146 HAYS — THE SIEGE OF FORT WILLIAM HENRY. [April 15, 



Copy of a Journal Kept During the Siege of Fort William 



Henry. 



Tuesday 



August 2^ 1757 



In the Evening Col. Young of the 3*^ Battalion of the Royal 

 Americans and Col Fry of the N. England Forces came to the Camp 

 at lake George with a reinforcement of iioo men Regulars and Pro- 

 vincials making with what we had before upwards of 2400 men the 

 whole under command of Col. Monro of the 35* Regiment. 



Lieut. Forty of the 35''' Reg* and Cap! of one of ye gallies detached 

 14 of his Sailors to reconitre the lake this Evening who returned 

 about midnight and reported that they saw a large number of the 

 Enemys Boats wliich gave them chace and had like to have been 

 taken. During this night the Camp was frequently alarmed by the 

 Enemys firing on our Centurys. 



Wednesday 3? Early this morning our Century discovered a 

 large number of Boats on the lake close under a point of Land on 

 the west shore distance about 5 miles upon which we fired our 

 warning Guns (32 pounders) a Signal agreed on upon the approach 

 of the Enemy. The French fired at the fort from their Boats 

 lying at the point but their Shot did not reach half way : At this 

 point the Enemy landed their forces and Artillery. This morning 

 we brought in our live Stock put them into the Picquet Store yard 

 but being neglected afterwards strayed and fell into the Enemy's 

 Hands. 



Cap* W™ Arbuthnot was ordered out with a Party of his N. Eng- 

 land Forces to burn and destroy some Huts and Hedges on the 

 west of the Fort, which he did with difficulty. Nine o' Clock dis- 

 covered a number of French Regulars marching S. W. near the 

 foot of a Hill distant about 1000 yds which we apprehended were 

 intended to cut off our Communication with Fort Edward. Lieu* 

 Collins of the Royal Regiment of Artillery gave orders to cannonade 

 them as they marched which was done. Our rangers and a party 

 of Provincials were Smartly engaged with enem.y S. W. of the Camp 

 on the Ground w[h]ere S'"" W"" Johnson engaged and beat the 

 Enemy in the year 1755 and beat them off several times. 



Twelve o' Clock we could plainly see from the Fort that the 

 Enemy were throwing up an entrenchment and erecting a Battery 

 at the distance of about 7 or 800 yards on a Clear Ground bearing 



