S6Q NATURAL AND CIVIL 



of supplies and provisions. The Canadians and 

 Indians were not persuaded that all these effects 

 were about to take place ; they were fearful of 

 the effects of cannon, and were averse to mak- 

 ing an assault upon fort Edward on that ac- 

 count : But discovered a readiness to attack the 

 camp at the lake, where they expected no other 

 arms would b€ employed against them but 

 musquets. Dieskau Vv^as obliged to comply 

 with the inclinations of his troops, and abandon- 

 ing his principal design, he changed his route, 

 and put his army in motion against the main 

 body of <he Enorlish at the lake. 



It was not till the enemy had departed from 

 South Bay, that general Johnson had any intel- 

 ligence of their approach or designs ; and the 

 fi'st information he had, was, that a large army 

 of French and Indians had left South Bay, and 

 were actually on their march to fort Ed^vard, 

 On receivins: this information from some of his 

 Indian scouts, he dispatched separate messen- 

 gers to the commander at fort Edward, with 

 advice of the enemy's ap^'oach ; and with or' 

 .ders to withdraw all the troops within the v/orks 

 which had been thrown up at that place. One 

 of the messengers was intercepted and slain : 

 The other got back i.bout twelve that night, and 

 reported tint he saw the enemy about four miles 

 to the northward of the fort. The next morn- 

 ing Johnson called a council of war, who resolv- 

 ed that one thousand men should be detached, 

 with a number of Indians, " to catch the enemy 

 in their retreat, either as victors, or as defeated 

 in their designs."* This detachment was put 



• Johnson's printed I.ettiV. 



