Battle Bay: Skirmish Between Rangers and French Occurred Near Site of Re-Enactment

By Mirror Staff

Friday, June 8, 2012

When re-enactors gather at Bolton Landing’s Rogers Park on June 16 for Bolton Landing: Crossroads of the French & Indian War,” they will be camped just across the bay from one of the more obscure incidents of the French and Indian War: a skirmish between Rangers led by Robert Rogers and Israel Putnam and a party of French and Indians. As late as the 1890s, visitors such as Charles Dudley Warner, Mark Twain’s friend and collaborator, were being shown entrenchments at the north end of Green Island. These were the remains of breastworks believed to have been constructed in November of 1755.

In 1891, the Lake George Mirror published an account of the skirmish written in the 1850s, which we re-print below.

“Green Island” may embrace some sixty acres in its area; it is quite flat, and in form somewhat like an open fan, narrowing towards its northern extremity. Between the island and the west main shore, is a beautiful bay, connecting itself with the broader expanse of water, and to the south by a very narrow strait. There falls into this bay a fine stream of water which comes crawling down from the west, through a gorge which in its primitive condition must have been exceedingly wild. There rises abruptly from this stream on the north, a lofty hill sloping gradually towards the lake. The view from the highest point on this hill is one of the finest in the region; the eye taking in the splendid picture of the lake and its surroundings, from the head of “North West Bay” to the southern terminus of the main body. I have a reason for being thus particular with regard to the topography of this particular section, which will soon appear.

I should have mentioned one other thing: At the northeast and most abrupt curve of the bay I have mentioned, another smaller stream falls into it; it is observable that the soil of this section of the shore, is clay. Let the reader note this.

To these features in the topography of the region, let a few facts of another class now be added.

Near the north end of “Green Island” and on its west side is a formation which is evidently artificial, and designed for defense. It was originally a high breast-work and would have constituted an excellent protection for a large body of men, in case of an attack from the west. On the main shore, and in different places from 200 to 300 yards from the water have been found various relics indicating an old encampment, or a battle ground. These have been hatchets of French manufacture, a bayonet, etc.

I now propose to show that the locality I have indicated was the scene of a battle or skirmish between a party led by Rogers and Putnam, and the French and Indians, on the 1st day of November, 1755. In the “Documentary History of New York,” Vol. IV, page 272, is the report of Captain Rogers, in relation to operations and a skirmish somewhere down the lake, on its western shore. From this quaint but authentic document some very important facts may be gathered which seem to me to leave no ground for doubting that the scene of this skirmish has been indicated.

Rogers – whose report is also signed by Israel Putnam and Noah Grant – informs us that he left the head of the lake on the 29th of October, and that on the night of the 31^st he “made a discovery of a number of fires situated upon a point of land on the west side of the lake.”

Rogers seems to have had with him four bateaux, and for the purposes of careful observation would proceed slowly, so he would naturally be found in the neighborhood of “Green Island” on the night of the 31st. He goes on to say, ” we landed and secured our bateaux upon the same side of the lake about a mile and a half from their encampment.” Suppose Rogers to have camped near what was formerly known as McGee’s Point, and he would then have about a mile and a half between him and the point which completes the formation of the bay. This point is on the farm now owned by Rev.Mr. Goodman of Caldwell. In the evening, Rogers despatched three spies to reconnoiter the enemy’s camp. Capt. Fletcher, one of the spies, at length returned “and made report that there were four tents and sundry small fires on said point.” The “point” here spoken of must have been either the point on Goodman’s farm or another of high projection north of the mouth of the larger stream which falls into the bay. It might be suggested as in favor of the last, that the relics which have been found were nearer this than the other point. Other considerations, however, lead to a different conclusion. The relics can easily be accounted for as Rogers tells us the enemy showed themselves “on each side of the shore” and that he “gave them each a broadside which put them to the bush.” He tells us also the “divers” of the enemy were killed.

