THE SEARCH FOR MACDONOUGH S SHIPYARD: Phase IB Archeological Investigations at a War of 1812 Shipyard

Transcription

1 THE SEARCH FOR MACDONOUGH S SHIPYARD: Phase IB Archeological Investigations at a War of 1812 Shipyard -- Secretary of the Navy William Jones to Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough, July 5, 1814 PREPARED FOR: National Parks Service, Heritage Preservation Services American Battlefield Protection Program 1201 Eye Street NW (2255) Washington, DC (Grant P11AP60516, formerly GA ) PREPARED BY: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum 4472 Basin Harbor Road Vergennes, Vermont (802) BY: Adam I. Kane, Joanne Dennis, Sarah L. Tichonuk, Alex Lehning, and Christopher Sabick FINAL September 2013 Research Made Possible by Funding from the American Battlefield Protection Program, National Park Service. This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is deeply grateful to the individuals without whom this project would have been greatly diminished: Vermont Archaeological Society members Bob Brink, Bob VanArsdale, Brigitte Helzer and Les Myers were instrumental in the field work and public outreach components of this project. Thanks also to Scott McLaughlin for lending project supplies, and to Kate Kenny for her many insights and leads. This research was undertaken with funding from the American Battlefield Protection Program, a department of the National Park Service (P11AP60516, formerly GA ). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior. On the Cover: Image: Conjectural painting of the War of 1812 Shipyard at Vergennes, Vermont. Painted by Ernie Haas, 2011 (LCMM Collection). Quote: Secretary of the Navy William Jones to Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough, July 5, 1814 (Jones 1814; reproduced in Crawford 2002). ii

3 ABSTRACT In 2007, the National Parks Service American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) identified the site of Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough s War of 1812 Shipyard ( ) as threatened because its precise location remains unknown. This inability to confidently identify the location and boundaries of the site has prevented state and local authorities from establishing a preservation plan and protecting what has been called the location of the climax of the war of 1812 (Crisman 1987). Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) received funding from the ABPP in support of the Macdonough s War of 1812 Shipyard project in August The objective of this project was to assess if 1) There is evidence to suggest that the project location is the site of Macdonough s shipyard; and 2) That the site retains enough integrity to be the subject of future archeological investigation. These efforts were the first step in the overall goal of preserving, studying and protecting this War of 1812 battlefield associated site. During six days of fieldwork in October and December of 2011, under the direction of Principal Investigators Adam Kane and Joanne Dennis, LCMM carried out underwater and terrestrial archeological surveys at the potential site of the shipyard, located on State of Vermont land in the City of Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont, along the banks of the Otter Creek (Figure 1). Dive operations included the evaluation of 80 m of submerged shoreline adjacent to the project area. Subsurface testing included 16 shovel test units (50 cm²) on a linear transect approximately 15 m [49 ft] north of the shoreline. Background historical research focused on project area, and methodologies specific to shipyard archaeology were also consulted. Preliminary test excavations and underwater survey were inconclusive. While diagnostic artifacts were recovered in undisturbed contexts that confidently suggest intense early nineteenth century site use, it is not possible to confidently link these materials to activities directly related to the shipyard. Likewise, no definitive document links this parcel of land to the historic shipyard. At this time, not enough data has been ascertained correlating this site to Lt. Thomas Macdonough s War of 1812 Shipyard to inform a consideration for the National Register of Historic Places. However, it is LCMM s recommendation that the research presented in this report provides compelling enough evidence to support and guide future test excavation at this site. This report meets The Secretary of the Interior s Standards and Guidelines for Identification, Evaluation, and Archeological Documentation and the requirements put forth by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and the National Parks Service American Battlefield Protection Program. This research was undertaken with funding from the American Battlefield Protection Program (grant P11AP60516, formerly GA ). Figure 1: USGS 7.5 min Quad Westport, NY, showing the project area. iii

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements... ii Abstract... iii Table of Contents... iv List of Figures... vi List of Tables... viii Management Summary and Recommendations... 1 Introduction... 2 The Spelling of Macdonough... 2 Project Location and Description... 2 Statement of Significance... 6 Historical Context... 7 Primary Sources... 7 Secondary Sources... 7 Environmental Background... 8 Prehistoric Background... 8 Colonial and Early Military History... 9 The War of 1812 in the Champlain Valley... 9 The Shipyard in Vergennes The Battle of Plattsburgh Bay The Remains of the Fleet History of the Project Area Monkton Iron Works Other Vergennes Industry Towpath Champlain Arsenal Vermont Reform School ( ) Vermont Industrial School ( ) Weeks School ( ) Northlands Job Corps (Current) Research Design & Methodology Methodology Shipyard Archeology Diving Operations Subsurface Testing iv

5 Public Outreach Artifact Conservation Methodology Initial Artifact Documentation Artifact Conservation - Ceramic and Glass Artifact Conservation - Iron Artifact Conservation - Lead Results Site and KOCOA Analysis Underwater Survey Subsurface Test Excavations STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP STP Conclusions and Recommendations Bibliography Appendix A: Glossary Appendix B: Field Logs Appendix C: State of Vermont Archaeological Permit Appendix D: LCMM Newsletter Article Appendix E: LCMM Excavation - in the Press Appendix E: Shovel Test Pit Summary Appendix F: Artifact Catalog v

6 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: USGS 7.5 min Quad Westport, NY, showing the project area.... iii Figure 2: Signature of Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough. (Lossing 1869: 856)... 2 Figure 3: Map of the State of Vermont, showing project area Figure 4: USGS 7.5 min Quad Westport, NY, showing the project area Figure 5: Aerial image of the project area Figure 6: Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough, a 28-year-old Navy veteran, was assigned command of the Lake Champlain squadron and charged with the organization of a naval fleet. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C Figure 7: Contemporary map of the defenses at the mouth of Otter Creek (Fort Cassin). Courtesy of the New York State Library Figure 8: Skirmish at Otter Creek, no date. Note the marked location of Shipyard. (Map by A. Tanner, courtesy of Morris F. Glenn, adapted by Kevin Crisman.) Figure 9: Battle of Plattsburgh. Published in The naval Temple. Boston: Barber Badger, Library of Congress, LC-USZ Figure 10: Eagle, Linnet, Saratoga, Ticonderoga, Confiance: as laid up at Whitehall W.D. Sept 9 th 1816 Whitehall. Watercolor. (LCMM Collection) Figure 11: Remains of Linnet in the Poultney River, 2012 (LCMM Collection) Figure 12: Hydrography of Otter Creek, Surveyed and drawn under the direction of Bvt Maj. Genl. John Newton, Figure 13: Vergennes, Vermont in Note the United States Arsenal. (from Atlas of Addison County, Vermont, F.W. Beers 1871.) Figure 14: City of Vergennes, Note the Vermont State Reform School at the former site of the Champlain Arsenal. (Published by H.W. Burgett & Co., engraved and printed by J.B. Beers 1876.) Figure 15: Vergennes Reef, Otter Creek VT at Steamboat Landing, (Corps of Engineers, 1882.) Figure 16: Detail from Bird's Eye View of Vergennes, Vermont, (Troy, NY: Burleigh Lithograph, Library of Congress Catalog Number ) Note the Nevus & Haviland Shade Rollers (4), the Vermont Shade Roller Manufacturing Company (5), and the National Horse Nail Co. (3). The project area is just off the bottom edge of the drawing Figure 17: The Old U.S. Arsenal, circa Bixby Memorial Free Library Figure 18: Vermont Industrial School, no date. Bixby Memorial Free Library Figure 19: LCMM s Christopher Sabick assists Art Cohn into the Otter Creek for a survey dive. Note dive safety protocols including redundant air supply (pony bottle), and light source. Photograph taken December 7, (LCMM Collection) Figure 20: View of the project area, looking east toward Otter Creek. Photograph taken October 21, LCMM Collection Figure 21: Children from regional schools, including Vergennes Elementary School (left) and Vergennes Union Middle School (right) visited the site during the excavation. LCMM Collection Figure 22: Aerial view looking northwest showing the location of Fort Cassin at the mouth of the Otter Creek at Lake Champlain and the 7 mile stretch of the river to reach the shipyard at Vergennes Figure 23: View looking southwest at docking remnants, likely associated with the Champlain Arsenal (1820s-present). Photo taken February 2, (LCMM Collection) Figure 24: View looking northeast at docking remnants, likely associated with the Champlain Arsenal (1820s-present). Photo taken February 2, (LCMM Collection) Figure 25: View looking southwest at docking remnants, likely associated with the Champlain Arsenal (1820s-present). Photo taken February 2, (LCMM Collection) vi

7 Figure 26: Site map of subsurface test excavations Figure 27: Test Pits with diagnostic artifacts displayed at relative depths Figure 28: One of the more intact bricks recovered from STP 1. Note the exterior grooves and interior holes, and the lack of mortar Figure 29: Ceramic pillar-molded pipe stem with spur, recovered from STP 7. Note the decorative gadrooning (evenly spaced fluting) alternately spaced with beading Figure 30: Ceramic pipe bowl fragments recovered from STP 7. Note the decorative cross-hatching Figure 31: Blue transfer-print pearlware ( ) recovered from STP Figure 32: West Wall Profile of STP 7. Drawn by PWG, Digitized by SLT Figure 33: Lead musket ball recovered from STP 12. Caliber was determined to be.55 using a caliper gauge. This caliber was a typical size in eighteenth century fowler civilian hunting guns, and also in trade guns. Military firearms used significantly larger caliber ammunition (Neumann 1998: 20), so a direct link to the various military uses of the project site (Macdonough s Shipyard ; or Champlain Arsenal ) is unlikely Figure 34: Macdonough Artifact Assemblage by material type Figure 35: Lake Champlain Compass, Fall/Winter 2011, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum vii

8 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: American Naval Fleet on Lake Champlain during the War of viii

9 MANAGEMENT SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS With funding from the American Battlefield Protection Program, during six days of fieldwork in October and December of 2011, LCMM carried out underwater and terrestrial archeological surveys at the potential site of Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough s War of 1812 Shipyard, located on State of Vermont land in the City of Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont, along the banks of the Otter Creek. Diagnostic artifacts were located in disturbed and undisturbed layers in several test units, indicating intense early nineteenth century use of the site. Towpath construction (circa 1825) meant significant earth moving and teams of workers in place for periods of time. Use of the towpath shortly thereafter may have resulted in the deposit of similarly-dated artifacts on top of the path. Activity associated with the 1814 Macdonough Shipyard would have yielded similar artifacts; however the date range of the diagnostic artifacts is not precise enough to narrow interpretation specifically to It is likely that some of the material excavated in these test units is associated with the towpath construction and use; however it is still undetermined if the Macdonough Shipyard also played a role. Similarly, there has been no definitive historic document that links this exact parcel of land to the historic shipyard. But the National Parks Service American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) s identification of the site as threatened is still appropriate because its precise location remains unknown. This inability to confidently identify the location and boundaries of the site continues to prevent state and local authorities from establishing a preservation plan and protecting this resource. It is the recommendation of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum that further test excavation be carried out at this site. The research already performed during this project has provided compelling evidence of intense early nineteenth century land use, and will serve as a guide for future work. Specifically, LCMM recommends focused test excavations through the towpath in order to provide additional undisturbed contexts and supply information through artifact association, dating, or land features. 1

10 THE SPELLING OF MACDONOUGH INTRODUCTION Figure 2: Signature of Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough. (Lossing 1869:856) There is significant inconsistency in primary and secondary sources regarding the spelling of Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough s name. Versions include MacDonough, McDonough, and Macdonough. However, since the Lieutenant himself wrote his signature Macdonough (Figure 2), this spelling is used throughout this report; exceptions include direct quotations, titles of paintings, and street names. Additionally, Macdonough s military title changed during the course of his career; sources refer to him as Master Commandant, Commodore, or Lieutenant. In this report, we will use the latter ranking (abbreviated Lt.) unless making a specific citation. PROJECT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM), with funding from the National Parks Service American Battlefield Protection Program and under permit from the State of Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, carried out subsurface test excavations and an underwater survey during six days of field work from October 16 - October 21, 2011 and on December 7, 2011 at the potential site of Lt. Macdonough s War of 1812 shipyard in Vergennes, Vermont. The project property is located in a floodplain on the north side of the Otter Creek, in the City of Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont, approximately 0.8 km to 1.24 km [0.5 mi to 0.77 mi] downstream from the falls in Vergennes (Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5). It is adjacent to the Northlands Job Corp property on MacDonough Drive and across the river from UTC Aerospace Systems. The southern extent of the site spans approximately 610 m [2,000 ft] along the banks of the Otter Creek. To the north, Northlands Job Corps campus begins approximately 305 m [1,000 ft] from the shoreline, with MacDonough Drive approximately 457 m [1,500 ft] to the north of the shoreline. The project area is covered with grasses and weeds, with a marshy area to the west. A few stands of trees along the river bank encircle concrete footings for old storage sheds and a nineteenth century steamboat landing. The project property is owned by the State of Vermont, Department of Buildings and General Services. LCMM staff, along with volunteers from the Vermont Archaeological Society, spent five days surveying approximately 2,400 m² [0.59 ac] along the Otter Creek. Test excavations focused on a linear transect located approximately 15 meters [49 ft] north of the shoreline and running east to west for 80 m [263 ft]. The main transect intentionally bisected the circa 1825 towpath that veered away from the Otter Creek at the site. This was the most promising area to identify any undisturbed remnants of Lt. Macdonough s War of 1812 shipyard, which immediately predates the construction of the towpath. During one day of fieldwork, LCMM divers surveyed the underwater portions of the river adjacent to this area. All data collected is currently housed at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (as of 2013). Original copies of field notes and artifacts recovered from the site will be transferred and permanently curated at the Vermont History Center in Barre, Vermont. 2

