USA > Connecticut > The history of Connecticut, from the first settlement to the present time > Part 20
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The expedition against Fort Frontignac, under Governor Shirley, had been quite unsuccessful. He was unable to set out from Albany until the
291
HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
1756.]
middle of July, and reached the mouth of Oswego River on the 18th of August. He got a supply of boats to go to Niagara : but, for want of pro- visions, was unable to proceed ; and spent his time in building Forts Oswego and Ontario. Thus ended the first campaign of the war.
CHAPTER XXXV. 1756.
War now declared after a bloody Campaign in America .- Earl of Loudon Commander-in-chief .- Plan of Operations .- De- lays .- Fort Oswego taken by the French under the Marquis of Montcalm .- General Abercrombie does not proceed against Crown Point .- The Campaign of 1757 .- The British Minis- try send out only a Squadron of Ships to attack Louisburg, which attempts nothing .- No sufficient Force being prepared at Lake George, Montcalm takes Fort William Henry .- The Massacre .- Inhumanity of General Webb.
IT is remarkable that France had proceeded to the hostile measures which led the colonies and Eng- land into the campaign of 1755 without any dec. laration of war. England waited until the 18th of May, 1756, when she declared it ; and France fol- lowed her example early in June. The Earl of Loudon was sent to America to take the general command, as well as to be governor of Virginia and chief of a royal American regiment. He en- joyed great popularity, and was invested with very extensive powers. Governor Shirley was also re- moved, and General Abercrombie appointed in his stead. The northern colonies made another great exertion, and assembled 7000 troops ; and Connec- ticut alone raised 2000 men, although Loudon de-
292
SIEGE OF FORT ONONDAGA.
[1756.
manded only half that number : for it was appre- hended that there would be a deficiency in the southern levies. The two English commanders, however, arrived late, and proved to be wanting in that very spirit which animated the people and gov- ernments.
It was agreed, in a general council held at New- York, that the northern troops, with some regulars, should operate against Crown Point and Niagara ; and a body of soldiers were sent up the Kennebeck River to alarm Quebec, and draw off the French to that quarter. To the Southerners was again assigned the taking of Fort Du Quesne, to prevent the farther extension of the line of the enemy in the west, while the Northerners were to cut it through at the two points on Lakes Champlain and Ontario. Of these two it is perhaps difficult to say which was the more important. Crown Point was a position of encroachment on the English : Frontignac was one of communication with the In- dians far in the interior. In the passage between Lakes Erie and Ontario, there was the carrying- place.
General Abercrombie did not reach Albany un- til the middle of summer ; and then, although he had 10,000 men there, and 2000 more at the forts beyond him, he remained inactive, although the French and Indians had taken and massacred an English garrison of 25 men in the country of the Five Nations, and attempted to cut off Colonel Bradstreet and a detachment on Onondaga River. Onondaga Fort was besieged by the French, under the Marquis of Montcalm, with about 3000 men. The approaches were guarded by land and water : but no relief was sent until the 12th of August,
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
1757.]
which was entirely useless, as the place surrender- ed on the 14th. The loss was very great : the French took 121 cannon, 14 mortars, two sloops- of-war, 200 boats, a large supply of provisions and ammunition, and 1600 prisoners of war. The fort was dismantled, and the enemy retired with their booty, as the middle and western parts of New- York, then the country of the Five Nations, was entirely open to them.
Abercrombie attempted nothing farther that season, although General Winslow had long been waiting at Lake George, with 7000 men, ready to proceed against Ticonderoga and Crown Point. These troops were therefore employed only in strengthening Fort Edward and Fort George. On the approach of winter the provincials returned home, after an arduous campaign, which had been rendered unavailing by the British commanders.
In the South nothing had been done. South Carolina feared her own slaves more than the French, and sent no troops; and the other colo. nies agreed on no plan of operations : so that the enemy captured Fort Grenville on the borders of Pennsylvania, and the Indians committed many murders on the frontiers.
The British government made new preparations in 1757, and sent to Halifax 11 ships of the line, a fireship, bombketch, and fifty transports, with more than 6000 troops, under General Hopson. Admiral Holbourn and Commodore Holmes were the naval commanders. Connecticut again prompt- ly raised double the number of troops required, and shared in the general chagrin on learning that nothing was designed except the capture of Louis-
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[1757.
