Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (1775): Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold & the First American Victory

Battle at a Glance

Historical Background: A Northern Fortress in a New War

The Strategic Importance of Lake Champlain

Fort Ticonderoga stood near the southern end of Lake Champlain, at the junction of waterways and overland routes connecting the Hudson River valley with Canada. During the colonial wars of the eighteenth century, this corridor had been one of the principal avenues of military movement between British and French possessions in North America.

An army moving southward from Canada could travel through Lake Champlain, reach the southern landing near Ticonderoga and continue toward Lake George and the Hudson River. Conversely, a force advancing north from New York could use the same route to approach the Canadian frontier.

The fort’s location therefore possessed strategic importance far greater than the size of its garrison in May 1775.

Fort Carillon and the French and Indian War

The French constructed the fortress during the 1750s and named it Fort Carillon. It became an important defensive position during the French and Indian War.

In July 1758, French troops under the Marquis de Montcalm defeated a much larger British army commanded by Major General James Abercromby in fighting outside the fort. The engagement demonstrated the strength of prepared defenses in the narrow Lake Champlain corridor.

British forces captured Fort Carillon in July 1759 after the French withdrew. The British renamed the position Fort Ticonderoga and retained it following the conquest of Canada.

The Fort in 1775

By the spring of 1775, Fort Ticonderoga was no longer maintained as a major frontier stronghold. Some of its works had deteriorated, and its British garrison was small.

Nevertheless, the post contained artillery and military stores accumulated during earlier campaigns. These weapons represented a valuable resource at a time when the American colonies possessed relatively little heavy artillery.

Lexington and Concord Change the Situation

On April 19, 1775, British regulars and Massachusetts militia fought at Lexington and Concord. The British expedition withdrew to Boston under repeated attacks, and thousands of provincial soldiers soon surrounded the town.

The outbreak of open warfare made British military posts elsewhere in North America potential targets. Colonial leaders recognized that capturing Ticonderoga could provide artillery for the army outside Boston while preventing the British from strengthening the northern corridor.

The Green Mountain Boys

The Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization associated with settlers in the disputed New Hampshire Grants, the territory that later became Vermont.

The group had previously resisted New York authorities in disputes over land titles and jurisdiction. Ethan Allen emerged as one of its most prominent leaders.

Although the organization had not been created specifically to fight the British Empire, its members possessed local knowledge, familiarity with irregular operations and an established network of supporters.

Competing Plans to Capture the Fort

Several colonial groups independently considered an expedition against Ticonderoga. Connecticut organizers, including Samuel Holden Parsons, helped encourage the operation and arranged support.

Benedict Arnold also sought authorization from Massachusetts authorities to capture the fort and its artillery. He received a commission and instructions for the expedition.

These overlapping initiatives brought Arnold into contact with Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, creating a dispute over command before the assault even began.

Commanders & Participating Forces

American Commanders and Organizers

British Command

The Green Mountain Boys

The principal attacking force consisted of Green Mountain Boys and other colonial volunteers who assembled near the eastern shore of Lake Champlain.

These men were not a conventional Continental Army regiment. The Continental Army had not yet been formally established when the fort was captured.

The force operated through local leadership, personal influence and cooperation among volunteers rather than through a fully developed military command structure.

Connecticut and Massachusetts Participation

Connecticut supporters helped finance and organize the expedition, while Massachusetts provided Arnold with a commission authorizing action against the fort.

The resulting operation was therefore not exclusively a Vermont undertaking. It reflected cooperation, and sometimes competition, among colonial leaders from several jurisdictions.

Allen and Arnold’s Command Dispute

Arnold believed his Massachusetts commission entitled him to command the expedition. Allen’s supporters, however, recognized Allen as their leader and resisted the idea of serving under Arnold.

The dispute threatened to disrupt the operation. Ultimately, both men accompanied the assault, although accounts differ concerning their precise positions and the degree to which command was shared.

Allen retained the loyalty of the principal attacking party, while Arnold continued to assert his formal authority.

