USA > Connecticut > A complete history of Connecticut, civil and ecclesiastical, from the emigration of its first planters, from England, in the year 1630, to the year 1764; and to the close of the Indian wars > Part 39
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* Rider's History, vol. x !. p. 127,
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Book II. and would be equally benefitted by the common defence, and could not be prevailed upon to alter the form of the 1756. bill. Nothing could therefore be done.
Between the Virginians and governor Dinwiddie, there were violent animosities, on account of his rapacity and extravagant fees for grants of land. They carried the matter so far as to prefer a complaint to his majesty against him.
Maryland was less exposed than the other two colonies, and was not zealous in carrying on the war. While the other colonies would not unite in their own defence, it could not be expected that she would undertake it sepa- rately. Under the influence of these circumstances no effectual defence was made, and the enemy ravaged with impunity.
In the mean time, his majesty was so well pleased with the zeal and services of New-England, and of some of the neighboring colonies, that he recommended it by a message to the house of commons, to take into consideration, the faithful services of the people' of New-England, and of some other parts of North America, and grant them a suitable reward, as an encouragement. In consequence of his majesty's recommendation, the parliament voted one hundred and fifty thousand pounds for those purposes."
CHAPTER XVI.
Campaign in 1756. War proclaimed. British generals appointed. Troops raised by Connecticut. Plan of the campaign in 1756. The British generals, Abercombie and lord Loudon, arrive in America. The reception of his lordship. Dilatory and unaccountable conduct of the generals. Colonel Bradstreet is attacked by the enemy and defeats them. Oswego invested and taken, by gene- ral Montcalm. Loss at that post. Comparison between the campaigns in 1755, and 1756. The enemy continue their ravages in the southern colonies.
A LL the hostilities of the preceding years had been carried on without any proclamation of war by Eng- land or France. The latter, during the whole time, had made the most pacific professions. But, notwithstanding, * Rider's Hist. vol. xl. p. 151, 15%. -4
War pro- claimed.
373
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Great-Britain, on the eighteenth of May, proclaimed war Book II. against France. Early in June, the king of France, in his turn, proclaimed war against Great-Britain. 1756.
As governor Shirley had not answered his majesty's ex- pectations the last year, and as he determined to make his principal efforts in America, where the first hostilities commenced, and where it was conceived the strongest impressions could be made, general Abercrombie was ap- pointed to succeed him. But, as it was judged that a gen- eral command over all the operations in North America, would subserve the general interest, the earl of Loudon was appointed commander in chief of that department of the war. Besides his general command, he was appoint- ed governor of Virginia, and colonel of a royal American regiment, to be raised in this country. He was viewed as a nobleman of amiable character, and had formerly dis- tinguished himself in the service of the nation. He was vested with great powers, little short of those of a viceroy.
Great expectations were now formed, of a vigorous and successful campaign. The northern colonies exhibited a noble zeal in his majesty's service, and had their respec- tive quotas of troops early in the field, Connecticut, in particular, raised two thousand five hundred men, which was double the number required by the commander in chief, as the proportion of the colony in the service of that year. This was done, that the service might not suffer, as it was expected that some of the southern colonies, would not send into the field the number of men allotted to them.t About seven thousand provincials, well prepar- ed, were seasonably in the field. But the conduct of the general was dilatory, and spiritless in the extreme. Though general Abercrombie took his departure for America in March, he did not join the army until the latter part of June. The earl of Loudon, who was to direct the grand plan of operations, never left England until the last of May. By this time he ought to have been in America, and to have opened the campaign. The plan of operation in America Plan of the this year, had been concerted by a general council of war campaign. at New-York. It was to attack Niagara and Crown Point. To facilitate these operations, a body of troops was to be detached up Kennebec river, to alarm the capital of Cana- da. These enterprises were to have been effected by the northern colonies, in conjunction with a body of regular troops. At the same time, the southern colonies, assisted by several regular regiments, were to besiege fort Du Ques-
t Reasons of the colony why the British colonies should not be taxed by parliament, p. 30.
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Impor- tance of the post at Niagara.
