Fort Ticondroga was built by the French in 1755. They called it "Carillon," meaning "bell," after the shape of the peninsula that separates Lake Champlain, controlled by the French, from Lake George, controlled by the British. 

In 1758, the British, under General James Abercrombie, attacked the fort with between twelve and fifteen thousand men. The French troops, under General le Marquis de Montcalm, numbered only about 3,500 men. The French did not wait inside the fort, but in the preceding days threw up bulwarks to defend the peninsula, which they did successfully. 

The following year, however, they abandoned the fort in the face of an attack by Lord Jeffery Amherst. The British renamed it "Ticonderoga," after the Iroquois word meaning "land between two waters." 

In the early days of the American War of Independence, the fort was captured by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen with his Green Mountain Boys. Cannons from the fort were lugged over snow all the way to Boston, where they allowed Washington to effect an end of the British siege. 

"O, you of the outland tongue,
 You of the painted face,
 This is the place of my death;
 Can you tell me the name of the place?"
             - - Robert Louis Stevenson 

Hider: Tom Cooch 
Clues:   Moderate 
Terrain: Easy 
Hidden:  07/20/99
 

DIRECTIONS

Take Exit 28 from I-87 and follow NY Rte 73 east to its junction with NY Rte 22, just outside the village of Ticonderoga. Continue another 2 miles on 73. The entrance to Fort Ticonderoga Park is just before the ferry to Vermont. 

From Vermont, follow either VT Rte 73 from Brandon or VT Rte 74 from Middlebury west to the ferry. The entrance to the Park is just on the New York side of  Lake Champlain. 

Click to visit the Fort Ticonderoga web site or to see a map of the area.. 
 

CLUES

The date is July 8, 1758. You are with the French forces defending Fort Carillon. Your position commands a fine stragetic view of the battlefield: Behind you, at a bearing of 130 degrees, is your general, the gallant Marquis de Montcalm, on the height of Carillon. You seem to see a large red cross beside him, but the vision fades. Off to the right, at 50 degrees, the British are advancing: the Scottish Black Watch regiment is taking a horrible beating. One brave piper, his left leg blown away, sits on the ground and continues to play. For just a moment, his central pipe takes the shape of a tall cylindrical cairn. 

There, in the Killing Field, something catches your eye: a fallen trophy! Should you risk it? Yes! Dashing from tree to tree, you avoid the bullets: 346º... 72º... 128º... 80º... 343º... 308º... 58º. You have it!

Even the Three Musketeers at the battle of La Rochelle did not achieve such glory! 
 

NOTES

A pace is taken to be the average distance an adult will advance by moving one foot forward - approximately three feet. 

All bearings are magnetic. 

Before you set out read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.

This letterbox is #8 placed by The Orient Express.