Three weeks passed. James kept his men steadily at work, and even the
scouts allowed that they made great progress. Sometimes they went out
in two parties, with an officer and a scout to each, and their pouches
filled with blank cartridge. Each would do its best to surprise the
other; and, when they met, a mimic fight would take place, the men
sheltering behind trees, and firing only when they obtained a glimpse
of an adversary.
"I did not think that these pipe-clayed soldiers could have been so
spry," Nat said to James. "They have picked up wonderfully, and I
wouldn't mind going into an Indian fight with them. They are improving
with their muskets. Their shooting yesterday wasn't bad, by no means.
In three months' time, they will be as good a lot to handle as any of
the companies of scouts."
Besides the daily exercises, the company did scouting work at night,
ten men being out, by turns, in the woods bordering the lake. At one
o'clock in the morning, on the 19th of March, Nat came into the
officers' tent.
"Captain," he said, "get up. There's something afoot."
"What is it, Nat?" James asked, as he threw off his rugs.
"It's the French, at least I don't see who else it can be. It was my
turn tonight to go round and look after our sentries. When I came to
Jim Bryan, who was stationed just at the edge of the lake, I said to
him, 'Anything new, Jim?' and he says, 'Yes; seems to me as I can hear
a hammering in the woods.' I listens, and sure enough axes were going.
It may be some three miles down. The night is still, and the ice
brought the sound.
"'That's one for you, Jim,' says I. 'Them's axes sure enough.' I stands
and looks, and then a long way down the lake on the left I sees a faint
glare. They had had the sense to light the fires where we couldn't see
them; but there were the lights, sure enough. It's the French, captain,
the redskins would never have made fires like that, and if it had been
a party of our scouts, they would have come on here, and not halted an
hour's tramp away.
"You had best get the troops under arms, captain. Who would have
thought they would have been such fools as to light their fires within
sight of the fort!"
James at once went to Major Eyre's quarters, and aroused him, and in a
few minutes the garrison were all under arms. Their strength, including
James Walsham's corps, and some scouts of the company of John Stark,
numbered three hundred and forty-six men, besides which there were a
hundred and twenty-eight invalids in hospital.
Two hours passed, and then a confused sound, as of a great body of men
moving on the ice, was heard. The ice was bare of snow, and nothing
could be seen, but the cannon on the side facing the lake at once
opened fire, with grape and round shot, in the direction of the sound.
After firing for a few minutes, they were silent. The sound on the ice
could no longer be heard.
"They have taken to the woods," Nat, who had taken up his station next
to James Walsham, said. "It ain't likely they would stop on the ice
with the balls pounding it up."
"Do you think they will attack before morning?" James asked.
"It ain't likely," Nat replied. "They won't know the positions, and,
such a dark night as this, they wouldn't be able to make out anything
about them. If they could have come straight along the ice to the head
of the lake here, they would have made a dash, no doubt; but now they
find we ain't to be caught asleep, I expect they will wait till
morning."
Again the sound of axes was heard in the wood, and the glare of light
appeared above the trees.
"There must be a tidy lot of 'em," Nat said.
"Do you think it will be any use to go out and try to surprise them?"
"Not a bit, captain. They are sure to have a lot of redskins with them,
and they will be lurking in the woods, in hopes that we may try such a
move. No; we have got a strong position here, and can lick them three
to one; but in the woods, except Stark's men, and perhaps yours, none
of the others wouldn't be no good at all."
Mayor Eyre, shortly afterwards, sent for James, who gave him the
opinion of the scout, and the major then ordered the troops to get
under shelter again, leaving Stark's men to act as sentries, for the
night was bitterly cold.
It was not until ten o'clock next day that the French appeared, and,
surrounding the fort on all sides, except on that of the lake, opened
heavy musketry fire upon it. They were a formidable body. Vaudreuil,
the governor of Canada, had spared no pains to make the blow a
successful one. The force had been assembled at Crown Point, and
numbered sixteen hundred regulars, Canadians, and Indians. Everything
needful for their comfort had been provided--overcoats, blankets, bear
skins to sleep on, and tarpaulins to cover them. They had been provided
with twelve days' provisions, which were placed on hand sledges and
drawn by the troops.
They marched, over the ice of Lake Champlain, down to Ticonderoga,
where they rested a week, and constructed three hundred scaling
ladders. Three days' further march, up Lake George, brought them to the
English fort.
The weak point of the expedition was its leader, for Vaudreuil, who was
himself a Canadian, had the greatest jealousy of the French officers,
and had intrusted the command of the expedition to his brother, Rigaud.
