CAPTURE OF FORT BULL,' BY MR. DE LERY. [Paris Doc. XII.] On the 27 March 1756 at four o'clock in the morning, the detachments commanded by M. de Lery, Lieutenant of the Colonial troops, commenced their march, very much weakened by the fatigue they experienced during fifteen days since they left Montreal, for they were two days entirely out of provisions. At half past five they arrived at the road to the Carrying place, and the scouts in advance brought in two Englishmen who were coming from the fort nearest to Chouaguin, whom M. de Lery caused to be informed that he should have their brains knocked out by the Indians if he perceived that they endeavored to conceal the truth, and if they communicated it to him, he should use all his efforts to extricate them from their hands. These prisoners stated that the Fort, this side of Chouaguin, was called Bull, having a garrison of 60 soldiers, commanded by a lieutenant, that there was in this fort a considerable quantity of munitions of war and provisions; that the fort was constructed of heavy pickets, 15 to 18 feet above ground, doubled inside to a man's height, and was nearly of the shape of a star; that it had no cannon, but a number of grenadoes which Colonel Johnson had sent on intelligence being communicated to him by the Indians of our march; that the Commandant of this Fort was called Bull; that 15 batteaux were to leave in the evening for Chouaguin; that at the moment sleighs were arriving with 9 batteaux loads; that the fort on the Corlear side, at the head of 1 This Fort is referred to in a Report of a Committee appointed to explore the Western Waters in the State of New-York. Albany, Barber and Southwick, 1792. It is laid down in Sauthier's Map, as fort Bute. Its situation was about two miles west of Rome. See Outline Map annexed. 2 He left on the 17th March on the ice, passed by La Presentation (Ogdensburgh) and proceeded across the country and along the mountains, by paths known only to the savages to within a short distance of one of those Forts called Bull. Mem. sur les aff. du Canada dep. 1749 jusq. 1760. published by Hist. Soc. Quebec, 1838. the Carrying Place was of much larger pickets and well planked, having four pieces of Cannon and a garrison of 150 men, commanded by Captain Williams, whose name the fort bore; that they did not know if there were any provisions in the fort not having been in it.' men who were conductThese confirmed what 100 men arrived at 8 At 10 o'clock the savages captured 10 ing the sleighs loaded with provisions. the prisoners had stated and added that o'clock on the preceding evening, who were said to be followed by a large force. Monsieur de Lery whilst occupying himself in distributing among his detachment the provisions found in the sleighs, was informed that a Negro who accompanied the loads had escaped taking the road to Fort Williams; whereupon not doubting but they would have intimation of him at that fort, he acquainted M. de Montigny, his second, of his determination to attack Fort Bull, the prisoners having assured him that the greater part of the provisions and stores were there. Each officer received immediate orders to form his brigade and M de Lery told the savages that he was about to attack the Bull, but they represented to him that now they had provisions to carry the detachment to La Presentation-English meat that the Master of Life had bestowed on them, without costing a man-to risk another affair would be be to go contrary to His will; if he desired absolutely to perish he was master of his frenchmen. The Commander replied that he did not wish to expose them and asked them only for two Indians to guide his expedition which they with difficulty granted. Some twenty determined afterwards to follow him being encouraged by some drams of brandy. The Algonquins, Nepissings and those Iroquois who were unwilling to follow him, accepted 1 The necessity of fortifying this Pass was pointed out, for the first time, in Oct. 1736, by a number of Indian Traders who petitioned the Assembly to erect a fort at "the Carrying Place at the upper end of the Mohawk River." When Fort Williams was erected has not been ascertained. There was a Fort William in the Mohawk Country as early as 1745-6. but whether it be identical with Fort Williams is undetermined. The latter stood until 1756, when it was destroyed by Gen'l Webb on his famous flight from Wood creek immediately after the fall of Oswego. It was succeeded in 1758 by Fort Stanwix and finally by the present city of Rome, Oneida Co. |