He
was warned by Putnam, who scouted to some purpose in the forest along
the lake shore, discovering the approaching hostiles; but he heeded not
the warning, and the result was a massacre.
CHAPTER VI
FIGHTING ON THE FRONTIER
Up to midsummer of 1757, the British had accomplished nothing of
account; the French, also, had little to show for all the marching and
counter-marching, fortifying, and skirmishing with their foes. But a
decisive blow was to be struck, and by Montcalm, who, having been
informed by his spies of the condition of affairs at the lakes, sent an
overwhelming force against Fort William Henry, at the south end of Lake
George. It happened that a few days before the French army arrived at
the lake, Major Putnam, with two hundred men, escorted his commander,
General Webb, from Fort Edward to Fort William Henry, his object being
to examine into the efficiency of the latter fortification. The fort
itself was a poor construction, but it was commandingly situated on
ground gently rising from the shore of the lake, and its approaches were
defended by felled forest trees forming an immense abattis deemed
impenetrable.
Pages:
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64