The fire did no damage, as the garrison lay sheltered behind their
entrenchments, replying occasionally whenever the enemy mustered in
force, as if with an intention of attacking.
"I don't think they mean business, this time, captain," Nat said in a
tone of disgust. "Why, there are enough of them to eat us, if they
could but make up their minds to come on. They don't suppose they are
going to take William Henry by blazing a way at it half a mile off!"
"Perhaps they are going to make a night attack," James said. "They will
have learned all about the position of our works."
"Maybe so," Nat replied; "but I don't think so. When chaps don't attack
at once, when there are four or five to one, I reckon that they ain't
likely to attack at all. They meant to surprise us, and they haven't,
and it seems to me as it has taken all the heart out of them."
As evening approached, the fire ceased. At nightfall, strong guards
were placed round the entrenchments, and the troops retired to their
quarters, ready to turn out at a minute's notice.
About midnight they were called out. There was again a sound on the
lake. The cannon at once opened, and, as before, all was silent again.
"Look, Walsham, look!" Edwards exclaimed. "They have set fire to the
sloops."
As he spoke, a tongue of flame started up from one of the two vessels
lying in the ice, close to the shore, and, almost simultaneously,
flames shot up from among the boats drawn up on the beach.
"That's redskin work," Nat exclaimed.
"Come, lads," James cried, leaping down from the low earthwork into the
ditch. "Let us save the boats, if we can."
The scouts followed him and ran down to the shore; but the Indians had
done their work well. The two sloops, and many of the boats, were well
alight, and it was evident at once that, long before a hole could be
broken through the ice, and buckets brought down from the fort, they
would be beyond all hopes of saving them.
The French, too, opened fire from the woods bordering the lake, and, as
the light of the flames exposed his men to the enemy's marksmen, James
at once called them back to the fort, and the sloops and boats burned
themselves out.
At noon, next day, the French filed out from the woods on to the ice,
at a distance of over a mile.
"What now?" Edwards exclaimed. "They surely don't mean to be fools
enough to march across the ice to attack us in broad daylight."
"It looks to me," James replied, "as if they wanted to make a full show
of their force. See, there is a white flag, and a party are coming
forward."
An officer and several men advanced towards the fort, and Major Eyre
sent out one of his officers, with an equal number of men, to meet
them. There was a short parley when the parties came together, and then
the French officer advanced towards the fort with the English, his
followers remaining on the ice.
On nearing the fort, the French officer, Le Mercier, chief of the
Canadian artillery, was blindfolded, and led to the room where Major
Eyre, with all the British officers, was awaiting him. The handkerchief
was then removed from his eyes, and he announced to the commandant that
he was the bearer of a message from the officer commanding the French
force, who, being desirous of avoiding an effusion of blood, begged the
English commander to abstain from resistance, which, against a force so
superior to his own, could but be useless. He offered the most
favourable terms, if he would surrender the place peaceably, but said
that if he were driven to make an assault, his Indian allies would
unquestionably massacre the whole garrison.
Major Eyre quietly replied that he intended to defend himself to the
utmost.
The envoy was again blindfolded. When he rejoined the French force, the
latter at once advanced as if to attack the place, but soon halted,
and, leaving the ice, opened a fusillade from the border of the woods,
which they kept up for some hours, the garrison contemptuously
abstaining from any reply.
At night, the French were heard advancing again, the sound coming from
all sides. The garrison stood to their arms, believing that this time
the real attack was about to be made.
Nearer and nearer came the sound, and the garrison, who could see
nothing in the pitchy darkness, fired wherever they could hear a sound.
Presently a bright light burst up. The redskins, provided with faggots
of resinous sticks, had crept up towards some buildings, consisting of
several store houses, a hospital, and saw mill, and the huts and tents
of the rangers, and, having placed their torches against them, set them
on fire and instantly retreated. The garrison could do nothing to save
the buildings, as their efforts, in the absence of water, must be
unavailing, and they would have been shot down by the foe lying beyond
the circle of light. They therefore remained lying behind the
entrenchment, firing wherever they heard the slightest sound, and
momentarily expecting an attack; but morning came without the French
advancing, and the garrison were then able to give their whole
attention to saving the buildings in the fort.
Some great wood stacks had now ignited, and the burning embers fell
thickly on the huts, and for some hours it was only by the greatest
exertions that the troops were able to save the buildings from
destruction. Every moment they expected to be attacked, for, had the
French advanced, the huts must have been left to themselves, in which
case the garrison would have found themselves shelterless, and all
their provisions and stores would have been consumed; but before noon
the danger was over, for not only had the fires begun to burn low, but
a heavy snow storm set in. All day it continued.
"Now would be the time for them to attack," James Walsham said to his
lieutenant. "We can scarce see twenty yards away."
