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 THE FIGHT AT 
 
 litatnonti Is^IainDr, 
 
 LAKE GEORGE. 
 
 :v»^V^ 
 
 By the Rev. B. iT DeCosta, 
 Author of "Notes on the History of Fort George/' &c. ite. 
 
 Eeprintcd, with addJUons, (torn th« Now-England Hlrtorical and Ocneillogicnl Register. 
 
 Neto*¥orft: 
 
 J. Sabin & Sons, 84 Nassau St. 
 
 London : 23 Backingham St. 
 
 1872. 
 
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 EDITION OP aOO C0FIE8. 
 
 09 ..««.» 
 
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 Boston : 
 DftYld Clapp & Son, Prlnten. 
 
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■ISV . /( 
 
 THE FIGHT AT DIAMOND ISLAND. 
 
 L 
 
 STANDING upon one of the heights near the head or southern end 
 of Lake George,' the tourist looks down on the placid waters, and 
 sees at his feet a small island covered with verdure, and glowing like an 
 emerald in the summer sun. It is Diamond Island,* one of the best 
 known of the many exquisite isles that gem the more distant portions of 
 the little inland sea ; which here boasts only about half-a-dozen, notwithstand- 
 ing Cooper speaks of " countless islands " that may be seen from this spot. 
 
 > " There is one point on which we would wish to lay a word before closing the 
 preface. Hawk-Eye calls the Lao du Saint Sacrement, ' the Horican.' As we believe 
 this to be an appropriation of the name that has its origin with ourselves, the time has 
 arrived, perhaps, when the fact should be Orankiy admitted. While writing this book fully 
 a quarter of a century since, it occurred to us that the French name of the lake was too 
 complicated, the American too common- place, and the Indian too unpronounceable, for 
 either to be used in a work of fiction. Looking over an ancient map, it was ascertained that 
 atril)e of Indians, called 'Let Horicani' by the French, existed in the neighborhood of this 
 beautiful sheet of water. As every word uttered by Natty Bumpo was not to be received 
 as rigid truth, we took the liberty of putting the ' Horican ' into his month, as a substitute 
 for * Lake Oeorge.* . . . We relieve our conscience by the confession." [Latt of the 
 MoMeatu, Ed. 1872, p. 4.] In connection with this subject, see the author's " Lake 
 Oeorge: its Scenes and Characteristics," pp. 73, 74: "A Narrhtive of Events at Lake 
 Oeorge," p. 6 ; and " Notes on the History of Fort Oeorge," p. 6. At the present time 
 there is a uminimons desire on the part of the admirers of Lake Oeorge to secure the return 
 to the old and beautifUl name. 
 
 * Silliman, who was bore in 1819, says : "The crystals are hardly surpassed by any In the 
 world for transparency and perfection of form. They are, as usual, the six-sided prism, and 
 are frequently terminated at both ends by six-sided pyramids. These last, of course, must 
 be found loose, or, at least, not adhering to any rock ; those which are broken oif hnvo 
 necessarily only one pyramid."— St'M'mon'* TVaeob, p. 1S3. 
 
 -f, 
 
 •> • Iff' 
 
TRB FIORT AT DIAMOND ISLAND. 
 
 4 
 
 , From time immemorial, Diamond bland haa borne ita present name, 
 derived from the exquisite crystals with which the underlying.rock abounds. 
 Here is the scene of the fight which took place on this lake, Sept 24, 1777, 
 an occurrence that appears to have been purposely overlooked by the 
 Americans at the time, and which has since failed to f nd a chronicler.' 
 
 But before proceeding to give the narrative of this event it may be well 
 to speak of several other points, and to make a brief statement of the military 
 situation at that time. <! v v. 
 
 First comes the question of the discovery of Lake George by the 
 Europeans. According to the best knowledge that wo possess, its waters 
 were first seen by a white man in the year 1040.* It is true Champlain 
 tolls us that he saw the falls at the outlet of the lake in 1 609, yet there is 
 nothing whatever to indicate that he visited the lake itself, though the 
 Indians had informed him of its existence. It is reasonable, therefore, to 
 conclude that Lake George was seen for the first time by a European, May 
 29, 1G46,* when it receive<l its name, "Lac du Saint Socrement," from the 
 Ilov. Isaac Jogues. S. J., who, in company with Jean Bourdon, the celebrated 
 engineer, was on his way south to effect a treaty with the Mohawks. 
 
