USA > Vermont > The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol. I > Part 19
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the command of the expedition, even though the recruits had been promised that they would be commanded only by their own officers, and in spite of the fact that they recognized Ethan Allen as their leader.
The situation was now hopelessly complicated from the legal and political standpoint. Certainly no men, whether they lived in Con- necticut, Massachusetts or Vermont had any legal authority to capture a fort belonging to the King. The bulk of the expedition was com- posed of Vermonters, who had assembled at Castleton, when notified by Major Gershom Beach that action awaited the Green Mountain Boys. He had covered sixty miles on foot in twenty-four hours, through a country practically without roads, a journey which had made Paul Revere's ride seem like child's play. From hill and from valley the settlers had hastened as rapidly as possible to their meeting place. The Green Mountain Boys were a lawless, undisciplined group, and were nearly as much opposed to colonial regulation as to England's efforts to rule them. They denied the authority of any of the thirteen col- onies over them. They were accustomed to having their own way and their own leaders. From their point of view, Ethan Allen was the rightful leader ; and Massachusetts had no jurisdiction over Vermont- ers. On the other hand, Arnold had been regularly commissioned from one of the thirteen colonies; whereas the people on the New Hampshire Grants had no recognized government, being technically under the rule of New York. Although Ethan Allen was a brave, patriotic leader of men he was without adequate military training, whereas Arnold was clearly his superior in that field. Thus it will be seen that both men had certain valid claims to the command.
When a lighted match comes into contact with gas an explosion is inevitable. Some such result was certain when Arnold and Allen met. These two personalities could not mix. Both rendered invaluable service to their country. Both were brave and courageous to the point of recklessness. Allen was always intensely patriotic; and Arnold also was intensely loyal at this stage of his life, before his spirit was crushed by later events. Both were tenacious to the point of stubbornness, but here the similarity ceases. Arnold was a fine master of military science, standing second only to Washington in this respect in the whole patriot army. Ethan Allen stood out among men by the force of his personality but he was not primarily the sol- dier. He was the crude, rough frontiersman, whereas Arnold was
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refined, peppery, cocky and polished. The Green Mountain Boys tended to love Allen, who was one of themselves, and to distrust Arnold, whose ways and methods were foreign to them.
In spite of his impetuous undertakings, his general coarseness- including his famed profanity-and his other shortcomings, there can be only love for that sterling patriot, Ethan Allen. His story is deep in the hearts of his countrymen, particularly those who dwell in the region of the Green Mountains. In connection with Benedict Arnold, it should be remembered that Lake Champlain was closely connected with the golden chapters of his life. His treachery at West Point did not come until after his exploits in the Champlain Valley had ceased. No man bulks larger in the story of the Revolution, so far as New York and Vermont are concerned, than Arnold. Many historians have been blinded, by his later treachery, to the great deeds he ac- complished. They have attempted to attribute all his activities to the basest of motives. They have utterly refused him any credit whatsoever for his unparalleled exploits along the Kennebec River, on Lake Champlain, and at Saratoga. This is a mistake; because the historian should concern himself with the truth rather than attempt to bolster the moral code upon a pedestal of falsehood. On the other hand, there has been a tendency to correct this situation by going to the other extreme to apply a coat of whitewash to Arnold's later career. It is true that he lived in a time when treachery was more the rule than the exception, and many Americans joined the Tory cause to fight against relatives and neighbors; while others, like bloodsuckers, collected graft on the inside. On the other hand, the fact that treachery was common does not logically excuse Arnold any more than the stealing of a horse by my neighbor would make it morally right for me to steal one. I have no desire to whitewash his later treachery. On the other hand he will receive full credit for that section of his life that was truly great. Let the chips fall where they may !
