his ensign and eleven men. He afterwards returned safe with
twenty-three men, and four released prisoners. He is believed to be
the distinguished General Mercer of the United States army, who died
of wounds received in the battle of Princeton in 1776.[26]
The campaign of the succeeding year, 1757, is chiefly memorable in our
annals for the dreadful massacre of the English at Fort William Henry,
on the 9th of August, and which deserves a particular recital. Fort
William Henry was commanded at this time by Colonel Monroe, a British
officer. Being vigorously pressed, and unable to obtain assistance
from General Webb, who was at Fort Edward with the main army, and
having burst many of his guns and mortars, and expended most of his
ammunition, he had no alternative but to surrender. By the
capitulation which was signed, the troops were allowed to retain their
arms, and as a protection against the Indians, were to receive an
escort for their march to Fort Edward. Soon after, a detachment of the
French army took possession of the fort. At the same time, the
Indians, impatient for plunder and blood, rushed over the parapets,
and were ready for operations. Colonel Monroe, perceiving their
object, and dreading to remain within the camp exposed to their
cupidity and vengeance, gave orders for marching about midnight.
Preparations accordingly were made, but it was found that a large body
of Indians was on the road with a view to intercept his march.
Safety, therefore, did not permit them to leave the camp.
Early in the morning they began their march, but their situation was
worse now than it had been before, with the savages threatening and
prowling around them. Armed with tomahawks or other instruments of
death, they filled the woods, and commenced their work of plunder and
butchery upon the retreating British. Monroe complained to the French
commander, and demanded the promised escort. This was not furnished,
probably, as the French themselves feared the Indians; but the British
were advised to yield to the former their private property, as the
means of appeasing the foe, and saving life. This was very generally
done, but it produced no effect, except to increase their rapacity.
Whatever was withheld, they seized, and many were stripped almost
entirely of their clothing, and some even to nudity. They rushed upon
the sick and wounded, whom they killed and scalped; the negroes,
mulattoes, and friendly Indians, were then dragged from the ranks, and
shared the same fate. The English troops, under these circumstances,
did as they could, until they reached a French guard on the way. They
were followed by the insulting, robbing, and murdering savages. "The
women accompanying the troops, unable to resist, were seized, their
throats cut, their bodies ripped open, and their bowels torn out, and
thrown in their faces; the children were taken by the heels, and their
brains dashed out against the rocks and trees; and it is stated that
many of the savages drank the heart's blood of their victims, as it
flowed reeking from the horrid wounds."
General Webb, on receiving intelligence of the capitulation, ordered
five hundred men to meet the captured troops, and conduct them to his
camp; but, to his surprise, instead of meeting the escort, he found
the captives flying, through the woods singly, or in small groups,
some distracted, and many bleeding with dreadful wounds, faint, and in
a state of exhaustion. The whole number massacred and carried off,
was probably not far from three hundred.
The ill successes and losses of several campaigns now roused the
people, both in the parent-country and in the provinces, to the
consideration of more vigorous measures, under more able men.
Accordingly, William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, the greatest statesman of
modern ages, was brought forward at the present crisis, and infused
his own ardent and decisive spirit into the national counsels. He
sympathized with his trans-Atlantic brethren, and assured them, in a
circular which he addressed to the governors of the provinces, that an
effectual force should be sent against the French the next year, to
operate both by sea and land. In connection with such a force, they
were expected to raise their full quotas of troops, according to the
number of the inhabitants. Animated by the favorable change in the
parent-country, the government of Massachusetts voted seven thousand
men, Connecticut five thousand, and New Hampshire three thousand, and
the troops were ready for service in the early part of the year
(1758). An armament of twelve thousand troops having been sent out
from England, commanded by General Amherst, and the British forces
already in America, added to the number of soldiers raised by the
colonies, constituted an army far greater than had been before seen on
this side of the ocean.
