Craft brews, wine
On Saturday, reenactors staged Vaudreuil’s Raid. The March 19 – 23, 1757 battle was an attempt by the French to capture the Fort by scaling the fortified walls in a surprise raid. The proximately of St. Patrick’s Day to the planned raid, the French believed, would be to their advantage. They expected to find a garrison too hung-over from celebration to put up a strong defense. However, Lt. John Stark of New Hampshire, who commanded the Rangers garrisoned at the Fort, squashed party plans by ordering the sutler to withhold grog rations. The sound of musket fire, according to reports at the time, was enough to clear the heads of non-ranger troops stationed at the head of Lake George.
The advancing French forces lost the element of surprise when an alert sentry on the ramparts saw a light on the frozen lake. Without heavy artillery to breach the fort walls, the French regulars, Canadian militia and their Native American allies had to content themselves with destroying the Fort’s sawmill, storehouses and other outbuildings along with British vessels. By March 23, the French, wet, weary and short on supplies, were forced to retreat north.
While the crown forces were successful in their defense of the Fort, the French would be back. They returned that August with a larger force and heavy artillery for a siege that ended in the surrender of Fort William Henry.
Grog rations weren’t put on hold at the Craft Beverage event, the beverage part of Battles and Beverages. Several local producers offered samples and sales of their goods. Brittany Lawrence of Adirondack Brewery and High Peaks Distillery said that business at the event has been good. “Lake George is becoming a year-round destination — it’s great to have products being sold in the winter,” Lawrence says.
Battles and Beverages included
