Posts

The Battles of Ticonderoga and Crown Point: 1775

Image
Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen, and the Green Mountain Boys  ∙  The Seizure of Fort Ticonderoga  ∙  The Seizure of Crown Point and St. John's  ∙  A Bitter Pill to Swallow Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen, and the Green Mountain Boys The martially-minded Benedict Arnold (pictured here) had marched to Boston determined to win glory and honor, and he wasted no time hatching a plan to do exactly that. In 1758 Arnold had been a militiaman in the failed British-American attack on the French-held Fort Carillon; what better place to win laurels than against the British in the same fort?  Arnold had been toying with the idea of taking Fort Ticonderoga ever since running into Colonel Samuel Parsons on his way to Cambridge. Parsons had been heading to Connecticut to recruit more men for the siege of Boston, and he’d lamented the lack of cannon the rebels could bring to bear on the British. The conversation sparked Arnold’s memories of Fort Ticonderoga, through which h...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Battles for Lexington and Concord: 1775

Image
An Early Morning on Boston Common  ∙Two Lanterns in Christ Church  ∙  A Midnight Ride  ∙  A Skirmish at Lexington  ∙  The ‘Burning’ of Concord  ∙  A Skirmish on the North Bridge  ∙  Battle Road: The Retreat from Concord∙  A Brief Respite at Munroe’s Tavern∙  ‘The War’s Begun and School is Done.’  ∙  Battle Road: The Retreat from Lexington An Early Morning on Boston Common A few minutes before 10 PM on 18 April, British sergeants hurried through a handful of barracks, gruffly shaking the sleeping soldiers awake. They must’ve woken with a start, since they were usually roused awake by coarse shouting from their officers. One can imagine the confusion of waking in the quiet, of seeing your officer above you, the stifled commands to be silent as you assembled. The barracks were quiet as the men dressed in their gear; on days absent any excitement except drill, the soldiers took two to three hours a day keeping ...
Post a Comment
Read more