Two Revolutionary War letters between Benedict Arnold and John Stevens have been reunited at Fort Ticonderoga in New York, exactly 250 years after they were written. The documents, recently brought together by the fort’s museum, offer a rare glimpse into Arnold’s strategic thinking and the logistical challenges of supplying American forces during the American Revolution.
Fort Ticonderoga, a key site in the Revolutionary War, announced the restoration of the letters in a May 21 statement. The fort was captured by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold in May 1775, marking a pivotal moment in the war. These letters, written shortly after the fort’s capture, provide a personal account of Arnold’s experiences and the broader context of military operations at the time.
In his May 17 letter, Arnold recounted crossing paths with Allen, who had just led a raid on the British-controlled Fort St. Jean in Québec. He described the raid as a tense and chaotic operation, with Allen’s forces retreating without supplies and suffering from fatigue. In response, Stevens, Arnold’s correspondent, noted the efforts to provide more supplies to support American troops despite ongoing enlistment challenges.
Curator Matthew Keagle of Fort Ticonderoga highlighted that these letters were written before Arnold’s well-known defection to the British, offering a rare look into his early career as a revolutionary leader. Keagle also noted the complex dynamics between Arnold and Allen, emphasizing the tensions that arose after the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, which eventually led to their separation.
John Stevens, the less-famous correspondent, played an active role in the fight for independence. After the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, he took command of forces at Fort George and was later captured by the British at the Battle of the Cedars in 1776. The recent reunion of the letters underscores the significance of New York state in the Revolutionary War and highlights ongoing efforts to preserve and display historical artifacts related to this period.