Fort Ticonderoga

#Spring iris and peony buds will make the end of May spectacular, even as early iris and delphiniums stand out in the #KingsGarden now.

#OTD 250 years ago—May 21, 1775, Benedict Arnold learned of the failure of Ethan Allen`s attack on the British post of St. Jean, fulfilling his expectations.

Learn more about Arnold`s regimental memorandum book (object ID MS.7160) and his time at Ticonderoga and Crown Point on our website: https://fortticonderoga.org/news/whos-in-command-at-fort-ticonderoga/

On this day 250 years ago—May 21, 1775—Benedict Arnold sent a letter from Ticonderoga to Captain John Stevens, commander of the American garrison to the south at Fort George. On May 23, Stevens wrote back. Two hundred fifty years later, these letters have been reunited. The Fort Ticonderoga Museum recently acquired Arnold’s May 21 letter to Stevens, bringing together the letters and providing insight into the weeks after Ticonderoga’s capture.

On May 17, Arnold had led a raid on the British fort at St. John’s, capturing the only British sloop on Lake Champlain. On his way back, he crossed paths with a group led by his rival Ethan Allen, who intended to capture St. John’s. Allen’s expedition was much less successful. “Col. Allen & his Party is Just Arivd from St. Johns, when they were Attacked,” a slightly smug Arnold writes, “& were obliged to make a precipitate Retreat… They have returned without Provision, & much Fatigued.”

Arnold asks Stevens, “Pray Send On all the Provisi[ons] you have immediately & then Men who will Engage for the Summer”. He is planning to travel to Crown Point “& make a stand there In Order to Secure the Cannon at that Place”, but he is not worried about British attacks, since after his capture of the British sloop, “we are masters of the Lake”.

In Stevens’ reply, he reports news from Albany in response to Arnold’s pleas for provisions and men: “the City of Albany and Country are sending in Provisions Continually… I am informed there is A Great Quantity More Coming from Different Parts of the County ”. His news about recruits is less promising. Stevens had sent agents south to enlist men to serve under Arnold, but “the People Below Opposed Inlisting men among them… Saying that thay Should want the same men to fill up their own Levies”. While one agent had managed to recruit “12 or 15 Men”, the troops to defend Ticonderoga would have to come from elsewhere.

View Arnold’s letter (MS.7853, in memory of Mr. George M. Jones, III) on the Ticonderoga Online Collections database here: https://fortticonderoga.catalogaccess.com/archives/32746 and Stevens’ reply (MS.7025) here: https://fortticonderoga.catalogaccess.com/archives/30257

On this Trades Tuesday we’re celebrating the look of the women’s riding habit, that many British officers’ wives wore, matching their husband’s uniforms. As the name suggests, riding habits were a style of lady’s dress for horseback riding. Yet the fitted jackets and matching petticoats were popular for ladies sporting in the outdoors or traveling, like the lifestyle of a British officer’s wife. Though we don’t know if she had a matching riding habit, Sarah Delaplace, wife of Captain William Delaplace was traveling on this date in 1775. Her journey as a prisoner of war began with the capture of Fort Ticonderoga on May 10, and continued with her eventual arrival and parole, along with her husband, in Hartford, Connecticut, while the Continental Congress discussed how to handle their first British prisoners.

#TradesTuesday #HistoricTrades #America250

Vibrant colors peaking out of the #KingsGarden on the #spring morning, with bearded iris, alliums, spirea, and strawberry #flowers.

#OTD 250 years ago— May 20, 1775, Benedict Arnold continued to fit out the 2 vessels now under his command on Lake Champlain. He also dispatched news of his captures to the governments of Connecticut and Massachusetts the same day.

Learn more about Arnold`s regimental memorandum book (object ID MS.7160) and his time at Ticonderoga and Crown Point on our website: https://fortticonderoga.org/news/whos-in-command-at-fort-ticonderoga/

#OTD 250 years ago—May 19, 1775, Benedict Arnold, his troops, the schooner "Liberty," and the newly captured sloop "Enterprise" stopped briefly at Crown Point to write letters before heading on to Ticonderoga.

Earlier that day, Ethan Allen`s force which was headed to St. Jean was ambushed and forced to retreat.

Learn more about Arnold`s regimental memorandum book (object ID MS.7160) and his time at Ticonderoga and Crown Point on our website: https://fortticonderoga.org/news/whos-in-command-at-fort-ticonderoga/

#OTD 250 years ago—May 18, 1775, at 6am, Arnold and his men surprised the British post of St. Jean. They successfully seized the sloop "Betsey," which they renamed "Enterprise", as well as more British soldiers and sailors.

On their way back up the lake toward Ticonderoga they encountered Ethan Allen headed north to attack the same place!

Learn more about Arnold`s regimental memorandum book (object ID MS.7160) and his time at Ticonderoga and Crown Point on our website: https://fortticonderoga.org/news/whos-in-command-at-fort-ticonderoga/

#OTD 250 years ago—May 17, 1775, Arnold`s men continued their journey to attack the British fort at St. Jean (or St. John`s), Quebec. They sailed to Point au Fer near the bottom of Lake Champlain in the schooner "Liberty" and embarked in bateaux for the final approach to St. Jean the next morning.

Learn more about Arnold`s regimental memorandum book (object ID MS.7160) and his time at Ticonderoga and Crown Point on our website: https://fortticonderoga.org/news/whos-in-command-at-fort-ticonderoga/

#OTD 250 years ago—May 16, 1775, Benedict Arnold and the schooner "Liberty" were en route to attack the British post at St. Jean (St. Johns, as they called it) where a government sloop was the only other vessel of size on Lake Champlain.

Later that day they captured a boat carrying mail heading south for Ticonderoga, along with Ensign Joseph Moland of the 26th Regiment of Foot, who was in it. Ensign Moland was from New Jersey, the brother of Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Templar`s American wife, and the 4th officer of the regiment captured in the war.

Learn more about Arnold`s regimental memorandum book (object ID MS.7160) and his time at Ticonderoga and Crown Point on our website: https://fortticonderoga.org/news/whos-in-command-at-fort-ticonderoga/