Military History

New App Highlights American Revolution

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Revolutionary War is the latest release from Multi-Educator’s History on the Go series of mobile applications for iPad, iPhone and iTouch users. The program covers a variety of topics all accessible by touch menu screens.

Major battles and events of the War are covered with a short and lengthier text entries illustrated by drawings, paintings and maps. Most of the battles include multimedia presentations of the battle, several first-hand accounts, as well as reports about the battle by General Washington to the Continental Congress.

One section focuses on &#8220Famous Stories and Sayings of the Revolutionary War&#8221. Each of these stories and words- such “We have only begun to fight” includes both an illustrated text entry on the true events surrounding the story or quote, as well as a multimedia presentation on the event.

Other sections include: over 200 biographies of participants in the war and the signers of the Declaration- the complete text of the Journals of the Continental Congress that tell the story of the deliberation of the Congress as it struggled with the decision to declare independence- a diary of the Revolution- historic correspondence between John and Abigail Adams- details of the economy of America of the period- as well as a section identifying who were the Americans of that key generation. An updated release of the program to be released later this summer will include a section of simulation so student of all ages can remake historic decisions.

Revolutionary War contains over 100 high quality drawing and illustration (all of which you can zoom into), one hour of multimedia presentations, over 40 high quality maps- and dozens of first-hand accounts.

The app is available online at the Apple iTunes store for $4.99.

Fort Ticonderoga Acquires Significant Papers

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A donation of four important manuscripts describing the American attack on Mount Independence on September 18, 1777 was recently made to the Fort Ticonderoga Museum. The collection of four letters was drafted by American Brigadier General Jonathan Warner and relate to Colonel John Brown’s raid on Ticonderoga. The donation was discovered and organized by Dr. Gary M. Milan and made possible by the generous support of George and Kathy Jones.

After the American army at Ticonderoga was forced to evacuate with the approach of the British army under General John Burgoyne in July 1777, Burgoyne left a small force of British and German soldiers to garrison Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence as the bulk of his army pursued the American army southward. In mid September two 500-men forces were ordered to test the defenses of the two posts and on September 18, the forces converged on the sleeping garrisons.

These documents detail the actions around Mount Independence offering on-the-spot reports of the engagement. The beginning of the skirmish near Mt. Independence is described “Our advanc’d party met with a small piquet guard of the Enemy’s about 1 mile from their lines who after the first fire retired leaving around them a few tents, blankets, packs, &c”. A few minutes later “We…heard a brisk firing from Ticonderoga side… It is supposed by many that Colo Brown has got possession of the Batteries upon the large Mountain call’d Mount Defiance.” These documents shed new light on the only time that the two posts were directly fired upon in battle and the last military engagement to occur at Fort Ticonderoga in its final months as an active military post.

Illustration: Jonathan Warner by Joseph Blackburn.

Ogdensburg Founder’s Day Weekend July 23-24

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Ogdensburg, in St. Lawrence County, will play host to it’s annual Founder’s Day celebration, French and Indian War reenactment, and colonial trade fair on Saturday, July 23 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday, July 24 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

More than 250 years ago the roar of cannon fire echoed over the St. Lawrence River on the now peaceful stretch between Ogdensburg, New York and Prescott, Ontario. The final battle of the French and Indian War – the battle that truly led to the French losing Canada to the English – was fought here in August 1760.

Founder’s Day Weekend is the annual commemoration of Ogdensburg’s French colonial history and the Battle of the Thousand Islands. Lighthouse Point features a military re-enactment and colonial trade fair. As many as 500 participants from the U.S. and Canada, dressed in 18th-century clothes, will establish an encampment of white canvass tents.

French and English naval contingents will moor their historically accurate small boats along the shore and bivouac there. The crews will race on Saturday morning, but Saturday and Sunday afternoon the boats with bow guns and muskets in battle on the river. The skirmishing on the water leads into the land battle. Across the width of Lighthouse Point, the opposing forces and their Native allies will maneuver.

Civilian life of the colonies will also be represented as women and children, pipers, dancers, artisans, traditional tradesmen and women, and sutlers, the merchants that followed the armies, set up their shops to furnish just about anything a re-enactor, or 21st-century tourist, could want.

The re-enactment of the Battle of the Thousand Islands and the colonial trade fair are adjacent to the archaeological remains of Fort de la Presentation, built by the French in 1749. When the tide of war turned in favor of the English, the French vacated the fort in early 1759 and continued the construction of Fort Levis downriver on Ile Royal, now Chimney Island. La Presentation was a wooden stockade- Levis was a substantial fortification.

The 1760 Battle of the Thousand Islands began with the capture of the French corvette L’Outauaise by a swarm of English row galleys off abandoned Fort de la Presentation. The battle continued with the successful, weeklong siege of Fort Levis. The English pressed on to accept the capitulation of Montreal.

