The Exploded Cannon of Valcour

Somewhere beneath the surface of Lake Champlain lies a saga that began 250 years ago, one that has captivated historians, archaeologists and military enthusiasts.

It involves an exploding weapon whose fragments can give us insight into a dramatic flashpoint in history.

On October 11, 1776, Brigadier General Benedict Arnold positioned his American fleet near Indian Point and Valcour Island as the Battle of Valcour erupted on Lake Champlain.

More than two centuries later, in 1999, diver Edwin Scollon discovered an object while practicing his diving skills in Lake Champlain near Indian Point. At the time, Scollon was a New York State Police officer and a member of the New York State Underwater Recovery Team. The object was later identified as part of a cannon that had been aboard an American gunboat during the 1776 battle.

The discovery led to a decades-long search for additional pieces of the cannon.

In 2026, twenty-seven years after Scollon's initial discovery, another piece of the same artifact was recovered.

Edwin Scollon talks about these historical discoveries with Community Contributor Anna Channell.