Ticonderoga

During the French and Indian War, in June, 1758, a British and Provincial force of 15,000 men advanced upon Ticonderoga, then occupied by the French. Montcalm had only 3,600. After some indecision he retired to the site of the fort and threw up earthworks, During their advance the English lost Howe, and the command fell to the incompetent Abercromby. Without support of artillery he attempted to carry the fort by a bayonet charge. He was disastrously repulsed with a lo of 1,944 to 277 on the side of the French. He retreated precipitately. On July 22, 1759, General Amherst appeared before Ticonderoga. He met little opposition and placed his artillery in position. On the night of the 23d, Bourlamaque retired from the fort with the best troops. The garrison kept up a brisk fire until the night of the 26th, when they abandoned the place and fired a train to the magazine. The fort was blown up and the place fell into English hands.—In the Revolutionary War also the strategic importance of Ticonderoga was recognized. A force under Ethan Allen arrived on the shore of Lake Cham plain in the early morning of May 10, 1775. There were not enough boats to carry over all his forces, and so with only eighty-three men he descended upon the little garrison, who surrendered without a blow. Thus the colonists gained the key to the route to and from Canada, and captured a number af cannon and a considerable quantity of powder and ball, which they much needed. On July 1, 1777, Burgoyne in his march south appeared before Ticonderoga. The British seized a position which commands the fort and compelled the garrison, 3,000 in number, to evacuate. These retired into the Green Mountains, the women and wounded to Fort Edward (July 5, 1777). “Nidal Wave,’’ the term applied to the unprecedented succe of the Democratic party in elections, State and Congre ional, from 1872 to 1876. This was due to the corruption of the Republican administration. The tidal wave resulted in the contested election of 1876-77. 298