The commencement and progress of the battle seems to have been very nearly as follows. Upon the report of Fletcher, he was dispatched with six men and a bateau to the head of the lake for a reinforcement; Rogers meantime taking another bateau and five men and in his own words, ” went within twenty-five rods of their fires. Discovered a small fort, with several log camps within the fort, which I judged to contain about one-fourth of an acre. Said fort being open towards the water, the rest picketed.” Putnam, it seems, was one of the spies first sent out with Fletcher and who, with his comrade, did not return till 10 o’clock the next morning, and then reported that the enemy’s sentries were posted twenty rods from their fires, and that he actually approached within a rod of one of them, who discovered him and fired upon him, and that in attempting to return the fire he “fell into a clay-pit and wet his gun, and made the best retreat he was able, etc.” Let it be remembered that clay abounds in the neighborhood of Goodman’s Point, and from the adventure of Putnam, it seems probable that the frail French work called a fortress by Rogers, was there.

After Putnam’s return to the camp from his dangerous reconnaissance of the enemy’s position, “there was a discovery made of two Frenchmen upon a hill, a small distance, who called to us. Said hill overlooked our ambush, etc.” The elevation back of the former residence of Judge Pratt, and present residence of the Widow Anderson, suggests at once the position of the two Frenchmen; or, the still loftier elevation north of the stream which has been already described.

The Frenchmen very soon disappeared, and two canoes appeared, “and went and lay in the lake about 40 rods distance from each other.”

Rogers then, under the apprehension that a party on land was moving to take him in the rear, and that he was likely to be placed between two fires, proceeded at once to attack the canoes with two bateaux containing six men and a wall-piece each; one commanded by himself, and the other by Lieutenant Grant. The party in the canoes seem to have been pretty roughly handled and retreated towards the shore, where Putnam and the rest of the party awaited them, and when they came within ranged poured in a fatal volley upon them, “killing their cockswain and by our wall pieces, etc., killed divers of them,” as Rogers says.

At this juncture, however, Putnam is attacked in the rear by a party on shore, and barely escapes with his life, having only time to shove off his bateau and leap into it with his comrades, seeking security by pushing out of the range of the enemy’s fire into the bay. The report tells us that “the enemy shot through his blanket in divers places, and through the bateau.” It was not the only hairbreadth escape of that remarkable man.

The two bateaux united, now pursued the canoes “with constant fire upon them, ’til we came within 80 rods of their fires; discovered a number of men upon each side of the shore within about 40 rods of us gave each a broadside, which put them to the bush, and gave us a clear passage homewards, and after we got fairly into the lake, lay upon our oars and inquired after the circumstances of the party – found none killed, but one wounded, which gave joy to all of us, after so long an engagement, which I judge was near two hours.”

It is evident from this account that the conflict, and with the two canoes, began well toward the south side of the bay, and in the neighborhood of the strait separating “Green Island” from the main shore, and terminated near the north side of the bay and in front of what is know as “Goodman’s Landing.” The canoes retreated when attacked by Rogers and Grant in the direction of the French encampment, which I am now satisfied, was on Goodman’s Point. Rogers and Grant pursue with the two bateaux, until they approach within 80 rods of the enemy’s fires. Putnam and his six men on shore, meantime, had fired upon the canoes, and themselves been driven to the water by a party of the enemy on shore. Joining Rogers and Grant, and pressing on in the pursuit, the battle was brought to a close by the appearance of two bodies of the enemy at different points on the shore of the bay, the “broadsides” of Rogers by which he says he “put them to bush” and his escape to the broader lake.

We are now able to account for the artificial formation on the north end of “Green Island.” Rogers had two wall-pieces with him. He had despatched Capt. Fletcher on the night of the 31st to the head of the lake for a reinforcement. After the skirmish which has been described and Rogers had drawn off, the French in anticipation of his return, and a renewal of the attack had posted a party on “Green Island” directly opposite their works on “Goodman’s Point,” so that by having another party secreted near the strait at the south, when once Rogers was fairly in the bay he would be easily destroyed.

