Battles & Campaigns · 1777
Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777)
Fort Ticonderoga, New York, USA
What happened
Burgoyne's army took the high ground around Fort Ticonderoga and nearly surrounded it. British engineers placed guns on Sugar Loaf hill, which looked down on the fort. When St. Clair saw the guns, his council decided to leave, and the Americans slipped away at night; the British entered the fort on 6 July without a fight.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The fort had been seen as almost impossible to capture, so its loss caused an uproar. Schuyler lost his command, and St. Clair never led an army in the field again.
What came next
The retreating Americans fought rearguard actions at Hubbardton on 7 July. Burgoyne's campaign later failed, and he surrendered after the Battles of Saratoga.
Did you know?
Sugar Loaf hill is now called Mount Defiance.
Timeline
- 2 July 1777Skirmishing begins.
- 5 July 1777The Americans decide to retreat.
- 6 July 1777The British enter Fort Ticonderoga.
- 7 July 1777Battle of Hubbardton.