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Watertown, May 18, 1775.
Yesterday Colonel Easton arrived at the Provincial Congress in Watertown from Ticonderoga, and brings the glorious news of the taking of that place by the American forces without the loss of a man; of which interesting event we have collected the following particulars, viz:
Last Tuesday se' night about two hundred and forty men from Connecticut and this Province, under Colonels Allen and Easton, arrived at the Lake near Ticonderoga; eighty of them crossed it, and came to the Fort about the dawn of day. The sentry was much surprised at seeing such a body of men, and snapped his piece at them; our men, however, immediately rushed forward, seized and confined the sentry, pushed through the covered way, and all got safe upon the parade, while the garrison were sleeping in their beds. They immediately formed a hollow square, and gave three huzzas, which brought out the garrison; an inconsiderable skirmish with cutlasses or bayonets ensued, in which a small number of the enemy received some wounds. The commanding officer soon came forth; Colonel Easton clapped him upon the shoulder, told him he was his prisoner, and demanded, in the name of America, an instant surrender of the Fort, with all its contents, to the American forces. The officer was in great confusion, and expressed himself to this effect: damn you, what —what does all this mean? Colonel Easton again told him that he and his garrison were prisoners. The officer said that he hoped he should be treated with honour. Colonel
The American forces having thus providentially got possession of this important fortress, found in it upwards of one hundred pieces of cannon, several mortars, and a considerable quantity of shot, stores, and some powder.
After this acquisition, a detachment of our Troops was despatched to take possession of Crown Point, where there is a considerable number of cannon. Another detachment was sent to Skenesborough, where they took Major Skene and, his family, with a number of soldiers, and several small pieces of cannon.
Colonel Easton met several hundred men from the western parts of this Province, on their way to Ticonderoga. They were on the same expedition, not knowing the Fort was taken till they met Colonel Easton. Part of them pursued their march, in order to secure and garrison the Fort.
The prisoners, to the number of about one hundred, including negroes, &c˙, were brought off by John Brown, Esquire. Colonel Allen was left commander of the Fort.
The officers and soldiers in this important expedition behaved with the utmost intrepidity and good conduct, and therefore merit the highest applauses of their grateful Country.
Colonel Easton at the Provincial Congress
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Easton replied he should be treated with much more honour than our people had met with from the British Troops. The officer then said, he was all submission, and immediately ordered his soldiers to deliver up all the arms, in number about one hundred stands. As they gave up their arms, the prisoners were secured in the hollow square.