The party posted on the north end of “Green Island” threw up the breast-work which may still be seen. This, from its contiguity to the fort on the mainland, was the more important point.

Having thus determined the scene of an incident in the military annals of Horicon, I have only to ask the tourist and antiquarian to examine it, and to claim the privilege of bestowing a name upon the bay of which so much has been said. Let it be called Battle Bay.

Tags: Battle Bay, French & Indian War, Lake George History, Rogers Rangers

A re-enactor in a battle scene

North Country-Made Documentary to be Shown Nation-wide

By Anthony F. Hall

Monday, March 14, 2011

The locally-made documentary about the French and Indian War, “Forgotten War: The Struggle for North America,” has been selected for broadcast by more than two hundred public broadcasting stations.

The documentary, which was produced by Plattsburgh’s Mountain Lakes PBS in conjunction with commemorations of the 250^th anniversary of the French and Indian Wars, will be seen in three of the biggest markets in the country: New York, Boston and San Francisco, said Janet Kennedy, the executive director of Lakes to Locks Passage, which underwrote the documentary. Stations in Los Angeles and Philadelphia are considering broadcasts, said Kennedy.

“Mountain Lakes PBS is the smallest public television station in the country, so having one of its productions broadcast nationally is a remarkable achievement,” said Peter Repas, executive director of the Association of Public Broadcasting Stations of New York.

According to Colin Powers, Mountain Lakes PBS’s director of production and programming, for too many Americans, the French and Indian war is still the forgotten war, despite the fact that the 250^th anniversary of the pre-Independence War conflict inspired countless new books and films.

Not only do relatively few Americans understand the role the conflict played in shaping the history of the North American continent, the significance of Lake George and Lake Champlain in determining the conflict’s outcome is often lost sight of, Powers said.

To remedy that defect, Powers and a team of producers, directors and writers spent more than two years creating “Forgotten War: The Struggle for North America,” an hour long documentary that will be seen on public broadcasting stations throughout the United States and Canada.

“We wanted to bring the war back to this corridor,” Powers said at the documentary’s premiere, which was held at Fort Ticonderoga. “An epic struggle for the fate of North America was played out right here in our own backyards. For five years—from 1755 to 1760—the battles raged at Lake George, Crown Point, Fort Ticonderoga, and Quebec as France, Britain and the native peoples of North America fought to decide who would control the crucial highway of rivers and lakes between New York and the city of Montreal.”

The film makers succeeded in restoring the primacy of northern New York to the historical narrative, said David Starbuck, the archaeologist who has conducted excavations at Fort George and Fort William Henry.

“They did a great job of putting this area front and center,” said Starbuck, who served as one of the film’s consultants.

According to Powers, the film makers hoped to restore a perspective that many historians felt had been distorted by the PBS documentary “The War that made America,” which was filmed near Pittsburgh.

Much of “Forgotten War” was filmed in and around Fort Ticonderoga, using the 2000 re-enactors who show up every year as extras.

“They’re re-enactors, not actors, so we frequently had to re-stage scenes,” said Damian Panetta, the documentary’s producer and director.

Panetta and associate producer Karin O‘Connell elicited the advice not only of scholars but of the descendants of those who participated in the conflict.

“I was very cognizant of trying to tell a balanced story so I spoke to British, French, French Canadian, British Canadian, Scottish, American, Iroquios, Abenaki, and Mohican peoples,” said O’Connell.

The result, said Colin Powers, is a documentary that gives proper weight to Native Americans and the American colonists. The French and Indian War is a forgotten war not merely because it has been overshadowed by the War of Independence, but also because it contains so many forgotten stories, said Powers.

According to Powers, ‘Forgotten War’ will be a rich resource long after it has been shown on television. In addition to the full-length documentary, the producers have created videos that will be available at historic sites, a website with downloadable content, and educational curriculum that meet state curriculum standards.

“This was a project that took more than two years to complete,” said Alice Recore, the president and CEO of Mountain Lakes PBS. “I hope viewers will feel that it was well worth the time and the effort.”

