An official Path Through History Site! Overlooking Plattsburgh Bay is Macdonough Monument, a 135-foot memorial commemorating the decisive victory of Commodore Thomas Macdonough in the Battle of Plattsburgh and Battle of Lake Champlain, the final naval engagement of the War of 1812. On the interior walls, six interpretive panels greet visitors who climb the 156 steps to the top to take in a 360-degree view of the battle grounds and surrounding countryside.