Chapter VII: Capture of Ticonderoga

In the gray of the morning, Wednesday, May 10, 1775, Ethan Allen with eighty-three Green Mountain Boys crossed the lake. He frankly told his followers of the danger, but every gun was poised to dare that danger. Soon three huzzas rang out on the parade-ground of the sleeping fort. The English captain, De Laplace, not knowing that his nation had an enemy on this continent, asked innocently by what authority his surrender was demanded. Need I repeat the answer? No words in the language are more familiar than Allen's reply. The British colors were trailed before a power that had no national flag for more than two years afterward. A few hours later, that same day, the second session of the Continental Congress began at Philadelphia, the members all unaware and soon in part disapproving of this exploit of Allen's. The graphic account by the hero's own, pen is more life-like than that of any historian:

The first systematical and bloody attempt at Lexington to enslave
America thoroughly electrified my mind, and fully determined
me to take part with my country. And while I was wishing for
an opportunity to signalize myself in its behalf, directions
were privately sent to me from the then colony of Connecticut
to raise the Green Mountain Boys, and if possible with them to
surprise and take the fortress of Ticonderoga. This enterprise
I cheerfully undertook; and after first guarding all the passes
that led thither, to cut off all intelligence between the
garrison and the country, made a forced march from Bennington and
arrived at the lake opposite to Ticonderoga on the evening of the
ninth day of May, 1775, with two hundred and thirty valiant Green
Mountain Boys.

It was with the utmost difficulty that I procured boats to cross
the lake. However, I landed eighty-three men near the garrison,
and sent the boats back for the rear guard, commanded by Col.
Seth Warner, but the day began to dawn and I found myself under
a necessity to attack the fort before the rear could cross the
lake, and, as it was viewed hazardous, I harangued the officers
and soldiers in the following manner:

"Friends and fellow-soldiers, you have for a number of years past
been a scourge and terror to arbitrary power. Your valor has been
famed abroad and acknowledged, as appears by the advice and
orders to me from the General Assembly of Connecticut to surprise
and take the garrison now before us. I now propose to advance
before you, and in person conduct you through the wicket-gate;
for we must this morning either quit our pretensions to valor or
possess ourselves of this fortress in a few minutes; and inasmuch
as it is a desperate attempt which none but the bravest of men
dare undertake, I do not urge it on any contrary to his will. You
that will undertake voluntarily, poise your firelocks."

The men being at this time drawn up in three ranks, each
poised his firelock. I ordered them to face to the right, and
at the head of the centre file marched them immediately to
the wicket-gate aforesaid, where I found a sentry posted who
instantly snapped his fusee at me. I ran immediately toward him,
and he retreated through the covered way into the parade within
the garrison, gave a halloo, and ran under a bomb-proof. My party
who followed me into the fort I formed on the parade in such a
manner as to face the two barracks, which faced each other. The
garrison being asleep, except the sentries, we gave three huzzas,
which greatly surprised them. One of the sentries made a pass at
one of my officers with a charge bayonet, and slightly wounded
him. My first thought was to kill him with my sword, but in an
instant I altered the design and fury of the blow to a slight cut
on the side of the head; upon which he dropped his gun and asked
quarter, which I readily granted him, and demanded of him the
place where the commanding officer kept.

He showed me a pair of stairs in front of the barrack, on the
west part of the garrison, which led up to a second story in
said barrack, to which I immediately repaired, and ordered the
commander, Captain De la Place, to come forth instantly, or I
would sacrifice the whole garrison; at which the captain came
immediately to the door with his breeches in his hand, when I
ordered him to deliver me the fort instantly; he asked me by
what authority I demanded it; I answered him, In the name of the
great Jehovah and the Continental Congress. The authority of
the Congress being very little known at that time, he began to
speak again, but I interrupted him, and with my drawn sword over
his head again demanded an immediate surrender of the garrison:
with which he then complied and ordered his men to be forthwith
paraded without arms, as he had given up the garrison.

In the mean time some of my officers had given orders, and in
consequence thereof sundry of the barrack doors were beaten
down, and about one-third of the garrison imprisoned, which
consisted of the said commander, a Lieut. Feltham, a conducter of
artillery, a gunner, two sergeants, and forty-four rank and file:
about one hundred pieces of cannon, one thirteen-inch mortar, and
a number of swords.

