The Battle of Lake George was fought on 8 September 1755, in the north of the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...

. It was part of a campaign by the British to expel the French from North America, in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

. On one side were 1,584 French, Canadian, and

Abenaki The Abenaki (Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was predom ...

troops under the command of the Baron de Dieskau. On the other side were 2,682

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

troops under William Johnson and 250 Mohawks led by noted war chief

Hendrick Theyanoguin Hendrick Theyanoguin (c. 1691 – September 8, 1755), whose name had several spelling variations, was a Mohawk leader and member of the Bear Clan. He resided at Canajoharie or the Upper Mohawk Castle in colonial New York.Sivertsen, Barbara J. ...

. The battle consisted of three separate phases and ended in victory for the British and their allies. After the battle, Johnson decided to build

Fort William Henry Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George, in the province of New York. The fort's construction was ordered by Sir William Johnson in September 1755, during the French and Indian War, as a staging ground for ...

in order to consolidate his gains.

Background

William Johnson – who had recently been named the British agent to the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

– arrived at the southern end of Lac du Saint Sacrement on 28 August 1755, and renamed it "Lake George" in honor of his sovereign,

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...

. His intention was to advance via Lake George and

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

to attack French-held

Fort St. Frédéric A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

at Crown Point, which was a keystone in the defense of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. With a view to stopping Johnson's advance, Dieskau had already left Crown Point for an encampment situated between the two lakes (later to be built into

Fort Carillon Fort Carillon, presently known as Fort Ticonderoga, was constructed by Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada (New France), French Canada, to protect Lake Champlain from a British invasion. Situated on the lake some south of Fort S ...

, the precursor of

Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain, in northern New York, in the United States. It was constructed by Canadian-born French milit ...

.) On 4 September, Dieskau decided to launch a raid on Johnson's base, the recently constructed Fort Edward (at the time called "Fort Lyman") on the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

. His aim was to destroy the boats, supplies and artillery that Johnson needed for his campaign. Leaving half his force at Carillon, Dieskau led the rest on an alternate route to the Hudson by landing his men at South Bay and then marching them east of Lake George along Wood Creek. Dieskau arrived near Fort Edward on the evening of 7 September, with 222 French regular grenadiers from the

Régiment de la Reine The Régiment de la Reine (''Queen's Regiment'') was a French Army infantry regiment active in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the French and Indian War, North American ...

and the

Régiment de Languedoc The Régiment de Languedoc was a French Army regiment active in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the North American theatre. History The regiment arrived in Quebec City June 19, ...

, 684 Canadian militia, 578

and Nipissing allies. Johnson, camped north of Fort Edward at the southern end of Lake George, was alerted by scouts to the presence of enemy forces to the south, and he dispatched a messenger to warn the 500-man garrison at Fort Edward. However, the messenger was intercepted, and soon afterward a supply train was captured. As a result, the disposition of all of Johnson's forces became known to Dieskau. The

Indians in the French party, after holding council, declined to assault Fort Edward because they expected it to be defended with cannons; so in the morning, Dieskau gave the order to march north toward the lake. At 9:00 a.m. on 8 September, Johnson sent Colonel

Ephraim Williams Ephraim Williams Jr. (Wyllis Eaton Wright, Colonel Ephraim Williams, a documentary life' (1970), p. 4.Correct date of birth of February 24, 1714 is obtained from primary source: Massachusetts Vital Records "Newton Births 1674-1801 Book 1 Vol 106 ...

south to reinforce Fort Edward with 250 Mohawk allies and 1,000 troops from Williams'

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Regiment and Colonel

Nathan Whiting Nathan Whiting (4 May 1724, Windham, Connecticut – 9 April 1771) was a soldier and merchant in Colonial America. Biography Whiting's parents died while he was a child, and he was raised by father's sister Mary and her husband, Reverend Thom ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Regiment. Dieskau, warned by a deserter of Williams' approach, blocked the portage road with his French grenadiers and sent his Canadians and Indians to ambush the British from both sides of the road. They lay in wait in a ravine three miles south of the present-day village of Lake George.

