Fort Ticonderoga will present Brown’s Raid Battle Re-enactment, September 14-15
An attack led by patriot Colonel John Brown will take British troops garrisoning Fort Ticonderoga by surprise (again) 236 years later during the upcoming real life action adventure at Fort Ticonderoga on Saturday and Sunday, September 14-15, from 9:30am- 5pm.
The living history weekend and battle re-enactment will for the first time ever recreate what has become known as Brown’s Raid. Historic interpreters and re-enactors from across the northeast will bring to life the little known 1777 action adventure story pulled straight from the pages of Fort Ticonderoga’s history. During the dramatic event, Fort Ticonderoga’s guests will witness first hand the high stakes mission undertaken by Colonel John Brown and his patriot militia and meet the larger-than-life characters that undertook this daring raid during special programs in the British held Fort and the American camps throughout the weekend. The Brown’s Raid battle re-enactment will take place each day at 1:30 pm when the raiders will rush forward against the British held lines, overlooking Fort Ticonderoga. Can the patriot militia capture Fort Ticonderoga or will the British and German soldiers hold the Fort?
“Brown’s Raid will be a busy weekend of programs and demonstrations. Military activities include demonstrations of artillery firing, inspection of troops, and musket drill and firing,” said Beth Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “Fort Ticonderoga guests will step into the moment in 1777 in the American camp and British Fort and be an eyewitness to the command discussions and decisions during this must-experience weekend event.”
Admission to Brown’s Raid is included in the general admission ticket. For event details visit www.fort-ticonderoga.org or call 518-585-2821.
About Browns Raid:
Out of the hazy twilight before dawn on September 18, 1777 rushed Colonel John Brown’s men, catching the British and Brunswick garrison around Fort Ticonderoga completely by surprise. John Brown, no stranger to dangerous missions, helped engineer the first capture of Ticonderoga in 1775. With the stakes even higher, he would test his luck again. As General Gates prepared to stop the British advance on Albany, he ordered General Lincoln to divide, divert, and harass General Burgoyne’s supply lines back to Canada. Colonel Brown chose his men carefully, allowed first pick of the ragtag patriot force assembled by General Lincoln at Pawlet, Vermont. Massachusetts and Vermont militia men would get their chance to strike a major blow against General Burgoyne’s attack to divide the colonies. Steadying them would be regulars from Colonel Warner’s regiment of Vermonters. Out front, Vermont rangers were to lead the way. Leading the rangers was, Captain Benjamin Whitcomb, a ranger so skilled in his craft he was a wanted man to the British Army.
Rushing down into the LaChute river valley from Lake George landing, Brown’s men captured 330 British prisoners and set 118 American POWs free. Dawn at Fort Ticonderoga would see British Cannons atop Mount Defiance, which forced the American’s to flee that summer, turned on the British garrison itself. British soldiers awoke to the sight of a Brunswick soldier cut in half by a British cannon ball fired by Brown’s men from the summit of that hill. Rearmed with captured British weapons, American POWs had a chance to settle their score shoulder to shoulder with Brown’s militia, regulars, and rangers. Destroying supplies, and livestock, capturing boats, guns, and cannons, Colonel John Brown’s raiders disappeared back up Lake George, jumping into the pages of history.