Tags: 250th Anniversary of French & Indian War, Documentary, French & Indian War, Lake George, Lake George History, Mountain Lakes PBS

Lakes to Locks Passage “Minutes” Showcase Region’s Rich Heritage

By Mirror Staff

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Lakes to Locks Passage, Inc was established in 2003, as its mission statement says, to promote “the appreciation, recognition, stewardship and revitalization of the natural, cultural, recreational and historic assets of the communities along the interconnected waterways of the upper Hudson River, the Champlain Canal, Lake George, Lake Champlain, Chambly Canal and Richelieu River.”

It emphasizes “place-based” tourism, or an appreciation of a community’s unique historical, cultural and natural resources, rather than road side attractions.

“That’s the key to economic development,” says Janet Kennedy, the executive director of Lakes to Locks Passage.

By linking the communities of the Hudson Valley, Lake George and the Champlain corridors, Lakes to Locks Passage hopes to create a regional brand that can be marketed to potential visitors throughout the world, says Kennedy.

One medium for transmitting that information is videos, called Lakes to Locks Passage Minutes and produced by Mountain Lakes PBS

”The one-minute videos illustrate, in a lively and engaging manner, the stories of the region that depict the unique heritage of the region. Some stories are based upon historical facts, some are about the landscape and culture, other are legend and lore. All are designed to capture the viewer to stop and think for a moment, engaging them in a personal way,” says Drew Alberti, a project manager at Lakes to Locks Project manager.

According to Alberti, the videos have been used by local tourism agencies, Stewart’s Shops, New York State public television stations, other community related website or media venues, as the basis for lesson plans in schools and by the Lakes to Locks Passage organization itself.

Tags: Bloody Pond, Chambly Canal, Champlain Canal, Champlain Corridors, French & Indian War, History, Lake Champlain, Lake George, Lake George History, Lakes to Locks, Richelieu River, Upper Hudson River

An 18th century plate from Fort Ticonderoga

Daily Life in the 18th Century: Winter Weekends at Fort Ticonderoga

By Mirror Staff

Friday, February 4, 2011

A new lecture series at Fort Ticonderoga examining daily life during the French and Indian Wars started on Saturday, January 22 with presentations on clothing, pottery and Native American material culture.

The program, to be held at the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center, starts at 10 am and concludes at 3 pm. The cost for the day-long workshop is $35 and includes morning refreshments and lunch. To register, contact Rich Strum at 518-585-6370

Henry Cooke, one of North America’s premier authorities on 18^th-century clothing, will discuss military and civilian clothing of the French & Indian War period. Chris Fox, Fort Ticonderoga’s Curator of Collections, follows with a discussion of mid 18^th-century ceramics and tableware. Fox’s presentation is based in part on his work on Fort Ticonderoga’s newest exhibition Pottery, Pork, and Pigeons, that opened during the 2010 season. Michael Galban and Ian Stout speak about 18^th-century Native American material culture. Galban works at Ganondagan State Historic SiteThe day concludes with an opportunity for workshop participants to examine up-close examples of mid-18^th-century artifacts with the panel of experts.

Tags: Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Ticonderoga History, French & Indian War, Lake George History, Ticonderoga, Winter Events

Re-enactors march along at sunset at Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga: America History at Our Doorstep

By Patricia & Robert Foulke

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Fort Ticonderoga was built in 1755, the second year of the French and Indian War. Originally named Fort Carillon by the French, its position on Lake Champlain at the outlet from Lake George made it “the key to the continent” as Britain and France struggled for control of North America.

Seven Years War or French and Indian War

By July, l758 the English had organized an army of l6,000 men, setting sail under General James Abercromby from the head of Lake George. It must have been a vibrant sight as they marched with their red uniforms, three-corner hats, Highland kilts and British flags to the tune of bugles and bagpipes. The fleet of over l,000 boats landed at the northern end of Lake George and proceeded to stumble through the thick forest to Fort Carillon.

