Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (1775)

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (1775)
Conflict	Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (1775)
Partof	American Revolutionary War
Date	May 10, 1775
Place	Ticonderoga, New York
Result	American Continental capture
Combatant1	Green Mountain Boys
Combatant2	Province of New York
Commander1	Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold
Commander2	William Delaplace?
Strength1	~100 militia
Strength2	Small garrison

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (1775)

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (May 10, 1775) was an early and symbolic action in the American Revolutionary War in which Green Mountain Boys militia under Ethan Allen and a detachment led by Benedict Arnold seized the garrison at Fort Ticonderoga and the neighboring Fort Crown Point from a small Province of New York force. The bloodless operation secured heavy artillery, including cannon and mortars, which were later transported by Henry Knox to Boston, Massachusetts to support the Siege of Boston and influence strategic calculations by the Continental Army, Second Continental Congress, and colonial leaders such as George Washington.

Background

In the wake of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, colonial tensions accelerated across New England. Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Crown Point guarded the southern end of Lake Champlain near the border of British North America and the Province of New York, occupying positions long contested since the French and Indian War and the Seven Years' War. Control of the forts offered command of inland waterways linking Quebec and the Hudson River corridor, a route crucial to campaigns discussed by figures such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Samuel Adams. Militia units including the Green Mountain Boys—led by Ethan Allen and associated with New Hampshire Grants disputes against New York authorities—mustered alongside Continental sympathizers and officers like Benedict Arnold, whose recent actions at Braintree, Massachusetts and connections to Connecticut politics shaped his involvement.

Planning and Prelude

After news of armed conflict in Massachusetts Bay Colony, representatives from Vermont Republic territory, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut and New Hampshire coordinated with local committees of safety and committees of correspondence. Ethan Allen rallied the Green Mountain Boys while Benedict Arnold sought authorization from Massachusetts Committee of Safety to lead an expedition. Arnold obtained a mission and met Allen near Cambridge, Massachusetts and Saratoga. The two men negotiated command, with disputes reflecting broader rivalries among colonial leaders such as Israel Putnam, John Stark, and Philip Schuyler. Intelligence gathering by scouts informed decisions; garrison strength at Fort Ticonderoga under British Empire administration was sparse after the withdrawal following colonial unrest, and supply lines from Montreal were tenuous. Communications with the Second Continental Congress and regional committees influenced the timing, while militia logistics—from ammunition stocks to boats on Lake George—were arranged by local captains and partisan leaders.

The Capture (May 10, 1775)

On the night of May 9–10, a force of roughly one hundred men, including Green Mountain Boys under Ethan Allen and a company led by Benedict Arnold, moved from Saratoga toward Fort Ticonderoga. Using surprise and the cover of darkness, they crossed Lake Champlain and approached via lesser-used trails. At dawn Allen and Arnold demanded surrender from Fort Ticonderoga’s commanding officer; after a brief parley and threatened assault, the small garrison capitulated without organized resistance. The capture included not only the fortifications but also the nearby Fort Crown Point and a cache of artillery, powder, and military stores. Contemporary observers recorded Allen’s dramatic entrance and Arnold’s assertive conduct, episodes debated in later accounts by chroniclers such as Nathaniel Weygand and criticized or praised by contemporaries including Horatio Gates and John Hancock.

Aftermath and Strategic Impact

The immediate consequence was the transfer of dozens of heavy guns and mortars to Continental custody. In winter 1775–1776, Henry Knox organized the transport of captured artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston Common, effecting the movement known as the "noble train of artillery." These guns played a decisive role in ending the Siege of Boston by forcing the evacuation of General Thomas Gage’s forces and influencing British commander William Howe’s choices. The seizure also bolstered morale across the colonies, shaping recruitment for regiments raised by leaders such as Philip Schuyler and Israel Putnam, and informed strategic plans for campaigns in the Champlain Valley and toward Quebec City. Politically, the event intensified debates in the Second Continental Congress about centralized authority and requisitioning of militia, affecting figures like John Adams, Samuel Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.

Fort Ticonderoga in the Revolutionary War

Fort Ticonderoga changed hands several times during subsequent campaigns, featuring in the 1777 Saratoga campaign and actions involving commanders such as Burgoyne, Horatio Gates, and Benedict Arnold in later stages. The fort’s artillery and position influenced operations along Lake Champlain and the Hudson River corridor. After royal forces briefly reoccupied Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Crown Point, Continental forces contested supply lines, culminating in episodes tied to the surrender of General John Burgoyne at Saratoga and shifting British priorities toward coastal defenses under Admiral Richard Howe and General William Howe.

Legacy and Commemoration

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga became a foundational narrative in American Revolutionary memory, celebrated in accounts by historians such as William Prescott and memorialized in writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson and later historians in the 19th century revival of Revolutionary lore. The site became a subject for preservationists like Theodore Roosevelt-era conservationists and organizations including the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Fort Ticonderoga Association, leading to museums, reenactments, and annual commemorations. Monuments, educational exhibits, and scholarly studies by institutions such as Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and university historians examine the capture’s role in logistics, leadership disputes involving Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, and the broader course of the American Revolutionary War.

Category:Battles of the American Revolutionary War Category:1775 in New York (state)