“Liberty” Monument
Posted by Admin at 12:47 pm
The first naval vessel – The Liberty – set sail from Savannah, GA’s port in 1775. Dubbed the “First” Liberty, the schooner was built at Skenesboro, Lake Champlain for Maj. Philip Skene who was, at the time, a wealthy land owner.
The Liberty was captured on May 11, 1775 during a raid on Skenesboro. The raid was led by Capt. Samuel Herrick and allowed The Liberty to come under American control.
The vessel, later named Liberty in honor of the patriotic cause, sailed to Fort Ticonderoga to obtain a full crew of 35 men. After rowing all night in smaller boats to ensure the secrecy provided by the night fall, the crew raided St. Jean – the British Shipyard on the lake – surprised the fort and its protectors – and
captured sloop George. George was quickly renamed the Enterprise – giving the Americans undisputed control of the entire lake – as well as a look at its first Naval Armada.
The two ships returned to Skenesboro to enlist new vessels to their charge and became mainstream forces during the Canadian campaign’s fight against the British. During the battle of Valcour Island, The First Liberty was fortunate to be away on a supply run and escaped the devastatingly horrific and tragic ending of The Enterprise.
Unfortunately, The First Liberty met with its final battle nearly seven months later by the Burgoyne’s march south. The untimely demolition of The First Liberty has made her history a difficult one to track.
The monument forever seals Savannah’s glory as being the first port to launch what would ultimately become the beginnings of The Naval Fleet. The First Liberty’s success allowed the Americans to know that even prior to the Revolutionary War, battles at sea were winnable.
