Today, a history lesson

"The weary American crews, struggling against a southerly wind, rowed for their lives. On the morning of October 13, near Split Rock Mountain, the fresh British fleet caught up with the vessels that were straggling at the end of the American line. The British surrounded the row galley Washington, which was forced to surrender after taking several broadsides. The British pressed on in a running gun battle that threatened the row galley Congress and four lagging gunboats. Arnold, who was commanding Congress, ordered his men to run the five vessels aground in Ferris Bay, near Panton, Vermont. He and his marines ascended the bank and blew up the ships with their flags still flying to deny them to the British. Arnold, the ships’ crews, and the local residents of Panton narrowly escaped overland to Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence."

This is Arnold Bay, VT. Before Arnold got there, the tiny bay was named for the local landowner, Squire Ferris. It's a REALLY small bay, the entrance is maybe 200 feet wide, the water is shallow. Seeing 5 ships race into shore, flags flying, and watching them burn in this tiny bay must have been an incredible sight.

You can see the New York side of Lake Champlain in the distance. The British fleet would have been parked right out there, watching their "prize" disappear before their eyes. Arnold and his wounded men saw a difficult hike through the woods to Mt. Independence and across this lake to Fort Ticonderoga as the far preferred option to surrender. He is still General Arnold, Revolutionary War hero when he's here. This very ground is where that history happened.