The British Garrison

The fort was held by a small detachment of the 26th Regiment of Foot under Captain Delaplace. Its strength was inadequate for a prolonged defense against a determined attack, particularly if the attackers achieved surprise.

Many of the soldiers were asleep or otherwise unprepared when the Americans entered the works.

Battlefield Geography & Terrain

The capture of Fort Ticonderoga depended upon geography as much as armed force. The fort occupied an important position along Lake Champlain, but its isolation, limited garrison and the attackers’ ability to approach across the water made it vulnerable to surprise.

Why the Fort’s Position Mattered

Fort Ticonderoga guarded a major military corridor between Canada and the Hudson River valley. Control of the position influenced movement along Lake Champlain and the transportation of supplies and artillery.

The fort’s strategic importance, however, should not be confused with its defensive condition in May 1775. Although the location was valuable, the deteriorated works and small garrison made the post vulnerable.

The Narrow Water Crossing

The attackers assembled on the eastern shore and attempted to cross the lake before daylight. The number of available boats was limited, forcing the expedition to move in separate groups.

Allen decided to proceed with the men who had already crossed rather than wait for the entire force to arrive. This decision preserved the element of surprise but reduced the number of attackers available for the initial assault.

Weapons, Equipment & Logistics

American Weapons

The attacking volunteers carried personal firearms, including smoothbore muskets and other weapons common among colonial militia. Equipment was not standardized, and the expedition did not possess the logistical support of a conventional field army.

Because the assault depended upon surprise, the attackers did not require a prolonged exchange of musket fire or a formal siege of the fortifications.

British Weapons

The British garrison possessed infantry muskets and access to the fort’s artillery. However, these weapons provided little immediate advantage when the attackers entered the post before an organized defense could be established.

The garrison’s small size and lack of readiness were more important than the theoretical defensive strength of the fort.

The Artillery Collection

The fort contained cannon, mortars and other military equipment accumulated during earlier conflicts. The weapons were valuable because the American forces surrounding Boston possessed relatively little heavy artillery.

Not every gun was equally serviceable, and the condition of the equipment varied. Nevertheless, the captured stores represented a substantial military resource.

The Boat Shortage

The expedition’s most immediate logistical difficulty was transporting the volunteers across Lake Champlain.

Available boats could carry only part of the assembled force. As dawn approached, Allen and Arnold faced a choice between delaying the attack and risking the loss of surprise.

They proceeded with the men who had crossed, leaving additional volunteers to follow.

Supplies Captured at the Fort

In addition to artillery, the Americans gained possession of small arms, ammunition and other military stores. Inventories compiled after the capture helped establish the quantity and condition of the equipment.

The value of the seizure extended beyond the immediate military occupation of the post because the stores could be redistributed to other American forces.

Transporting Heavy Guns

Moving the artillery from Ticonderoga required an entirely different logistical operation from capturing the fort.

In late 1775, Henry Knox organized the transportation of selected heavy guns toward Boston. The expedition used boats, sledges, oxen and local assistance to move approximately sixty tons of artillery and related equipment across difficult winter terrain.

The guns arrived in the Boston area in January 1776 and contributed directly to the American operations that forced the British evacuation.

Intelligence & Operational Planning

Identifying a Vulnerable British Post

Colonial organizers recognized that Fort Ticonderoga was held by a relatively small British force. Reports concerning the garrison’s condition and the military stores within the fort encouraged plans for a surprise seizure.

The fort’s distance from the principal fighting around Boston increased the likelihood that its defenders would be unprepared for an immediate attack.

Independent Colonial Initiatives

The expedition emerged from overlapping plans rather than a single centralized order. Connecticut organizers, Green Mountain Boys leaders and Benedict Arnold pursued related objectives.

The absence of a unified command structure created disagreements over authority but also demonstrated the willingness of colonial groups to act rapidly after Lexington and Concord.

The Importance of Surprise

The attackers did not possess the artillery or manpower required for a conventional siege. Their plan depended upon approaching under cover of darkness, crossing the lake and entering the fort before the garrison could organize a defense.

A prolonged delay might have allowed the British to reinforce the entrance, prepare their weapons or summon assistance.

The Crossing Plan

The volunteers gathered near Shoreham and prepared to cross Lake Champlain during the night of May 9–10.

Insufficient boats prevented the entire force from moving simultaneously. The commanders therefore had to balance the advantage of additional manpower against the danger of losing darkness and surprise.

The Decision to Attack

Allen and Arnold advanced with approximately eighty to ninety men who had crossed the lake.

The decision was risky because the attackers had limited strength if the British offered organized resistance. Yet it proved effective because the garrison was not prepared for the assault.

The British Intelligence Failure

Captain Delaplace’s garrison had not received sufficient warning to prepare for a surprise attack. The Americans entered the fort before the British could assemble a coordinated defense.

The operation illustrates the vulnerability of isolated military posts when reconnaissance, communications and readiness are inadequate.

The Capture Unfolds: Interactive Timeline

Expand the entries below to follow the planning, night crossing, surprise seizure and subsequent operations along Lake Champlain. Times during the assault are approximate.

Tactical Analysis & Command Decisions

A Raid Rather Than a Conventional Battle

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga is frequently described as an early American victory, but the military action differed substantially from a conventional battlefield engagement.

There was no prolonged infantry battle, major artillery exchange or extended siege. The operation was a surprise raid against a small and unprepared garrison.

The Advantage of Darkness

The attackers approached during the night to reduce the likelihood of detection. Darkness helped conceal the movement across Lake Champlain and the advance toward the fort.

However, the limited number of available boats created a serious problem. The force could not assemble in full before the attack.

Allen’s Decision to Proceed

Allen chose to advance with the men who had already crossed. Waiting for the entire force might have provided additional manpower but also risked allowing the British to prepare for an attack.

The decision favored speed and surprise over numerical strength.

The Entrance and Interior

The attackers encountered limited resistance at the entrance and moved rapidly into the fort. The British garrison did not have time to form a defensive line or bring its artillery into effective action.

Once the Americans controlled the entrance and interior approaches, the small garrison had little realistic opportunity to organize a sustained defense.

The Command Dispute

The disagreement between Allen and Arnold did not prevent the capture, but it complicated the expedition’s leadership.

Arnold possessed formal authorization from Massachusetts, while Allen commanded the loyalty of the Green Mountain Boys. Their competing claims reflected the fragmented nature of American military authority during the opening weeks of the war.

Why the British Could Not Resist

The garrison was small, unprepared and unable to assemble an effective defense before the attackers entered the works.

The fort’s artillery and walls could have been formidable under different circumstances, but they were of little immediate value once surprise had been achieved.

The Strategic Value Exceeded the Tactical Effort

The capture required relatively few men and produced no major combat casualties. Yet it transferred control of an important military position and valuable artillery to the Americans.

Its consequences extended far beyond the immediate operation because the captured guns later helped Washington force the British evacuation of Boston.

The Soldier’s Experience

Assembling the Expedition

The volunteers who gathered near Lake Champlain were not members of a fully organized Continental Army. Many were accustomed to frontier travel, local militia service and irregular military activity.

They assembled quickly after the outbreak of fighting in Massachusetts, bringing personal weapons and relying upon local assistance for transportation and supplies.

The Night Crossing

Crossing Lake Champlain in darkness required coordination and physical effort. The limited number of boats created delays and prevented the full force from reaching the western shore together.

For the men who crossed first, the decision to attack meant advancing with fewer soldiers than originally intended.

The Approach to the Fort

The attackers moved toward the fort before daylight. Their success depended upon avoiding detection long enough to reach the entrance.

Unlike soldiers engaged in a prolonged battle, the volunteers experienced a brief operation in which surprise and rapid movement determined the outcome.

The British Garrison

For the British soldiers stationed at Ticonderoga, the attack came unexpectedly. The small detachment had little opportunity to assemble or organize a defense.

The sudden appearance of armed colonial volunteers inside the fort left Captain Delaplace with few practical options.

