Ghost Fleet Awakened: Lake George's Sunken Bateaux of 1758

286 Pages·2019·83.446 MB·English

by  Joseph W. Zarzynski

G F A
HOST LEET WAKENED

G F
HOST LEET
A
WAKENED
Lake George’s
Sunken Bateaux of 1758
Joseph W. Zarzynski
Cover art: Mark L. Peckham, Colonial troops sinking bateaux at
Lake George in the autumn of 1758, ink and watercolor. Image
courtesy of the artist.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2019 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
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For information, contact State University of New York Press,
Albany, NY
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Zarzynski, Joseph W., author.
Title: Ghost fleet awakened : Lake George’s sunken bateaux of 1758 /
Joseph W. Zarzynski.
Other titles: Lake George’s sunken bateaux of 1758
Description: Albany, NY : State University of New York Press, [2019] |
Series: Excelsior editions | Includes bibliographical references and
index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018056833 | ISBN 9781438476728 (pbk. : alk.
paper) | ISBN 9781438476742 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Bateaux—New York (State)—George, Lake (Lake)
| Shipwrecks—New York (State)—George, Lake (Lake) | George,
Lake (N.Y. : Lake)—Antiquities. | Excavations (Archaeology)—New
York (State)—George, Lake (Lake) | United States—History—French
and Indian War, 1754-1763—Naval operations, British.
Classification: LCC VM354 .Z37 2019 | DDC 973.2/6—dc23 LC
record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018056833
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Foremost, this book is dedicated
to Mary Patram Meaney, my wife,
and Lisa (Randesi) Melena, my goddaughter.
It is also dedicated to those who helped most
with Bateaux Below’s archaeological study
of Lake George’s Sunken Bateaux of 1758:
Dr. Russell P. Bellico, Bob Benway, John Farrell,
Terry Crandall, Vince Capone, Dr. D.K. (Kathy) Abbass,
Peter Pepe, Mark L. Peckham, Paul Cornell,
Scott Padeni, David Van Aken, Bill Appling,
Dr. Samuel Bowser, and Steve Resler.

Contents
List of Illustrations / ix
Preface / xiii
Acknowledgments / xvii
1 Early History of Bateaux / 1 17 “Raising the Fleet”:
An Art/Science Initiative / 155
2 The Bateau Watercraft / 11
18 Documentary
3 Building Techniques / 21
Filmmaking, Bateaux,
4 Discovery of Lake George’s
and Archaeologists / 159
Sunken Bateaux of 1758 / 27
19 Public Education Programs / 163
5 The 1950s and Early 1960s:
“Rediscovery” / 35
Conclusion / 183
6 Toward Better Management / 41
Appendix I. “Operation Bateaux”
7 Underwater Archaeology / 51 Revisited Twenty-Four Years
8 A Renaissance of Interest / 73 Later—Part 1 / 187
Appendix II. “Operation Bateaux”
9 The “Mortar Bateau” / 93
Revisited Twenty-Four Years
10 What Lies Beneath:
Later—Part 2 / 191
An Inventory / 105
Appendix III. Insights Gained
11 Missing Bateau Shipwrecks / 113 from a Replica Lake George
12 Lake George’s Baby Bateau / 195
Whale Submarine / 121 Appendix IV. A List of Some of
the Dive Teams, Underwater
13 Wiawaka Bateaux and
Archaeology Teams, and
the National Register
Scuba Divers Who Dived
of Historic Places / 127
Lake George’s Sunken Bateaux
14 Submerged Heritage
of 1758 During Rediscovery
Preserves / 131
and Study / 201
15 Stabilizing a Bateau Glossary / 203
Shipwreck Site / 143 Notes / 209
16 Students Build Underwater Bibliography / 229
Archaeology Equipment and Index / 243
Replica Bateaux / 147 About the Author / 262

List of Illustrations
P.1. Scuba diver at Wiawaka bateaux site. / xiv
P.2. Scuba divers descending to Wiawaka bateaux, September 13, 1987. / xv
1.1. Map of the Hudson River, Lake George, and Lake Champlain corridor. / 2
1.2. Peckham drawing of a typical eighteenth-century bateau. / 3
1.3. Illustration by Yohn, Battle of Lake George, September 8, 1755. / 4
1.4. Drone shot of Fort William Henry Museum, Lake George. / 4
1.5. Cordell drawing of vessels on the lake, Abercromby campaign, July 1758. / 7
1.6. Whitesel image depicting submerged British bateaux, autumn of 1758. / 8
1.7. Peckham painting of Lake George sunken bateaux, winter of 1758–1759. / 8
2.1. Whitesel image of bateau “factories” in Schenectady, New York, 1758. / 12
2.2. Lake George bateau at the Adirondack Museum. / 13
2.3. An excavated sunken bateau, from 1963–1964 fieldwork. / 14
2.4. Lake George bateau exhibited in the New York State Museum. / 15
2.5. Thole pin pad and thole pins (oarlock). / 16
2.6. Crisman drawing, a reconstructed cross-section of Bateau 2626. / 16
2.7. Sample of a 1758 Lake George bateau bottom board. / 16
2.8. Crisman drawings, profile and plan views, Bateau 2626. / 18
2.9. Crandall drawing (plan view) of a Lake George military bateau. / 20
3.1. Hager drawing of the likeness of a Mohawk River bateau. / 22
3.2. Sample Lake George bateau batten. / 24
3.3. Sample Lake George bateau stem. / 24
3.4. Sample Lake George bateau frame. / 24
3.5. Sample Lake George bateau strake. / 24
3.6. Hager drawing: two men “poling” a bateau in shallow water. / 26
4.1. Sunken timbers from reputed Lake George floating gun battery. / 29
4.2. British sloop of 1757 raised from Lake George in 1903. / 30
4.3. Thompson photograph of recovered March 1757 British sloop, 1903. / 30
ix