AH-WR-1491

Royal Savage

Schooner · United States · Lost 1776 · Lake Champlain

Benedict Arnold's flagship schooner, run aground and burned at the Battle of Valcour Island in 1776.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Royal Savage was a British schooner captured by American forces at St. Johns in 1775 and taken into the American fleet on Lake Champlain. Benedict Arnold used her as his flagship. On 11 October 1776, at the opening of the Battle of Valcour Island, she ran aground and was abandoned. British forces burned her. Remains of her hull were raised in the 1930s.

Vessel

Built: 1775
Builder: Not established
Yard: St. Johns, Quebec
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail, schooner rig
Owners: Continental Army Lake Champlain fleet

Loss

Date: October 11, 1776
Cause: Enemy action
Location: Off Valcour Island, Lake Champlain
Water: Lake Champlain
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 44.61° N 73.42° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Valcour Island, New York
Region: Lake Champlain

Pin marks the named place of loss, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (75/100)

The present location and condition of the recovered hull remains are not established in the sources reviewed.

Naval History and Heritage Command, Naval Documents of the American Revolution
Capture, service and loss.
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Valcour Island battle and fleet history.