Fort Ticonderoga

fort_ticonderoga

Happy #ManuscriptMonday! The evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga by the American army on July 6, 1777 came as a demoralizing shock to observers. While the fort had been undermanned and undersupplied for much of 1777, many had believed it was impregnable. Its abandonment was seen as a disaster and a betrayal of the American cause, and speculation about who was at fault flew thick and fast. Today’s manuscript, MS.3003, captures the speculations of Elbridge Gerry, a Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress and namesake of the gerrymander. On August 14, 1777, Gerry wrote to a friend from Massachusetts, “The Loss of Tyonderoga… having given to ye inquisitive much Reason to Suspect that it happened thro Neglect, Misconduct, or Timidity, has induced ye Commanding Officer of that Department [General Philip Schuyler], & ye Officer who commanded at ye Post [General Arthur St. Clair], to take ye earliest Opportunities in their letters… to exculpate themselves & throw ye Blame on others.” Having criticized Schuyler and St. Clair for shifting blame, Gerry then does the same thing on behalf of his state. He denies St. Clair’s claims that the Massachusetts regiments at Ticonderoga were under-strength and ill-supplied and defends their contribution to the war as “equal to any & Superior to most of ye States in ye union”, even claiming that the troops’ lack of clothes “exhibits an Instance of Patriotism in ye State not discovered in many others… in Indulgence to ye Cloathier General to purchase for all ye States, before you had clothed your own Batalions”. After this unlikely defense, Gerry states that “ye Foundation of ye Evil” was Schuyler’s over-powerful position as both a delegate to the Continental Congress and a general. He hopes that an enquiry in Congress will uncover the cause of the disaster but suggests that Massachusetts conduct its own enquiry into its officers and share the results, defending the state’s honor and sending the blame somewhere else.

This document can be found on our online database at the link below: #TiconderogaCollections #OpeningTheVault https://fortticonderoga.pastperfectonline.com/archive/F13283BA-74EC-457E-8277-855374311222

fort_ticonderoga

Happy #ManuscriptMonday! It’s not surprising that in an army of people with different backgrounds, temperaments, and values who were poorly supplied and fed and whose goal was to defeat one of the world’s great empires, tensions ran high and sometimes boiled over. Ticonderoga’s archives contain many stories of Revolutionary War officers and men behaving badly. Today’s manuscript, MS.2129, is one of those stories, as told by Dr. Malachi Treat. Treat, a doctor at Albany’s military hospital, wrote this letter in 1777 to Dr. Jonathan Potts, Director General of the Hospitals in the army’s Northern Department. Treat describes a quarrel between Dr. Thomas Tillotson of the hospital and Colonel Brewer, likely Colonel Samuel Brewer of Massachusetts. The trouble began when Brewer demanded a patient be discharged from the hospital without consulting Potts or his staff, “which Sir you know is contrary to your Express Orders”. When Tillotson stood his ground, matters escalated. “The Coll. then called the Dr. a damn’d Rascal.” “Rascal” at the time was a much worse insult than it is today, and Tillotson reacted accordingly: “Tillottson all in Fire as you may suppose advanced towards him… the Dr. gave him a whack in the [illegible]… and repeated the Blow twice or thrice”. Where exactly Tillotson whacked Brewer is not clear; the word may be “muns”, slang for face, or “shins”. Wherever his whack landed, the message was delivered. Brewer retreated, but did not give up. Later, Treat reports, “The Coll…. came to the Hospital with a large party (20 I have been informed…) well arm’d Bayonets…” Tillotson then ordered the hospital staff to take up arms themselves. While the conflict had escalated from insults to whacks to threats of greater force, an actual battle was a step too far for both sides. Treat writes, “the two Bodies met, view’d each other for some time, and then the Coll’s Party returned to their Barracks very orderly”. In the end, Colonel Brewer did not get his man.

This document can be found on our online database at the link below: #TiconderogaCollections #OpeningTheVault https://fortticonderoga.pastperfectonline.com/Archive/E5AF97DB-8F10-4400-9473-534887943315

fort_ticonderoga

At Fort Ticonderoga, our daily programs and guided tours bring history to life through our amazing storytelling from our interpretive team. Across our 2,000 acres, these historian led tours cover everything from the incredible battles on our hallowed grounds, unique exhibits, magnificent gardens to daily life at the Fort. From land to lake, family tours to signature curated experiences, there’s something for everyone!

More Information: https://ow.ly/PXNF50Pw5Kh
Watch Our Video: https://ow.ly/mcSn50Pw5Kf

fort_ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga has been awarded a Preserve New York (PNY) grant of $18,800 that will fund an existing conditions study for the historic fort walls. The Preservation League of NYS and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) are thrilled to help fund this important work.

“Fort Ticonderoga is exceedingly grateful to the Preservation League of New York State for their vital support to study the existing conditions of the historic walls,” said Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “This project is a critical first step in determining future preservation and restoration initiatives to ensure the structure remains for generations to come.”

Fort Ticonderoga will commission John G. Waite Associates, historic preservation architects, to undertake the conditions study on the historic fort walls. The study will include:
A description of existing conditions.
A recommendation section outlining repairs that are required to preserve the walls. These recommendations will be prioritized.
Measured drawings using rectified photography. The drawings will include a roof plan and exterior wall elevations. These will serve as the basis for construction drawings for the stabilization and restoration of the walls.

READ MORE by visiting the link in our bio: https://www.fortticonderoga.org/news/fort-ticonderoga-has-been-awarded-a-preserve-new-york-grant-to-fund-existing-conditions-study-for-the-historic-fort-walls/

@preservenys @nyscouncilonthearts