The expeditions proposed for the year were three--the first against
_Louisburg_, the second against _Ticonderoga_, and _Crown Point_, and
the third against _Fort Du Quesne_. The feelings of resentment against
the enemy were strong, and the colonists engaged heartily in the
movements; for Canada was filled, so to speak, "with prisoners and
scalps, private plunder, and public stores and provisions, which our
people, as beasts of burden, had conveyed to them." The enterprise
against Louisburg was conducted by the land and naval commanders,
Amherst and Boscawen, with twenty ships of the line, and fourteen
thousand men. As the British minister had in view the absolute
extinction of the French power in America, it was of the highest
importance to take Louisburg, as a key to the possession of the
capital of Canada.
The armament arrived before the place on the 2d of June. The commander
of the garrison, the Chevalier de Drucourt, was an officer of experience
and courage. His force, however, was not large, consisting of
twenty-five hundred regulars, and six hundred militia. But the harbor
was so strongly secured, that it was found necessary to land the English
forces at some distance from the town. The landing was effected with
difficulty, though with little loss. General James Wolfe, who then
commenced his distinguished military career, was detached with two
thousand men to seize a post occupied by the enemy at the Light-house
point, from which the ships in the harbor and the fortifications in the
town might be greatly harassed. The post was abandoned on the approach
of Wolfe, and very strong batteries were erected there. Approaches were
also made on the opposite side of the town, and the siege was urged with
skill and vigor. The cannonade kept up against the town and the ships in
the harbor was so effective, that there seemed to be little prospect of
defending the place, and the government offered to capitulate Louisburg,
with all its artillery, (two hundred and twenty-one pieces of cannon and
eighteen mortars,) and a very large quantity of stores and ammunition;
as also the Island Royal, St. John's, and their dependencies, were
surrendered to the English. The speedy result was also the entire
possession of the island of Cape Breton. The loss to the garrison was
upwards of fifteen hundred men--to the assailants, about four hundred
killed and wounded. In England, the trophies of the victory were
publicly exhibited, and the event was religiously noticed in all the
churches. In New England the joy was great, and the victory there also
commemorated with public thanksgivings.[27]
Of the second expedition, under General Abercrombie, against
Ticonderoga, it may suffice to say, that, notwithstanding its
strength, numbering fifteen thousand troops, with a formidable train
of artillery and the usual appliances, it utterly failed, through the
unskilfulness and rashness of Abercrombie himself. Fort Frontenac,
however, on the return of the army from their dépôt, was besieged and
captured. The success of this last enterprise prepared the way for the
reduction of Fort Du Quesne, the third object of the campaign of 1758.
This expedition was entrusted to General Forbes. The fort, however,
was found to have been abandoned by the French and Indians. It was now
taken possession of by the English, who named it Pittsburg, in
compliment to the British minister. Upon this event, the Indian tribes
on the Ohio submitted to the English. The gloom which spread over the
colonies by the defeat at Ticonderoga, was, in a measure, dissipated
by the successes of Amherst and Forbes.
For the campaign of 1759, three expeditions were proposed--one against
_Ticonderoga_ and _Crown Point_, to be conducted by Amherst--a second
against _Niagara_, under Prideaux--and a third against _Quebec_, to be
conducted by General Wolfe.
On the 22d of July, Amherst, in accordance with the above plan,
invested _Ticonderoga_ with twelve thousand provincials and regulars,
and soon succeeded in capturing that important fortress. Following
this, the village of St. Francis, situated at the mouth of the river
of that name was destroyed.
[Illustration: Destruction of the village of St. Francis.]
It had been the resort of Indian robbers and murderers, where were
deposited the scalps and plundered goods of hundreds of hapless
Englishmen. It was taken and destroyed by a party under Major Rogers,
after a series of adventures and hair-breadth escapes, which have more
the appearance of romance than reality. There was a general
conflagration of the cabins, and out of three hundred inhabitants, two
hundred were killed, twenty women and children captured, and five
English prisoners in the village set free.
