HISTORY OF VERMONT. 10} 



dependence. On the summit of this hill they 

 had erected a star fort, enclosing a large square 

 of barracks, well fortified and surrounded with 

 artillery. The foot of the mountain, which on 

 the west side projected into the water, was 

 strongly entrenched to its edge, and the en- 

 trenchment was well lined with heavy artillery ; 

 and a battery about half way up the mount, sus- 

 tained and covered these lower works. These 

 two posts were joined by a bridge of communi- 

 cation thrown over the inlet. This bridge of 

 communication was supported by twenty two 

 sunk piers of very large timber, placed near- 

 ly at equal distances ; the spaces between these, 

 were filled with separate floats, each about fifty 

 feet long, and twelve wide, strongly fastened to- 

 gether with chains and rivets, and as strongly 

 connected with the sunken pillars. The side 

 of the bridge next to lake Champlain, was de- 

 lended by a boom of very large pieces of tim- 

 ber, fastened together by riyitted bolts and dou- 

 ble chains, made of iron an inch and a half 

 square. By this work a communication was not 

 only maintained between the two posts, but all 

 access by water \yas totally cut off from the; 

 iiorthern side ;* but this arduous work for ob- 

 structing the navigation was not compleated. 



But notwithstanding the apparent strength of 

 Ticonderoga, it was effectually overlooked and 

 commanded by a neighboring eminence called[ 

 Sugar Hill, to which the Americans had given 

 the name of Mount Defiance. This s^mountain 

 by its height and proximity had such an entire 

 command both of Ticonderoga and Mount In- 



* Murray, Vol. a, p. 306. 



