In February of this year we read of snowmobiliers missing after falling through the ice on Lake Champlain. Today, in the winter the lake is inhabited by ice fishers, and snowmobiliers, but very little else.
The winter of 1777-8 was the one that took a brutal toll on General Washington’s troops at Valley Forge. Also in the winter of 1777-8, Lake Champlain was a virtual highway from Canada to Fort Ticonderoga. It was used to transfer supplies to the other forts along the lake. It was anticipated that it would be the invasion highway for Generals Stark and Lafayette to invade Canada before that play was put aside. Vermont’s new president Thomas Chrittenden informed General Stark that the “lake is closed with ice.” This gave them the opportunity to advance along the ice for their invasion.
The frozen lake also allowed the Tory spy to skate north to inform the British that Vermont militia were staying at Peirson’s farm. Can you imagine ice skating 60 miles on lake ice?
The British, Tories and Native Americans came down the ice with a horse drawn sleigh and several hand drawn sleighs. Again a 60 mile trip.
And last, the native Americans found a hole in the ice, or made a hole through it, in which to drop their dead comrades.
One wonders how many men or women fell through the ice during that time. They must have had knowledge of how to evaluate the ice and how to approach. They had extensive knowledge of how to survive the winter in that environment.