When the fighting began the Black Watch of the 42nd Highlanders pushed their way past the abatis of trees to the enemy but 647 were felled by bayonets and bullets. It is said that one courageous piper continued to play after he had lost his leg. The King’s Royal Rifle Corps also fought valiantly before the English General Abercromby decided to retreat. Marquis de Montcalm and his French forces celebrated their victory after the battle of July 8.

However, the next year General Amherst and his British defeated the French at the fort. French troops exploded the powder magazine which left the fort in ruins.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a ghost story about Duncan Campbell, who was awakened by a vision that predicted he would die at Ticonderoga. Duncan Campbell joined the Black Watch, was indeed sent to Ticonderoga and died there. He is buried in Union Cemetary, between Hudson Falls and Fort Edward.

American Revolution

British soldiers held the fort at the beginning of the American Revolution. Rumblings from the Americans finally erupted in a plot hatched by Ethan Allen. As leader of the Green Mountain Boys, Allen combined with Colonel Benedict Arnold to capture Fort Ticonderoga in a surprise raid on May l0, l775.

Allen began the charge. “My party who followed me into the fort, I formed on the parade in such a manner as to face the two barracks which faced each other. The garrison being asleep, (except the sentries) we gave three huzzas which greatly surprised them.” Allen then ran up the steps and pounded on the door of the commanding officer, Captain Delaplace, ordering him to surrender the fort. Some say that he yelled, “Come out, you damned old rat.”

Life was not easy for those who lived at Fort Ticonderoga. Smallpox and extreme cold which froze some men in their tents contributed to misery during l777 and more was to come as the British army under General John Burgoyne climbed to the top of Mount Defiance with guns. General Arthur St. Clair, vastly outnumbered by the enemy, decided to retreat with his men, fought against his pursuers and lost. After Burgoyne surrendered in Saratoga the British abandoned Fort Ticonderoga, leaving it open to scavengers who took stones, windows, floor boards and cannon.

In l803 the Garrison Grounds at Fort Ticonderoga were deeded to Columbia University and Union College. In l820 William Ferris Pell leased the land, built a house called “Beaumont,” and restored the original gardens designed by the French in l756. Beaumont burned in l825 and Pell then built “The Pavilion,” which still stands.

At the age of eight Stephen Pell found a bronze flint box with tinder still inside. It had belonged to a Frenchman, perhaps Montcalm, de Levis, Bougainville or Bourlamacque. The box measures 2 l/4 by l l/4 inches and has busts in the center of the top and the bottom of the case. A floral design encircles the busts. Stephen Pell developed a desire to preserve and restore Fort Ticonderoga.

Re-enactors at Fort Ticonderoga

Reconstruction of the fort began in l908. Excavation took place carefully as artifacts such as firearms, buttons, pottery, china, cutlery, cannon balls, grape shot, tomahawks, axes, sword blades, keys and more were found. President Taft, along with the Ambassadors of France and England, the Governors of New York and Vermont and other distinguished guests visited for the opening of the museum in l909.

Visitors can head out the door from the ticket counter and walk along a timeline wall to learn details of the history of the site. Then walk under a tunnel and turn right to visit the new Deborah Clarke Mars Educational Center. Inside there is a film to provide orientation. The new exhibit, “The Face of War, Triumph and Tragedy at Ticonderoga, 1758 & 1759,” provides interactive fun such as creating your own wampum on a machine. Several audio programs include one on silver and gold serpents, and another on Yankee Doodle. Duncan Campbell’s tombstone is pictured there.

The Mars Center has an elevator inside so that you can ride up and walk out to the ramparts. Then walk all the way around the Place d’ Armes and view marching from above. We found that a wheelchair used by a visitor works when using the elevators in the Mars Center to reach each level..

Each floor contains a variety of exhibits. One of our favorites is a colorful diorama featuring the Black Watch at Ticonderoga with their red jackets and Black Watch kilts. The Black Watch collection includes a sporran (a purse worn in front of the kilt by Highalnders) , clay pipes, a broadsword, highland pistol, buttons, bagpipe ferules which go around the pipes and a camp axe.

