Siege of Fort Ticonderoga

Battle context

Burgoyne's seizure of Fort Ticonderoga in July 1777 removed a key defensive position on the Lake Champlain corridor without a pitched battle. By occupying the high ground above the fort, his 8,000-man force rendered the American position untenable and compelled St. Clair's under-strength garrison of 3,000 to withdraw, ceding both Ticonderoga and the extensive fortifications at Mount Independence on the Vermont side of the lake. The bloodless fall of the fort was a significant early success for Burgoyne's campaign to drive south from Canada and sever New England from the other colonies. However, the retreat kept St. Clair's force intact, and Burgoyne's subsequent advance into the interior of New York would eventually culminate in his defeat at Saratoga later that year, diminishing the strategic value of what had appeared to be an easy and decisive gain.