I also give in full the letter written by Capt. James Murray to his
brother, Mr. Murray of Strowan, dated Albany, July 19, 1758, as
his description of the country and the events during and after the
battle lend color to the picture.[24]
My Dear Brother:--The last letter I wrote you was dated from Fort
Edward camp about 18th June. We proceeded on to Lake George where
Fort William Henry formerly stood which was taken and destroyed
by the French last year, where we remained until the 5th curt.
and then the whole army embarked on the lake in batteaux that
hold 23 men with a month’s provisions all the artillery stores
was likewise embarked, and everything else belonging to an army.
We were divided into brigades. There was in all about 5,000
regulars and 12,000 provincials. We had also light infantry and
rangers who had whale-boats which are the lightest and best going
boats that can be made. We put off about 8 and got fairly into
the lake which I took to be about 20 miles long and not above two
miles at the broadest part of it. There are several small islands
which are quite covered with wood and all around the lake is
very hilly and quite covered with woods, as the most part of the
country is, at least what I have seen on’t.
This lake abounds in fine trout the meat of which is red, pearch,
suckers and several other sorts of fish. There is also plenty
of beavers. On the side of the lake there is plenty of deer but
I have not seen any since I came to the country. Sometimes when
I have been out on command I have killed rattle snakes about
four feet long and as thick as the small of one’s leg, with 18
rattles, which altogether might be about four inches long. They
say some have twenty or more. They have both teeth and a sting.
The rattles being at the tail makes them that they can stand up
on end and spring a short way at one. When touched they make
a great noise with their rattles. Their bite is not so bad as
called for it can be easily cured with oil or salt. They smell
exactly like a goat, rather ranker if possible before they are
seized but afterwards have almost no smell at all. They make the
richest and best soup that can be which I eat of and like much.
The meat is but insipid.
The 6th we disembarked at the lower end of the lake. In the
morning out light infantry and rangers had some skirmishing with
the French pickets. Lord Howe was killed at the second shot and
he is very much regretted. There was taken that day about 150
prisoners, five of whom were officers. They had a great many
killed so that very few of their pickets escaped which consisted
in all of about 350.
The next day being the 7th, we were making preparations to invest
a fort called Theenderora which is five miles from Lake George
and is situate on a neck of land that runs into Lake Champlain.
As to the dimensions of that lake I can’t say, and marched
within a mile and half of it that evening. The next morning the
light infantry made the French sentries and small posts retire to
their entrenchments for the French had an encampment about half
a cannon shot before their fort, and were entrenched after the
following manner: They had large cut trees one laid above another
a man’s height and in the outside there was brush and logs for
about 15 paces from it which made it impossible to force their
breastworks without cannon which we had not taken up that length
as then. They were also under cover of the fort or if we could
beat them out of their trenches, they could have retired pretty
safely.
Between one and two we marched up and attacked the trenches
and got within twenty paces of them and had as hot a fire for
about three hours as possibly could be, we all the time seeing
but their hats and the end of their muskets. About half an hour
before we were obliged to retire I received a shot through my
thigh after which I stayed a few minutes but finding if I stayed
any longer my thigh would turn stiff and losing a great deal of
blood I with help got into the road and that evening with Capt.
Gordon Graham, our paymaster, got into a whaleboat and against
the next morning got to the upper end of Lake George and was
transported down here. I am confined to my bed but the surgeons
say my wound looks as well as can be expected, nor is there any
sort of danger in it as it has only grazed the bone, so I shall
be well soon again. I am in perfect good health, have a good
appetite and sleep tolerably well.
Our regiment has suffered much. There was the captain, lieutenant
and six subalterns killed on the spot and since the major and
the lieutenant have died of their wounds. The colonel, four
captains, and twelve subalterns are wounded. 180 men killed
and 280 wounded. None of the other regiments’ losses were near
so great. Capt. Stewart was not touched, Capt. Sterling nor
Farquharson were not there so are well, but Lieut. Farquharson’s
younger brother was killed. Lieut. David Mills, my lieutenant,
is not ill wounded and is pretty well, so if you would inform
his father-in-law, Mr. Hamilton, of Hutcheson, who stays near
Glasgow, you would oblige me. Neil Stewart at Perth knows him.
I received a letter from Lord John 15th May letting me know you
are all well which gave me a great deal of pleasure but it would
much more so to hear from some of you for it is very long since I
had that satisfaction, the last being at Ireland, for Lord John
wrote me no particulars.
Offer my humble duty to my dear mother and elsewhere due and best
love to dear Lady Charlotte, Lady Sinclair, George, Charlotte and
Invercauld, and my best blessing attend all the young ones. My
kind compliments to Shusy Moray and tell her I had her hair about
my neck when I received my wound which might have probably gone
to my heart if it had not been wounded already.