Free Canons - Seth Warner Takes Crown Point
Seth Warner is a Revolutionary War hero in the State of Vermont.
Often overshadowed by his compatriot, Ethan Allen, Warner had military success in his own right.
In this article, we will look at one of his most important, if overlooked, pieces of leadership…the taking of Fort Crown Point.
Seth Warner
By the onset of the Revolutionary War, Seth Warned was already a leader of Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys.
Warned was a Captain, second only to the more famous (and louder-mouthed) Ethan Allen.
Within a month after the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the Warner and his men were on their way to secure Fort Ticonderoga in Upstate New York.
Invading New York
The Green Mountain Boys had a long, unfriendly history with New York.
The peoples who lived in Vermont associated with New Hampshire, though New York had claimed the land as its own. The hostilities that followed were on the verge of all out war when the two sides were suddenly united through the fight against Great Britain.
Still, the Boys were essentially invading New York which certainly tickled some of its residents the wrong way.
Fortunately, along the way the Boys ran into Benedict Arnold.
Arnold was also going to New York to take British forts. Although he did have authority from the State of Massachusetts (which cooled tensions in the Continental Congress) Benedict did not have an army.
Allen and Arnold bickered for a bit but agreed to share command, which bumped Seth Warner down to number three.
Crown Point
When Allen and Arnold made their famous raid on Fort Ticonderoga, Warned held back.
The following day, Seth led his own raid. About 12 miles north of Ticonderoga, he captured Fort Crown Point.
For some reason, the taking of Crown Point often gets overlooked when people discuss the early days of the Revolutionary War. Perhaps this is because Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen became such famous (or infamous) members of the rebellion.
Interestingly, the capture of both Forts had a lot in common.
They were each taken without much resistance. Additionally, cannons from both Forts would end up travelling on Henry Knox’s Nobel Artillery Train and end up assisting in the Siege of Boston.
The real difference between the two locations is size. Crown Point was significantly larger than Ticonderoga.
Actually, it was the largest earthen Fort in the colonies.
It had, however, accidentally burned just two years earlier (perhaps another reason it is overlooked).
Aftermath
Crown Point would go on to play an integral part in the first half of the war.
After the failed Invasion of Quebec, Arnold would build the first Navy there.
Additionally, in the weeks before the Battle of Saratoga, the British retook the Fort.
As for Warner, he would join the Continental Army and receive a promotion soon after his work at Crown Point. He ended up being the first Vermonter appointed as Brigadier General and fought through the Battle of Saratoga.
Warned and Allen would end up as political rivals and his efforts generally were attempts to slow down State politics with which he disagreed.
Here are some other Founders from Vermont:
Ira Allen Champions the 14th State
Royall Tyler Writes Broadway’s First Play
Although there are several biographies on Seth Warner, if you want to learn about Vermont during the Revolution I recommend one about Ethan Allen.
‘Those Turbulent Sons of Freedom’ gives a fantastic overview of that place and time in the world.
Pick up a copy through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same) but be warned, it is very rare and therefore expensive.
