Party Time at Fort William Henry

 Fun Fact:

With things going poorly for the British, Newcastle resigned his position at the head of the government. When William Pitt took over, he declared that North America should be defended by land and sea as a critical component of the British Empire. He asked for 8,000 men and a fleet to give form to his words, and he began a program of construction to bring the British Navy up to 400 ships. He and George II had never been besties, and after Pitt objected to Admiral Bying's execution, the king informed Pitt that he would accept his resignation. Necessity soon forced a compromise whereby Pitt would run the war, and Newcastle would carry on the the internal affairs of government.

Lord Loudoun, who was now in command in America, agreed with the opinion that the way to win the war was to seize Quebec. Advancing by sea, a conservative step toward that goal would be to take Louisbourg, and Pitt ordered him to do just that. When Loudoun pulled troops from New York to mount an attack on Louisbourg in Nova Scotia, Montcalm moved south from Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga) to attack Fort William Henry at the southern tip of Lake George.

Command on the New York frontier fell to Brigadier General Daniel Webb, whose commander at Fort William Henry was Lt. Col. George Monro. Scouts brought the happy news that as many as 8,000 men were gathering at Carillon for jaunt in his direction. Webb, while inspecting the fort got the news along with the colonel. Webb headed back to Fort Edward with the promise to send reinforcements to Monro.

The French and their Indian allies arrived in the mood to party. They surrounded Monro and his 2,000 men in the fort with their 7,500 men and commenced a siege of the formidable fortification. Monro received no help from Webb with the exception of a cordial note suggesting that he make the most favorable terms possible for his capitulation--the note came via Montcalm's officer after the British messenger from Webb had been killed. Montcalm added his recommendation for following Webb's advice.

Monro followed the advice on Aug 9, 1757, with the promise his men would be escorted to Fort Edward and could keep their personal effects, sidearms, colors, and one 6 pounder on the condition they not fight again for 18 months. If the deal seemed too good to be true, Montcalm's Indian allies couldn't believe it either. Their party invitations had specified plunder and scalps, not fancy soldiers marching away with most of their toys still in hand. The Abenaki strongly objected to the terms by first murdering and scalping the British wounded in the fort hospital, and seconded the objection by taking plunder from the British baggage and personal effects. The objection carried handily when the Indians attacked the first contingent of soldiers on the way to Fort Edward on Aug 10 and continued the vigorous execution of the new terms the next day. 700 British prisoners or more were killed, wounded, or missing.

Montcalm's Indians had achieved their aim for the campaign and began to disperse, and his own militiamen were needed at home for the harvest. He destroyed Fort William Henry and retired to the north. Meanwhile, Loudoun's attack on Louisbourg was stymied by bad weather and the French Navy. Another season had passed without a victory for British arms.

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The work on Book 6 continues with a return to some threads that haven't received much attention for a few chapters. The stakes are rising and the temperature's heating up--even though winter is settling in. Five or six chapters will wrap it up if everything goes as planned.