 ■ This nfflilr was alluded to by the English, thongh the Americans said nothing. Among 
 recent writers, I have found no notice beyond thut hj Losslng In his Fie'd Book, vol. I. p. 
 U4. When the present writer composed hii first work on Lake George be had not found 
 the offlclal account by Col. Brown. 
 
 * See Relutiotu de$ Jtiuitta, 1646, p. 15. 
 
 ' Mr. Parkman, In his work on The J«tuit$ in America (p. 219), has indeed stated that 
 Father Jogues ascended Lake Ocorge in 1612, when, in company with P^re Qonpll, ho was 
 carried away a prisoner liy the Indians. 
 
 The opinion of Mr. Parkman is liased on a manuscript account of that Journey, taken down 
 from Father Jogues's own lips by Father Bntcux. The account, after describing the 
 Journey southward and over l.ake Champlain, which occupied eight days, says that they 
 "arrived at the place where one leaves the canoes" (ohPonquitUlttcanott), and then 
 "marched southward three days by land," until they reached the Mohawk villages. But 
 thcro is nothing whatever in the description, by which we can recognize a passage over 
 Lake Cieorgc, nothing about the portage, the fniU, nor the outlet. Everything turns chiefly 
 on the fact that they arrived at the plaee tehert one leatt* the eanoei. 1 his place, it is 
 assumed, was the head of Lake George, tcom. whence there was a trail southward. Now in 
 reganl to the existence of such a trail at that period, there can be no doubt; yet unques-^ 
 tionably it was not the only trail followed by the Indians. The old French mnp shows two 
 trails to the Mohawk villages, one tewa the head of Lake George, and the other from the 
 South-west Bay. 
 
 It Is true that Chnmplatn, in 1600, Intended to go to the Mohawk country, by Lake 
 George, yet at the period of Jogucs's captivity we have no account of any one taking that 
 route. Father Jogues himself clearly did not cross the lake in 1646. It Is distinctly said 
 
 ,- r: 
 
THK rionr at diamond* island. ft 
 
 Arriving at tho outlet of the lake on the evening of Corput Chriiti, they 
 gave it the above name in honor of this festival, which fklls on the Thursdaj 
 following Trinity Sunday, and commemoratos the alleged Real Presence of 
 Christ in the Great Sacrament. 
 
 From this time until 1755 the lake was rarely visitecl by Europeans. At 
 this period the Frennh comroence<l the fortiHcations of Ticonderoga, while 
 the English met the advance by the construction of Fort William Ileury at 
 the opposite end of the lake. ',-''''»'• ^ ' •■ 
 
 •M U 
 
 Wo pass over the struggles that took place on these waters during the 
 French wars, and come to the period of the Revolution, when a feeble 
 English garrison held |>ossc8sion of Ticonderoga, while Capt. Nordberg lived 
 in a little cottage at the head of the lake, being the nominal commander oi 
 tenantless Fort George. With the commencement of the struggle for liberty, 
 Lake George resumed its former importance as a part of the main highway 
 to the Canodas, and by this route our troops wont northward, until the tide 
 turned, and our own soil, in the summer of 1777, became the scene of fresh 
 invasion. Then Burgoyne's troops poured in like a flood, and "or a time 
 swept all before them. It was at this period that the fight at Diamond 
 Island took place. 
 
 Burgoyne had pushed with his troops, by the Whitehall route, far to the 
 southward of Lake George, being determined to strike at Albany, having 
 
 that they arrived at the end of the Inke (bout d* laej on the eve of the Festival of SI. 
 Saeremtnl, when they named the lake, and the next day went soatli on foot, carrying their 
 poclcg on their baclcs. This ii the view given by every one who boa treated the sul^ect in 
 print, including Mr. Farliinan hiniRelf. 
 