"Now is their chance," Edwards agreed; "but I don't believe in their
attacking. I can't think who they have got in command. He ought to be
shot, a man with such a force as he has, hanging about here for four
days when he could have carried the place, with a rush, any moment."
"No, I don't think they will attack," James replied. "Men who will stop
to light a fire to warm themselves, within sight of an enemy's fort
they want to surprise, are not likely to venture out of shelter of
their blankets in such a snow as this."
All day and all night the snow came down, till the ground was covered
to a depth of over three feet. Early on Tuesday morning, twenty
volunteers of the French regulars made a bold attempt to burn a sloop
building on the stocks, with several storehouses and other structures
near the water, and some hundreds of boats and canoes which were ranged
near them. They succeeded in firing the sloop, and some buildings, but
James, with his scouts, sallied out and forced them to retreat, with
the loss of five of their number; and, by pulling down some of the
huts, prevented the fire spreading.
Next morning the sun rose brightly, and the white sheet of the lake was
dotted with the French, in full retreat for Canada. Their total loss
had been eleven killed and wounded, while, on the English side, seven
men had been wounded, all slightly. Never was a worse conducted or more
futile expedition.
After this affair, the time passed slowly at Fort William Henry. Until
the sun gained strength enough to melt the thick white covering of the
earth, James practised his men in the use of snowshoes, and, as soon as
spring had fairly commenced, resumed the work of scouting. This was
done only as an exercise, for there was no fear that, after such a
humiliating failure, the French would, for some time to come, attempt
another expedition against the fort.
In the autumn of 1756, General Montcalm had come out from France to
take the command of the French troops. Few of the superior officers of
the French army cared to take the command, in a country where the work
was hard and rough, and little glory was to be obtained. Therefore the
minister of war was able, for once, to choose an officer fitted for the
post, instead of being obliged, as usual, to fill up the appointment by
a court favourite.
The Marquis of Montcalm was born at the chateau of Candiac, near Nimes,
on the 29th of February, 1712. At the age of fifteen, up to which time
he had studied hard, he entered the army. Two years later he became a
captain, and was first under fire at the siege of Philipsbourg. In 1736
he married Mademoiselle Du Boulay, who brought him influential
connections and some property. In 1741 Montcalm took part in the
campaign in Bohemia. Two years later he was made colonel, and passed
unharmed through the severe campaign of 1744.
In the following year he fought in the campaign in Italy, and, in 1746,
was wounded at the disastrous action at Piacenza, where he twice
rallied his regiment, received five sabre cuts, and was made prisoner.
He was soon liberated on parole, and was promoted, in the following
year, to the rank of brigadier general, and, being exchanged for an
officer of similar rank, rejoined the army, and was again wounded by a
musket shot. Shortly afterwards the peace of Aix la Chapelle was
signed, and Montcalm remained living quietly with his family, to whom
he was tenderly attached, until informed, by the minister of war, that
he had selected him to command the troops in North America, with the
rank of major general. The Chevalier de Levis was appointed second in
command.
No sooner did Montcalm arrive in America, than difficulties arose
between him and the Marquis de Vaudreuil, the governor, who had hoped
to have himself received the appointment of commander of the French
forces, and who, in virtue of his office, commanded the Canadian
militia.
From first to last this man opposed and thwarted Montcalm, doing all in
his power to injure him, by reports to France in his disfavour. The
misfortunes which befell France during the war were, in no slight
degree, due to this divided authority, and to the obstacles thrown in
the way of Montcalm by the governor.
Montcalm's first blow against the English was struck in August, 1756,
six months before the attack on Fort William Henry, which had been
arranged by Vaudreuil. Three battalions of regular troops, with 700
Canadians and 250 Indians, with a strong force of artillery, were
quietly concentrated at Fort Frontenac, and were intended for an attack
upon the important English post of Oswego. Fighting had been going on
in this neighbourhood for some time, and it was from Oswego that
Shirley had intended to act against Niagara and Frontenac. That
enterprise had fallen through, owing to Shirley having been deprived of
the command; but a sharp fight had taken place between Colonel
Bradstreet and his armed boatmen, and 1100 French, who were beaten off.
Oswego was a place of extreme importance. It was the only English post
on Ontario, situated as it was towards the southwest corner of the
lake. So long as it remained in their possession, it was a standing
menace against the whole line of communications of the French with the
south. Owing to gross neglect, the fort had never been placed in a
really defensive condition. The garrison was small, and crippled with
the fever, which had carried off great numbers of them. The remainder
were ill fed and discontented.
