This past weekend,
Warner's Regiment
took part in the annual “Soldiers Atop the Mount” event at
Mount Independence in Orwell, Vermont. The event is run by the Vermont
State Historic Sites, and features reenactors portraying soldiers
garrisoning the fort that occupied the grounds in 1776 and 1777.
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| Me and Miss G. in our 18th Century roles. |
Planning and construction of the fort
began in July of 1776 when the Continental Army decided to fortify
the peninsula of land opposite Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain.
By erecting a second fort, and connecting the two via a bridge across
the Lake, the Americans had total control of the Lake Champlain water
route leading from Canada to the north, to New York, via Lake George
and the Hudson River, to the south. The two forts were abandoned,
however, in July of 1777, when the British army, under General John
Burgoyne, moved south to lay siege to Ticonderoga. At first, General
St. Clair, commander of the Continentals, did not believe reports of
British movements. When Burgoyne arrived, his men were able to haul
cannon to the top of Mount Defiance, which overlooked both
Ticonderoga and Mount Independence. This move, coupled with the fact
that he was short of both supplies and men, convinced St. Clair that
the Americans should retreat, rather than be captured in a siege that
they could not withstand. On July 6, 1777, women, children and
supplies were sent south on boats to Skenesborough (today's
Whitehall, New York), while the army at Ticonderoga moved across the
lake to Mount Independence, then south along the military road to
Castleton, Vermont. The British pursued St. Clair, which led to the
Battle of Hubbardton on July 7th, a delaying action which
may have saved St. Clair's army.
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| The Sgt. Major demonstrating guard procedures. |
For this past weekend, our unit was
tasked with manning the Southern Battery of Mount Independence. Some
of our men and women were allowed to camp at the battery, which was
the first time the ground had been home to troops since November of
1777, when the British left the fort after the defeat of Burgoyne at
Saratoga. On Saturday, our men posted guard at the battery,
challenging visitors with a sign/counter-sign phrase that they
learned from our regimental Chaplain who was stationed further down
the trail from out post. Once admitted, guests were able to learn
about the design of the three-tiered construction of the battery
defenses, then could move a bit further along the trail where the
2nd Continental Artillery was firing one of their small pieces (again,
the first time such had been done since 1777 in this location).
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| Cpt. Mullen explaining the battery layout to guests. |
In
the afternoon, we set off on a small skirmish in the woods at the
upper camp of the mount. The scenario was that a small patrol had
attacked the camp, and we were to push them out. Unlike most
reenactments where visitors stand behind a line while troops battle
each other across an open field, this event allows visitors to follow
along behind the men at a safe distance as they patrol and engage the
enemy in the woods. Two of the officers from Warner's acted as
guides for the crowd, interpreting the action as it unfolded.
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| Some of the ladies of the Regiment at the Upper Encampment. |
Day two of the event saw a Sunday
service by our Chaplain, who read a sermon from Reverend Thomas
Allen, who had served at the mount in the time period. There was a
reading of the Declaration of Independence in front of the assembled
troops, and a second small skirmish in the afternoon.
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| Safety inspection before the Sunday skirmish. |
