With Ethan Allen at Ticonderoga

In Short

Set during the territorial feuds and early clashes of the American Revolution, W. Bert Foster’s historical novel follows young Enoch Harding as he matures from a thirteen-year-old woodsman into a full-fledged patriot soldier. Raised in the disputed Hampshire Grants, Enoch and his family endure border raids, predatory New York land speculators, and personal tragedy. Under the mentorship of woodsman 'Siah Bolderwood and the leadership of Ethan Allen, Enoch joins the Green Mountain Boys in defending their homes. The story culminates in the daring, victorious surprise attack on Fort Ticonderoga on May 10, 1777.

The Story

The narrative opens in the thick forests of the New Hampshire Grants, where thirteen-year-old Enoch Harding assumes the role of head of his family following his father's death. The region is locked in a bitter border dispute: the New York colony claims ownership of the land and seeks to evict the New England settlers who bought their farms under New Hampshire grants. Guided by his resilient mother and the veteran woodsman 'Siah Bolderwood, Enoch works the family farm along Walloomscoik Creek, helps his mother educate his younger siblings by firelight, and learns the harsh realities of frontier survival.

As the conflict intensifies, New York authorities and land speculators attempt to enforce ejectment writs. Ethan Allen and his fellow patriots form the Green Mountain Boys, an armed militia dedicated to protecting the Grants settlers. Enoch quickly adopts Allen as his personal hero and participates in regional muster drills at Bennington's Catamount Inn. The Hardings face direct persecution from Simon Halpen, a wealthy and ruthless Yorker who claims their property. Halpen hires mercenaries, attempts to drive the family off their land, and ultimately burns the Harding homestead to the ground. Enoch stands his ground against the invaders, and with the help of Bolderwood and neighbors, the community rallies to rebuild the family home.

The conflict expands from localized skirmishes into the larger struggle of the American Revolution. Enoch takes on dangerous scouting missions, encounters hostile wolf packs in the snow, forms a deep bond of mutual respect with the Native American brave Crow Wing, and witnesses political violence during the Westminster Massacre. Throughout these trials, Enoch matures into an agile ranger. When the call comes to strike a decisive blow against British military power, Allen gathers his forces to capture Fort Ticonderoga, the key stronghold on Lake Champlain.

Enoch serves as a scout and courier, rallying settlers across the wilderness and helping gather bateaus to ferry troops across the lake. Internal friction arises when Benedict Arnold arrives at Castleton, demanding total command of the expedition based on his commission from Massachusetts, but the Green Mountain Boys refuse to serve under anyone but Allen. On the stormy night before the assault, Enoch survives a dangerous encounter on the water where his arch-enemy, Simon Halpen, drowns in Lake Champlain. On the morning of May 10, Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, and a brave band of eighty-three men—including young Enoch—cross the lake under cover of dark, breach the fortress gates, and force the surrender of Old Ti without losing a single life.

How It Unfolds

The boy of the wilderness Thirteen-year-old Enoch Harding hunts along an ancient Indian trail to supply food for his widowed mother and siblings. Neighbor 'Siah Bolderwood introduces the young boy to Ethan Allen, who encourages Enoch to grow strong for the political storm brewing over the Hampshire Grants.

Defending the homestead New York land speculators send armed parties and surveyors to eject settlers from their farms. Enoch stands guard over his family's land, drawing a bead on the predatory Simon Halpen and forcing the Yorker invaders to retreat from the property.

The cabin burned Halpen's men attack the Harding farm in retaliation, reducing the family cabin to ashes. The community demonstrates its solidarity as Bolderwood and neighboring Green Mountain Boys assemble to fell timber, shape logs with broadaxes, and raise a sturdy new home for the widow.

Winter trapping and Crow Wing While trapping in the deep woods, Enoch and his friend Lot Breckenridge rescue Crow Wing, a young Indian leader whose leg was injured in a wolf attack. The boys mend his broken rifle stock, and Crow Wing becomes a loyal, lifelong ally.

The Westminster Massacre Political tensions between Whigs and Tories reach a boiling point at the county court in Westminster. Enoch attends the gathering, confronts Halpen in a local inn, and witnesses the violent clash that pushes the Grants closer to open revolution.

