at sea," on his way thither. His emphatic protest against this treatment must be read with deep sympathy, and with no ordinary interest, especially when the circumstances under which it was written are brought to our minds. The date is within a trifle more than three months of his death, when on his way to achieve the triumphal service which has made his name immortal.

During the period that operations were being carried on against Louisbourg events had happened on the shores of lake Champlain, in the disputed territory between Canada and the state of New York, which, although without ultimate influence on the war, had added to the national exultation of the French, reawakened their hope, and cheered and encouraged them in their firm determination not only to defend New France from attack, but vigorously to extend its frontier. When Pitt had resolved to attack Canada, at all points he applied to the colonies to furnish 20,000 men, undertaking that the expense would be participated in by the imperial government. For the time the provinces were to clothe and furnish the pay of the soldier; the arms, camp equipage and provisions were to be supplied by the British government. The number of troops voted by the provincial legislatures was 17,480, of which number Massachusetts furnished two-fifths, 7,000 men.*

The

Pownall, then governor, showed great energy in the emergency and the province answered his powerful appeal. number was not obtained entirely without difficulty, and in the other provinces many delays intervened. The troops were assembled towards the end of June; between the 7th and 20th 7,510 arrived from Massachusetts and Connecticut. Pownall established good discipline in the Massachusetts regiments:

The following is the detail of the levies :-
New Hampshire.....

Massachusetts

Rhode Island..

800 ..7,000

1,000

1758]

ABERCROMBIE.

157

He abolished the custom of officers acting as slop sellers and sutlers; he made efficient arrangement for the issue of clothing and necessaries, he recommended to Abercrombie to try any officer by court-martial who carried on "suttling." There was a great want of arms and tents. Abercrombie could obtain but a limited supply of the former, even by purchase ; accordingly the old arms were sought out, and all that were available were repaired and placed in good condition. The tents were an easier matter; the material for them was purchased and they were made. The Hudson* furnished the channel of communication. It was necessary to provide boats for the navigation of lake George, which any expedition to Canada must descend. The work of constructing them was given to Bradstreet, who energetically carried out the duty. Fifteen hundred boats were necessary for the advance: by the end of May nine hundred were finished, and the remainder required little work for their completion. A special corps of eight hundred bateau men was raised; but only four hundred and fifty were enrolled, and the number wanting was partially supplied by volunteers from the regulars and provincials, and partially " pressed."

Owing to Abercrombie's repulse in the attack,† his name has been mercilessly dealt with by writers who have not investigated the causes of the reverse. He has, accordingly, come down to us with the reputation of being incompetent, inert and irresolute: even his personal courage has been called in question. However his generalship on this occasion may be censured, Abercrombie deserves no such blame. He was of the school of officers who meet difficulties by stubborn courage rather than by skilful combinations, and he certainly

* There were three portages between Albany and fort Edward; the first, in certain seasons, six miles in length, never less than three, was between Half Moon, the mouth of the Mohawk, and Stillwater; the second, two miles above Saratoga, was a quarter of a mile long; the third, five miles higher up, opposite fort Miller, of four hundred yards.

+ Some writers describe Abercrombie's failure as a "defeat." The proper word appears to me to be "repulse," there being a distinct difference, to my mind, in the meaning of the two expressions.

entirely misunderstood the character of the defences which he undertook to storm. His correspondence shews that he was an intelligent and efficient officer; in a position where his duty was plain, and a gallant obedience to orders the first essential, he would have acquitted himself with ability and credit. His generalship on this unfortunate day can only be remembered to his disadvantage, for it is a proof of his ignorance, and of his miscalculation of the character of the war in which he was engaged. His fault lay in attempting what was impossible. It is difficult to believe that the expedition was unprovided with artillery. But such was the case. This one fact was the cause of his misfortune; and it is the strongest censure which can be passed on a general, that his force was improperly constituted, owing to his want of foresight and intelligence. Some artillery is mentioned as being mounted on rafts, but the few guns were simply designed to cover the landing of the troops.*

The fact is clearly proved by the state of the 29th June, a few days before the march of the troops to Ticonderoga.

The force reported by Abercrombie in his despatch of the 12th of July is set

forth as 6,367 regulars, 9,024 provincials, including bateau men.

1758]

WEBB'S CAPITULATION.

159

In no quarter was there any theory expressed of its necessity, and it is to this deplorable want of judgment that the repulse must be traced. The incompetent engineer who accompanied the troops, on viewing the intrenchments from the height at the opposite side by the mouth of the river, pronounced that it was practicable to storm them. Abercrombie accepted the opinion. Had even the few guns with the expedition been brought up, and a breach made, that a storming party could have entered, it is not quite improbable that there would have been a different result.

Abercrombie was engaged from the 11th of May, when he arrived in Albany in the organization of the expedition. During this time the French continued active in their attacks of la petite guerre. Early in the month eighty Indians surprised the settlement on the German flats, and scalped thirtytwo of the settlers, retreating before even their presence was known at the neighbouring fort, and the troops called out. Abercrombie arrived at fort Edward on the 9th of July, and lord Howe was placed in command at Half-way brook, with the 42nd, 44th, 55th, and four companies of rangers. It was known that many parties of the enemy were out, with the design of intercepting convoys. A party of 200 men was placed at each of the stations of the Half Moon, Stillwater, Saratoga, and fort Miller. A stockaded fort was constructed on the site of fort William Henry at lake George, with another work on the rising ground to the east. Brigadier Stanwix was posted at the carrying-place of the Mohawk with the four New York independent companies, 1,400 provincials, and a company of rangers.

Before commencing the campaign one duty was imperative, the establishment of the position of the troops who had been included in the capitulation of William Henry. The British authorities contended that the conditions had been broken by the French. A long correspondence took place between the respective commanders. Finally, on the 25th of June, 1758, Abercrombie issued a general order* from fort Edward, Can. Arch., Series W. & A. I., 87.2, p. 2.

stating that the capitulation of the 9th of August had been "broke in a most notorious and flagrant manner, consequently major-general Abercrombie declares the terms of the capitulation null and void,' and the officers and soldiers included are empowered and commanded to serve as if no such capitulation had been made." The order was to be read at the head of every corps. Not only in Canada was the manifesto published, it was also made known to the army before Louisbourg.

* Knox, I., p. 486.