For both sides, the Battle ofValcour began on the shipways. For the Colonists the building took place at Skenesborough, now called Whitehall. Shown in the diorama above are galleys in the center and gunboats, left and right, under construction during the summer of 1776. Photo by Steve Napolitano, courtesy the Skenesborough Museum.
Three galleys were built at Skenesborough. Congress and Washington carried two 18-pounders and two 12-pounders. The Trumbull carried one 18- and one 12-pounder. In addition, all three carried a mix of smaller cannon and swivel guns. Photo by Steve Napolitano, courtesy the Skenesborough Museum.
The British, however, feared the nearness of winter, which would make it impossible to establish suppl y lines back to Canada, even if they were able to capture now-vulnerable Ticonderoga. They abruptly retreated back to Canada to await the follow ing spring.
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During the Revolution, most naval action by the Colonies against the British was aimed at cutting Britain 's long supply lines. Such engagements rarely in volved more than a few ships, and though action was frequently fierce, it generally lacked any overall strategic importance. The one exception was Yalcour. No naval engagement during the war involved the number of vessels, nor had the long-range importance of Valcour. True, the Americans and their motley fl otilla were overwhelmed. But Arnold and his valiant crews had won the allimportant campaign to buy time. Their bleached bones lie on the bottom of Valcour strait, mu te testimony to their sense of honor and the strength of their convictions. Captain Peter Merrill, protagonist of the Kenneth Roberts novel Rabble in Arms, eloquently speaks fo r all these heroic, nameless Americans: "I know the battle we fo ught at Yalcour Island was momentous indeed, and that no force, great or small , ever lived to better purposes or died more gloriously than that force which manned Arnold 's fl eet on Lake Champlain. It had saved the lake fo r that year, but it had done more; it had won the delay that brought us the chance to fi ght at Saratoga, a chance that might have been fo rever lost." D
Mr. Saxe, anavyveteranandretired /BM executive, isa writer and multimedia producer. 32
SEA HISTORY 53 , SPRING 1990