The call to arms News of war spreads through the wilderness, and Ethan Allen selects Enoch to ride from farm to farm to muster the Green Mountain Boys. At Castleton, Benedict Arnold arrives to demand command, but the local militia flatly refuses to march without Allen.

The fall of Old Ti After surviving a treacherous boat overturned in Lake Champlain that claims the life of Halpen, Enoch joins Allen's vanguard. Before dawn on May 10, eighty-three patriots slip through the gate of Fort Ticonderoga and capture the historic fortress.

The People

• Enoch "Nuck" Harding: The thirteen-year-old protagonist who steps up as the primary provider and protector for his widowed mother and siblings. He grows into a crack shot, an accomplished woodsman, and a brave patriot scout whose loyalty to Ethan Allen never wavers.
• Ethan Allen: The giant, charismatic leader of the Green Mountain Boys. Energetic, jovial, and fiercely devoted to the rights of the Grants settlers, he commands absolute devotion from his men and refuses to yield leadership to outside officers.
• 'Siah Bolderwood: A veteran ranger, hunter, and loyal friend to the Harding family. He acts as a surrogate father to Enoch, teaching him forest lore, guiding him in battle, and assisting the family through their hardest winter trials.
• Simon Halpen: A wealthy, proud Yorker speculator and the story's main antagonist. Driven by arrogance and greed, he relentlessly attempts to drive the Hardings off their land, burns their home, and ultimately meets a tragic end in the waters of Lake Champlain.
• Crow Wing: A young Native American leader who forms a firm friendship with Enoch after the boys aid him following a wolf attack. He provides vital intelligence and wilderness assistance to the young settlers.
• Benedict Arnold: A proud, arrogant military officer commissioned by Massachusetts who attempts to usurp command of the Ticonderoga expedition, creating sharp tension among the Green Mountain leaders.

In Its Own Voice

When the Green Mountain Boys gather at the Bennington inn to resist New York rule, the bold spirit of the Grants shines through:

"Before the door stood the twenty-five foot post that held the sign and was likewise capped by a stuffed catamount, in a very lifelike pose, its grinning teeth and extended claws turned toward the New York border in defiance of 'Yorker rule.'"

When the threat of eviction looms directly over his family's farm, Enoch finds his courage:

"'Back! If you come a yard nearer I will fire!' he cried. He did not recognize his own voice, but Halpen heard him plainly and was impressed with his earnestness."

Reflecting on the legendary leader who inspired an entire territory, the narrator notes:

"This man with his free, jovial air and utterly reckless courage, was become as one of the heroes of old to the people of Vermont."

What It's Really About

Beneath its rousing wilderness adventure, the book explores the deep connection between physical labor, land ownership, and political independence. The narrative argues that true ownership is earned through honest toil—clearing stumps, planting winter grain, and building log cabins—rather than through royal seals or speculative deeds issued in distant courtrooms. It examines how ordinary working families transform into revolutionary patriots when their homes and self-governance are threatened by corrupt authorities. Through the shared struggles of the Hardings and their neighbors, the text celebrates communal solidarity, showing how mutual aid and democratic military bands allow isolated frontier households to resist tyranny and forge a distinct regional identity.

Why Read It Today

This novel will deeply satisfy fans of classic American historical fiction, frontier survival tales, and Revolutionary War lore. It offers a vivid, grounded recreation of 18th-century wilderness life, detailing everything from hog-killing festivals and stump-burnings to tracking wolves across frozen snowfields. Readers will enjoy the warm depiction of family solidarity and the thrilling buildup to one of early America's most celebrated military victories.

The book does reflect the literary conventions of its era. Modern readers should expect a deliberate pace, detailed descriptions of colonial boundary laws, and period-typical representations of wilderness conflicts. The prose uses dialect spellings ("ter", "in't", "varmint") in regional dialogue, and native figures speak in the stylized, broken English common to turn-of-the-century juvenile fiction. However, W. Bert Foster balances these traditional tropes with genuine historical detail and sincere warmth. What remains with the reader is an inspiring portrait of youthful courage, neighborly devotion, and the unyielding fight for home.