NY fort acquires 3 British muskets used by redcoats in 1777

TICONDEROGA, N.Y. – Fort Ticonderoga has acquired three rare British muskets that were carried by redcoats at the northern New York stronghold 240 years ago.

Officials at the historic site and tourist attraction on Lake Champlain say the guns were carried by soldiers in Britain’s 53rd Regiment, part of Gen. John Burgoyne’s army that was advancing toward Albany in the summer of 1777.

The fort’s curator says the muskets are marked with numbers and letters that indicate they were used by redcoats who had captured the fortification 240 years ago. The guns had previously been loaned to the fort’s museum and now are part of its vast collection of 18th century military armaments.

The 53rd Regiment was at Ticonderoga on Sept. 18, 1777, when American soldiers raided the British camp. The fort is hosting a re-enactment of the raid this weekend.