At the time of the American Revolution, Fort Ticonderoga, at the foot of Lake Champlain, was located on a pathway regarded as a gateway to Canada. Shortly after the colonists clashed with British forces at Lexington and Concord, American leaders decided to seize Fort Ticonderoga from the British. The expedition to accomplish this, in May 1775, was led by Ethan Allen, the leader of the Green Mountain Boys, and by Benedict Arnold, who was in charge of Massachusetts militia men. They managed to take the fort without any American causalities.

The British cannon and mortars captured at Ticonderoga were transported to Massachusetts. Once the Americans had taken control of Dorchester Heights, most of the rest of Boston was now in range of this artillery — prompting the British to get out of Boston and to relocate British soldiers to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In the autumn of 1775, Arnold led an expedition through rugged Maine forests into Canada. Although their attack on the walled city of Quebec was unsuccessful, Arnold’s courage and risk taking under fire added to his reputation as a daring leader and earned him a promotion to brigadier general.

As for Arnold’s courage on the Saratoga, N.Y., battlefield, which resulted in Arnold getting badly wounded, Congress promoted him to major general.

If you visit the Saratoga battlefield — it is now a national park — you will see a plaque that reads: “In memory of the most brilliant soldier of the Continental Army who was desperately wounded on this spot, the sally port of Burgoyne’s Great Western Redoubt 7th........

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