BOOK II. But the British generals, with the finest army ever collected before in America, with the advantage of roads and 1756. rivers cleared for their passage to the very enemy, and all the preparations of the last year, lost one of their most important posts, advanced not one foot upon the enemy, nor effected any thing honourable or important.

Conduct

of the southern

The management of affairs in the southern colonies, was not more fortunate than it had been in the northern. Penncolonies. sylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, did not resolve on any regular plan of defence. Fort Grenville, on the confines of Pennsylvania, was surprised and taken. The French and Indians, in small parties, made frequent incursions into the frontier settlements of these colonies, committing many shocking murders on the defenceless inhabitants, without regard to the distinction of character, sex, or age.

In South-Carolina, the slaves were so much more numerous than the white inhabitants, that it was judged unsafe for them to spare any of their troops abroad, upon any general enterprise. Great expectations had been formed of the earl of Loudon and general Abercrombie. In the principal towns through which his lordship passed, the first characters flocked round him, and, with great ceremony, congratulated him on his safe arrival. At NewHaven, the Rev. President Clap, and the principal gentlemen of the town, waited on him, in the most respectful manner. The president presented his lordship with their joint congratulations on the safe arrival of a peer of the General realm in North-America. How prodigious, then, was their disap- disappointment, how cutting their chagrin, when they found pointment. that these very men, from whom they had expected so much, had disconcerted and dashed all their plans, and had employed ten or twelve thousand men, through the summer, in doing nothing?and, through their inactivity, lost more men by idleness and disease, than probably would have been lost in a vigorous, active campaign, in which they might have engaged in severe and hard fought battles, and have done the most essential services to their country? It was not difficult to discern that the enemy had nothing to fear, and the colonies nothing to expect, from such men, but loss and disappointment.

CHAPTER XVII.

Preparations for the campaign in 1757. The plan of operation in America changed, and Louisburg becomes its only object. This was reinforced, and the expedition postponed. Fort William Henry is taken by the French. The country is alarmed and great reinforcements of the militia sent forward to Albany and fort Edward. The campaign closes with loss and shame. The provincials lose all confidence in the British commanders.

NOT

OTWITHSTANDING the disappointments of the last year, the British parliament made great preparations this year, for a vigorous prosecution of the war in America. In May, admiral Holbourn and commodore Holmes, sailed from Cork for America, with eleven ships of the line, a fire ship, and bomb ketch, with fifty transports, having on board more than six thousand regular troops. This powerful armament arrived safely at Halifax, the ninth of July. The land force came out under general Hopson,

The colonies expecting, after such preparations, that their troops would have been led on directly to the conquest of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, had been zealously raising their full complement of men. Connecticut, which had raised more than double her proportion, again had her whole quota seasonably raised. Great therefore was the mortification of the colonies when, to their surprise, they found that the design against Crown Point was laid aside, and that the reduction of Louisburg was the only object of the expedition. They were unwilling that their troops should be removed out of the colonies and employed against Louisburg. It appeared to them extremely impolitic, after the expense of so much time and money, in preparations for an expedition to the northward, now to lay it aside. Such inconsistency and fluctuation appeared to them childish, and calculated to prevent the accomplishment of any thing decisive or important. Beside, it did not appear safe for the colonies to draw off their troops. They had not been able, the last year, with an army of nearly twelve thousand men, to maintain their ground. The enemy were now stronger than they were the last year. By the loss of Oswego, all the western country was laid open to their ravages. There was reason to fear that the frontier posts would be swept away,

Book II.

1757.

BOOK II. one after another, and that all the preparations which had been made for an early attack on the enemy, would be lost 1757. with them. Besides, the enemy would have another year to fortify and strengthen their posts, and to render the reduction of them much more hazardous and difficult.

July 9th.

The colonies were obliged to submit, and lord Loudon sailed from New-York for Halifax, with six thousand land forces, and there made a junction with Holbourn and Hopson. Here was now an army of twelve thousand men, exclusive of officers, aided by a powerful fleet; but they Expedition were so dilatory in their measures that, before they were against ready to sail, the Brest fleet, with seventeen sail of the line, Louisburg besides frigates and transports, arrived at Louisburg. is given up. The garrison was so reinforced as to amount to nine thousand men. On the reception of this intelligence, it was judged inexpedient to proceed, and the expedition was given up.*

Had the earl of Loudon been a man of enterprise, had he wished to distinguish himself in his majesty's service, or to have rendered himself popular in the colonies, he might have conducted this powerful army to Ticonderoga, and carried all before him, in that quarter. At least, he might have sent on large detachments for the defence of the frontiers. With his Prussian majesty, an Amherst, or a Wolfe, these would have been but natural and common atchievements. But he returned leisurely to New-York, and effected nothing.

