and In this connec.
tion the Investigations of Mrs. Pelrs
representatives must prove n severe
shock. for according to them Allen
did not use the choice language with
which history has credited him. Ac.
cording to Alfred c. Bosom. the
architect. who has personally exam
ined many records of the surrender
and has talked with descendants Of
men who were with Allen on the night
of that memorable May 10. the
Robin Hood of New England" as
Allen has sometimes been styled,
sailed across the lake from Larrabee's
point in the dead of the night. land
ing with his small command of SO
men at Willow point. on the west
shore of the lake about a half mile
north OF where the old Pell mansion
now stands. Crossing what Is now
the garden OF the old mansion he went
down a fight OF stone steps and along
an underground passage admitting to
rear entrance on the east side of the
fort. Through a sally-port he made
his way into the fort proper. In the
parade ground Allen divided his small
command into two parts, lining one
UP at the east and the other at the
west end He then climbed the stairs
to the second story of the west bar
racks and walked along the balcony
to the last door at the southern end
Before this door he made his demand
for the surrender Of the fort.-Louis
e. Shattuck.