CHAMPLAIN, LAKE. This lake is chiefly in the United States, between the States of New York and Vermont, but extends about 6m. into the Province of Quebec, Canada. It is about 125m. long, covers an area of about 600sq.m., varies in width from 4m. to 12m. and in depth from iooft. to a maximum of about 400 feet. It drains into the St. Lawrence through the Richelieu river. Lake Champlain receives the waters of Lake George through a small stream containing rapids and falls. It receives the drainage from many other streams, all of them small. The most important ports on the lake are Burlington, Vt., Rouses Point, Plattsburg and Port Henry, New York. Plattsburg Barracks, a beautiful army post, is located on its shores at the city of the same name. It was at this post that the first experiment in training young men for the citizens army was tried out by Gen. Leonard Wood in 1915. The experience here gained was of great value during the World War when speed and efficiency were so essential. Since the World 'War, many young men of New York and other nearby States have been trained here in the Citizens Military Training Camps and in the Reserve Officers Training Corps.
Lake Champlain is a link in the international water line of communication between the Hudson river and the lower St. Lawrence. The total commerce passing the narrows of the lower end of the lake in 1926 was 115,000 tons. The through traffic consists principally of southbound lumber and pulp-wood and northbound coal. Local traffic is comparatively unimportant. The route from the St. Lawrence south is via the Richelieu river, with the St. Ours lock and dam in its lower course and the Chambly canal in its upper reach. This canal has 9 locks with total lift of 74 feet. The locks have the following dimensions : length, 118f t. (11oft. available) ; width, 222ft.; depth on sills, 7ft. (reduced at low water to 62f t.) . The width of the canal is 36f t. at the bottom and 6oft. at the water surface. The "Champlain canal" connects Lake Champlain, at Whitehall, with the Hudson river at Water ford, New York. There are 12 locks with total lockage of 182 feet. The summit level is at elevation 14o and is supplied with water from the headwaters of the Hudson.
With the Green mountains on the east and the Adirondacks on the west, the scenery is rugged and beautiful. Many islands dot the northern portion of the lake. It was discovered in 1609 by the French explorer and soldier Samuel de Champlain, from whom the lake takes its name. During the early period of settlement of the North American continent Lake Champlain was the gateway between French Canada and the English colonies. It played an important part in all the wars in which the people to the north and south of it were on opposite sides. It is rich in the history and traditions of these early days. Champlain, with an expedi tion of about 8o friendly Montagues Indians, defeated the Iro quois on its shores in 1609. Thus began the long struggle be tween the French and the Five Nations.
In 1731 the French built a fort at Crown Point and in 1755 another at Ticonderoga ; both were important strategic points in the French and Indian War as well as in the American Revolu tion. They controlled the easiest and most natural route between Canada and New York. During the Seven Years' War (French and Indian) English and colonial expeditions twice failed to capture Crown Point. It was finally occupied by Amherst in 1759. Early in the American Revolution it was captured by a detach ment of Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys. Ft. Ticonderoga was the scene of the severe repulse administered to Gen. Aber crombie by Gen. Montcalm in 1758. Later on it was captured by Amherst. At the beginning of the Revolution it was captured in a surprise attack by Capt. Ethan Allen. When asked by the British commander, Capt. La Place, by what authority the surrender of the fort was demanded, Capt. Allen made his historic reply, "In the name of the great Jehovah and the continental congress." During the subsequent years of the war the fort changed hands several times. On Oct. II, 1776, the first battle between an Ameri can and a British fleet, the battle of Valcour island, was fought on the lake. Benedict Arnold, the American commander, with a decidedly inferior force, inflicted severe damage on the enemy and then during the night escaped. Although overtaken two days later he again, after a fight of a few hours, made a successful retreat saving all his men.
At the beginning of the War of 1812 the American naval force on the lake, though very small, was superior to that of the British, but on June 3, 1813, the British captured two American sloops in the narrow channel at the northern end and gained su premacy. Both sides now began to build and equip vessels for a decisive contest. By May, 1814, the Americans had regained supremacy, and four months later a British land force of ii,000 men under Sir George Prevost and a naval force of 16 vessels of about 2,402 tons with 937 men and 92 guns under Capt. George Downie confronted an American land force of 1,500 men under Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, strongly entrenched at Plattsburg, and an American naval force in Plattsburg bay of 14 vessels of about 2,244 tons with 882 men and 86 guns under Commodore Thomas MacDonough (1783-1825). The naval bat tle occurred on the morning of Sept. II, 1814. Although the weight of the metal thrown by the guns of MacDonough's Amer ican fleet was greater than that of the British fleet, the latter had more guns of long range. Knowing that in a battle in the open lake he would be at a disadvantage, MacDonough anchored his fleet in such a way as to force Downie to pass between him and the land and to prevent him from anchoring his fleet out of range of the American guns. Downie was killed early in the fight, and the British fleet was soon driven out of action or surrendered. The American loss was 52 killed and 58 wounded, and the British loss was 57 killed and 92 wounded. The land forces engaged in desultory fighting but no decisive action occurred. As the lake was entirely in the control of the Americans, Prevost was forced to retreat during the night of Sept. 12-13, leaving his sick and wounded behind. The British gave up further efforts to invade New York.
See B. C. Butler, Lake George and Lake Champlain (Albany, N.Y., 1868) ; Francis Parkman, Montcalm and Wolfe (Boston, 1884) and Historie Handbook of the Northern Tour (Boston, 1885) ; F. W. Halsey, "The Historical Significance of the Hudson and Champlain Valley," N.Y. State Hist. Assoc. Proc., vol. ix., pp. 227-236 (Albany, 191o) ; and E. T. Gillispie, "The War Path," ib., vol. x., pp. (Albany, 1911). (E. JA.)