Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 9,001
There is much talk of "battles" in the historical myths surrounding the American War of Independence.
Here is the front page of a US school book ...:
But if one undress the story of these myths, then there were many of these "battles" not at all, or they were mere maneuvers, in which no shot was fired and no one was injured (from blisters on the feet of some soldiers maybe once apart).
So it was with the "Battle for Fort Ticonderoga" in 1777! The "epic battle" did not exist!
This is the true story about Fort Ticonderoga:
At the end of spring 1777, 2,500 men of American soldiers and militia members ...
... occupied the empty old fort. They were led by "general" Arthur St. Clair...:
I deliberately write "general" in quotation marks, because the gentleman wore thick golden epaulettes with two general stars, but in truth he was a doctor, anatomist - and a politician in his main job.
And apart from the well-oiled mouth typical of politicians, he had no idea of military matters!
Well, under St. Clair's command, his men worked like animals for two months to prepare the fort for defense!
They erected new buildings, new fortifications - and even a brand new bastion - Fort Independence - on the opposite side of Lake Champlain - and also built a pontoon bridge there!
The great strategist St. Clair had overlooked just one thing:
Very close to Fort Ticonderoga, a hill called "Sugar Loaf" (now "Mount Defiance") towers over both forts; a possible attacker who positions long-range heavy cannons there can calmly shoot all the glory together without exposing himself to any danger.
Defenders can't shoot back with the cannons of the fort, because the elevation angle of the pipes cannot be increased so much there!
This is the view of Fort Ticonderoga when you stand on top of the hill! At the bottom of the other side of the lake you can see the place where Fort Independence stood. In between the bridge stretched ...:
As the news spread, the highly professional British general Sir John Borgoyne ("Gentleman Johnny") ...
... closer with more than 5,000 British regulars ...
... and several Indian allies...
...sends the American commander-in-chief responsible for this section of the front "general" (large landowner and politician!) Philip Schuyler ...
... 3,500 men militia to reinforce his colleague St. Clair in a hurry.
On July 2, 1777, Borgoyne appeared with his troops in front of Ticonderoga - and it didn't take long to assess the situation correctly.
The very next day, the British begin to position heavy artillery on the "Sugar Loaf". The Redcoats had been able to occupy the hill without a fight, because the American "general" had not even thought of stationing at least one detachment there.
On July 4th, the Americans celebrate the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence - and the next morning hungover over their fortifications, they realize that the British have now deployed several heavy guns on the hill ...:
The Americans also see the British launching more cannons on the hill throughout the day.
"General" St. Clair now has two options:
First, he can wait for the British to open fire and shoot him, the fort, and his troops to pieces. And secondly, he can quickly retreat before being locked up.
Because on the other side of Lake Champlain, almost 4,500 troops Brunswick Troope allied with the British are moving ...
... under general Friedrich Adolph von Riedesel ...
... to close the mousetrap!
St. Clair of course opts for the second option (his own life is dear to him) and moves with his people over the pontoon bridge on the night of July 6, 1777.
He leaves behind all material, including artillery, ammunition reserves, supplies and food. And the fort has a lot of cannons ...:
Sick, wounded and other soldiers who cannot march are left behind. And a couple of men as "rearguard" - what for?
They later explain that they had been ordered to destroy the pontoon bridge after the withdrawal of the main power (and thereby cut off the escape route themselves).
When the British realize on the morning of July 6 that Fort Ticonderoga is deserted, they approach cautiously.
They find the entire American rearguard asleep and seriously drunk. The soldiers had discovered a wine barrel that had not yet been emptied and apparently continued the celebration of the anniversary of the declaration of independence in a small circle.
So the British conquer Fort Ticonderoga completely bloodless!
That was it, the "epic battle" for Fort Ticonderoga!
Borgoyne sends his under-general Simon Fraser ...
... immediately with a detachment to persecute the fleeing Americans ...:
The "epic battle" also had an aftermath:
When the circumstances became known, the American Continental Congress forced Philip Schuyler to resign as commanding officer of the "Northern Department of the Continental Army".
He will be replaced by general Horatio Gates, a professional who learned his craft from scratch (as a leftenant) in the British Army - including as a captain during the Bavarian War of Succession in Germany ...:
"General" St. Clair, who stubbornly insists that his actions were "honorable", is brought before a court martial - and acquitted. He can even return to work - but never gets an independent command again.
