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 headed by Montcalm with 3600 troops. 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 loss of 1944 to 277 on the side of the French. He retreated precipitately.
On July the 22nd, 1759, General Amherst appeared before Ticonderoga. He met little opposition and placed his artillery in position. On the night of the 23rd, 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 American War of Independence the strategic importance of Ticonderoga was also recognized. A force under Ethan Allen arrived on the shore of Lake Champlain in the early morning of May the 10th, 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 of cannon and a considerable quantity of powder and ball, which they much needed.
On July the 1st, 1777, Burgoyne in his march south appeared before Ticonderoga. The British seized a position which commanded the fort and compelled the garrison, 3000 in number, to evacuate. These retired into the Green Mountains, the women and wounded to Fort Edward. Research Battles of Ticonderoga
Abbreviations
Warfare
Research Battles of Ticonderoga