For more than a decade, the annual Founder’s Day Weekend has honored the shared history of Canada and the United States. Here, where the Oswegatchie River flows into the St. Lawrence, the Fort La Presentation Association plans to rebuild the historic fort as a high-quality, tourist attraction.

Admission: Adults $8- Children 7 to 12 $2- children 6 and under free.

More information is available online or by calling the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce at 1-877-228-7810.

Photo courtesy Sandy Goss, Eagle Bay Media.

Fort Ticonderoga to Recreate 1759 British Capture

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Re-enactors portraying French and British soldiers of the Seven Year’s War, also known as the French and Indian War, will converge upon Fort Ticonderoga this Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26 to recreate the tumultuous and chaotic events by which General Amherst’s British army captured the vital Fort. Visitors will experience the life of British soldiers and besieged French soldiers recreated around them, with all the sights and sounds they would have encountered at Fort Ticonderoga in the summer of 1759.

The modern recreation of this clash for empire will feature a variety of demonstrations and events. Highlights of the weekend include: a battle each day featuring re-enactors recreating events of the siege as reported in the diary of a private in Willard’s Regiment of Massachusetts Provincials, who was part of the British force attacking the Fort- artillery and musket demonstrations- a talk by author Russ Bellico on his book, Empires in the Mountains– 18th-century music performed on period instruments by musician Robert Mouland- a rousing game of 18th-century cricket- and historic merchants to give visitors an immersive experience in the inevitable victory for the British forces. In addition to these special events, visitors to Fort Ticonderoga on June 25 and 26 can also enjoy the museum’s extensive collection of artifacts and militaria and the King’s Garden- admission to this reenactment weekend is included in the price of general admission to the Fort.

During the Seven Year’s War the great rivalry between France and Britain played out in their American colonies. The summer of 1759 saw General Amherst, commander and chief of all British forces in North America, moving to take the French Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga) from the rear guard of soldiers posted there. Amherst moved his massive force of 11,000 to siege lines previously held by the French outside the Fort. The tiny French contingent of 400 pounded the British line with artillery for four days, in a futile attempt to stave off the inevitable. Finally, with their defeat in sight, the French spiked the cannons in the Fort, rendering them useless, and lit a fuse in the powder magazine, which exploded with destructive force. The French force retreated by boat to Fort St. Frederic in the north, also known as Crown Point. Out of the rubble of the old Fort Carillon rose the new Fort Ticonderoga as the British forces immediately moved in to begin reconstructing the fortifications.

Photo: Fort Ticonderoga’s Historic Interpreters Portray Massachusetts Provincial Soldiers in 1759. Courtesy Fort Ticonderoga.

Kingston 18th Cent Market Days, Militia Muster

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The Brigade of the American Revolution will hold their 18th Century Market Days and Militia Muster on the grounds of Senate House State Historic Site in Kingston, NY. This free event will be held on Saturday, June 25, from 10am – 4:30pm, and Sunday June 26, from 11:00am – 3:00pm.

Throughout the weekend a variety of 18th century vendors will be on hand demonstrating their crafts and selling their goods. Participants can also enjoy militia drills and firing demonstrations, children’s games and drill, presentations on 18th century foodways and fashion and style, and 18th century dance instruction.

At 4pm on Saturday and 12pm on Sunday, a Meet the Authors will take place in the site’s museum. Norman Desmarais, Paul Huey and Tom Baker will all be on hand for the book signing. As usual Senate House State Historic Site will be open for tours. Admission to tour Senate House is $4.00 for Adults, $3.00 for seniors and students and free for children 12 and under. So take a step back in time and experience what life was like for soldiers of the American Revolution at the 18th Century Market Days and Militia Muster on the grounds of Senate House State Historic Site.

The Brigade of the American Revolution is a non-profit living history association dedicated to recreating the life of the common soldier during the American Revolution, 1775-1783. Members represent elements of all armies involved: Continental, Militia, British, Loyalist, German, French, Spanish, and Native American forces along with civilian men, women and children.

Photo courtesy The Brigade of the American Revolution.

Fort Ticonderogas Kings Garden Open

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The King’s Garden at Fort Ticonderoga opened for the season on June 1 with the colors of the bearded iris and other early blooming perennials and annuals. The garden celebrates the history of agriculture on the Fort Ticonderoga peninsula with tours, programs and special events throughout the season. Opportunities include hands-on family programs, adult learning, daily guided tours and quiet strolls through the scenery, volunteer initiatives, and a garden party.

The first program in the King’s Garden Workshop Series on herbs takes place on Wednesday, June 8th at 1:00 PM – Nature’s Wild Herbs Discovery Walk with local herbalist Nancy Wotton Scarzello.