Arnold contended strenuously for the right to command the little expedition, but his arguments before the council only seemed to arouse the antipathy of the Green Mountain Boys, who objected to being led by any other than their own officers. The following morning he set out to find Ethan Allen and to enumerate his claims to him in person. Arnold evidently had some good arguments and certainly was throw- ing the whole weight of his forceful personality into the matter,
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because we are told that when he went to seek Allen the whole party followed for fear lest he should succeed in prevailing upon the leader of the Green Mountain Boys to resign. There seems to have been some reason for this fear because, apparently, Allen would have suc- cumbed to Arnold's arguments if it had not been for the insistence of his men, who threatened to leave if they were not commanded by their own leaders. To mollify them, Allen and Easton told them that Arnold would not have the command and that even if he did, they would receive the same pay as previously planned, but they growled that they "would damn the pay" and insisted that they would serve only under their own officers.
Finally a compromise was made. The exact nature of the agree- ment is unknown, and has been a subject of bitter controversy ever since. Arnold afterwards claimed that he and Allen agreed to share the command, and it is known that the two men marched together at the head of the column; while Allen himself wrote, that when the men swarmed into Fort Ticonderoga the leaders maintained the same position : "Colonel Arnold entered the fortress with me side by side." In his later narratives Allen neglected to mention that Arnold was even present, but these were written after his rival had turned traitor and when it was considered fitting and proper either to blacken Arnold as much as possible or, at least, to completely forget him. The most impartial evidence concerning this matter has come to us from British sources, Lieutenant Feltham of the Ticonderoga garrison reporting that Allen and Arnold informed him, when they demanded surrender, that they had a joint command. This officer had no apparent reason to take sides in this matter, and no ax of his own to grind. Since his reports are clearly correct in other respects, there is every reason to believe that he made no mistake concerning the leadership of the men who captured Ticonderoga. According to the preponderance of evidence, therefore, it seems that Arnold and Allen shared equally in authority.
It is interesting to consider why these two forceful and clashing personalities were willing to compromise. Both were naturally aggressive, stubborn individuals, generally determined on having their own way. In this case it is easier to understand Arnold's willingness to arbitrate than Allen's spirit of compromise. As we have noted, the men would not follow Arnold nor anyone else except their own officers. Arnold had the choice of half a command or none at all.
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He loved to fight and was never happier than when in the thick of battle. Moreover he was highly interested in the project of captur- ing Ticonderoga. Under the circumstances it is easy to understand why he was willing to share the command of the expedition. In Allen's case, the reason for compromise is not so clear. He had the men on his side, and their partiality to him was remarkable. They refused to fight unless he should lead them. Arnold was alone, friendless and helpless. It might be argued that Arnold's storming and blustering, backed by his forceful personality, succeeded in browbeating Allen, but that would be astonishing, indeed. It is extremely difficult to believe that the sturdy leader of the Green Mountain Boys could have been browbeaten by anyone, including George the Third himself. The man who had defied Colden and the authority of New York in the controversy over the land grants, and who had fought so aggressively for the homes of the New Hampshire grantees, was not the type to be stampeded. Another reason given for Allen's decision to compromise was the fact that Arnold possessed a commission properly presented by Massachusetts. It has been argued that by making terms with Arnold, Allen could clothe his expedition with a measure of legality. This point is also difficult to understand because it would be unusual to find Allen troubled with questions of legality. He had his own strict code of right and wrong, and tended to place more reliance upon laws dictated to his conscience from above than upon man-made laws. At a later date in history he would doubtless have agreed with Wil- liam Seward that there was a higher law than the Constitution. It is difficult to imagine him desiring the legal support of Arnold's com- mission. In any case, it would be hard to uphold the commission as being legal anyway, because the citizens of Massachusetts clearly had no right to attack their King's fort at Ticonderoga except in actual rebellion, which did not legally begin until July, 1776.