Visitors can also see George Washington’s spurs, swords belonging to Israel Putnam, Arthur St. Clair and Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Warner’s knapsack, miniature toy soldiers belonging to Montcalm as a child, and a punch bowl belonging to Sir William Johnson who was a famous militia officer in New York and an expert on Indian affairs. An original American flag, possibly made by Betsy Ross is also there. Sarah van Vechten made a needlwork picture in l80l of Fort Ticonderoga with fishermen in Lake Champlain. The library contains letters, diaries, papers and books from the period.

Three guns on the Place d’Armes include one of the 59 cannons that started with Colonel Knox in his difficult journey to deliver needed artillery to Boston during the winter of 1775-76. This one fell through the ice on the Mohawk River as it was being taken to Boston. A three-pounder brass cannon was taken by General John Burgoyne on his way down the Champlain Valley in 1777, then went to Saratoga with him and was surrendered there. The third gun, a bronze howitzer, is marked “Philadelphia 1777.” Fort Ticonderoga has the largest collection of 18^th century artillery in North America.

Activities at the fort include cannon firings, fife-and-drum performances and re-enactments in the summer. The cannons on display along the south curtain wall include some late l7th century and early l8th century Spanish models. The British government sent fourteen 24-pounders to Ticonderoga. Twelve French bronze guns and mortars are there along with some from other countries.

In 1755 a garrison garden was planted to feed the troops. It resembled the kind of formal garden the French were familiar with at home and was used during both the Seven Years War and the American Revolution. After lying in ruins for many years, the garden took on new life when the Pell family commissioned Marian Cruger Coffin to create a walled garden. She selected plants that were used in the 1920s and placed pastel colors in the eastern side of the garden and bright colors in the western side. In 1937 a bronze statue of Diana was placed in the center of a pool designed by Anna Hyatt Huntington.

Surprisingly, a number of Coffin’s original plants survived over the years. Some of these include: the rose Frau Karl Druschki, globe thistle, pink, white and deep rose peonies, iris, tiger lily, orange and yellow daylilies and hosta. You’ll think you’re in another world with familiar plants reminiscent of an English garden. Garden aficionados will also enjoy the blue delphiniums and colorful tea roses. Whenever you visit, something will be in bloom from June through September, although July and August are prime months.

In 1993 the King’s Garden was in the early stages of restoration. The same plants recommended by Coffin in 1920 were incorporated into the garden. The original brick walls and paths were also restored. In 2002 the restoration was complete. You may visit the King’s Garden throughout the summer and early fall.

Tags: Fort Ticonderoga, French & Indian War, Lake George, Lake George History, Revolutionary War, Ticonderoga

Divers at a historic warships in Lake George

Diving Into History at Lake George

By Joseph W. Zarzynski

Friday, January 21, 2011

Lake George is renowned for its spectacular scenery, its integral role in American history, and as a major recreational attraction of the Northeast. Thus, it is not surprising that thousands of scuba divers come to the “Queen of American lakes” to not just view the lake’s picturesque underwater landscape, but to also “Dive Into History.”

As early as the 1950s, scuba divers began visiting the clear waters of Lake George. However, it was not until the decade of the 1960s, that scuba really became popular at the 32 mile long waterway. In 1960, two teenage scuba divers unexpectedly discovered several French and Indian War (1755-1763) bateau-class shipwrecks in the lake’s shallows. Those flat-bottomed warships were approximately 25 to 40 ft. long. The bateau was pointed at bow and stern, made of pine planks and oak frames, and used an oar tied off the stern for steerage. The watercraft was powered by oars, poles, and by sail.

In 1758, British soldiers at the lake deliberately sank over 260 bateaux and other types of warships to prevent their capture by the French. Remarkably, in 1759, British forces raised some of their vessels. However, the British war machine soon left Lake George for the French fortresses of the Champlain Valley and scores of sunken British warships were never recovered from Lake George.