Order of Battle

British Order of Battle

Commander: Major-General William Johnson * Provincial (2,932 effective men as per the returns of August 17, 18 and 19) ** 1st Massachusetts Provincials (about 450 men) under Colonel Timothy Ruggles ** 2nd Massachusetts Provincials (about 450 men) under Colonel Moses Titcomb ** 3rd Massachusetts Provincials (about 450 men) under Colonel Ephraim Williams ** 1st Connecticut Provincials (about 450 men) under Major-General Lyman ** 2nd Connecticut Provincials (about 450 men) under Lieutenant-Colonel Whiting ** Rhode Island Provincials (about 250 men) under Lieutenant-Colonel Cole ** New York Provincials (3 coys from Connecticut totaling about 200 men) ''many settlers in upstate New York came from Connecticut'' * Mohawk Indians (about 250 men) under

French Order of Battle

Commander: ''

Général de Division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

'' Ludwig August, Baron von Dieskau * French regulars (222 men) ** Languedoc Infanterie (2 coys) ** La Reine Infanterie (2 coys) ** Troupes de la Marine (12 men) * Milices Canadiennes (684 men) *

Warriors (598 men) * Nipissing Warriors (80 men)

Battle

"Bloody Morning Scout"

Williams' column marched straight into the trap and was engulfed in a blaze of enemy musketry. In an engagement known as the "Bloody Morning Scout", Williams and Hendrick were killed along with many of their troops. At this point, the French regulars, brought forward by Dieskau, poured volleys into the beleaguered colonial troops. Most of the New Englanders fled toward Johnson's camp while about 100 of their comrades under Whiting and Lt. Col.

Seth Pomeroy Seth Pomeroy (May 20, 1706 – February 19, 1777) was an American gunsmith and soldier from Northampton, Massachusetts. His military service included the French and Indian War and the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. He fought ...

and most of the surviving Mohawks covered their withdrawal with a fighting retreat.Anderson, ''Crucible of War'', p. 119 The British rearguard was able to inflict substantial casualties on their overconfident pursuers. Pomeroy noted that his men "killed great numbers of them; they were seen to drop like pigeons".Gallay, ''Colonial Wars of North America, 1512–1763: An Encyclopedia'', p. 363 One of those killed in this phase of the battle was

Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre (October 24, 1701 - September 8, 1755) was a Canadian colonial military commander and explorer who held posts throughout North America in the 18th century, just before and during the French and Indian War. Fami ...

, the highly respected commander of Dieskau's Canadian and Indian forces. His fall caused great dismay, particularly to the French Indians.

Assault on Johnson's camp

Dieskau ordered his Canadians and Indians to follow up their success with an attack on Johnson's camp. However, with their morale already shaken by the loss of their leader, the Caughnawagas "did not wish to attack an entrenched camp, the defenders of which included hundreds of their Mohawk kinsmen. The Abenakis would not go forward without the Caughnawagas, and neither would the Canadians". Hoping to shame the Indians into attacking, Dieskau formed his 222 French grenadiers into a column, six abreast, and led them in person along the lake road. The grenadiers marched toward the clearing where Johnson's camp was, around which Johnson had hurriedly constructed defensive barricades of "wagons, overturned boats and hewn-down trees". Once the grenadiers were out in the open ground, the British gunners crewing Johnson's three cannons loaded them with

grapeshot Grapeshot is a type of artillery round invented by a British Officer during the Napoleonic Wars. It was used mainly as an anti infantry round, but had other uses in naval combat. In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of ammunition that consists of ...

and cut "lanes, streets and alleys" through the French ranks. When Johnson was wounded and forced to retire to his tent for treatment, General

Phineas Lyman Phineas Lyman (1716–1774) was a colonial American soldier known for his service in the provincial British Army of the French and Indian War. He later led a group of New England veterans of the war to settle in the new colony of West Florida whe ...

took over command. When Dieskau went down with a serious wound, the French attack was abandoned. After the French withdrawal, the British found about 20 severely wounded Frenchmen who were lying too close to the British artillery's field of fire for their comrades to retrieve them. They included Baron Dieskau, who had paid the price of leading from the front with a shot through the bladder. (

Benjamin West Benjamin West, (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as '' The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the '' Treaty of Paris'', and '' Benjamin Franklin Drawin ...

painted a portrait of Johnson saving a French officer—allegedly Baron Dieskau.)

Bloody Pond

Meanwhile, Colonel Joseph Blanchard, commander of Fort Edward, saw the smoke from the battle in the distance and sent out

Nathaniel Folsom Nathaniel Folsom (September 28, 1726 – May 26, 1790) was an American merchant and statesman. He was a delegate for New Hampshire in the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1777 to 1780, signing the Continental Association. He served as major gener ...

