Part of a series of articles titled 2023 Preservation Planning Grants Highlights.
Article
The Humdrum side of War: Investigating Camp Life during the American Revolution
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress
Recipient: Fort Ticonderoga Association
Amount: $147,151.00
A month after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the American Revolution spread outside of Massachusetts, and Patriot forces began mobilizing to seize key British assets throughout the colonies. In nearby New York, Fort Ticonderoga became a target due to its large stockpile of gunpowder and artillery. Equipment vital for the undersupplied Americans. But the fort’s strategic position between Lake Champlain and the Hudson River Valley also made it one of the best locations for blocking potential British attacks from Canada.
Liberating the fort from the British in a nearly bloodless affair on May 10, 1775, the Americans quickly improved Fort Ticonderoga’s defenses and established a large militia camp at Liberty Hill – an open hilltop, halfway between the main fort and its outer entrenchments. But no direct attack was ever made against Fort Ticonderoga by the British during the war. Patriot readiness and numbers convinced British generals that a direct assault against the American position would be too costly and turned back an army under Major General Guy Carleton in October of 1776.
Occupying the camp for over two years, Patriot forces mostly dealt with the monotonous parts of being a soldier, like guard duty, supply gathering, and drilling on the parade ground. But their training and discipline would prove invaluable after the Fort’s forced evacuation during the pivotal Saratoga Campaign. Conducting a fighting withdrawal in the summer of 1777, the American troops that had been stationed at Liberty Hill would slow a second British invasion during the battles of Hubbardton, Skenesboro, and Fort Anne. Engagements that steadily wore down Crown forces until the decisive American victory on the Bemis Heights south of Saratoga in October of the same year.
A 2023 Preservation Planning Grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program to the Fort Ticonderoga Association will support the organization’s efforts to conduct historical and archeological research on the Revolutionary War camp at Liberty Hill, and gain a more complete understanding of the daily life of the Patriot militia that were stationed there. This grant will also help guide the future development of a heritage trail at the site.
Preservation Planning Grants are the American Battlefield Protection Program's broadest and most inclusive grant program, promoting the stewardship of battlefields and sites of armed conflict on American soil. In addition, ABPP administers three other grant opportunities: the Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant, Battlefield Restoration Grant, and Battlefield Interpretation Grant programs. This financial assistance generates community-driven stewardship of historic resources at the state, tribal and local levels.
Get Your Project Funded
Check out the American Battlefield Protection Program's website for more information about various grant offerings and eligibility.
Last updated: July 26, 2023