Approximately one mile north of Fort Ticonderoga, on the Ver- mont side of Lake Champlain, is located Hand's Cove. Here Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, and more than two hundred men gathered on the evening of May ninth. In the meantime, Noah Phelps had visited the fort on the pretense of looking for a barber, and while being shaved had gathered some useful information. He now reported to the force at Hand's Cove that not only were the works in a sad con- dition, but that the garrison numbered less than fifty men. Ticon-
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deroga, entirely unaware of its danger, prepared for the night, while on the opposite shore the patriots were fuming with impatience for action. Boats were lacking and until some type of water transporta- tion was available, the capture of the fort, so close at hand, was only a dream. Captain Samuel Herrick and some men had been sent to Skenesborough to obtain some boats, but they did not appear. Finally, however, by hard labor and Yankee ingenuity, a few boats were assembled. Among these was a large rowboat belonging to Major Skene, which had been anchored off Willow Point in the town of Brid- port in charge of a colored servant. Two young men, knowing the Negro's fondness for New England rum, had hatched up a scheme to obtain possession of the craft. They had hailed the colored man, told him they were on their way to join a hunting party, offered to row if he would let them have the boat, and finally had exhibited a jug of rum. As they had expected, the Negro had been greatly interested, and had succumbed to the temptation. The result was one boat at the service of the Green Mountain Boys. In the meantime, another party had secured a scow and a few small boats, but transportation facilities remained quite inadequate.
The situation was rapidly becoming critical as the night was swiftly passing. Twenty-four hours of delay might result in the discovery of the attacking party by the British. Therefore it was decided to act at once with the resources that were available. Eighty- five men were crowded into the boats, the remainder being left behind on the Vermont shore under the command of Seth Warner. The moon had set and squalls were blowing up from the north as Allen and Arnold and their men made their way across the lake to a point a half mile north of the fort. So long had been the delay in starting, due to the lack of boats, that it was daybreak before the western shore was reached. In spite of the fact that the larger part of the patriot force waited on the Vermont side it was too late to make another trip. Thus, rather than to lose the chance of surprising the fort, it was decided to proceed at once. Allen pointed out the dangers to the men and asked for volunteers, but every man raised his gun in token of his willingness to do his part. Within the fort, there was no premonition of danger. Captain Delaplace and the forty-five or fifty men who comprised the garrison were sleeping peacefully except the sentry, and even he was probably dozing.
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It was approximately three o'clock when the Green Mountain Boys left their boats and started for the fort. In the east the sky was paling. From the north the fitful breeze came in gusts. In front marched Arnold and Allen, side by side. Arnold's uniform was that of a captain in the Connecticut Governor's footguards, his scarlet coat contrasting vividly with Allen's apparel, consisting of a green coat and yellow breeches. Back of them came the men, each one dressed in his own individual style. Some had on hunting clothes, some looked ready to attend church, while others appeared to have been plucked directly from behind their plows. They had a motley array of weapons, ranging from rifles to clubs and knives. In fact, the only thing they seemed to have in common was a grim determination to possess the fort which threatened the tenancy of their farms across the lake. As they pushed forward and neared the walls, the dozing sentry aroused himself in time to pull the trigger of his musket. It missed fire, however, and he ran. The Green Mountain Boys then rushed unhindered to the parade ground, where their cheers awakened the sleeping garrison. Once inside the fortress the result was no longer in doubt. The British were completely surprised and were not prepared to fight, while in any case their numbers were so much smaller that resistance was rather hopeless.
