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Posted on 10/12/2026 8:08:30 AM PDT by DFG
“What if?” That’s a question you may have asked yourself at times throughout your life. What if something happened or didn’t happen is often the query. I won’t go into detail about all the “what ifs” I’ve questioned myself about in my life. I could write lots of columns on that question alone. No one wants to read about that, for sure!
When it comes to American history, though, I’ve often thought about that question — wondering how history would have been different had this or that happened or not happened.
What if George Washington had not had fog to mask the Continental Army’s escape from Long Island in 1776? The war very likely would have been over at that point, and the Declaration of Independence, well, would have been all for naught.
What if General George Meade, after the Battle of Gettysburg, had pursued General Robert E. Lee and captured him and the Army of Northern Virginia instead of letting him escape in July 1863? The Civil War likely would have ended shortly after and could have saved thousands of lives over the next two years.
During the Revolutionary War and America’s fight for independence, there were many moments that were possibly, like George Washington claimed, due to Providence — the idea that God may have had a hand in the outcome and had saved his army to fight another day.
In the year 1776 alone, there were three events that often beg the “what if?” question. All three were instrumental in our success in winning the war. Had any of them resulted in something different, we may still be British subjects today!
The first, I mentioned already — Washington and the Continental Army’s escape from Long Island after the Battle of Brooklyn (future column, by the way). The British had us bottled up on the tip of Long Island. If it weren’t for fog settling in over the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan, Washington would have been forced to surrender just days after the Declaration of Independence was announced! Yet, they were able to fight another day.
The second — General George Washington’s last-ditch, desperate effort to save the cause of liberty by deciding to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night and attack the British/Hessian outpost of Trenton.
The grand idea of independence was literally hanging by a thread. The army was starving, barely had any clothes left on their backs, had lost most of the engagements they had been in, and most of the enlistments were set to expire in days. Things were looking extremely bleak.
But Washington and the Continental Army DID indeed cross the Delaware and won the Battle of Trenton (future column also!), revived the confidence of not only the Army but the public as well, and turned the tide of the war.
The third event in 1776, had it not happened, would have very likely resulted in the Revolutionary War ending much sooner and the dream of independence being snuffed out. It was the Battle of Valcour Island.
Most Americans have at least heard about the escape from Long Island and Washington crossing the Delaware. But many have never heard about this battle, let alone where it took place and who was involved. That is the subject of this week’s column — the 1776 campaign that saved the cause of liberty.
The British intended to invade the colonies from the north. Lake Champlain, on the borders of today’s upstate New York and Vermont, was the key to controlling the continent. If controlled, the British would be able to divide the colonies in two and separate Boston, Connecticut, and New York from the rest of the colonies.
During the summer of 1776, while the Continental Army was fighting (and losing) to the British in Manhattan and Long Island, British General Guy Carleton and the British Navy started ascending the St. Lawrence River from Quebec to the mouth of the Richelieu River, near Montreal.
This river flowed out of Lake Champlain and emptied into the St. Lawrence. It is the only water route to Lake Champlain. From there, the Hudson River sliced right down through New York to New York City.
In order to sail up, or south, Lake Champlain (the lake flows north and empties into the St. Lawrence River), the British had to disassemble and reassemble most of their naval vessels. Because of the rapids on the Richelieu River connecting Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River, they were forced to disassemble them at Quebec and then reassemble them at Fort Saint-Jean on the Richelieu River before they could sail. It took them all summer.
Arnold was an experienced seaman. Before the war, he sailed ships from Connecticut down to the West Indies and back many times, transporting goods and supplies for his successful mercantile business.
This gave Benedict Arnold precious time to build his own, albeit much smaller, “navy.” Arnold recruited many shipwrights and sailors from Connecticut to help build his small navy and man them for the battle. His fleet was built in Skenesborough, today known as Whitehall, in New York.
Not only were his ships to be outnumbered by almost two to one, but the British had much larger warships than Arnold. In comparison, the British would have five large warships accompanied by 20-plus armed gunboats compared to Arnold’s fleet of 13 galleys and gondolas.
I wouldn’t call them canoes — more like armed sailboats. Each had a couple of cannons compared to the British vessels, which had upwards of 90 cannons aboard their fleet. The British also had large, flat troop transport boats carrying hundreds of soldiers and Native Americans, and their canoes, sailing alongside.
Valcour Island is a large island hugging the western shore of Lake Champlain about the midpoint of the lake. Arnold, knowing he was outnumbered, positioned his ships, including his flagship — the Congress — and what would become the most famous vessel from the battle — the Philadelphia — between the western shore and the island, tucked in what is known as Valcour Bay. As the British were sailing south, the American fleet was hidden from view as they approached the island.
Arnold’s plan was to wait until the British passed by the island and then use the wind to his advantage. It would be difficult for the large British ships to turn and fire on his much smaller fleet. In the meantime, he could fire on them and inflict as much damage as he could.