 To this it has been answered that bout d* lac always means the head of the lake, and that 
 the terms are so nsed in the Relations ; yet if we return to the Relation of 1668 (vol. ill. 
 p. fi), detailing the Journey of Fathers Fremin, Pieron and Bruyos, we find that this is not 
 the case. The writer there says that while be and others delayed on an Island iu Lake 
 Cbamplain, the boatmen went forward, " landing at the end of the Lake (bout de lac) du 
 St. Sacrement, and preparing for the portage." At this place, the north end of the lake, 
 there Is a heavy portage, in order to get around tbe Falls of Ticonderoga. In the next 
 sentence be again calls this end of the lake, which is the north end or outlet, bout de lae. 
 But we have nlso-to remind the reader, that the place where Father Jogues left hit eanoe, in 
 1646, was at the north end of the lake (tbe foot), which he, like the others, calls bout de lac. 
 The language is so translated by Porkman and others who have mentioned the circumstance. 
 Bout de lac, in tbe Jesuit Relatione, therefore dors not mean the head of the lake. We see, 
 then, that wo have not sufficient reason for supposing that " tbe place where one leaves the 
 canoes" meant tbe bead, or south rnd of Lake Oeorge, and consequently that the alleged 
 passage over the lake by Jogaes, in 1642, is indefensible, on that ground. 
 
 I 
 
% 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 ■mil nonr at nuMOND iblanp. 
 
 ;i 
 
 lofl but n Rmnll forro at Ticondoroga, a linn<lAil of men at Fort (Icorge, and 
 a gurriHoii ut Diamond Iitlnnil to guard tlio HtorcH accumulated tlitTe. Suoing 
 tlio opportunity thutt broadly prctttMitcd, (iuu. Liiurolii, acting undor the 
 dirocaion of (iatcH, rcHolved to nuiko an ctt'ort to dcHtroy Hurgoynu'tt lino of 
 communication, and, if p08i»iblo, capturu his Muppliea. llo then^fure 
 doHpatchtid Col. John Drown with a forco to attack Ticouderoga, an enter- 
 prise which, though attended with partial huccchh, failed in the end. To this 
 failure he subseiiuently added another, resulting iVom the fight at Diamond 
 Island. 
 
 Hut Hinco the ])rintcd accounts of the attack upon Ticonderoga are almost 
 aH meagre as thoHe of the struggle at the iHland, we will here give the oiTlcial 
 report, which is likewise to bo found among the Gates Pa[)ers, now in the 
 jKJssession of the Ilistorical Society of New- York, prefacing the rejHjrt, 
 however, with the Knglish statement of Burgoyne. 
 
 In the course of a vindication of his military iK)licy, Gen. Burgoyne writes 
 as follows: 
 
 " During the evonth stated alwvc, nn attempt was umdu ngiiinst Ticonderoga by an 
 army aHsembled under Mi\j()r-(ioneral Lincoln, who found means to march with h 
 conbidcrublo corps from lluberton undiscovered, while another column of his force 
 passed tlio mountains Skenceborough and Lake Oeorge, and on the morning of the 
 18th of iScptember a sudden and general attack vas made upon the carrying place at 
 Lake-Cicorge, Sugar-Hill, Ticonderoga, and Mount-Indupendence. The sea officers 
 commanding the armed sloop stationed to defend the carrying place, as also Home of 
 the officers commanding at the poet of Sugar-IIill and at the Portage, were surprised, 
 and a considerable part of four companies of the 53d regiment were made prisoners; 
 a block-house, commanded by Lieutenant Lord of the 53d, was the only post on that 
 side that had time to make use of their arms, and they made a brave defence till 
 cannon taken from the surprised vessel was brought against them. 
 
 " After stating and lamenting so fatal a want of vigilance, I have to inform your 
 Lordship of the satisfactory events which followed. 
 
 "The enemy having twice summoned Brigadier General Powell, and received such 
 answer as became a gallant officer entrusted with so important a post, and having 
 tried during the course of four days several attacks, and being repulsed in all, 
 retreated without having done any considerable damage. 
 
