Valcour Bay is actually a strait or

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' b ...

, located between Valcour Island and the west side of

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; 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 the Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. The New York portion of t ...

, four miles south of Plattsburgh, New York. It was the site of the

Battle of Valcour Island The Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, was a naval engagement that took place on October 11, 1776, on Lake Champlain. The main action took place in Valcour Bay, a narrow strait between the New York mainland and ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1961 because of this association. and Valcour Bay is located in the Towns of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and Plattsburgh, both in

Clinton County, New York Clinton County is a county in the north-easternmost corner of the state of New York, in the United States and bordered by the Canadian province of Quebec. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 79,843. Its county seat is the ci ...

Description

Valcour Island, located in Lake Champlain, is roughly rectangular in shape, extending from its northern to southern tips. It is located about east of the New York state shoreline to the west. Valcour Bay is the body of water between the island and the mainland, with the landmarked area of the bay consisting of about . Both the island and the mainland shore have seen relatively little development since the area was of military importance in 1776. In 1776, Benedict Arnold was placed in command of a Continental Navy fleet on the lake, composed mostly of small

gundalow A gundalow (also known in period accounts as a "gondola") is a type of flat-bottomed sailing barge once common in Maine and New Hampshire rivers. It first appeared in the mid-1600s, reached maturity of design in the 1700 and 1800s, and lingered i ...

s armed with three small cannons. After training with the fleet during the summer months, Arnold selected Valcour Bay as the place to meet the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

fleet, which had taken longer to prepare for action. The bay's location required the British fleet to sail with the wind south past the island, and then turn to come upwind toward Arnold's fleet, which he arrayed in a crescent formation. Meeting in battle on October 11, the two fleets engaged in battle in which both sides suffered some damage, but left the American fleet in a precarious position, with little ammunition and separated from its base by the British presence. The Americans were able to escape that night, but most of their fleet was abandoned, sunk, or captured over the next two days. The , which was sunk during the battle, was raised in 1935 and is on display at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

in Washington, D.C. It was also declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. The wrecked remains of the American schooner ''Royal Savage'', abandoned and burned during the battle at the southern tip of Valcour Island were raised in 1934. Valcour canadianarchive c013202k

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in New York American Revolutionary War sites National Historic Landmarks in New York (state) Bodies of water of Clinton County, New York Straits of New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Clinton County, New York Lake Champlain

Description

See also

References