FOOTNOTES:
[121] "Le Comte de Chatam, Guillaume Pitt, génie vaste, audacieux, intrépide, procure en peu d'années à l'Angleterre des succès si prodigieux, que l'evénement seul en prouvoit la possibilité."—Millot, tom. v., p. 47.
[122] "An immediate conquest of the settlements of the French seemed to be requisite to the vindication of British power. How far such conquest, if effected, ought in policy to be preserved, was a more perplexing question; and, on the whole, the British minister was rather animated to prosecute hostilities than fixed in decisive purpose with regard to their ultimate issue.... From the extent and precision of political information for which Pitt was so justly renowned, it is impossible to suppose that he was unacquainted with the doubts which had been openly expressed, both in Britain and America, of the expediency of attempting the entire conquest of the French settlements in the New World; and a conviction prevailed with many American politicians that this conquest would destroy the firmest pledge which Britain possessed of the obedience of her transatlantic colonies."—Graham's Hist. of the United States, vol. iv., p. 24-26.
[123] The Wood Creek connected with Lakes George and Champlain is to be distinguished from the Wood Creek more frequently mentioned in these wars, which was situated between the Mohawk River and Oneida Lake.
[124] "This place was originally called Che-on-der-o-ga by the Indians, signifying, in their language, noise. Its name was afterward slightly changed by the French into its present appellation, which it has borne ever since it was first occupied and fortified by them in 1756. It was sometimes called Fort Carillon. This fortification cost the French a large sum of money, and was considered very strong both by nature and art. Its ruins are situated in the town of Ticonderoga, Essex county, they are among the most interesting in the country, and are annually visited by a great number of travelers."—Picturesque Tourist,. p. 209.
[125] "The ruins of the old fortifications of Crown Point present an interesting object from the water. The embankments are visible, and indicate an immense amount of labor expended to make this place invulnerable to an approaching foe, either by land or water. Crown Point is eighteen miles north of Ticonderoga."—Picturesque Tourist, p. 113.
[126] Graham, whose authority is always questionable where the comparative merits of the British regulars and Provincials[148] are concerned, asserts that "the French party consisted of regulars and a few Indians; and, notwithstanding their surprise and inferiority of numbers, displayed a promptitude of skill and courage that had nearly reproduced the catastrophe of Braddock.... The suddenness of their assault, the terror inspired by the Indian yell, and the grief and astonishment created by the death of Lord Howe, excited a general panic among the British regulars; but the Provincials, who flanked them, and were better acquainted with the mode of fighting practiced by the enemy, stood their ground and soon defeated them."—Graham's Hist. of the United States, vol. iv., p. 30.
[127] "He was," says General Abercromby, "the first man that fell; and as he was, very deservedly, universally beloved and respected throughout the whole army, it is easy to conceive the grief and consternation his untimely fall occasioned."—Letter from the Right Honorable G. Grenville to Mr. Pitt, Wotton, August 23d, 1758.
"The great number of officers and men in the regular troops killed and wounded, and particularly the grievous loss we have sustained in the death of Lord Howe, are circumstances that would cloud a victory, and must therefore aggravate our concern for a repulse. I was not personally acquainted with Lord Howe, but I admired his virtuous, gallant character, and regret his loss accordingly. I can not help thinking it peculiarly unfortunate for his country and his friends that he should fall in the first action of this war, before his spirit and his example, and the success and glory which, in all human probability, would have attended them, had produced their full effect on our own troops and those of the enemy. You have a melancholy task indeed, affected as you justly are with this public and private sorrow, to communicate the death of Lord Howe to a brother that most tenderly loved him.
"I am ever your most affectionate brother,
"George Grenville."
—Chatham Correspondence.
Even Graham admits that "Lord Howe exhibited the most promising military talents, and his valor, virtue, courtesy, and good sense, had wonderfully endeared him both to the English and to the Provincial troops. He was the first to encounter the danger to which he conducted others, and to set the example of every sacrifice which he required them to incur. He was the idol and soul of the army."—Vol. iv., p. 29. See Smollett's History of England, vol. iv., p. 306.
