The history of the Lake Champlain region is full of explorers, adventurers, military heroes and traitors, inventors, farmers, artists and political leaders. Here we look at some of the people who shaped the Lake Champlain Basin.
Jim Millard’s America’s Historic Lakes– The Lake Champlain and Lake George Historical Site is a wonderful resource about Lake Champlain’s history, as well as that of the Lake George and the Richelieu River regions.
Willard Sterne Randall (Author)
There are some names that stand out in the history of Lake Champlain and the Champlain Valley: Samuel de Champlain, Robert Rogers, Ira and Ethan Allen, Thomas Macdonough and Benedict Arnold. All are thought of as heroes to some extent. The luster has worn off for a few, as we look at them as the complex human beings that they were in reality. ‘Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor’ by Willard Sterne Randall examines the complex life of Benedict Arnold.
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Benedict Arnold has taken his place in history as America’s greatest traitor and villain. Although I was familiar with some of his earlier heroic deeds, I was unaware of just how critical his patriotic deeds in support of the Revolution were to its success.
Arnold seemed to be everywhere at the beginning of the Revolution. Arnold was part of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, whose cannons were transported and used to force the British to abandon Boston. He was instrumental in planning and organizing the invasion of Canada, which but for bad luck, might have succeeded. As a naval commander he built America’s first navy, and used it to stop the British advance down Lake Champlain and into New York. Later at Saratoga, it was Benedict Arnold who insured the battlefield victory for the Americans, and ultimately French support for the American cause.
Randall’s portrayal of Benedict Arnold could well be the setting of a Greek tragedy or play by Shakespeare. Despite his unequaled contributions to the Patriot cause, Arnold was slighted and his character attacked by the Continental Congress and fellow officers. In addition he was faced with financial ruin because Congress refused to reimburse him for back pay or the money that he personally spent to equip and train his troops and fleet.
Many of the same difficulties that Arnold faced were similar to those faced by another ‘hero’ of Lake Champlain military campaigns, Robert Rogers. Rogers, the charismatic leader of Roger’s Rangers in The French and Indian War, was also denied repayment for outfitting and paying his troops. He too was the target of lesser officers looking to advance or protect their standing by diminishing his. Ultimately, he too, offered his services to The Crown and earned the scorn of his countrymen.
Benedict Arnold was a very proud man and impatient for recognition and reward for his services. When these were not given, and Arnold’s character was again attacked for falling in love and marrying Peggy Shippen, a Loyalist, the outcome was almost inevitable.
This is a very interesting story and is well-told by Randall. You can almost see the unfolding of this tragedy step-by-step. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I’ve read it twice. “Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor” is a good read and I heartily recommend it.
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The later treason of Benedict Arnold cannot disguise the fact that early in the Revolutionary War he was one of Washington’s most effective generals. At the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, considered by historians as the turning point in the war against Britain, Arnold as much as any other American commander deserves credit for achieving victory. A year earlier, on October 11, 1776 off Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, the young general displayed his martial talents on the sea as well.
After the disastrous American invasion of Quebec in the winter of 1775-76, General Arnold realized the British would use the Great Lakes to reconquer her rebellious colonies. He immediately began the construction of one of the strangest fleet ever seen in American waters. Four ships were of traditional schooner design, but there were also gondolas and galleys of various size and armament:: a total of 16 warships. General Guy Carleton commanded on the British side of the Lake., who upon seeing the American construction could not but respond in kind. He proceeded to build and equip a larger a more powerful fleet of 30 warships, which included schooners and gunboats, plus a powerful sailing raft, the Thunderer.
Altogether Carleton had twice the firepower of Arnold’s makeshift fleet, though this failed to deter the aggressive colonial. Sailing with part of his fleet the American took a favorable position upwind near Valcour Island. Forming the vessels in a crescent, he hoped to surprise any British attack down the Lake. Carleton was less cautious than Arnold and sailed boldly past the island. As expected the British were surprised to find the Americans formed for battle, and Arnold had been reinforced by the rest of his fleet.
Forced to sail against a northerly breeze, Carleton could only attack with part of his. These included the gunboats, which had oars as well as sail. Arnold set out in the galley Congress (10 guns), with Royal Savage (12) and 2 others to intercept. The combined and accurate firepower of the British became too much for the Americans and they withdrew to the original anchorage. Disaster struck when Royal Savage ran aground, and later was abandon by her crew.
By noon all the American vessels were engaged, but because of Arnold’s shrewd maneuver, Carleton’s best ships were kept out of most of the fight. These included the unhandy Thunderer, Loyal Convert (7), and the big Inflexible (18). The twenty British gunboats, with the schooner Carleton (12), kept up a merciless fire on the bold rebels, however. Carleton soon lost her cable spring: uncontrollable she was towed out of the fight.
The gunboats had suffered too, and the British decided at dusk to withdraw to renew the fight at dawn. Arnold realized his smaller force would be destroyed the next day, so in the darkness his ships slipped silently pass Carleton. Come morning the Americans were 10 miles down the Lake, and Arnold anchored his battered fleet for hasty repairs. He would get no respite from the British that day, who were in hot pursuit. The battle was renewed at Split Rock.
In Congress, Arnold fought back until his ships were in tatters. Realizing the inevitable, he ordered his depleted forces, including the galleys, run aground and abandoned. Gone were 11 of the 16 American warships he had at the start of the battle. Carleton controlled the Lakes, but his own casualties prevented any further campaigning that year. The great invasion of the south was delayed until 1777, giving the Americans precious time to prepare. All this would culminate in the decisive American victory at Saratoga.
As Alfred Thayer Mahan would state: “That the Americans were strong enough to impose the capitulation of Saratoga was due to the invaluable year of delay secured to them in 1776 by the little navy on Lake Champlain.”
My name is Mike Burleson and I currently reside in historic Branchville, SC. Last year I completed my first book also titled “New Wars-The Transformation of Armies, Navies, and Airpower in the Digital Age”, available for purchase from Blurb.com As a freelancer my articles on military issues have appeared in The American Thinker, The Washington Post, Sea Classics Magazine, Townhall.com via Opeds.com, Buzzle.com, and Strategypage.com. My blog title New Wars concerning military issues is updated daily.
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Samuel de Champlain was an explorer, geographer and colonizer. He was born in 1567 in Brouage, a village on the Bay of Biscay. As a captain of a Spanish sailing ship, serving under Don Francisco Colombo, he visited the Spanish West Indies and Mexico. Between 1601 and 1603 he wrote his first book, the ‘Bref Discours’.
Champlain made his first voyage to the St. Lawrence River in 1603 and was active in attempting to establish the French colony in Acadia. During this time he also explored the seacoast from Cape Breton to Martha’s Vineyard.
In 1609 Champlain discovered the lake that bears his name today. It was here that he fought his first battle with the Iroquois.
Champlain explored the Ottawa River to above Lac Coulange in 1613, and in 1615 he reached Georgian Bay. From 1617 through 1629 he worked to strengthen the colony of Quebec and promote trade on the lower Saint Lawrence River.
After the surrender of Quebec in 1629 he was taken captive and imprisoned in London, but he returned to New France in 1633 and remained there until his death on Christmas Day 1635.