The British generals, in America, did more, in two years, by the pusillanimity, weakness and inconsistency of their councils, to injure the colonies, than the French could have done with all their force. The provincials would, probably, have advanced to Crown Point the last year, and made themselves masters of the country south of lake Champlain. They would undoubtedly have kept their own posts and prevented the evils which followed. The British generals and officers not only lost Oswego, but they destroyed the fortifications at the great carrying place; and filled Wood Creek with logs and trees. They cut off all communication between the colonies and the five nations, the only body of Indians which preserved the appearance of friendship to them. They abandoned their whole country to the mercy of the enemy. Nothing could be done to prevent their collecting the Indians, from all quarters, to act against the colonies.

Monsieur Montcalm, did not neglect to improve the advantages he had gained, and which the conduct of the Bri* Rider's Hist. vol. xlii. p. 6, 7.

ish generals afforded him. Finding that the troops were Book II. drawn off to Halifax, he at once determined on the siege of fort William Henry, and the destruction of the vessels, 1757. boats, and batteaux, at the south landing of lake George. Bodies of Indians, with his whole force, were collected for this purpose.

Colonel Monroe, who commanded at fort William Henry, having_intelligence that an advanced party of the enemy lay at Ticonderoga, detached colonel Parker with four hundred men to surprise them. Having landed at night, not far distant from the enemy, he sent three boats to reconnoitre, directing them where to meet him in a general rendezvous. The enemy, waylaying and intercepting the boats, obtained a perfect knowledge of the colonel's designs, and concerted measures to decoy him into their hands. They laid an ambush behind the point where Colonel they knew he designed to land, and having been reinforced Parker deto nearly double his numbers, they sent three boats to the place appointed for the general rendezvous. The colonel mistaking them for his own boats, eagerly put to shore, and was instantly surrounded by the enemy. They attacked him on all sides with such incessant violence, that seventy privates and two officers only made their escape.

feated.

Fort Will

Aug. 3d.

Élated with this success, Monsieur Montcalm hastened to the seige of fort William Henry. Having drawn together all his forces from Crown Point, Ticonderoga, and the adjacent posts, with a greater number of Indians than the French had ever employed on any other occasion, he pasşed the lake and regularly invested the fort. The whole army consisted of nearly eight thousand men. The gar- iam rison consisted of about three thousand, and the fortifica- Henry betions were said to be good. At fort Edward, scarcely four-sieged teen miles distant, lay general Webb, with four thousand troops. The regular troops at the two posts, were probably more than equal to the regular force of the enemy. A considerable proportion of their army consisted of Canadians and Indians. Yet, in about six days, was this impor- Fort Willtant post delivered up into the hands of the enemy. All iam the vessels, boats, and batteaux, which, at so much ex- Henry pense and labor, had been for two years preparing, fell taken, into the power of the enemy. Though general Webb had Aug. 9th. timely notice of the approach of the enemy, yet he never sent to alarm the country, and bring on the militia. He never reinforced the garrison, nor made a single motion for its relief. So far was he from this, that he sent a letter to colonel Monroe, who commanded the fort, advising him to give it up to the enemy. Montcalm intercepted * Rider's Hist. vol. xlii. p. 9, 12: and Wright's Hist. of war, vol. i. p. 41.

BOOK II. the letter, and sent it into the fort to the colonel. He had

acted the part of a soldier and made a brave defence; but 1757. having burst a number of his cannon, expended a considerable part of his ammunition, and perceiving that he was to have no relief from general Webb, he capitulated on terms honorable for himself and the garrison. It was, to march out with arms, baggage, and one piece of cannon, in honor to colonel Monroe, for the brave defence he had made. The troops were not to serve against the most christian king under eighteen months, unless exchanged for an equal number of French prisoners. The French and Indians paid no regard to the articles of capitulation, but falling Part of the garrison on the English, stripped them of their baggage and few remurdered. maining effects; and the Indians, in the English service, were dragged from the ranks, tomahawked and scalped. Men and women had their throats cut, their bodies ripped open, and their bowels, with insult, thrown in their faces. Infants and children were barbarously taken by the heels, and their brains dashed out against stones and trees. The Indians pursued the English nearly half the way to fort Edward, where the greatest number of them arrived in a most forlorn condition.* It seems astonishing, that between two and three thousand troops, with arms in their hands, should, contrary to the most express stipulations, suffer these intolerable insults.

try alarmed.

Con

When it was too late, general Webb alarmed the country, and put the colonies to great expense in sending on large detachments of the militia for the defence of the northern frontier. The sudden capture of the fort, the massacre made by the enemy's Indians, and suspicions of general Webb's treachery, and an apprehension that general The coun- Montcalm would force his way to Albany, put the country into a state of great alarm and consternation. People were never more alarmed during the war. At the same time, there was never a more general and manly exertion. necticut detached and sent on, in a few days, about five thousand men. She had raised and sent into the field, fourteen hundred before, which was more than her proportion. Large reinforcements were marched on to Albany and fort Edward from New-York, and the other colonies. General Webb, notwithstanding the great numbers of men with which he was reinforced, did not make any effectual provision for the defence of the frontier settlements. sooner was one expedition finished by the enemy, than another was undertaken. Soon after the reduction of fort William Henry, the enemy, with fire and sword, laid waste *Rider's Hist. vol. xlii. p. 14. Wright's Hist, vol. i. p. 41,

German

flats destroyed.

No