12 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Fart II. 



PLAN OF OPERATIONS FOR 1758. ADVANCE OK THE KNGLIS)! AGAINST TICONDEROGA. 



Section VII. 



French and English Colonics — Events of 

 2758. Capture of Louislturg — Aber- 

 crombie defeated — Fort Fronttnac and 

 Du Qucsjie taken. 



The repeated failure of the British arms 

 in America, having created much dissat- 

 isfaction botli at home and in the colonies, 

 a cliange of ministry was found to be in- 

 dispensalile, in order to secure tlie jniblic 

 confidence and revive tiie drooping spirits 

 of the nation ; and this was cti'ectually 

 done by the appointment of William Pitt 

 one of the secretaries of state. From tiii.s 

 time the British affairs in America assum- 

 ed a more favorable aspect. Instead of 

 defeat and disgrace, victory and triumph 

 now usually attended the English arms. 

 Measures were concerted with wisdom 

 and prudence and executed with prompt- 

 ness and vigor. 



In planning the campaign of 1758, it 

 was determined that the French settle- 

 ments should be attacked upon several 

 different points at the same time. Twelve 

 thousand troops were to attempt tiie re- 

 duction of Louisburg in the island of Cape 

 Breton, 16000 were to proceed against 

 Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and 6000 

 against Du Quesne ; and the several 

 American colonies were called upon to 

 furnish troops, and to make all the exer- 

 tions in their power to aid and facilitate 

 these expeditions. 



General Amherst took command of the 

 expedition against Louisburg, assisted by- 

 Gens. Wolfe, Whitemore and Lawrence, 

 and by Admiral Boscawen, who command- 

 ed the fleet. The fleet, consisting of 157 

 sail, and having the troops on board, sailed 

 from Halifax in Nova Scotia, on tlie 28tli 

 of May, and on tlic 9d day of June, an- 

 chored about seven miles west of Louis- 

 burg. On the 8th a landing was eflected 

 under the gallant Wolfe, and in a few 

 days the place was completely invested. 

 The garrison consisted of upwards of 3000 

 men, mostlj' regulars, and the harbor was 

 defended by six ships of the line and five 

 frigates, all under the command of cheva- 

 lier Drucour. Amherst proceeded with 

 caution, but with such vigor that the 

 French ships were soon destroyed, and 

 the garrison surrendered themselves pris- 

 oners of war on the 26th of July. 



The expedition against the French posts 

 on lake Champlain, devolved upon Gen. 

 Abercrombie. Having assembled about 

 7000 regular and HOOO provincial troops, 

 with a fine train of artillery and the neces- 

 sary military stores, he on the 5th of July 

 embarked his army at fort William Henry, 

 on board 900 batteaux and 135 whale boats. 



and the next morning landed, without 

 opposition, near tlie north end of lake 

 George. Forming his men into three 

 columns, he moved forward towards the 

 enemy, whose advanced party, consisting 

 of one battalien, lay encamped behind a 

 breast-work of logs. On the approach of 

 the English, they set fire to their breast- 

 work and tents and retreated with pre- 

 cipitation. The English continued to ad- 

 vance, but were soon embarrassed anti 

 tlirown into some disorder by the thick- 

 ness of the wood. 



Lord Howe was in the front of the cen- 

 tre column with Major Putnam, when a 

 skirmish commenced on the left with the 

 pari}- of the enemy which had retreated 

 from the breast-work. One hundred men 

 immediately filed oft' under Putnam and 

 Ilovve, and they soon fell in with the 

 enemy, whose first fire proved fatal to his 

 lordship. Howe had made himself the 

 idol of the army by his affability and vir- 

 tues, and his fall animated Putnam and 

 his party to avenge his death. They cut 

 their way throuirh the enemy, and being 

 joinecl by another party of the English, 

 slew about 300 of the French, and took 148 

 prisoners. But the English columns, be- 

 ing broken and embarrassed by the thick- 

 ness of the wood, Abercrombie deemed it 

 advisable to march back to the place 

 where they had landed in the morning, 

 rather than pass the night where they 

 were. The next day Col. Bradstreet, 

 with a detachment of the army, took pos- 

 session of the saw mills without opposi- 

 tion, and the general once more advanced 

 upon the enemy. 



The fort at Ticonderoga was very fa- 

 vorably situated for defence. It was sur- 

 rounded on three sides by water, and about 

 haif the other side was protected by a deep 

 swamp, while the line of defence was 

 completed by the erection of a breast- 

 work nine feet high on the only assaila- 

 ble ground. The ground before the breast- 

 work was covered with felled trees and 

 with bushes, arranged with a view to im- 

 ]iede tlie approach of the English. The 

 French garrison consisted of 6000 men 

 and a reinforcement of 3000 troops under 

 M. de Levy, was expected soon to join 

 them. 



Abercrombie, wishing to get possession 

 of the fort before the garrison should be 

 augmented by the expected reinforce- 

 ment, sent forward his engineer to re- 

 connoiter the w-orks, who reported that 

 the breast-work was unfinished and that 

 he believed the place might be immedi- 

 ately assaulted by musketry with a fair 

 prospect of success. The general con- 

 fiding in this intelligence, marched for- 