This surprise was carried into execution in the gray of the
morning of the tenth day of May, 1775. The sun seemed to rise
that morning with a superior lustre: and Ticonderoga and its
dependencies smiled on its conquerors, who tossed about the
flowing bowl, and wished success to Congress, and the liberty and
freedom of America. Happy it was for me at that time, that the
then future pages of the book of fate, which afterwards unfolded
a miserable scene of two years and eight months' imprisonment,
were hid from my view. But to return to my narrative. Col.
Warner, with the rear guard, crossed the lake and joined me
early in the morning, whom I sent off without loss of time with
about one hundred men to take possession of Crown Point, which
was garrisoned with a sergeant and twelve men; which he took
possession of the same day, as also of upwards of one hundred
pieces of cannon.

The soldierly qualities exhibited by Allen in the expedition seem to have been, first, reticence or concealment of purpose from the enemy; second, power of commanding enthusiastic obedience from his men; third, adaptation of means to object; fourth, alacrity; and, fifth, courage. Success gave a brilliant _éclat_ to this effort, which time has only served to render more brilliant.

The following letters written by Allen furnish us with additional information which makes the whole affair stand out vividly for nineteenth-century readers:

TICONDEROGA, May 11th, 1775.

_To the Massachusetts Congress._

GENTLEMEN:--I have to inform you with pleasure unfelt before,
that on break of day of the 10th of May, 1775, by the order of
the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut, I took the
fortress of Ticonderoga by storm. The soldiery was composed of
about one hundred Green Mountain Boys and near fifty veteran
soldiers from the Province of the Massachusetts Bay. The latter
was under the command of Col. James Easton, who behaved with
great zeal and fortitude not only in council, but in the assault.
The soldiery behaved with such resistless fury, that they so
terrified the King's Troops that they durst not fire on their
assailants, and our soldiery was agreeably disappointed. The
soldiery behaved with uncommon rancour when they leaped into
the Fort: and it must be confessed that the Colonel has greatly
contributed to the taking of that Fortress, as well as John
Brown, Esq. Attorney at Law, who was also an able counsellor, and
was personally in the attack. I expect the Colonies will maintain
this Fort. As to the cannon and warlike stores, I hope they may
serve the cause of liberty instead of tyranny, and I humbly
implore your assistance in immediately assisting the Government
of Connecticut in establishing a garrison in the reduced
premises. Col. Easton will inform you at large.

From, gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

ETHAN ALLEN.

TICONDEROGA, May 12th, 1775.

_To the Honorable Congress of the Province of the
Massachusetts Bay or Council of War._

HONORABLE SIRS:--I make you a present of a major, a captain,
and two lieutenants in the regular establishment for George the
Third. I hope they may serve as ransomes for some of our friends
at Boston, and particularly for Captain Brown of Rhode Island.
A party of men under the command of Capt. Herrick has took
possession of Skenesborough, imprisoned Major Skene, and seized
a schooner of his. I expect in ten days time to have it rigged,
manned, and armed with six or eight pieces of cannon, which, with
the boats in our possession, I purpose to make an attack on the
armed sloop of George the Third which is now cruising on Lake
Champlain, and is about twice as big as the schooner. I hope in
a short time to be authorized to acquaint your Honor that Lake
Champlain and the fortifications thereon are subjected to the
Colonies. The enterprise has been approbated by the officers and
soldiery of the Green Mountain Boys, nor do I hesitate as to
the success. I expect lives must be lost in the attack, as the
commander of George's sloop is a man of courage, etc. I conclude
Capt. Warner is by this time in possession of Crown Point, the
ordnance, stores, etc. I conclude Governor Carleton will exert
himself to oppose us, and command the Lake, etc. Messrs. Hickok,
Halsey and Nichols have the charge of conducting the officers to
Hartford. These gentlemen have been very assiduous and active
in the late expedition. I depend upon your Honor's aid and
assistance in a situation so contiguous to Canada. I subscribe
myself your Honor's ever faithful, most obedient and humble
servant,

ETHAN ALLEN,
_At present Commander of Ticonderoga_.

To the Honorable Jonathan Trumbull, Esq., Capt. General and
Governor of the Colony of Connecticut.