Unfortunately, from the 1960s into the 1990s, many sunken bateaux were vandalized by souvenir-seeking divers. Therefore, in 1993, to promote shipwreck preservation and to provide sites for recreational scuba diving, the State of New York created the Empire State’s first shipwreck preserves. Lake George’s shipwreck preserves are State managed sites set up to encourage non-destructive recreational exploration of shipwrecks. Lake George’s shipwreck preserve system is called “Submerged Heritage Preserves.” These preserves include: mooring buoys to prevent dive boats from dropping anchors on shipwrecks, trail lines set up around each site, and signage erected underwater. A program brochure provides a history about each site, suggested reading lists, dive regulations, emergency information, archaeological drawings, and a map that shows the location of each shipwreck preserve.

Lake George’s first two shipwreck preserves were “The Sunken Fleet of 1758” and “The Forward.” “The Sunken Fleet of 1758” preserve consists of seven 1758 British bateaux that rest in 20 to 40 ft. of water. Those seven shipwrecks were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. In 1997, this preserve was enhanced by the addition of a 23 ft. long three-fourths replica of a colonial bateau.

“The Forward” is a 45 ft. long gasoline-powered wooden launch that was originally owned by the Bixby family of Bolton Landing. In 1998, “The Forward” preserve was remodeled. The site transformation was supported by a small grant from The Fund for Lake George, Inc. A 20 ft. wooden cabin cruiser was sunk at the site and a 500 ft. underwater trail system was established. Divers swim around the trail visiting stations that inform divers about water temperature patterns, underwater geology and vegetation, fish life, and color loss at depth. Divers can even practice archaeology at a simulated archaeological site. Now known as “The Forward Underwater Classroom,” the preserve lies in 20 to 45 ft. of water. These two preserves are open Memorial Day weekend into the autumn and can be visited on a first come, first served basis.

In 1994, a third preserve was created called “Land Tortoise, A 1758 Floating Gun Battery.” The seven-sided Land Tortoise radeau lies in 107 ft. of water and the wooden vessel is recognized as “North America’s oldest ‘intact’ warship.” In 1998, the Land Tortoise was designated a National Historic Landmark, only the sixth shipwreck with that status. The radeau is a deep dive, thus diver visitation is by registration only. Divers visiting the Land Tortoise are reminded not to touch this fragile icon of the colonial wars. The radeau preserve is open the second weekend in June through Labor Day. Divers can register to dive the radeau at the Department for Environmental Conservation (DEC) office at Million Dollar Beach in Lake George.

Federal, state, and Lake George Park Commission statutes prohibit damaging historic shipwrecks in Lake George. Furthermore, the removal of historic artifacts from the lake is prohibited unless a diver has a State permit to do so.

Bateaux Below, Inc., a not-for-profit educational corporation that sets up and monitors Lake George’s “Submerged Heritage Preserves,” is working with the DEC to open a new preserve in 2002. The proposed preserve would be a reef that would be mapped with signage underwater to inform visiting divers.

Anyone wishing a brochure about Lake George’s “Submerged Heritage Preserves” should contact: DEC, “Submerged Heritage Preserves”, Region 5, Route 86, Box 296, Ray Brook, NY 12977-0296. Telephone: (518) 897-1200.

There are several dive shops in the area that service Lake George divers. Among these are: Morin’s Dive Centers (Glens Falls), Capitaland Scuba Center (Latham), Scuba University (Ballston Spa), Diving Discovery (Albany), and Aqua Hutt Divers (Scotia).

Tags: Bateaux, French & Indian War, Lake George, Lake George History, Submerged Heritage Preserves, The Sunken Fleet of 1758

A picture of the well at Fort William Henry

The Well at Fort William Henry: Lake George’s Oldest Tourist Attraction

By Anthony F. Hall

Sunday, January 9, 2011

In the two centuries that followed the French destruction of Fort William Henry in 1757, the only visible reminder of the fort was the old well on the grounds of the hotel.