The army destined against _Niagara_, was composed principally of
provincials, rëinforced by a strong body of friendly Indians. It was
placed under the command of General Prideaux, who commenced the siege
of the place on the 6th of July. While directing the operations of the
place, he was killed by the bursting of a shell. The command of the
army then fell upon Sir William Johnson, who prosecuted the enterprise
with judgment and vigor. The French, alarmed at the prospect of losing
a post which formed the communication between Canada and Louisiana, in
the mean while, made a strenuous effort to raise the siege, by
collecting a large body of troops from several neighboring garrisons.
These were brought, on the morning of the 24th, in battle array
against the besiegers, ushered in by the horrible sound of the Indian
war-whoop. The French charged with great impetuosity, but the English
maintained their ground, and eventually repulsed them with signal
slaughter. The fate of Niagara was now decided. The next day a
capitulation was signed, and this portion of the country fell into the
hands of the English.
The grand enterprise for the reduction of _Quebec_ was entrusted, as
already noticed, to the gallant and accomplished Wolfe, who sailed
from Halifax early in the season, and near the last of June landed the
whole army on the island of Orleans, a few miles below Quebec. Here
the sight presented to him of the formidable position and works of the
enemy by no means served to encourage expectations of success. But his
resolution and desire of victory overcame every other sentiment.
[Illustration: Quebec.]
"The city of Quebec rose before him upon the north side of the St.
Lawrence; its upper town and strong fortifications situated on a rock,
whose bold and steep front continued far westward parallel with the
river, its base near the shore; thus presenting a wall which it seemed
impossible to scale. From the north-west came down the St. Charles,
entering the St. Lawrence just below the town, its banks high and
uneven, and cut by deep ravines; while armed vessels were borne upon
its waters, and floating batteries obstructed its entrance. A few
miles below, the Montmorenci leaped down the cataract into the St.
Lawrence; and strongly posted along the sloping banks of that river,
and between these two tributaries, the French army, commanded by
Montcalm, displayed its formidable lines."
We necessarily pass over several ineffectual attempts of Wolfe to draw
Montcalm from his strong intrenchments into a general engagement, during
which, and in consequence of excitement under their repeated failure, he
fell sick. When, however, he had so far recovered as to assume the
command, a plan was proposed to him by his generals for getting
possession of the heights in the rear of the city, where it was but
slightly fortified. Could the steep acclivity of rocks be surmounted,
they would be able to reach the level plain above, called the Heights of
Abraham. The plan was altogether congenial to the feelings of the
commander-in-chief, and was put into execution with judgment and vigor.
In pursuance of this plan, Wolfe broke up his camp at Montmorenci, near
the falls of that name, and returned to the island of Orleans, where he
first disembarked. From that spot he determined to push his daring
enterprise. Embarking himself and army on board of the fleet, he
directed Admiral Holmes to sail up the river several miles higher than
the intended point of debarkation, making occasional demonstrations of a
design to land troops. That being accomplished, during the night a
strong detachment in flat-bottomed boats fell down with the tide, to a
point about a mile above the city. The shelving beach, the high
precipitous banks, and the only path by which the place could be scaled,
being defended by a captain's guard and a battery of four guns, all
rendered the landing and ascent of the heights, on the part of the
English, a work of amazing difficulty; yet it was effected, Wolfe
himself being one of the first who leaped on shore.
The whole plan had well nigh been defeated at the water's edge, for
one of the sentinels hailed. But being answered by a captain in
Frazier's regiment, who fully understood the French language, and had
been expressly instructed for the purpose, the latter was suffered to
pass. The sentinel, from the answers given, (for the English were
twice interrogated,) concluded at once that this was a French convoy
of provisions, which was expected to pass down the river to Quebec.
This the English had learned from some deserters. Escaping this
difficulty, they commenced their arduous and perilous task. The
Highlanders and light infantry, under the command of General Howe, led
the way up the fearful precipice, which was one hundred and fifty or
two hundred feet high, an almost perpendicular ascent. They clambered
up by the aid of the projection of rocks, and the limbs of trees and
shrubs growing on the cliffs. They first drove away the guard, and
seized the battery. The rest of the troops pressed on in the difficult
and confined path, and, by day-break, the whole army was planted
firmly on the plains of Abraham.
