BATTLE OF VALCOUR ISLAND ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN

Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain

On a cold October morning, a makeshift American flotilla under Benedict Arnold waited behind Valcour Island on Lake Champlain for a much larger British squadron sailing south from Canada. The American vessels were hastily built and poorly armed, yet their commanders understood that time was as valuable as any broadside. By forcing the British to fight their way past this screen, the lake squadron turned a likely quick advance into a bruising, day-long engagement among islands, shoals, and shifting winds. Although most of the American ships were lost or scuttled, the action delayed the British campaign until winter closed the northern corridor. That precious pause helped prevent a coordinated British drive down the Hudson the following year and set the stage for the more famous victory at Saratoga.