672 [Assembly 



an immature and ill-directed attack was precipitated upon the 

 French, and a disastrous repulse ensued. Williams, a distin- 

 guished son of Massachusetts, and Hendrick, the venerable and 

 heroic chieftain of the Mohawks, were slain A second and a 

 third conflict on the same day, and nearly upon the same ground, 

 redeemed the disasters of the first. Dieskau wounded and a pri- 

 soner, with the loss to France of near a thousand men, were 

 results as auspicious and glorious to Britain, as the defeat of Brad- 

 dock, in July of the same year, had been calamitous and disgrace- 

 ful. 



The narrative of this victory will always warm the heart of the 

 American historian with interest and exultation ; for this was the 

 first held in which provincialists of the colonies, led by their own 

 citizens, met on equal terms, and vanquished the trained veterans 

 of Europe. ^ 



Had Johnson known as well to use victory as his army to 

 achieve it, the conquest of Carillon, scarcely coinmenced, and of 

 St. Frederic, in a dilapidated condition, would have been the re- 

 sult and the reward of his triumph ; but the occasion was lost, in 

 the profitless waste of the season, in the erection upon Lake 

 George, of Fort William Henry. 



It was not until the summer succeeding these exciting events, 

 that open and mutual declarations of War were proclaimed be- 

 tween Frajice and England. The contest languished during the 

 year 1756 upon the borders of Champlain. In that year, another 

 force was organized for the attack of Crown Point. Again the 

 colonies presented their required contingents, but delays, dissen- 

 ions, the incapacity and indecision of the English commanders, 

 again exhausted the season. Offensive operations, were limited 

 to the bold and romantic exploits of the American rangers and 

 the partizan corps of France. 



In one of these fearless incursions, Rogers and Starks had pen- 

 etrated with a force of less that eighty men, to a point between 

 the French fortresses, near the mouth of a stream, since known 

 as Putnam's creek, and there in ambush, awaited their victims. 

 A party of French are passing in gay and joyous security, on the 

 ice toward Ticonderoga. Part are taken, the rest escape and 



