against Du Quesne. French re-inforcements from Niagara and Frontenac, could not now come. Conscious of their inability to dispute successfully the possession of the fort, with a force so formidable as that of the English, the French voluntarily abandoned it, silently passing down the Ohio river. With them also departed the powerful influence they had long exercised over the surrounding Indian nations, never again to be revived. No sooner was the British flag floating over the embattlements France had raised, than they called councils, and entered into treaties of peace and alliance with the British. The Indians said that the Great Spirit, having deserted the French, would no more protect them, and would be angry with all who helped them. The French line of communication between the northern and southern extremities of their possessions was now effectually broken. The reverse which took place in the fortunes of the contending nations, was not more striking, than was the change of feeling manifested by the different parties, at the close of the campaign.

In 1759, Major General Amherst succeeded as commander of the British forces in North America. The success which had attended the British arms, encouraged the adoption of measures which contemplated the entire conquest of Canada. The three strong positions still held by the French were all to be attacked at the same time. General JAMES WOLF, who had distinguished himself at Louisburg, was to besiege Quebec. General Amherst was to march against Ticonderoga, and Crown Point, and after taking those places, cross lake Champlain, and join Wolf. General Prideaux, accompanied by Sir William Johnson, was to command the expedition against Fort Niagara. General Stanwix commanded a detachment, which was to watch and guard lake Ontario, and reduce the remaining French posts on the Ohio. Early in the spring, Gen. Amherst established his head-quarters at Albany, where he concentrated his forces about the end of May. The summer was well advanced before he was able to cross lake George. He reached Ticonderoga, July 22d. When he was ready to open his batteries on the French, who appeared determined to defend this position, he suddenly discovered that after blowing up their magazines and doing all the injury they could, the enemy had retreated during the night, to Crown Point. The British took possession of the fort without firing a gun, the next day. After reparing its damaged fortifications, Gen. AMHERST

proceeded to Crown Point. On his approach the French retired. before him, and took up a position on the Isle Aux Noix, at the northern end of lake Champlain. At that point the French force was about three thousand five hundred strong. They had a large train of artillery and four armed vessels. Gen. Amherst was anxious to dislodge them, but this could not be done without a naval force able to meet the enemy's. He hastily built two boats, and succeeded in destroying two belonging to the French. The season was now far gone. In October he fixed his winter quarters at Crown Point, and employed the time in repairing the works there and at Ticonderoga.

The arrangements for the expedition against Fort Niagara having been completed, General Prideaux, with an army composed of European and Provincial troops and Indians, marched to Oswego, coasted along the southern shore of lake Ontario, and without opposition landed at the mouth of the Four Mile creek on the 6th of July.

The author derives the following minute accounts of the investment and final capture of Fort Niagara, from files of the Maryland Gazette, published at Baltimore at that early period of newspaper enterprise in the American colonies, that have been perserved in the archives of the Maryland Historical Society. The preceding accounts, it will be observed, are from English sources, in the form of letters from correspondents, and items of news by the editor, derived either from New York and Philadelphia papers, or from correspondents in those cities. The heading to the account that follows, is sufficiently explanatory of the source from which it is derived. Taken altogether, the reader will probably conclude that it is a much better account of this locally important military enterprise, than has before been incorporated in history. The author adopts the accounts as he finds them in the ancient newspaper files, believing that a cotemporary relation of the events will be far more interesting to the reader, than any he could derive from other

sources:

66

NIAGARA, July 25th, 1759 "Yesterday morning a party of French and Indians, consisting of 1500, of which 400 were Indians, about 8 o'clock, came upon our right, where a breast-work was thrown up, as we had intelligence of their coming; and as ten of our people were crossing the lake above, they began to fire on them, which gave our people time to get all their piquets, the 46th regiment, part of the 44th, 100 New Yorkers, 600 Indians, ready to oppose them: we waited and received their fire five or six times, before our

people returned it, which they did at about 30 yards distance, then jumped over their breast-work, and closed in with them, upon which they immediately gave way and broke; their Indians left them, and for a while we made a vast slaughter. The whole being defeated, the prisoners were brought in, among which were above 16 or 17 officers, several of distinction, and about 60 or TO men; the whole field was covered with their dead. After the General took the names of all the officers taken, he sent Major Harvey, by the desire of Monsieur D'aubrey, the commanding officer of the whole party, to the commanding officer of the fort, who disputed his having them, and kept Major Harvey in tho fort, and sent an officer to the General; when they found it was true, and all their succors cut off, they began to treat on conditions of surrender, which continued till near 8 o'clock in the evening before they were concluded; however, our grenadiers, with the train, marched in this morning, and the whole garrison was surrendered to Sir William Johnson, who succeeded to the command after the death of General Prideaux.

