Fort Ticonderoga

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Fort Ticonderoga invites history buffs and families alike to step back in time with a special living history event, "To Render This Place as Tenable as Possible," on December 7th, 2024, from 10am to 4pm.

This immersive experience will transport visitors to a pivotal moment in the American Revolution – the winter of 1776. Following the Continental Army`s victory at Ticonderoga on October 28th, the event explores the challenges and triumphs faced by the soldiers as they prepared for a long, harsh winter and the uncertain future of the war.

Experience the raw labor that secured liberty, as soldiers fortify Ticonderoga against a potential British invasion. See firsthand how the Northern Continental Army rallied its troops, thanking them for their service and encouraging them to reenlist. Explore the hardships faced by soldiers and learn about the nurses who tirelessly worked to bring them back to health. Discover how soldiers prepared for the coming year, from crafting essential supplies to strategizing for General Washington`s aid.

The victory at Ticonderoga in late 1776 was a beacon of hope during a critical time for the Continental Congress. This living history event recreates the aftermath, showcasing the dedication required to defend Ticonderoga and its enduring impact on the American Revolution. Through these compelling programs, we share the importance of Fort Ticonderoga in the fight for independence.

View the visitor schedule: https://www.fortticonderoga.org/ft_events/living-history-event-to-render-this-place-as-tenable-as-possible/

#WinterQuarters #LivingHistoryEvent #LifeLongLearning

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Happy #ManuscriptMonday! During Fort Ticonderoga’s time as an American fort in the Revolutionary War, it was commanded by several different men. Major General Philip Schuyler led the army’s Northern Department for most of Ticonderoga’s time in American hands. When Schuyler was at Ticonderoga, he served as the fort’s commander. However, he spent most of his time elsewhere, leaving day-to-day command of the fort in the hands of a succession of subordinates.

Today’s manuscript, 2012.0238.001, is a November 23, 1776 letter from Schuyler to the fort’s new commander, Colonel Anthony Wayne. In the letter, Schuyler gives Wayne orders on how to manage the fort that was now his responsibility. He states, “I have the fullest confidence in your vigilance, attention, and Foresight to guard against a surprize, and do every thing that may have a Tendency to secure your post & promote the weal of the service, and that you will not lose the least Time in putting yourself in the best posture of Defence possible”. While the British had retreated to Canada for the winter, he orders Wayne to continually send out scouting parties to guard against a surprise attack. Wayne should write frequently and keep Schuyler informed of the fort’s needs; he requests “a minute Return of all the ordnance ammunition and artillery stores at the post you command, with an Estimate of whatever is wanted.” Wayne’s job included not just managing supplies, but also managing his men. Schuyler instructs him to keep his soldiers disciplined and healthy: “the greatest attention should be paid to the Health of the Men—Cleanliness in their persons and Quarters, and having their victuals properly dressed are capital points and greatly tend to the preservation of the men.” Commanding the garrison was a difficult job, particularly controlling the soldiers—Wayne’s tenure saw a Christmas Day riot where Pennsylvania men ransacked the camp of a Massachusetts regiment and attacked its colonel—but Wayne rose to the challenge, serving until April 1777.

This document can be found on our online database in the link below. #TiconderogaCollections #OpeningTheVault https://fortticonderoga.catalogaccess.com/archives/29513

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On Veterans Day, Fort Ticonderoga remembers and honors all of those who have served in the armed forces of the United States to preserve the nation and the principles it stands for. Whether brief, or for a lifetime, we remember and acknowledge the contributions of veterans in creating and preserving this new concept of a nation created nearly 250 years ago during the Revolutionary War.

Fort Ticonderoga’s archives record the service of thousands of soldiers from the colonial and Revolutionary wars. Through letters, rolls, orderly books, diaries, and more, these records connect us with this first generation of American veterans in the 18th century. With generous support from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New York, and the General Society of Colonial Wars, the Ticonderoga Soldier’s Project has expanded, making it easier to learn more about America’s early veterans and potentially your own family’s contributions in the nation’s founding.

Currently over 5,000 veterans and others are identified and searchable in our database. To explore these names, learn more about our database, or begin your own genealogical research at Fort Ticonderoga, visit the Genealogy page on our website: https://www.fortticonderoga.org/learn-and-explore/collections/genealogy/.

On this Veterans Day, we remember and honor the veterans we know, as well as the veterans of the past. Fort Ticonderoga’s mission is to preserve, educate and provoke active discussion about the past and its importance to present and future generations. There is no better way to connect with the past than by reflecting on the enduring legacy of military service going back to America’s earliest veterans.