1758]

DESCENT OF LAKE GEORGE.

161

CHAPTER II.

With the exception I have named, the absence of artillery, all accounts agree in the completeness with which the arrangements were made. When Montcalm engaged in the attack of Oswego and William Henry, he brought with him heavy guns, and it was owing to the service of his artillery that he had succeeded. Had his attempt been made without this provision, he would have fared no better than the opponent he repulsed at Ticonderoga. There was no great difficulty in moving the guns up the Hudson: the serious labour commenced at the first portage north of Albany, and after reaching fort Edward to carry them by land to lake George. The cannon, which had previously been at fort William Henry, had been taken or destroyed at the siege of 1757 by Montcalm.

tion.

placed

Abercrombie has himself given an account of the embarkaHe tells us that the artillery, stores and provisions were on the rafts and bateaux on the morning of the 4th. I cannot discover that there were any other guns than those named as mounted on rafts to protect the landing. There were 900 bateaux, with 135 whale boats. The tents were struck at daybreak of the 5th. The numbers embarked were 6,367 regulars and 9,024 provincials including the bateau

men.

At five in the evening they reached Sabbath day point, 25 miles from the head of the lake, and the troops remained here five hours to rest, and to bring the expedition together. start was again made at ten at night, and the boats

The

reached the landing-place of the French position at ten in the morning of the 6th. There was no opposition to the

landing.*

Lake George, visited for the beauty of its scenery, at the same time retains its historical interest. It has been frequently mentioned in this history. These

M

During June the attention of the French had been directed to Abercrombie's movements. The prisoners brought in by the partizan leaders gave the information that 20,000 men were being assembled. One circumstance had confirmed the opinion that a forward movement by the British force would be made. Wolf, a French officer who had been sent by de Vaudreuil with a party carrying a flag of truce on the subject of the exchange of prisoners, had been detained some days: a proceeding looked upon as unnecessary. It was therefore supposed that the step had been taken with the design of preventing his return, when he would undoubtedly have notified Montcalm of the preparations which he could not fail to have observed. Indeed, he only reached Carillon on the 10th, two days after the attack.

Montcalm arrived at Ticonderoga on the 30th of June. He ordered de Bourlamaque to occupy the ground where lake George discharges into the little river by which its waters descend to lake Champlain. De Bourlamaque was there encamped with the battalions of la Reine, Guienne and Béarn. Montcalm had established himself at the saw mill at the foot of the falls with the battalions of la Sarre and de Berry, placing two battalions on the left of the stream. The troops of the marine and the Canadian militia were quartered at the stone fort. His next duty was to select a spot for an intrenched camp. The engineer, M. de Pontleroy, was instructed to trace it out, and the second regiment of de Berry was set to the work of constructing it.

Lake George gradually narrows towards the south, until the little river by which it discharges itself is reached. The

waters formed the route which the Iroquois followed in their irruption into Canada, after leaving the Hudson, where the portage was made. It was their route to lake Champlain and the Richelieu. It was originally known as the lac des Iroquois. 'Horicon," as the lake is called on some maps, is evidently a corruption of this word. Jogues, who, in 1646, was killed in the neighbourhood, when on his journey to establish a mission [Ante, Vol. I., 189], described it as "lac du Sacrement," and it was so known by the French until the conquest. After the repulse of Dieskau by sir William Johnson, the name was changed to lake George, by which these waters are now only known.

1758]

THE LANDING.

163

rapids follow the half circumference of an irregular oval, and from the last fall, the water, with a slight current, runs smoothly into lake Champlain. The carrying-place was formed directly across the chord of the semi-oval, and was used as the travelled road by which the waters above the rapids were reached. Following the stream, the distance between the two lakes is about eight miles. There is about two miles of quiet water before the rapids commence. The latter are some three and a half miles in length, descending in the distance some 265 feet; the last fall is about 25 feet in height, and it was here that the saw mill had been built. The distance thence to lake Champlain is about two and a half miles by the stream.

The fort was constructed at the extreme point where the lake widens out from the discharge of Wood's creek, which has its source not far from the neighbourhood of fort Edward. The fort Carillon, commenced in 1755, was not perfectly completed, and was not defensible for any length of time against heavy artillery. The ruins still remain of the massive masonry, shewing that it was capable of resisting an ordinary attack. It must be borne in mind that the attack was not made on the fort, but on the intrenchment, 3,500 feet distant from it.

Parties of observation had been sent out to watch the lake, with instructions immediately to report any hostile movement. On the evening of the 5th de Langy, who was in command, brought in the news of the British advance, and in consequence de Bourlamaque, at five in the evening, sent out a detachment of three hundred men, under the orders of captain Trépezet, to observe the enemy, and, if possible, to oppose the landing. On the approach of the armament, de Bourlamaque, seeing that with his force he would make no efficient resistance to Abercrombie, abandoned his position, and retreated upon Montcalm. Upon learning the strength of the British force, Montcalm passed over to the left bank of the river, and took ground at the new intrenchment, destroying the bridge in his march.