The first New York By Adam Kane

The first New York was a gondola built by the Continental Army in 1776 to defend Lake Champlain from an expected British invasion. The New York fought in the Battle of Valcour Island (October 11-13, 1776), as part of a hastily constructed American fleet under the command of Benedict Arnold. During the the battle a cannon on the gunboat exploded killing a Lieutenant Thomas Rogers of Westford, Massachusetts. Of the eight gunboats like the New York built by the Americans in 1776, the New York was the only one to survive the Battle of Valcour Island. The vessel was captured and burned by the British the following year. The spot in Valcour Bay where the gunboat’s cannon exploded has been archaeologically mapped and six fragments of its exploded cannon have been found and are now part of a traveling displayed produced by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum called “Rediscovering a Moment in Time: The Valcour Bay Research Project.”
Adam Kane

Nautical Archaeology Project Manager

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

4472 Basin Harbor Road

Vergennes, VT 05491

phone: 802.475.2022 ext. 116

fax: 802.475.2953
www.lcmm.org