NoahPhelps:SpyatTiconderoga

APatriotof1776

Maj.Gen.NoahPhelps(1)(bornJanuary22,1740,descendedfromtheimmigrant
WilliamPhelps)settledinSimsbury,Connecticut,wherehewas"anactiveand
influentialman.HewasaYalegraduate,ajusticeofthePeace,judgeofProbatefor
twentyyears,andwasaDelegatetotheConventionof1787toratifytheFederal
Constitution."

RevolutionaryWarservice

NoahPhelpswasoneoffourwhoorganizeda"CommitteeofWarfortheExpedition
againstTiconderogaandCrownPoint."Thecommitteeconsideredtheadvisabilityof
takingFortTiconderoga,thenoccupiedbytheBritish,andinwhichtherewasstoreda
largeamountofheavyartilleryandotherwarimplements.
CaptureofFortTiconderoga
Capt.Phelps,BarnardRomance,EphraimBuell,andCapt.EdwardMottcomposedthis
committee,Capt.Mottactingaschairman.
"300wasraisedfromthePublicTreasurythoughguaranteedbyseveralpatriotic
gentlemen.ThisfundwasplacedinthehandsofCapt.PhelpsandBarnardRomance,
withtherequestthattheyshouldgonorthandpressforwardthisproject.Thisresulted
inthegreatandbloodlessvictorythetakingofFortTiconderoga."DuringApril-May
1775,theytraveledtoFortTiconderogawiththeintentionofcapturingit.
"ItmaybeinterestingtohisdescendantstoknowthepartCapt.Phelpsactedasaspy.
AtthesouthernpartofLakeChamplain,Capt.Phelpswassentouttoreconnoiter.He
stoppedovernightatafarmhousesomelittledistancefromFortTiconderoga.Some
BritishsoldiersoccupiedroomsadjoiningCapt.Phelps,wheretheywerehavinga
dinnerparty.Capt.Phelpsheardthemdiscusstheconditionofthefort,andthe
positiontakenbytherebels,astheystyledthepeople.EarlythenextmorningCapt.
Phelpsvisitedthefortdisguisedasapeddler."
"Pretendingthathisobjectwastogetshaved,heavoidedsuspicion,andhadan
opportunitytoascertaintheconstruction,strength,andforceofthegarrison.Andhe
hadthegoodfortunetoeludedetection,thoughasitafterwardsappeared,his
presencehadbegan[sic]toexcitemistrustbeforeheleftthegarrison."
"Whilereturningthroughthefort,thecommanderaccompaniedhimtalkingwithhim
abouttherebels,theirobjectandmovements.Capt.Phelpsseeingaportionofthewall
inadilapidatedcondition,remarkedthatitwouldaffordafeebledefenceagainstthe
rebels,iftheyshouldattackinthatquarter.Thecommanderreplied,"Yes,butthatis
notourgreatestmisfortune.Allourpowderisdamaged,andbeforewecanuseit,we
areobligedtodryandsiftit."

"Capt.Phelpssoonafterleftthefort,employingaboatmantotakehimdownthelake
inasmallboat.Heenteredtheboatinfullviewandunderthegunsofthefort.He
requestedtheboatmantoexerthimselfandterminatethejourneyassoonaspossible,
theboatmanthenrequestedhimtotakeanoarandassist,ThistheCapt.declinedto
do,beinginfullsightofthefort,bysayinghewasnoboatman.Afterroundingapoint
thatinterceptedaviewfromthefort,theCapt.proposedtakinganoar,whichhedid,
andbeingastrongactivemanaswellasagoodoarsman,heexcitedthesuspicionof
theoarsmanbyhisefficientwork,whoremarkedwithanoath,'Youhaveseenanoar
beforenow,sir.'Thisexcitedthesuspicionoftheboatmanatthetimethathewasnot
agoodandloyalcitizen,butfearofsuperiorstrengthpreventedanattempttocarry
himbacktothefort.ThisheconfessedtoCapt.Phelpsafterthesurrenderofthefort.
Capt.Phelpsreturnedsafelytohiscommand,reportedtheinformationhehadgained
[toGeneralEthanAllen],resultinginthegreatandgloriousvictorybeforereferredto."
(2)
AboutthistimeMr.Phelpsraisedacompanymostlyathisownexpense,andwas
appointedCaptain.
Furtherservice
PhelpswasCaptaininColonelWard'sRegimentoftheContinentalArmy,raisedin
Connecticut,toserveoneyearfromMay1776andwhichtookpartinthebattlesof
TrentionandPrinceton.Attheendofthetermin1777here-enlistedintheContinental
Service.HewaspromotedtoLieut.Colonelofthe18thConnecticutRegimentinMay
1778andinMay1779promotedtocommandthesameRegiment.
LaterheactedasCommissary(orquartermaster)forConnecticut.OnAugust14,1775,
GeorgeWashingtonwrote[Connecticut]GovernorJonathanTrumbullthathehad
orderedGeneralPhillipSchuylertoshipleadballfoundatFt.TiconderogaandCrown
Point.HeaskedtheGovenortosendittothe'careofCommissaryPhelpsatAlbany",
andwrotethatPhelpsshouldbeadvisedoftheshipmentanddirectedtoforwarditby
the"bestandmostexpeditiouswaytoGeneralWashington."OnAugust21,The
CommitteeofSafetydraftedandsentalettertoPhelpsadvisinghimofthepending
shipmentforuseofWashington'sarmynearBoston.AfterthewarhewaschosenMaj.
Gen.ofMilitia.