's 80-strong company of the

New Hampshire Provincial Regiment The New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was a provincial military regiment made up of men from the New Hampshire Militia during the French and Indian War for service with the British Army in North America. It was first formed in 1754 with the sta ...

and 40

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Provincials under Captain McGennis to investigate.

Hearing the report of guns in the direction of the Lake, they pressed forward, and when within about two miles of it, fell in with the baggage of the French army protected by a guard, which they immediately attacked and dispersed. About four o'clock in the afternoon, some 300 of the French army appeared in sight. They had rallied, and retreating in tolerable order. Capt. Folsom posted his men among the trees, and as the enemy approached, they poured in upon them a well directed and galling fire. He continued the attack in this manner till prevented by darkness, killing many of the enemy, taking some of them prisoners, and finally driving them from the field. He then collected his own wounded, and securing them with many of the enemy's packs, he brought his prisoners and booty safe into camp. The next day the rest of the baggage was brought in, thus securing the entire baggage and ammunition of the French army. In this brilliant affair, Folsom lost only six men, but McGennis was mortally wounded, and died soon after. The loss of the French was very considerable.

The bodies of the French troops who were killed in this engagement (actually Canada-born French colonials and their Native American allies, not French regulars) were thrown into the pool "which bears to this day the name of Bloody Pond".

Aftermath

The Battle of Lake George, comprising three parts, eventually ended in a British victory. Johnson's expedition eventually stopped short of Fort St. Frédéric and the strategic result at Lake George was significant. Johnson was able to advance a considerable distance down the lake and consolidated his gains by building

at its southern end. Historian Fred Anderson writes that had Dieskau succeeded in halting Johnson at Fort Edward, it would have not only ended the threat to Fort St. Frédéric but would also "roll back New York's and New England's defenses to Albany itself".

Casualties

There are as many different versions of the casualties suffered at Lake George as there are accounts of the battle. A letter of 20 October 1755, from Monsieur Doreil to the Comte d'Argenson, a senior French commander in North America, confirms that the French grenadiers paid for their assault on Johnson's entrenchments with the loss of more than a third of their total strength: the Regiment de la Reine had 21 killed or missing and 30 wounded, while the Regiment de Languedoc had 5 killed and 21 wounded. Peter Palmer states in his history that "the loss of the English this day was about two hundred and sixteen killed and ninety-six wounded; of the French the loss was much greater." He claims Johnson estimated the French loss at five to six hundred, while stating that another source noted it as "a little short of eight hundred". W. Max Reid says, "The English loss in killed, wounded, and missing at the battle of Lake George was 262, and that of the French, by their own account, was 228". Ian K. Steele says of the British losses, "The official returns, corrected, read 154 dead, 103 wounded, and 67 missing. Most of those listed as missing had not deserted into woods full of Canadians and Indians; most of the missing were later found dead. Pomeroy was preoccupied with the losses, but overlooked the Iroquois casualties, which brought the totals to 223 dead and about 108 wounded". Of the French losses, Steele says, "The official French journal of the operation probably minimized Indian casualties in a total count of 149 dead, 163 wounded, and 27 taken prisoner. The reported number of those killed, wounded, and captured was remarkably close on both sides, with those fighting for the English losing 331 and the French, 339." Steele does not give a reason for his suspicion that the Indian casualties were under-reported. In his 2009 book, ''Combattre pour la France en Amérique'', Marcel Fournier diverges considerably from the other sources in reporting the casualties for the Battle of Lac St-Sacrement (as the French called it) at 800 killed or wounded for the British and 200 killed or wounded for the French.Marcel Fournier: ''Combattre pour la France en Amérique'', p.47: 2009

Map gallery

Image:Carte Guerre de 7 ans Amérique du nord.PNG, Map showing location of fighting in the French and Indian War Image:Nouvelle-France 1754.jpg, French forts on Lake George. Image:Lake Champlain Landsat.jpg,

Landsat The Landsat program is the longest-running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. It is a joint NASA / USGS program. On 23 July 1972, the Earth Resources Technology Satellite was launched. This was eventually renamed to Lan ...

photo of lakes Champlain and George and portions of the Hudson and Richelieu rivers Image:Champlainmap.svg, Map showing the Lake Champlain and Richelieu River watershed Image:Hudsonmap.png, The watershed of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Lake George Lake George 1755 in North America Lake George, Battle of Pre-statehood history of New Hampshire Pre-statehood history of Massachusetts Pre-statehood history of Connecticut Pre-statehood history of New York (state) Lake George Lake George Lake George 1755 in the Province of New York Ambushes