On Oct. 11, Arnold led his men, firing cannons himself and directing his fleet in the best way he could. By afternoon, the tide (no pun intended) began to turn. The British fleet was able to steer around and confront the smaller American Navy. Several American ships were sunk, including the Philadelphia, which took a 24-pound cannonball in the bow just below the waterline.
Fortunately, nightfall was fast approaching, and the British, thinking they had the American Navy bottled up, anchored off the island, with plans to finish them off on the morrow. Arnold, knowing the western shore of the lake and the island itself were infested with Native Americans bloodthirsty for battle, had to make a decision.
In the middle of the night, Arnold executed a brilliant escape. He ordered his ships to muffle their oars, put a small, shrouded light on the stern (rear) of each vessel, and sailed through a gap in the British blockade, sneaking through the British Navy single file with the utmost silence. Some American sailors reported afterward they could hear British sailors talking on board their ships — they were that close.
By dawn, all the American fleet was well south. The British were shocked. British General Guy Carleton immediately ordered a pursuit, and the chase was on. It would take roughly 36 hours for the British to catch up and force another engagement with the American fleet.
Because the American vessels were badly damaged, leaking, and low on ammunition, Arnold had to scuttle some of his ships. On the morning of Oct. 13, a two-hour running battle ensued. Rather than let his remaining ships fall into enemy hands, Arnold deliberately ran his flagship, the Congress, and four gunboats aground in what is known locally as Arnold’s Bay on the eastern shore of the lake and set them on fire with flags still flying.
Arnold and his men escaped overland to Fort Ticonderoga. Eventually, the British Navy reached Crown Point, an abandoned American outpost on the southern end of the lake just a few miles north of Fort Ticonderoga. But after two weeks of probing and evaluating the American stronghold, on Nov. 2, Carleton decided to withdraw his forces back to Canada.
There were two main reasons for this. The looming winter was fast approaching. Lake Champlain was already beginning to freeze over. If the lake froze completely, Carleton’s fleet would be trapped, and his supply lines back to Canada would be entirely cut off.
Carleton also realized Fort Ticonderoga’s defenses had been heavily reinforced over the summer. He calculated that he could not breach the fort without heavy siege guns, which were still stored back in Quebec.
Benedict Arnold’s fierce three-day delaying action at Valcour Island had eaten up precious weeks of autumn weather. Arnold’s resistance successfully ran out the clock on the British campaign season in 1776.
It wouldn’t be until the following summer that the British, then led by General John Burgoyne, would make another attempt to capture Lake Champlain, sail down the Hudson River, and split the colonies in two. But as we’ll see next week, it gave thousands of Continental soldiers and militia time to concentrate their forces on the Hudson and engage Burgoyne and the British at what would be the Battles of Saratoga — the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
If you plan to travel to Lake Champlain in the future, there are historical markers at Valcour Bay, on the western shore of the lake in New York, commemorating the battle. On the eastern shore, in Vergennes, Vermont, is the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. It is a fantastic museum with a new exhibit that displays many artifacts recovered in Valcour Bay —including cannons, cannonballs, and other parts of the ships that fought in October 1776.
Many of you have visited the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Among all the fantastic historic artifacts from American history is the actual gunboat Philadelphia, which sank in the Battle of Valcour Island. It is on permanent display.
Because it sank into the dark, cold, fresh waters of Lake Champlain, the wood was incredibly well preserved and remained undisturbed for nearly 160 years. In 1935, the wreck was discovered entirely intact. It was raised from the lake floor complete with its original guns, artifacts, and even the British cannonball that sank her. So, if you ever go back to the Smithsonian Museum, it will be there, and you can see the hole in the bow and the cannonball that sank her!
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has tremendous displays of all the salvage efforts in raising the Philadelphia. The Philadelphia is the oldest surviving American fighting vessel in existence.
Jason Brooke has traveled to all 50 states at least twice and has a deep passion for history and exploration. A lifelong resident of Mount Gilead, he works as a financial advisor in his hometown. Brooke holds a degree in history and specializes in the Revolutionary War, Lewis and Clark, the Civil War, and American and Ohio history. He recently partnered with the Ohio History Connection and the Morrow County Historical Society to locate and mark the graves of all Revolutionary War veterans buried in Morrow County. Jason’s email address is jtbrooke_4@msn.com.
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One thing prevailed through all of that.
Determination,faith in their leaders,Faith in God.
Some risky but tactical decisions that worked.
Great story, thank you.
I’ve got to say it, also - that’s a great story.
The sad irony is that if Arnold had not betrayed his country, he would have been one of its greatest hero’s.
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is a wonderful place to visit our country’s early history. I’ve been there many times since it began, every few years. There is always something new (old?) to see!
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