Identification & Site Information

• Name: Gundelow Providence
• Other Names: None recorded
• Vessel Type: Gundelow (Armed Flatboat)
• Date Built: 1776
• Builder: Constructed by the Continental Navy, almost certainly built at Skenesborough (modern Whitehall, New York) as part of Benedict Arnold’s emergency fleet buildup
• Dimensions: Estimated based on typical armed gundelows of the period:
• Length: 50-60 feet (15-18 metres)
• Beam: 15-18 feet (4.5-5.5 metres)
• Armament:
• 2 small guns (likely 4-pounders)
• Swivel guns for close defense
• Tonnage: Estimated at 40-50 tons
• Date Lost: October 11-13, 1776
• Final Location: Valcour Island, Lake Champlain
• Coordinates: Exact coordinates unknown, but within the general Valcour Island battle area near 44°36’N, 73°24’W

Vessel Type

Armed Gundelow (Flat-bottomed Gunboat)

A gundelow was a type of flat-bottomed Barge, commonly used for cargo transport in the inland waterways of the Colonial era. Due to the urgency of defending Lake Champlain, several gundelows — including Providence — were converted into gunboats, armed with cannons and swivels to supplement Arnold’s makeshift navy.

These vessels could navigate shallow waters, allowing them to hug the shore and use the cover of islands while firing on the larger, deeper-Draft British warships.

History

Providence was built and armed in mid-1776, joining the small Continental fleet assembled by Benedict Arnold at Skenesborough. As part of Arnold’s defensive strategy, gundelows like Providence played support roles, acting as mobile gun platforms and logistics vessels, shuttling supplies between the larger vessels.

At the Battle of Valcour Island on October 11, 1776, Providence took station along the inner line of Arnold’s fleet, close to shore where her flat-bottomed Hull gave her an advantage in the shallows. She was too small to engage in direct firefights with the Royal Navy frigates, but her role was critical — firing from cover, moving supplies between ships, and helping to evacuate wounded after the first day of battle.

Final Disposition

After the night escape on October 11-12, Arnold’s battered fleet attempted to reach Crown Point and Ticonderoga. However, the British fleet caught up with them again on October 13. In the confusion and urgency of the retreat, Providence was either:

• Captured by the British, or
• Scuttled and burned by American crews to prevent capture.

Either way, Providence was lost at some point during or immediately after the battle, along with many of Arnold’s smaller vessels.

Site Description

⚠️ No confirmed archaeological discovery of Providence exists.

If any part of her survives, it would likely be:

• Charred Hull timbers, possibly buried in sediment near the Valcour Island shoreline.
• Cannonballs, gun mounts, or iron fastenings scattered in a debris field near the American defensive line.
• Potentially overlapped or mixed with debris from other wrecked vessels at Valcour.

Experience Rating

⚠️ Not a recreational dive site — Historical Archive Listing Only

Without a known or accessible wreck site, this is strictly a historical listing.

NOTMARs & Advisories

• No official NOTMAR applies.
• Any future discovery would be immediately subject to New York State preservation laws and would require proper permits for any activity.

Located By & Date Found

• Never officially located.
• Historical sources indicate loss at Valcour Island, in association with the October 13 retreat.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Depth: Likely shallow — 3 to 8 metres (10 to 25 feet)
• Bottom Type: Mud, silt, and rock, common to nearshore areas of Valcour Island
• Visibility: Poor to moderate (2-5 metres / 6-16 feet)
• Condition: Presumed scattered and heavily degraded.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Library and Archives Canada
• Historical Collections of the Great Lakes – Bowling Green

Conclusion

The Providence is a symbol of improvisation — a workboat turned warship in the desperate scramble to build a fleet from nothing. Her fate, whether capture or destruction, is part of the larger story of the sacrifice Arnold’s fleet made at Valcour Island to buy time for the revolution.

Her loss also reminds us of the fragility of that early navy, where even converted barges were pressed into service, each vessel becoming part of a heroic delaying action that directly shaped the larger course of the war.

Keywords & Categories

Providence, Gundelow, Armed Flatboat, Lake Champlain, Valcour Island, Benedict Arnold, Continental Navy, American Revolutionary War, Historical Shipwrecks, Scuttled Ships, Great Lakes Maritime History, Revolutionary War Naval History