The British Fort William Henry on the shores of Lake George, New York (NY), was built during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) by Sir William Johnson as a staging ground for attacks against the French Fort Carillon (later renamed Fort Ticonderoga). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long narrow Lake at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains, northern New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The French and Indian War (1754&ndash1763 was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War. Year 1754 ( MDCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Year 1763 ( MDCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Sir William Johnson 1st Baronet (1715 &ndash 11 July 1774) founder of Johnstown, New York, was an Irish pioneer and army This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Fort Ticonderoga is a large Eighteenth-century Fort built at a strategically important narrows in Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access Fort Ticonderoga is a large Eighteenth-century Fort built at a strategically important narrows in Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access It was part of a chain of British and French forts along the important inland waterway from New York City to Quebec. The City of New York Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Fort William Henry was named both for Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland, the younger son of King George II, and Prince William Henry, the Duke Gloucester, a grandson of King George II and a younger brother of the future King George III. The Prince William Duke of Cumberland (William Augustus Style and New Style dates|N George II (George Augustus 10 November 1683 &ndash 25 October 1760 was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg ( Prince William Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh KG PC FRS (William Henry was born at Leicester House, London. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places (For information on the name of the fort, see Fred Anderson, Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754 to 1766 (New York: Vintage Books, 2000), page 123. )
Contents |
Operations at the fort
Fort William Henry was commanded by the British Army officer, Lieutenant-Colonel George Monro. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Lieutenant-Colonel George Monro (sometimes spelt 'Munro' (1700-1757 was a British Army officer best remembered for his resolute but ultimately unsuccessful defence of
Contrary to popular belief, during the siege most of the soldiers of Fort William Henry were camped outside the fort at the eastern end behind hastily dug trenches. The fort held the garrison of regular British troops, the exterior camp was for colonial militiamen. Garrison (various spellings (from the French garnison, itself from the verb garnir, "to equip" is the collective term for a body of Troops Prior to its destruction Fort William Henry was also the staging point for Rogers' Rangers. Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of rangers attached to the British Army during the French and Indian War. By the time the siege began Monro had under his command around 2,200 men consisting of the 35th Regiment of Foot , elements of the 60th Foot and the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment along with militia from New Jersey and Massachusetts. The 35th (Royal Sussex Regiment of Foot was an Infantry Regiment in the British Army. The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army formation originally raised in colonial America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists The New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was a composite Regiment made up of units of the New Hampshire Militia during the French and Indian War for service New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States.
The French attack on the fort
The fort was attacked by the French in August of 1757. Year 1757 ( MDCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Following a heavy bombardment and siege by French troops under the command of General Marquis de Montcalm, the garrison was forced to surrender when their relief columns from the south could not break through the attackers. Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon Marquis de Saint-Veran ( February 28, 1712 &ndash September 14, 1759) was the commander of the French French forces totaled some 8,000 consisting of about 3,000 regulars, 3,000 militia and nearly 2,000 Native Americans. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States
The Fort William Henry massacre
After the surrender to the French on very generous terms, the Indian allies of the French began to attack the British and colonial column leaving the fort. The Battle of Fort William Henry was General Montcalm 's siege and capture of the British held Fort William Henry in August 1757 They had been expecting payment for their assistance in the form of loot, captives, and scalps and were severely disappointed at the lenient surrender terms. Many people were killed, captured, or stripped of belongings. The severity of the attack on the surrendered troops, called the Fort William Henry Massacre, was later exaggerated for propaganda purposes. Some contemporary reports claim as many as 1500 killed, but modern scholars put the number at 70-180 dead. Historians note that it is likely that Montcalm tried to prevent the attack, but probably did not have the means to stop it by force. The French soldiers escorted the survivors to Fort Edward following the massacre.
It has been suggested that this massacre and the associated propaganda are the reasons for the British army's reluctance to ever surrender to the French during the Seven Years' War, even when in an untenable position. The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths This fact was a constant cause of annoyance to the French.
The victors also dug up the graves of people who had died during the siege, infecting themselves and others with Smallpox as they attempted to scalp the corpses and steal valuables. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. The French finally burned the fort and retreated to Fort Carillon.
The fort today
A replica of Fort William Henry now stands in its place, and is a popular tourist attraction in the village of Lake George, NY. The Village of Lake George is a Village within the town of Lake George in Warren County New York, United States.
Last of the Mohicans
The fall of Fort William Henry is the focus of the epic novel The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story The Last of the Mohicans is a Historical novel by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826 James Fenimore Cooper (September 15 1789 &ndash September 14 1851 was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display
External links
- An Account of the Two Attacks on Fort William Henry 1757
- Fort William Henry massacre
- Fort William Henry Museum
- Lake George Historical Association
- History of the 35th Foot
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic