still clear yt we shl by ye divine aide do ye business we came upon—The health of ye army is very extraordinary in ye two battalions where I am concerned, yr has died but two with sickness and one kild by ye enemy, (ye sentery above mentioned) when I visited the fort which was about 9 o’Clock Friday morning 27th I found many monuments of superstition which would furnish a curious mind with aboundant matter for speculation—one thing I cant omit, near ye breast-work where so many spilt yr blood last year, was a cross erected of 30 feet high, painted red with this inscription in lead on yt side next to ye breastwork ‘Sone Principes eorum Sicut oneb et heb et Zebee et ...’ and under this at ye foot of ye cross was an open grave—on ye opposite side of ye cross next to ye Fort was this inscribed in lead viz ‘Hoc Signum Vincit’—These are the most remarkable, yt has feel within my notice since I wrote last. I hope you will pardon my prolixity and overlook ye many imperfections of my relation, tis a good story tho it is not well told, if you please let Mr. Breek see the contents as I have not time to write particularly to him nor anything new besides to communicate. “Please to give all proper salutations to all friends on ye river and give me leave to subscribe your most obd’t and affectionate son Eli Forbush “Last night I was hon’d with the reception of yr fav’r of ye 16 ulto for which I thank you.” To the Reverend Mr. Steven Williams in Springfield, Lon Meadow Precinct. [Mass.] CHAPTER SIX The Calm Before The Storm From 1759 to 1775 it was peaceful and tranquil at Ticonderoga. There are but few records, though the British maintained a garrison at the Fort and also one at Crown Point. The Fort was used as a storehouse for military supplies, and presumably the garrison did its best to entertain itself in what was then a wilderness. Major Gavin Cochrane commanded for four years, and in 1765 Major Thomas James went down from Ticonderoga to New York to aid in enforcing the Stamp Act. On February 15th, 1767, Lieutenant-Governor Carleton wrote from Montreal to Major General Gage: “The forts of Crown Point and Ticonderoga are in a very declining condition ... should you approve of keeping up these posts, it will be best to repair them as soon as possible.”