The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 | Page 7

them of
there from & kild and took upwards of 150 & at Son down the last of
the Army marched down to the Mils and Majer putnom made a Bridge

over by the Landing place this night we lodged by the Mils.
Saturday 8th. Then marched back 2 or 3 rigiments to the Landing place
to guard & help Get up Artillira and we worked all the fore noon
onloading the Battoes and at noon we set out down to the Mils with the
Artillira & we got near the Mils and we had orders to leave the
Artillira[40] their and go back & get our arms and we went down to the
Mils of our rigiment 2 Hundred were ordered to go over on the point to
keep the French from Landing their and we stayed while next morning
son 2 hours high & when we came in all our army and Artillira was
gorn back & the Mils fired and we marched back to the Landing place
and had to secure matter of 200 Barrels of Flour & we heard the French
were a coming upon us and we stove them all and come of us as soon
as we could and about 10 Ock we sot sail and & by Son down we
arrived at Lake George[41] according to all accounts the Engagement
began about 10 clock and held 10 Hours steady and we lost 3 Thousand
rigulars.
[Footnote 40: This was Abercrombie's fatal mistake. He sent an
engineer to reconnoitre the fort and outworks. The engineer reported
the latter to be so weak, in an unfinished state, as to be easily carried,
without artillery, by the force of English bayonets. The difficulties in
the way of heavy cannons, in that dense forest, were very formidable;
and Abercrombie was willing to rely upon sword and bayonet, on the
strength of his engineer's report. That functionary was mistaken; and
when the English approached the French lines, they found an
embankment of earth and stones, eight feet in height, strongly guarded
by abatis, or felled trees, with their tops outward. The English made a
furious attack, cut pathways through these prostrate trees, and mounted
the parapet. They were instantly slain, and thus scores of Britons were
sacrificed, by discharges of heavy cannons. When two thousand men
had fallen, Abercrombie sounded a retreat, and the whole British army
made its way to the landing-place at the foot of Lake George, with a
loss of twenty-five hundred muskets. They went up the lake to Fort
William Henry, and the wounded were sent to Fort Edward and to
Albany. At his own solicitation, Colonel Bradstreet was sent to attack
the French fort Frontenac, where Kingston now stands, at the foot of

Lake Ontario; and General Stanwix proceeded to erect a fort toward the
head-waters of the Mohawk, where the village of Rome now
flourishes.]
[Footnote 41: The head of the lake was especially designated as "Lake
George." There was the dilapidated fort William Henry, built by Sir
William Johnson, in the autumn of 1755; and, about half a mile
southeast from it, Fort George was afterward erected. The ruins of its
citadel may yet (1854) be seen.]
Monday 10th. Stil at Lake George in our old encampment 2 Cannon
and 2 morter peaces all of them Brass come into Lake George to day.
Tuesday 11th. I washed my Clothes to day had Tea for Brecfirst.
Wednesday 12th. To day I was cald upon guard. Stephen Lyon went to
Fort Edward.
Thursday 13th. To day washed My Clothes.
Friday 14th. Nothing remarkable.
Saturday 15th. Nothing remarkable cald out to work.
Sonday 16th. Went to meeting to hear Mr. Pommerai[42] & his text
was in the 16th Chapter of Isaiah the 9th verce in the afternoon went to
hear Mr. Eals and his text was in 4th Chapter of Amos & the 12th verce
Sung the 45 Salm the last time sung the 44th Salm this day Colonel
Dotays Rigiment marched of.
[Footnote 42: Pomeroy.]
Monday 17th. This day Sergent Joseph Mathers had a new shirt put on
of 70 stripes[43] I washed and at night was caled upon the picket guard
Barny went down to the halfway brook[44] and back again to guard
Artillira.
[Footnote 43: Flogging was facetiously termed "putting on a new shirt."
Seventy lashes was a pretty severe punishment.]

[Footnote 44: This was the outlet of three little lakes, situated about
half way between the head of Lake George and the bend of the Hudson
at Sandy Hill. They are the head-waters of Clear river, the west branch
of Wood creek, which empties into Lake Champlain at Whitehall.]
Tuesday 18th. One Samuel Jonson died very suddenly he belonged to
Captain Latimer Company of new Cannen, Nehemiah Blackmore was
whipt 10 stripes for