"Lord Howe's memory was honored by a vote of the Assembly of Massachusetts for the erection of a superb cenotaph at the expense of the province, among the heroes and patriots of Britain, in the collegiate church of Westminster."—Belsham, vol. ii., p. 205.
"The popularity of his name has been, perhaps, impaired by the circumstance that his brother, Sir William Howe, commanded the British army in the Revolutionary war in America. It is still doubtful whether Lord Howe fell by the fire of the enemy, or by a misdirected shot from some unhappy hand among his own confused and startled soldiers."—Graham's History of the United States, vol. iv., p. 30.
Lord Howe was succeeded in his title by his brother Richard, afterward the celebrated admiral. He had already distinguished himself by the capture of the Alcide and the Lys.
[128] See Appendix,[ No. LXV.]
[129] "The 42d regiment was then in the height of deserved reputation; in it there was not a private man that did not consider himself as rather above the lower class of people, and peculiarly bound to support the honor of the very singular corps to which he belonged. This brave, hard-fated regiment was then commanded by a veteran of great experience and military skill, Colonel Gordon Graham,[149] who had the first point of attack assigned to him: he was wounded at the first onset. How many this regiment, in particular, lost of men and officers, I can not now exactly say; what I distinctly remember having often heard of it since is, that of the survivors, every one officer retired wounded off the field. Of the 55th regiment, to which my father had newly been attached, ten officers were killed, including all the field officers. No human beings could show more determined courage than this brave army did."—Memoirs of an American Lady, vol. ii., p. 81.
[130] "Captain John Campbell and a few men forced their way over the breast-work, but were instantly dispatched with the bayonet."—Stewart's Sketches of the Highlanders, vol. ii., p. 61.
[131] It was at this period that Pitt commenced his bold, yet, as it proved, most safe and wise policy of raising Highland regiments from the lately disaffected clans. I have already alluded to this measure by anticipation. Let me now add only the glowing words which Chatham himself applied to it in retrospect. "My lords, we should not want men in a good cause. I remember how I employed the very rebels in the service and defense of their country. They were reclaimed by this means; they fought our battles; they cheerfully bled in defense of those liberties which they had attempted to overthrow but a few years before."—Lord Chatham's Speech in the House of Lords, December 2d, 1777, quoted by Lord Mahon, History of England, vol. iv., p. 133.
[132] "So misinformed or so presumptuous was General Abercromby, that he expected to force this strong position by musketry alone, and had resolved to commence the attack without awaiting his artillery, which, for want of good roads, was yet lagging in the rear."—Lord Mahon's History of England, vol. iv., p. 203.
[133] Entick's Hist., vol. iii., p. 258; Mante's Hist. of the War, p. 151.
[134] "How far Mr. Abercromby acquitted himself in the duty of a general, we shall not pretend to determine; but if he could depend upon the courage and discipline of his forces, he surely had nothing to fear, after the action, from the attempts of the enemy, to whom he would have been superior in number, even though they had been joined by the re-enforcement which he falsely supposed they expected. He might, therefore, have remained on the spot, in order to execute some other enterprise, when he should be re-enforced in his turn, for General Amherst no sooner heard of his disaster than he returned with the troops from Cape Breton to New England, having left a strong garrison in Louisburg,"—Smollett's History of England, vol. iv., p. 309; Smith's History of Canada, vol. i., p. 265.
"The British army, still amounting to nearly 14,000 men, greatly outnumbered the enemy; and if the artillery had been brought up to their assistance, might have overpowered with little difficulty the French and their defenses at Ticonderoga. Next to the defeat of Braddock, this was the most disgraceful catastrophe that had befallen the arms of Britain in America."—Graham's History of the United States, vol. iv., p. 32.
[135] Letter from the Earl of Bute to Mr. Pitt:
"August 20, 1751.
