CHAPTER FIVE The Amherst Campaign

The next year, 1759, General Jeffrey Amherst, who had succeeded General Abercromby, again advanced down Lake George to attack the Fort. On July 21st with 5743 British regulars and about the same number of provincials he left Fort William Henry. In the meantime, the French garrison at Ticonderoga had been much reduced. Montcalm had gone to the defense of Quebec, leaving General Bourlamaque, who had been slightly wounded the year before, in command. Amherst’s army followed Abercromby’s route but instead of attacking proceeded to invest the Fort. Bourlamaque soon realized that he would be starved out and captured within a reasonable time, so, after a few days defense decided to evacuate. He left Captain Hebecourt with 400 of the garrison and with the balance retreated to Crown Point and eventually to Isle aux Noix. Hebecourt kept up a heavy artillery fire as the British advanced through the French lines and threw up counter defenses. Amherst was then within 600 yards of the Fort. He did not know that Bourlamaque had retreated with most of the French Army. On the 3rd night Hebecourt embarked the balance of his force, set fire to the Fort and left a lighted match headed for the powder magazine, which was located in the South East Bastion. The Fort was soon in flames and the magazine blew up with a tremendous explosion. Hebecourt made good his retreat to Isle aux Noix where he joined Bourlamaque.

An excellent description of the taking of the Fort by Amherst is contained in a letter from a Massachusetts soldier, Eli Forbush, in the Museum collection. It follows herewith:

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Sir Jeffrey Amherst

Camp at Ticonderoga or Fort Carillon Aug. 4, 1759.

“Very Rev’d & Hon’d Sr.

“Tis an old saying better late than never, therefore I presume (tho too unseasonably) to wait upon you with a line, to tell you what God has done for us the army and his Chh [Church] and people in gen’l. On ye 21 of July ye army imbarked for this place, which consisted of 11756, the Invincible rydau sail’d in ye rear of grenadiers, light infantry and rangers, and in ye front of remaining army and ye sloop Halifax brought up ye rear of ye whole. The fleet reached Sabbath Day Point by day light, then the Invincible came to anchor, and ye whole Fleet lay upon ye ores, till break of day, when ye signal was given for sailing, and the whole landed without opposition, between ye hours of nine and eleven, 22d, the light infantry, rangers, and grenad’rs marched immediately for the mill, where they found the 49 enemy posted, in three advantageous places, but as soon as they saw the dexterity and resolution of our advancing parties, they fled and left ye grounds in our possession and as our people got ye first fire and received only a running fire from them, little execution was done on either side, we obtain 3 prisoners and kild 3 on ye spot, and received only a slight wound or two from them. The whole army marched forward, beside what was necessary to guard the landing place, with ye vessels and stores, some were imployed in persuing the enemy, some in clearing the roads, and ye water course from ye mill, others in taking possession of all ye most advantageous ground near ye Fort—the whole was performed with ye greatest regularity, ye least noise, a noble calmness and intrepid resolution, ye whole army seemed to pertake of ye very soul of ye commander. As ye enemy had not force nor courage to man ye lines yt provd so fatal to our brave troops last year, we took possession of them without much opposition, and before day of ye 23d began to intrench and ye body of ye army incamped behind ye breastwork, which covered them from ye enemies fire, as soon as it was light and ye enemy perceived our disposition, they raised a smart canonade upon us, but without effect, those that were intrenching, between ye Breastwork and ye Fort had by this time covered ymselves, and ye breastwork was a defence to ye camp, they continued to canonade and to throw yr shells, and we continued to intrench, advancing nearer and nearer, the Gen’l ordered yt no fire shd be returned upon ye enemy (except in case of necessary defence) till he had all ye batteries ready to open at once, and as ye trenches were long ye digging bad, the whole could not be compleated till Thursday night ye 26 or rather Fryday morning ye 27. When ye batteries were to be opened at once, the enemy seemed fully sensible of ye fatal consequences of such heavy batteries for a little after midnight between ye 26 & 27. they blew up ye magazine and made off, some by land on ye east side of ye lake and some by water with all yt they could carry (which could be but a little), nineteen of those 50 that went off by land got lost and came into our camp next morning, some of ye light infantry yt were posted on ye left by ye lake side hearing ye enemies boats fire several cannon loaded with grape in among ym which greatly dismad and destresd them,—we found 3 of ye boats adrift loaded with powder and other stores, others broke and sunk.