MASSACRE AT FORT WM. HENRY.
burg. Even this was not attempted : for the English commanders delayed until that fortress received a strong re-enforcement from France ; so that it amounted to 9000 men, while the British had 12,000.
And now the French were tempted to advance into the heart of our country, by the absence of the usual powerful forces to resist them. The British commanders had destroyed the fortifica- tions at the Great Carrying-place the year before, and felled trees into Wood Creek to obstruct the navigation ; and only a small force was to be found in that neighbourhood, viz., that in Fort William Henry, under Colonel Monroe. The French ad. vance had already reached Ticonderoga ; when Colonel Parker was sent with 400 men to surprise them, but they were cut off almost to a man by a stratagem of the enemy. The French, under Montcalm, now advanced to the siege of Fort William Henry with nearly 8000 men, many of whom were Indians. The fort contained only 3600 : but at Fort Edward lay General Webb, with 4000 more ; and he might have enabled the besieged to cope with the enemy at least on equal terms. But his conduct is inexplicable : for, when he received an urgent appeal from Colonel Monroe to hasten to his aid, he coolly ordered his troops back to their quarters, though many of them were so burning with desire to march, that they actually wept with agony for their friends so basely aban- doned. Webb even advised Monroe to surren- der to the enemy. This he was compelled to do, after defending himself as long as possible ; and the garrison marched out, under promises of pro-
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1758.] HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
tection, leaving their arms, as well as their prop- erty, with the enemy. After they had proceeded about half a mile, however, the Indians attacked them with yells, and murdered and scalped great numbers, including women and children, and pur- sued the rest fourteen miles, to Fort Edward. Webb now, for the first time, called on the colo- nies for assistance, and put them to great expense in sending troops.
The news of these melancholy and shameful events caused a deep sensation. Connecticut in a few days had 5000 men on the march for that blood-stained region, although she had already de- spatched 1400. Other colonies showed great zeal : but still Webb remained inactive, while the French destroyed the towns on the Mohawk River.
CHAPTER XXXVI. 1758-59.
Mr. Pitt Prime Minister of England .- His Energy .- Campaign of 1758 .- Preparations for the entire Reduction of the French Power in Canada .- Admiral Boscawen and General Wolfe attack Louisburg .- It Capitulates .- Lord Howe is killed at Lake George .- Abercrombie's unskilful and unsuccessful At- tempt against Ticonderoga .- He retreats .- Fort Frontignac taken by Colonel Bradstreet .- General Forbes captures Fort Du Quesne .- The Campaign of 1759 .- General Amherst ex- pels the French from Ticonderoga and Crown Point .- Builds a Fortress at the latter Place .- Fort Niagara taken by General Johnson. - General Wolfe sails to Quebec with Adınıral Saunders .- Repulsed at Montmorency .- Scales the Precipice to the Heights of Abraham .- Defeats the Marquis of Mont- calm .- Quebec Capitulates .- General Amherst, with 10,000 Men, proceeds by Oswego to Montreal .- Takes that City .- The Marquis of Vaudreuil surrenders all Canada to England.
Ir was time that some change should be made in the British cabinet, whose mismanagement had brought
296
CAPTURE OF LOUISBURG.
[1758.
such severe and repeated losses on the Americans. The next year Mr. Pitt came into office ; and his energetic ministry soon gave a new face to affairs on both sides of the Atlantic. At a meeting of the General Assembly at New-Haven on the 8th of March, 1758, a letter from that great statesman was read, which, by its unusual tone and spirit, quite reanimated the members. He announced that the reduction of Louisburg was now to be un- dertaken in earnest, to intercept the communication between France and Canada, and to deprive the enemy of the fisheries ; and that energetic means would be used to gain Crown Point and Du Quesne. It was immediately determined by the Assembly that 5000 men should be raised, and formed into four regiments of twelve companies each, under the command of Colonels Whiting, Dyar, and Read, with chaplains for all. £30,000 was issued in bills at five per cent., and a tax laid of 8d. on the pound on the list of 1760, and 9d. on the pound on that of 1759.