"My dear Friend—I feel most sensibly this cruel reverse, and the loss of so many gallant men; but when I reflect on the part they have acted, I congratulate my country and my friend on the revival of that spirit which in former times was so conspicuous in this island. I think this check, my dear Pitt, affects you too strongly. The general (!!) and the troops have done their duty, and appear by the numbers lost to have fought with the greatest intrepidity; to have tried all that men could do to force their way. The commander seems broken-hearted at being forced (!!) to a retreat.
"Adieu, my dear Pitt, your ever most affectionate
"Bute."
—Chatham Correspondence, vol. i., p. 336.
[136] "Thus does history transmit the virtues of one age to another, and thus does it hold forth warning of shame."—Bolingbroke.
[137] See Appendix, [No. LXVII.]
[138] "M. de Courcelers originated the design of building the fort at Catarocouy, but, being recalled before it could be carried into execution, M. de Frontenac carried out his plans in 1672, and gave his name to the fort. Lake Ontario also, for a long time afterward bore the name of Frontenac."—Charlevoix, tom. ii., p. 245.
"This fort was rebuilt by Frontenac in 1695, against the orders of M. de Pontchartrain. The after importance of this celebrated position fully justified Frontenac's opposition to the wishes of the French minister. The connection between Canada and Louisiana mainly depended upon the possession of Fort Frontenac, as was manifest upon its loss by the French. Kingston stands on the site of old Fort Frontenac; next to Quebec and Halifax, it is considered the strongest military position in British America."—Picturesque Tourist, p. 222.
[139] Extract of a letter from an officer in Albany to a member of Parliament here (London), dated Sept. 13, 1758: "Frontenac (called here Cadaraque) was of great consequence to the French, both as to their influence on the Indians, by keeping up a communication between Fort du Quesne and Canada, and annoying us on the Mohawk River.... Colonel Bradstreet is a captain in our regiment.... He is a man of great spirit and activity; has been most of his life in this country, and understands things very well.... Col. Bradstreet has been near three years pressing the commanding general in North America to let him go against this fort, but they thought the undertaking too desperate, which he has now accomplished without the loss of a man, and at a very critical juncture.... Thus the French expedition against the German Flats, and probably this very town, is happily prevented; their shipping on the Lake Ontario, which made them so formidable, is destroyed; they have no vessels to send provisions into the other forts, and their fort, which kept the Indians so much in their interest, is destroyed; and the Six Nations (who, all but the Mohawks, would have left us) will now be more in our interest than ever. The taking of Frontenac gave more joy to the inhabitants of this place than even Louisburg itself, for it more nearly concerned them, and they say there will be now no more scalping."—The Public Advertiser, Jan. 20, 1759.
[140] Extract of a letter from New York, dated Nov. 20, 1758: "Our army is gone into winter quarters, and I hope, when we make an attack again, to succeed; but we must first have more regulars from England. Our militia are not fit for a campaign. Our English soldiers will kill ten Provincials in point of fatigue. The affair of Colonel Bradstreet was a brave thing for us, but not one in five could go through that tiresome affair; for, after the place was taken, they buried thirty and forty in a day at Schenectady."—The Public Advertiser, Feb. 3, 1759.
[141] "The village of Rome, fourteen miles west of Utica, is situated near the head waters of the Mohawk: it stands on the site of old Fort Stanwix, which was an important post during the Revolutionary and French wars."—Picturesque Tourist, p. 139.
[142] "Several soldiers of this and other regiments fell into an ambush, and were captured by the Indians. Allan Macpherson, seeing his comrades horribly tortured to death, and knowing that the same fate awaited him, told the savages, through an interpreter, that he knew a wonderful secret of a certain medicine, which, if applied to the skin, would render it proof against any weapon. His tale was believed by the superstitious Indians, and, anxious to see the proof, they allowed him to gather herbs, and, having mixed and boiled them, to apply the concoction to his neck; he then laid his head upon a block, and challenged the strongest man to strike. A warrior came forward, and, to prove the virtue of the medicine, struck a blow with his tomahawk at full strength; the head flew off several yards. The Indians stood at first amazed at their own credulity, but were afterward so pleased at the Highlander's ingenuity in escaping the torture, that they refrained from inflicting further cruelties on their surviving victims."—Stewart's Sketches of the Highlanders, vol. ii., p. 61.
Some of the Highland regiments sent to America were newly raised, and still, in a great degree, retained the wildness of their Celtic countrymen, as the following anecdote illustrates: "A soldier of another regiment, who was a sentinel detached from an advanced guard, seeing a man coming out of the wood with his hair hanging loose, and wrapped up in a dark-colored plaid, he challenged him repeatedly, and, receiving no answer (the weather being hazy), fired at him and killed him. The guard being alarmed, the sergeant ran out to know the cause, and the unhappy sentinel, strongly prepossessed that it was an Indian, with a blanket about him, who came skulking to take a prisoner, or a scalp, cried out, 'I have killed an Indian! I have killed an Indian!' but upon being undeceived by the sergeant, who went to take a view of the dead man, and being told that he was one of our own men and a Highlander, he was so oppressed with grief and fright that he fell ill, and was despaired of for some days. In consequence of this accident, most of these young soldiers being raw and inexperienced, and very few of them conversant in or able to talk English (which was particularly his case who was killed), these regiments were ordered to do no more duty for some time."—Knox's Historical Campaign, vol. i., p. 48.
[143] Raystown is near Bedford.
[144] Loyal Hanning, when fortified by General Forbes, on his return to Philadelphia, was called Fort Ligonier.
[145] "With the unanimous concurrence of his officers, he altered the name of Fort du Quesne to Pittsburg, a well-earned compliment to the minister who had planned its conquest."—Lord Mahon's History of England, vol. iv., p. 203.
[146] "New York, Dec. 13. Early on Monday last an express arrived hither from the westward, and brought sundry letters which gave an account that General Forbes was in possession of Fort du Quesne; one of those letters said: 'Fort du Quesne, Nov. 26, 1756. I have now the pleasure to write to you from the ruins of the fort.... We arrived at six o'clock last night, and found it in a great measure destroyed. There are two forts about twenty yards distant; the one built with immense labor, small, but a great deal of strong works collected into little room, and stands at the point of a narrow neck of land at the confluence of the two rivers: it is square, and has two ravelins, gabions at each corner, &c. The other fort stands on the bank of the Allegany, in the form of a parallelogram, but not near so strong as the other. They sprung a mine, which ruined one of their magazines; in the other we found sixteen barrels of ammunition, &c., and about a cart-load of scalping-knives. A boy, who had been their prisoner about two years, tells us ... that they had burned five of the prisoners they took at Major Grant's defeat, on the parade, and had delivered others to the Indians, who were tomahawked on the spot. We found numbers of dead bodies within a quarter of a mile of the fort, unburied, so many monuments of French humanity. Mr. Bates is appointed to preach a thanksgiving sermon for the remarkable superiority of his majesty's arms. We left all our tents at Loyal Hanning, and every conveniency, except a blanket and a knapsack.' Another letter mentions that 'only 2500 picked men marched from Loyal Hanning ... that 200 of our people were to be left at Fort du Quesne, now Pittsburg—100 of the oldest Virginians, the others of our oldest Pennsylvanians.... The French judged rightly in abandoning a fort, the front of whose polygon is only 150 feet, and which our shells would have destroyed in three days. We have fired some howitzer shells into the face of the work, which is made of nine-inch plank, and rammed between with earth, and found that, in firing but a few hours, we must have destroyed the entire face."—The Public Advertiser, Jan. 20, 1757.
[147] "He was a person of slender abilities, and utterly devoid of energy and resolution, and Pitt too late regretted the error he had committed in intrusting a command of such importance to one so little known to him, and who proved so unfit to sustain it."—Graham, vol. IV., p. 19.
[148] "It was a circumstance additionally irritating and mortifying to England, that the few advantages which had been gained over the French were exclusively due to the colonial troops, while unredeemed disaster and disgrace had attended all the efforts of the British forces (1757)."—Graham's Hist. of the United States, vol. iv., p. 16.
[149] Graham, in his "History," falls into the mistake of supposing that Lord John Murray commanded the 42d regiment, because it bore his name.