REAL TIME REVOLUTION® Signature Reenactment Event: Return of an Army

Description

This event will portray the retreat of the Northern Continental Army to Ticonderoga as the Declaration of Independence was signed to Philadelphia. The maritime arrival and encampment of the Continental Army will show the nadir of this army, from which their labor would lead to a key victory in 1776.

Weekend highlights include: 

• Friday, July 3 – 2 p.m.: The Final Row Up Lake Champlain – Watch the arrival of the first wave of Northern Continental Army soldiers, landing their wooden transport boats called bateaux at Ticonderoga and marching to their new encampment.
• Saturday, July 4 – 11 a.m.: “The Distressing Situation with the Sick” – Witness the arrival of the Northern Continental Army’s General Hospital in the midst of an epidemic that threatened to destroy the army.
• Saturday, July 4 – 2 p.m.: A Grand Review – See the American forces that reached Ticonderoga assemble for a review by the Continental Army’s generals. Hear the roar of gunpowder as these soldiers fire together en masse.
• Sunday July 5 – 11 a.m.: The Guns to Defend Ticonderoga – View boats laden with cannon reaching the shores of Ticonderoga, and American soldiers hoisting them ashore and delivering them to Fort Ticonderoga. Witness the first preparations to defend against British invasion.
• Sunday, July 5 – 2 p.m.: The First Bastion of Hope – Feel the rumble as cannon fire from the walls of Fort Ticonderoga. See soldiers arm, “the Old French Fort,” as the work of fortifying the entire Ticonderoga camp begins.
• All Three Days (July 3-5) – 12:30 p.m.: Fifes & Drums Concert – Hear the beats that brought an army together, as the Fifes & Drums of Fort Ticonderoga celebrate Independence Day. Discover how their songs relayed orders to march, maneuver and fire in defense of the new nation.

As part of the multi-year REAL TIME REVOLUTION® initiative (2024-2027), “Return of an Army” is meticulously designed using primary source records to reflect identical conditions to 1776. This July, REAL TIME REVOLUTION® will allow visitors to:

• Witness the Arrival: Watch a flotilla of bateaux land at the base of the fort as exhausted Continental troops establish a desperate defensive line.
• Declare Your Independence: Stand on the very ground where, weeks after the retreat, the Declaration of Independence was first read to the troops, transforming a struggling army into a new nation’s defenders.
• Explore the “Must-See” 250th Destination: From the high-stakes military demonstrations to narrated boat tours on Lake Champlain, Fort Ticonderoga offers the most comprehensive 1776 experience in the nation.