11 Figure 3: Map of the State of Vermont, showing project area. 3

12 Figure 4: USGS 7.5 min Quad Westport, NY, showing the project area. 4

13 Figure 5: Aerial image of the project area. 5

14 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE On September 11, 1814, the American Navy, under the command of Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough, defeated the British on Lake Champlain at Plattsburgh Bay. The decisive American victory helped bring the war to a negotiate conclusion. Lt. Macdonough met the British with a fleet of vessels he had built just prior to the engagement at the shipyard in Vergennes, Vermont. It was there that nearly 200 men constructed the brig Eagle, the schooner Ticonderoga, the fleet s flagship Saratoga, and six row galleys at the base of the waterfall on the Otter Creek. The significance of this shipyard to the outcome of the battle is often overlooked, but its secure location and steadfast use of available resources gave Lt. Macdonough the advantage of surprising the British with a formidable fleet. In 2007, the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) identified Lt. Macdonough s Shipyard as a Class A, Priority II significant site (VT1004) associated with the War of 1812 in its document Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States (ABPP 2007). Class A sites are the most historically significant of the 677 sites identified to be associated with events that had demonstrable influence on the course conduct and results of the Revolutionary War and the War of Because the shipyard s precise location, extent and integrity are unknown, the vulnerability of the site cannot be adequately assessed, nor can state and local authorities establish a preservation plan. This inability to confidently identify the location and boundaries of the site led the ABPP to identify the site of Lt. Macdonough s shipyard as threatened. If the archaeological remains of the shipyard are located on State of Vermont owned lands, which remain undeveloped, there stands a greater chance for preserving, studying and protecting this War of 1812 battlefield associated site. 6

15 Primary Sources HISTORICAL CONTEXT Primary sources provided limited information regarding the specific location of the shipyard and its layout and functioning; however, the Monkton Iron Works Papers ( , Bixby Library, Vermont) do reference the location of the shipyard as being on the north side of the river, across from their facilities, I think upon the whole that it is best that the ships are building on the other side of the creek from our works, they will be quite near enough where they are (B. Welles Esq., March 21, 1814). This is the most telling information to be found in terms of where the shipyard was located, since most other historical documents simply mention it to be at the base of the falls in Vergennes. Secondary Sources Several books have been written about Lt. Macdonough and/or the specifics of his fleet during the War of These authors provide their exhaustive research from historic letters and correspondence regarding the building of the fleet. For example, historian David Skaggs describes what daily activities at the shipyard site may have been like, and in effect what material culture may remain: The shipwrights laid the keel [of Saratoga] on 7 March from lumber that had been a live tree just five days earlier. In this humble shipyard they laid out the keel of several pieces fixed together with overlapping joins At the stern they erected a sternpost of a several pieces of timber. At the bow was a stempost, also made of several pieces scarphed together. After Brown lined and plumed them, the workmen shored the keel, sternpost, and stem with timbers to rigidly hold them in position. The keel, sternpost and stempost constituted the fundamental elements around which Brown then added the frames or ship s ribs. The shipwrights used axes, augers, draw knives, chisels, gouges, hammers, mauls, saws, and above all, adzes- the most characteristic tool of the trade-to form the frames. The key to making frames involved a careful selection of naturally curved trees and the sawyers cut the timber curve to maximize the strength of each frame. Workmen also established a system of scaffolding that allowed them to work as the ship rose up from the keel. To some of the scaffolding poles were added pulleys and tackle that assisted in raising the heavy frames in to position. Once the frames were installed, the shipwrights added a series of longitudinal members, the most important of which was the keelson, which ran fore and aft along the centerline directly above the keel. (Skaggs 2003:89-90) Archeologist Kevin Crisman too provides a descriptive narrative of the construction process of the Eagle, and theorizes, Whether Brown reused the Saratoga s ways or built new ones is not recorded, but it is likely that a considerable effort went into preparing a supportive structure upon which to build the brig (Crisman 1987:33). However, both Crisman and Skaggs work from personal knowledge of historic ship construction and/or from archeological investigations of the vessel s remains, and not from actual historical documents that detail the activities of the shipyard. The configuration of the shipways, the number of ways and the layout of the site, all remain unknown. 7

16 Water routes in North America were strategic highways that provided access into the interior of the Northeast in a period when the only viable means of transportation in a rugged land was by water. The Champlain Valley has consistently played an important role in North American history. The prominence of this area is due to the north-south corridor that Lake Champlain creates from the St. Lawrence Valley to the heart of the North American continent. More than 10,000 years ago Native American peoples entered the region; European settlement spawned early colonial interests and shortly thereafter military conflict; vast natural resources led to intense commercial use in the nineteenth century; and today a recreational use of the lake has encouraged an increased sense of stewardship. This Technical Report focuses on the historic context of the specific topic of this study: the War of 1812 in the Champlain Valley. A more thorough historic context of the region can be found in Adam I. Kane, Christopher R. Sabick, and Sara R. Brigadier, Lake Champlain Underwater Cultural Resources Survey, Volume VI: 2001 Results and Volume VII: 2002 Results (Vergennes, Vermont: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 2002). ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND The project area is located in a floodplain on the north side of the Otter Creek, in the City of Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont, approximately 0.8 km to 1.24 km [0.5 to 0.77 mi] downstream from the falls in Vergennes. The Otter Creek watershed encompasses an area that is 2,424 km² [936 mi²] draining portions of Bennington, Rutland and Addison counties. In the City of Vergennes, the Otter Creek passes over a dam dropping 11.4 m [37.5 ft]. The project area is approximately 0.8 km [0.5 mi] downstream from this dam. The Addison County Soil Survey map characterizes the sediments of the project area as primarily Hadley very fine sandy loam and Vergennes clay. PREHISTORIC BACKGROUND Otter Creek has served as an important travel corridor for Native peoples throughout much of human history in Vermont. Beginning around 9,000 years ago groups of hunters and gatherers began to settle into the landscape of the Otter Creek. The archaeological record suggests that people of the Archaic period (9,000-2,900 BP) in general did not range over large areas. Instead, these people carried out most of their activities in specific watersheds, utilizing the watercourses as highways. They migrated seasonally, establishing summer/spring camps and winter/fall camps. The presence of a large variety of woodworking tools found at Archaic sites suggests that watercraft were constructed for travel, fishing, and probably other hunting activities. Many Archaic sites exhibit maritime cultural traits, indicating the preeminence of water resources in the life of the people. The people of the Woodland Period (2, BP) became more sedentary in their living habits, gathering into substantial settlements on the floodplains of the major rivers that drain into Lake Champlain. The subsistence patterns of prehistoric Champlain Valley residents gradually changed from mobile hunting and fishing to a dependence upon horticulture and the gathering of a greater diversity and quantity of wild plant foods. Archaic and Woodland sites along the Otter Creek exemplify this model. While none are located in the immediate area of the project, likely due to the effects that historic development has had on the areas of the river within Vergennes and near the waterfall, various sites along the Otter Creek have come to identify such activities of the Archaic and Woodland periods along major watersheds in Vermont. 8

17 COLONIAL AND EARLY MILITARY HISTORY The Champlain Valley has a rich history of early European settlement, beginning in July 1609 with Samuel de Champlain s entrance onto the lake that now bears his name. This introduction ushered in a period of warfare and conflict between Europeans that lasted for the next 150 years. French and British military forces, each allied with Native American fighters, waged war on the frontier settlements of their enemy in a series of bloody wars which culminated in what is collectively known as the French and Indian Wars ( ). The European settlements on both sides of the lake were very small and widely spread throughout the valley. They were generally close to tributaries of Lake Champlain, which provided the settlers with power and transportation. There were very few roads, so the settlers depended heavily upon small watercraft and rafts to transport themselves and products to the Quebec market. Most settlers were involved in extracting resources from the virgin forests of the Champlain Valley, but their daily lives were soon interrupted by the next military conflict, the American Revolution. Vergennes, Vermont was settled in 1766 by Donald MacIntosh, and named for Charles Gravier, the Comte de Vergennes in France. Its location at a waterfall provided power, supplying one of the region s earliest sawmills. By the time of the War of 1812, Vergennes, Vermont had a small but established population. THE WAR OF 1812 IN THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY For three decades after the American Revolution, the governments of the United States, Canada and Great Britain swung between free trade and no trade at all. Despite the law and its irregular enforcement, goods from the Champlain Valley continued to be transported and sold into the large Canadian market. Jay s Treaty of 1796 brought some clarification by stipulating that duties on goods sold into Canada were to be the same as duties on the same goods sold into Great Britain. Trade grew stronger with each year, especially in 1798 when the Canadian embargo on fur trade was lifted, and it remained strong throughout the next decade. As the nineteenth century dawned, the Champlain Valley experienced a period of prosperity fueled by an expanding population, economy, and commerce. The population of the Champlain Valley, only a few hundred in the years that followed the American Revolution, boomed to approximately 143,000 people by On Lake Champlain, the growing ports of Burlington, Vermont, and Plattsburgh, Whitehall and Essex, New York, supplied the vessels and facilities to support a growing trade with Canada. Merchandise and raw materials, including timber, livestock, fish, potash, grain, paper, wool and cotton were traded across the border. This bustling trade came to an abrupt end with Jefferson s Embargo of The renewal of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803 had trapped American commerce between two mutually hostile superpowers, France and Britain. The United States benefited on one hand by becoming the world's largest neutral carrier and chief supplier of food to Europe. On the other hand, Britain and France resented America's neutral trade, and American vessels and their crews were frequently subject to impressment on the open seas. Provoked by such harassment, President Thomas Jefferson called for an embargo in 1807 that essentially forbade all foreign trade, including with Canada. A majority in the Champlain Valley was opposed to and outraged by the embargo; most continued to live as they had before, and simply ignored it. Smuggling operations became increasingly difficult to interdict, and President Jefferson issued a Proclamation of Insurrection on Lake Champlain on April 19, 1808, demanding that illegal operations of trade with Canada cease peacefully. The people of the Champlain Valley shrugged off the Proclamation, and smuggling continued. 9

18 In 1808 the Black Snake Affair took place on the Winooski River near Burlington, Vermont and was the most notorious confrontation between smugglers and U.S. Customs agents on Lake Champlain. The confrontation left two soldiers and the Captain of Black Snake dead. One of Black Snake s crew was hanged, and three others were imprisoned in Burlington. Such disastrous consequences of the embargo led to U.S. passage of the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809, which permitted trade with all nations except Britain and France. When this legislation expired in 1810, trade was reopened with Britain and France provided each country withdrew its restrictions on American shipping. France lifted its maritime restrictions, but Britain stalled long enough for the United States to lose patience, and on June 18, 1812, a declaration of war was approved in Congress and signed by President James Madison. Lake Champlain once again became a strategic waterway in the midst of a war on American soil. Neither the Americans nor the British were in a state of readiness when war began. The American army was small and unprepared, and the navy consisted of just a handful of frigates. The British were fully engaged in the prolonged war with Napoleonic France and could spare little for the defense of its Canadian territories and border. American plans for the War of 1812 included retaining control of Lake Champlain and the Great Lakes. To protect against the threat of invasion in the Champlain Valley, Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough (Figure 6), a 28-year-old Navy veteran, was assigned command of the Lake Champlain squadron and charged with the organization of a naval fleet. This fleet already had two vessels; the navy had built two 40-ton row galleys at Whitehall in 1808 for use as gunboats to thwart smuggling operations with Canada (Boats 169 and 170, later Ludlow and Wilmer). As the army and navy began to assemble their forces in the Champlain Valley, the War Department acquired six sloops: Hunter (later Growler), Champlain, Juno, Jupiter, Fox (later President) and a merchant sloop that became Bull Dog (later Eagle). The first actual engagement between the two opposing navies took place in the channel of the Richelieu River on July 3, The American sloops Growler (formerly Hunter) and Eagle (formerly Bull Dog), each with 11 guns, mistakenly sailed too far into the river channel and became trapped by three British gunboats and troops along the shore. The American vessels were captured, repaired, and renamed Broke (Eagle) and Shannon (Growler). 10

19 Figure 6: Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough, a 28-year-old Navy veteran, was assigned command of the Lake Champlain squadron and charged with the organization of a naval fleet. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Just prior to this engagement, in June 1813, Lt. Macdonough received permission to purchase the necessary vessels, men, material, and munitions to keep control of the lake. He purchased the Montgomery and the 50-ton merchant sloop Rising Sun, which was renamed Preble. He also rented the sloops Francis and Wasp. On July 24 Lt. Macdonough was promoted to Master Commandant of the small but growing lake fleet. These newly commissioned American sloops were not completed in time to engage a British force under Lieutenant Colonel John Murray that moved south from Isle aux Noix on July 29. With over 1,000 men aboard the sloops Broke and Shannon, three gunboats, and more than 40 bateaux, Murray attacked the American facilities along the northern shore of Lake Champlain. They raided Plattsburgh, Point au Roche, Swanton, Chazy, and Champlain, and burned an arsenal, blockhouses, warehouses, barracks, and a hospital, and looted a number of private homes and captured or burned a number of privately owned vessels. A merchant sloop called Burlington Packet was captured and used to carry the plunder back to Isle aux Noix. The town of Burlington also was attacked, but the British vessels were driven off by a shore battery and some American vessels. Two gunboats were detached and raided Swanton and Champlain to destroy more military stores. The two British sloops and a gunboat scoured the lake as far south as Charlotte, Vermont, and captured at least nine merchant vessels. One of these, Essex, was burned, and the rest were taken back to Canada with the captured spoils by August 4. Thus ended what was to become known as Murray s Raid. 11