Montcalm, taken by surprise at this unexpected scaling of the heights,
was forced to abandon his strong position, and come to an engagement.
For this purpose, he crossed the St. Charles, and drew up his army in
battle array. This being perceived by Wolfe, a corresponding movement
was made on the part of the English, and the disposition of the troops
was such as to meet the masterly arrangements of Montcalm. The battle
was commenced by the French, a portion of whose army, consisting of
fifteen hundred Indians and Canadians, who were excellent marksmen,
advanced in front for this purpose. Screened by surrounding thickets,
they aimed with fatal effect at many of the British officers, but this
lasted only a short time. The main body of the French now advancing,
the principal struggle came on in all its fury. The English, reserving
their fire until within forty yards of the enemy's line, then made
terrible havoc among them by a general discharge. This fire was
vigorously maintained until the French yielded to it. General Wolfe
exposed himself in front of his battalion, as also did Montcalm before
his, and both officers paid the price of their bravery. They were in
the sections of the two armies, where the battle was most severe, and
both fell mortally wounded, not far from the same time. There was
another striking coincidence--they who succeeded them in command in
either army, also fell wounded--the Frenchman mortally. When Wolfe
fell, he was pressing on at the head of his grenadiers with fixed
bayonets. It was the third time that he had received a wound; a ball
had now pierced his breast. The respective armies continued in their
strife, as if nothing had happened. After Wolfe and Monckton had been
laid aside, Townsend assumed the command, and the British grenadiers
pressed on with their bayonets. The center of the French army was soon
broken by the brisk advance of General Murray. The Highlanders with
their broad-swords completed the confusion of the enemy, driving them
with great slaughter in different directions. A portion of the French
army fled into Quebec. The enemy was signally defeated, having lost a
thousand men, besides an equal number of prisoners. The loss of the
English, in killed and wounded, was less than six hundred.
The necessary preparations were now made by Townsend for the siege of
the city; but at the expiration of five days, it was surrendered to
the English fleet and army. The capital of Canada, at the time of its
capitulation, contained about ten thousand inhabitants, and thus
having passed under the dominion of Great Britain, was protected by a
garrison of five thousand men, under the command of General Murray.
Wolfe died of his wounds on the field of battle. He manifested "the
ruling passion strong in death." As a touching incident in the annals
of warfare, scarcely any thing can equal it, unless it may be that
which also marked the death of his opponent. He was removed into the
rear almost against his consent, that he might be attended to; but
while others were expressing their sympathy in his behalf, he was
watching the terrific contest with intense anxiety. At length, he
could no longer sustain himself, but, faint with the loss of blood,
he leaned on the shoulder of an officer, who kneeled down to support
him. The agony of death was now upon him. A cry was heard, "They fly,
they fly!" "Who fly?" asked the expiring hero. "The French!" replied
his supporter. "Then I die happy!" he said.
[Illustration: Death of Wolfe.]
Montcalm, too, died in a few hours after, having been first conveyed
into the city. On being told that his wound was mortal, he expressed
his satisfaction at the fact. When further informed that he could
survive but a few hours, he replied, "So much the better: I shall not
live to see the surrender of Quebec."
The French continued in possession of Canada for a time,
notwithstanding the capture of Quebec. Indeed, a second, and more
mortal struggle, was soon to be again witnessed on the Heights of
Abraham. The main body of the French army, which, after its defeat,
retired to Montreal, and which was still formidable, had been
rëinforced by six thousand Canadian militia and a body of Indians.
