In the war which followed, La Presentation became a point of outfit and rendezvous for many of the war parties that laid waste the frontier settlements of the English, from which they usually returned bringing prisoners and scalps, Many of these expeditions were led by Picquet himself. Thomas Mante in his history of the French war, says:

"As to the Abbé Picquet, who distinguished himself so much by his brutal zeal, as he did not expose himself to any danger, he received no injury; and he yet lives justly despised to such a degree by every one who knows anything of his past conduct in America, that scarce any officer will admit him to his table. However repugnant it must be to every idea of honor and humanity, not to give quarter to an enemy, when subdued, it must be infinitely more so, not to spare women and children. Yet such had often been the objects of the Abbé Picquet's cruel advice. enforced by the most barbarous examples, especially in the English settlements on the back of Virginia and Pennsylvania."1

He returned to France, where he died July 15, 1781. He was succeeded at La Presentation by La Garde, a Sulpician, and the mission was continued until broken up in 1760. The Oswegatchies continued to live on the south shore and on the islands at the head of the Rapids until 1806, when the proprietor of the lands caused their removal, a part going to St. Regis, and others returning to Onondaga. Some

(1) In a biography by La Lande, of the Academy of Sciences, published in the Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses, (Lyons, 1819, p. 262), an account is given of the zealous partizan spirit of M. Picquet, "The war parties which departed and returned continually, filled the mission with so many prisoners, that their numbers frequently surpassed that of the warriors, rendering it necessary to empty the villages, and send them to headquarters." Robert Eastburn, who was many months a prisoner here, wrote an account of his captivity, and confirms the above statement.

years since, the corner-stone of a building erected near the site of the present light-house, at the entrance of the harbor at Ogdensburgh, was found in taking down the building. It may now be seen over the door of a building erected for a State arsenal in that City, and bears the following inscription :

In nomine + Dei Omnipotentis

Huic habitationi initia dedit

Frans Picquet. 1749.

These premises remained standing when settlement began under title from the State, in 1796, and until long afterwards. They were fitted up for a store and for dwellings, until better could be built, and the site of the foundations may still be traced.

OPERATIONS IN 1755-6: CAPTURE OF OSWEGO.

The war, which ended in the conquest of Canada, is without incident so far as relates to the Thousand Islands; but many events occurred upon this frontier, which became the thoroughfare of large armies, -the only communication then known being by the river, between the settled parts of Canada and the upper lakes.

In the summer of 1755, the French were engaged in strengthening the post at Frontenac, and later in the season at Niagara. The first detachment in going up was met by a party of Indians among the Islands, on the 1st of August. They had a number of scalps, and gave the first information received in Canada of the defeat of Braddock's army near Fort DuQuense a fortnight before. This success of the French determined many of the Indians to take up

arms against the English, and many of the cannon captured on that occasion, were used by the French at Niagara and elsewhere on the northern border during the following

year.

In 1756, considerable bodies of troops were sent from France, and in May, the Marquis de Montcalm, Gen. Bourlamaque, two engineers, and an army of 1,350 regulars, 1,500 Canadians and 250 Indians, ascended the river to Fort Frontenac, and M. de Villers with 500 men established a post of observation on Six-town Point, in the present town of Henderson, Jefferson County,-the outlines of which may still be plainly traced. It was square, built of upright timbers, with bastions at the corners,

[Outline and section of a stockade and was surrounded by a ditch,—and in Henderson.] at the time hidden from view by surrounding trees and bushes. This officer, who was captain of the marine, was brave and prudent, and had greatly annoyed the English by pillaging their munitions, and obliging them to take great precautions in sending provisions to their troops at Oswego.

Montcalm left Fort Frontenac for Point Peninsula, on the 5th of August, and on the 7th the French appeared before Oswego. There were at this time two forts at this place-Fort Ontario on the east side, and Fort Pepperell on the west. The latter then newly erected, was 120 feet square, —a rampart of earth and stone, 20 feet thick, and 12 feet hight, besides the parapet.

The French began their approaches on the 12th, and on the next day the English, having spiked their guns, and destroyed their provisions and ammunition, withdrew to the old fort on the eastern bank. This Colonel Mercer was also obliged to surrender on the 17th. The English force consisted of 2,400 men, who yielded upon terms dictated by Montcalm, with all their effects, munitions, arms and military stores.

It is stated by English historians1, that notwithstanding the pledges of Montcalm, twenty of the garrison were given up to the Indians, by way of atonement for the loss of friends, and that all the sick in the hospital were scalped. At least one hundred men are said to have fallen victims to Indian ferocity after the surrender, the remainder being taken down to Montreal, where they were mostly exchanged. The French did not attempt to hold this post after surrender, but most of the provisions were sent to Niagara and the artillery to Frontenac and Montreal. According to Pouchot, the Government got small returns of the booty, as it was mostly stolen or converted to private use by the commissaries, stewards and other agents of the service, who lost no opportunity of enriching themselves at the King's expense. Some of the very articles captured, were sold back to the Government through contractors. Two sloops were set on fire by the French, and cast adrift upon the lake. The greater part of the French army re

(1) Entick, i, 452; Mante i, 72. See also Garneau, (a Canadian author,) iii, 67, 71.

turned a week afterwards to Montreal, and appeared later the same season upon Lake Champlain.

DESTRUCTION OF FORT FRONTENAC, (1758).

In August, 1758, Colonel John Bradstreet arrived at Oswego with an army of 3,340 men, and crossed the Lake to Fort Frontenac, which he captured with a trifling loss. After destroying the fort, and securing what he could of the immense military stores there deposited, he returned without accident to Oswego. He repaired the works on the east side of the river at that place, which remained in British possession until surrendered under treaty in June, 1796.

EXPEDITION OF LORD AMHERST, (1760).

The war between the French and English in North America, which begun in 1755, had led, by the end of 1759, to the reduction of Niagara, Ticonderoga, Crown Point, and Quebec. To complete the conquest, three expeditions were planned for 1760; one from Quebec, another by way of Lake Champlain, and a third by way of Oswego and the St. Lawrence River. The latter was placed under General Jeffrey Amherst, and the forces assembled at Oswego were reported on the 5th of August, as consisting of the 1st and 2d batallion of Royal Highlanders, the 44th, 46th and 55th regiments, the 4th batallion of the 60th, 8 companies of the 77th, 5 of the 80th, 597 Grenadiers, an equal number of light infantry, 146 rangers, 3 batallions of the New York regiment, the New Jersey regiment, 4 batallions of the Connecticut regiment, and 157 of the Royal