Stephen H. P. Pell

“ The point of the snout is like that of a hog. This fish makes war on all others in the lakes and rivers and possesses, as those people assure me, a wonderful instinct; which is, that when it wants to catch any birds, it goes among the rushes or reeds, bordering the lake in many places, keeping the beak out of the water without budging, so that when the birds perch on his beak, imagining it a limb of a tree, it is so subtle that closing the jaws which it keeps half open, it draws the birds under water by the feet. ”

“ The beauty of the point on which the Fort stands overlooking Lake Champlain and of the surrounding meadows and woods is appreciated, consciously and unconsciously, by all of the 111 many visitors. It is a commonplace thing for people who have entered the Fort to return to pick up cameras in their parked autos in order to be able to take photographs in the beautiful surroundings.
Fort Ticonderoga is a living page of American history—the most faithfully restored Fort in America and houses the greatest collection of Revolutionary and Colonial objects. ”

“ Thousands of loads of stone were carted away for foundations. Some men had repaired the French lime kiln and were burning the walls of the Fort for lime. Mr. Pell had to buy up the numerous squatters’ rights but he eventually succeeded in stopping the destruction. He fenced in various earthworks and redoubts to prevent them being plowed under and did his best to preserve what was left. He was a man of vision. Had it not been for William Ferris Pell and those who came after him not a stone in Fort Ticonderoga would be in place today. Every one would have been carted away or destroyed. ”

“ Although the history of the Fort extends back over 200 years, its present condition, and the incomparable museum which it contains have resulted from the vision and work of one man, Stephen Pell. It is fortunate indeed that as a boy he found a beautiful little bronze flint box containing a flint. And it is fortunate that he grew to be the kind of man who was capable of turning a dream into a living fact.
Mrs. Stephen Pell, through her great vision and understanding encouraged Mr. Pell in his life work, and in addition gave generously in time and money for the restoration. ”

“ An immense amount of material has been found on the place itself—a cannon, thousands of 108 cannon balls, hand grenades, swivel balls and grape shot, barrels of bullets and barrels of flints, tomahawks, hatchets, axes, hoes, gun barrels, gun locks, bayonets, sword blades, keys, hinges, door locks and every kind of tool—everything that an army could use—dug up wherever a spade is put in the ground and only a couple of years ago one of the rarest finds we have ever made—the breast plate of a suit of half-armor, French, early 18th century. ”

“ The Chevalier de Lévis advanced beyond the portage. He found everywhere the vestige of a hurried flight wounded, supplies, abandoned equipage, debris of barges and charred pontoons, unquestionable proofs of the great loss which the enemy had made. We estimate it at about 4,000 men killed or wounded. Were we to believe some of them, and judge by the promptitude of their retreat, it would be still more considerable. They have lost several officers and generals, Lord Howe, Sir Spitall, Major General Commander in Chief of the forces of New York, and several others. ”

“ Even casual visitors have been so impressed that they have gone home and shipped family relics that the museum could never have acquired by purchase. Others have appointed themselves Ticonderoga scouts who voluntarily tipped Mr. Pell off when they located desirable objects.
One of the museum’s proud possessions is a blunderbuss used by Ethan Allen in taking the fort from the British, then given by him to Benedict Arnold, who in turn gave it to John Trumbull, the Revolutionary artist. ”

“ In fact so degenerate had they become that the Iroquois referred to them as “Adirondacks” or “Bark-eaters,” because of their necessity of depending on the bark of trees during the winter when game was scarce. Remains of these people are so many that for a hundred years arrow heads and other stone implements have been found on the shore of the lake under the walls of the Fort and yet each rain and wind storm discloses new ones. These Indians were a partly agricultural people as shown by the many bits of pottery and hoes that are found, but little is definitely known of them or their habits. ”

“ The Rangers were before the army and the light infantry and marksmen at the heads of the columns. We expected, and met with some opposition near a small river, which we had to cross. When the firing began on the part of the left column, Lord Howe thinking it would be of the greatest consequence, to beat the enemy with the light troops, so as not to stop the march of the main body, went up with them, and had just gained the top of the hill, where the firing was, when he was killed. Never ball had a more deadly direction. ”

“ The accumulation of a century had to be excavated from between the walls of the various buildings. The courtyard of the fort was between six and seven feet below and in the west barracks, particularly under the bastions, the excavation necessary was over 16 feet to get down to the original surface. Everything that was found during the restoration period was kept for the museum, and the workmen in handling this showed particular interest, and all of the time this work of excavating continued most interesting finds were made, such as pottery, firearms, pieces of hardware and buttons. ”

“ On the 6th, we arrived early in the morning at the cove, where we were to land: here we expected some opposition; but a party of light troops having got on shore, and finding all clear, the whole army landed without loss of time, formed into columns and marched immediately; upon our approach, an advanced guard of the enemy, consisting of several hundred regulars and savages, who were posted in a strong intrenched camp, retired very precipitately, after setting fire to their camp, and destroying almost every thing they had with them ”

“ The earth ramparts were made,—the platforms of the bastions completed, a cover built for each bastion bomb-proof, two stone barracks built, the ditches of the place dug to the rock everywhere, part of the rock even removed on two fronts, the ditches of the two demi-lunes also excavated to the rock, a store-house established outside the Fort as well as a hospital. The parapet was raised on the two fronts exposed to the enemy’s batteries if he undertook to besiege this place, the exterior part of the Fort supported by masonry resting on the solid rock. ”

“ When his body was brought into camp scarce an eye was free from tears.
“As his Lordship had chose me to act as an aide de camp to him, when he was to have commanded on the winter expedition, which did not take place, and afterwards on his being made a brigadier general, had got me appointed Brigade Major, and I had constantly lived with him since that time....”
“ (Signed) Al. Monypenny.” ”