With these forces, M. de Levi, the successor of Montcalm, appeared
before Quebec, with the design of besieging the fortress. Murray,
whose force had been reduced by the severities of the winter, the want
of proper food, from five thousand to three thousand, left his works,
and met the French near Sillery, and a severe action took place, in
which the advantage was on the side of the French, the English being
obliged to retire within the fortress. The loss on both sides was very
great, being nearly one thousand each; but the battle was productive
of no special results. Levi found it impossible to reduce the place;
and the English, receiving rëinforcements after being closely invested
for a time, it was concluded by the French commander to abandon the
project, and he accordingly returned to Montreal.
As it seemed necessary to try the fortune of another campaign against
the enemy, since, notwithstanding the capture of the French posts in
1759, the province still held out against the British arms, General
Amherst had made arrangements for assembling before Montreal all the
British troops from Lake Ontario, Lake Champlain, and Quebec. The
several armies were early in motion, and so accurately had their
operations been concerted, that Amherst and Murray reached the
vicinity of Montreal on the same day; when Haviland, who commanded a
small force from Crown Point, joined them: the next day, Vaudreuil,
the governor, finding further resistance vain, demanded a
capitulation; and on the 18th of September, 1760, the whole French
possessions in Canada, were surrendered to the British power.
The war still continued in Europe, and a few provincial troops were
raised in 1761 and 1762; but New England remained exempted from all
border hostilities. On the 10th of February, 1763, a general peace was
signed at Paris, and soon after ratified by Great Britain and France.
This was an era of joy to the colonies. They had experienced no such
relief since the commencement of King William's War, in 1689. A few
short intervals of peace had indeed been enjoyed, but during nearly
eighty years, they were generally doomed in every exposed point to
pillage, captivity, and slaughter. Relieved from their miseries and
dangers, they reoccupied their plantations, and new ones were
commenced, and population began to spread with rapidity.
It may be added, and it is due to the colonist to add, that they were
not unmindful of their obligations to that Being by whose fostering
care they had been preserved during so many and so severe trials and
privations. They had put their trust in Him, and he had saved them
from the hands of their foes. Many had indeed fallen--many had
suffered; but now, relieved from foreign invasion and savage butchery,
they united in giving God thanks on a day set apart for the purpose,
and went on their way rejoicing.
[Illustration]
FOOTNOTES:
[25] Holmes' Annals.
[26] Holmes.
[27] Holmes.
IV.--REVOLUTION.
[Illustration: THE REVOLUTION]
I. CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION.
OBJECTS proposed in the Settlement of America--Forms of Government
conducive to Independence--Influence of Expenses--Colonies obliged
to defend themselves, and to defray the Expense of their own Wars
and those of the Mother-country--British system of Taxation
commenced--Writs of Assistance--Stamp Act--Formidable Opposition to
it--Non-importation Act--Arrival of British forces--Boston
Massacre--Destruction of the Gaspee--Destruction of Tea--Boston Port
Bill--Arrival of General Gage--His obnoxious Measures--Meeting of
Congress--Preparations for War--Obstinacy of the King and
Parliament--Crisis arrives--Determination of the Colonists.
The Revolution of America was an extraordinary event; and at the time
of its occurrence was unlooked for, both by the government and nation
of Great Britain. That the colonies had long been dissatisfied with
the measures adopted towards them by the parent-country, and that this
dissatisfaction was gradually increasing, was well known; but the
statesmen on the other side designed, and doubtless supposed, that
they should be able to secure the submission of the colonies to
whatever line of policy they might please to adopt.
But they little understood the American character. Had they reflected
upon the circumstances in which the colonies originated, and their
steady progress in wealth and population, they might well have
anticipated the final result. Certain it was, that oppressive and
coercive measures would only tend to weaken their affection for the
parent-country. Kindness and conciliation might have preserved the
bond of union--indeed, it was possible to have confirmed the colonies
in their regard for the land of their birth; but the line of policy
which could alone have effected that object, was overlooked or
disregarded by British statesmen; and through their infatuated
counsels, they hastened the very event which they so much deplored.
Let us advert to some of the remote and proximate causes, which
brought about this Revolution:
* * * * *