 " Brigadier General Powell, from whose report to me I extract this relation, gives 
 great commendations to the regiment of Prince Frederick, and the other troops 
 stationed at Mount-Independence. The Brigadier also mentions with great applause 
 
 
t, and 
 "tooing 
 
 T tho 
 
 linu uf 
 er<!fore 
 
 enter- 
 To this 
 iomond 
 
 almoRt 
 
 oinciul 
 
 V in tlie 
 
 report, 
 
 THB FIOHT AT DIAMOND IHLAND. T 
 
 tho bohitT'our of Captain Taylor of the 9Ut regiment, who waa aooidentally there on 
 liiit route to tho army from the honpital, and Lieutenant Bceorofl of the 94th regl* 
 ment, who with the artiflcera in arnm defended an ini{M>rtttnt tmttory,"* 
 
 Such is Burgoyno'H account of tho attack upon Ticondoroga ; next to 
 whicii comes that of Col. Brown, wtio, for tho second timo in tlio course of 
 his military experience, had an opportunity of ozhil)iting hi* valor in 
 connection with the fort. His report to Gen. Lincoln runs as follows: 
 
 •' «?Ir, 
 
 " North end of lake Ueorge landing. 
 •' thurwlay Sop 10"> 1777 
 
 " With great fatigue afler marohing all last night I arrived at this place at the 
 bionk of day, and after the Itcst disposition of the men, I could make, immediately 
 began the attack, and in a few minutes, carried the place. I then without any loss 
 of time dctatched a considerable part of my men to the mills, where a greater number 
 of the enemy wore posted, who also were soon made prisoners, a small number of 
 whom having taken possession of a block house in that Vicinity were with mor« 
 difficulty bro't to submission ; but at the sight of a Cannon they surrendered, during 
 this season of success. Mount Defiance also fell into our bands. I have taken pos- 
 session of the old french lines at Ticonderoga, and have sent a flag demanding the 
 surrender of Ty : and mount independence in strong and peremptory terms. I hare 
 had as yet no information of the erent of Ool°. Johnsons attack on the mount. My 
 loss of men iii them several actions are not more than 3 or 4 killed and S wounded, 
 the enemy's lose ; is less. I find myself in possession of 303 prisoners. Vis' 3 captains, 
 Qsube. 3 Commissaries, non Commissioned officeru and privates 143. British 110 
 Canadians, 18 artificers and retook more than 100 of our men. total 303, exclusive 
 of the prisoners retaken. — ^The watercraft I have taken, is 150 battcaus below the 
 ialls on lake Champlain 50 above the falls including 17 gun boats and one armed sloop, 
 arms equal to the number of prisoners. Some ammunition and many other things 
 which I cannot now ascertain. I must not forget to mention a few Cannon which may 
 be of great service to us. Tho : my success has hitherto answered my most sanguine 
 expectations, I cannot promise myself great things, the events of war being so dubious 
 in their nature, but shall do my best to distress the enemy all in my power, having 
 regard to my retreat— There is but a small quantity of provisions at this place which 
 I think will necessitate my retreat in case we do not carry Ty and independence — 1 
 hope you will use your utmost endeavor to give me assistance should I need in 
 croflsiiig the lake &o— The enemy but a very small force at fort George. Their boats 
 are on an island about 14 miles from this guarded by six companies, having artillery 
 
 > State of the Expedition from Canada. By Burgoyhe. p. xciv. Ed. 1780. 
 
"•"■"■iiplilp 
 
 !■ 
 
 8 
 
 THE FIOHT AT DIAMOND ISLAND. 
 
 — I hare mnch fear with respect to the primners, being obliged to tend them under 
 a small guard — I am well informed that considerable reinforcements is hourly 
 expected at the lake under command of Sir John Johnson- -This minute received Geni. 
 Powals answer to my demand in these words, ' The garrison intrusted to my charge 
 I shall defend to the last.' Indeed I have little hopes of putting him to the necessity 
 of giving it up unless by the force under Colonel Johnson. 
 