20 The Shipyard in Vergennes On December 21, 1813, Lt. Macdonough brought his fleet 11.3 km [7 mi] up Otter Creek to Vergennes, Vermont, for winter quarters. Vergennes was chosen in anticipation of a major shipbuilding program scheduled to begin in early 1814, in response to the navy s instructions for Lt. Macdonough to again increase the size of the fleet. Vergennes was not only surrounded by stands of oak and pine, but it also had a waterfall that powered a host of industries, including eight forges, two furnaces, a wire factory, a rolling mill, gristmills, and sawmills. One of the most developed iron industries in the region at the time was located in Vergennes; the Monkton Iron Works agreed to supply Lt. Macdonough with the needed fastenings and fitting for his fleet, and provided him with land on the north bank of the river for his shipyard. The reputable shipbuilding brothers Noah and Adam Brown traveled from New York to Vergennes in early 1814 and they along with more than two hundred shipwrights established a makeshift shipyard. In total, eight war vessels were constructed from scratch and one vessel, Ticonderoga, was refitted from a steam vessel to a schooner, all in record time. Six 70-ton row galleys were completed by late April 1814, named Allen, Borer, Burrows, Centipede, Nettle, and Viper. Each measured 75 ft [23 m] in length and 15 ft [5 m] in beam with two masts bearing triangular sails, 40 oars, one 24-pounder cannon, and one 18-pounder cannon. The sloop Saratoga, at 143 ft long [44 m] and 36 ft [11 m] in beam, carrying 26 guns, was constructed in forty days. The brig Eagle, at 117 ft long [36 m] and carrying 20 guns, was launched in just nineteen days. Lt. Macdonough had also acquired a steamboat already under construction at the shipyard. Navy officials were curious about the possibility of a steam warship on Lake Champlain, the great saving of men and the operation of a vessel independent of the winds & without labour (Secretary Jones to Lt. Macdonough, April 20, 1814.) Lt. Macdonough, however, was strongly opposed to the use of a steamboat in battle due to the idiosyncrasy of this early technology. He writes: In the instance of the Steam Boat two months would elapse before she could be got ready; then the great probability of some of the small parts of the machinery getting out of order, which is often the case on the North river, and is attended with long detention even there, where those parts are made. This would subject us to the loss of her services probably in action; an accident happening to the Engineer would be of as bad consequences I have scarcely known the Steam Boat now running here, to pass thro the Lake without something happening with her, and they have had to send to Albany to replace what was damaged. The calculation by the Carpenter was that the Boat here would be propelled, at most, not more than five Knots, whereas, one of the Enemy s Gallies will move in a calm at the rate of six. (Lt. Macdonough to Secretary Jones, Vergennes, April 30 th, 1814) If Lt. Macdonough had acquiesced and continued equipping the vessel for steam, it would have been the first steam warship in the United States. Instead, he converted her for sail power. The 120 ft [37 m] long schooner Ticonderoga had a beam of approximately 26 ft [8 m] and was fitted with 17 guns taken from the two small sloops Francis and Wasp. Meanwhile, the British in Canada had also been hard at work preparing for naval action. Isle aux Noix, a 12

21 210 acre (85 ha) island located twelve miles (19.4 km) north of the US-Canadian border in the middle of the Richelieu River, was recognized early in history for its strategic location, as control of the island also meant control of all water traffic. Fortifications were allowed to deteriorate in the years after the American Revolution, but were garrisoned in September 1812 as tensions reemerged. Isle aux Noix became the key British shipbuilding center for efforts on Lake Champlain, employing a master shipbuilder and several carpenters, who were aided by troops cutting timber (Heidler 1997:257). In the winter of , a dockyard was built over the northeast redoubt of the old 1780s fort, midway up the east side of the island (Washburn 1998:25). Work then began on the construction of an 85 ft (26 m) brig, initially named Niagara, to carry sixteen long 12-pounders. The vessel was launched in April 1814, and renamed Linnet, under the command of Captain Daniel Pring. Also in the British fleet were the 13-gun sloop Chubb, sloop Finch, tender vessel Icicle, sloop Canada, and seven to ten gunboats. Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough was very concerned about the speed of the British construction, sending local builder Matthew Sax to spy on their progress. Sax reported seeing preparations for the next Campaign they have 12 New Gallies on the Stocks of a large Size and 3 Large Vessels, the Keels laid and the Stem and Stern posts up (Heidler 1997:257). On May 9, 1814, the British arrived at the mouth of Otter Creek to blockade or destroy the American fleet on the river, or at least to gain intelligence. The British were unable to approach Otter Creek closely, hampered by the presence of Fort Cassin (Figure 7 and Figure 8), an earthen stronghold at the mouth of the river. The fort and the British fleet engaged in a 1-hour battery duel with few casualties to either side. The American fleet quickly moved down to the mouth of the creek, but the British fleet retreated northward before they arrived. Nevertheless, British naval commander Captain Daniel Pring obtained detailed information from a spy about the American fleet, which led him to begin construction of Confiance, a 37-gun frigate and the largest sailing warship that would ever be constructed on Lake Champlain (Bellico 1992: ). 13

22 Figure 7: Contemporary map of the defenses at the mouth of Otter Creek (Fort Cassin). Courtesy of the New York State Library. 14

23 Figure 8: Skirmish at Otter Creek. Note the marked location of Shipyard. (Map by A. Tanner, courtesy of Morris F. Glenn, adapted by Kevin Crisman.) The Secretary of the Navy expressed a great weariness at the prospect of another shipbuilding race, having been so embroiled in a similar arms race in the Great Lakes. He writes to Lt. Macdonough: Your present force however, is greatly superior to the enemy, as from accounts I have received, the Schooner Ticonderoga is a full match for his Brig, and I had hoped that the irksome contest of Ship building would have been superseded, by the possession and fortification, of the point which the Secretary of War had designated, for the purpose of repelling any attempt of the enemy, to pass into the Lake. I am strongly impressed with the belief, that such a position in cooperation with your Squadron, would have more effectually secured our command of the Lake, than any reasonable increase of our naval force, because the enemy's means and facility of increasing his naval Armament, greatly exceed those which we possess, either in equipment, 15

24 transportation or manning. If we have not the military means of commanding the pass into the Lake, how are we to command the Shores of the Lake, and if we are incapable of the latter, of what avail will the command of the Lake be to us. If the enemy shall have sufficient military force to command the Shores of the Lake, our Squadron must ultimately fall into his power. It is therefore in vain to rest exclusively upon our Naval superiority, and I see no end to this war of Broad Axes. (Secretary of the Navy William Jones to Lt. Macdonough, July 5, 1814) The American fleet spent most of the summer on patrol and escorted hundreds of bateaux between Plattsburgh and Burlington with troops and supplies. On August 11, 1814, the last American vessel, the 120 ft [37 m] brig Eagle, was launched in a record 19 days. The launch is described in a contemporary newspaper article: A Launch: The new brig, building at Vergennes, was launched Thursday last. We understand that, oweing [sic] to the shallowness of the water, she stuck in the mud as she passed from the ways. She was however got afloat without much difficulty. (Vermont Mirror, August 17, 1814) On August 25, the British frigate Confiance was launched. The 831-ton square-rigged, three-masted ship was 146 ft [45 m] long on the gun deck and had a beam of 36 ft [11 m] (Bellico 1992: ). The American (Table 1) and British fleets were complete. Crisman notes that during the War of 1812 the naval campaigns on the inland lakes of North America remained essentially a battle of shipwrights (Crisman 1987:217). The success of the Adams brothers in constructing these vessels and having them ready for battle under such unusual and adverse conditions is truly remarkable. The activities at the shipyard in Vergennes can be viewed as the most significant naval strategy of the Battle of Plattsburgh. 16

25 Table 1: American Naval Fleet on Lake Champlain during the War of 1812 Name Type Tonna ge Length x Beam Armament Constructed Launch Date Allen Lateen-Rigged ft [23 m] x 15 ft [5 m] 1 long 24lb cannon Vergennes, VT April Row Galley tons 1 18lb cannon 1814 Borer Lateen-Rigged ft [23 m] x 15 ft [5 m] 1 long 24lb cannon Vergennes, VT April Row Galley tons 1 18lb cannon 1814 Burrows Lateen-Rigged ft [23 m] x 15 ft [5 m] 1 long 24lb cannon Vergennes, VT April Row Galley tons 1 18lb cannon 1814 Centipede Lateen-Rigged ft [23 m] x 15 ft [5 m] 1 long 24lb cannon Vergennes, VT April Row Galley tons 1 18lb cannon 1814 Nettle Lateen-Rigged ft [23 m] x 15 ft [5 m] 1 long 24lb cannon Vergennes, VT April Row Galley tons 1 18lb cannon 1814 Viper Lateen-Rigged ft [23 m] x 15 ft [5 m] 1 long 24lb cannon Vergennes, VT April Row Galley tons 1 18lb cannon 1814 Saratoga Sloop ft [44 m] x 36 ft [11 8 long 24-lb Vergennes, VT April 11, tons m] cannon lb carronades 6 42-lb carronades Ticonderoga Steamboat converted into schooner 350 tons 120 ft [37 m] x 26 ft [8 m] Growler (formerly Hunter) Eagle Sloop (formerly Bull Dog) Eagle Brig 120 ft [37 m] x 35 ft [11 m] 8 long 12-lb cannon 4 long 18-lb cannon 5 32-lb carronades 8 long 18-lb cannon lb carronades Montgomery Sloop 7 9-lb cannon 2 18-lb Columbiads Vergennes, VT May 12, 1814 August 11, 1814 Notes Under construction as a steamboat; Macdonough decided to complete as a schooner Captured 7/13/1813; renamed Shannon Captured 7/13/1813; renamed Broke Purchased 6/1813 by Macdonough 17

26 Preble (formerly Rising Sun) Sloop tons 7 long 9-lb cannon Purchased 6/1813 by Macdonough Francis Sloop 5 guns Leased 6/1813 by Macdonough Wasp Sloop 3 guns Leased 6/1813 by Macdonough Alwyn Lug-rigged ft [15 m] x 12 ft [4 m] 1 long 12-lb Whitehall, NY? Row Galley tons cannon Ballard Lug-rigged ft [15 m] x 12 ft [4 m] 1 long 12-lb Whitehall, NY? Row Galley tons cannon Ludlow (formerly 169) Lug-rigged Row Galley 40 tons 50 ft [15 m] x 12 ft [4 m] 1 long 12-lb cannon Whitehall, NY 1808 Wilmer (formerly 170) Lug-rigged Row Galley 40 tons 50 ft [15 m] x 12 ft [4 m] 1 long 12-lb cannon President Sloop 65 ft [20 m] x? 6 18-lb Columbiads 6 12-lb cannon *This data is compiled from several sources, largely from Ansley, Whitehall, NY 1808 Purchased in 1812, sometimes used as warship; Army transport 18

27 The Battle of Plattsburgh Bay The two fleets finally met in the Battle of Plattsburgh Bay on September 11, 1814 (Figure 9). Lt. Macdonough positioned the American vessels inside the bay to permit his fleet to use its short-range guns more effectively in the close battle. Lt. Macdonough's tactics against the British were similar to those used by Benedict Arnold in 1776 just to the south in Valcour Bay. Again, the north wind that would carry the British to Plattsburgh would also make it difficult for them to maneuver in the bay for a close-range battle. Lt. Macdonough positioned his fleet in a north-south line inside the bay with an intricate anchoring system rigged with spring lines. This system allowed the American vessels to be turned end-to-end to bring fresh guns on the opposite side of the ship to bear on the enemy should the guns on the original side become disabled. The two fleets were nearly matched in size and firepower, although the British had greater weight in long-range guns. The British fleet was given to Captain George Downie only days before the battle, and he was forced to command his new crew in unfamiliar waters. Both fleets had crews that consisted of trained seaman and inexperienced land troops; none of the crews, however, were prepared for the devastating battle that was about to begin. The fight raged for two hours and twenty minutes with deafening cannon and musket fire, many casualties on both sides, and holes blown through the hulls of every vessel. The American fleet ultimately defeated the Royal Navy, which forced the British army to withdraw its artillery from the New York shore and return to Canada (Bellico 1992: ). Figure 9: Battle of Plattsburgh. Published in The naval Temple. Boston: Barber Badger, Library of Congress, LC-USZ In the fighting at Plattsburgh, the Americans sustained far fewer casualties than the British forces, whose defeat stunned the British government, changing the course of the peace negotiations at Ghent in the Netherlands. The Treaty of Ghent was signed not long after, on December 24, 1814, effectively ending the war and ushering in a lasting peace between the United States and her northern neighbor. 19

28 Had it not been for the American victory on Lake Champlain, made possible by the extraordinary efforts of Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough and his team of shipwrights and sailors, the course of the war might have taken a different turn altogether. The Remains of the Fleet After the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, there was little need for the naval fleet on Lake Champlain. Most were brought to Whitehall, NY and laid up in ordinary (Figure 10). The vessels were stripped of their masts, guns, sails, and naval stores. Some were sold for commercial trade on the lake, while the remaining vessels were destroyed or moved up the Poultney River and abandoned. The remains of the vessels still lie in the Poultney River (Figure 11). Also see Kevin Crisman s publication The Eagle: An American Brig on Lake Champlain during the War of 1812 (Crisman 1987). Figure 10: Eagle, Linnet, Saratoga, Ticonderoga, Confiance: as laid up at Whitehall W.D. Sept 9 th 1816 Whitehall. Watercolor (LCMM Collection). 20

