245. Montcalm in person, before and after the operations at Oswego, superintended the works at Carillon and Crown Point, the former of which was destined soon to be the scene of one of the most bloody encounters of the war. The expulsion of the English from Lake Ontario would tend to concentrate their attacks upon the French positions at Lake Champlain, and Montcalm was the more desirous of rendering these as formidable as possible.

*

246. No important military operations occurred during the remainder of the season. But the fall of Oswego had damaged the influence of the English with the Indians. These fickle people, ever ready to side with the strongest, could never be relied on as allies when reverses occurred. Sir William Johnson's personal influence alone prevented the Iroquois from entirely deserting the English cause. The Senecas and Oneidas broke their pledge of neutrality, and sent their warriors to serve in Montcalm's army.

247. In the middle of the ensuing winter the Governor's brother, M. Rigaud de Vaudreuil, accompanied by M. de Longeuil, led a column of one thousand four hundred Canadians and savages on an attempt to surprise Fort William Henry. Excelling in that species of service, and and Algonquins of St Francis and Becancourt, who have at all times been our faithful allies, have not scrupled to inform me, after the Chouagen campaign, that they would go anywhere I desired them, provided I did not put them under the orders of M. de Montcalm. They have told me positively they cannot endure the vivacités of M. de Montcalm. With him I desire to maintain always perfect union and good understanding; but I shall be obliged in the next campaign to make arrangements for securing to our Canadians and savages the treatment to which their zeal and services entitle them."

* The system of harassing the colonists on the frontiers of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, by means of small parties of Indians and French Canadians, was kept up during the autumn and winter, and, indeed, did not cease until 1758, when the French became unable to sustain it 'longer.

in the use of snowshoes, the hope of the party was to take the garrison by surprise. It was the last considerable winter expedition attempted to be made from Canada after the fashion of the Le Moynes, the Rouvilles, the Hertels, and other leaders of former days.

The enterprise, however, failed, as the garrison was found to be on the alert, and too strong for the assailants to venture to attack.*

CHAPTER XXV.

CHANGE OF PLANS OF CAMPAIGN BY THE ENGLISH COLONISTS-LOUISBOURG MONTCALM'S EXPEDITION AGAINST FORT GEORGE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF FORT GEORGE-VIOLATION OF THE ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION BY THE INDIANS-MASSACRE-LETTERS OF BOUGAINVILLE, MONTCALM, AND VAUDREUIL-FAMINE IN CANADA-GAMBLING AT QUEBEC AND MONTREAL.

A.D. 1757.

248. THE past successes of the French had given them the supremacy in the valley of the Ohio and on Lake Ontario. It remained to accomplish, by means of renewed exertions and decisive measures, a similar result in the direction of Lake Champlain, so as to drive back the English from the advanced positions into which they had intruded at Fort William Henry and Fort Edward. This object now occupied the earnest attention of Governor Vaudreuil and General Montcalm. Their designs were favoured by a change of plan which the English colonists adopted at this time.

A

*The sheds, outbuildings, and a number of rafts and boats near the fort, with other property, were burnt. Twenty-seven men were lost.

X

War had been at length formally declared between the mother countries. Their Governments were more solicitous about combating each other in Europe, on the ocean, and on the coast of North America, than they were about assisting the colonists in their quarrels respecting frontiers and inland boundaries. It was, in fact, proposed in England that Louisbourg should be reduced, and that the forces of the colonies should co-operate in the undertaking.* In January 1757 a conference of colonial Governors, attended by the English commander-in-chief, Lord Loudon, was held at Boston to discuss the matter. The result was to defer, for the time, offensive operations against Canada, and to confine their proceedings to the defence of their frontiers, and the maintenance of the posts which they now held. With this view it was agreed to assign to subordinate officers, Colonel Bouquet, Colonel Stanwyx, General Webb, and others, the military protection of the several colonies, while the commander-in-chief, with six regiments of regulars, and some colonial troops, should take part in the reduction of Louisbourg. The safety of Fort Edward was provided for, and Colonel Monro, with two thousand men, was placed in charge of Fort William Henry.

249. It is not necessary to enter into details respecting the expedition to Louisbourg. It is enough to say here, that, although Lord Loudon's force was joined at Halifax by a powerful fleet and army from England, yet the under

*The English Government, when it called upon the American colonists to support what might be called more properly imperial undertakings than colonial against the power of France, and especially when the plans of procedure were devised and laid down in England, agreed to reimburse them their outlay. Encouraged by this, and desirous of co-operating as much as possible in breaking up the French power in America, the colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire subsequently agreed to support England with fifteen thousand men, to be ready for service by the month of May 1758.

taking was abandoned when it was found that the means of defence at Louisbourg had been augmented by the arrival there of a strong naval force from France. In the meantime Montcalm took advantage of the absence of most of the English regular troops to concentrate seven thousand five hundred men in the vicinity of Fort William Henry.

250. Many accounts, differing in some essential particulars, have been published of the siege and capture of this post, and of the terrible tragedy which occurred after the legitimate military proceedings had terminated. From the most reliable of those accounts, we learn that Montcalm's force included about 3300 regulars and artillerymen, and 2900 French Canadians, with eighteen or nineteen hundred savages, belonging to thirty-three different tribes.* These last had been gained over to join his standard more by the hopes of plunder and the prospect of indulging their bloodthirsty instincts than by any cause of quarrel with the English, or any particular love of the French. Their value depended, in part, upon the services they could render as scouts and spies. But on this occasion, as previously at Oswego, they were useful owing to the effect produced upon the English on beholding them among the besiegers, and hearing their savage yells. The English soldiers regarded them with feelings of horror, knowing what their fate would be should they fall into the hands of those merciless enemies, wounded or as prisoners. The tomahawk and the scalping-knife were to them more dreaded implements of war than the rifle and sword; the

*Bougainville's report to the Minister of War makes the savages number 1806, with seventeen French officers, eleven interpreters, and three priests. Governor Vaudreuil reports two thousand. Montcalm, probably exaggerating his number of savage auxiliaries, intimated in his letter of August 14, 1757, addressed to Lord Loudon, that there were three thousand.

cries and yells of infuriated savages were more alarming than the roar of artillery. The French officers were well acquainted with these circumstances, which they turned to account as much as possible.*

Of the savages who took part in the siege of Fort William Henry, upwards of eight hundred were of the class called "domiciliés," Indians from Sault St Louis, Two Mountains, Becancour, and other settlements occupied by converted Indians in Canada. They were accompanied by French officers, interpreters, and three priests; who, it appears, had abundance of occupation with their savage flocks, as it is recorded that a whole day "scarcely afforded time enough to confess them."

About the end of July the whole French force destined for the attack on Fort William Henry was assembled at Carillon. Thence it was conducted to a point on the margin of Lake George, where five hundred boats and barges were lying in readiness. In these the cannon for the siege, munitions of war, and supplies, with upwards, of two-thirds of the army, were embarked for the purpose of passing up the lake, while the remainder, under M. de Levis, marched by land. On the 2d of August the two divisions were re-united on the margin of a small bay not far from the English position. Next day scouts brought word that the garrison was on the alert; and, in confirmation of this report, the French heard the sound of artillery discharged within the enemy's lines, some miles distant.

The English position was defended by about three thousand men, of whom five hundred occupied the fort, and

* The French writers frequently mention the "épouvante” and “frayeur inconcevable" of the English soldiers in regard to the savages. Amongst those present at the siege of Fort William Henry, there were Iroquois belonging to the Senecas and Oneidas. They formed the more numerous portion of the Indian auxiliaries.