Compiled from Contemporary Sources By S. H. P. Pell Profusely Illustrated Reprinted for the Fort Ticonderoga Museum 1966 “ The little bronze flint and tinder box illustrated, was found in 1888 by the present Museum Director, then a small boy. His brother dislodged a stone while they were climbing around the fort. Under the stone was this box with flint and tinder in it. Bronze and of French design, it must have belonged to some important officer, probably Montcalm de Levis, Bougainville or Bourl

When Columbus was landing in the West Indies, and discovering America, the Champlain Valley was thickly populated. There are signs of Indian village sites all along the shores and the thousands of stone implements, arrow and spear points, scrapers, hatchets, pestles and mortars that are turned up each year indicate an occupation of hundreds, probably thousands, of years. But when the first white man arrived all was silence and desolation. The fierce Iroquois from the south had not long before sl

In May, 1609, the same year that Hendrick Hudson discovered and named Hudson’s River, Samuel de Champlain with a contingent of eleven Frenchmen, a small body of Montagnais Indians and between two and three hundred Hurons left Quebec on an exploring expedition to the south. At the rapids of the Richelieu, Champlain quarreled with his Indians, who had assured him that there was smooth water from the St. Lawrence to the great lake to the south. Three-quarters of them went home and with them he sent

From 1609 to 1755 nothing of great interest happened at Ticonderoga. War parties, explorers and traders passed up and down the lake in a steady stream, but few left records. The English pushed north as far as the south end of Lake George and built Fort William Henry; the French, as far south as Crown Point and built Fort St. Frederic. All between was a wild country, claimed by both France and Great Britain. In 1755 Michel Chartier, afterwards Marquis de Lotbiniere, under instruction from the Mar

(Translated from a contemporary French manuscript report in the Museum Library) “The Marquis de Vaudreuil, uncertain of the movements of the enemy, thought necessary at the beginning of this campaign to distribute his forces. He appointed the Chevalier de Lévis to execute a secret expedition with a picked detachment, of which 400 men were chosen from the land troops. The rest of these troops were sent by order of the Marquis de Montcalm to defend the border of Lake Saint Sacrement [Lake George].

The next year, 1759, General Jeffrey Amherst, who had succeeded General Abercromby, again advanced down Lake George to attack the Fort. On July 21st with 5743 British regulars and about the same number of provincials he left Fort William Henry. 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 i

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. On February 15th, 1767, Lie

A few years ago Mr. Allen French discovered the manuscript of Lieutenant Feltham’s report, which reads as follows: New York, June 11th 1775. “Sir “Capt. Delaplace of the 26th regt has given me directions to lay before you in as plain a narrative as I can the manner of the surprizal of the fort of Ticonderoga on 10th May with all the circumstances after it that I thought might be of any service in giving you Exy any light into the affair. “Allen Needs You at Ti” (Courtesy National Life Insurance

A number of important things happened at Ticonderoga during the American occupation between Allen’s capture, May 10th, 1775, and St. Clair’s evacuation before Burgoyne, July 6, 1777. An expedition for the invasion of Canada was planned. By the middle of July, 1775, General Schuyler arrived at Ticonderoga and found but little progress had been made to advance the expedition, few bateaux, no boards, little material and few workmen able to build boats. He repaired the French sawmill, sawed boards,

The winter of 1776-1777 was a terrible one. The sufferings among the troops at Ticonderoga exceeded anything at Valley Forge. Men were frozen to death in their tents, smallpox broke out in the spring and altogether it was almost unbearable. General Gates succeeded General Schuyler as commander-in-chief of the Northern Army. Anthony Wayne was succeeded by Arthur St. Clair as commander at Ticonderoga, in the spring of 1777 and took command of 2500 Continental troops and 900 militia. General John B

In 1781 Ira and Ethan Allen were negotiating with the British authorities as to the feasibility of making Vermont a Canadian province. Congress had refused to admit Vermont as the fourteenth state and were considering dividing it between New York and New Hampshire. Rather than submit to this the Allens and Governor Chittenden opened negotiations with Lieutenant-Governor Haldimand of Canada, the object of which was probably to force Congress to act in their favor, and they succeeded. In July, 178

The famous silver bullet, carried by a messenger to General Burgoyne from Sir Henry Clinton. The bullet was hollow and concealed a message. The messenger, on being captured by American Troops, swallowed the bullet. He was given an emetic and forced to disgorge it. Later he was hanged as a spy. The bullet was preserved in the Tallmadge family and presented to the Fort Ticonderoga Museum by Henry O. Tallmadge, Esq. The important contribution of the Pell family during a period approaching 150 years

The Fort and Museum are open from mid-May to mid-October, including Sundays and holidays from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. The admission charge is $1.00. There is no charge for children under twelve or for school children in study groups, supervised by a teacher....

The library and manuscripts are available for students of history by arrangements made with the Management....

The publications of the Museum are for sale at the Log House at the entrance to the Fort, except the Bulletins. Some of the recent bulletins are available at $1.00 each, but unfortunately many of the early ones are entirely out of print. Also sold at the Log House are historical novels pertaining to our neighborhood. Information on any of these may be had from the Management....

Appropriate articles are acceptable and the President will be glad to discuss desirable gifts and ways of assisting in the work of the Museum with friends who may desire to help. Gifts are deductible for Federal income tax purposes. Powder Horn Map Made at Mount Independence 1776...

ETHAN ALLEN, John Pell ( New Edition ) A sound and carefully researched biography of that controversial leader of Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys $5.00 ARUNDEL, Kenneth Roberts The story of the early history of Maine, and the magnificent march of Arnold’s troops up Dead River and across the Height of Land to attack Quebec 4.00 RABBLE IN ARMS, Kenneth Roberts A sequel to ARUNDEL. The romance of the two-year struggle of the American Northern Army to halt the British invasion from the north 4.00 NORT

Stephen H. P. Pell , Founder Benefactors John H. G. Pell Archer M. Huntington Sarah G. T. Pell Robert M. Thompson Gladys Pell Blankarn Hon. Robert T. Pell Members of the Fort Ticonderoga Association Mrs. Marshall Blankarn Mrs. Roger Dechame (Director) Mrs. Edwin Dunning Hon. Robert T. Pell (Director) Anthony D. S. M. Pell Robert Livingston Pell Hon. Claiborne Pell (Director) Clarence C. Pell Duncan C. Pell, Jr. Duncan C. Pell III Francis L. Pell, Jr. Howland H. Pell John B. Pell John H. G. Pell