29 Figure 11: Remains of Linnet in the Poultney River, 2012 (LCMM Collection). 21

30 HISTORY OF THE PROJECT AREA Figure 12: Hydrography of Otter Creek, Surveyed and drawn under the direction of Brevet Major General John Newton,

31 Figure 13: Vergennes, Vermont in Note the United States Arsenal. (from Atlas of Addison County, Vermont, F.W. Beers 1871.) 23

32 Figure 14: City of Vergennes, Note the Vermont State Reform School at the former site of the Champlain Arsenal. (Published by H.W. Burgett & Co., engraved and printed by J.B. Beers 1876.) 24

33 Figure 15: Vergennes Reef, Otter Creek VT at Steamboat Landing, (Corps of Engineers, 1882.) Monkton Iron Works The location of the City of Vergennes at a waterfall is not coincidental, and provided the community with power for early industry. Easy access to Lake Champlain and its shipping potential has made Vergennes an industrial center for much of its early history. The Monkton Iron Works was established in 1807 along the west bank of the Otter Creek, below the Vergennes waterfalls, as a joint venture between several Boston-area investors and their Vermont representative (Smith 1886:665). The managing partner was Benjamin Wells (or Welles). By 1812, commercial and industrial activity was well-established in Vergennes, with the Iron Works as the industrial leader. In operation, there were a total of nine forges, a blast furnace, an air furnace, a rolling mill, a wire factory, and grist, saw and fulling mills. Timber was abundant for shipbuilding (Thomas and Doherty 1980:119). The Monkton Iron Works managed three trading sloops, Francis, Dash, and Maria. These vessels often transported ore from New York or Swanton, Vermont to Vergennes, which at times caused some conflict with the government although the issue was quickly settled after the owner threatened to cancel Lt. Macdonough s order of cannon balls in October 1813 (Seaburg and Paterson 1971:242). In fact, the relationship between Macdonough and the Monkton Iron works was mutually beneficial. The Treasurer of the Iron Works recalled after the war that I believe in my heart that Macdonough saved our works, but I believe too that our works saved his ships (Ansley 1999:51). The Iron Works produced over 1,000 thirty-two pound cannonballs prior to 1814, as well as other munitions and vessel fittings. The population of Vergennes had increased to 835 by 1810, an increase of more than 300 from the turn of the century, a figure attributed to the jobs available at the company (Ingham 1930:10). 25

34 The end of the War of 1812 meant a decline in business for the Monkton Iron Works, which closed in The following year, Wells reached out to General Macomb, who had been a commander during the Battle of Plattsburgh, in hopes that the federal government would select his now defunct site for use as an arsenal but he was not able to secure the sale (Ingham 1930:64). Other Vergennes Industry Many other industries thrived in Vergennes during the early and mid-nineteenth century (Figure 16). The National Horse Nail Company was formed in 1868, and began production in several specially constructed buildings on land rented to them by the Vergennes Water Power Company (Smith 1886:694). Nevus & Haviland s Shade Roller Works was formed in 1877 to produce and sell shade rollers and slats. The business survived a fire in 1884, and operated into the early twentieth century. The myriad of other industries included a saw mill, grist mill, forges, hemp factory and rope walk, blast furnace, woolen mill, tannery, distillery and marble factory. Figure 16: Detail from Bird's Eye View of Vergennes, Vermont, (Troy, NY: Burleigh Lithograph, Library of Congress Catalog Number ) Note the Nevus & Haviland Shade Rollers (4), the Vermont Shade Roller Manufacturing Company (5), and the National Horse Nail Co. (3). The project area is just off the bottom edge of the drawing. Towpath The booming commercial era in the Champlain Valley in the early nineteenth century increased demand for shipping products by water, specifically by canal boat. However, to reach the manufacturing center of Vergennes, vessels needed to traverse the windy seven miles up the Otter Creek from Lake Champlain. The initial petition to build a road along the east bank of the Otter Creek between Fort Cassin and the falls was filed in 1809 by Frances Bradbury, but construction was not completed until This towpath allowed canal boats to be towed by mule teams up and down the creek shipping raw materials and finished products, and facilitating the community s industry. Champlain Arsenal There are no historic maps of Vergennes that date to ; however, later historic maps (Figure 12 26

35 and Figure 13) indicate that the project location had been owned by the United States War Department starting in 1816 and was the location of the Champlain Arsenal (Figure 17). In the decades following the Revolutionary War, the United States found itself with a surplus of arms and munitions, and the military had outgrown the existing storage available at Harpers Ferry, VA and Springfield, MA. Government officials decided that a series of regional depots would address both the surplus issue as well as larger strategic concerns one of which was placed in Vermont. The Champlain Arsenal was established on October 8, 1816 at Vergennes, Vermont, on Otter Creek, adjoining the city, with the purchase of nearly 10 acres of land, for $1,000 in a sale negotiated by Enoch D. Woodbridge (US Congress House of Representatives 1821). It was to be a third-class installation, a classification [T]o be considered as depots, and used for the deposits of the military stores to be distributed to the army and militia of the United States (Peladeau 1965:7). One historical account notes that some sailors from Macdonough s Lake Champlain squadron made camp for a time on the grounds of the future arsenal (Robinson 1934:251). Within the first year, 6,631 Model 1795 muskets were stored or under repair at the site, making it the third largest stockpile in the country. This number grew to 9,573 by 1817 and 10,406 by The original armory buildings were only considered temporary structures, which had quickly outgrown their purpose. Beginning in 1826, under a rotating command of military officers from the Ordinance Department, plans were developed to create a more permanent site. Congress allocated $15,000 for building costs in 1827, and in 1828 purchased an additional 18 acres. The State of Vermont ceded each parcel of land to the federal government during that period. As a result of these efforts, the following buildings were completed: a three story arsenal, officers quarters, magazine, gun house, armorers and carpenters shops, a laboratory, blacksmith shop, ice house, two cisterns, a wharf, and fencing for a total cost of $23, (Peladeau 1965:7-8). There were rumors that a spy investigating the arsenal drowned in the cistern nearby (Unknown 1923:4). Figure 17: The Old U.S. Arsenal, circa Bixby Memorial Free Library. The Champlain Arsenal continued to grow in size and usage, fluctuating with the broader shifts in US military policy. By 1834, the stockpile included 3,820 National Armory Model 1831 and 720 Model 1816 muskets, as well as 37 assorted artillery pieces, and even one rocket carriage and 66 rocket cases, iron, of unknown origin. The stores included federal weapons, as well as arms designated for the 27

36 Vermont militia. The Ordinance Department gave orders to retire the depot in However, the outbreak of the Civil War resulted in a reconsideration of that decision, as additional men and funding for repairs were allocated by the federal government. In 1863, perhaps in response to a call for arms from Vermont Governor Smith, a total of 8,000 English Enfield rifle muskets, ammunition, and accessories were shipped to the arsenal. The site briefly remained active as a storage and repair facility throughout the war, and during the years that followed as units disbanded. By December 1870, 5,000 of the English Enfields had been transferred out of Vergennes, and in 1871 the remaining pieces were dispatched to West Point. There was nothing left to store at the Champlain Arsenal. On June 29, 1872 the process for authorizing the sale of the property was officially completed. The entire site, including the previously mentioned buildings on acres, plus the stable, house, barn, and flag-staff were offered for auction on June 6, 1873 (Ordinance Office 1873:1-3). The State of Vermont purchased the lands and building, and the Champlain Arsenal was repurposed (Peladeau 1965:12). Vermont Reform School ( ) Vermont Industrial School ( ) Weeks School ( ) Northlands Job Corps (Current) Figure 18: Vermont Industrial School, no date. Bixby Memorial Free Library. The Vermont Reform School campus was completed in 1874 (Figure 18) on the grounds of the former Champlain Arsenal (Figure 14 and Figure 15), and was designated for the purpose of "discipline, correction, and rehabilitation" for minors convicted of criminal activity. The school was later renamed the Vermont Industrial School, and finally the Weeks School (after Vermont Governor John Weeks). From its founding, the School faced a number of challenges with its population, which was often a mix of offenders, orphans, or children abandoned due to poverty from a variety of jurisdictions in the region. During the 1920s, residents were subjected to a number of tests and evaluations as part of the eugenics research conducted by the University of Vermont and the National Committee on Mental Hygiene. Although the curriculum was later refocused to include vocational training, the model was considered outdated by 1979, and the school was closed. (Gallagher 2001) Not long after, the site was reopened as the Northlands JobCorps, a vocational program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor for youth ages 16-24, which is still in operation today (2013). 28

37 METHODOLOGY RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODOLOGY In 2007, the American Battlefield Protection Program identified Lt. Macdonough s shipyard as a Class A, Priority II significant site (VT1004) associated with the War of 1812 in its document Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States. Class A sites are the most historically significant of the 677 sites they identified to be associated with events that had demonstrable influence on the course conduct and results of the Revolutionary War and the War of They also identified the site of Lt. Macdonough s shipyard as threatened because its precise location remains unknown. This inability to confidently identify the location and boundaries of the site has prevented state and local authorities from establishing a preservation plan and protecting what has been called the location of the climax of the war of 1812 (Crisman 1987). The objective of this project was to carry out minimal subsurface testing and a visual underwater survey at the project area to assess if 1) There is evidence to suggest that the project location is the site of Macdonough s shipyard and 2) That the site retains enough integrity to be the subject of future archeological investigation. These efforts were the first step in the overall goal of preserving, studying and protecting this War of 1812 battlefield associated site. With the potential to contribute to several fields of historic and archaeological research, including naval archeology (War of 1812 shipyards), naval architecture (construction of naval vessels during the War of 1812) and cultural anthropology (evidence of shipyard workers day to day activities), the project sought to serve as the cornerstone for future archeological and historical investigations of this site. SHIPYARD ARCHEOLOGY Historic shipyards are both intimately linked to the ships that were built at the location, as well as the cultures that built them. It is for this reason that archeological investigations into these site types can yield information pertaining to technical maritime construction techniques, as well as the social environment and day to day activities of the myriad of workers that were required to build large ships. Various activity areas and features may be identified and investigated at shipyard sites, including but not limited to: shipways and construction areas, blacksmithing shops, woodworking shops, coal sheds, and workers quarters and/or camps. However, because shipyards are located along the waterfronts of rivers, lakes and harbors, they typically experience many levels of disturbance or destruction due to the popularity of waterfront property over time and the dynamics of the body of water they resided on. Size and layout of each and every shipyard will vary depending upon the physical layout of the land, and the depth and size of the adjacent body of water. In all cases what defines a shipyard is the presence of frames, or shipways, which were typically constructed along the banks of the water, and served as the platform in which the ships were built upon. Shipways primarily consisted of timbers assembled to create a frame in which vessels could be built and then launched. Every shipyard required at least one set of shipways per each vessel under construction. However, there are few historical accounts specifically describing the practical aspects of construction of shipways and of launching vessels (Moser 2011). Shipways also had multiple components that were adapted to the physical setting of the 29

38 shipyard location, including substructures, groundways, launching ways, cradles, as well as various supports, shoring and scaffolding elements. Typically, shipways were constructed perpendicular to the waterfront, so that vessels could be carefully slipped into the water from stern to bow. However, for example, the Revolutionary War Stephen Steward Shipyard, near Annapolis, Maryland, had a shipway that employed a side launch, since the adjacent channel was narrow and the water depth was relatively shallow (Thompson 1993). So may be the case at the presumed location of Macdonough s War of 1812 shipyard, where the river is less than 200 feet wide and the channel is approximately 6 feet deep at low water level. In a recent publication, Jason D. Moser (2011) delineated five tiers of shipyards and their associated archeological footprint. Tier 1 shipyards are considered larger, rather permanent enterprises, with a substantial archeological footprint, while Tier 5 are small, expediently organized shipyards with little permanent infrastructure and were likely used for construction or repairing few vessels (Moser 2011:849). He goes on to say that these shipyards are often ephemeral, and without historical knowledge of their presence to begin with, they are often mistaken for other waterfront activities. Tier 4 shipyards, according to Moser, were considered small shipyards, yet they did have the investment of some permanent infrastructure. An example of such a shipyard is the Wicomico Creek Shipyard, discovered along the shoreline in Somerset County, Maryland. Archeological investigations at the site revealed the presence of a single slipway (Moser 2007). Subsequent historical research revealed the site to be the location of a circa 1800 shipyard owned by shipwright Daniel Whitney, who was known to have constructed large vessels, which was concurrent with the archeological findings. Tier 3 shipyards were well organized, had substantial labor force, and could build or repair multiple vessels simultaneously. The previously mentioned Stephen Steward Shipyard is classified as a Tier III site. This site has undergone extensive archeological investigations since the 1990s (Moser and Cox 1999; Seidel 1993; Thompson 1993). Information from this site is a valuable comparable, since such a large area has been excavated. Lt. Macdonough s War of 1812 shipyard could be classified as a Tier 3 or Tier 4 shipyard based on what is known historically about the site. While it was only active for no more than six months, eight vessels were constructed at the site, the largest being 143 feet long. When the sloop Saratoga and Brig Eagle were under construction, so too were six gunboats. Additionally, it is known that nearly 200 shipwrights were brought from the coast to work at the shipyard, which is a rather large work force. Various questions guided the investigation, such as: How was the shipyard laid out? How many shipways may have been built? What was the configuration of the shipways? What can we learn about ship construction and lifeways at this shipyard? DIVING OPERATIONS Diving activities were undertaken in compliance with the U.S. Diving Manuals, Volume I and II, and LCMM s Safe Diving Practices Manual. Participants strictly adhered to a site-specific Dive Safety Plan that was prepared for the project. Each dive team member met the training and qualification requirements established in USACE Safety and Health Requirements Manual (EM ) (Figure 19). Team members included: Adam Kane LCMM Co-Executive Director 30