However, as one of the riders on the right, he will be there when General Sir Charles Cornwallis surrenders in Yorktown on October 19, 1781 and the Americans have finally won the war...:
Here is the front page of a US school book ...:
But if one undress the story of these myths, then there were many of these "battles" not at all, or they were mere maneuvers, in which no shot was fired and no one was injured (from blisters on the feet of some soldiers maybe once apart).
So it was with the "Battle for Fort Ticonderoga" in 1777! The "epic battle" did not exist!
This is the true story about Fort Ticonderoga:
At the end of spring 1777, 2,500 men of American soldiers and militia members ...
... occupied the empty old fort. They were led by "general" Arthur St. Clair...:
I deliberately write "general" in quotation marks, because the gentleman wore thick golden epaulettes with two general stars, but in truth he was a doctor, anatomist - and a politician in his main job.
And apart from the well-oiled mouth typical of politicians, he had no idea of military matters!
Well, under St. Clair's command, his men worked like animals for two months to prepare the fort for defense!
They erected new buildings, new fortifications - and even a brand new bastion - Fort Independence - on the opposite side of Lake Champlain - and also built a pontoon bridge there!
The great strategist St. Clair had overlooked just one thing:
Very close to Fort Ticonderoga, a hill called "Sugar Loaf" (now "Mount Defiance") towers over both forts; a possible attacker who positions long-range heavy cannons there can calmly shoot all the glory together without exposing himself to any danger.
Defenders can't shoot back with the cannons of the fort, because the elevation angle of the pipes cannot be increased so much there!
This is the view of Fort Ticonderoga when you stand on top of the hill! At the bottom of the other side of the lake you can see the place where Fort Independence stood. In between the bridge stretched ...:
As the news spread, the highly professional British general Sir John Borgoyne ("Gentleman Johnny") ...
... closer with more than 5,000 British regulars ...
... and several Indian allies...
...sends the American commander-in-chief responsible for this section of the front "general" (large landowner and politician!) Philip Schuyler ...
... 3,500 men militia to reinforce his colleague St. Clair in a hurry.
On July 2, 1777, Borgoyne appeared with his troops in front of Ticonderoga - and it didn't take long to assess the situation correctly.
The very next day, the British begin to position heavy artillery on the "Sugar Loaf". The Redcoats had been able to occupy the hill without a fight, because the American "general" had not even thought of stationing at least one detachment there.
On July 4th, the Americans celebrate the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence - and the next morning hungover over their fortifications, they realize that the British have now deployed several heavy guns on the hill ...:
The Americans also see the British launching more cannons on the hill throughout the day.
"General" St. Clair now has two options:
First, he can wait for the British to open fire and shoot him, the fort, and his troops to pieces. And secondly, he can quickly retreat before being locked up.
Because on the other side of Lake Champlain, almost 4,500 troops Brunswick Troope allied with the British are moving ...
... under general Friedrich Adolph von Riedesel ...
... to close the mousetrap!
St. Clair of course opts for the second option (his own life is dear to him) and moves with his people over the pontoon bridge on the night of July 6, 1777.
He leaves behind all material, including artillery, ammunition reserves, supplies and food. And the fort has a lot of cannons ...:
Sick, wounded and other soldiers who cannot march are left behind. And a couple of men as "rearguard" - what for?
They later explain that they had been ordered to destroy the pontoon bridge after the withdrawal of the main power (and thereby cut off the escape route themselves).
When the British realize on the morning of July 6 that Fort Ticonderoga is deserted, they approach cautiously.
They find the entire American rearguard asleep and seriously drunk. The soldiers had discovered a wine barrel that had not yet been emptied and apparently continued the celebration of the anniversary of the declaration of independence in a small circle.
So the British conquer Fort Ticonderoga completely bloodless!
That was it, the "epic battle" for Fort Ticonderoga!
Borgoyne sends his under-general Simon Fraser ...
... immediately with a detachment to persecute the fleeing Americans ...:
The "epic battle" also had an aftermath:
When the circumstances became known, the American Continental Congress forced Philip Schuyler to resign as commanding officer of the "Northern Department of the Continental Army".
He will be replaced by general Horatio Gates, a professional who learned his craft from scratch (as a leftenant) in the British Army - including as a captain during the Bavarian War of Succession in Germany ...:
"General" St. Clair, who stubbornly insists that his actions were "honorable", is brought before a court martial - and acquitted. He can even return to work - but never gets an independent command again.
However, as one of the riders on the right, he will be there when General Sir Charles Cornwallis surrenders in Yorktown on October 19, 1781 and the Americans have finally won the war...:
