You're listening to an airwave media podcast. Hello and thank you for joining the American Revolution.

Today episode 162 the raid on Fort Ticonderoga.

Last week I talked about the Battle of Freeman's Farm,

where the Americans fought General Burgoyne's British Army

to a draw in upstate New York. The British were struggling to advance,

but their real problem was a lack of good supply lines. American General Horatio

Gates had taken command of the Northern Army, replacing General

Philip Skyler in late August.

He had lobbied for the command in Philadelphia for months before the loss of Ticondaroga convinced Congress that it was time for a new leader.

Once in command, Gates traveled to Albany where he contacted General Lincoln and General Stark who were still in what is today Vermont

and asked them, uh, so what do you guys think we should do?

Lincoln and Stark developed a plan to harass Burgoyne's rear and

disrupt his supply lines from Canada. As I mentioned in an earlier episode, Lincoln

originally wanted Stark's militia army to join up with the

Continental's further south. Stark's refusal meant that his men were in place

to contest the British at the Battle of Bennington.

Rather than continue to fight with Stark,

Lincoln got on board with the idea of keeping these local militias separate

and tried to find another use for them. In September, before the Battle of Freeman's

farm, Lincoln came up with a plan to create more havoc behind British lines. General Burgoyne's forces had captured Fort Ticonderoga in July.

After that, they had sailed down Lake Champlain to Skeensboro, marched through the

forests to force the Americans out of Fort Ann and Fort Edward,

...