Historical marker unveiled at the Grave of the Four Unknown Soldiers in Battlefield Park

The Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance and the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New York unveiled and dedicated a historical marker Monday afternoon at the Grave of the Four Unknown Soldiers in Battlefield Park. The four soldiers were slain on Sept. 8, 1755, during the Bloody Morning Scout, the first of three engagements collectively known as the Battle of Lake George.

In an August interview, Governor J. Barclay Collins II of the Society of Colonial Wars said that while these soldiers have been “marked and honored before,” the Society “wanted to erect a plaque that specifically points out their contribution and memorializes them.”

“We’re celebrating their heroism,” said Alliance President John DiNuzzo as he introduced speakers who would explain the Battle of Lake George, its aftermath, and how these four soldiers, killed 271 years ago, came to their final resting place alongside Fort George Road, the Military Road carved out by William Johnson’s men in 1755.

Historian and Chair of the Battlefield Park Visitor Center Curation Committee Mark Silo gave an overview of the French and Indian War Battle of Lake George. In 1755, Silo said, the British chose Johnson, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, to lead an expedition against the French Fort Saint-Frédéric at Crown Point. He arrived at the head of Lake George with 3,000 troops at the end of August and began to set up camp.

“Rhode Island men were camped right where we are, New Yorkers across the road here, two Connecticut regiments on either side of the road just about beyond the visitor center, and three Massachusetts regiments over in what’s now a campground.”

On September seventh, one of Johnson’s scouting parties returned to camp with the news that a large French force was threatening Fort Lyman (now called Fort Edward). Johnson decided to send 1,000 of his American provincials and 212 Native American allies to reinforce Fort Lyman the following morning. However, the French changed their route and set up an ambush about three miles south of Lake George.

This first engagement, the Bloody Morning Scout, took the lives of the Mohawk Leader, King Hendrick, Colonel Ephraim Williams, and the four soldiers now buried in Battlefield Park.

Hearing the battle, Johnson’s men quickly set up a defensive line with logs, overturned wagons, and even boats dragged up from the lakeshore. They successfully repelled the French forces. As the French retreated, they ran into a column of troops from Fort Lyman. This third engagement is known as the Battle of Bloody Pond.

It was too late in the season to launch an expedition to Crown Point, so Johnson’s men stayed at the camp and began construction of Fort William Henry.

“Over 2,000 colonial soldiers built the log and earth fortification known as Fort William Henry in just 44 days,” said the next speaker, Andrew Menzie of Fort William Henry. The Fort “became an assembly point as provincial soldiers, kingsters, and laborers transported thousands of tons of supplies up the military road and constructed hundreds of bateaux for a future invasion of New France. Additionally, American scouting parties, including the famed Rogers Rangers, would use the area as a base of forward operations,” Menzie said.

The ultimate British victory of the French and Indian War did not bring peace to Lake George, Menzie explained. “Instead, the friction resulting from British post-war policies would eventually cause yet another conflict just a few short years later. The great war path would again echo with the sound of marching feet, wagon wheels, and oars and oarlocks. And once again, the course of the war would be irrevocably altered by battles fought and hardship suffered along this pathway by men and sons and grandsons of those men who had come before. Thus, a direct line can be drawn from the commitment and sacrifice of these colonials whose remains lay here to the men who fought in places like Bunker Hill, Quebec, Saratoga and Yorktown.”

Lake George Town Historian also spoke, explaining how the four soldiers came to be reinterred in Battlefield Park. “Lying buried beneath the ground for 180 years, these four soldiers were unearthed when a road crew was working on the Lake George-Glen Falls Highway, which is now Route 9, in 1931.”

Scientists determined the remains were those of men killed during the Bloody Morning Scout. “Whether they were part of Colonel Williams’ Massachusetts regiment, Frenchmen, or natives, it’s not clear. Yet, unknown to us, they were someone’s sons, husbands, brothers, family. There they lay deep in the wilderness after following their hearts to join the fight, never to return home.”

Their remains were brought to Battlefield Park, where they were honored with a full military funeral. Thousands attended the 1935 ceremony that included a parade led by a military escort, with the Society of Colonial Wars serving as pallbearers.

Following the speakers, Reverend Ian Bruce Montgomery led a prayer and Charles Neuhauser of the Society of Colonial Wars performed the Broken Arrow ceremony. Neuhauser explained that the traditional Indian Broken Arrow ceremony is performed to memorialize Society members who have passed away. The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the new historical marker and an Honor Guard salute fired by Fort William Henry reenactors.

Featured image: Reverend Ian Bruce Montgomery and Charles Neuhauser of the Society for Colonial Wars unveil the new historical marker at the Grave of the Four Unknown Soldiers.