Fort Independence (Vermont)

Fort Independence was a fort built in 1775 on Mount Independence next to Lake Champlain. It was placed directly across from Fort Ticonderoga to help fortify the approach to Albany. The intent was to provide a combined, two-shore defense to approaching British Forces. 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 defense, mainly headed by engineer Colonel Jeduthan Baldwin who arrived in February 1777, included a 400 yd heavy log boom across a narrow just up the lake, a 12 ft wide bridge to cross between the two forts, two blockhouses to guard Mount Hope and the Lake George outlet, and three new redoubts on the Ticonderoga side of the bank. All of the extended defenses would require 10,000 troops. The Americans only had 1/3 of this number in July 1777. More dismaying, Mount Defiance (800 ft) rose above 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 Baron Friedrich Adolph Riedesel zu Eisenbach (Eastern Shore) arrived with a combined 10,000 men.

Location of Mount Independence 43.82694°N, -73.38056°W