Trumbull Gallery of Paintings in Yah College. 235 



ing for active service was too small to offer any effectual resis- 

 tance to the victorious enemy, had he possessed the means of 

 following up his success. Happily, General Sullivan, on whom 

 had devolved the command of this disastrous retreat, had with 

 great skill and exertion, found means either to destroy or with- 

 draw all the vessels and boats on Lake Champlain, so that the 

 victors were compelled to remain at St. John's until they could 

 construct others. 



The summer was passed by the contending parties, at the two 

 extremities of the lake, in preparations to give or repel the attack ; 

 the works at Ticonderoga were strengthened, and each endeav- 

 ored to secure the command of the lake by constructing a fleet ; 

 these met on the 11th of October, when the American squadron 

 was defeated, and the enemy advanced to Crown Point, and recon- 

 noitered Ticonderoga. But the lateness of the season, and the 

 formidable display of apparent force on our side, deterred Sir Guy 

 Carlton from making an attack. The defenses of this post had 

 been so extended as to require at least 10,000 men, and they 

 were occupied for a short time by 13,500, chiefly New England 

 militia. It was not only believed by some, but at length demon- 

 strated by actual experiment, that this extended position was 

 overlooked and completely commanded by Sugar-Loaf Hill, which 

 forms the northern extremity of that mountain ridge which sepa- 

 rates Lake George from Wood Creek, the southern and narrow 

 part of Champlain ; and this important point, elevated six hundred 

 feet above the level of the water, had never been occupied by 

 French, English, or Americans. 



The spring of 1777 found General St. Clair occupying the ex- 

 tensive works of Ticonderoga with only 3000 men, all the force 

 that could be spared for the defense of that point. 



On the first of July, General Burgoyne appeared before the 

 place at the head of 8000 men, and immediately occupied Mount 

 Hope, on the left of our position, distant about 1000 yards from 

 the old French lines, so memorable for the defeat of General 

 Abercrombie, in 1757. He was thus master of the outlet of Lake 

 George, and on the next night he occupied the summit of Sugar- 

 Loaf Hill, with several pieces of heavy artillery, and from that 

 moment it became unavoidably necessary to abandon Ticonde- 

 roga. This was effected in the course of the following day by 

 General St. Clair, with as little loss or disorder as could be ex- 



