REAL TIME REVOLUTION® Living History Event: The Precarious Garrison of Ticonderoga
Step off the pages of history and onto the frozen ground of 1776! Fort Ticonderoga invites the public and media to its gripping one-day Winter Quarters living history event, “The Precarious Garrison of Ticonderoga,” on Saturday, February 7, 2026 from 10AM-4PM.
This immersive REAL TIME REVOLUTION® experience transports visitors back to the lowest decline of the Continental Army at Ticonderoga – joining a minuscule guard of six sentinels, the first new recruits of 1776 reached Fort Ticonderoga. While George Washington, General Phillip Schuyler, and the Continental Congress managed two sieges and the raising of an army, soldiers and their families kept Fort Ticonderoga open for recruits and resupply.
Highlighted programming throughout the day brings to life soldiers’ experience as they maintained Fort Ticonderoga along a frozen road of ice in February 1776.
“Sleighmen”: Discover the real words of horse & oxen drivers hauling sleds of provisions along frozen waterways. See this recreated as our oxen haul sleds heaped with crucial rations and war materials, as part of the constant flow of supplies that kept the Northern Army alive.
A New Commander: Meet Fort Ticonderoga’s new commander in 1776, Captain Joseph McKracken, and learn about his story as a New York Officer. Explore the process of enlistment and the challenges of recruiting in the middle of winter.
Carrying Cannons: Meet the skilled artificers who built the wooden carriages for cannons, that allowed them to be fired against a target. Join them in the hands-on demonstrations of carpentry that succeeded in mounting 75 cannons across American defenses at Ticonderoga in 1776.
The Human Story: Discover the essential, often-overlooked service of the women who served as laundresses and nurses, mending both uniforms and wounded soldiers in the Officers’ Quarters, highlighting the constant challenge of “remaking” the Continental Army for 1776.
“This REAL TIME REVOLUTION® event highlights the implications of strategic decisions from famous figures Washington, Schuyler, and the Congress for the soldiers and civilians on the ground at Ticonderoga. Our innovative living history captures the many stories of our Revolutionary War and the connections between them, as they happened in real time.