Book Il. ne, on the Ohio. The plan was extensive ; but, the colo- nies united, with men of skill and enterprise to lead them, were well able to have carried it into execution. Niagara, without doubt, was one of the most important posts in North America. Its situation was on the south side of lake Ontario, at the very entrance of the strait which joins this to lake Erie, and forms the only water communication be- tween them. This was the grand link, which connected the two colonies of Canada and Louisiana. It was the on- ly way by which the Indians, for several hundred miles from the north west, could pass with safety, to the southern parts of America; or by which the Indians, south of the lake, could communicate with those north of it. Whoever commanded this post, must, in a greater or less degree, not only influence and command the five nations, and the Indians north of the lake, but all those scattered on the banks of the Wabash and the Mississippi. By possessing this post, all communication between Canada and the Ohio would be cut off, and the English would, in a great mea- sure, command all the Indians on their western frontiers. At the same time, it would very greatly facilitate the reduc- tion of the enemy's fortresses on the Ohio, and all their other posts south of the lakes.
Descrip- tion of Crown Point.
Crown Point, on which the French commenced their works, about the year 1731, secured the absolute command of lake Champlain, and guarded the only passage into Can- ada. It was through this lake, by the route of Crown Point, that the parties of French and Indians made their bloody incursions upon the frontiers of New-England and New-York. This brought the enemy much nearer to the colonies, and served them as a place of retreat, on emer- gencies. It furnished them with provisions and ammuni- tion at hand, and greatly assisted them in their works of destruction. The reduction of this post would render the frontiers of the northern colonies, in a great measure se- cure. The enemy would be driven back into his own ter- ritories, north of the lakes, and the way would, the next campaign, be opened into the heart of Canada.
These objects ought to have inspired the generals and the whole army with the utmost spirit, and to have produc- ed the utmost expedition ; but the generals appeared to possess neither. General Abercrombie pretended to be waiting for two regiments from England. At length they arrived, and on the twenty-fifth of June, the general pro- ceeded to Albany. Here he found himself at the head of six regular regiments, and a number of independent com- panies ; the New-England, New-York, New-Jersey, and
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some other troops,* amounting to ten thousand men, well Book II. appointed, in health and high spirits. But with this fine army, such an one as had never before taken the field in America, nothing of consequence was undertaken. Nei- ther of the proposed expeditions were even attempted, nor were the out posts seasonably reinforced and defended.
Meanwhile, the enemy acted with vigour and dispatch. They had not only time to make preparations against fu- ture attacks, but to carry on offensive operations. Even before this period, they reduced a small fortress in the country of the five nations. The garrison, consisting of twenty-five Englishmen, were massacred, in the midst of those Indians who had long been considered as the allies of Great-Britain and her colonies. At the same time, they carefully watched all the motions of the English. Having received intelligence, that a considerable convoy of pro- visions was on the way from Schenectady to Oswego, they laid an ambush in the woods and thickets on the north side of the Onondaga river, to intercept and cut off the party. But soon having information that the convoy was past, they determined to wait the return of the detachment. This was commanded by colonel Bradstreet, an officer of Colonel courage and enterprise. He had been apprehensive of Bradstreet such an event, and was not unprepared. As he was sail- attacked,
but defeats ing along the river, with his batteaux, in three divisions, the enemy, he was saluted with the Indian war whoop, and a general July 3d, discharge of musketry, from the north shore. He immedi- ately ordered his men to land on the opposite shore, and, with part of them, he took possession of a small island. 'The enemy instantly forded the river, and attacked him ; but he gave them so warm a reception, that they were soon repulsed. Having intelligence that another body of the enemy had crossed the river, a mile higher up, he ad- vanced against them, with two hundred men, and attacked them, sword in hand, with such resolution, that those who were not slain upon the spot, were driven into the river, and considerable numbers were drowned. Hearing that a third party had passed still higher up the river, he march- ed against them with all possible dispatch, and put them to a total rout. In these actions, which lasted about three hours, about seventy of his men were killed and wounded. About twice that number of the enemy were killed, and seventy taken prisoners.
