Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/264

240 from England, Abercrombie, who remained commander-in-chief, soon found himself at the head of a force of fifty thousand men, a number greater than the whole male population of New France. Louisburg, Ticonderoga, and Fort Duquesne, were all to be attacked at once.

The first blow was struck at Louisburg. Early in June, Boscawen made his appearance before that fortress with a fleet of thirty-eight ships of war, and an army of fourteen thousand men under General Amherst. The garrison at Louisburg was three thousand in number, and eleven ships of war were in the harbor. The works were considerably out of repair, and were not in a condition to stand a regular siege; so that after a vigorous approach on the part of the English, and severe loss on the side of the French, the garrison was compelled, on the 27th of July, to capitulate. Wolfe, who was destined to accomplish so great things not long after, was prominent in conducting this expedition to its successful issue, Thus Louisburg, with all its artillery, provisions, and military stores, as also St. John's Island (now Prince Edward's), and their dependencies, were placed in the hands of the English, who, without farther difficulty, took possession of the island of Cape Breton. The- conquerors found two hundred and twenty-one pieces of cannon, and eighteen mortars, with a very large quantity of stores and ammunition. The inhabitants of Cape Breton were sent to France in English ships; but the garrison, sea officers, sailors, and marines, amounting collectively to nearly six thousand men, were carried prisoners to England. Amherst sailed back to Boston with his troops, and thence marched to the western frontier.

Some weeks before the fall of Louisburg, General Abercrombie, with about sixteen thousand men, embarked at Fort William Henry, and passed down Lake George, to commence operations against Ticonderoga. Israel Putnam, afterwards famous in the Revolution, held the rank of major at the time, and commanded a company of well-known and very effective rangers. After debarking at the landing place in a cove on the west side of the lake, the troops were formed into four columns, the British in the centre, and the provincials on the flanks. In this order they marched toward the advanced guard of the French, which, consisting of one battalion only, posted in a logged camp, destroyed what was in their power, and made a precipitate retreat. While Abercrombie was continuing his march in the woods towards Ticonderoga, the columns were thrown into confusion, and in some degree entangled with each other. At this juncture, Lord Howe, at the head of the right centre column, fell in with a part of the advanced guard of the enemy, which had been lost in the wood in retreating from Lake George. Accompanying Putnam, who tried to dissuade him, Howe dashed through the woods attacked and dispersed the French killing a considerable number, and taking one hundred and forty-eight prisoners. In this skirmish the gallant Howe received a musket shot in the