Participants of this 90-minute walk and talk will tour the Healing Herb Garden and the garden grounds and field edges to learn about the traditional and folkloric uses of herbs and wild plants, identification, and ways they are used today. Pre-registration is required and the cost is $15. The rain date is June 9. For more information or to register, call (518) 585-2821 or email [email protected]. Visit our website for a complete listing of programs in the Fort and King’s Garden, www.FortTiconderoga.org.

The King’s Garden is a restored pleasure garden located on the grounds of Fort Ticonderoga. Tours, educational programs, and demonstrations highlight the beauty and history of the garden throughout the season. The Discovery Gardens outside the walls and acres of manicured grounds offer a setting for exploration and relaxation. The King’s Garden is open June 1 – Columbus Day, October 10, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Photo: Poppies and bearded irises accent the King’s Garden teahouse located at Fort Ticonderoga.

House Votes to Return Tripoli Vets Bodies

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Last week the United States House of Representatives passed a bill including an amendment authored by U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers, (R-MI), and Frank LoBiondo, (R-NJ), that would require the Department of Defense to repatriate the remains of 13 US Navy commandos buried in two mass graves in Tripoli, Libya since 1804.

The amendment &#8211 which would repatriate, identify and honor the sailors with a military funeral &#8211 was attached to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). After passing the full House, the NDAA now heads to the US Senate for consideration.

&#8220My father, my father’s father, and his father’s father have wanted the remains of Master Commandant Richard Somers returned home, and we’ve worked for it since he and the men of the USS Intrepid were lost in Libya in 1804,&#8221 said Dean Somers of Somers Point, New Jersey. &#8220This is long, long overdue, and it wasn’t until we met recently with Rep. Frank Lobiondo and Chairman Rogers when we thought it was finally possible.&#8221

Somers and his crew were lost on an ill-fated mission to destroy Tripoli’s naval fleet during the Barbary Wars of the early 19th century. When their bodies of America’s first Navy commandos washed up on the beach in Tripoli, the bashaw &#8211 the king of the pirates &#8211 invited a pack of dogs to devour them as American prisoners of war looked on. The 13 remain buried today jumbled together in two Libyan graves. One of those graves is unmarked and underfoot on Green Square, the site of decades of anti-America rallies.

On September 4th 1804, Somers was in command of fire ship Intrepid which had been recently seized from its Tripolean crew, was prepared as a &#8220floating volcano&#8221 and readied to be sailed into Tripoli harbor and blown up in the midst of the enemy fleet under the walls of the city. She exploded prematurely, while entering the harbor killing Somers and his entire crew of volunteers.

Since 1804, there have been six ships of the US Navy that have been named USS Somers in his honor. In 2004, the state assembly in New Jersey passed two resolutions calling for the return of the sailor’s remains. The town of Somers, New York, located in Westchester County is named in his honor.

The City of Somers Point, named after the Master Commandant’s family and still their residence, has worked on repatriation for decades. Additionally, the descendants of American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wish for the return of the remains of his uncle, Lt. Henry Wadsworth, who served as second in command on the fire ship Intrepid when it was lost during the Barbary Wars. Born shortly after the failed mission, the legendary poet was named after his heroic uncle.

Illustration: Engraving, &#8220Blowing Up of the Fire Ship Intrepid commanded by Capt. Somers in the Harbour of Tripoli on the night of 4th Sepr. 1804.&#8221

Vermont State Historic Sites Reopen

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Six of Vermont’s State-owned Historic Sites reopened for the 2011 season yesterday, Saturday, May 28. “These beautifully preserved gems allow us to see history where it happened,” says John Dumville, Historic Sites Operations Chief at the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. “They tell us the exciting story of Vermont and our nation&#8211from the first inhabitants to the Vermonter who became our 30th president.” A full schedule of special exhibits and events are planned for the public’s enjoyment.

Vermont played an important role in the American Revolution. Mount Independence in Orwell is one of the nation’s best-preserved Revolutionary War sites, and celebrates the 235th anniversary of the start of construction. The annual Soldiers Atop the Mount weekend is July 23-24. The Hubbardton Battlefield is hallowed ground, the location of the July 7, 1777, battle where Green Mountain Boys fought the English to enable the main American forces withdrawing from Mount Independence and Fort Ticonderoga to head southward in safety. Hundreds of reenactors will gather on July 9-10 for the popular battle weekend to commemorate the 234st anniversary of the battle.

On August 16, 1777, Americans successfully fought British troops trying to capture desperately needed supplies in Bennington. These battles led to victory that October at Saratoga and to American independence. The 306-foot Bennington Battle Monument, the state’s tallest structure, was completed in 1891 and offers glorious views from the top. The big event commemorating the battle will take place on August 13-14.

