he landed a thousand men at Louisburg, which had been restored to France by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, and sailed with the remainder to Quebec. Having been instructed to reduce Oswego, Dieskau proceeded to Montreal for that purpose, but was diverted from his object by learning that Crown Point was menaced by the provincial forces encamped on the margin of Lake George. He immediately determined to break up the latter expedition by an assault upon Fort Edward, but as his Indian allies were reluctant to attempt the reduction of a work strengthened by artillery, he was persuaded to change his design, and attack Johnson in his

camp.

Unconscious that Dieskau was advancing upon himself, Johnson sent Colonel Williams with one thousand men, and two hundred Mohawk warriors, commanded by the brave Hendrick,, their aged chief, to the relief of Fort Edward. At a distance of about three miles from the camp, while marching carelessly, and without any apprehension of meeting the enemy, the detachment fell into an ambuscade, and was speedily thrown into confusion. Williams and Hendrick were both slain, but the troops being rallied by Whitney, the next in comand, they fell back in good order to the camp.

Flushed with this success, Dieskau pressed immediately forward against Johnson. The camp

1755.]

BATTLE OF LAKE GEORGE.

201

of the latter was secured from assault on the flanks by impassable swamps, and in front by an imperfect breastwork of trees hastily felled for that purpose, and by the wagons and baggage of the troops. A few pieces of cannon brought from Fort Edward only two days before, were hastily mounted and disposed along the line. Dieskau, driving the fugitives before him, had hoped by closing upon their rear to penetrate the camp with them, and thus derive an advantage from the confusion which would necessarily ensue. In this, however, he was disappointed. Immediately the artillery opened, the Indians and Canadians forming his right and left flanks, halted, and crouching in the brushwood could not be prevailed upon to take any part in the battle. With the regulars alone Dieskau marched directly upon the centre, and attempted to force it. Johnson being wounded early in the action, the command of the provincials devolved upon General Lyman. For five hours, sheltered by their slender breastwork, the Americans maintained an incessant and well-directed fire. Dieskau being wounded in several places, and the greater portion of the regulars terribly shattered, orders were at length given to retreat. The pursuit being closely pressed by the provincials, Dieskau, finding himself unable, from the nature of his wounds, to keep up with his routed army, seated himself upon the stump of a tree, and ordering his attendants

to place his military dress beside him, dismissed them. In this position he was found by one of the pursuers, who fired at and mortally wounded him.

The same evening a detachment of two hundred New Hampshire militia, under McGinnis, sallied out from Fort Edward, and intercepted a party of three hundred French, who were retreating in good order with the baggage of the army, and after a spirited conflict completely routed them. The loss sustained by the French in these engagements has been variously estimated; that of the provincials amounted, in killed and wounded, to upward of three hundred men. For this victory, subsequently known as the battle of Lake George, Johnson was created a baronet, and received a grant from parliament of five thousand pounds; while General Lyman, to whom the success of the provincials was mainly attributed, obtained no other reward for his gallantry than the honourable esteem of the people of New England.

Instead of proceeding at once to the reduction of Crown Point, Johnson, apprehensive of an attack with artillery, lingered on the borders of Lake George, where he employed his troops in building Fort William Henry. When the approach of winter precluded all further advance, he left six hundred men to garrison the newly

1755.]

SHIRLEY UNSUCCESSFUL.

203

erected fortress, and dismissed the remainder to their homes.

The expedition of Shirley against Niagara was not even partially successful. The troops collected for this enterprise, discouraged by the tidings of Braddock's defeat, and broken down by sickness and the difficulties of the route, finally reached Oswego during the month of August, where they commenced the erection of a new fort, and constructed a sufficient number of boats to bear them across Lake Ontario. But storms, heavy rains, and a scarcity of provisions, combined to delay the progress of the enterprise until the season was too far advanced to attempt it with any reasonable degree of safety. Baffled by these untoward circumstances, Shirley left seven hundred men in garrison at Oswego, and disbanding the rest of his forces, returned to Albany.

CHAPTER XVI.

Sir Charles Hardy appointed governor of New York-His popularity-Congress of governors-Expeditions agreed upon against Crown Point, Forts Niagara and DuquesneSurprise of Ticonderoga proposed by Shirley-Rejected by New York-Action of the assembly-Taxation for revenue resorted to War formally declared against France-Obnoxious acts passed in England-Arrival of AbercrombieAssembling of the troops-Arrival of Loudoun-Activity of Montcalm-Oswego attacked-Death of Mercer-Capitulation of Forts Ontario and Oswego-Loudoun abandons offensive operations-Quarrels with the citizens of New York-Campaign of 1757-Futile expedition to Louisburg -Siege of Fort William Henry-Spirited defence of Monroe -Surrender of the garrison-Indian outrages-Conduct of Webb-Of Loudoun-Campaign of 1758-Energetic course of Pitt-Louisburg captured-Abercrombie repulsed before Ticonderoga-Fort Frontenac surprised and captured by Bradstreet-Forbes marches against Fort DuquesneIts abandonment by the French.

ON the 2d of September, 1755, Sir Charles Hardy arrived at New York, and assumed the government of the province; but as the new governor, submitting to the counsel of his predecessor, did not seek to enforce the instructions with which he was charged, he soon became popular with the assembly, a majority of which still consisted of members friendly to the interest of Delancey.

Nothing could more strikingly display the necessity of union among the colonies than the