THE BRITISH SIDE OF THE CAPTURE

A few years ago Mr. Allen French discovered the manuscript of Lieutenant Feltham’s report, which reads as follows:

New York, June 11th 1775.

“Sir

“Capt. Delaplace of the 26th regt has given me directions to lay before you in as plain a narrative as I can the manner of the surprizal of the fort of Ticonderoga on 10th May with all the circumstances after it that I thought might be of any service in giving you Exy any light into the affair.

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“Allen Needs You at Ti”
(Courtesy National Life Insurance Company of Vermont)

“Capt. Delaplace having in the course of the winter applied to Gen. Carleton for a reinforcement, as he had reason to suspect some attack from some circumstances that happend’d in his neighborhood, Gen Carleton was pleased to order a detachment of a subaltern and 20 men to be sent in two or three separate parties the first party of which was sent as a crew along with Major Dunbar who left Canada about the 12th April, I being the first subaltern on command was ordered down with 10 men in a few days more, to give up to Capt Delaplace with whom Lt Wadman was to remain, having receiv’d orders from the regt some time before to join there. as he was not arrived when I came I had orders to wait until he did. I was 12 days there before he came which was about an hour after the fort was surprised. I had not lain in the fort on my arrival having left the only tolerable rooms there for Mr. Wadman if he arrived with his family, but being unwell, had lain in the fort for two or three nights preceding the 10th May, on which morning about half an hour after three in my sleep I was awaken’d by numbers of shreiks, & the words no quarter, no quarter from a number of arm’d rabble I jump’d up about which time I heard the noise continue in the area of the fort I ran undress’d to knock at Capt. Delaplaces door & to receive his orders or wake him, the door was fast the room I lay in being close to Capt Delaplace I stept back, put on my coat & waist coat & return’d to his room, there being no possibility of getting to the men as there were numbers of the rioters on the bastions of the wing of the fort on which the door of my room and back door of Capt Delaplaces room led, with great difficulty, I got into his room, being pursued, from which there was a door down by stairs in to the area of the fort, I ask’d Capt Delaplace who was by now just up what I should do, & offer’d to force my way if possible to our men, on opening this door the bottom of the stairs was filld with the rioters & many were forcing their way up, knowing the Commg Officer lived there, as they had broke open the lower rooms 64 where the officers live in winter, and could not find them there, from the top of the stairs I endeavour’d to make them hear me, but it was impossible, on making a signal not to come up the stairs, they stop’d, & proclaimd silence among themselves, I then address’d them, but in a stile not agreeable to them I ask’d them a number of questions, expecting to amuse them till our people fired which I must certainly own I thought would have been the case, after asking them the most material questions, I could think viz by what authority they entered his majesties fort who were the leaders and what their intent &c &c I was informd by one Ethan Allen and one Benedict Arnold that they had a joint command, Arnold informing me he came from instructions recd from the congress at Cambridge which he afterwards shew’d me. Mr. Allen told me his orders were from the province of Connecticut & that he must have immediate possession of the fort and all the effects of George the third (those were his words) Mr. Allen insisting on this with a drawn sword over my head & numbers of his followers firelocks presented at me alledging I was commanding officer & to give up the fort, and if it was not comply’d with, or that there was a single gun fired in the fort neither man woman or child should be left alive in the fort. Mr. Arnold begg’d it in a genteel manner but without success, it was owing to him they were prevented getting into Capt Delaplaces room, after they found I did not command. Capt. Delaplace being now dress’d came out, when after talking to him some time, they put me back into the room they placed two sentry’s on me and took Capt Delaplace down stairs they also placed sentrys at the back door, from the beginning of the noise till half an hour after this I never saw a Soldier, tho’ I heard a great noise in their rooms and can not account otherwise than that they must have been seiz’d in their beds before I got on the stairs, or at the first coming in, which must be the case as Allen wounded one of the guard on his struggling with him in the guard room immediately after his entrance into the fort. When I did see our men they were drawn up without arms, 65 which were all put into one room over which they placed sentrys and allotted one to each soldier their strength at first coming that is the number they had ferry’d over in the night amounted to about 90 but from their entrance & shouting they were constantly landing men till about 10 o’clock when I suppose there were about 300, & by the next morning at least another 100 who I suppose were waiting the event & came now to join in the plunder which was most rigidly perform’d as to liquor, provisions, &c whether belonging to his majesty or private property, about noon on the 10th May, our men were sent to the landing at L. George, & sent over next day, then march’d by Albany to Hartford Connecticut where they arrived on the 22d they would not allow an Officer to go with them tho’ I requested it. They sent Capt Delaplace his Lady, family & Lt Wadman & myself by Skenesborough to Hartford where we arrived the 21st.”

Shortly after Allen’s capture of the Fort Congress decided to garrison the place, and what was afterwards called the Northern Army was concentrated there. It consisted mostly of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania troops with the Pennsylvanians the best equipped and organized. General Philip Schuyler of New York was in command through 1775. The Fort was repaired and the old French Lines strengthened and a number of redoubts started.

Ethan Allen’s Blunderbuss in the Museum Collection

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Benedict Arnold

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