An American Revolution
- Stephen Gould
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
The new year of 2026 marks the beginning of a national celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Although July 4, 1776, is the date most commonly associated with the American Revolution, the actual start of outright rebellion occurred more than a year before. The bloody skirmish between British "redcoat" troops and local militiamen at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, marked the beginning of violent conflict in the Colony of Massachusetts. Other colonies, including New York, rushed to the aid of the people of Boston, who were under occupation by British troops.
In May 1775, Ethan Allen’s “Green Mountain Boys” (including Benedict Arnold) captured Fort Ticonderoga near the southern end of Lake Champlain in northern New York. The heavy guns captured at Fort Ticonderoga played a key role in forcing the British to abandon Boston in March 1776.
A month after the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, the British army won a costly victory at Bunker Hill. The battle proved that Colonial Militiamen could stand up to the British Red Coats, and the shocking casualties would haunt British commanders. Emboldened by these early successes, the newly formed Continental Congress proposed to invade Canada. The objective of the campaign was to seize the Province of Quebec and persuade French-speaking Canadiens to join the American Colonies.
As the Colonial army gathered at Fort Ticonderoga in August 1775 for the advance into Canada, the Southampton militia prepared to join the action. Captain John Hulbert's company of Bridgehampton militiamen, including Christopher Vail from Sag Harbor, moved to Ticonderoga to assist in the campaign. Although Hulbert and Vail arrived too late to join the invasion, the Long Islanders escorted a group of British prisoners back south in November. Hulbert later reported to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, where his flag is believed by some to have helped inspire the new national flag. In the meantime, Christopher Vail returned to Sag Harbor.
The two-pronged invasion of Canada, one led by Richard Montgomery and another led by Benedict Arnold, was a failure. Montreal fell to Montgomery's force without any significant fighting on November 13. Montgomery then joined Arnold, and the two forces attacked Quebec City during a snowstorm on December 31, 1775. The Americans were soundly defeated. Montgomery was killed, and Arnold was wounded. The survivors settled into a cold miserable siege outside Quebec City.
Both the American and British armies were reinforced in April 1776. The Americans were forced to retreat down the St. Lawrence River to Montreal in May, with Benedict Arnold leading the rear guard to delay the British advance. The Americans were then forced to abandon Montreal in June, and by July 1776, the small, sickly army finally retreated to Fort Ticonderoga. The American invasion force had accomplished little but suffered greatly. However, one American's bravery stood out. Benedict Arnold had proven to be an energetic and intelligent officer, making his subsequent treachery in 1780 all the more shocking.
250 years ago, as Americans worked to fortify Fort Ticonderoga in July of 1776, the Continental Congress declared America's independence from Britain. During 2026, the Southampton History Museum will join the celebrations with a series of special events, programs, and a new exhibition featuring the remarkable stories of Southampton's Revolutionary War figures, including Stephen Sayre, Christopher Vail, David Gelston, Henry Halsey, Zephaniah Rogers, and Elias Pelletreau. Some of these names are well-known, others less so. All deserve to be remembered.