General Amherst and the Burning Fort
From a painting in the Museum Collection

“Six o’Clock 27. the French flagg was struck and ye English hoisted on ye same staff, but as ye Fort was in flames and cannon loaded and a large number of small armes, which kept a continual fire as ye wood burnt, the 51 Gen’l gave orders yt ye greatest caution shd usd in taking possession, About 8 o’Clock they began to attempt to extinguish ye fire, and to draw ye charges from those cannon yt ye fire had not reached,—We found 13 pieces of cannon mounted, 4 Mortars two 13 Inch, two 9. Other artillery is found since sunk in ye waters, the strength of ye Fort exceeds ye most sanguine imagination, nature and art are Joind to render it impregnable, and had not ye enemy behaved like cowards and traitors they might have held out a long siege. Our loss is very inconsiderable (except Col. Townsend) who was killed with a cannon ball on ye 25th besides him we have lost none of note, the whole according to ye returns yt have been made is 96 killd and wounded, 20 only of which was kild on ye spot—We have had one killed as he stood centry and one Stockbridge Indian, an Ensign, which is all ye loss that we have sustained by ye savages since the Fort was abandoned. It came out in Gen’l Orders that publick thanks shd be given at ye head of every core for ye conquest obtained, ever since we got possession ye whole army has been imploy’d in extinguishing ye fire of ye Fort, repairing ye breeches made by ye explosion, gitting over ye beteaus and boats, provisions, and artilery stores, in rebuilding ye mills and in erecting two more rydaus all whch are near accomplished. August 3. A scout in from Crown-Point and brot certain intelligence that the enemy have destroyed and abandoned that also, upon which ye Gen’l sent a party immediately to take possession, and this morning saild himself with his artilery and ye main body of ye army leaving only such numbers as are necessary to defend ye several posts which he has established and to carry on the works at ye mills and ye Fort, tis supposd yt ye whole army will be ready to cross the Lake Champlain in about ten days. We have two rydaus that carry Six 12 pounders in yr sides and one 24 in ye bowes. four roe galleys yt carry one 18 in each of yr bowes one flat boat and one six pounder and four bay-boats with swivals and a brig in great forwardness, all which we hope will be sufficient against the 3 schooners 52 which ye enemy having cruzing in ye Lake, so yet our success is not only great but ye prospect still clear yt we shl by ye divine aide do ye business we came upon—The health of ye army is very extraordinary in ye two battalions where I am concerned, yr has died but two with sickness and one kild by ye enemy, (ye sentery above mentioned) when I visited the fort which was about 9 o’Clock Friday morning 27th I found many monuments of superstition which would furnish a curious mind with aboundant matter for speculation—one thing I cant omit, near ye breast-work where so many spilt yr blood last year, was a cross erected of 30 feet high, painted red with this inscription in lead on yt side next to ye breastwork ‘Sone Principes eorum Sicut oneb et heb et Zebee et ...’ and under this at ye foot of ye cross was an open grave—on ye opposite side of ye cross next to ye Fort was this inscribed in lead viz ‘Hoc Signum Vincit’—These are the most remarkable, yt has feel within my notice since I wrote last. I hope you will pardon my prolixity and overlook ye many imperfections of my relation, tis a good story tho it is not well told, if you please let Mr. Breek see the contents as I have not time to write particularly to him nor anything new besides to communicate.

“Please to give all proper salutations to all friends on ye river and give me leave to subscribe your most obd’t and affectionate son

Eli Forbush

“Last night I was hon’d with the reception of yr fav’r of ye 16 ulto for which I thank you.”

To the Reverend Mr. Steven Williams in Springfield, Lon Meadow Precinct. [Mass.]

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