Battle of Carillon
Fort Carillon (Fort Ticonderoga), Lake Champlain, New York, USA
What happened
A French army under the Marquis de Montcalm defended Fort Carillon against a much larger British army under General James Abercrombie. During the French and Indian War, a British army of about 16,000 men advanced on Fort Carillon. Montcalm's roughly 4,000 defenders dug trenches outside the fort and piled felled trees with sharpened branches in front of them. Abercrombie ordered repeated frontal attacks without his cannons, and they all failed.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a famous French victory over a much larger army. A banner linked to the victory later inspired the design of the flag of Quebec.
What came next
The British captured the fort in 1759 and renamed it Ticonderoga. It has been a museum since 1909.
Did you know?
In 1775, early in the American Revolution, Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys captured the fort from the British.
Timeline
- 1755-1757The French build Fort Carillon.
- 8 July 1758Montcalm defeats Abercrombie at Carillon.
- 1759The British capture the fort and rename it Ticonderoga.
- 10 May 1775Ethan Allen captures Fort Ticonderoga.
- 1909The restored fort opens to the public.