The Surrender

The confrontation between Allen and Delaplace became one of the most frequently retold episodes of the early Revolutionary War.

Later narratives emphasized Allen’s forceful demand for surrender, but the exact wording remains disputed. The dramatic accounts should be distinguished from what can be established through contemporary evidence.

After the Capture

For the Americans, victory brought immediate responsibilities. The fort had to be secured, prisoners supervised, military stores inventoried and additional British posts considered.

The volunteers had achieved their immediate objective, but the larger question of how to administer and defend the captured position remained unresolved.

From Local Volunteers to Continental Service

The capture occurred before the Continental Army had been formally established. Some participants subsequently entered Continental service, while others continued in local or regional military organizations.

For genealogical purposes, participation in the May 10 raid should not automatically be treated as service in a later Continental regiment.

Where Was Your Ancestor’s Unit?

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga presents a distinctive genealogical problem because the assault force was assembled from volunteers and regional militia networks before the Continental Army was formally organized.

Researchers should distinguish participation in the initial May 10 assault from later service at Ticonderoga, Crown Point or other posts along Lake Champlain.

Units and Research Questions

Identifying the Initial Assault Party

Claims that an ancestor helped capture Fort Ticonderoga should be evaluated carefully. The first assault party numbered approximately eighty to ninety men, and not every participant was documented in a complete surviving roster.

Later family histories sometimes associate individuals with the capture because they served under Ethan Allen, Seth Warner or Benedict Arnold at another time.

Such associations are useful research leads but do not independently establish participation on May 10.

Distinguishing the Capture from Later Service

Fort Ticonderoga remained an important American military post after the initial seizure. Thousands of soldiers served in the region during subsequent campaigns.

A pension declaration stating that a soldier was stationed at Ticonderoga in 1776 or 1777 does not establish that he participated in the May 1775 capture.

Researching the Green Mountain Boys

The Green Mountain Boys existed before the Revolutionary War as an organization associated with the New Hampshire Grants controversy.

Researchers should distinguish early membership in the organization from later military service in regiments associated with its leaders.

Evaluating Pension Declarations

Later pension testimony may describe service under Allen, Arnold or Warner. Such statements should be compared with enlistment dates, contemporary correspondence and surviving military records.

Particular attention should be given to the date of the claimed service and whether the individual described the actual crossing and seizure of the fort.

Battle Outcome & Casualties

An American Victory Without a Pitched Battle

The Americans captured Fort Ticonderoga on May 10, 1775, after surprising its small British garrison.

Captain William Delaplace surrendered, and the attackers took possession of the fort and its military stores.

Casualties

The capture is generally regarded as virtually bloodless. No confirmed combat deaths resulted from the initial seizure of the fort.

The British Prisoners

The small garrison became prisoners of the American force. The capture removed British control of the post and placed its weapons and supplies in colonial hands.

The Artillery Prize

The military stores captured at Ticonderoga included cannon and other heavy weapons that the Americans could not easily manufacture or obtain elsewhere.

The strategic value of these guns became apparent during the Siege of Boston, when Henry Knox transported selected artillery to Washington’s army.

Who Won Fort Ticonderoga?

The Americans won a clear tactical and strategic victory. Their surprise attack secured the fort without the losses that might have accompanied a conventional assault.

The British lost an important northern post and valuable military stores, while the Americans gained a position that could support future operations along Lake Champlain.

Strategic Significance & Aftermath

The First Major American Offensive Success

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred only three weeks after Lexington and Concord. It represented one of the first significant offensive successes by colonial forces during the Revolutionary War.

The victory demonstrated that American volunteers could seize British military positions through initiative, local intelligence and surprise.

Control of the Lake Champlain Corridor

The capture gave the Americans an important foothold along the route connecting Canada with the Hudson River valley.

Additional operations against Crown Point and St. Johns expanded American control and helped establish a northern military presence.

The Artillery That Helped Liberate Boston

The fort’s greatest immediate contribution to the American war effort was its artillery.

Henry Knox’s expedition transported heavy guns from Ticonderoga to the Continental Army outside Boston during the winter of 1775–1776.