The British fleet of 157 sail, with 17,000 troops, sailed from England on the 19th of February, un- der Admiral Boscawen, with land forces under General Amherst and Brigadier-general Wolfe ; and reached Louisburg on the 2d of June. The weather prevented a landing until the 8th; when General Wolfe took the left wing to the shore in the face of a heavy cannonade from the enemy's batteries, while the fleet poured in all her fire along the extended line. The English soon drove the French from the left, and occupied that part of their outworks; and thus were able to commence digging their approaches towards the fortress.
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1758.]
HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
They had to endure much opposition, and to dig in wet and difficult ground, exposed to the fire of five French ships of the line and several frigates, until the 21st of July. On that day three of them were burn- ed; and General Amherst, having got near to the town and set several buildings on fire with bomb. shells, sent 600 men, on the night of the 25th, to de- stroy the remaining ships. This having been done, the fortress capitulated, and 5737 men became pris- oners of war. The English thus gained 121 can- non, 18 mortars, much ammunition and stores ; and, St. John's being given up at the same time, the whole coast up to the St. Lawrence fell into their hands.
In the mean time, a powerful expedition had been embarked on Lake George. Lord Howe had set out for Ticonderoga with 900 batteaux, 135 whale- boats, and several cannon-rafts, containing 10,000 troops of the northern colonies, and above 6000 regulars. Being sensible, and of a good disposi- tion, he had, ere this, greatly ingratiated himself with the army, by conforming to the American habits of warfare, treating the provincial, as well as the regular officers, with regard, and sharing in the excitement and labours of actual service. After landing, the advance became bewildered in the forest, where they met with a party of the enemy on their retreat from Ticonderoga ; and a hasty vol- ley from them killed the young general, while the yells of the savages among them threw the regu- lars into disorder. The army proceeded ; and, on reaching the enemy's line, imprudently attacked it, without waiting for their cannon, in opposition to the wishes of the Americans. As it was defended
298
FORT DU QUESNE TAKEN.
[1758.
by an abatis of trees unstripped of their branches, and the garrison fought with resolution for four hours, the assailants lost nearly 2000 men, count- ing the wounded, without being able to force a passage, and were then ordered back to their boats. The attack and retreat were directed in the blind- est manner by General Abercrombie, who remain- ed at the Creek Mills, and never saw the field of action ; and the provincials were still as much op- posed to the one as to the other : for there were still about 14,000 men and a train of artillery to be employed against only 3000 of the enemy.
This new misfortune was partly counterpoised by the capture and destruction of Fort Frontignac, which was taken by surprise on the 27th of Au- gust by Colonel Bradstreet. That enterprising of- ficer solicited permission to make an attempt against it, and obtained from Abercrombie 3000 American troops. With these he proceeded, in about a month, to Lake Ontario and the head of the St. Lawrence, where the fort was situated. He captured 60 cannon, 16 small mortars, the whole French squadron on the lake, and a great amount of stores and ammunition : thus cutting off an important link in the enemy's grand line of mil- itary posts, and delivering the colony of New-York from danger. The spoil was brought to Oswego.
In the mean time, General Amherst had arrived from Louisburg at Lake George, having marched across the country from Boston with six regiments, intending to prosecute the plan against Crown Point. But, finding Colonel Bradstreet's detach- ment drawn off, he postponed it for that season.
General Forbes, in his expedition against Fort
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1758.] HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
Du Quesne, met with entire success. He unhap- pily lost 300 men of an advanced detachment : but his powerful army induced the French to destroy and evacuate the fortress, and flee down the Mis- sissippi, so that he occupied the ruins without firing a gun, and dispossessed the enemy of it for ever. When it was rebuilt he gave it the name of Fort Pitt, after the energetic British minister un- der whose auspices he had accomplished this im- portant enterprise. Previously to this, viz., on the 8th of October, a treaty of peace was made with the Western Indians, by which all who inhabited the region from the lakes to the Alleghany Mount- ains bound themselves to be the friends of the col- onies.
The results of the campaign of 1758 were well calculated to confirm the Americans in the opin- ion that their own generals were better than the English. In all human probability, if left to them- selves, they would have gained great advantages, in the three past years, wherever they had failed, their foreign leaders having brought upon them the disappointments and calamities which they had suffered, through want of skill or cowardice. The conviction of this was well calculated to foster those feelings of independence, which led them to resist the oppressive measures of the British govern- ment at a subsequent and still more important pe- riod of our history. Still, a better class of Brit- ish officers had now begun to appear ; and from these the Americans learned important lessons, to which they were probably, in part, indebted for the skill and science of some of the measures taken in the Revolutionary War. Some of them contract-,
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TICONDEROGA TAKEN.
