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BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN
at Valcour Island
American Revolution
By James P. Millard
ORDERS OF BATTLE
Forces involved in the Battle
October
11-13, 1776
American Continental Forces on Lake Champlain*
| Ship | Type | Length | Commander |
Guns |
Crew | Notes |
| Royal Savage | 2 Masted Schooner |
Capt. David Hawley | 6-6 pounders 4-4 pounders 12 swivels |
50 | Run aground, boarded and burned by British early in the Battle. Arnold had moved to the Congress prior to the battle, but all his papers and personal belongings were lost aboard the Savage. | |
| Revenge | 2 Masted Schooner |
Capt. ____ Seamon |
8-4 pounders 10 swivels |
35 | Escaped to Ticonderoga | |
| Liberty | 2 Masted Schooner |
Capt. ____ Premier |
2-4 pounders 6-2 pounders 6 swivels |
35 | Taken earlier from the Tory Philip Skene, was not present at the battle, had left for provisions | |
| Enterprise | Sloop | Capt. ____ Dickenson (a.k.a. Dickson) |
10-4 pounders 12 swivels |
50 | Escaped to Ticonderoga | |
| New Haven | Gondola | Capt. Giles Mansfield |
1-12 pounder 2-9 pounders 8 swivels |
45 | Run aground and burned at Ferris' Bay, October 13 | |
| Providence | Gondola | Capt. ____ Simmons [Simonds] |
3-9 pounders 7 swivels |
45 | Run aground and burned at Ferris' Bay, October 13 | |
| Boston | Gondola | Capt. ____ Sumner |
1-12 pounder 3-9 pounders 8 swivels |
45 | Run aground and burned at Ferris' Bay, October 13 | |
| Spitfire | Gondola | Capt. ____ Ulmer |
3-9 pounders 4 swivels |
45 | Possibly sunk at Schuyler's Island, October 12. Recently discovered sitting upright, in excellent condition, at the bottom of lake. The location has not been made public. | |
| Philadelphia | Gondola | Capt. Benjamin Rue | 1-12 pounder 2-9 pounders 8 swivels |
45 | Sunk at Valcour, October 11. Raised and on display at Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC | |
| Connecticut | Gondola | Capt. ____ Grant |
2-9 pounders 8 swivels |
45 | Run aground and burned at Ferris' Bay, October 13 | |
| Jersey | Gondola | Capt. [Graham] Grimes |
1-12 pounder 2-9 pounders |
45 | May have been scuttled at Schuyler's Island. More likely she was captured by the British at Split Rock. | |
| New York | Gondola | Capt. ____ Reed |
1-12 pounder 1-9 pounder 2-6 pounders1 |
45 | Escaped to Ticonderoga | |
| Lee | Cutter | Capt. ____ Davis |
1-12 pounder 1-9 pounders 4-4 pounders |
45 | Captured, recovered by British, probably in the Onion (Winooski) River | |
| Trumbull | Galley | Capt. Seth Warner |
1-18 pounder 1-12 pounder 2-9 pounders 2-6 pounders 2-4 pounders 10 swivels |
80 | Escaped to Ticonderoga | |
| Congress Flagship |
Row Galley | Capt. James Arnold (Gen. Benedict Arnold on board) |
2-18 pounders 2-12 pounders 4-6 pounders 10 swivels |
80 | Became Arnold's Flagship after he left the Royal Savage. Run aground and burned at Ferris' Bay, October 13 | |
| Washington | Row Galley |
Capt. John Thatcher, David Hawley |
1-18 pounder 3-12 pounders 4-6 pounders 10 swivels |
80 | Upon the death of Capt. Thatcher at Valcour, command assumed by Hawley, of the Savage. Col. Waterbury aboard. Captured by British at Split Rock. | |
| Gates | Galley | Capt. Frederick Chapel | 2-18 pounders 2-12 pounders 4-4 pounders 10 swivels |
80 | Still on the ways at Skenesborough at the time of the battle. Did not participate. |
His Majesty's Forces on Lake Champlain*
|
Ship |
Type | Length | Commander | Guns | Crew | Notes |
|
Inflexible |
Three-masted Ship | 80' | Lieut. John Schank | 18-12 pounders | 120 |
Constructed in pieces, transported to St. Jean. Re-assembled and launched in 28 days. |
|
Maria |
Schooner | 66' | Lieut. John Starke | 14-6 pounders | 120? |
Captured by Americans in November, 1775, recaptured by British- May, 1776. Dis-assembled, transported in pieces from Chambly to St. Jean. |
|
Carleton |
Schooner | 59' | Lieut. James Richard Dacres | 12-6 pounders | 45 | Captured by Americans in 1775, recaptured by British- May, 1776. Dis-assembled, transported in pieces from Chambly to St. Jean. |
|
Thunderer |
Two-masted Radeau (Ketch) |
91' | Lieut. George Scott | 6-24 pounders 6-12 pounders 2-howitzers |
35 | The largest and most powerful vessel of the British fleet. Did not take an active role in the battle, as she could not get close enough due to winds. Sunk near Windmill Pt. (Alburgh) while ferrying sick and wounded from the Saratoga defeat. |
|
(R)Loyal Convert |
Gondola (Hoy) |
62' | Lieut. Edward Longcroft | 7-9 pounders | 35 | Dragged up the rapids at Chambly to St. Jean. |
|
3 Gunboats |
Gunboat | 37' |
unknown |
1-24 pounder |
The standard British Gunboat had a single mast, a beam of 12' and carried one cannon in the bow of various sizes. | |
|
6 |
unknown |
1-18 pounder |
||||
|
8 |
unknown |
1-12 pounder |
||||
|
11 Gunboats |
unknown | 1-9 pounder | ||||
| 1 Longboat | Longboat | 20-40' | unknown | 1-4 pounder |
Served as "Arm'd Tenders," each carried a "Carriage Gun." | |
| 3 Longboats | unknown | 1-2 pounder | ||||
| 24 Longboats | Longboats | 20-40' | unknown | none |
Carried Provisions |
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*This is a work in progress, subject to correction and verification. If you know of errors and can supply references or sources that will help make these charts more accurate, please forward to mail@historiclakes.org . Thank you. Note from the publisher:
It was recently pointed out to me that this material, unlike most
of the feature articles on the site, is not sourced. I don't want to make any
excuses, there really aren't any. The page was among the earliest created on the
site, dating back to 1998. I have attempted to correct this serious oversight
but have found the task too daunting to take on at this time. I simply have too
much Valcour Island material. I need to focus on my new book. My apologies to all. Jim Millard, June 2009
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