History of the Battle of Valcour
The Battle of Valcour occurred October 11th, 1776 and was the first US Navy Battle. The site of the battle was Valcour Bay in Valcour (now Peru) New York and is now a National Historic Landmark site.
While it is clear that the US Navy lost its initial battle against the superiorly trained and equipped British forces - historians contend that it was a critical and pivotal strategic victory for the young nation's revolution against England. This first US Naval Fleet consisted of 15 hastily built ships manned by 500+ seamen was led by Benedict Arnold who described his sailors as " A wretched and motley crew." Despite their inexperience in naval warfare Arnold and his navy fought the British Navy for six hours until darkness ceased hostilities for the day. The British were confident they would finish off the outgunned and damaged American Fleet in the morning. Arnold realized the only option was to attempt a nighttime escape through the British line. This type of stealthy escape from a superior enemy naval force had been demonstrated by George Washington in New York City and was flawlessly executed by Arnold and his Lake Champlain Navy during the night of October 12, 1776. When the British awoke to finish off the severely damaged US Fleet they found them miles away attempting escape to the safety of Fort Ticonderoga.
While the British won the Battle of Valcour the threat of enemy ships on the lake delayed their invasion of the Hudson Valley until summer of 1777. This delay allowed the American Colonies to create a Continental Army of sufficient size to ultimately defeat of the British Forces at the Battles of Saratoga in September and October of 1777. The American victory at the Battles of Saratoga is considered by many to be the turning point of the American Revolution and the catalyst for convincing France to join America in arms against the British.
History teaches us that choosing the right strategic battle can lead to ultimate success.
This critical US Naval Battle is often left out of Revolutionary War history summaries because Benedict Arnold was the commander of the US forces.
Read more on the Battle of Valcour Island. Read more on Valcour Island.
