“Carillon’s First Winter” will depict the lives of French soldiers garrisoned at Fort Ticonderoga during a living history event Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fort was named Carillon by the French.
What was it like during the winter of 1755-56 at Fort Ticonderoga?
“Carillon’s First Winter” will depict the lives of French soldiers garrisoned at the fort during a living history event Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fort was named Carillon by the French.
“People can spend time at a place where 1756 feels like now and join the French soldiers tasked with building the fort and guarding the frontier against raids by Robert Rogers and other rangers,” said Beth Hill, Fort Ti president and CEO.
“Carillon’s First Winter” will include special tours, museum exhibitions, historic trades and living history programs throughout the day. Admission is $10 a person and payable at the gate. Friends of Fort Ticonderoga and children 4 years and under are free. For information visit www.fortticonderoga.org or call 585-2821.
“The event will explore the first fort built at Fort Ticonderoga,” Stuart Lilie, Fort Ti director of interpretation, said. “Imagine travelling across the Atlantic Ocean to defend New France in the harsh winter at a small wooden fort carved out of the deep woods. Peer out on a landscape of snow and forest with enemy capture potentially lurking behind any tree trunk.
“Meet the French soldiers of the Languedoc regiment who remained behind at Carillon to guard the southern frontier of New France on Lake Champlain in the winter of 1755-1756,” he said. “Discover how French soldiers from the south of France learned to survive and defend the fort from patrols and raids from Robert Rogers and other rangers.”
Tours of the fort will be offered at 10:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. The rours will examine Fort Carillon’s role in the French and Indian War at the beginning of 1756.
A French drill and musket demonstration will be held at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. It will highlight the form and function of the French fusil in the hands of the Languedoc soldiers.
“Obliged to Return Through the Forest” will be held at 11:30 a.m. Participants will march along with a patrol of Languedoc soldiers, leaving the safety of the fort and entering the woods. People can try to find patrols of Roger’s Rangers before being discovered. Hiking boots and winter clothing are recommended.
“Tools of the Trade” will be presented at 12:30 p.m. at the Mars Education Center. It will explore French soldiers’ equipment.
Throughout the day the tailor’s shop, artificer’s post, soldiers’ barracks and a program on daily life will be available.
The tailor’s shop will demonstrate how greed, embezzlement, and political in fighting affected the supply of French soldiers in Canada. It will also examine the construction of Native trade goods and their use by French soldiers.
Artificer’s Post will explain why Canadians and French soldiers alike used Native moccasins as the footwear of choice in deep snow.
Soldier’s Quarters will show a soldier’s mattress tick laid out on the floor, with four other good friends we well as the tools of the French soldier’s trade and the few perks of space and privacy that an officer’s commission offered.
The Soldier’s Life will be presented on the parade ground. People can stand with French soldiers, wrapped in their heavy wool capotes, as they go through their daily duties to stay alive. Cooking rations, cleaning guns and washing their laundry will be highlighted.
A pair of exhibits, “It Would Make a Heart of Stone Melt” and “Pork, Pigeon, & Pottery “ will also be on display.
“It Would Make a Heart of Stone Melt” examines wounds, disease, injury and the treatment of these ailments for soldiers at Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolution.
“Pork, Pigeon, & Pottery” exhibits of artifacts recovered from the ruins of Fort Ticonderoga.