Historical Marker to be Unveiled Recalling Carleton’s Raid Of 1780, and The Burning of Fort George
The Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance and the Washington County Historical Society
are unveiling a new historical marker at the Battlefield Park on Sunday, October 8th, beginning at
1:00 PM. This marker will be commemorating the final destruction of Fort George in 1780 by British forces under Major Christopher Carleton. The public is invited to attend the ceremony where the marker will be placed – across from the Battlefield Park Visitor Center, 75 Fort George Road, Lake George. The marker was funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
From October 8th through 11th in 1780, Carleton led 1,000 British soldiers, Native allies, and Loyalists on
a raid that included parts of modern-day Essex, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties.
The Carleton Raid, also known as the “Great Burning”, met its strategic objective – the
destruction of Fort Anne and Fort George, ending the Continental Army’s presence in the North
Country.
Washington County Historical Society Vice President and Lake George Battlefield Park
Alliance Trustee Pat Niles, who has spearheaded efforts to install markers about the raids
throughout the Tri-County area, noted the utter havoc and material losses they caused: “These
raids destroyed a large percentage of pre-Revolution structures from Fort Ann and Queensbury
to Schuylerville, on both sides of the Hudson River.” Niles said. “They also provoked terror…
Some local townships actually joined Vermont after the raids, having lost faith in New York’s
ability to protect them from the British.”
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation states on its website (www.wgpfoundation.org)
that markers such as the one being unveiled for Carleton’s raid “play an important role in local
historic preservation by serving a dual purpose: they educate the public, and foster historic
tourism, which in turn can provide much needed economic benefits to the towns and villages
where the markers are placed.”
Bruce Venter, Alliance Trustee and president of America’s History LLC, said: “Major Carleton’s raid is a much-overlooked component of the British strategy in 1780… British leaders looked to support their Iroquois allies who had suffered the devastating effects of the Sullivan-Clinton campaign the previous year. Combined with raids in the Schoharie and Mohawk Valleys, the British intent was to avenge the American incursion of 1779… Incidentally, an invaluable compass – excavated during an archaeological dig at Fort George and having the markings signifying Carleton’s own 29th Regiment of Foot – may have been lost during the raid, and is now on display in the Battlefield Park Visitor Center.”
In addition to an overview of Carleton’s raids by Pat Niles, the October 8th ceremony will
include presentations by State Senator Dan Stec and Lake George Town Historian Margy
Mannix. Assisting with the marker unveiling will be John DiNuzzo, Lake George Battlefield Park
Alliance President, and Nat Huntington, Washington County Historical Society President. Fort
William Henry reenactors will serve as a color guard, and fire a salute to the soldiers who
perished in the raid at Fort George.
Following the ceremony, Pat Niles will lead a tour in Lake George Battlefield Park of
locations associated with the destruction of Fort George, the ruins of which can still be viewed
by visitors. The tour will present the context of the battle that preceded the attack on the fort,
the circumstances that led to its capture, and its occupation and final burning. The Park Visitor
Center will be open Friday through Monday this weekend, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
For more information, please visit lakegeorgebattlefield.org