[1759.
ed intimate friendships with British officers of the most estimable characters, which gave occasion to the display of that humanity and martial courtesy which were then generally observed by our army in proper circumstances. Washington was at this time at the right period of life to learn ; and he doubtless treasured up much practical wisdom, which so disinterested a soldier could derive from the faults as well as the excellences of others.
But now a still more energetic and decisive cam- paign approached : for the British ministry had re- solved to attempt in earnest the total reduction of the French power in Canada ; and the year 1759 saw threc expeditions preparing against Quebec, Crown Point, and Niagara. The Assembly of Connecticut, notwithstanding the loss of many of her soldiers, and the enlistment of others in the regular army, determined to furnish 6000 men for this year, in four regiments of ten companies, under Major-general Lyman, Colonels Whiting, Wooster, and Fitch. Israel Putnam, the cele- brated General Putnam of the Revolution, was lieutenant-colonel of the fourth regiment. The chaplains were the Reverend Messrs. Beckwith, Eels, Ingersoll, and Pomeroy. To raise money, £50,000 was issued in bills at 5 per cent., and a tax was laid of 10d. per pound on the list of 1762, and one of 2d. on that of 1761. The bounty to soldiers was raised to £7.
On the 27th of July, 1759, there was a tremen. dous explosion at Ticonderoga. General Amherst was within the advanced lines, with 12,000 men, operating against the fortress, when the enemy blew up their magazine, and retired to Crown
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1759.] HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
Point. Being pursued, they abandoned that place on the 1st of August, and took a stand at the Isle-aux-Noix. There 3500 men strongly forti- fied themselves under General Boulemaque ; while Captain Le Bras commanded four large armed ships on Lake Champlain. To cope with the lat- ter, Captain Loring was directed to construct a sloop of sixteen guns, and a radeau or raft eighty- four feet long, to carry six twenty-four pounders ; and, in the mean time, General Amherst employed the army in repairing Ticonderoga, and building a regular pentagonal fortress at Crown Point, to put an effectual check to those marauding and scalping parties from which the frontiers had suf- fered so much.
While these active scenes were passing on Lake Champlain, Fort Niagara was besieged by General Prideaux, with the Indians under Sir William John- son. But, on the 8th of July, a cohorn burst by accident and killed the former, whence the com- mand devolved on the latter; and he pressed the siege with so much energy, that on the 12th his artillery was within 100 yards of the fort. The French general, Aubry, had called in all the neigh- bouring garrisons to his assistance ; and Johnson soon found them advancing against him, with 1700 Indians. He sent his light infantry to meet them, with as many grenadiers as could be safely with- drawn from the approaches; and, having posted them on the road, flanked with friendly Indians, they received the attack of the enemy unintimidated by the yells of the savages. After an action of an hour the French and their allies broke and fled, and were pursued with slaughter five miles. The
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302
WOLFE INVADES CANADA.
[1759.
fort immediately surrendered ; and, while the men were sent to New-York and New-England, the women and children were transported to Montreal, at their own desire.
We have still one more expedition to notice, and that the most important in its success, viz., that conducted by General Wolfe against Quebec. With the hope of intercepting the French fleet, and preventing the supplies it contained from re- enforcing that city, Admiral Saunders had brought over the British fleet to Louisburg in April, 1750, and sent Rear-admiral Durel to cruize off the St. Lawrence. Seventeen ships, convoyed by three frigates, however, arrived first, and proceeded up that river. Admiral Saunders followed as soon as the season permitted, landed his troops on the Is- and of Orleans, a little below Quebec, occupied the east bank of Montmorency River and Point Levi, and began a cannonade upon the lower part of the city. The fleet was stationed below, opposite the mouth of Montmorency River; while Admi- ral Holmes lay above, constantly exposed to much danger by the floating fire-rafts sent down by the enemy, and with no prospect of reducing the city. An attempt was made to take the enemy's batteries on the west side of the Montmorency, by landing thirteen companies of grenadiers and 200 Ameri- cans, and firing from a ship. But the English ad- vance having imprudently pressed up the steep hill before all was ready, were forced back by a terri. ble fire from above ; and a delay in landing, with the dangers of a high wind, caused the abandonment of the undertaking, after the loss of 500 men. Ill suc- cess attended an attempt made to burn the French
1754.]
HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
303
shipping ; and, after much manœuvring and some despondency, the English troops embarked in boats and transports, and proceeded eight or nine miles up the river, while the armed ships also made a feint, as if preparing to fire on the intrenchments at Beaufort. In the night, however, General Wolfe drifted silently down with his troops, and landed at the foot of the rocky precipice which borders the river for a considerable distance above Quebec. He had but a narrow strip of land to stand upon, and the heights were considered by the enemy as inaccessible : but, with great difficulty, he got his men up to the beautiful level ground above, called the Heights of Abraham ; and the light of the morning showed his army in the rear of the city and above it. Montcalm marched out to meet him; and a bloody battle ensued, in which the French were routed and driven into the city. Generals Wolfe and Monckton, however, were among the killed, with 500 soldiers. The French lost Montcalm and about 1500 of their troops. General Bougainville had not strength enough to hazard a serious engagement ; and Quebec sur- rendered on the 18th of September, after the Eng- lish had made preparations to besiege the city closely by land and water.
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The terms on which this important city was given up to the English were these : that the in- habitants should be secured in their property, reli- gion, and rights until a general pacification should be made ; and the garrison should march out with the honours of war. The traveller in Lower Canada at the present day hardly needs to be told that these stipulations, which were afterward made
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CAPITULATION OF CANADA.
[1760.
for the people of all Lower Canada, have been strictly regarded from that time to this : for the aspect of the country is very much like that of the South of Europe, both intellectually and morally. The same customs prevail ; and the old influence (namely, that of the Dark Ages) still predominates, though it is somewhat reduced. The British gov- ernment pays large sums for the support of the bishops ; and the public ceremonies of their faith are treated with marked respect. The ancient system renders land-claims very uncertain ; and in education, knowledge, and improvement, the peo- ple are far behind their neighbours : indeed, they have hardly begun to make any important changes in their condition.
Little, it was thought, remained to be done after the reduction of Quebec. General Murray occu- pied it with 5000 regular and some light troops, while about 1000 of the enemy were taken to France. On Lake Champlain, all the French ves- sels were destroyed, except one, by Captain Loring ; and General Amherst spent the winter in building the fort at Crown Point. Monsieur Levi made great preparations in the winter to retake Que- bec, but was prevented by the activity of General Murray. On the 28th of April, however, the bat- tle of Sillery was fought, in which the inferior numbers of the English brought upon them a de- feat, and they were driven back and besieged in the city. But a British fleet arrived in May, in time to drive off the French ships, relieve the gar- rison, and raise the siege.
Before this, in March, the colonies had raised 1 another army, to which Connecticut sent 5000
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1760.] HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
men under General Lyman ; and General Am- herst set out for Montreal in June, by the way of Oswego and Lake Ontario, with 10,000 troops, be- sides 1000 Indians under General Johnson. In vessels and batteaux, which had been prepared in good time, he transported them to Montreal by the St. Lawrence, captured Isle Royale, passed the dangerous rapids with the loss of 90 men, and was soon joined by General Haviland from Lake George and Lake Champlain, and General Mur- ray, with the English fleet, and all the troops he could safely bring from Quebec. The Marquis de Vaudreuil despaired of resistance when he saw so powerful a force around him, and capitulated on the 8th of September, two days after the arrival of the enemy. The capitulation included all the country of Canada, and was founded on the prin- ciples of that of Quebec. It allowed the troops the honours of war, and the privilege of being transported to France, but under promise not to serve during the war. Property, safety, and their religion were secured to all the people.
After garrisoning the distant posts of Detroit and Michilimackinac, General Amherst took his army by the way it had come, with great risk and labour, but with great success. In the mean time. a small fleet, which had been sent from France in the spring, too late to relieve Quebec, had anchored in the Bay of Chaleur and landed the troops. ho- ping to re-enforce the army in Canada. They were captured in the summer by Lord Byron ; and thus not a spot was left in possession of France in this part of the continent.
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