39 Arthur Cohn LCMM Co-Founder and Special Projects Director Christopher Sabick LCMM Conservation Lab Director Alex Lehning LCMM Historian and Research Coordinator Figure 19: LCMM s Christopher Sabick assists Art Cohn into the Otter Creek for a survey dive. Note dive safety protocols including redundant air supply (pony bottle), and light source. Photograph taken December 7, 2011 (LCMM Collection). All divers were certified for diving; were current in Red Cross or equivalent training for First Aid and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR); and had recently passed a physical examination conducted for the purpose of ascertaining fitness for diving. Prior to the start of diving operations all participants received a thorough briefing on the content and objectives of the Dive Safety Plan. Dive operations were conducted on December 7, Approximately 80 m of submerged shoreline were evaluated. SUBSURFACE TESTING LCMM staff, along with volunteers from the Vermont Archaeological Society, spent five days surveying approximately 2,400 m² [0.59 ac] along the Otter Creek, from October 16 October 21, 2011 (Figure 20). Test excavations focused on a linear transect located approximately 15 m [49 ft] north of the shoreline and running east to west for 80 m [263 ft]. The main transect intentionally bisected the circa 1816 towpath that veered away from the Otter Creek at the site. Staff and volunteers performing subsurface testing were trained on appropriate excavation techniques 31

40 (as referenced in Guidelines for Conducting Archeology in Vermont, 2002) and were supervised by Project Director Joanne Dennis, and LCMM Executive Co-Director Adam Kane, both qualified professional archeologists (see the Secretary of the Interior s Professional Qualifications Standards, 36 CFR Part 61). Unless otherwise noted, all sediments were passed through a ¼ mesh screen. Plan-view or Profile drawings are included here in the summarized Shovel Test Pit (STP) results only when significant to the reader s understanding. Soil descriptions use the Munsell color system. Figure 20: View of the project area, looking east toward Otter Creek. Photograph taken October 21, 2011 (LCMM Collection). PUBLIC OUTREACH Local community was informed and included in this project at many levels. Members from the aforementioned Vermont Archaeological Society volunteered their time to assist with site excavation. More than 177 elementary and high school students and their teachers visited the excavation site, working with LCMM education staff in a special program focused on terrestrial archaeology and the War of 1812; some students even returned to be excavation volunteers after school (Figure 21). The general public was also invited to visit daily. Research and archaeological findings were presented at numerous community talks in 2012; and were detailed on LCMM s website and bi-annual newsletter Lake Champlain Compass (Appendix C). Figure 21: Children from regional schools, including Vergennes Elementary School (left) and Vergennes Union Middle School (right) visited the site during the excavation (LCMM Collection). 32

41 ARTIFACT CONSERVATION METHODOLOGY The handling and treatment of artifacts in the lab environment is a multi-step process including cataloging, documentation, and where needed, active conservation treatment. Initial Artifact Documentation Artifacts recovered from the Macdonough Shipyard Project came directly to LCMM s Conservation Lab facility from the field. Field bags indicated STP location, level, depth, and a specific field specimen (FS) number. Material types and quantities of the artifacts were separated in the lab and recorded in a spreadsheet. Ten material types were identified: bone, brick, ceramic, charcoal, coal, glass, iron, lead, lithic, and other. Diagnostic artifacts were noted separately. Initial artifact cleaning entailed light brushing and rinsing with deionized water, and re-sorting by material type. From the sixteen STPs with a total of 138 field bags, 5,721 distinct artifacts were counted. The material types with the highest count of artifacts were coal and brick; collectively making up approximately 59% of the total sample. Artifact Conservation - Ceramic and Glass To supplement the deionized water rinse, some ceramic and glass artifacts needed additional cleaning with a soft dish soap. Artifact Conservation - Iron Cast and wrought iron artifacts from the Macdonough Shipyard site were subjected to a thorough manual cleaning using dental picks. Iron artifacts with sufficient structural integrity were then treated by electrolytic reduction (ER), an electrochemical reaction maintained by an externally applied electrical current. An electrolytic cell is created in a vat that contains two electrodes (mild steel mesh as an anode [+] and the artifact attached to the cathode [-]), submerged in a dilute electrolytic solution of Sodium Carbonate (soda ash). Electricity for the cell is provided by an adjustable direct current (DC) power supply. As the electrochemical reaction takes place, positively charged metallic ions are attracted to the artifact and hydrogen is evolved, while oxygen and chloride ions are attracted to the sacrificial anode. Hydrogen bubbles form along the surviving iron of an artifact; as they escape to the surface they loosen corrosion. The duration of the ER process was extended dependent upon the severity of the corrosion, and was periodically interrupted for evaluation and mechanical cleaning. The cleaned iron artifact was then placed in three sixty-minute baths of boiling deionized water. After cleaning, tannic acid was applied directly to the surface of the artifact, reacting with the iron to form ferric tannate (C76H49O46), a stable corrosion product that forms a barrier between the iron artifact and corrosion-causing oxygen and humidity. Finally, the iron artifacts were submerged in molten microcrystalline wax (300 F) to completely dehydrate the iron, and make a non-permeable thin sealant to protect against environmental oxygen and moisture. Artifact Conservation - Lead The Macdonough Shipyard artifact assemblage contained a single lead artifact: a musket ball. The 33

42 corrosion that occurs on lead artifacts recovered from wet environments is lead oxide (PbO). Lead oxide is a stable corrosion product but it often hides surface details; removal is a necessary step in an artifact s conservation. The soft nature of lead necessitated minimal mechanical cleaning in order to preserve the artifact details. The musket ball was initially rinsed and gently brushed with deionized water and a toothbrush. It was then put through a series of short electrolytic reduction (ER) sessions. The artifact was then rinsed to remove any remaining impurities, and dehydrated by submerging it in three baths of acetone (CH 3 ) 2 CO. Once the acetone from the final bath dried, the artifact was sealed with microcrystalline wax. 34

43 RESULTS LCMM carried out subsurface test excavations and an underwater survey at the supposed site of Lt. Macdonough s War of 1812 Shipyard during six days of field work in October and December SITE AND KOCOA ANALYSIS KOCOA is a traditional military analysis applied to battlefield sites as a tool to help establish site boundaries. The five elements of KOCOA analysis are: key terrain, observation, and fields of fire, cover and concealment, obstacles, and avenues of approach and retreat. A defining battlefield feature is one that falls within one or more of these five elements. In the case of the Macdonough shipyard site, the location was chosen for various reasons, some of which can be assessed under KOCOA (Figure 22). Practical reasons for choosing Vergennes as the site of the shipyard included the availability of resources to construct a fleet of vessels, the relatively open, flat, and available terrain of the flood plain, and the proximity to inland travel routes. However, the choice of this location was also greatly influenced by its ability to provide cover and concealment of the shipyard. The location presented obstacles to the British and it afforded key terrain for stopping the British from spying on or attacking the shipyard. Figure 22: Aerial view looking northwest showing the location of Fort Cassin at the mouth of the Otter Creek at Lake Champlain and the 11.3 km [7 mi] stretch of the river to reach the shipyard at Vergennes. 35

44 Located 11.3 km [7 mi] upstream from Lake Champlain, Lt. Macdonough was able to protect the site of his shipyard and winter quarters by stationing look-outs at the mouth of the creek. On May 9, 1814, the British arrived at the mouth of Otter Creek to blockade or destroy the American fleet on the river, or at least to gain intelligence. The British were unable to approach Otter Creek closely, hampered by the presence of Fort Cassin, an earthen stronghold at the mouth of the river. The fort and the British fleet engaged in a one-hour battery duel with few casualties to either side. The American fleet quickly moved down to the mouth of the creek, but the British fleet retreated northward before they arrived. Nevertheless, British naval commander Captain Daniel Pring obtained detailed information from a spy about the American fleet, which led him to begin construction of Confiance, a 37-gun frigate and the largest sailing warship that would ever be constructed on Lake Champlain. The ability of Lt. Macdonough s troops to ward off the British on that day with relatively little effort and no resulting impact to the shipyard is a testament to the wise choice of this location based on military planning. UNDERWATER SURVEY The underwater survey of the shoreline of the Otter Creek took place during one day of diving. Dive crew consisted of Art Cohn, Adam Kane, Chris Sabick and Alex Lehning. Approximately 80 m [262 ft] of submerged shoreline were evaluated. Timbers and concrete and stone piers were encountered. LCMM returned to the site in February of 2012 to photograph some of these features when the river was extremely low. It is not believed that these submerged features are associated with the War of 1812 shipyard. Rather they are likely remnant of docking space for the Champlain Arsenal and the State Reform School which subsequently occupied the site (1820s-present) (Figure 23, Figure 24, and Figure 25). Figure 23: View looking southwest at docking remnants, likely associated with the Champlain Arsenal (1820s-present). Photo taken February 2, 2012 (LCMM Collection). 36

45 Figure 24: View looking northeast at docking remnants, likely associated with the Champlain Arsenal (1820s-present). Photo taken February 2, 2012 (LCMM Collection). 37

46 Figure 25: View looking southwest at docking remnants, likely associated with the Champlain Arsenal (1820s-present). Photo taken February 2, 2012 (LCMM Collection). SUBSURFACE TEST EXCAVATIONS LCMM staff, along with volunteers from the Vermont Archaeological Society, spent five days surveying approximately 2,400 m² [0.59 ac] along the Otter Creek. Test excavations focused on a linear transect located approximately 15 m [49 ft] north of the shoreline and running east to west for 80 m [263 ft] (Figure 26). The main transect intentionally bisected the circa 1825 towpath that veered away from the Otter Creek at the site. This was the most promising area to identify any undisturbed remnants of Lt. Macdonough s War of 1812 shipyard, which immediately predates the construction of the towpath. Test excavations covered 140 linear meters with test pits spaced at 10 m and/or 5 m intervals. Four transects were established: Transects one and two (TR1 and TR2) ran parallel to the river shoreline and covered 80 m (TR m before jutting west 5m to avoid large trees and continuing in TR m). The third transect (TR3) ran perpendicular to the shoreline for 30 m and intersected TR1 at meter 40. Transect 4 (TR4) ran perpendicular to the shoreline for 15 m, intersecting TR1 at meter 10. A total of sixteen standard test pits (STP) were excavated (50 cm x 50 cm square) at 10 cm intervals and by soil type to sterile soil when possible. Some test pits were nearly 2 m deep and could not reach sterile soil by means of hand excavation. All test pits were positive for cultural resources. Both historic and prehistoric artifacts were encountered, as well as modern-day debris. A concentration around STP 7 (TR1 M40 and TR3 M15) became the focus of the testing. This test pit bisected the towpath constructed circa The towpath 38

47 fill showed layers of historic debris, and beneath the fill, diagnostic artifacts within undisturbed soil indicated deposit in the early 1800s. Test pits were spaced 5 m from this pit and TR3, which bisected this pit, was excavated at 5 m intervals in order to assess the extent of these deposits from the shoreline. Unless otherwise noted, all sediments were passed through a ¼ mesh screen. Plan-view or Profile drawings are included here in the summarized Shovel Test Pit (STP) results only when significant to the reader s understanding. Soil descriptions use the Munsell color system. The complete archived field notes are currently held at LCMM (2013) and will be transferred and permanently curated at the Vermont History Center in Barre, Vermont. The transcribed Field Notes can be found in Appendix B; a summarized STP soil summary can be found in Appendix D; and the complete artifact catalog can be found in Appendix E. Figure 26: Site map of subsurface test excavations. 39

48 Figure 27: Test Pits with diagnostic artifacts displayed at relative depths. 40

49 STP 1 Transect 1 0m; The first sediment layer was clayey loam (10YR 2/2 very dark brown), extended to 27 cm [10.6 in] and was characterized by a dense deposit of bricks and brick fragments. Descending through the level, the bricks were more intact (Figure 28). At the base of the level it was evident that at one point they were neatly stacked. These red terra cotta bricks were characterized by grooves on each side, presumably to improve mortar adhesion. No mortar was evident, however, indicating that they were stored for future use, rather than the result of a demolition deposit. The bricks ended abruptly at 27 cm [10.6 in] and the second sediment layer was clay (10YR 4/4 dark yellowish brown) with small fragments of charcoal. This layer extended to 54 cm [21.2 in]; no cultural materials were found below 37 cm [14.6 in], so STP was terminated. Interpretation: The upper strata of this test pit were characterized by dense deposits of twentiethcentury debris. Deeper strata did not yield additional artifacts or information. Figure 28: One of the more intact bricks recovered from STP 1. Note the exterior grooves and interior holes, and the lack of mortar (LCMM Collection). STP 2 Transect 2 80m; The first sediment layer was dark loam and damp with surface moisture (sandy loam 2.5Y 2.5/1 black) and extended down to 20 cm [7.9 in], artifacts included 1 brick fragment, 2 glass shards, and 1 firecracked rock, all likely modern. The second level was characterized by increasing sandiness (sand 2.5Y 3/2 very dark grayish brown). Artifacts recovered from the second level included 1 bone fragment, several brick and coal fragments, and one chert flake. The third sediment level was characterized by lighter color at 46 cm [18.1 in] (sandy silt 2.5Y 4/2 dark grayish brown), and the appearance of a rock approximately 20 cm [7.9 in] in diameter; this level contained 2 charcoal, 1 coal fragment, 2 chert flakes, and 4 quartzite flakes. STP 2 was excavated to 62 cm [24.4 in] in depth, whereupon water flooded into the test pit. 41

50 Interpretation: The upper strata of this test pit were characterized by light deposits of modern debris. Deeper strata yielded a mix of historic and prehistoric material, indicating disturbance. No diagnostic artifacts were recovered at this test pit. STP 3 Transect 2 70m; The first sediment layer (silty clay 10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) extended 20 cm [7.9 in] beneath the surface and was characterized by plate glass, coal, a fragment of Fulham stoneware ( ) and 4 fragments of non-diagnostic ceramics. The second layer (clayey silt 10 YR 3/4 dark yellowish brown) contained more glass fragments, coal, a fragment of Whiteware (likely post-1820) and some quartzite flakes, and extended to 34 cm [13.4 in]. The third layer (clayey silt 10YR 3/3 Dark Brown) contained shell, 2 nails, brick, and some glass fragments. Interpretation: Upper layers revealed one diagnostic ceramic fragment of Fulham stoneware ( ), whose presence in the top 20 cm [7.9 in] could indicate a thorough disturbance, characteristic of much of this site. Deeper strata yielded only one more diagnostic artifact, a fragment of Whiteware (likely post-1820). STP 4 Transect 1 60m; The first sediment layer (silty clay 10YR 2/2 very dark brown) contained very few artifacts: 2 brick fragments, 1 brown glass, and 1 shell, and extended to 32 cm [12.6 in]. The second layer (clay silt 10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) contained shell, glass, and brick. Orange plastic tape was found at 62 cm [24.4 in], indicating a deep disturbance; shovel test was terminated. Interpretation: Most revealing in this test pit was the orange plastic tape found 62cm [24.4 in]beneath the surface. A deep and relatively modern disturbance occurred; no diagnostic artifacts were recovered. STP 5 Transect 1 50m; The first sediment layer (dark loam 2.5Y 3/1 very dark gray) contained fragments of bone, brick, coal, and 2 stoneware, as well as chert flakes, debitage and fire cracked rock, extending to 22 cm. The second layer had a sandier composition (2.5Y 3/2 very dark grayish brown) and contained fragments of brick, coal, glass, iron, clinker, and 1 chert flake, extending to 36 cm [14.2 in]. The third layer (10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) contained very high concentrations of bone and brick, as well as fragments of coal, charcoal, ceramic, and chert flakes. Although cultural remains (both historic and prehistoric) were found in the deepest level, difficulty of access required the termination of the test unit at 96 cm [37.8 in]. Interpretation: High concentrations of bone, brick, coal, and charcoal in the deeper layers indicate a moderate to intense historic use of the site. Their non-diagnostic nature yields no precise dates, but the depth of material still being recovered at 96cm [37.8 in] may suggest an older occupation of the site. STP 6 Transect 1 10m;

51 The first sediment layer (clay loam 10YR 3/1 very dark gray) was characterized by a high volume of modern debris, much of which was found in the first 10cm: wire nails, window glass (325 fragments), keys, bolts, Romex cable, coal, etc. At 15cm a thin layer of very small (>2cm) pebbles was encountered, and the second sediment layer began (Clay 10YR 4/4 dark yellowish brown). This second layer contained 1 tooth, 7 coal fragments, 1 glass fragment, and a fragment of yellow-glazed whiteware (post-1820), and extended to 35cm [13.8 in]. In the first 10 cm [3.4 in] of the third sediment layer (Clay Sand 10YR 3/4 Dark yellowish brown), 2 coal fragments were found. The remainder of the excavated sediment was sterile; at 70 cm [27.6 in], a layer of large rounded rocks were encountered. STP 6 terminated at 70 cm [27.6 in]. Interpretation: Upper strata of this unit yielded very high concentrations of modern debris, (similar to STP 1, located 10m [32.8 ft] to the northeast) which is likely the result of recent use of the site (Weeks School, and Northlands Job Corps, current). The only diagnostic artifact recovered was a fragment of yellow-glazed whiteware (post-1820), whose location near the surface indicates a recent deposit. STP 7 Transect 1 40m; The first sediment layer (10YR 3/1 very dark gray) only contained 2 clinker fragments, and extended to 16 cm [6.3 in]. A very thin (1 cm) [0.4 in] layer of sand (7.5YR 3/1 very dark gray) was found directly underneath, containing no artifacts. The third sediment level (7.5YR 2.5/1 black) contained numerous brick, clinker and coal fragments, and extended to 33 cm [13.0 in]. The fourth sediment layer contained similar quantities of brick, clinker and coal, and here a feature emerged, characterized by a darker soil color, running diagonally across the test unit, which contained coal and clinker. Excavating through this feature, the soil became uniform again throughout the test unit at 60 cm [23.6 in] (level 8 silty clay 10YR 4/3 brown) and revealed a high concentration of bone fragments, as well as ceramics (including white granite (1840+) and green shell-edge pearlware ( ), a pipe stem, and brick, coal, and iron fragments. The layer beneath this (layer 10 clay 10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) extended from 78 cm 106 cm [30.7 in 40.6 in], and contained numerous cultural materials, including fragments of pipe bowls and stems (Figure 29 and Figure 30), whiteware (post-1820), stoneware, bones, charcoal, and nails. Emerging in the southwest corner was a post hole feature which contained cultural material similar to the surrounding soil: blue transferprint pearlware ( ) (Figure 31), blue/green glass, iron nails, and bone fragments. This post hole was excavated to 127 cm [50.0 in]. The surrounding soil was excavated to 106 cm [41.7 in], whereupon a change in soil was encountered. The test unit was terminated due to depth. Interpretation: Of all the test units excavated at this site, STP7 yielded the most diagnostic artifacts. The depth of strata (Figure 32) and deep presence of early nineteenth century artifacts indicates that it went through the circa-1825 towpath. (Figure 27 denotes a visual representation of the relative depth and location of these diagnostic artifacts.) Pipe stems, coal, bones, and nails indicate a rich and intense early nineteenth century use of the site. This could have come from several sources. Towpath construction (circa 1825) meant significant earth moving and teams of workers in place for periods of time. Use of the towpath shortly thereafter may have resulted in the deposit of similarly-dated artifacts on top of the path. Activity associated with the 1814 Macdonough Shipyard would have yielded similar artifacts; however the date range of the diagnostic artifacts is not precise enough to narrow interpretation between 1814 and At this moment, it is likely that some of the material is associated with the towpath construction and use, but it is undetermined if the Macdonough Shipyard also played a role. 43

52 Figure 29: Ceramic pillar-molded pipe stem with spur, recovered from STP 7. Note the decorative gadrooning (evenly spaced fluting) alternately spaced with beading, a style popular from 1780 to 1820 (Noël Hume 1963). Figure 30: Ceramic pipe bowl fragments recovered from STP 7. Note the decorative cross-hatching, a style popular from 1780 to 1820 (Noël Hume 1963). 44

53 Figure 31: Blue transfer-print pearlware ( ) recovered from STP 7. 45

54 Figure 32: West Wall Profile of STP 7. Drawn by PWG, Digitized by SLT. 46

55 STP 8 Transect 3 5m; The first sediment layer (silty loam 10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) extended to 8 cm, and contained coal and 1 brick fragment. The second layer (silty clay 10YR dark yellowish brown) extended to 12 cm [4.7 in], where a 2 cm [0.8 in]-thick coal layer was encountered. The third sediment layer (clayey silt 10YR 4/6 dark yellowish brown mottled with 10 YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) contained a mix of historic and prehistoric artifacts, including brick fragments, iron debris, and several chert and quartzite flakes. The fourth sediment level began at 35 cm [13.8 in] with a transition to silt (10YR 3/6 dark yellowish brown), and contained coal and iron fragments, and 6 chert flakes. Test Pit 8 was terminated at 65 cm [25.6 in]. Interpretation: The mix of historic and prehistoric artifacts found throughout this test unit indicates mixed use of the site, and also suggests some type of disturbance; its proximity to the shoreline may have subjected it to flooding of the Otter Creek. STP 9 Transect 3 25m; The first sediment layer was topsoil (clayey loam 10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) and contained only 6 coal fragments. The second sediment layer was encountered at 10 cm [3.9 in] (silty clay 3/4 dark yellowish brown) and was characterized by historic and prehistoric material mixed together with modern debris: fragments of bone, brick, coal, glass, iron nails and debris, clinker, and plastic as well as several chert flakes. The third layer was encountered at 35 cm [13.8 in] (clayey silt 3/4 dark yellowish brown) and contained only one brick fragment and 1 iron fragment. At 45 cm [17.7 in], a fourth sediment layer was encountered (shaley 3/1 very dark gray) which was sterile down to 65 cm [25.6 in], when the test pit was terminated. Interpretation: The jumble of prehistoric, historic, and modern debris recovered in STP 9 indicates both mixed site use, and disturbance. STP 10 Transect 1 30m; The first sediment layer (clay loam 10YR 2/2 very dark brown) contained mostly industrial debris: brick, coal, glass, clinker and concrete, and extended to 20 cm [7.9 in]. The second layer was a sandy silt (10YR 3/6 dark yellow brown) mottled with iron oxidation (7.5YR 4/6 strong brown) and was only 6 cm [2.4 in] thick. The third layer began at 26 cm [10.2 in] (clay silt 10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) and contained 2 coal fragments and one quartzite flake, found between 26 cm [10.2 in] and 40 cm [15.7 in]. The third sediment layer continued to 60 cm [23.6 in], where the sediment transitioned to silty clay (10YR 4/3 brown). The test pit was sterile beyond 40 cm [15.7 in], and was excavated to 70 cm [27.6 in]. Interpretation: Top layer industrial debris is likely associated with recent use of the site (Weeks School, and Northlands Job Corps, current). No diagnostic artifacts were recovered in this test unit. 47

56 STP 11 Transect 4 10m; The first sediment layer was a silty loam (10YR 3/2 dark grayish brown) containing a distinct layer of coal at 6 cm [2.4 in], as well as brick, glass, clinker and concrete. The second sediment layer was encountered at 13 cm [5.1 in], a clayey silt (10YR 4/6 dark yellowish brown) containing a few brick, charcoal and coal fragments, as well as 1 iron nail and 7 flakes all found within the top 10 cm [3.9 in] of the sediment. A third sediment was encountered at 45 cm [17.7 in], characterized by a very compact sand (10YR 4/4 dark yellowish brown). The remainder of the test pit was sterile, excavated down to 55 cm [21.7 in]. Interpretation: This test unit s proximity to the shoreline of Otter Creek may explain the mix of historic and prehistoric materials very near to the surface. STP 12 Transect 3 20m; The first sediment layer was a silty clay (10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) a wide variety of modern debris: brick, ceramic, coal, glass, iron, and slag. At 10 cm [3.9 in], a second sediment layer of clayey silt (10YR 2/2 very dark brown) contained brick, whiteware, coke and coal, glass, nails, 2 quartzite flakes, high quantities of bone, and fragments of blue transfer-print pearlware ( ) and creamware ( ), and a musket ball (Figure 33). The third layer was silt (10YR 4/3 brown), encountered from 30 cm 40 cm [11.8 in 15.7 in], and contained 11 bone fragments and 1 brick fragment. The fourth layer was characterized by a clayey silt (10YR 4/4 dark yellowish brown) and in the first 10 cm [3.9 in] contained 23 bone fragments, 3 coal fragments, and 1 charcoal fragment. Beyond this, the test pit was sterile, excavated to 60 cm [23.6 in]. Figure 33: Lead musket ball recovered from STP 12. Caliber was determined to be.55 using a caliper gauge. This caliber was a typical size in eighteenth century fowler civilian hunting guns, and also in trade guns. Military firearms used significantly larger caliber ammunition (Neumann 1998:20), so a direct link to the various military uses of the project site (Macdonough s Shipyard ; or Champlain Arsenal ) is unlikely. Interpretation: This test unit was located only 5 m [16.4 ft] from STP 7, which went through the circa- 48

57 1825 towpath. High concentrations of bone, brick, charcoal, and ceramic throughout the unit and the presence of early nineteenth century diagnostics (Figure 27) strengthen the suggestion that there was intense early nineteenth century use of the site, either as a result of the towpath construction and use or from 1814 shipyard activities or both. STP 13 Transect 1 35m; The first sediment layer was a sandy loam (10YR 2/2 very dark brown) which extended 30 cm [11.8 in] down and containe brick, coal, iron and clinker fragments, small amounts of whiteware and glass. The second sediment layer was sandy silt (10YR 4/4dark yellowish brown), encountered at 30 cm [11.8 in], and contained coal, clinker, brick, and 1 whiteware fragment. The third sediment layer was encountered at 40 cm [15.7 in] (clay silt 10YR 4/2 dark gray brown) and was only 9 cm [3.5 in] deep, containing 6 coal fragments. The fourth sediment layer (silty clay 10YR 4/2 dark gray brown) contained high quantities of bone and wood, and also fragments of brick, whiteware, charcoal, coal, glass, and iron. At 59 cm [23.2 in], the fifth sediment layer emerged (clay silt 10YR 4/3 brown); this 6 cm [2.4 in]-thick layer contained only 2 bone fragments, 2 redware, and 5 coal fragments. The sixth layer was a clay silt (10YR 5/4 yellowish brown) and contained only 1 cultural material a single bone fragment. The seventh layer was encountered at 75 cm [29.5 in] (clay 10YR 5/3 brown) and was sterile down to the bottom of the test pit, terminated at 95 cm [37.4 in]. Interpretation: Similar to adjacent STPs 7 and 12, this test unit had high concentrations of bone, brick, charcoal, and ceramic throughout the unit, indicating intense use of the site. No diagnostic artifacts were recovered. STP 14 Transect 1 20m; The first sediment layer was a clayey silt (10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) and contained a high density of small charcoal fragments, 10% of which was collected. The transition to the second sediment layer was characterized by a layer of small pebbles (<1 cm) throughout the test pit. This second layer (silty clay 10YR 3/3 dark brown) was encountered at 18 cm; the coal density waned as the pit went deeper, until the third layer was encountered at 34 cm [13.4 in] (silty clay 20YR 4/4 dark yellowish brown). No artifacts were found in the third strata; the test pit was excavated to 54 cm [21.3 in]. Interpretation: The high concentrations of coal near the surface of this test unit may indicate the presence of a relatively modern coal storage shed. Otherwise, this unit was relatively devoid of artifacts. STP 15 Transect 3 30m; The first sediment layer was a clayey silt (10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown) and contained one whiteware fragment. The second layer (silty clay 10YR 3/3 dark brown) was encountered at 12 cm [4.7 in] and contained 1 clear glass fragment, 4 brick and 3 coal fragments. The third layer (silty clay 10YR 4/4 dark yellowish brown) was encountered at 22 cm [8.7 in] and extended, sterile, until the termination of the test pit at 60 cm [23.6 in]. Interpretation: Very few artifacts were recovered from this test unit; soil deposits seemed undisturbed. 49