Ethan Allen promptly sought to find the quarters of Commandant William Delaplace. A soldier started to guide him there, and when they arrived at the stairs which led up to the captain's room, they beheld an officer at the top wearing a coat and waistcoat, but holding his breeches in his hand. He was Lieutenant Feltham; although the Green Mountain Boys assumed that he was the commander, and although tradition has assigned the breeches-holding rôle to Dela- place. Feltham deemed it wise to play for time, thus giving the British garrison a chance to get organized, and therefore began to ask questions. He asked, among other things, by what authority the invaders entered the fort. Arnold and Allen both faced him and explained their joint command, and their commissions from Massa- chusetts and Connecticut. Perhaps Allen decided that there was a need for additional authority. In any case, according to tradition, the leader of the Green Mountain Boys thundered out the startling answer: "In the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress." Still, Feltham temporized; but Allen's sword flashed overhead and guns were menacingly pointed. The shots he had
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expected to hear from the redcoats did not come. Thereupon, Fel- tham decided it was wise to disclose that he was not the commanding officer. The Green Mountain Boys were now becoming angry, and they made an attempt to force the Commandant's door, but were restrained by the more polite Arnold. By this time Delaplace was fully dressed and came out of his own accord. He promptly agreed to surrender and went downstairs to order his men to lay down their arms. Meanwhile, Feltham was locked up in his superior's room with ample time in which to finish his dressing. He probably wondered how the profane, swash-buckling Allen and his riotous force could have obtained any special mandate from Jehovah, and was probably even more puzzled over the reference to the Continental Congress. It did happen, however, that on that very day a Continental Congress was to assemble in Philadelphia for its first session; but its members were not scheduled to meet for a few hours yet, so it certainly had not sanc- tioned the capture of Ticonderoga. Meanwhile, Seth Warner and the force which had been left behind at Hand's Cove appeared and at about the same time, the British liquor supply was discovered. There- upon, no time was lost in celebrating the joyous occasion. In the words of Ethan Allen: "The sun seemed to rise that morning with a superior lustre; and Ticonderoga and all its dependencies smiled on its con- querors, who tossed about the flowing bowl, and wished success to Con- gress, and the liberty and freedom of America."
We can easily imagine the confusion that existed everywhere. Pillaging by the victorious Vermonters was indiscriminate and wide- spread. Liquor, food, clothes and anything else they could lay their hands on swiftly disappeared so far as the British were concerned. Arnold's military sense was outraged by the riotous scenes unfolded before his eyes and he did his best to restore discipline, but in vain. He found the Green Mountain Boys as hard to control as had the authorities of New York stationed at Albany.
Seth Warner and his men, not having had a share in the glory of capturing Ticonderoga, asked for the privilege of taking Crown Point, and permission was granted. Since that post contained only a ser- geant, eight soldiers and a few women and children, the British had no chance to prevent its capture, which took place the next day, May eleventh [1775]. With the possession of Crown Point and Ticon- deroga, the southern section of the Champlain Valley was now in the hands of the colonists. If these positions should be strengthened and
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fortifications rebuilt, they would clearly be of immense value in dis- couraging British invasions up the valley. It is certain that the suc- cesses of the Green Mountain Boys greatly heartened the colonial governments in their controversies with England, and thus advanced them farther along the road leading to independence. The ammu- nition and stores captured were also of great value. One hundred and twenty iron cannon were included. The following winter, under the supervision of Colonel Henry Knox, many of these guns were taken up Lake George on the ice by eighty yoke of oxen, thence to Albany, Springfield, and Boston, where fifty-five cannon were deliv- ered to General Washington. This supply of artillery was of immense value, and resulted in driving the British from Boston.
John Brown, the Pittsfield lawyer, was immediately sent on another mission, this time to inform the Continental Congress of developments. That group of men, however, was as startled as Fel- tham and Delaplace had been, and immediately passed resolutions seeking to justify the capture on the grounds that the English might have used the cannon against the colonists. The delegates did not realize that war was inevitable and provided that an inventory should be taken, so that the captured supplies could be restored to England when the breach between the colonies and the mother country should be healed. The amazingly low caliber of the Continental Congress was demonstrated soon when it decided that Ticonderoga should be abandoned and that all stores and supplies should be moved to a new fortress to be built at the southern end of Lake George. How and why that decision was reached is impossible of understanding. The Congressmen were practically the only group of people in the colonies that failed to appreciate the tremendous military importance of the possession of Ticonderoga. Howls of disgust rent the air throughout New England. The legislatures of these Colonies protested vig- orously. Their anger, however, was small compared to that felt by Allen, Arnold and their men when they heard the news. This reac- tion of Congress to their noble success was a complete surprise and a terrible shock. Both Arnold and Allen wrote letters to Congress, protesting against the decision. Allen included this advice :
"The more vigorous the Colonies push the war against the King's Troops in Canada the more friends we shall find in that Country. . . . should the colonies forthwith send an army of two or three thousand
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men, and attack Montreal, we should have little to fear from the Canadians or Indians, and would easily make a conquest of that place, and set up the standard of liberty in the extensive province of Quebec, whose limit was enlarged purely to subvert the liberties of America. Advancing an army into Canada will be agreeable to our friends ; and it is bad policy to fear the resentment of an enemy."
