Valcour

Travelling on NYS Route 9 as a child, I remember telling my parents that the small island (Garden Island) south of Valcour Island reminded me of a ship. Their response was “that is Gunboat Island” which was disguised as a boat to draw the British’s fire during a battle on the lake. This may not have happened, however there is some evidence that the British may have been confused in the fog on the morning of October 12, 1776. In the 1950’s, my parents took me to see the “Philadelphia” which was on display in a shed that was located on NY Rt 22 between Willsboro and Essex, NY. This was very interesting and included artifacts taken from the flagship “The Royal Savage” which was also lost during the battle. I do not remember that much was said about the significance of the battle or Benedict Arnold. The Royal Savage Inn was the namesake of the schooner “Royal Savage” and was located near Valcour Island on NYS Route 9. Its iconic sign was a constant reminder of what happened there. The owners, Don and Barbara Benjamin, were in possession of a large piece of the “Royal Savage” which they occasionally displayed at the restaurant. This artifact was donated to the Clinton County Historical Association when they sold their business in 2001. During this time, the significance of the Battle of Valcour and Benedict Arnold’s role as commander was not evident. The stigma associated with Benedict Arnold the traitor overshadowed all that he accomplished to that point. To appreciate the significance of Arnold’s role we need to look through a 1775-1776 lens.

In the fall of 1775, prior to the battle of Valcour, Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery led expeditionary forces to invade Canada and protect New England from the British. Arnold led his soldiers up the Kennebec River in Maine and through the woods to converge on Quebec City while Montgomery attacked St. Johns on the Richelieu River and proceeded north to take Montreal. Montgomery then joined forces with Arnold at Quebec City, where he was killed and Arnold was wounded. After a failed attempt, the Continental Army retreated south to Lake Champlain.

At this time, both Major-General Guy Carleton, Governor and commander of the British forces in Canada, and Brigadier General Benedict Arnold both recognized that Lake Champlain was the key to controlling the entire Lake Champlain – Hudson River Corridor from Quebec City to New York City. Lake Champlain flows north into the Richelieu River and eventually empties into the St. Lawrence River. Navigation on the Richelieu River was restricted by the rapids at Chambly, Canada. For the British to launch an invasion they had to disassemble their boats at this point and cart them approximately ten miles south to Fort St. Johns to be able to navigate into Lake Champlain. The British began building their fleet in 1776, which took them most of the summer.

While this was happening Benedict Arnold received approval on July 3, 1776 from the Continental Congress to send additional resources to Skenesborough (now Whitehall, NY) to supplement the army’s effort to reinforce our fleet which in 1775 included the schooner “Liberty” captured by Captain Samuel Herrick at Skenesborough in 1775 and the sloop “Enterprise” captured by Benedict Arnold at St Johns, Canada in May 1775. The schooner “Revenge” and the Schooner “Royal Savage” that were sunk by General Montgomery during the invasion of Canada were raised in October 1775 and taken to  Fort Ticonderoga for further repairs on November 18, 1775. During the next two months, Skenesborough produced eight 54-foot gondolas and four 72-foot galleys under the direction of General Benedict Arnold. The builders also reassembled and completed the 44-foot cutter ‘Lee” from material taken from St. Johns by Benedict Arnold’s men during the retreat from Canada. Through Arnold’s perseverance, the Americans were able to field a fleet of seventeen vessels that included three schooners, two sloops, one cutter, seven gondolas, and four row galleys. The British fleet consisted of two schooners, one gondola, twenty-eight gunboats, one radeau (a floating battery),  an entire ship HM sloop-of-war “Inflexible,” and bateau carrying 4,000 British regulars.

On September 23, 1776, Benedict Arnold was alerted that the departure of the British from St. Johns was imminent. Arnold moved his fleet into the passage between Valcour Island and the New York shore and waited to engage a superior British navy. From this anchorage Arnold’s fleet was hidden from the open lake and the approach of the British from the north. Arnold anticipated that the British would wait until they had a favorable north wind and would sail past the island hell bent on destroying his fleet on the open lake. This is exactly what happened on October 11, 1776. Arnold sent boats past the southern end of the island to make the British aware of their presence and to lure them toward his line that was formed by boats moored end to end in a tight arc. This formation enabled his fleet to concentrate their fire on any British boats or ship that approached. Arnold’s location also made it difficult for the larger boats to concentrate an attack against the prevailing north wind. The close engagement of gunfire lasted from 11:30 a.m. until 5:00 pm. At the end of the day, Arnold had lost the gondola “Philadelphia” which sank and the schooner “Royal Savage” which was captured and burned by the British. Arnold’s fleet had suffered significant damage and had 60 casualties out of 760 men. Recognizing that his fleet could not survive another attack, Arnold ordered a retreat south through the anchored British fleet.

At approximately 7:30 p.m., the galley “Trumbull” led the way with the remainder of the fleet falling into line guided by the shaded stern lantern of the boat before them. The “Trumbull” was followed by the gondolas and then the galleys “Washington” and the present flagship “Congress.” In silence, the fleet went along the western shore of New York undetected. At dawn, the British awakened expecting to continue the fight and found Arnold’s fleet gone. Arnold had anchored his fleet at Schuyler Island on October 12, 1776, to repair damages. Two gondolas, the “Jersey” and the “Spitfire” were beyond repair and were abandoned. On October 13, 1776, the British were able to overtake Arnold’s fleet south of Split Rock. They captured the galley “Washington” while they pursued Arnold on the “Congress” and four gondolas into Ferris Bay, Vermont (Now Arnold’s Bay). There was a running gun battle between the “Congress” and the British fleet as Arnold made a stand against impossible odds. After running their boats ashore Arnold’ men torched them with their flags still flying. Arnold and his men made their way overland to the relative safety of Fort Ticonderoga. Only four of Arnold’s fifteen boats engaged at Valcour made it back to Fort Ticonderoga. Although a British victory, Arnold’s fleet was able to delay their campaign until 1777 ,which gave the Americans time to prepare for the invasion from the north. It also put the British on notice that we were prepared to fight for our independence as evidenced by the future battle at Saratoga.

When you are driving or sailing by Valcour think about what happened there and the impact that Benedict Arnold and our small fleet of ships had on our country. The America 250 Celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence offers many opportunities to participate in activities and reconnect with our history.

Note: the Battle of Valcour Commemoration this year will be held at the Peru Dock, Rte 9 south, at 11 am, October 11th.

—Story by Noel Stewart, Past President, Clinton County Historical Association

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