“ Other artillery is found since sunk in ye waters, the strength of ye Fort exceeds ye most sanguine imagination, nature and art are Joind to render it impregnable, and had not ye enemy behaved like cowards and traitors they might have held out a long siege. ”

“ I found on my arrival at St. Frederic an intrenchment begun on wrong principles which I felt obliged to continue to be agreeable to the Commandant of the Army who feared the enemy might at any moment attack the Fort. At last, on the 12th October, on the order of M. le Marquis de Vaudreuil, these works ceased and we moved the camp from St. Frederic to Carillon to begin a Fort at the location which I should find to be most suitable for such purpose.
“I decided to establish it on the ridge of rock which runs from the point to the falls of Lake St. Sacrement. ”

“ My loss of men in these several actions are not more than 3 or 4 killed and 5 wounded, the enemy’s loss is less. I find myself in possession of 293 prisoners, viz, 2 captains, 9 subs, 2 commisaries, non Commissioned officers and privates, 143 British, 119 Canadians, 18 artificers, and retook more than 100 of our men, total 293, exclusive of the prisoners retaken—The watercraft I have taken is 150 bateaus below the falls on Lake Champlain 50 above the falls including 17 gunboats and one armed sloop, arms equal to the number of prisoners. ”

“ Ours, likewise, did not fail in repartee; telling them they should witness the effects of arms they had never seen before; and a multitude of other speeches, as is usual at a siege of a town. After the one and the other had sung, danced and parliamented enough, day broke. My companions and I were always concealed, for fear the enemy should see us preparing our arms the best we could, being however separated, each in one of the canoes belonging to the savage Montagnais. After being equipped with light armour we took each an arquebus and went ashore. ”

“ At the present time the Fort is visited by some 200,000 people every summer. Schools in Vermont and parts of New York State send their children in busloads every year to see it. Many people come back regularly every season to revisit the Fort and re-enjoy the surrounding scenery. ”

“ The remnants of two armies reached Ticonderoga in the spring of 1776 in a terrible condition.
It was while serving under General Montgomery that Ethan Allen, advancing toward Montreal to ascertain whether the Canadians were with or against the Americans, was captured, sent to England as a prisoner and not returned and released until May, 1778. He took no further part in the Revolution, though Congress granted him the rank and pay of a colonel. ”

“ You are immediately to examine into the state of the artillery of this army, and take an account of the cannon, mortars, shells, lead and ammunition that are wanting. When you have done that you are to proceed in the most expeditious manner to New York, there to apply to the President of the Provincial Congress and learn of him whether Colonel Reed did anything or left any orders respecting these things, and get him to procure such of them as can possibly be had there. ”

“ From 1759 to 1775 it was peaceful and tranquil at Ticonderoga. There are but few records, though the British maintained a garrison at the Fort and also one at Crown Point. The Fort was used as a storehouse for military supplies, and presumably the garrison did its best to entertain itself in what was then a wilderness. Major Gavin Cochrane commanded for four years, and in 1765 Major Thomas James went down from Ticonderoga to New York to aid in enforcing the Stamp Act. ”

“ In the meantime, the French garrison at Ticonderoga had been much reduced. Montcalm had gone to the defense of Quebec, leaving General Bourlamaque, who had been slightly wounded the year before, in command. Amherst’s army followed Abercromby’s route but instead of attacking proceeded to invest the Fort. Bourlamaque soon realized that he would be starved out and captured within a reasonable time, so, after a few days defense decided to evacuate. He left Captain Hebecourt with 400 of the garrison and with the balance retreated to Crown Point and eventually to Isle aux Noix. ”

“ He joined the Marquis de Montcalm who was waiting for 35 him, formed for battle, on the heights at the right bank of the Chute, with Roussillon Regiment and the first Berry Battalion; these five battalions passed the river, destroyed the bridge and combined with La Sarre and Languedoc Regiments occupied the heights which edge the left bank. This retreat would have been carried out without the loss of a single man, if the detachment of the Sieur de Trepezec had not lost its way. ”

“ Most of the army, however, marched east toward Castleton. The British soon cut the boom which had been thrown across the lake from Willow Point to the Vermont shore and part of their army went on up the lake by water after the fleeing Americans. General Fraser pursued the retreating army and overtook the American rear guard under Seth Warner near Hubbardton. A sharp engagement took place and the Americans were defeated, losing 324 in killed and wounded. It was the German troops under Baron Riedesel, who, coming into the action a little late, forced the Americans from the field. ”

“ The president, if he can, will have them immediately sent hither; if he cannot, you must put them in a proper channel to be transported to this camp with despatch before you leave New York. After you have procured as many of these necessaries as you can there, you must go to Major-General Schuyler and get the remainder from Ticonderoga, Crown Point, or St. John; if it should be necessary, from Quebec, if in our hands. The want of them is so great that no trouble or expense must be spared to obtain them. ”

“ All day our volunteers fired against the Rangers of the enemy. General Abercromby with the main part of the militia and the balance made up of regular troops advanced up to the falls. He had sent there several barges and pontoons mounted with two guns each. These troops built also on the same day several trenches, one in front of the other, of which the nearest one to our abatis was hardly a cannon range away. ”

“ Abandoned by the few savages that acted as guides, it strayed in those wood-covered mountains and came, after walking 12 hours, upon an English column bound for the Chute River. Of this detachment 6 officers and about 150 soldiers were killed or made prisoners. They defended themselves a long time, but they had to retreat before a superior force. The English made an important loss in the person of Lord Howe, quartermaster general of their army and Colonel of one of the Regiments of old England. ”