The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 | Page 6

to England in the spring of 1759.]
Tuesday 4. This day I cut my hat and received my amanition and provision for 4 days and made radey for to go on.
Wednesday 5th. This day the Army by son rise got ready for to March and Marched of by Water, and Arived at the Saberday point[36] & stayed their til midnight then Marched again to the first narrows & Landed their and went down.
[Footnote 36: Sabbath-day Point. This is a fertile little promontory, jutting out into Lake George from the western shore, a few miles from the little village of Hague, and surrounded by the most picturesque scenery imaginable. It was so named, at this time, because it was early on Sunday morning that Abercrombie and his army left this place and proceeded down the lake. There a small provincial force had a desperate fight with a party of French and Indians, in 1756, and defeated them. Abercrombie's army went down the lake in batteaux and whaleboats, and reached the Point just at dark. Captain (afterward General) Stark relates that he supped with the young lord Howe that evening, at the Point, and that the nobleman made many anxious inquiries about the strength of Ticonderoga, the country to be traversed, &c., and, by his serious demeanor, evinced a presentiment of his sad fate. He was killed in a skirmish with a French scout two days afterward. His body was conveyed to Albany, in charge of Captain (afterward General) Philip Schuyler, and buried there. He was a brother of the admiral and general of that name, who commanded the British naval and land forces in America in 1776.]
Thursday 6th. 12 A Clock at night we marched of again[37] & landed at the 1st narrows & then we Marched on to the falls[38] within 2 miles of the fort and there we was attackt by the Enemy[39] and the Engagement held 1 hour and we kiled and took upwards of 2 & 50, & of Captain Holmes Company we had 3 Men wounded. Sergent Cada Sergent Armsba and Ensign Robbins & at Sondown the French come out again 5 thousand strong and our men came back again to the Landing place & Lodged their.
[Footnote 37: "The order of march," says Major Rogers, "exhibited a splendid military show." There were sixteen thousand well-armed troops. Lord Howe, in a large boat, led the van of the flotilla, accompanied by a guard of rangers and expert boatmen. The regular troops occupied the centre, and the provincials the wings. The sky was clear and starry, and not a breeze ruffled the dark waters as they slept quietly in the shadows of the mountains. Their oars were muffled, and, so silently did they move on, that not a scout upon the hills observed them; and the first intimation that the outposts of the enemy received of their approach was the full blaze of their scarlet uniforms, when, soon after sunrise, they landed and pushed on toward Ticonderoga.]
[Footnote 38: Rapids in the stream which forms the outlet of Lake George into Lake Champlain. Here are now extensive saw and grist mills. The distance from the foot of Lake George to Fort Ticonderoga is about four miles.]
[Footnote 39: The English lacked suitable guides, and became bewildered in the dense forest that covered the land. Lord Howe was second in command, and led the van, preceded by Major Putnam and a scout of one hundred men, to reconnoitre. The French set fire to their own outpost, and retreated. Howe and Putnam dashed on through the woods, and in a few minutes fell in with the French advanced guard, who were also bewildered, and were trying to find their way to the fort. A smart skirmish ensued, and, at the first fire, Lord Howe, another officer, and several privates, were killed. The French were repulsed, with a loss of about three hundred killed, and one hundred and forty made prisoners. The English battalions were so much broken, confused, and fatigued, that Abercrombie ordered them back to the landing-place, where they bivouacked for the night.]
Friday 7th. Majer Rogers went down to the mils and drove 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