The Road to Ticonderoga: Epaphras Bull’s Journey Begins

Posted on May 1, 2025

The Road to Ticonderoga: Epaphras Bull’s Journey Begins

On this day 250 years ago—May 1, 1775—Epaphras Bull was traveling north through Stockbridge, MA, on his way to Fort Ticonderoga as part of what some in his party believed was a long-shot plan to capture the fort and its cannon. After news of the Battle of Lexington and Concord and a siege at Boston reached Connecticut, the colony’s provincial government considered how to join the fight and support their Massachusetts neighbors. Fort Ticonderoga quickly emerged as a viable target. Not only was it located at a vital point on the water route between New York and Canada, it was guarded by a tiny peacetime garrison and held cannon that could be of great use to the American forces besieging Boston. On April 28, 1775, Connecticut authorized an expedition to surprise and capture Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Epaphras Bull was appointed to a committee to oversee the expedition.

Bull set off for Ticonderoga in late April with other volunteers, their party growing along the way as men from Massachusetts and Connecticut joined them. Once they reached Vermont, they were joined by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. Bull began keeping a journal of the expedition on May 1, creating an invaluable account of the journey. His first entry reads in part, “Arrivd at Stockbridge [MA]… All in Good Spirits”.

Despite the party’s good spirits on May 1, some were not confident in the success of their mission. On May 4, Bull reported that “the Compy. seem to think our Expedition will not be Attended with any Favourable Event.” On May 6, he wrote, “It Seems to be the Prevailing thought that we Can take Crown Point but Can’t keep it nor bring anything away”. Despite this, Bull and the party were determined to press on. Keep an eye on our social media over the next two weeks to follow Bull’s progress in real time as he and his party faced challenges, doubts, and disputes over leadership, but overcame them all to capture Ticonderoga on May 10, achieving America’s first Revolutionary War victory and making their mark on history.

View the Bull journal (object ID MS.3020) and learn more on the Ticonderoga Online Collections database here.