104-640: Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst , KB (29 January 1717 – 3 August 1797) was a British Army officer and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the British Army . Amherst is credited as the architect of Britain's successful campaign to conquer the territory of New France during the Seven Years' War . Under his command, British forces captured the cities of Louisbourg , Quebec City and Montreal , as well as several major fortresses. He
208-718: A direct invasion route to British Canada. However, had the British controlled the lake, they could have divided the colonies of New England and further depleted the Continental Army . The Continental Army's first offensive action took place in May 1775, three weeks after the Battles of Lexington and Concord . Ethan Allen , accompanied by 200 Green Mountain Boys , was ordered to capture Fort Ticonderoga and retrieve supplies for
312-482: A discharge of pollution into Lake Champlain. Agricultural and urban runoff from the watershed or drainage basin is the primary source of excess phosphorus, which exacerbates algae blooms in Lake Champlain. The most problematic blooms have been cyanobacteria , commonly called blue-green algae, in the northeastern part of the lake: primarily Missisquoi Bay . To reduce phosphorus runoff to this part of
416-596: A dooryard garden, typical of mid-19th century New England village homes, and his experience settling in the Champlain Valley depicts the industries and lifestyles surrounding Lake Champlain following the Revolutionary War. Similar to the experience of Salmon Dutton, former colonial militia Major General Hezekiah Barnes settled in Charlotte, Vermont , in 1787. Following the war, Barnes worked as
520-579: A gold-tipped baton which they may carry on formal occasions. The vast majority of officers to hold the rank of field marshal were professional soldiers in the British Army, though eleven served as officers in the British Indian Army . At least fifty-seven field marshals were wounded in battle earlier in their careers, of whom 24 were wounded more than once, and eight had been prisoners of war. Fifteen future field marshals were present at
624-763: A maximum depth of approximately 400 ft (120 m). The lake varies seasonally from about 95 to 100 ft (29 to 30 m) above mean sea level . Lake Champlain is in the Lake Champlain Valley between the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York , drained northward by the 106 mi-long (171 km) Richelieu River into the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec , northeast and downstream of Montreal . The Champlain basin collects waters from
728-812: A member of the Royal Family . On 6 November 1772, he became a member of the Privy Council . Amherst was raised to the peerage on 14 May 1776, as Baron Amherst, of Holmesdale in the County of Kent . On 24 March 1778 he was promoted to full general and, in April 1778, he became Commander-in-Chief of the Forces , which gave him a seat in the Cabinet . In 1778, when the British commander in North America, William Howe , requested to be relieved, Amherst
832-491: A name change, saying: "in the future I don't think there should ever be anything named after people who committed what can be described as crimes against humanity." In February 2016, a spokesperson for Parks Canada said it would review the matter after a proper complaint is filed; "Should there be a formal request from the public to change the name of the National Historic Site, Parks Canada would engage with
936-456: A natural defensive position. The British and American vessels engaged in combat for much of the day, only stopping due to impending nightfall. After a long day of combat, the American fleet was in worse shape than the experienced British Navy. Upon ceasefire, Arnold called a council of war with his fellow officers, proposing to escape the British fleet via rowboats under the cover of night. As
1040-615: A postscript when he responded to Amherst just days later on 13 July 1763: P.S. I will try to inocculate [ sic ] the Indians by means of Blankets that may fall in their hands, taking care however not to get the disease myself. As it is pity to oppose good men against them, I wish we could make use of the Spaniard's Method, and hunt them with English Dogs. Supported by Rangers, and some Light Horse, who would I think effectively extirpate or remove that Vermine. In response, also in
1144-485: A postscript, Amherst replied: P.S. You will Do well to try to Innoculate [ sic ] the Indians by means of Blankets, as well as to try Every other method that can serve to Extirpate this Execrable Race. I should be very glad your Scheme for Hunting them Down by Dogs could take Effect, but England is at too great a Distance to think of that at present. Amherst was summoned home, ostensibly so that he could be consulted on future military plans in North America, and
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#17327756297651248-658: A road surveyor; he also established an inn and trading post in Charlotte, along the main trade route from Montreal down Lake Champlain. Barnes' stagecoach inn was built in traditional Georgian style, with 10 fireplaces, a ballroom on the interior and a wraparound porch on the outside. In 1800, Continental Army Captain Benjamin Harrington established a distillery business in Shelburne, Vermont , which supplied his nearby inn. These individual accounts shed light on
1352-532: A row, or flocks of blackbirds flying close to the water". In 2022, it was reported that a feature dramatic film, Lucy and the Lake Monster , was in the works about a young orphan girl and her grandfather looking for Champ. A pollution prevention, control and restoration plan for Lake Champlain was first endorsed in October 1996 by the governors of New York and Vermont and the regional administrators of
1456-612: A small uproar, the Great Lake status was rescinded on March 24 (although New York and Vermont universities continue to receive funds to monitor and study the lake). In 1609, Samuel de Champlain wrote that he saw a lake monster 5 ft (1.5 m) long, as thick as a man's thigh, with silver-gray scales a dagger could not penetrate. The alleged monster had 2.5 ft (0.76 m) jaws with sharp and dangerous teeth. Native Americans claimed to have seen similar monsters 8 to 10 ft (2.4 to 3.0 m) long. This mysterious creature
1560-674: A street, renaming it Rue Atateken, from the Kanien'kéha Mohawk language . Born the son of Jeffrey Amherst (d. 1750), a Kentish lawyer, and Elizabeth Amherst (née Kerrill), Jeffery Amherst was born in Sevenoaks , England, on 29 January 1717. At an early age, he became a page to the Duke of Dorset . Amherst became an ensign in the Grenadier Guards in 1735. Amherst served in the War of
1664-461: A successful siege of Quebec. In May 1776, with the arrival of a British convoy carrying 10,000 British and Hessian troops to Canada, the Continental forces retreated back down the Champlain Valley to reevaluate their strategy. "I know of no better method than to secure the important posts of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and by building a number of armed vessels to command the lakes, otherwise
1768-534: A third army in September 1759. Amherst served as the nominal Crown Governor of Virginia from 12 September 1759. From July 1760, Amherst led an army down the Saint Lawrence River from Fort Oswego , joined with Brigadier Murray from Quebec and Brigadier Haviland from Ile-aux-Noix in a three-way pincer, and captured Montreal , ending French rule in North America on 8 September. He infuriated
1872-531: Is Kaniatarakwà:ronte , meaning "a bulged lake" or "lake with a bulge in it". An alternate name is Kaniá:tare tsi kahnhokà:ronte (phonetic English spelling Caniaderi Guarunte ), meaning "door of the country" or "lake to the country". The lake is an important eastern gateway to Iroquois Confederacy lands. The lake was named after the French explorer Samuel de Champlain , who encountered it in July 1609. While
1976-476: Is 23 miles (37 km) north of Glens Falls on the Hudson River and 70 miles (110 km) north of Albany, New York . Forts were built at Ticonderoga and Crown Point ( Fort St. Frederic ) to control passage on the lake in colonial times. Important battles were fought at Ticonderoga in 1758 and 1775. During the Revolutionary War, the British and Americans conducted a frenetic shipbuilding race through
2080-471: Is an extensive Ordovician carbonate rock formation that extends from Tennessee to Quebec and Newfoundland . The oldest reefs are around "The Head" of the south end of Isle La Motte ; slightly younger reefs are found at the Fisk Quarry, and the youngest (the famous coral reefs) are in fields to the north. The lake has long acted as a border between indigenous nations, much as it is today between
2184-790: Is equivalent to an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy or a Marshal of the Royal Air Force in the Royal Air Force (RAF). A Field Marshal's insignia consists of two crossed batons surrounded by yellow leaves below the Tudor Crown . Like Marshals of the Royal Air Force and Admirals of the Fleet, Field Marshals traditionally remain officers for life, though on half-pay when not in an appointment or retired. The rank has been used sporadically throughout its history, and
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#17327756297652288-719: Is fed by the Ausable , Boquet , Great Chazy , La Chute , Little Ausable, Little Chazy , Salmon and Saranac rivers, along with Putnam Creek. In Quebec, it is fed by the Pike River . It is connected to the Hudson River by the Champlain Canal . Parts of the lake freeze each winter, and in some winters the entire lake surface freezes, referred to as "closing". In July and August, the lake temperature reaches an average of 70 °F (21 °C). The Chazy Reef
2392-582: Is generally criticised for allowing the armed forces to slide into acute decline, a direct cause of the failure of the early campaigns in the Low Countries: Pitt the Younger said of him "his age, and perhaps his natural temper, are little suited to the activity and the energy which the present moment calls for". Horace Walpole called him "that log of wood whose stupidity and incapacity are past belief". "He allowed innumerable abuses to grow up in
2496-476: Is likely the original Lake Champlain monster. The monster has been memorialized in sports teams' names and mascots, e.g., the Vermont Lake Monsters and Champ, the mascot of the state's minor league baseball team. A Vermont Historical Society publication recounts the story and offers possible explanations for accounts of the so-called monster: "floating logs, schools of large sturgeon diving in
2600-562: Is not clear, however, whether the smallpox was a result of the Fort Pitt incident or the virus was already present among the Delaware people as outbreaks happened on their own every dozen or so years and the delegates were met again later and they seemingly had not contracted smallpox. A month later the use of smallpox blankets was discussed by Amherst himself in letters to Bouquet. Amherst, having learned that smallpox had broken out among
2704-627: Is part of the larger Appalachian physiographic division. Lake Champlain is one of numerous large lakes scattered in an arc through Labrador , in Canada, the northern United States, and the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the thirteenth-largest lake by area in the US. Approximately 490 sq mi (1,269 km ) in area, the lake is 107 mi (172 km) long and 14 mi (23 km) across at its widest point, and has
2808-527: Is totally unacceptable that a man who made comments supporting the extermination of Native Americans to be honoured in this way". On 13 September 2017, the city of Montreal decided that the street bearing his name would be renamed. On 21 June 2019, the street was officially renamed Rue Atateken , atateken being a Kanien'kehá word describing "those with whom one shares values," according to Kanehsatake historian Hilda Nicholas. Similarly, Rue Amherst in Gatineau
2912-634: The Battle of Lauffeld in July 1747. In February 1756, Amherst was appointed commissar to the Hessian forces that had been assembled to defend Hanover as part of the Army of Observation: as it appeared likely a French invasion attempt against Britain itself was imminent, Amherst was ordered in April to arrange the transportation of thousands of the Germans to southern England to bolster Britain's defences. He
3016-619: The Battle of Vitoria , where the Duke of Wellington earned the rank, and ten others served under Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo . However, only thirty-eight held independent commands in the field, and just twelve served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces (the pre-1904 professional head of the army) or Chief of the Imperial General Staff during a major war. Four field marshals ( Sir Evelyn Wood , Sir George White , Earl Roberts , and Lord Gort ) had previously received
3120-558: The British Armed Forces , were usually promoted to the rank upon their appointment. In total, 141 men have held the rank of field marshal. The majority led careers in the British Army or the colonial British Indian Army , rising through the ranks to eventually become a field marshal. Some members of the British Royal Family , most recently Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Charles III , were promoted to
3224-545: The British Armed Forces . At the same time, Guthrie, who relinquished the post of CDS and retired from active service in 2001, was promoted to honorary field marshal. In June 2014, former Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Walker of Aldringham was also promoted to honorary field marshal. Although the rank of field marshal is not used in the Royal Marines , the insignia is used on the uniform of
Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-558: The Canadian province of Quebec . The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern parts of Clinton County and Essex County . Most of this area is part of the Adirondack Park . There are recreational facilities in the park and along the relatively undeveloped coastline of the lake. The cities of Plattsburgh, New York , and Burlington, Vermont , are on the lake's western and eastern shores, respectively, and
3432-575: The Captain General , the ceremonial head of the corps (equivalent to colonel-in-chief ). The rank insignia of a field marshal in the British Army comprises two crossed batons in a wreath of laurel leaves, with a crown above. In some other countries, historically under the sphere of British influence, an adapted version of the insignia is used for field marshals, often with the crown being replaced with an alternative cultural or national emblem. On appointment, British field marshals are awarded
3536-674: The Champlain Canal connected Lake Champlain to the Hudson River system, allowing north–south commerce by water from New York City to Montreal and Atlantic Canada . In 1909, 65,000 people celebrated the 300th anniversary of the French discovery of the lake. Attending dignitaries included President William Howard Taft , along with representatives from France, Canada and the United Kingdom. In 1929, then-New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt and Vermont Governor John Weeks dedicated
3640-717: The Duke of York , and was promoted to the rank of field marshal on 30 July 1796. He retired to his home at Montreal Park and died on 3 August 1797. He was buried in the Parish Church at Sevenoaks . Several places are named for him: Amherst Island, Ontario , Amherstburg, Ontario (location of General Amherst High School ), Amherst, Massachusetts (location of the University of Massachusetts Amherst , Hampshire College and Amherst College ), Amherst, New Hampshire , Amherst, Nova Scotia , Amherst, New York and Amherst County, Virginia . Amherst's desire to exterminate
3744-512: The First Church in Boston offered thus: The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad... Long had it been the common opinion, Delenda est Carthago , Canada must be conquered, or we could hope for no lasting quiet in these parts; and now, through the good hand of our God upon us, we see the happy day of its accomplishment. We behold His Majesty's victorious troops treading upon
3848-612: The Grenadier Guards , commanded a series of attacks while severely wounded during the First World War in 1918. Roberts received his VC for actions during the Indian Mutiny . Wellington, 44 at the time of his promotion, was the youngest non-royal officer to earn the rank of field marshal. Charles Moore, 1st Marquess of Drogheda was the oldest, promoted at the age of 91, while a further twenty-three officers were promoted to field marshal in their eighties. Wellington
3952-528: The Ministry of Defence in 1995 made a number of recommendations for financial savings in the armed forces' budget, one of which was the abolition of all five-star ranks. Part of the rationale was that these ranks were disproportionate to the size of the forces commanded by these officers, and that none of the United Kingdom's close allies, such as the United States (which reserves the rank of general of
4056-680: The North Sea coast. Amherst was left dispirited by the retreat and by the Convention of Klosterzeven by which Hanover agreed to withdraw from the war: he began to prepare to disband the Hessian troops under his command, only to receive word that the Convention had been repudiated and the Allied force was being reformed. Amherst gained fame during the Seven Years' War , particularly in
4160-638: The Richelieu River , and to the Hudson River via the Champlain Canal , Lake Champlain is sometimes referred to as "The Sixth Great Lake". The Champlain Valley is the northernmost unit of a landform system known as the Great Appalachian Valley , which stretches between Quebec , Canada, to the north, and Alabama , US, to the south. The Champlain Valley is a physiographic section of the larger Saint Lawrence Valley , which in turn
4264-620: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In April 2003, the plan was updated, and Quebec signed on to it. The plan is being implemented by the Lake Champlain Basin Program and its partners at the state, provincial, federal and local levels. Renowned as a model for interstate and international cooperation, its primary goals are to reduce phosphorus inputs to Lake Champlain, reduce toxic contamination, minimize
Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-645: The Victoria Cross (VC), the United Kingdom's highest and most prestigious award for gallantry 'in the face of the enemy'. Wood, a famously injury-prone officer, was awarded the VC for two actions in 1858, in which he first attacked a group of rebels in India, and later rescued an informant from another group of rebels. White, a cavalry officer , led two charges on enemy guns in Afghanistan in 1879, while Gort, of
4472-408: The Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842, the Canada–U.S. border was adjusted northward to include the strategically important site of "Fort Blunder" on the US side. In 1844, work was begun to replace the remains of the 1812-era fort with a massive new Third System masonry fortification, known as Fort Montgomery . Portions of this fort are still standing. In the early 19th century, the construction of
4576-435: The West Indies while putting more effort into the war at sea. On 7 November 1778 the King and Queen visited Amherst at his home, Montreal Park , in Kent and on 24 April 1779 he became colonel of the 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards . A long-standing plan of the French had been the concept of an invasion of Great Britain which they hoped would lead to a swift end to the war if it was successful: in 1779 Spain entered
4680-409: The 1796 Jay Treaty . Eager to take back control of Lake Champlain following the end of the Revolutionary War, Americans flocked to settle the Champlain Valley . Many individuals emigrated from Massachusetts and other New England colonies, such as Salmon Dutton , a settler of Cavendish, Vermont . Dutton emigrated in 1782 and worked as a surveyor, town official and toll-road owner. His home had
4784-462: The American victory denied the British any leverage to demand exclusive control over the Great Lakes or territorial gains against the New England states. Three US Naval ships have been named after this battle: USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) , USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) and a cargo ship used during World War I . Following the War of 1812, the U.S. Army began construction on " Fort Blunder ": an unnamed fortification built at
4888-401: The Austrian Succession becoming an aide to General John Ligonier and participating in the Battle of Dettingen in June 1743 and the Battle of Fontenoy in May 1745. Promoted to lieutenant colonel on 25 December 1745, he also saw action at the Battle of Rocoux in October 1746. He then became an aide to the Duke of Cumberland , the commander of the British forces, and saw further action at
4992-481: The Bath on 11 April 1761. From his base at New York, Amherst oversaw the dispatch of troops under Monckton and Haviland to take part in British expeditions in the West Indies that led to the British capture of Dominica in 1761 and Martinique and Cuba in 1762. The uprising of many Native American tribes in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region, commonly referred to as Pontiac 's War after one of its most notable leaders, began in early 1763. From 1753, when
5096-622: The British burned Arnold's flagship, the Royal Savage , to the east, the Americans rowed past the British lines. The following morning, the British learned of the Americans' escape and set out after the fleeing Continental vessels. On October 13, the British fleet caught up to the struggling American ships near Split Rock Mountain . With no hope of fighting off the powerful British navy, Arnold ordered his men to run their five vessels aground in Ferris Bay, Panton, Vermont . The depleted Continental army escaped on land back to Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence ; however, they no longer controlled
5200-402: The British fleet on Lake Champlain. By the end of the summer of 1776, the opposing armies were prepared to battle over the strategic advantage of controlling Lake Champlain. On October 11, 1776, the British and American naval fleets met on the western side of Valcour Island , on Lake Champlain. American General Benedict Arnold established the location, as it provided the Continental fleet with
5304-478: The British took control of the fort. However, Burgoyne's southern campaign did not go uncontested. On October 7, 1777, American General Horatio Gates , who occupied Bemis Heights , met Burgoyne's army at the Second Battle of Freeman's Farm . At Freeman's Farm, Burgoyne's army suffered its final defeat and ended its invasion south into the colonies. Ten days later, on October 17, 1777, British General Burgoyne surrendered his army at Saratoga . This defeat
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#17327756297655408-432: The British. Thus, the colonial militias devised a plan to take control of the two forts and bring the guns back to the fight in Boston. The necessity of controlling the two forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point placed Lake Champlain as a strategic arena during the Revolutionary War. By taking control of these forts, Americans not only gained heavy artillery, but control of a vast water highway as well: Lake Champlain provided
5512-444: The Champlain Valley from 1778 to 1780, and Lake Champlain permitted direct transportation of supplies from the British posts at the northern end of the lake. With the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, the British naval fleet on Lake Champlain retreated up to St. John's. However, British troops garrisoned at Fort Dutchman's Point ( North Hero, Vermont ) and Fort au Fer ( Champlain, New York ), on Lake Champlain, did not leave until
5616-411: The Champlain Valley. The goal of this invasion was to divide the New England colonies, thus forcing the Continental Army into a separated fight on multiple fronts. Lake Champlain provided Burgoyne with protected passage deep into the American colonies . Burgoyne's army reached Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence in late June, 1777. During the night of July 5, the American forces fled Ticonderoga as
5720-445: The Delawares, the Shawnees, the Senecas, the Mingoes, the Mohicans, the Miamis, the Ottawas and the Wyandots, who were opposed to British post-war occupation of the region, banded together in an effort to drive the British out of their territory. One of the most infamous and well-documented issues during Pontiac's War was the use of biological warfare against Native Americans and Amherst's role in supporting it. Colonel Henry Bouquet ,
5824-443: The First World War, while one, Sir William Robertson , held every rank in the British Army, from private soldier to field marshal. Footnotes Works cited Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( / ʃ æ m ˈ p l eɪ n / sham- PLAYN ; French : Lac Champlain ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America . It mostly lies between the US states of New York and Vermont , but also extends north into
5928-480: The French commanders by refusing them the honours of war ; the Chevalier de Lévis burned the colours rather than surrendering them, to highlight his differences with Vaudreuil for later political advantage back in France. The British settlers were relieved and proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. Boston newspapers recount how the occasion was celebrated with a parade, a grand dinner in Faneuil Hall , music, bonfires, and firing of cannon. The Rev. Thomas Foxcroft of
6032-409: The French first invaded the territory, to February 1763, when peace was formally declared between the English and French, the Six Nations and tenant tribes always maintained that both the French and the British must remain east of the Allegheny Mountains . After the British failed to keep their word to withdraw from the Ohio and Allegheny valleys, a loose confederation of Native American tribes including
6136-424: The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada for its recommendation." An online petition was launched by Sark to satisfy this formal request requirement on 20 February 2016. On 16 February 2018, the site was renamed Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst, adding a Mi'kmaq word alongside the French and English titles. In 2009, Montreal City Councillor Nicolas Montmorency officially asked that Rue Amherst be renamed: "it
6240-421: The Lake Champlain waterway. The approaching winter of 1776–1777 restricted British movement along the recently controlled Lake Champlain. As the British abandoned Crown Point and returned to Canada for the winter, the Americans reduced their garrisons in the Champlain Valley from 13,000 to 2,500 soldiers. In early 1777, British General John Burgoyne led 8,000 troops from Canada, down Lake Champlain and into
6344-615: The North American campaign known in the United States as the French and Indian War when he led the British attack on Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island in June 1758. In the wake of this action, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the British army in North America and colonel-in-chief of the 60th (Royal American) Regiment in September 1758. Amherst then led an army against French troops on Lake Champlain , where he captured Fort Ticonderoga in July 1759, while another army under William Johnson took Niagara also in July 1759 and James Wolfe besieged and eventually captured Quebec with
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#17327756297656448-456: The October 1776, the Continental Army had 16 operating naval vessels on Lake Champlain: a great increase to the four small ships they had at the beginning of the summer. General Benedict Arnold commanded the American naval fleet on Lake Champlain, which was composed of volunteers and soldiers drafted from the Northern Army. With great contrast to the Continental navy, experienced Royal Navy officers, British seamen and Hessian artillerymen manned
6552-458: The Small Pox Hospital. I hope it will have the desired effect.' The military hospital records confirm that two blankets and handkerchiefs were 'taken from people in the Hospital to Convey the Smallpox to the Indians.' The fort commander paid for these items, which he certified 'were had for the uses above mentioned.' A reported outbreak that began the spring before left as many as one hundred Native Americans dead in Ohio Country from 1763 to 1764. It
6656-464: The army for officers who have commanded large armies in major wars), used such ranks. The recommendation was not taken up in full, but the practice of promoting service chiefs to five-star ranks was stopped, and the ranks are now reserved for special circumstances. Sir Peter Inge was, in 1994, the last active officer to be promoted to the rank. Inge relinquished the post of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) in 1997, and his successor, Sir Charles Guthrie ,
6760-442: The army… He kept his command, though almost in his dotage, with a tenacity that cannot be too much censured". In 1753 he married Jane Dalison (1723–1765). Following her death he married Elizabeth Cary (1740–1830), daughter of Lieutenant General George Cary (1712–1792), who later became Lady Amherst of Holmesdale, on 26 March 1767. There were no children by either marriage. He retired from that post in February 1795, to be replaced by
6864-412: The commander of Fort Pitt , ordered smallpox-infested blankets to be given Native Americans when a group of them laid siege to the fortification in June 1763. During a parley in midst of the siege on 24 June 1763, Captain Simeon Ecuyer gave representatives of the besieging Delawares two blankets and a handkerchief enclosed in small metal boxes that had been exposed to smallpox, in an attempt to spread
6968-523: The disease to the Natives in order to end the siege. William Trent , the trader turned militia commander who had come up with the plan, sent an invoice to the British colonial authorities in North America indicating that the purpose of giving the blankets was "to Convey the Smallpox to the Indians." The invoice was approved by Thomas Gage , then serving as Commander-in-Chief, North America . Reporting on parleys with Delaware chiefs on 24 June, Trent wrote: '[We] gave them two Blankets and an Handkerchief out of
7072-443: The fight in Boston. Benedict Arnold shared the command with Allen, and, in early May 1775, they captured Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point and the southern Loyalist settlement of Skenesborough . As a result of Allen's offensive attack on the Champlain Valley in 1775, the American forces controlled the Lake Champlain waterway. The Continental Army realized the strategic advantage of controlling Lake Champlain, as it leads directly to
7176-454: The first bridge to span the lake, built from Crown Point to Chimney Point . This bridge lasted until December 2009. Severe deterioration was found, and the bridge was demolished and replaced with the Lake Champlain Bridge , which opened in November 2011. On February 19, 1932, boats were able to sail on Lake Champlain. It was the first time that the lake was known to be free of ice during the winter at that time. Lake Champlain briefly became
7280-611: The following year. In this period, the Continental Army gained strength and was victorious at Saratoga . At the start of the Revolutionary War , British forces occupied the Champlain Valley . However, it did not take long for rebel leaders to realize the importance of controlling Lake Champlain. Early in the war, the colonial militias attempted to expel the British from Boston ; however, this undertaking could not be achieved without heavy artillery. The British forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point , on Lake Champlain, were known to have ample supplies of artillery and were weakly-manned by
7384-429: The forces now in Canada will be brought down upon us as quick as possible, having nothing to oppose them...They will doubtless try to construct some armed vessels and then endeavor to penetrate the country toward New York." (Brigadier General John Sullivan to George Washington , June 24, 1776). Both British and American forces spent the summer of 1776 building their naval fleets, at opposite ends of Lake Champlain. By
7488-408: The garrison at Fort Pitt, and after learning of the loss of his forts at Venango , Le Boeuf and Presqu'Isle , wrote to Colonel Bouquet: Could it not be contrived to send the small pox among the disaffected tribes of Indians? We must on this occasion use every stratagem in our power to reduce them. Bouquet, who was already marching to relieve Fort Pitt from the siege, agreed with this suggestion in
7592-539: The heart of Quebec. Immediately after taking Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, the Americans began planning an attack on British Canada. The American siege of Quebec was a two-pronged assault and occurred throughout the winter of 1775–1776. Brigadier General Richard Montgomery led the first assault up the Champlain Valley into Canada, while Benedict Arnold led a second army to Quebec via the Maine wilderness. Despite
7696-514: The high places of the enemy, their last fortress delivered up, and the whole country surrendered to the King of Britain in the person of his general, the intrepid, the serene, the successful Amherst. In recognition of this victory, Amherst was appointed Governor-General of British North America in September 1760 and promoted to major-general on 29 November 1760. He was appointed Knight of the Order of
7800-553: The honour, though three ( Wilhelm II , German Emperor; Franz Joseph I , Emperor of Austria-Hungary; and Hirohito , Emperor of Japan) were stripped of it when their countries became enemies of Britain and its allies in the two world wars. Also awarded the rank were one Frenchman ( Ferdinand Foch ) and one Australian ( Sir Thomas Blamey ), honoured for their contributions in World War I and World War II respectively, and one South African statesman ( Jan Smuts ). A report commissioned by
7904-545: The indigenous people is now viewed as a dark stain on his legacy and various agencies, municipalities and institutions have reconsidered the use of the name "Amherst". "The Un-Canadians", a 2007 article in The Beaver , includes Amherst in a list of people in the history of Canada who are considered contemptible by the authors, because he "supported plans of distributing smallpox-infested blankets to First Nations people". In 2008, Mi'kmaq spiritual leader John Joe Sark called
8008-550: The name of Fort Amherst Park of Prince Edward Island a "terrible blotch on Canada", and said: "To have a place named after General Amherst would be like having a city in Jerusalem named after Adolf Hitler...it's disgusting." Sark raised his concerns again in a 29 January 2016 letter to the Canadian government. Mi'kmaq historian Daniel N. Paul , who referred to Amherst as motivated by white supremacist beliefs, also supports
8112-520: The nation's sixth Great Lake on March 6, 1998, when President Clinton signed Senate Bill 927. This bill, which was led by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont and reauthorized the National Sea Grant Program , contained a line declaring Lake Champlain to be a Great Lake. This status enabled its neighboring states to apply for additional federal research and education funds allocated to these national resources. However, following
8216-498: The northernmost end of Lake Champlain to protect against attacks from British Canada. Its nickname came from a surveying error: the initial phase of construction on the fort turned out to be taking place on a point 3 ⁄ 4 mi (1.2 km) north of the Canada–U.S. border. Once this error was spotted, construction was abandoned. Locals scavenged materials used in the abandoned fort for use in their homes and public buildings. By
8320-795: The northwestern slopes of the Green Mountains and the eastern portion of the Adirondack Mountains, reaching as far south as the 32 mi-long (51 km) Lake George in New York. Lake Champlain drains nearly half of Vermont, and approximately 250,000 people get their drinking water from the lake. The lake is fed in Vermont by the LaPlatte, Lamoille , Missisquoi , Poultney and Winooski rivers, along with Lewis Creek, Little Otter Creek and Otter Creek . In New York, it
8424-414: The ports of Burlington, Vermont , Port Henry, New York , and Plattsburgh, New York , today are primarily used by small craft, ferries and lake cruise ships, they were of substantial commercial and military importance in the 18th and 19th centuries. New France allocated concessions all along Lake Champlain to French settlers and built forts to defend the waterways. In colonial times, Lake Champlain
8528-458: The rank after shorter periods of service. Three British monarchs ( George V , Edward VIII , and George VI ) assumed the rank on their accessions to the throne, while Edward VII and Charles III were already field marshals, and two British consorts, Albert, Prince Consort and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , were appointed by their respective queens. Other ceremonial appointments were made as diplomatic gestures. Twelve foreign monarchs have held
8632-534: The risks to humans from water-related health hazards and control the introduction, spread, and impact of non-native nuisance species to preserve the integrity of the Lake Champlain ecosystem. Senior staff who helped organize the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 recall that International Paper was one of the first companies to call upon the brand-new agency, because it was being pressured by both New York and Vermont with regard to
8736-569: The significance of Lake Champlain during the post-Revolutionary War period. During the War of 1812 , British and American forces faced each other in the Battle of Lake Champlain, also known as the Battle of Plattsburgh , fought on September 11, 1814. This ended the final British invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812. It was fought just prior to the signing of the Treaty of Ghent , and
8840-421: The spring and summer of 1776, at opposite ends of the lake, and fought a significant naval engagement on October 11 at the Battle of Valcour Island . While it was a tactical defeat for the Americans, and the small fleet led by Benedict Arnold was almost destroyed, the Americans gained a strategic victory; the British invasion was delayed long enough so the approach of winter prevented the fall of these forts until
8944-544: The states of New York and Vermont . The lake is located at the frontier between Abenaki and Mohawk ( Iroquois Confederacy ) traditional territories. The official toponym for the lake, according to the orthography established by the Grand Council of Wanab-aki Nation, is Pitawbagok (alternative orthographies include Petonbowk and Bitawbagok), meaning "middle lake", "lake in between" or "double lake". The Mohawk name in modern orthography, as standardized in 1993,
9048-504: The strategic advantage of controlling a direct route to Quebec by way of the Champlain Valley, the American siege of British Canada during the winter of 1775 failed. The Continental Army mistakenly assumed that it would receive support from the Canadians upon their arrival at Quebec. This was not the case, and the rebel army struggled to take Quebec with diminishing supplies, support, and harsh northern winter weather. The Continental Army
9152-417: The town of Ticonderoga, New York , is in the southern part of the region. The Quebec portion is in the regional county municipalities of Le Haut-Richelieu and Brome-Missisquoi . There are a number of islands in the lake; the largest include Grand Isle , Isle La Motte and North Hero : all part of Grand Isle County, Vermont . Because of Lake Champlain's connections both to the St. Lawrence Seaway via
9256-513: The war on the side of France, and the increasingly depleted state of British home forces made an invasion more appealing and Amherst organised Britain's land defences in anticipation of the invasion which never materialised. In June 1780, Amherst oversaw the British army as they suppressed the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots in London. After the outbreak of rioting Amherst deployed the small London garrison of Horse and Foot Guards as well as he could but
9360-579: Was also severely criticised by military subordinates on both sides of the Atlantic. Nevertheless, Amherst was promoted to lieutenant-general on 26 March 1765, and became colonel of the 3rd Regiment of Foot in November 1768. On 22 October 1772, Amherst was appointed Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance , and he soon gained the confidence of George III , who had initially hoped the position would go to
9464-432: Was also the first British governor general in the territories that eventually became Canada. Numerous places and streets are named after him, in both Canada and the United States. Amherst's legacy is controversial due to his expressed desire to spread smallpox among the disaffected tribes of Indians during Pontiac's War . This has led to a reconsideration of his legacy. In 2019, the city of Montreal removed his name from
9568-445: Was also the only field marshal to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . No officer whose career was spent in the British Army has ever reached the rank of field marshal without having served in the cavalry , infantry , Royal Armoured Corps , Royal Artillery , or Royal Engineers . One non-British officer has been appointed field marshal in the British Army; Ferdinand Foch of France, in recognition of his contributions in
9672-500: Was considered as a replacement by the government: however, his insistence that it would require 75,000 troops to fully defeat the rebellion was not acceptable to the government, and Henry Clinton was instead chosen to take over from Howe in America. Following the British setback at Saratoga , Amherst successfully argued for a limited war in North America, keeping footholds along the coast, defending Canada, East and West Florida , and
9776-592: Was created Baron Amherst (this time with the territorial designation of Montreal in the County of Kent ) with a special provision that would allow this title to pass to his nephew (as Amherst was childless, the Holmesdale title became extinct upon his death). With the advent of the French Revolutionary Wars , Amherst was recalled as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in January 1793: however
9880-550: Was eventually restored, Amherst was personally alarmed by the failure of the authorities to suppress the riots. In the wake of the Gordon Riots, Amherst was forced to resign as Commander-in-Chief in February 1782 and was replaced by Henry Conway . On 23 March 1782 he became captain and colonel of the 2nd Troop of Horse Guards . On 8 July 1788, he became colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards and on 30 August 1788 he
9984-473: Was forced to camp outside Quebec's walls for the winter, with reinforcements from New York, Pennsylvania , Massachusetts , New Hampshire and Connecticut allowing the soldiers to maintain their siege of the city. However, smallpox descended on both the sieging forces and their reinforcements and savaged the American force. The reinforcements traveled hundreds of miles up the frozen Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence River, but were too late and too few to influence
10088-545: Was hindered by the reluctance of the civil magistrates to authorise decisive action against the rioters. Line troops and militia were brought in from surrounding counties, swelling the forces at Amherst's disposal to over 15,000, many of whom were quartered in tents in Hyde Park , and a form of martial law was declared, giving the troops the authority to fire on crowds if the Riot Act had first been read. Although order
10192-541: Was instrumental to the momentum of the Revolutionary War, as the defeat of the British army along the Champlain-Hudson waterway convinced France to ally with the American army. Following the failed British campaign led by General Burgoyne, the British still maintained control over the Champlain waterway for the duration of the Revolutionary War. The British used the Champlain waterway to supply raids across
10296-461: Was made colonel of the 15th Regiment of Foot on 12 June 1756. By 1757 as the immediate danger to Britain had passed the troops were moved back to Hanover to join a growing army under the Duke of Cumberland and Amherst fought with the Hessians under Cumberland's command at the Battle of Hastenbeck in July 1757: the Allied defeat there forced the army into a steady retreat northwards to Stade near
10400-574: Was renamed Rue Wìgwàs ( Anishinaabemowin for white birch ) in 2023. In 2016, Amherst College dropped its "Lord Jeffery" mascot at the instigation of the students. It also renamed the Lord Jeffery Inn, a campus hotel owned by the college, to the Inn on Boltwood in early 2019. Field marshal (United Kingdom) Field marshal ( FM ) has been the highest rank in the British Army since 1736. A five-star rank with NATO code OF-10 , it
10504-481: Was replaced pro tem as Commander-in-Chief, North America by Thomas Gage . Amherst expected to be praised for his conquest of Canada, however, once in London, he was instead asked to account for the recent Native American rebellion. He was forced to defend his conduct, and faced complaints made by William Johnson and George Croghan , who lobbied the Board of Trade for his removal and permanent replacement by Gage. He
10608-521: Was the first officer not to be promoted upon appointment as CDS, although he was promoted to the honorary rank of field marshal in June 2012. The most recent promotions to field marshal came in 2012, eighteen years after the moratorium on routine promotions to the rank, when Queen Elizabeth II promoted Prince Charles, her son and heir apparent, to the five-star ranks in all three services, in recognition of support provided for her in her capacity as Head of
10712-544: Was used as a water (or, in winter, ice) passage between the Saint Lawrence and Hudson valleys. Travelers found it easier to journey by boats and sledges on the lake rather than go overland on unpaved and frequently mud-bound roads. The lake's northern tip at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu , Quebec (known as St. John in colonial times under British rule) is just 25 miles (40 km) from Montreal , Quebec. The southern tip at Whitehall (Skenesborough in revolutionary times)
10816-643: Was vacant during parts of the 18th and 19th centuries (when all former holders of the rank were deceased). After the Second World War, it became standard practice to appoint the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (later renamed Chief of the General Staff ) to the rank on his last day in the post. Army officers occupying the post of Chief of the Defence Staff , the professional head of all
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