Vermont’s Constitution, signed on July 8, 1777, at a Windsor tavern (the Old Constitution House), was the first in the nation to prohibit slavery, authorize a public school system, and establish universal manhood suffrage. On July 10 a symbolic Revolutionary relay from Hubbardton to Windsor will convey the news to the constitutional convention about the fall of Mount Independence and the battle at Hubbardton.

Millions of Americans owe their higher education to Strafford’s Justin Smith Morrill, whose acts in the U.S. House and Senate established the Land Grant Colleges. The outstanding 1840s Gothic Revival style Morrill Homestead and gardens he designed look much as he left it.

America’s best-preserved presidential site is the rural village of Plymouth Notch. Calvin Coolidge, born here in 1872, also became president here in a dramatic early morning inauguration on August 3, 1923, after President Harding’s death. An exciting new exhibit on Coolidge and his accomplishments will open in August.

The Bennington Battle Monument opened for the season on April 16. The Chimney Point State Historic Site in Addison is closed for a second year due to the Lake Champlain Bridge construction, but will be open for the bridge opening celebration weekend sometime this fall. The popular annual Northeast Open Atlatl Championship weekend, Sept. 17-18, will be moved again this year to Mount Independence in Orwell.

Opening on July 2 are the 1783 Hyde Log Cabin in Grand Isle, one of America’s oldest log cabins and the President Chester A. Arthur Historic Site in Fairfield. Born in 1829, Arthur became president upon the fatal shooting of James Garfield and was a champion of civil rights and civil service reform.

For more information, visit www.HistoricVermont.org/sites.

Mount Independence, Hubbardton Battlefield Reopen

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The Mount Independence and Hubbardton Battlefield Vermont State Historic Sites open for the 2011 season on Saturday, May 28, at 9:30 a.m. Both sites have scenic grounds for walking and picnics, and popular specialty museum shops with many books and other items.

The Chimney Point State Historic Site and grounds in Addison will be closed to the public for the 2011 season due to the ongoing construction of the Lake Champlain Bridge. The site will be open for the bridge opening celebration weekend, at a yet to be determined date this fall. The popular annual Northeast Open Atlatl Championship, September 16 to 18, will be moved again this year to Mount Independence in Orwell.

Orwell, Vermont’s Mount Independence, a National Historic Landmark named after the Declaration of Independence, was built on Lake Champlain in 1776-77 to protect the American colonies against British invasion from the north. This year is the 235th anniversary of the start of construction, as well as of the Mount Independence-Hubbardton Military Road.

The museum’s exhibits include a talking hologram sculpture and exciting Revolutionary War artifacts from the site, including two huge logs from the Great Bridge and a cannon recovered from Lake Champlain. Six miles of scenic walking and hiking trails wind past archaeological sites. The nationally award winning Baldwin Trail is suitable for outdoor wheelchairs and strollers, and has acclaimed interpretive signage.

The season begins on Saturday, May 28, at 8:00 a.m. with the favorite annual Early Bird Nature Walk, led by bird expert Suzanne Wetmore. Other special events include nature and history programs and the annual Soldiers Atop the Mount encampment on July 23 and 24. The site is open daily, 9:30 to 5:00. Admission is $5.00 for adults and free for children under 15.

The Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site is the location of Vermont’s only Revolutionary War battle. It is considered one of the best preserved battlefields in America, retaining most of its original setting, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. At noon on May 30 there will be a simple Memorial Day commemoration.

The annual living history weekend, with the battle reenactment, is July 9 and 10, with many other nature and history programs and hikes throughout the season. The site is open Thursdays through Sundays and Monday holidays, including Memorial Day, from 9:30 to 5:00. Admission is $2.00 for adults and free for children under 15.

Vermont Historic Sites are now on Facebook.

For directions, more information about these sites, or to receive a calendar of events, call 802-759-2412 or visit www.HistoricVermont.org/sites.

Lecture: Albany County Just Before The Civil War

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By way of honoring the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Robert Arnold III will offer a talk entitled “Leaning into the Storm: Albany County in the Years before the Civil War” on May 19, 2011, at 10:00 AM at the Albany County Hall of Records (95 Tivoli Street, Albany). Exhibits and a tour of the Hall of Records will follow.

Arnold, a career public historian, is retired from the New York State Archives. He is a historical archaeologist, is as a member of the Historic Resources Commission for the City of Albany, and served as Albany County Historian. He has taught Colonial America, Revolutionary America, American Civil War, New York State and U.S. Immigration and Ethnic History at the College of Saint Rose and Excelsior College.

Further information about the Albany County Hall of Records and directions to the facility can be found online.

Seating is limited- if you are interested in attending, please RSVP: Deputy Director
Craig Carlson at 436-3663 ext. 204 or [email protected]