 "lam* 
 "Geni Lincoln.' •* John Shown. ' 
 
 y 
 
 We now turn to the fight at Diamond Island, giving first the English 
 version, simply remarking as a preliminary, that in the postscript of a letter 
 address, by Jonas Fay to Gen. Gates, dat«d Bennington, Sept. 22, 1771, 
 is the following : 
 
 "By a person just arrived from Fort George— only 30 men are ^.t that place and 
 8 Gun Boats anchor'd at a distance from land and that the enemy have not more 
 than 3 weeks provision." * 
 
 Writing from Albany after his surrender. Gen. Burgo3rne says, under the 
 date of Oct. 27th, that 
 
 " On the Slth instant, the enemy, enabled by the capture of the gunboats and 
 bateaux which they had made after the surprise of the aloop, to embark upon Lake 
 George, attacked Diamond Island in two divisions. 
 
 " Captain Aubrey and two companies of the 47th regiment, bad been posted at 
 that island from the time the army passed the Hudson's River, as a better situation 
 (or the security of the stores at the south end of Lake George than Fort George, 
 which is on the continent, and not tenable against artillery and numbers. The 
 enemy were repulsed by Captain Aubrey with great loss, and pursued by the gun- 
 boats under his command to the wst shore, where two of their principal vessels were 
 retaken, together with all the cannon. They had just time to set fire to the other 
 bateaux uid retreated over the mountains."' r .^-.v^; 
 
 This statement was based upon the report made by Lieut. Irwine, the 
 commander at Lake George, whose communication appears to have fallen 
 into the hands of Gates, at the surrender of Burgoyne. 
 
 I Gates Papers, p. 194. * Ibid. p. SOS. 
 
 * State of the Expedition (torn Canada, p. 63. 
 
 % 
 
 
 a u m -i i to . ...■■ n .iii.wifc W i.iii* - 
 
 J^ 
 
 -i)iki»aii''<i£i«v 
 
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 -^va 
 
 THE FIGHT AT DIAMOND ISLAND. 
 
 9 
 
 I under 
 bourly 
 [ Gen>. 
 charge 
 Bity 
 
 [nglish 
 letter 
 1771, 
 
 
 t 
 
 % 
 
 Lieut Geo. Irwine, of the 47th, reports thus to Lieut. Francis Clark, 
 aid-de-camp to Gen. Burgoyne : 
 
 "Fort George 24"' Sept,. 1777. 
 ••Sir 
 
 "I think it necessary to acquaint you for the information of Genemi Burgoyne, 
 that the enemy, to the amount oi two or three hundred men came from Skcneshurugh 
 to the carrying place near Tyconderoga and there took seventeen or eighteen Batteuus 
 with Gunboats — Their design was first to attack the fort but considering tiiey could 
 not well accomplish it without cannon they desisted from that sclieme, they were 
 then resolved to attack Diamond Island (which Island Capt. Aubrey commands) and 
 if they succeeded, to take this place, they began to attack the Island with cnnnon 
 about o'clock yesterday morning, I have the satisfaction to inform you that atler a 
 cannonading for near an hour and a half on both sides the enemy took to tlieir retreat. 
 Then was Gun boats sent in pursuit of them which occasioned the enemy to burn 
 their Gun boats and Batteaus and made their escape towards Skenesborough in great 
 confusion — we took one Gun boat from them with a twelve pounder in her and a 
 good quantity of ammunition — we have heard there was a few kill'd and mnny 
 wounded of them. There \ras not a man killed or hurt during the whole action of 
 his Majesty's Troops. I have the honor to be Sir your roost obedient and most 
 humb" Ser« 
 
 *' Geo" Irwine Com at Fort George 
 ... . ••L»47"'"» 
 
 We next give the report of Col. Brown, who writes as follows, and 
 not without chagrin : -; /- ., ^. ,.;._,., ,,,,. ,-.,. 
 
 "Skeensboro Friday 11 o'clock, a m. Sept SGth 1777 
 "Dear Sir 
 
 " I this minute arrived at this place by the way of Fort Ann, was induced to take 
 this rout on ac' of my Ignorance of the situation of every part of the continental 
 Army 
 
 " On the 22 inB* at 4 o'olk P.M. I set sail from the north end Lake George with SO 
 sail of Boats three of which were armed, Viz one small sloop mounting 3 guns, and S 
 British Gun Boats having on Board the whole about 420 Men officers included with 
 a Determined resolution to attack Diamond Island which lies within 5 miles Fort 
 George at the break of Day the next Morning, but a very heavy storm coming on 
 prevented — I arrived Sabbath Day point abt midnight where I tarried all night, 
 