From them colonel Bradstreet obtained the intelligence,
* Rider's History of England, vol. xli. p. 16. There were beside, in the garrisons at Oswego, and the forts above Albany, more than two thousand men, an army, in the whole, of twelve thousand men,
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Book If. that a large body of the enemy had taken post on the east side of lake Ontario, furnished with artillery, and all im- 1756. plements for the siege of Oswego. The colonel returned immediately to Albany, and gave information of the ap- proach of the enemy. General Webb, with one regiment, had orders to hold himself in readiness to march to the re- lief of that post. But on the twenty-ninth of July, when lord Loudon arrived at Albany, he had not begun his march. By this time, general Winslow, with about seven thousand of the New-England and New-York troops, had advanced to the south landing of lake George. They were in high spirits, perfectly harmonious, and waited with impatience to be led to the attack of Crown Point. Great numbers of batteaux-men lay at Albany, Schenecta- dy, and other places convenient for the service. The generals had about three thousand men with them at Alba- ny. With such a force, men of skill and enterprise might Inactivity have penetrated into the heart of Canada. But the Brit- of the Brit- ish generals, with the greatest part of the regular troops, remained at Albany until the middle of August, if not un- til some time after. General Webb never began his march till the twelfth of the month.
isli gene- rals.
1 Montcalm besieges Oswego.
It surren- ders Aug- ust 14th. Losses at Oswego.
Meanwhile, the marquis de Montcalm invested the forts at Oswego, with about three thousand men, regulars, Ca- nadians, and Indians. He blocked up the harbour with two large armed vessels, and posted a strong party on the roads between Albany and the forts, to cut off all intelli- gence and succour from the army. Having made the ne- cessary preparations, on the 12th of August, he opened his trenches before fort Ontario, which had been built on an eminence, for the purpose of securing fort Oswego, which it overlooked and commanded. The English, firing away their shells and ammunition, the very next day spiked up their cannon, and unaccountably retired across the river, into fort Oswego, where they were much more exposed than they were in the fort which they had abandoned. The enemy having possessed themselves of this command- ing ground, soon began an incessant fire on fort Oswego. On the thirteenth, colonel Mercer, who commanded, was killed with a cannon shot; the officers were divided in opinion, and the garrison was panic struck ; so that the enemy made an easy conquest of one of the most important posts which the English had in America. On the four- teenth of August, the garrison capitulated. A hundred and twenty-one pieces of cannon, fourteen mortars, great quantities of ammunition and warlike stores, two frigates or sloops of war, which had been built to cruise on the
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lake, and to cover the troops in the expedition designed Book II. against Niagara, two hundred boats and batteaux, with a garrison of sixteen hundred men, were delivered into the 1756. hands of the enemy .* The victors immediately dismantled the forts, and carried off this grand booty to strengthen their own lines and fortresses on the lake and river.
By the fall of this post, the enemy obtained the sole Conse- command of the lakes Ontario and Erie, and the whole quences of country of the five nations, which it was designed to cover. its fal!, The settlements at the German flats, and that fine tract of country on the Wood creek and Mohawk rivers, were laid open to their incursions.
When general Webb had advanced as far as the carry- ing place between Mohawk river and Wood creek, he re- ceived the news of the capture of Oswego. Apprehensive of an attack from the enemy, he began to fell trees and cast them into the river, and to render it impassable, even by canoes. The enemy, ignorant of his numbers, and dreading an attack from him, used the same precaution to prevent his advancing. He was left, therefore, to retreat in the same leisurely manner in which he had advanced.
Lord Loudon now pretended, that the season was too far advanced to attempt any thing against the enemy, though it was now nearly three months to the usual time for the decampment of the army. The troops were ad- vanced to the south end of lake George, and might, at any time, within a very few days, have made an attack on Ti- conderoga and Crown Point.
He spent the remainder of the season in pretended pre- parations for an early campaign the next spring. The forts Edward and William Henry, were made more defen- sible, and furnished with numerous garrisons. The pro- Campaign vincials returned to their respective colonies, and the regu- breaks up, lar troops, who were not employed in the garrisons, went into winter quarters, at Albany. Thus ended the northern campaign of 1756.
The last year the provincials, under their own generals
Compari- and officers, had performed immense labour, in clearing son be- and making roads through a wilderness ; advanced far on tween the the enemy ; erected forts, built ships, many hundreds of campaigns of 1755 boats and batteaux ; defeated one army of the enemy, and and 1756. taken their general captive. They had, also, made grand preparations for the opening of the campaign, at the ear- liest period, this year. They took the field at an early day in the spring, ready for an attack upon the enemy.