"The ordnance stores found in the Fort at Niagara when Gen. Johnson took possession of it, were two 14 pounders; 19 twelve pounders; one eleven pounder; 7 eight pounders; 7 six pounders; 2 four pounders; 5 two pounders-all iron: 1500 round 12 pound shot; 40,000 pound musket ball; 200 weight of match: 500 hand grenades; 2 cohorns and 2 mortars, mounted; 300 bill-axes [?]; 500 hand hatchets; 100 axes; 300 shovels; 400 pick-axes; 250 mattocks; [hoes]; 54 spades: 12 whipsaws, and a considerable number of small arms, swords, tomahawks, scalping-knives, cartouch-boxes, &c.

A letter from Niagara, dated July 25th, has the following particulars:—

"Your old friend Sir William Johnson, has gained immortal honor in this affair. The army have the highest opinion of him, and the Indians adore him, as his conduct has been steady and judicious; he has carried on the siege with spirit. The Mohawks have done wonders, serving in the trenches and every place where Sir William was." We are informed, that upon Gen. Amherst's receiving the news of the death of Brigadier Gen. Prideaux, he immediately appointed Brigadier General Gage, of the Light Infantry, commander-in-chief of the forces before Niagara; and that Gen. Gage was at Albany, when the orders from Gen. Amherst came to him; but it was impossible for him to reach Niagara before it surrendered to Sir William Johnson. Col. Haldiman, we are told, embarked from Oswego for Niagara, the very day it surrendered, the 24th ult.

All the prisoners taken at Niagara, amounting in the whole to about 800, are coming down to this city [i. e. New York), and are on their way; so that we may expect them every day. The women and children taken in the fort. Gen. Johnson has sent to Montreal, we are told.

From Oswego we have the following interesting intelligence, dated July 28th, 1759: "This day Lieutenant Moncrief, aid-de-camp to the late Gen. Prideaux, arrived here from Niagara, which he left the 26th instant, on his way to Gen. Amherst. From the said gentleman we have the following particulars, viz:—That after the melancholy accident of the 20th, which carried off the General, the command of the army devolving on Sir William Johnson, he continued to pursue the late General's vigorous measures, and erected his third battery within 100 yards of the flag bastion; having intelligence from his Indians, of a large party being on their march from tho Falls to relieve the fort. Sir William made a disposition to prevent them. The 23d, in the evening, he ordered the Light Infantry, and picquets of the lines, to lie near the road on oar left, leading from the Falls to the fort; these he reinforced in the morning of the 24th, with the Grenadiers, and part of the 46th regiment, all under the com

mand of Lieut. Col. Massey: Lieut. Col. Farquar, with the 44th battalion, was ordered to the tail of the trenches, to support the guard of the trenches, commanded by Major Beckwith. About eight in the morning our Indians advanced to speak to the French Indians, which the enemy declined. The action began soon after, with screams, as usual, from the enemy; but our troops were be well disposed to receive them in front, and our Indians on their flanks, that in less than an hour's time their whole army was ruined. The number of the slain was not ascertained, as the pursuit was continued for three miles. Seventeen officers were made prisoners, among whom are Monsieur D'aubrey, chief in command, wounded; Monsieur de Lignery, second in command, wounded also; Monsieur Marini, leader of the Indians; Monsieur de VILLIE, REPENTINI, MARTINI, and Basonc, all captains, and several others. After this defeat, which was in sight of the garrison, Sir William sent Major Harvey into the fort, with a list of the officers taken, recommending it to the commanding officer to surrender before more blood was shed, and while he had it in his power to restrain the Indians. The commanding officer, to be certain of such a defeat, sent an officer of his to see the prisoners; they were shown to him; and, in short, the capitulation was finished about ten at night of the 34th, by which the garrison surrendered, with the honors of war, which Lieutenant Moncrief saw embarked the morning he came away, to the number of 607 private men, exclusive of the officers and their ladies, and those taken in the action. We expect them here to-morrow on their way to New York.

