On October 11, 1776 at Valcour Island, off the western shore of Lake Champlain, a naval battle took place that may well have decided the fate of the American Revolution. Although they fought valiantly, the Americans lost the battle. However, they won valuable time for American forces to gather, arm and prepare for the British Campaign of 1777 that ended with the American victory at Saratoga, the "Turning Point" of the war. Valcour was the first naval battle of strategic importance during the Revolution, making Whitall, the place where America's fleet was assembled, the Birthplace of the United States Navy.The hero of the Battle of Valcour Island was Benedict Arnold, one of the colonies' most courageous and resourceful military leaders and who was much revered by his men. Anticipating that the British would use the lakes as an invasion route to split the revolted Colonies in two, Arnold scraped together a fleet capable of at least delaying a British advance along Lake Champlain from Canada. Except for ships captured the year before, all of the ships were constructed during the summer of 1776 at Skenesborough from trees cut in the forests near the settlement. Carpenters, riggers and blacksmiths were imported from as far away as Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Philadelphia to build the ships, using lumber from nearby forests.Arnold's small fleet of 12 vessels of various sizes and capabilities sailed down the Lake to Valcour Island in August 1776 to surprise the British under General Carleton as they advanced south. Carleton's armada, constructed at the north end of the Lake in St. Johns, set sail in October. A fierce battle ensued that lasted two days after the British encountered the American fleet at Valcour. The Americans were battered by the more heavily armed British vessels and were forced to retreat. Most of the American vessels were sunk and many causalities were suffered. But the battle caused the British to return north for the winter, delaying their ill-fated march south toward the Hudson and Saratoga to the following year. "We have a wretched motley crew in the fleet. The Marines are the refuse of every regiment, and the seaman, few of them were ever wet with salt water." Benedict Arnold - 1776
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