On the 12th of August, the Earl of London sent Colonel Webb, with the
44th Regiment and some of Bradstreet's boatmen, to reinforce Oswego.
They should have started a month before, and, had they done so, would
have been in time; but confusion and misunderstanding had arisen from a
change in command. Webb had scarcely made half his march, when tidings
of the disaster met him, and he at once fell back with the greatest
precipitation.
At midnight on the 10th, Montcalm had landed his force within half a
league of the first English fort. Four cannon were at once landed, and
a battery thrown up, and so careless of danger were the garrison, that
it was not till the morning that the invaders were discovered. Two
armed vessels at once sailed down to cannonade them; but their light
guns were no match for the heavy artillery of the French, and they were
forced to retire.
The attack was commenced without delay. The Indians and Canadians,
swarming in the forest round the fort, kept up a hot fire upon it. By
nightfall the first parallel was marked out at 180 yards from the
rampart.
Fort Ontario, considered the strongest of the three forts at Oswego,
stood on a high plateau on the right side of the river, where it
entered the lake. It was in the shape of a star, and formed of a
palisade of trunks of trees set upright in the ground, hewn flat on
both sides, and closely fitted together--an excellent defence against
musketry, but worthless against artillery. The garrison of the fort,
370 in number, had eight small cannon and a mortar, with which, all
next day, they kept up a brisk fire against the battery which the
French were throwing up, and arming with twenty-six pieces of heavy
artillery.
Colonel Mercer, the commandant of Oswego, saw at once that the French
artillery would, as soon as they opened fire, blow the stockade into
pieces, and thinking it better to lose the fort, alone, than the fort
and its garrison, he sent boats across the river after nightfall, and
the garrison, having spiked their guns, and thrown their ammunition
into the well, crossed the river, unperceived by the French.
But Oswego was in no position for defence. Fort Pepperell stood on the
mouth of the river, facing Fort Ontario. Towards the west and south the
place was protected by an outer line of earthworks, mounted with
cannon, but the side facing the river was wholly exposed, in the belief
that Fort Ontario would prevent any attack in this direction.
Montcalm lost no time. The next evening, his whole force set to work
throwing up a battery, at the edge of the rising ground on which Fort
Ontario stood, and, by daybreak, twenty heavy guns were in position,
and at once opened fire. The grape and round shot swept the English
position, smashing down the mud-built walls, crashing through the
stockades, and carrying destruction among the troops. The latter made a
shelter of pork barrels, three high and three deep, and planted cannon
behind them, and returned the enemy's fire; but the Canadians and
Indians had crossed the river, by a ford two miles up, and soon opened
fire from all sides.
Colonel Mercer, who had bravely led his men, and inspired them by his
example, was cut in two by a cannon shot, and the garrison were seized
with despair. A council of officers was held, and the garrison
surrendered as prisoners of war, to the number of sixteen hundred,
which included sick, the sailors belonging to the shipping, labourers,
and upwards of a hundred women.
Montcalm had the greatest difficulty in preventing the Indians, by
means of threats, promises, and presents, from massacring the
prisoners. Oswego was burned to the ground, the forts and vessels on
the stocks destroyed, and, the place having been made a desert, the
army returned with their prisoners and spoil to Montreal.
The loss of Oswego had inflicted a very severe blow to the influence
and prestige of England, among the Indians of the lake districts, but
this was partly restored by the failure of the French expedition
against William Henry, early in the following spring.
The expedition against Louisbourg, to strengthen which the western
frontier had been denuded of troops, proved a failure. A great delay
had taken place at home, in consequence of ministerial changes, and it
was not until the 5th of May that fifteen ships of the line and three
frigates, under Admiral Holbourne, with 5000 troops on board, sailed
from England for Halifax, where Loudon was to meet him with the forces
from the colony. But, while the English fleet had been delaying, the
French government had obtained information of its destination, and had
sent three French squadrons across the Atlantic to Louisbourg.
It was the 10th of July before the united English force assembled at
Halifax, and there fresh delays arose. The troops, nearly twelve
thousand in number, were landed, and weeks were spent in idle drill.
At the beginning of August the forces were again embarked, when a sloop
came in from Newfoundland, bringing letters which had been captured on
board a French ship. From these, it appeared that there were twenty-two
ships of the line, besides several frigates, in the harbour of
Louisbourg, and that 7000 troops were in garrison, in what was by far
the strongest fortress on the continent.
Success was now impossible, and the enterprise was abandoned. Loudon,
with his troops, sailed back to New York; and Admiral Holbourne, who
had been joined by four additional ships, sailed for Louisbourg, in
hopes that the French fleet would come out and fight him. He cruised
for some time off the port, but Lamotte, the French admiral, would not
come out.
