NEWSLETTER
Extremely rare Revolutionary War knapsack and note from a Continental soldier implores future generations to “never surrender your liberties
Ticonderoga, N.Y. — For a limited time, July through August 2, Fort Ticonderoga will display one of its most significant objects: Benjamin Warner’s Knapsack. Carried by Revolutionary War soldier Benjamin Warner and handed down to his descendants, the knapsack has survived with a call to future generations to defend America’s hard-won liberty against all threats.
The 250-year-old knapsack, made of painted linen, was carried by Benjamin Warner of New Haven, Connecticut, during service in the Revolutionary War that took him to Boston, Quebec, New York and elsewhere over his years in the ranks. Later in life, Warner left it to his son as a memento of his service and a reminder of what he fought for, writing:
“This Napsack I caryd (sic) Through the War of the Revolution to achieve the American Independence. I Transmit it to my olest sone (sic) Benjamin Warner Jr. with directions to keep it…and whilst one shred of it shall remain never surrender you libertys to a foren envador or an aspiring demegog (sic).”
The letter is signed, “Benjamin Warner Ticonderoga March 27, 1837.” Both the knapsack and its note are carefully preserved in the collection at Fort Ticonderoga where they have resided for almost a century but have not been on display for over a decade.
“Benjamin Warner’s dedication to American independence and his exhortation to defend it echo across the centuries still rings true today,” said Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “Each individual American brings their own perspective on independence into their personal encounter with Warner’s Knapsack. The experience of standing next to this tangible artifact, once carried across the fledgling nation during its most trying times, is a foundational moment found only at Fort Ticonderoga.”
Warner’s Knapsack will be displayed alongside the larger multi-year exhibit at Fort Ticonderoga’s Mars Education Center, “A Revolutionary Anthology.” The 2026 edition, “Revolutionary Possibilities,” features stories of people and places transformed through the complex, diverse world of the American Revolution. Firearms, military artifacts, prints, paintings and newspapers feature prominently throughout the exhibit which asks viewers to consider the ways individual lives and entire nations were thrown into upheaval during the dramatic Revolutionary conflict.
“Across exhibits, reenactments and signature events, REAL TIME REVOLUTION® brings alive the pivotal moments and people around and within Fort Ticonderoga during the fight for independence,” said Dr. Matthew Keagle, Fort Ticonderoga Curator. “Benjamin Warner’s Knapsack, its message and its owner’s story are just one powerful example among many of the struggles of 1776 and beyond. We are proud to preserve the history Benjamin Warner’s Knapsack represents and make his message accessible for generations to come, for the next 250 years.”
Open every Tuesday through Sunday until October 25, 2026, Fort Ticonderoga spreads across 2,000 acres of Adirondack landscape on the shore of Lake Champlain. Its signature REAL TIME REVOLUTION® is walking visitors through the critical year of 1776, drawing from written and archaeological evidence to reveal the day-to-day experience and uncertain struggle of the Continental Army in the fight for independence. A calendar of major reenactment events, including the dramatic July 3-5 "Return of an Army" and the October 24-25 "Hold the Line for Liberty" finale, will together recreate one of the Continental Army's greatest yet least-known victories of 1776.
Below are highlights for “Return of an Army” July 3-5, 2026:
- Friday, July 3 – 2 p.m.: The Final Row Up Lake Champlain – Watch the arrival of the first wave of Northern Continental Army soldiers, landing their wooden transport boats called bateaux at Ticonderoga and marching to their new encampment.
- Saturday, July 4 – 11 a.m.: “The Distressing Situation with the Sick” – Witness the arrival of the Northern Continental Army’s General Hospital in the midst of an epidemic that threatened to destroy the army.
- Saturday, July 4 – 2 p.m.: A Grand Review – See the American forces that reached Ticonderoga assemble for a review by the Continental Army’s generals. Hear the roar of gunpowder as these soldiers fire together en masse.
- Sunday July 5 – 11 a.m.: The Guns to Defend Ticonderoga – View boats laden with cannon reaching the shores of Ticonderoga, and American soldiers hoisting them ashore and delivering them to Fort Ticonderoga. Witness the first preparations to defend against British invasion.
- Sunday, July 5 – 2 p.m.: The First Bastion of Hope – Feel the rumble as cannon fire from the walls of Fort Ticonderoga. See soldiers arm, “the Old French Fort,” as the work of fortifying the entire Ticonderoga camp begins.
- All Three Days (July 3-5) – 12:30 p.m.: Fifes & Drums Concert – Hear the beats that brought an army together, as the Fifes & Drums of Fort Ticonderoga celebrate Independence Day. Discover how their songs relayed orders to march, maneuver and fire in defense of the new nation.
“Return of an Army” is meticulously designed using contemporary letters, journals and drawings to reflect the conditions of 1776 and is the centerpiece of Fort Ticonderoga’s full season of 250th anniversary programming.
For more information about the three-day “Return of an Army” event, click here. For a complete visitor schedule and more information about other Fort Ticonderoga programs, visit www.fortticonderoga.org. Tickets are now available. Due to the anticipated high demand for Signature Events and the America 250 commemorations, visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance.
About Fort Ticonderoga: Welcoming visitors since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga is a major cultural destination, museum, historic site, and center for learning. As a multi-day destination and the premier place to learn more about North America’s military heritage, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors each year with an economic impact of more than $16 million annually. Presenting vibrant programs, historic interpretation, boat cruises, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits, Fort Ticonderoga is open for daily visitation May through October and special programs during Winter Quarters, November through April. Fort Ticonderoga is owned by The Fort Ticonderoga Association, a 501c3 non-profit educational organization, and is supported in part through generous donations and with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts. To view Fort Ticonderoga’s electronic press kit, click here.
© The Fort Ticonderoga Association. 2026 All Rights Reserved.
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