The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-02-05
REMoDELING "oLD Tp
Wealthy New Yorker Rebuilding
Famous Fortress

1t has remained for a member of a
New York firm of bankers and brok-
ers, S. II. p. Pell, by name, to select
as his hobby the restoration of for
tifcation of historical interests and
the gathering of guns OF the appropri-
ate periods for It, Through inheri-
lance he chances to be the owner of
the point jutting out into Lake
Champlain on which are the ruins OF
Fort "Ti."
Before the work of restoration was
begun careful study was given to the
appearance of the old fort when 1t
was in its prime and an effort was
made to have the west barracks, the
remains of which comprised the best
preserved piece of masonry, in readi-
ness for the celebration OF the Cham
plain Tercentenary, in July, 1909
The exterior was practically COM
pleted, but the interior was still in
its rough state. This, was the bar
racks In which Captain Delaplace
was surprised in his night clothes
when Ethan Allen appeared and de-
manded the surrender of the fortress
in bombastic phrase.
Since then more attention has been
given to the surrounding grounds and
the collection OF the guns required
for the walls. Mr.. Pell is now giving
his spare time to the guns. Fifty
pieces OF American, French and En-
glish artillery will glare menacingly
IRON the rebuilt walls upon the peace
full waters of the lake.
Only recently battery OF fourteen
24-pounders of the Revolutionary
period, some of them bearing the Eng
lish arms. &c r." and the date 1770
were given to Mr.. Pell by the British
government, and they are even now
within the environs of the fort. They
weigh about two and onehalf tons
each. These he obtained through
Lord Haldane from the Woolwich ar
senal.
The fifty guns which Mr.. Pell ex-
poets to have for Ticonderoga will by
no means replace those with which II
was armed when Allen entered 1t so
unceremoniously on the morning OF
May 10, 1775. IL is said that at that
time there were about 100 iron guns,
ranging in size between 8 and "a
Founders. besides fifty swivels, NOR
tars and other types OF guns, some OF
which. perhaps, were intended as
armament for such vessels as might
be built on the lake.
Ethan Aliens capture of Ticonde-
roga served useful purpose later In
the year. when the Boston harbor
began to freeze over and Washing
tons army, encircling that city, was
in want of ordnance and ammunition
with which to protect itself against q
sortie. Then the guns which Mr. Pei
Is now replacing were in demand, and
Colonel Henry Knox, Boston book
seller who had given up his bust
ness to serve the insurgent cause
set out to bring a supply from tt
conderoga. With great care and en-
ergy and in the face OF serious OBJ
stacles he transported. in the winter
of 1856, on sledges drawn by oxen
more than fifty cannon. mortars and
howitzers, besides quantities OF lead
and fiints down Lake George on the
ice, across the Hudson at Albany and
the length of Massachusetts, to Bos
ton.
Mr.. Pell's hobby extends to the col
lection of appropriate relics engrav
ings and books for exhibition In the
barracks already restored. In the
course OF the work Of clearing out the
choked meats and passageways many
buttons, buckles, knives and forks
porcelain, earthenware, hundreds oil
cannon balls, bullets and grape shot
and other articles, including the bot
tom OF a punch bowl in which was
burned, Success TO General Am
herst," were found. 1t is thought
that the last mentioned was pre-
sent piece belonging to Lord Am
herst. who captured the fort in 1853
Objects OF interest because OF theiI
association with such personages as
Ethan Allen, Robert Rogers, the ran
ger. John stark, General Burgoyne
General Anthony Wayne, Israel Put
nam, Benedict Arnold, Lord Amherst
General Abercromble, harquis dc
Montcalm, Lady Ackland and Lore
Howe are also displayed In this
museum. Among them is the pisto
which Allen carried when he walked
up the stairs to the quarters OF Della
pace, and portraits by Copley OF hi'
parents.
When the project OF Mr.. Pell an'
Colonel Thompson is fully carried
out whatever criticism there may b'
regarding the ACCESSIBILITY OF restor
ing old ruins OF the interest OF III
conderoga perhaps in this case vii
be disarmed by the opportunity pro
yided seeing fort of the period o
the Revolution ms Il looked then, eS
cent for the atmosphere OF newness
Once Mr. Pell said. I'VE hav
been criticised In some OF the news
papers for undertaking the restora
ton at all, but when | saw the ruin
as they stood in 1908 and as | re
member them in 1888, was impress
ed with the fact that In anothe
quarter of century there would b
/ little left to show
MIR. Pell has found rifle pits an
, piles OF stone erected In the cours
OF the Revolution on the point OF
cupied by Mount independence, som
OF which have not been disturbed
apparently. since the war, haVin
been hidden In the woods and In a
probability forgotten until discover
ed by him. The care OF these !
their present state comes within IN
range OF his hobby.