In any case the flood of protests that poured in on Congress from all sides opposing the abandonment of Ticonderoga eventually proved effective, and the delegates, reversing their previous decision, voted to maintain the fort. The Continental Congress was not as far advanced along the road to revolution as were the people living on the New England frontier. The Congressmen did not yet realize that war was inevitable; while many New Englanders did. This probably explains the difference in the points of view. It should be remembered that independence was not declared by Congress until July 4, 1776, which was fourteen months later ; while much blood was to be shed in the Champlain Valley before that time.
The expedition that had been sent against Skenesborough under Captain Herrick had been successful, resulting in the capture of the settlement and the acquisition of a schooner, the "Liberty." At about this same time, Fort George was occupied by the Americans as well. Since 1774, it had been commanded by a former English army officer of Swedish nationality named John Nordberg to whom, in recognition of his military services, had been given the title of "Governor of Lake George." He had lived near the barricade with only a couple of men as neighbors, there being no actual garrison at Fort George. It was not a very difficult feat, therefore, for the patriots to kick him out and take possession. Soon, the colonial authorities sent a small garrison there to forward supplies to the forces on Lake Champlain. St. Johns, at the northern end of that lake remained in British hands and it was against this post that American aggression should logically be aimed next. Here the English had a supply of boats. If these could be captured or destroyed, any possible English attempts to recapture Crown Point and Ticonderoga would certainly be delayed. On the other hand, if the British retained possession of them, the colonial tenancy of the southern end of the lake would remain uncer- tain, particularly because of the glaring weaknesses of the forts the patriots had captured.
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At a council of war, Benedict Arnold was selected to command the "Liberty," and he set sail toward the north as soon as possible. He was delayed, however, in his progress by contrary winds or none at all. Nevertheless he arrived at St. Johns without discovery and captured the small garrison of one sergeant and twelve men without bloodshed. He seized two cannon and four bateaux, but the finest prize was a large sloop, belonging to the King, which was the strongest craft on the entire lake. All shipping that he could not take with him was destroyed. Arnold could not remain at St. Johns, however. Fort Chambly was only thirteen miles to the north, and its garrison of fifty men might even now make its appearance. Having done all the damage that he could possibly do with his small force, Arnold there- fore set sail for Ticonderoga aboard the captured sloop, which was renamed the "Enterprise."
Meanwhile Ethan Allen had started northward with a flotilla of bateaux, and a force, the size of which has been variously estimated. It probably numbered around one hundred after being reënforced by Warner at Crown Point. Thus it happened that eventually Allen, proceeding towards St. Johns, met Arnold, who was proudly sailing southward with the schooner and the sloop. When they approached, Allen boarded the newly captured prize, and heard about Arnold's victory. The two officers then "went below" to celebrate the event by drinking toasts to Congress. Evidently this legislative body was thoroughly toasted, for Allen's ambition and optimism increased by leaps and bounds until he finally announced his intention of going Arnold one better by continuing his way to St. Johns and holding that post against the British regulars. This idea was, of course, prepos- terous in view of the size of the English forces in Canada, and Arnold tried to change his mind but in vain. Borrowing provisions necessary for the undertaking, Allen resumed his advance northward.
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