HISTORY OF VERMONT. 411 



Every corps which had been engaged on this 

 tinfortunate occasion, had behaved with a steady 

 coohiess and intrepidity ; and suffered very se- 

 verely. But the heaviest loss fell on the regi- 

 ment of Highlanders, commanded by lord John 

 Murray ; one half of the privates, and twenty" 

 five officers of this regiment were either slain 

 upon the spot or desperately wounded.* So 

 heavy and severe a loss seems to have detei*min- 

 ed the English general to v/ithdraw his army 



About eleven in the forenoon, fent off Lieut. Col. Bradftreet, with th« 

 44tli regiment, fix Qompzoies of the firft baitalion of ihe royal Americans, 

 the batteau men, and a body of rangers and provincial.';, to take poiTeffioa 

 of the Saw Mil!, witliin two miles of Ticondcro»a, which he foon efFe£led : 

 js the enemy who were poled there, after dclroyicgthe mill and break- 

 ing down I'lcir bridge, bsd retired I'ome tims before. 



Lieutenant Colonel Bradftreet havin;; laid another bridge acrofs, and 

 hivinfi fcnt me notice cf his being in poffefl'ion of that ground, I according- 

 ly marched thither with the troops, and wc took up oar quarter* there 

 (hat night. 



The prifoners we had tgkcn being unanimous in their reports, that the 

 French ha.', ei^ht battalions, feme Canadians and colony troops, in all 

 about 6ooo, encamped before their fort, who were intrenching thcmfelvesj 

 and throwing up a breail work, and that they expjfted a reinforcemsnt of 

 gcoo Canr-diaiiS, bcfides Indians, v.'ho had been detached under the com- 

 mand of Monfieur de Levy, to make a diverfion on the fide of the Mo- 

 hawk river ; but upon intslHgence of our preparations and near spproach, 

 had been repeatedly recalled, and v/as hourly expeSed ; it was thought 

 TOoft advifab!c to lore no time in making the attack ; wherefore early in 

 the morn(i;g of the 8 h, I fent Mr. Cieik, the engineer, acrofs the river on 

 the oppofite fide of the fort, in order to reconnoitre the enemy's intrcnch- 

 incnts. 



Upon his return, and favourable report of the prafticability of carrying 

 thofe works, if attacked before they were finifised, it was agreed to ftorm 

 them that very day : Accordingly the •an.-^crs, ligkt infantry and the right 

 wing of Provinciali, were ordered i;nmcdia'cly to match and poll them- 

 fclves in a line, out of cauf'on (hot of the intrer.chir.eats ; the right extend- 

 ing to Lake Gforg". and tne left to Like Champlain, in Order that the re- 

 gular troops, dellir.ed for the attack of the iatrcnchmcnts, might form oai 

 their rear. 



The Piquets were to b*gin the attack, fuftaincd by the grenadT<;r8, and 

 hy the battalions: the whole were ordered to march up brilkly, rulh upoQ 

 the enemy's trie, arid noi give theirs, until they \yere wilhifl the en'siny'a 

 bread work. 



* Smollet's Hist, of Esglr.n(3., Vol. J.p. aSj. 