58 STP 16 Transect 1-10m; The first sediment layer was comprised of sandy clay (10YR 2/1 Black sandy clay) and extended for 24 cm [9.4 in]. This layer is characterized by high numbers of industrial debris, ending in a 2 cm [0.8 in]- thick coal layer: 30 brick fragments, 85 coal and coke fragments, and 78 clinker and slag fragments. Beneath this was a compact gravel/pebble layer, approximately 5 cm [2.0 in] thick (24-29 cm down), whose sediment had an orange hue (7.5YR 5/8 strong brown silty sand), and was devoid of artifacts. Beneath this, a silty/sandy layer (10YR 4/4 dark yellowish brown) was characterized by a couple large coal fragments, and farther down (39-49 cm) 4 quartzite flakes. No artifacts were found beneath 49 cm [19.3 in]; the C horizon was excavated down to 61 cm [24.0 in]. However, a feature emerged diagonally in the northeast corner of the STP approximately 50 cm [19.7 in] below the surface, characterized by a blue/gray soil (10YR 4/2 Dk gray brown clay/silt mottled with 10YR 5/4 yellowish brown); artifacts included 5 quartzite flakes, 2 fire-cracked rocks, and 1 green glass shard. This feature disappeared approximately 61 cm [24.0 in] beneath the surface. Interpretation: High concentrations of industrial debris near the surface were likely associated with the recent use of the site (Weeks School, and Northlands Job Corps, current). A feature that emerged at 50 cm [19.7 in] may have been a plow furrow, though little additional information was revealed in this 50 cm [19.7 in] test unit. If plowing did occur at this site, it would explain some of the mixed artifacts and soil disturbances. Figure 34: Macdonough Artifact Assemblage by material type. 50

59 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS With funding from the American Battlefield Protection Program, during six days of fieldwork in October and December of 2011, LCMM carried out underwater and terrestrial archeological surveys at the potential site of Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough s War of 1812 Shipyard, located on State of Vermont land in the city of Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont, along the banks of the Otter Creek. Intense early nineteenth century use of the site is evidenced by diagnostic artifacts located in disturbed and undisturbed layers in several test units (Figure 27). Towpath construction (circa 1825) meant significant earth moving and teams of workers in place for periods of time. Use of the towpath shortly thereafter may have resulted in the deposit of similarly-dated artifacts on top of the path. Activity associated with the 1814 Macdonough Shipyard would have yielded similar artifacts; however the date range of the diagnostic artifacts is not precise enough to narrow interpretation to It is likely that some of the material excavated in these test units is associated with the towpath construction and use; however it is still undetermined if the Macdonough Shipyard also played a role. Subsequent use of this land for a myriad of purposes has complicated the interpretation of the excavated remains. The Champlain Arsenal used the land as early as 1816 and shortly thereafter completed construction of a three story arsenal, officers quarters, magazine, gun house, armorers and carpenters shops, a laboratory, blacksmith shop, ice house, two cisterns, a wharf, and fencing. A series of schools have used the site up to the present day (Vermont Reform School, ; Vermont Industrial School, ; Weeks School, ; Northlands JobCorps, Current). Each of these activities would have had an impact on the soil disturbance and artifact distribution on the site. It is not possible to confidently link the excavated materials to activities directly related to the Macdonough shipyard. Similarly, there has been no definitive historic document that links this exact parcel of land to the historic shipyard. But the National Parks Service American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) s identification of the site as threatened is still appropriate because its precise location still remains unknown. This inability to confidently identify the location and boundaries of the site continues to prevent state and local authorities from establishing a preservation plan and protecting this resource. It is the recommendation of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum that further test excavation be carried out at this site. The research already performed during this project has provided compelling evidence of intense early nineteenth century land use, and will serve as a guide for future work. Specifically, LCMM recommends focused test excavations through the towpath in order to provide additional undisturbed contexts and supply information through artifact association, dating, or land features. At this time, not enough data has been ascertained correlating this site to Lt. Thomas Macdonough s War of 1812 Shipyard to inform a consideration for the National Register of Historic Places. 51

60 BIBLIOGRAPHY American Battlefield Protection Program, National Park Service. Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States (P.L , Section 603). Washington, DC: American Battlefield Protection Program, National Park Service, Allen, Ethan. A Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen's Captivity. Walpole, NH: Thomas and Thomas, Anderson, Richard Kerfoot, Jr. Guidelines for Recording Historic Ships. Washington, DC: Historic American Buildings/Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Ansley, Norman. Vergennes, Vermont and the War of Maryland: Brooke Keefer, Arnold, Benedict.. Letter, 21 September Letter, 19 May Letter, 12 October Letter, 15 October Bell, Peter. "A Map of the British Dominions in North America, According to the Treaty in 1763." Washington DC: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, Bellesiles, Michael A. Revolutionary Outlaws. Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, Bellico, Russell Paul. Sails and Steam in the Mountains: A Maritime and Military History of Lake George and Lake Champlain. Fleischmanns, NY: Purple Mountain Press, Bergen, Jenifer, Trudy Caswell, Christine Mazzaferro, and Anthony Scuderi. "Raising the Philadelphia." Lake Champlain Horizons 1, Bratten, John R. The Gondola Philadelphia and the Battle of Lake Champlain. College Station, TX: Texas A & M University Press, Caruana, Adrian B. "The History of English Sea Ordnance " edited by Jean Boudroit. East Essex, Cohn, Arthur B., Adam I Kane, Christopher R. Sabick, and Edwin R. Scollon. Valcour Bay Research Project: Results from the Archaeological Investigation of a Revolutionary War Battlefield in Lake Champlain, Clinton County, New York. Vergennes, VT: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Crawford, Michael, ed. The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, vol 3. Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, Crisman, Kevin. The Eagle: An American Brig on Lake Champlain during the War of Shelburne, VT: New 52

61 England Press, The History of the Construction of the United States Schooner Ticonderoga. Alexandria, VA.: Eyrie Publications, Cronyn, J.M. The Elements of Archaeological Conservation. London and New York: Routledge, Dean, Martin, Ben Ferrari, Ian Oxley, Mark Redknap, and Kit Watson, eds. Archaeology Underwater: The NAS Guide to Principles and Practice. Portsmouth and London: Nautical Archaeology Society and Archetype Publications, Everest, Allen S. The War of 1812 in the Champlain Valley. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, Fernow, Berthold. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New York. Edited by Berthold Fernow. Vol. XV. Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons and Co., Flemming, N. C., and M. D. Max. Scientific Diving: A General Code of Practice. 2nd ed. Flagstaff, AZ: Best Publishing, Gallagher, Nancy L. "The Eugenics Survey of Vermont - Participants & Partners: Vermont Industrial School, in Vermont Eugenics: A Documentary History (2001) accessed February 13, 2013 at Goldstein, Erik. The Socket Bayonet in the British Army Lincoln, RI: Andrew Mowbray Publisher, Green, Jeremy. Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, Hamilton, Donny L. Basic Methods of Conserving Underwater Archaeological Material Culture, Legacy Resource Management Program. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense, Heidler, David and Jeanne T. Heidler. Encyclopedia of the War of Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997, reprint Hill, Ralph Nading. Lake Champlain: Key to Liberty. Twentieth Anniversary ed. Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, Ingham, Adella. In the Days of the Monkton Iron Company, Vergennes, VT: Self-published, Jones, William, Secretary of the Navy.. 20 April, Letter to Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough. Reproduced in The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, vol 3, ed. Michael Crawford, 2002, July, Letter to Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough. Reproduced in The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, vol 3, ed. Michael Crawford, 2002, 539. Kane, Adam I., Christopher R. Sabick, and Sara R. Brigadier. Lake Champlain Underwater Cultural Resources Survey, Volume VI: 2001 Results and Volume VII: 2002 Results. Vergennes, VT: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum,

62 Le Rouge, Georges-Louis. "Vue De Quebec, Capitale Du Canada." Washington, DC.: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, Lipke, Paul, Peter Spectre, and Benjamin A. G. Fuller, eds. Boats: A Manual for Their Documentation. Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, Lossing, Benson J. The Pictorial Field-Book of the War of New York: Harper & Brothers, publishers, Macdonough, Thomas, Lieutenant.. 30 April, Letter to Secretary of the Navy William Jones. Reproduced in The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, vol 3, ed. Michael Crawford, 2002, 431. McConnell, David. British Smooth-Bore Artillery: A Technological Study. Ottawa, Ontario: Parks Canada, Middlekauf, Robert. The Glorious Cause. New York: Oxford University Press, Miller, George L., Olive R. Jones, Lester A. Ross, and Teresita Majewski. "Approaches to Material Cultural Research for Historical Archaeologists." In Approaches to Material Cultural Research for Historical Archaeologists: A Reader from Historical Archaeology, edited by George L. Miller, Olive R. Jones, Lester A. Ross and Teresita Majewski, California, Pennsylvania: The Society for Historical Archaeology, Monkton Iron Works Papers Bixby Library: Vergennes, VT. Morgan, W.J. (ed.). Naval Documents of the American Revolution. Washington DC: Naval History Division, Department of the Navy, Moser, Jason D.. Shipyard Archeology. In The Oxford Handbook of Maritime Archeology. Edited by Alexis Castambis, Ben Ford and Donny L. Hamilton. Oxford University Press: New York: , Lower East Shore Shipyard Survey: Archeological and Historical Investigations. Report prepared on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Moser, Jason D and C. Jane Cox. Stephen Stewards Shipyard (18AN817): Geophysical, Archeological and Historical Investigations. Annapolis, MD: Lost Towns Project, National Park Service. "Archeology and Historic Preservation: Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines." Federal Register 48, no. 190 (1983): Neumann, George C. Battle Weapons of the American Revolution. Texarkana: Scurlock Publishing Co., Inc., New York Archaeological Council. Standards for Cultural Resource Investigations and the Curation of Archaeological Collections in New York State. Albany, NY: New York Archaeological Council,

63 Noël Hume, Audrey. Clay Tobacco Pipe Dating in the Light of Recent Excavations. Quarterly Bulletin, Archaeological Society of Virginia, 18(2). Richmond, VA, The Old U.S. Arsenal, circa U.S. Arsenal, Box 1, Photographs of Vergennes (VT), Local History/Genealogy, Bixby Memorial Free Library, accessed February 18, Peladeau, Marius B. The Champlain Arsenal: A Brief History. Military Collector & Historian, Peterson, Mendel L. United States Government Memorandum Robinson, Rowland E.. Vermont: A Study of Independence. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, Uncle Lisha s Outing, The Buttles Gals, and Along Three Rivers. Rutland: The Tuttle Company, Rogers, Horatio, ed. Hadden's Journal and Orderly Books: A Journal Kept in Canada and Upon Burgoyne's Campaign in 1776 and Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, Sabick, Christopher R., Anne Wood Lessmann, and Scott Arthur McLaughlin. Lake Champlain Underwater Cultural Resources Survey, Volume II: 1997 Results and Volume III: 1998 Results. Vergennes, VT: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Sayer, R. and J. Bennett. "A Description of the Engagement on Lake Champlain." In Wilbur Collection, University of Vermont, Seaburg, Carl and Stanley Paterson. Merchant Prince of Boston: Colenel T.H. Perkisn, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, Seidel, John L. Preliminary report: 1993 Archeological Society of Maryland field season at Steward s Shipyard (18AN817). Crownsville: Maryland Historical Trust, Singley, K. Conservation of Archaeological Artifacts from Freshwater Environments. South Haven, MI: Lake Michigan Maritime Museum, Skaggs, David Curtis. Thomas Macdonough: Master of Command in the Early U.S. Navy. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, Smith, HP ed, History of Addison County Vermont: with illustrations and biological sketches. Syracuse, NY: D Mason & Co, Stanley, George F. G. For Want of a Horse. Sackville, NB: Tribune Press Ltd., Steffy, J. Richard. Wooden Shipbuilding and the Interpretation of Shipwrecks. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press,

