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To the west of Fort Ticonderoga at the south end of Lake Champlain in Upstate New York stands Mount Defiance, pictured here.
In October of 1777, after his successful delaying action at Valcour Island, General Benedict Arnold came to Ticonderoga to warn the fort's commandant that a British army under General Sir John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne was on its way, and that the first thing Burgoyne would do would be to place artillery on the mountain and fire down into the fort.
The Commandant, a General St. Claire, who was a incompetent as he was stupid (the two attributes that the Congress seemed to value above all others), replied that Arnold must be mad...it would be impossible to get heavy artillery to the top of the mountain, therefore it would be a waste for him to sent troops there to defend it.
The next afternoon Arnold approached him again and explained that that morning he, Arnold, had, with his bad leg, having been badly wounded at Quebec, had walked to the summit of the mountain and back down again in less than 4 hours...mounting guns up there would not be difficult.
Once again Arnold was told that he was being ridiculous. St. Claire than informed him, in his most condescending manner, said that even if by some outlandish event, the British did try to get past the fort, heavy chain had been stretched across the channel and that would stop the British ships. In one last effort, Arnold says that those chains won't even slow the British advance down river. St. Claire laughs in Arnold's face and walks away, whereupon, Arnold, feeling he has done all he can, takes his army south to join with General Phillip Schuyler, Commander of the Northern Army.
Less than two weeks later, Burgoyne had place artillery on the summit of mount Defiance and fired a few rounds into the fort, which St. Claire then abandoned without firing a single shot in defense.
The British took over Fort Ticonderoga; one of their war ships fired at the chain that was supposed to stop them and the chain was destroyed in less than ten minutes, and Burgoyne continued down The Hudson River


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