On October 11, 1776, at Valcour Island off the western shore of Lake Champlain, a naval battle took place that may have decided the fate of the American Revolution. Although the Americans lost the battle, they gained valuable time for American forces to gather, arm, and prepare for the British campaign of 1777 that ended with the American victory at Saratoga, the turning point of the war. Because Valcour was the first naval battle of strategic importance during the Revolution, Whitall, where America’s fleet was assembled, became known as the birthplace of the United States Navy. The hero of the Battle of Valcour Island was Benedict Arnold, one of the colonies’ most courageous and resourceful military leaders, much revered by his men. Expecting the British to use the lakes as an invasion route to split the revolted colonies in two, Arnold assembled a fleet capable of at least delaying a British advance along Lake Champlain from Canada. Except for ships captured the year before, all of the ships were built during the summer of 1776 at Skenesborough from trees cut in nearby forests, with carpenters, riggers, and blacksmiths brought from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Philadelphia. Arnold’s small fleet of 12 vessels sailed down the lake to Valcour Island in August 1776 to surprise the British under General Carleton as they advanced south. Carleton’s armada, built at the north end of the lake in St. Johns, set sail in October. A fierce two-day battle followed after the British encountered the American fleet at Valcour. The Americans were battered by the more heavily armed British vessels and were forced to retreat, with most of their vessels sunk and many casualties suffered. But the battle caused the British to return north for the winter, delaying their march south toward the Hudson and Saratoga until the following year.

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Whitehall, New York · USA