* Rider's Hist. vol. xli. p. 15, 21. Wright's History of the French War, vol. ii. p. 17, 18.
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Book HI. But the British generals, with the finest army ever collect- ed before in America, with the advantage of roads and 1756. rivers cleared for their passage to the very enemy, and all the preparations of the last year, lost one of their most im- portant posts, advanced not one foot upon the enemy, nor effected any thing honourable or important.
Conduct of the southern colonies.
The management of affairs in the southern colonies, was not more fortunate than it had been in the northern. Penn- sylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, did not resolve on any regular plan of defence. Fort Grenville, on the confines. of Pennsylvania, was surprised' and taken. The French: and Indians, in small parties, made frequent incursions into the frontier settlements of these colonies, committing many shocking murders on the defenceless inhabitants, without regard to the distinction of character, sex, or age.
General disap- pointment.
In South-Carolina, the slaves were so much more nume- rous than the white inhabitants, that it was judged unsafe for them to spare any of their troops abroad, upon any general enterprise. Great expectations had been formed of the earl of Loudon and general Abercrombie. In the principal towns through which his lordship passed, the first characters flocked round him, and, with great cere- mony, congratulated him on his safe arrival. At New- Haven, the Rev. President Clap, and the principal gentle- men of the town, waited on him, in the most respectful manner. The president presented his lordship with their joint congratulations on the safe arrival of a peer of the realm in North-America. How prodigious, then, was their disappointment, how cutting their chagrin, when they found that these very men, from whom they had expected so much, had disconcerted and dashed all their plans, and had employed ten or twelve thousand men, through the summer, in doing nothing ?- and, through their inactivity, lost more men by idleness and disease, than probably would have been lost in a vigorous, active campaign, in- which they might have engaged in severe and hard fought battles, and have done the most essential services to their country ? It was not difficult to discern that the enemy had nothing to fear, and the colonies nothing to expec !; from such men, but loss and disappointment ..
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CHAP. XVII,
CONNECTICUT.
379
Book II.
1757.
CHAPTER XVII.
Preparations for the campaign in 1757. The plan of opera- tion in America changed, and Louisburg becomes its only object. This was reinforced, and the expedition post- poned. Fort William Henry is taken by the French. The country is alarmed and great reinforcements of the militia sent forward to Albany and fort Edward. The campaign closes with loss and shame. The provincials lose all confidence in the British commanders.
N TOTWITHSTANDING the disappointments of the last year, the British parliament made great prepa- rations this year, for a vigorous prosecution of the war in America. In May, admiral Holbourn and commodore Holmes, sailed from Cork for America, with eleven ships of the line, a fire ship, and bomb ketch, with fifty trans- ports, having on board more than six thousand regular troops. This powerful armament arrived safely at Hali- fax, the ninth of July. The land force came out under general Hopson.
The colonies expecting, after such preparations, that their troops would have been led on directly to the con- quest of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, had been zealous- ly raising their full complement of men. Connecticut, which had raised more than double her proportion, again had her whole quota seasonably raised. Great therefore was the mortification of the colonies when, to their sur- prise, they found that the design against Crown Point was laid aside, and that the reduction of Louisburg was the only object of the expedition. They were unwilling that their troops should be removed out of the colonies and employed against Louisburg. It appeared to them ex- tremely impolitic, after the expense of so much time and money, in preparations for an expedition to the northward, now to lay it aside. Such inconsistency and fluctuation appeared to them childish, and calculated to prevent the accomplishment of any thing decisive or important. Be- side, it did not appear safe for the colonies to draw off their troops. They had not been able, the last year, with an army of nearly twelve thousand men, to maintain their ground. The enemy were now stronger than they were the last year. By the loss of Oswego, all the western country was laid open to their ravages. There was rea- son to fear that the frontier posts would be swept away,
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Book II. one after another, and that all the preparations which had been made for an early attack on the enemy, would be lost 1757. with them. Besides, the enemy would have another year. to fortify and strengthen their posts, and to render the re- duction of them much more hazardous and difficult.