In March 1776, Washington’s troops fortified Dorchester Heights and positioned artillery to threaten British shipping and the town.

The resulting military danger contributed directly to General William Howe’s decision to evacuate Boston on March 17.

The Dispute Between Allen and Arnold

The capture did not resolve the rivalry between Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold. Both men claimed important roles in the operation, and disagreements over command continued afterward.

The controversy reflected broader difficulties in coordinating colonial military forces before the Continental Army developed a more centralized command structure.

Operations Against Canada

American control of Ticonderoga and Crown Point helped support the invasion of Canada later in 1775.

The northern campaign ultimately failed to bring Canada into the rebellion, but the Lake Champlain corridor remained a major theater of military operations.

The Fort’s Role in 1776–1777

American forces strengthened the defenses around Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence during 1776.

The position became an important obstacle to British operations moving southward from Canada.

In July 1777, however, British troops under General John Burgoyne occupied commanding terrain overlooking the American defenses. General Arthur St. Clair withdrew the American garrison, and the British retook the fort without a major assault.

The Broader Historical Importance

The capture of Fort Ticonderoga illustrates how a relatively small military operation can produce consequences far beyond its immediate scale.

The raid involved limited fighting and no confirmed combat deaths, yet it provided artillery, strengthened American control of a strategic corridor and contributed to the eventual British evacuation of Boston.

Primary Sources & Historical Research

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga is documented through participant narratives, military correspondence, colonial government records, British reports and later historical studies. Some famous details, particularly the exact words spoken during the surrender, derive from retrospective accounts and should be treated cautiously.

Primary Sources and Archival Leads

1. Ethan Allen, A Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen’s Captivity (1779). Allen’s account includes his recollection of the capture and his later experiences. It is a participant narrative written after the event and reflects his perspective.
2. Benedict Arnold’s correspondence, May 1775. Letters and reports concerning his Massachusetts commission, the capture of Ticonderoga and subsequent operations on Lake Champlain.
3. Massachusetts Provincial Congress records. Documents concerning Arnold’s authorization and the colony’s military response to the outbreak of war.
4. Connecticut colonial records and expedition correspondence. Evidence concerning the organization and financing of the expedition.
5. British reports concerning Fort Ticonderoga. Sources relating to the garrison, Captain Delaplace and the loss of the post.
6. Military inventories of Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Records concerning artillery, ammunition and supplies captured by American forces.
7. Henry Knox’s correspondence and artillery records, 1775–1776. Documentation of the transportation of heavy guns from Ticonderoga to Boston.
8. Revolutionary War pension declarations. Later testimony that may help identify participants, although claims should be compared with contemporary evidence.

Historical Research and Battlefield Interpretation

1. Fort Ticonderoga. Official historic site, collections and research resources.
2. American Battlefield Trust — Fort Ticonderoga. Battle overview and historical interpretation.
3. National Park Service — American Revolution. Revolutionary War resources.
4. George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Historical research concerning Washington, the Continental Army and the Siege of Boston.
5. Founders Online — National Archives. Correspondence and documentary editions.
6. Library of Congress. Historical maps, manuscripts and Revolutionary War materials.
7. National Archives — Revolutionary War Records. Military service and archival research.
8. Vermont Historical Society. Green Mountain Boys and Vermont history resources.
9. New York State Archives. Colonial and Revolutionary War records.
10. Massachusetts Historical Society. Manuscripts and early Revolutionary War correspondence.

Research Limitations

Published accounts differ concerning the number of volunteers assembled, the size of the initial assault party, the exact sequence of the entry and the relative roles of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold.

The famous surrender demand attributed to Allen is preserved in later narratives rather than in a verbatim contemporary transcript. Its wording should therefore be identified as traditional or retrospective rather than established beyond dispute.

Artillery inventories also vary according to whether historians count guns at Ticonderoga alone, include Crown Point, or distinguish serviceable weapons from damaged equipment.

Individual participation claims should be supported by contemporary correspondence, reliable rosters or corroborated pension testimony whenever possible.