Saturday afternoon an express arrived in town [New York City] from Albany, which place he left about 6 o'clock on Thursday morning, with the following agreeable news, which was brought to Albany a few hours before, from Sir William Johnson at Niagara, viz:—That on the 24th of July, as Sir William lay before the fort of Niagara, with the forces under his command, besieging it, he received intelligence by B party of his Indians that were sent out on a scout, that there was a large body of French and Indians, coming from Venango, as a reinforcement to the garrison of Niagara. Gen. Johnson thereupon ordered 600 chosen men from the 44th and 46th regiments, 100 New York provincials, and 600 Mohawks, Senecas, &c. to march immediately, and way lay them, which they accordingly did, and threw up a breastwork at a place where they knew the French must pass by on their way to the fort; and sent a batteau with 10 or 12 men down the river a little way, to fire when the enemy were near at hand, which would give them warning to prepare themselves for their reception; and in a short time after their breast-work was finished, they heard the alarm given by the batteau, that was sent forward, on which they all prepared themselves to receive the enemy, each man having two balls and three buck-shot in his gun, and were squatted. However, the enemy perceived them in their entrenchment, and fired six times on them before our people returned the fire; but as soon as the enemy came close, all the English rose up and discharged their pieces, which made the utmost slaughter imaginable among them, and repeated their fire three times, when the enemy's Indians that were left alive, left them; immediately upon which our people jumped over their breast-work, and flew on the enemy, sword in hand, still continuing to make great slaughter among them, and took 120 prisoners, among which were 17 officers, some of which are of distinction, with their chief commander. The havoc we made at the end was great, 500 of the enemy at least being left on the field of

* The battle_ground is a mile and a half below the Five Mile Meadows, at a place called Bloody Run. Skulls and other human bones, bill-axes, pieces of muskets, &c., were strewn over the ground there, long after the settlement of the country commenced.

battle. Those that could, made their escape, and went down the river. Upon the return of bur troops to Gen. Johnson with the prisoners, he immediately sent a flag of truce in to the commander of the fort, and demanded a surrender, telling him of the defeat of the reinforcement he expected; but the French commandant would not give credit to what Gen. Johnson said, till he had sent a flag of truce with a drum, into our camp, and found it but too true; and immediately on the officer's return to the fort, the French commandant offered to capitulate, provided Gen. Johnson would permit the garrison to march out with all the honors of war, which was agreed to; but that they must immediately, upon their coming out, lay down their arms, and surrender themselves, which they accordingly did; and Gen. Johnson took possession of the fort directly after. The garrison consisted of 607 men, among which were 16 officers, 7 of which were captains, besides the chief commander, and we hear they are shortly after their surrender, embarked on board of batteaux, and Bent up to Oswego, and from thence were to be sent down to New York, and may be expected here every day. The number of our killed and wounded in the defeat of the reinforcement from Venango, we cannot as yet justly ascertain, but there were five of the New Yorkers among the slain in that affair. It is said we had not lost 40 men in the whole, since the landing of the troops at Niagara. The Indians were allowed all the plunder in the fort, and found a vast quantity of it, some say to the value of £300 a man. The fort, it is said, is large enough to contain 1000 fighting men, without inconvenience; all the buildings in and about it are standing, and in good order; and it is thought, had our forces stormed the place (which was intended) they would have met with a warm reception; and beating the Venango party, will undoubtedly crown with laurels the ever deserving JOHNSON."

From the Maryland Gazette, Aug. 23d, 1759: Under Philadelphia head, Aug. 16th:

By a letter from Niagara, of the 21st. ult. [?], we learn that by the assiduity and influence of Sir William Johnson, there were upwards of eleven hundred Indians convened there, who, by their good behaviour, have justly gained the esteem of the whole army: That Sir William being informed the enemy had buried a quantity of goods on an Island, about twenty miles from the fort, sent a number of Indians to search for them, who found to the value of eight thousand pounds, and were in hopes of finding more, and that a French vessel, entirely laden with beaver, had foundered on the Lake, where her crew, consisting of forty-one men, were all lost.✝

From the Maryland Gazette, Thursday, Aug. 30, 1759.

"New York, August 20, 1759.

JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE OF NIAGARA, TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH:

Friday, July 6, 1759. About seven at night a soldier, who was hunting, came with all diligence to acquaint Monsieur Pouchot, that he had discovered at the entrance

The following eloquent description of the battle scene upon the river bank, occurs in Graham's Colonial History:-"The French Indians having raised the fierce, wild yell, called the war-whoop, which by this time had lost its appalling effects on the British soldiers, the action began by an impetuous attack from the enemy; and while the neighboring Cataract of Niagara, pealed forth to inattentive ears, its everlasting voice of many waters, the roar of artilley, the shrieks of the Indians, and all the martial clang and dreadful revelry of a field of battle, mingled in wild chorus with the majestic music of nature."

Some may be disposed to infer that the anchor, cannon, &c. which the author has assumed, were those of the Griffin, are as likely to have belonged to the shipwrecked vessel here spoken of. But forty-six years intervened between the loss of this vessel, and the finding of the relics near the mouth of the Eighteen Mile creek; not a sufficient period to allow of the appearance those relics presented: the anchor deeply embedded in sand and gravel, the timber growth, &c.