Fort Independence (Vermont)
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Fort Independence was a fort first begun in 1775 on Lake Champlain, and properly built on Mount Independence. It was placed directly across from Fort Ticonderoga to help fortify the approach to Albany. It was built to provide a combined, two-shore defense to approaching British Forces and the fact the stone crafted Fort Ticonderoga, that was originally built as Fort Carillon by the French in 1756, was misplaced to effectively repel an attack from the north.
The joint two-shore defence, mainly headed by engineer Colonel Jeduthan Baldwin who arrived in February 1777, included a 400 yard heavy log boom across a narrow just up the lake, a 12-foot wide bridge to cross between the two forts, 2 blockhouses to guard Mount Hope and the Lake George outlet, and 3 new reoubts on the Ticonderoga side of the bank. All of the extended defenses would require 10,000 troops, which the American only had 1/3 the amount of in July 1777, and even more defying, Mount Defiance (800ft) proved higher than both positions, yet it was unfortified.
It was captured on July 6, 1777, after a 4 day siege, when its commander, Major General Arthur St. Clair, decided to withdraw his entire command when British Lieutenant General John Burgoyne(Western Shore) and Hessian Major General Friedrich Baron Von Riedesel(Eastern Shore) arrived with a combined 10,000 men.
Location of Mount Independence