64 Thomas, Peter A. and Prudence Doherty. Archaeological Resource Management Study: Lower Otter and Dead Creeks Report #27. Burlington, VT: Department of Anthropology, University of Vermont, Thompson, Bruce F. Preliminary report of archeological investigations at the Stephen Steward Shipyard Site 18AN817. Crownsville: Maryland Historical Trust, Trumbull, John. Autobiography, Reminiscences and Letters of John Trumbull from 1756 to New Haven, CT: B.L. Hamlen, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. "Annex Rules Concerning Activities Directed at Underwater Cultural Heritage." Paris, France: United Nations, United States Congress House of Representatives, 1821 Lands and Buildings Acquired for Military Purposes Communicated to the House of Representatives, February 1, 1821; 16th Congress, 2nd Session, Publication No In American State Papers, Military Affairs Vol 2. Washington, DC, Unknown, The Story of the Arsenal, The Echoes, Vermont Industrial School, no date. Industrial School, Box31, Photographs of Vergennes (VT), Local History/Genealogy, Bixby Memorial Free Library, accessed February 18, Vermont Mirror, August 17, Vermont State Historic Preservation Office, Guidelines for Conducting Archeology in Vermont. Montpelier, VT: SHPO, Also found online at: ines%20combined%20%282%29.pdf Washburn, Erika Lea. Linnet: The History and Archaeology of a Brig from the War of 1812 (Master s Thesis). College Station, TX: Texas A&M University, Welles, B. Esq. Letter. March 21, Monkton Iron Works Papers ( , Bixby Library, VT). 56

65 APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY Aft Near or at the stern of a vessel. Barge A large, unpowered, generally flat-bottomed boat towed by other craft and used as a freighthauler or work platform. Bateau (plural bateaux) A lightly built, flat-bottomed, double-ended boat. Beam A dimension measured from side to side of a vessel. Bilge The lowest point of a vessel s interior hull. Boat An open vessel, usually small and without decks, intended for use in sheltered water. Bow The forward end of a vessel. Breakwater A structure, usually made of stone or concrete, built to create a harbor or improve an existing one. Cabin The living quarters of a vessel. Canal A manmade waterway or artificially improved river used for navigation. Canal boat A boxy vessel designed to travel in a canal system. This type of vessel has no means of propulsion and must be towed or pushed by another vessel. Ceiling The internal planking of a vessel. Centerboard A board or metal plate that moves vertically or pivots up and down in a slot in the keel; limits a vessel s lateral motion by increasing the surface area of the keel or keel plank. Chine log A longitudinal timber at the angular junction of the side and bottom of a flatbottomed vessel. Cultural resource A nonrenewable historical resource such as archaeological sites, artifacts, and standing structures. Cutter A single-masted fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel with a running bowsprit, mainsail, and two or more headsails. Deadeye A round or pear-shaped block pierced by several holes, used mainly to secure the standing rigging of a vessel. Deck A platform extending horizontally from one side of a ship to the other. Deck beam A timber mounted across a vessel from side to side to support the vessel s deck and provide lateral strength. Draft The depth of a vessel s keel below the waterline when the vessel is loaded. Drift bolt A cylindrical iron rod used to fasten ship timbers together; usually headed on one end and slightly larger in diameter than the hole into which it is driven. Edge-fastened A shipbuilding technique used to attach the hull planks of a vessel together. The planks are set edge to edge and a hole drilled through them. Large iron bolts are driven then driven through the planks to hold them together. Floor timber A frame timber that crosses the keel and spans the bottom of a vessel. Fore Located toward the front of a vessel. Fore-and-aft From stem to stern or from front to back; oriented parallel to the keel. Frame A transverse timber or group of timbers that creates the skeleton of a vessel and to which the hull planking and ceiling are fastened. Galley A shallow-draft vessel that is propelled by sails or oars. Gondola A large, flat-bottomed, double-ended vessel propelled by oars or sails. Gunboat see Gondola. Harbor A safe anchorage, protected from most storms; may be natural or manmade; a place for docking and loading. Historic The period after the appearance of written records for a given region. For the Champlain Valley 57

66 this date is 1609 A.D. Hold The lower interior part of a ship, where the cargo is stored. Hull The structural body of a vessel, not including the superstructure, masts, or rigging. Hull plank A thick board used to create the outer shell of a hull. Inboard Toward the center of a vessel. Keel The main longitudinal timber upon which the framework or skeleton of a hull is mounted; the backbone of a hull. Keel plank A thick, central hull plank used in place of a keel. Keelson An internal longitudinal timber, fastened on top of the frames above the keel for additional strength. Knee An L-shaped timber used to strengthen the junction of two surfaces on different planes. Leeboard One of a part of movable boards or plates attached to each side of a vessel to prevent slippage downwind. Longitudinal timber A long timber that runs parallel to the length of a vessel. Mast A large wooden pole that supports the sails of a vessel. Mast tabernacle A timber assembly or housing that supports the mast at deck level. This feature was commonly used to support a hinged mast, like those used on sailing canal boats. Mooring A permanent placement of an anchor, anchor chain, shackles, and buoy, necessary to anchor a vessel. Mud line The intersection of a shipwreck s hull with the bottom s surface. Outboard Outside or away from the center of a vessel s hull. Plank A thick board used as sheathing on a vessel. Quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) is an aquatic bivalve freshwater mollusk indigenous to Ukraine, and considered a nuisance aquatic invasive in Lake Champlain. Radeau (plural radeaux) A flat-bottomed barge partially enclosed by inward sloping sides, propelled by both sails and oars, and carrying heavy guns. Reconnaissance survey An initial inspection of an area for cultural resources. Rigging Hardware and equipment that support and control the spars and sails of a vessel. Rudderpost A vertical timber to which the rudder is attached. Sailing canal boat A boxy vessel with one or two fore-and-aft rigged masts that could be lowered when the vessel entered a canal system. Scarph (or Scarf) Joint An overlapping joint used to couple two timbers end to end without increasing their dimensions. Schooner A fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel with two or more masts. Sheer The curvature of the deck from fore to aft, as seen from the side of the vessel. Sloop A single-masted, fore-and-aft-rigged sail boat. Sloop-rigged canal boat A boxy vessel with one fore-and-aft-rigged mast that could be lowered when the vessel entered a canal system. Spike A large nail. Stanchion An upright supporting post. Steamboat A vessel propelled by a steam engine. Steamer A vessel propelled by a steam engine. Stem An upward curving timber or assembly of timbers attached to the forward end of the keel. Stern The after end of a vessel. Tabernacle A timber assembly or housing that supports the mast at deck level. This feature was commonly used to support a hinged mast, like those used on sailing canal boats. Tiller A handle attached to the rudderpost to steer a vessel. Timber In a general context, all wooden hull members, especially those that form the framework or 58

67 skeleton of the hull. Towfish The torpedo-shaped unit that houses the transmitter and receiver of a side scan sonar and is usually towed behind a vessel. Transom The transverse part of the stern of a vessel. Underwater archaeology The archaeological study of submerged cultural resources. Underwater cultural resource A nonrenewable historical resource that partially or entirely lies below water, such as submerged prehistoric archaeological sites, artifacts, bridges, piers, wharves, and shipwrecks. Vessel A watercraft, larger than a rowboat, designed to navigate on open water. Waterline The intersection of the vessel s hull and the water s surface. Whaleboat A double-ended, lightly-built boat that could be rigged with one or two masts but was primarily rowed. Wharf A structure, parallel to the shore, for docking vessels. Windlass A horizontal drum winch mounted on the bow of a vessel and supported by bitts or brackets; used for tasks such as hauling anchors, stepping masts, and moving cargo. Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is an aquatic bivalve freshwater mollusk indigenous to southeastern Russia, and considered a nuisance aquatic invasive in Lake Champlain. 59

68 APPENDIX B: FIELD LOGS FIELD LOG FOR MACDONOUGH SHIPYARD DIVE SURVEY BY PROJECT DIRECTOR ADAM KANE December 7, 2011 Survey of the presumed location of Macdonough s shipyard behind Northland Jobcorps campus. This dive is part of the larger shipyard archeological project supported by NPS-ABPP Crew meets at Northlands. Art Cohn, Alex Lehning, Adam Kane and Chris Sabick. AC to dive with CS as backup AC into the water AC finds two timbers perpendicular to the river bank. They are likely related to the adjacent dock structure. The upstream timber has a fastener in it. GPS #1: Entry point for AC GPS #2: Location of 2 timbers GPS #3: Upstream end of survey. GPS #4: Timber coming out of bank. About 1.5 feet are exposed. Located next to concrete and stone foundation/pier AC reports numerous cut stones in the waters adjacent to the old pier. AC notes that the bottom down-stream of the large square concrete foundation looks undisturbed. Clean bottom as opposed to the timbers and stones upstream. GPS #5: Downstream end of survey AC out of the water. Completed two passes of the survey area. In general, AC reports many cut stone and a few timbers in the area of the old piers. Generally, a jumbled bottom. In the downstream end, the bottom is clean. Visibility was 6-12 inches, so conditions were far from ideal. AC does not think any of the cultural materials are related to the shipyard, but would not say for certain given the poor conditions Crew departs done with shipyard fieldwork for FIELD LOG FOR MACDONOUGH SHIPYARD SUBSURFACE TEST EXCAVATION BY PROJECT DIRECTOR JOANNE DENNIS October 12, 2011 Joanne Dennis and Dean Percival from LCMM went to site to weed-whack paths and transect lines. Dean weed-whacked. Met with Les Myers and photographed and traced prehistoric artifacts from his collection. He collected them from along the river bank and he showed me where and we flagged it. Ian McGeahy from Northlands JobCorps stopped by and I oriented him with the logistics of our project. Northlands JobCorps security came by as well and gave me their contact number. Port-o-let was delivered. Laid out first transect approximately 15cm from the shoreline running 220 west for 70 meters then juts 5m north and continues to 85m (TR2). Laid out 50cm STPs every 10m. Also marked 5m marks. October 16,

69 Sunny 60, rained last night. Arrived at site at 7:30am to set up tents. Briefed crew: Sarah Tichonuk, Dean Percival, Alex Lehning, Chris Sabick, Cher Gillian, Paul Gates, Bob Brink, Bob VanArsdale, Brigitte Helzer, Les Myers. Sarah and Dean continued digging STP 1 and set up 3 more teams: [Bob B, Bridgette, Les: TR1 STP2, M80]; [Chris & Cher: TR2 STP 3 M70]; [Alex, Paul & Bob V: TR1 STP4, M60] School groups from 9am 11am Vergennes Elementary in 3 groups. Farthest pits yielding very little: likely because tow path disturbance found lithic. Completed STP 2 T2 M80 Began STP5 T1 M50 Completed at 4:30pm returned artifacts to lab and downloaded images. October 18, 2011 Sunny in am; became cloudy by 10am Arrived at 8am Crew: Bob Brink, Dean Percival, Cher Gillian, Alex Lehning, Bob VanArsdale, Les Myers, Sarah Tichonuk, Chris Sabick. Volunteer from Vergennes Middle School for the day Emily Martin worked with Sarah. Closed out STP 1 but left open to show school groups Closed out STPs 3 & 4 thought that boulder/large rocks from those pits may be related to towpath, then found plastic in STP4 at 60cm. Terminated both pits because disturbed. Began pits: STP8 T3 M5: Chris Sabick, Cher Gillian STP7 T1 M40/ T3 M15: Alex Lehning and Bob VanArsdale STP6 T1 M10: Sarah Tichonuk and Emily Martin Bob & Les STP5 found bone at 60cm. Pit is bisecting towpath. Collected ash and charcoal from near bone and below is some brick. GPS not working the majority of the day. Started to get enough satellites around 3pm. Dean and I tried to do some mapping, but elevation was not accurate enough. Elias, a student from UVM who lives in Vergennes came by, woman from Insurance company that Dean knows came by. Group from JobCorp came by at 11am. October 19, 2011 Cloudy: not as much rain expected. Calmer winds mosquitoes very bad today. Dean found D-ring at riverbank below STP1 we marked it. STP6: Sarah Tichonuk & Brigitte Helzer continued work would complete tomorrow in order to accommodate Waldorf school visit STP8: Chris Sabick, Cher Gillian STP7: Bob VanArsdale and Paul Gates STP5: Les Myers and Bob Brink Opened up three more pits so that 20+ Waldorf students could work with us: STP9 M25 TR3 M25 Chris and Cher 61

70 STP10 TR1 M30: Bob and Les STP11 TR4 M10: Sarah and Bridgitte Waldorf School from Shelburne, VT joined us at 1pm 4:30pm. Bob Brink gave a lithic demonstration and Rich gave a woodworking demo, then students helped excavate and profile STPs Evergreen Preschool visited at 12:30. Near STP9, found a large, round, uniform hold. STP5: Reached approx. 1 meter deep appears they have gotten below towpath fill; layer of cow bones then all ldeb appears that bottom 2 levels intact. STP6 & STP1 have left open surprising that there are sterile levels at only 40cm want to continue below them. Is this alluvial sediment? Surprised at lack of recovered materials from some pits. October 20, 2011 Sunny this morning and mild in 50s at 8am Will start morning profiling and photographic pits Will attempt to take GPS. Crew: Bob Brink, Dean Percival, Cher Gillian, Paul Gates, Bob VanArsdale, Les Myers, Sarah Tichonuk, Chris Sabick. Volunteers Paul McGuire and Paul; Alex and from Georgia Closed out previous day s test pits. 62

71 APPENDIX C: STATE OF VERMONT ARCHAEOLOGICAL PERMIT 63

72 64

73 APPENDIX D: LCMM NEWSLETTER ARTICLE Figure 35: Lake Champlain Compass, Fall/Winter 2011, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. 65

74 APPENDIX E: LCMM EXCAVATION - IN THE PRESS 66