HTSTORY OF VERMONT. 411 



'not be carried by a coup de main. Had he 

 continued the assault, there can be no doubt, 

 but that he would have lost almost the whole of 

 his army. If xhe assault was rash and precipi- 

 tate, the retreat seems to bear the marks of un- 

 necessary intimidation and hurry ; for it is diffi- 

 cult to conceive v-hat danger there could have 

 been, in con^mencing a regular siege with troops> 

 who had discovered such courage and resolution 

 as appeared in the assault. We ought however 

 not to be ver^^ positive in passing our censures 

 on men and nieiisures, where all the circumstan- 

 ces and motives are but imperfectly known. 

 The censure of mankind almost always follows 

 misfortune. Thus it proved in the present case ; 

 the attempt to carry the place by storm, was 

 considered as a rat>h and imprudent measure ; 

 and the retreat was condemned as [Hisillanimous 

 and unnecessary. 



Notwithstanding his defeat and mortifi- 

 cation, Abcrcrombie did not let the season pass 

 away vvdthout furilier attempts in fay or of th® 

 colonies. Brip^adier general Stanwix was sent 

 Vv'ith a considerable body of provincials, to erect 

 a foit at the carrying place at Oneida ; and thus 

 secure a passage on the Mohawk and Onondago 

 rivers to Oswego. This business was properly 

 executed, and that important post secured ; a, 

 measure winch proved greatly beneficial in the. 

 ensuing campaigns. 



Colonel Bradstreet had projected an 

 expedition against Cadaraoui, or fort PVontcnac. 

 This fort was situated on the north side of the- 

 river St. Lav/rence, just at the poirit where the 

 river derives its origin at lake Ontario. A* 

 VOL. I. C 3 