In September, a tremendous gale burst upon the British fleet: one ship
was dashed on the rocks, a short distance from Louisbourg, and only a
sudden shift of the wind saved the rest from a total destruction. Nine
were dismasted, and others threw their cannon into the sea. Had Lamotte
sailed out on the following day, the English fleet was at his mercy.
Fortunately he did not do so, and Holbourne returned to England.
The French in Canada were aware that Loudon had gathered all his troops
at New York, and was preparing for an expedition, which was to be aided
by a fleet from England; but, thinking it probable that it was directed
against Quebec, the most vital point in Canada, since its occupation by
the English would entirely cut the colony off from France, Montcalm was
obliged to keep his forces in hand near that town, and was unable to
take advantage of the unprotected state in which Loudon had left the
frontier of the colonies.
As soon, however, as, by despatch received from France, and by the
statements of prisoners captured by the Indians on the frontier,
Montcalm learned that the expedition, which had just left New York, was
destined for Louisbourg, he was at liberty to utilize his army for the
invasion of the defenceless colonies, and he determined to commence the
campaign by the capture of Fort William Henry.
James Walsham, with his company of Royal Scouts, had spent the spring
at Fort William Henry. Loudon had, at first, sent an order for the
corps to be broken up, and the men to rejoin their respective
regiments, and to accompany them on the expedition; but the earnest
representations of Colonel Monro of the 35th Regiment, who was now in
command, of the total inadequacy of the garrison to defend itself,
should a serious attack be made from Ticonderoga; and of the great
value to him of the corps under Captain Walsham, which was now
thoroughly trained in forest fighting, induced him to countermand the
order.
James was glad that he was not obliged to rejoin his regiment. The
independent command was a pleasant one, and although life at Fort
William Henry had, since the French repulse, been an uneventful one,
there was plenty of fishing in the lake, and shooting in the woods, to
vary the monotony of drill.
He and Edwards were now both expert canoemen, and often ventured far
down the lake, taking with them one or other of the scouts, and keeping
a sharp lookout among the woods on either side for signs of the enemy.
Once or twice they were chased by Indian canoes, but always succeeded
in distancing them.
"The news has just come in that the expedition has sailed," James said
as he one day, towards the end of July, entered the hut which he now
occupied with Edwards; for the corps had long since been put under
huts, these being better suited for the hot season than tents.
"It is rather a nuisance," Edwards grumbled, "being kept here, instead
of going and taking share in a big siege."
"Don't be impatient, Edwards," James replied. "If I am not greatly
mistaken, you will have quite as much fighting as you want here before
long. Montcalm's sudden attack on Oswego last autumn showed that he is
an enterprising general, and I have no doubt that, as soon as he learns
that Loudon's expedition is not intended for Quebec, he will be beating
us up on the frontier with a vengeance."
Montcalm, indeed, had already prepared to strike a blow. A thousand
Indians, lured by the prospect of gifts, scalps, and plunder, had come
in from the west and north, and were encamped near Montreal; and,
besides these, there were the Mission Indians, and those of the Five
Nations who adhered to France.
Early in July, the movement began. Day after day, fleets of boats and
canoes rowed up Lake Champlain, and, towards the end of the month, the
whole force was gathered at Ticonderoga. Here were now collected eight
thousand men, of whom two thousand were Indians, representing forty-one
tribes and sub-tribes: among them were Iroquois, Hurons, Nipissings,
Abenakis, Algonkins, Micmacs, and Malecites. These were all nominal
Christians, and counted eight hundred warriors. With them were the
western Indians: Ojibwas, Mississagas, Pottawattamies, Menomonies,
Sacs, Foxes, Winnebagoes, Miamis, and Iowas. These were still
unconverted.
The French held these savage allies in abhorrence. Their drunkenness,
their turbulence, their contempt of all orders, their cruelty to their
captives, and their cannibalism, disgusted and shocked Montcalm and his
officers; but they were powerless to restrain them, for without them as
scouts, guides, and eyes in the forests, the French could have done
nothing, and, at the slightest remonstrance, the Indians were ready to
take offence, and to march away to their distant homes.
The letters of Montcalm and his officers, to their friends, were full
of disgust at the doings of their savage allies, and of regret that
they could not dispense with their services, or restrain their
ferocity. Vaudreuil and the Canadians, on the other hand, accustomed to
the traditions of savage warfare, made no attempt whatever to check the
ferocity of the Indians, and were, indeed, the instigators of the raids
which the savages made upon the unprotected villages and settlements on
the frontier; offered rewards for scalps, and wrote and talked
gleefully of the horrible atrocities committed upon the colonists.