George Canning Hill

“ Gaining a proper position, they applied the matches, and poured in upon his already disabled craft a fire so galling and destructive that the Washington was compelled to strike her colors, and the Captain, with all his crew, surrendered themselves prisoners.
Then they turned their whole energies upon the Congress, on board which was General Arnold. For four long hours the battle raged with great violence. Gun answered gun in quick succession. The British fleet was manned by a disciplined force, and they worked their armaments with unerring precision and destructive effect. ”

“ The vessels were all grounded, high and dry, on the bank of a small creek on the east side of the lake, about ten miles distant from Crown Point. They were every one fired by their crews as they deserted them, and the latter jumped into the water and waded to land, carrying their muskets in their hands. Arnold immediately drew them up on. the beach in martial order, so as to prevent parties of the enemy from coming off in boats and quenching the flames. He did not mean that any vessel he commanded should pass as a trophy of war into the hands of the British. ”

“ The watch on deck had looked in vain to find them where they lay anchored at sunset, and only awoke to their surprise on turning about and seeing them far away in their rear ! So bold a movement was calculated to set all ordinary feelings of astonishment at fault. ”

“ Arnold boiled at this intelligence, and he resolved on instant revenge. Taking eight hundred men, he hurried to St. Anne's, on the western end of the island. The very moment he arrived, he happened to descry the enemy taking their prisoners from an island about three miles off, and carrying them across to the main land opposite. His boats had not yet come round as expected, and he could therefore do nothing. A party of friendly Caughnawaga Indians returned while he was idly waiting, whom he had sent over in the morning to demand the surrender of the prisoners from the hostile Indians ”

“ Waterbury and his men, who had been taken prisoners, arrived at Crown Point on parole the next day, and forthwith the entire American force at that place went on board their vessels and retreated southward to the fortress at Ticonderoga. Carleton came up and occupied Crown Point, and for a little while seemed to menace Ticonderoga, appearing in its vicinity as if it was his design to attack it. It was while he was in the neighborhood that Arnold ventured out from the reach of protection, to reconnoitre. ”

“ General Arnold next proceeded to Albany, where were Generals Schuyler and Gates, the latter having but recently been invested by Congress with the command of the northern army. These three officers having learned that the Americans under Sullivan had left Isle aux Noix and retreated still farther up the lake to Crown Point, they all repaired to that post with the design of arranging a regular system of operations. Carleton was expected to be after them with a fleet every day. ”

“ Carleton appeared off Cumberland Head with his fleet, at an early hour on the morning of the llth of October. He had about thirty strong and well-built vessels and boats, including one ship with three masts, a flat-bottomed boat carrying heavy guns, which was called the Thunderer, and twenty-four gun-boats, each provided with a piece of ordnance; forty boats, laden with provisions, also accompanied the fleet. On they came in proud array up the lake, steering to the east, of Valcour Island, so as to reach its southern point, and cut off Arnold's retreat by the channel. ”