“The French,” wrote Seneca Ray Stoddard in his 1873 guide to Lake George, “burned whatever they could not carry off. They could not steal or burn the ‘Old Fort Well’ however, and it still remains, partially filled with stones and rubbish.”

It was rumored that the British hid their gold and silver in the well during the seige of 1757. After the surrender of the fort to the Marquis de Montcalm, the officers’ wives who had been told that they would be granted safe passage to Fort Edward threw their jewelry into the well “having a premonition of disaster,” according to one account.

According to that same account, “On the night of August 9, 1757, as the Indians went about the fort, killing and scalping the sick and wounded, two women were thrown headlong down the well after having been scalped.”

Despite that rich history, the well has been excavated only twice; in the 1950s and again in 1997, under the supervision of archeologist David Starbuck.

The well was dug in late 1755, after Sir William Johnson defeated the French at the Battle of Lake George and began building Fort William Henry. Rogers’ Rangers, it is believed , actually dug and built the 40-ft deep stone well.

At least one source has it that the completion of the well was commemorated with a dance and a ration of rum for all.

Approximately one hundred years after the destruction of the fort, the first hotel was built on the site.

“Honeymoon couples would walk by the well and throw silver coins into it, believing that this offering to the legends of the ghosts which have been said to inhabit the walls of the old fort, would bring them good luck, and future happiness,” the Lake George Mirror reported in 1955.

When reconstruction of the fort began in 1953, the bottom was only 19 and 1/2 feet from the curb, indicating that that in the intervening years about 20 feet of of dirt and debris had accumulated.

According to David Starbuck, archaeologists were unable to dig deeper than 23 feet before hitting water when excavating the well in 1960. In 1997, Starbuck began a new archaeological dig at the fort, part of which was an excavation of the well. With the aid of sections of steel culvert with which to line the well and prevent it from collapsing, Starbuck himself was able to reach a depth of 30 feet.

“Since 1960 the well had been the center of attention for every school child who visited the fort,” Starbuck wrote in his “Massacre at Fort William Henry.” “They left us with a forty year legacy of tourist memorabilia.”

Aerial shot of Fort William Henry

Starbuck and his assistants found toys, sunglasses and a lot of bubblegum.

At 27 feet from the surface, Starbuck made a discovery that completes our knowledge of the well’s construction. “The well had been lined at its bottom with vertical wood planks, creating a water tight barrel that prevented silt from washing in,” Starbuck reported. “(Each of the planks) was three inches thick, and twelve inches wide. Massive and tightly joined, the boards were waterlogged and swollen, and groundwater could seep into the well only by running over the tops of the planks through knotholes.”

Fort William Henry’s Archaeology Hall includes a full scale recreation of the well, enabling viewers to experience for themselves Starbuck’s sensations as he stood at the bottom of the well, sending up buckets of earth, debris, and the thousands of coins visitors have tossed into the well over the years. (The treasure, we assume, went elsewhere.)

Gerry Bradfield, the fort’s curator at the time, installed a video camera within the well’s shaft and taped the entire process.

The Archaeology Hall and other rooms throughout the Fort contain thousands of artifacts discovered on the grounds of Fort William Henry since the 1950’s, when the reconstruction of the fort began. Recent discoveries, such as pre-historic pottery shards as well as buttons from the uniforms of American soldiers in the War of Independence , suggest that the site was used before and after the fort was burned in 1757.

The exhibits are part of a larger “Living History Program” designed to enable visitors to better understand the history of the colonial era. The program includes tours led by guides in authentic costumes, the firing of 18^th century muskets and cannons, recreated scenes of life at the fort and scenes from the events that took place there, as well as visits to dungeons, a powder magazine and a crypt of the victims of Montcalm’s 1757 massacre. Visitors can also view the 1936 film version of Cooper’s “Last of the Mohicans,” believed by many to be the best and most graphic portrayal of Montcalm’s seige and the ensuing massacre.

The Fort William Henry Museum is open from May through October.

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