which the command devolving upon Lieut. Coll. Littlehales, he sent for Coll Schuyler & the detachment from the Redoubt who on their marching to the old Oswego Fort had two men killed upon Coll Schuyler's arrival a council of War consisting of the Field Officers & Captains was called and presently thereafter orders was given to cease firing, upon which Lieutt Montcreif of Shirleys and an officer of Pepperells with a Sergeant & Drum went out of the Works with a White Flagg in order to cross over at the mouth of the Harbour, upon which this Declarant said to Colonel Littlehales that if you are to give up the Fort you must suffer me who am a deserter from the French to make the Best of my way, because they will have no mercy upon me, the Colonel replyed that he expected to march out with the Honors of Warr, & consequently he the Declarant would be safe, not trusting to this, he with seven more who had formerly deserted from the French had leave to make their escape, but before they got quite clear they saw the French from the opposite side of the Harbour getting into Boats, and amongst them some cloathed in Red faced with Green which he imagines belongs to the Irish Brigade, that about 30 of the Garrison of old Fort Oswego were killed and wounded, and that no officer was killed except Lieut. Coll. Mercer, nor any wounded but Lieut de la Cour of the Artillery. That the Enemys battery was raised so high that their shott plunged in amongst them and the only cover they had towards the side of the Lake upon which the Enemys Battery chiefly pointed, were from Barrels of Pork placed by way of parapet, with embrasures through. That one Saturday morning the 14th a Party of the French forded the River about Cannon shot from the olk Fort who remained in the Woods without coming near the works. That there was no sortie made from any of the Forts and that all the vessels were in the Port when the Place was given up. That from the report of the Seamen who saw the French Camp they judged them to be about 4000 regulars, besides Canadians & Indians. That the Garrison of Oswego consisted of about 400 of Shirley 300 of Pepperels, and 150 of Schuyler's besides the seamen, carpenters and other artificers who worked the Guns & did the other dutys in the works. The 4 men of Shirley's Regiment who are all deserters from the French declare that there was 8 months pay due to them when the enemy appeared, they were then paid up six months. The two men of Pepperels who are also deserters from the French declare they have received no pay for 9 months past. That last winter there was only 140 men fit for duty of both Regiments with 20 of the independent companys. That their provision was extremely bad and only received half allowance, and that even at that they had resolved to quit the place without a supply had speedily arrived.1 EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM PORTSMOUTH, DATED FEB. 13, 1757. [ From N. Y. Mercury. ] Inclosed you have a List of Several Carpenters, Sailors and other Artificers that were taken with me at Oswego, and are now here; some of them were retaken going to France, and others were sent here from Canada. Some of them are on board the Royal Anne, and some in the Hospital; all in good Health, and are to be sent home by the first opportunity. 1 For another English account of the Surrender of Oswego, see Gentleman's Magazine, vol, xxvii, 75. A Writer in the London Monthly Review, vol. xvii, 174, accuses the Merchants of England of opposing the important settlement at Oswego from interested motives as a company of them had engrossed the whole trade of supplying the Colony, as was pretended, with goods for the Indian Trade; which goods they sold wholesale to the French instead of retailing them to the English or the Indians. Joseph Gleddon, William Drewry, Henry Cosdrop, Samuel Spenser, Thomas Lyneal, Daniel Chadwell, James Dawson, Joshua Sprigs, Alexander Ogleby, Philip Peak, William Robinson, Edward Clannon, Joseph Petterson, Zebulon Drew, James Wilson, John Lum, Samuel Forgison, Samuel Edmunson, David Evans, Thomas Meloney, Cornelius Scantling, Rufus Church, Samuel Moot, Neal Walkinson, Thos Hogin, Benj. Bachoon, James Cavenagh, John Wood, Dan. Carpenter, Benj. Summer, Jonas Wright, Sam. Miles, Samuel Noe, William Davenport, Thomas Godard, Peter Wright, Brier Goddard, John Tarlox, James Wilson, Richard Brincroff, Robert Watts, Arthur Donaldson, Joseph January, Peter Goodman, William Hunter, William Mullett, Matthew Thompson, Will. Taylor, Jacob Fedrick, Matthew Bayly, Robert Hart, David Williams, Daniel Noroway, William Kemp, Severn Anderson, James Gibson. [From same. Oct. 24 1957. ] In the packet came Passenger also, a seaman named Edward Mariner who was taken at Oswego. He, in Company with Mr John Walters, of this Place, Robert Isburn & son, of Philadelphia; Capt Rusco, Lieutenants Bickers and Prince, with Ensign Ogden, of the New Jersey Provincial Forces, and about 299 more, sailed from Quebeck the 18th of July last, in a Cartel, and arrived at Plymouth, in 28 days after: He informs us that the brave Colonel Peter Schuyler was in good Health, and the great support of many English Prisoners, without whose assistance several of them would have been reduced to the greatest extremities. Captain [Jasper] Farmer [of the Artillery] Son of Mr Jasper Farmer, of this City, Merchant, was likewise at Quebeck, when our Informant came away, with several others whose names he could not recollect; and as Provisions were very scarce when he left that, 'twas said the remainder of the Prisoners were to be sent to Old France in the Fall. NOTE-Further particulars of the operations before Oswego may be found in the London Magazine for the years 1756-1759. |