 Gates Papers, p. 218. 
 
s ; 
 
 
 10 
 
 THE FIGHT AT DIAMOND ISLAND. 
 
 during which time I [sic] small Boat in tho fleet taken the Day before coming from 
 Fort George, conducted by one Ferry lately a sutler in our army, I put Ferry on his 
 Parole, but in the night he found Means to escape with his Boat, and informed the 
 Enemy of our approach, on the 23d I advanced aa far as 12 Mile Island, the Wind 
 continuing too liigh for an attack I suspended it untill the Morning of the 24"> at b 
 oclock at which Time I advanced with the 3 armed Boats in front and the other 
 Buivtd, I ordered to wing to tho Right and left of Island to attempt a landing if prac- 
 ticable, and to support the Gun Itoats in case they should need assistance, I was 
 induced to make this experiment to find the strength of the Island as also to carry it 
 if j)rncticable — the enemy gave me tho first fire which I returned in good earnest, 
 and advanced as nigh a& I thought prudent, I soon found that the enemy had been 
 advertised of our approach and well prepared for our reception having a great num- 
 ber of cannon well mouiitcfl with good Breast Works, I however approached within 
 tt small Distance giving the Enemy as hot a f .c as in my Power, untill tho sloop was 
 hulled between wind and Water and obliged to toe her ofi* and one of the l)oats so 
 damaged as I was obliged to quit her in the action. I had two men killed two Mor- 
 tally wounded and several others wounded in such Manner a.s I was obliged to leave 
 them under the Care of the Inhabitants, who I had taken Prisoners giving them a 
 sufficient reward for their services. 
 
 1 Run my Bouts up a Bay a considerable distance and burnt them with all tho 
 Bnggugc that was not portable — The Enemy have on Diamond Island as near as 
 C!)uld \x'. collected are about three hundred, and about 40 at Fort George with orders 
 if thi^y are attacked to retreat to the Island — Gen' Bovgoine iias about 4 Weeks 
 Provision witli his army and no more, he is determined to cut liia Road through to 
 Albany at all event , for this I have the Inst authority, still I think him under a 
 small mistake — ^lost ni' the Horses and Cattle taken at Ty and thereabouts were letl 
 in the Woods. Gen' Warner hos put out a party in quest of them. 
 
 " I am Dear S' wishing you and the 
 " Main Army 
 
 " great Success your most ob' 
 " hum' Ser« 
 
 " Jno Brown 
 "Gen' Lincoln 
 
 " NB You may Depend on it that after the British Army were supply with six 
 Weeks provision which was two weeks from the Communication between Lak» 
 George and Fort Edward was ordered by Gen' Burgoine to be stor'd and no posses 
 given 
 
 •' The attack on the Island continued with interruption 2 Hours." » 
 
 ' Gates Papers, p. 220. 
 
THE FIOHT AT DIAMOKD I8LAND. 
 
 11 
 
 Thus ended the fight at Diamond Island ; a fight which, if attended with 
 better success, might havb perhaps hastened the surrender of Burgoyne, 
 and resulted in other advantages to the American arms. As it was, how- 
 ever, the British line of communication on Lake George was not broken, 
 while the American leaders took good care to prevent this failure from 
 reaching the public ear through the press. Thus Col. Brown's reports to 
 Gen. Lincoln remained unpublished. They have now been brought out 
 and put on permanent record, as interesting material for American history. 
 
 As regards the island in more recent times, there is little to tell. It 
 once boasted a little house of entertainment ; but that has long since 
 passed away. To-day the summer tourist who rows out to this lovely isle, 
 which commands delightful views of the lake far and wide, will see no 
 evidences of Col. Brown's fight, but will find the very atmosphere bathed 
 in perfect peace. Of relics of the old wars, which for more than a hundred 
 years caused the air to jar, and echoing hills to complain, — there are none. 
 The ramparts that once bristled with cannon have been smoothed away, 
 and the cellar of an ancient house is all the visitor will find among the 
 birches to tell of the olden occupancy of man. 
 
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