Communityleader
NoahPhelpswasclearlyaleaderwithintheSimsburycommunity.Hechairedthetown
meetingthatpassedthearticlesofconfederationinJanuary1778,andinNovemberof
1787,themeetingpickedhimandDanielHumphreyEsq.,asdelegatesforthe
ConventionoftheStateofConnecticut,settoconveneinHartfordinJanuaryandvote
onwhetherornottoadoptthefederalconstitution.Theyweredirectedtoopposeit,
but"oneofthedelegatesthoughvotingasinstructedbythetown,tookoccasionto
statethathispersonalconvictionsledhimtofavortheproposedconstitution."(3)This
mightormightnothavebeenPhelps.Heheldavarietyofimportantpositions,
includingSurveyoroflandsin1772and1783,JusticeofthePeaceforHartfordCounty
in1782,JudgeofProbatein1787,andMajor-GeneraloftheMilitia,1796-1799.
HediedinSimsbury4Nov.,1809,honoredandrespected.Onhistombstoneis
inscribed:"APatriotof1776.TosuchweareindebtedforourIndependence."
Noah'sbrotherElishabuiltthePhelpsHomesteadinSimbury,Connecticut.now
operatedbytheSimsburyHistoricalSociety.Noah'sson,Elijah,b.16Nov.,1779,built
whatisnowknownastheSimsbury1820House.

ThePhelpsHomestead

ErectedbyCaptainElishaPhelpsin1776,whowithhisbrother,GeneralNoahPhelps,
andothers,wasactivelyengagedinthecaptureofFt.Ticonderoga.

AfterthedeathofCaptainPhelps,thisoldhomesteadwaspurchasedbyhisnephew,
ColonelNoahAmherstPhelps.(1)Itwasoperatedbythreesucessivegenerationsof
Phelpstavernkeepersasatavernandinnfrom1786to1849.TheSimsburyHistorical
SocietynowownsandoperatesthePhelpsTavernMuseumandHomesteadlocatedon
two-plusacresinthecenterofSimsbury,Connecticut

RelatedLinks
PhelpsTavernMuseumandHomestead
MaintainedbytheSimsburyHistoricalSociety
NoahPhelpsPapers
FromtheUniversityofMichigan
ElijahPhelpsHome
Nowaprivatehotelandguesthouse
(1)ExcerptedfromThePhelpsFamilyofAmericaandTheirEnglishAncestors,(Save
$201byorderingthroughus.)Twovolumes.ByJudgeOliverSeymourPhelpsand
AndrewT.Servin.(EaglePublishingCompanyofPittsfield,Mass.,1899)Vol.I,p204.

(2)Phelps,NoahAmherst.HistoryofSimsbury,GranbyandCanton,From1642to1845.
(Hartford:PressofCase,TiffanyandBurnham,1845).p94-95.FromWilliamL.
ClementsLibraryTheUniversityofMichigan,NoahPhelpsPapers.
http://www.clements.umich.edu/Webguides/NP/PhelpsN.asp(January2003)
(3)Stowe,Rev.CharlesE.Simsbury'sPartintheWaroftheAmericanRevolution.
(Hartford:PressoftheCase,Lockwood&BrainardCompany,1896).p.23