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Montcalm's Victory at Ticonderoga ( Fort Carillon ) July 8, 1758
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maps of the battle of Ticonderoga
While the British were attacking Louisbourg, 17,000 British and colonial troops were also gathering to attack Fort Carillon at Ticonderoga under Gen. James Abercromby and a ranger force under Lord Howe at Albany. This was the largest army ever assembled in North America . Against this force, Montcalm only had 3,000 French and Indian troops at the French star-shaped fort known as a trace italienne which proved better defense against artillery than a straight wall .
The army sailed up Lake George in an large armada of small boats a mile wide and seven miles long and landed without almost any opposition about two miles from Fort Carillon on July 6, 1758 . With the French seemingly on the run, Lord Howe decided to press ahead. Howe sent Rodger's rangers to secure a crossing at Bernetz Brook and Howe was killed in a skirmish scouting party . This shocked the army and devastated Abercromby .The army became confused, and fearing an ambush like Braddock's and fired on each other, killing an estimated hundred men and Abercromby had to stop the advance on Fort Carillon for the day to put matters back in order . The next day, the British advanced closer, but not to the fort itself, still fearful of an ambush . This gave the French more time to prepare their defenses of log and sharpened branch entrenchments known as abbatis and camouflage them .
The Black Watch On July 8, Abercromby decided attack to in a classic frontal attack, with skirmishers in the front a three brigades behind them, while the French, the British thought, were still putting up defenses. This was to be done before the artillery arrived or digging entrenchments to seal off the French fort on the peninsula .At 10:00 am the British skirmish line moved forward , there were some minor skirmishes and by noon, the French seemed to be on the run with some of their fortifications breached, or so it seemed . At this point, the commander of one of the brigades, Lieutenant Haviland, believing the fortifications breached, ordered his brigade to forward prematurely . . As the troops struggled to get over the abbatis, they came under heavy French fire and a retreat was ordered , and the troops feel back in confusion and the attack lost coordination .The British repeatedly attacked, usually in the center, but were repulsed and they could not outflank the French .The attacks went on till 7:00pm,when the British called off the attacks, leaving their dead and wounded . The French, expecting a renewed attack, stayed in their fortifications overnight. The next day they found the British gone . It is estimated the British had 1,300 killed, with the French losing 377 .
Montcalm cheered by his troops, by Henry Ogden Fall of Fort Frontenac and Fort Duquense
Washington and his force raise the British flag at Fort Duquesne after finding it abandoned by the French Shortly after the disaster at Ticonderoga, Col. John Bradstreet and 3,000 colonial troops were able to take the French Fort Frontenac with no loss of life after the French commander surrendered with his 100 or so troops . The fort was destroyed was 67 cannons, supplies and furs were seized .This cut off French contact with Fort Niagara and Duquense .In November 1758, the French burned and abandoned Fort Duquense .The commander of the English army to Fort Duquense, Gen.Forbes, renamed the site Pittsburgh in honor of William Pitt .
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Montcalm at the battle of Carillon
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