July 9th. The colonies were obliged to submit, and lord Loudon sailed from New-York for Halifax, with six thousand land forces, and there made a junction with Holbourn and Hop- son. Here was now an army of twelve thousand men, ex- clusive of officers, aided by a powerful fleet ; but they Expedition were so dilatory in their measures that, before they were against is given up. ready to sail, the Brest fleet, with seventeen sail of the line, Louisburg besides frigates and transports, arrived at Louisburg. The garrison was so reinforced as to amount to nine thou- sand men. On the reception of this intelligence, it was judged inexpedient to proceed, and the expedition was given up .*
Had the earl of Loudon been a man of enterprise, had he wished to distinguish himself in his majesty's service, or to have rendered himself popular in the colonies, he might have conducted this powerful army to Ticonderoga, and carried all before him, in that quarter. Atleast, he might have sent on large detachments for the defence of the frontiers. With his Prussian majesty, an Amherst, or a Wolfe, these would have been but natural and common atchievements. But he returned leisurely to New-York, and effected nothing.
The British generals, in America, did more, in two years, by the pusillanimity, weakness and inconsistency of their councils, to injure the colonies, than the French could have done with all their force. The provincials would, probably, have advanced to Crown Point the last year, and made themselves masters of the country south of lake Champlain. They would undoubtedly have kept their own posts and prevented the evils which follow- cd. The British generals and officers not only lost Oswe- go, but they destroyed the fortifications at the great carry- ing place ; and filled Wood Creek with logs and trees. They cut off all communication between the colonies and the five nations, the only body of Indians which preserv- ed the appearance of friendship to them. They abandon- ed their whole country to the mercy of the enemy. Noth- ing could be done to prevent their collecting the Indians, from all quarters, to act against the colonies.
Monsieur Montcalm, did not neglect to improve the ad- vantages he had gained, and which the conduct of the Brit-
* Rider's Hist. vol. xlii. p. 6, 7,
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ish generals afforded him. Finding that the troops were Book II. drawn off to Halifax, he at once determined on the siege of fort William Henry, and the destruction of the vessels, 1757. boats, and batteaux, at the south landing of lake George. Bodies of Indians, with his whole force, were collected for this purpose.
Colonel Monroe, who commanded at fort William Hen- ry, having intelligence that an advanced party of the ene- my lay at Ticonderoga, detached colonel Parker with four hundred men to surprise them. Having landed at night, not far distant from the enemy, he sent three boats to re- connoitre, directing them where to meet him in a general rendezvous. The enemy, waylaying and intercepting the boats, obtained a perfect knowledge of the colonel's de- signs, and concerted measures to decoy him into their hands. They laid an ambush behind the point where Colouel they knew he designed to land, and having been reinforced Parker de- to nearly double his numbers, they sent three boats to the feated. place appointed for the general rendezvous. The colonel mistaking them for his own boats, eagerly put to shore, and was instantly surrounded by the enemy. They attack- ed him on all sides with such incessant violence, that sev- enty privates and two officers only made their escape.
Elated with this success, Monsieur Montcalm hastened to the seige of fort William Henry, Having drawn togeth- er all his forces from Crown Point, Ticonderoga, and the adjacent posts, with a greater number of Indians than the French had ever employed on any other occasion, he pas- sed the lake and regularly invested the fort. The whole Fort Will- army consisted of nearly eight thousand men. The gar- iam rison consisted of about three thousand, and the fortifica- Henry be- tions were said to be good. At fort Edward, scarcely four- sieged, teen miles distant, lay general Webb, with four thousand Aug. 3d. troops. The regular troops at the two posts, were proba- bly more than equal to the regular force of the enemy.' A considerable proportion of their army consisted of Canadi- ans and Indians. Yet, in about six days, was this impor- Fort Will- tant post delivered up into the hands of the enemy. All iam the vessels, boats, and batteaux, which, at so much ex- Henry pense and labor, had been for two years preparing, fell taken, Aug. 9th, into the power of the enemy. Though general Webb had timely notice of the approach of the enemy, yet he never sent to alarm the country, and bring on the militia. He never reinforced the garrison, nor made a single motion for its relief. So far was he from this, that he sent a let- ter to colonel Monroe, who commanded the fort, advising him to give it up to the enemy .* Montcalm intercepted * Rider's Hist. vol. xlii. p. 9, 12 : and Wright's Hist. of war, vol. i. p. 41.
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