The New Hampshire Gazette

NEW YORK, August 29.

Various have been the Accounts delivered to the Public, of the Attack, Siege and Surrender of Fort William Henry to the French, not Scarcely one agreeing with the other, all taken from common Report, and from Letters sent down from Albany, by People who had their Intelligence no otherways, whilst none were to be depended on. The following we give as the most exact that can yet be got, having made it our Business to procure it from Gentlemen who were in the Siege from first to last, either in the Fort or Breast Work, and from such who were put to Flight by the Indians. If any other or more particular Account can be hereafter obtained, it shall have a Place in this Gazette; but we look upon this to be a Journal of the Siege, or, at least, next akin to it, and therefore may be esteemed the more authentick. We have only to observe, that from the most exact Judgment made of the Number of the French and Indians, their Body consisted of 5000 strong.

On the Night of the 2d Instant, about Twelve o'Clock two Boats that were sent out from the Fort to reconnoitre, were fired upon by the Enemy, and in about two Hours after some of the Crew belonging to the Boats returned, and reported, that they had Seen a vast Number of French upon the Lake, and some Landed. As soon as Day began to appear, on the 3d, we could see upwards of 150 Batteaux, nearly within Cannon Shot of our Fort, when we immediately fired the Alarm Guns, and likewise some Shot, at the Enemy, but could perceive they fell mostly short: The French upon this fired some Shot from their floating Batteries, but did no Mischief. Col. Monro then sent out a Party of 150 Men to possess the rising Ground (if possible) that leads to Fort-Edward, but the Indians and Canadians had taken Post there the Night before, as we were afterwards informed, So that our Party were obliged to return to the Camp with some Loss. During this Time the Enemy Indians surrounded the Breast Work at a Distance, and thus prevented any Parties from the English molesting the French while they were making an Intrenchment, and forming a Battery; but the Cannon from the Fort was kept playing, and with great Success. About Ten o'Clock a Flag of Truce was sent to our Camp from Mons. Montcalm, with a Letter to Col. Monro, in the following Words:

"SIR, I have this Morning invested your Place with a numerous Army, a Superior Artillery, and all the Savages from the higher Parts of the Country, the Cruelty of which, a Detachment of your Garrison have lately too much experienced. I am obliged, in Humanity, to desire you to surrender your Fort: I have it yet in my Power to restrain the Savages, and oblige them to observe a Capitulation, as hitherto none of them have been killed, which will not be in my Power in other Circumstances: and your insisting on defending your Fort, can only retard the Loss of it a few Days, and must, of Necessity, expose an unlucky Garrison, who can receive no Succours considering the Precautions I have taken." I demand a decisive Answer immediately, for which purpose I have Sent you the Sieur Pontbrunne, one of my Aids de Camp: You may credit that he will inform you as from me. I am, with Respect, Sir, your most humble, most obedient Servant,

MONTCALM."

To this Col. MONRO answered, he "was determined to defend the Fort to the last Extremity;" and accordingly began to fire very briskly into the Trenches which the Enemy had begun to throw up, and it was generally thought with great Success, as the French fired but few Cannon at the Fort all the Afternoon of that Day, and seemed to be in some Disorder. But, early the next Morning, (Aug. 4th) they opened a Battery of nine Pieces of Cannon, and three Mortars, which continued playing all that Day, whilst the Indians and Canadians never ceas'd with their Small Arms from seven in the Morning until Dark; and this they did every Day during the Siege, which obliged our Troops to be constantly under Arms, even whilst they were employed in making up the Breast Work which was only half finished when the Enemy appeared. And least they Should attempt to attack the Fort in the Night, Col. Monro ordered Fires to be made every Evening about a hundred Yards from the Camp, all round, the better to enable him to discover the Enemy's Approach before they came near enough to do any great Mischief.--On the Fifth the French opened a new Battery of Ten Pieces of Cannon, from which some of the Balls fell into our Camp, but to little Purpose. From this to the Eighth Day, the Fire continued extreamly hot on both Sides, when, at Night, several Shells and Cannon Shot were thrown into our Works, which did some considerable Damage. And in the Morning of the Ninth, the Enemy having bro't their Approaches very near to the Fort, and all our Ammunition being mostly expended, and the greatest Part of our Cannon and Mortars being rendered unfit for Service, we were obliged to capitulate on the following Terms.

ARTICLES of Capitulation granted to Lieut. Col. Monro, for his Britannick Majesty's Garrison of William Henry, the intrench'd Camp adjoining, and all their Dependencies, by the Marquis De Montcalm, General of his most Christian Majesty's troops in Canada, 9th August 1757.

ARTICLE I.

THE Garrison of Fort William Henry, and the Troops which are in the retrenched Camp being joined, shall march with their Arms and the usual Honors of War, with the Baggage of the Officers and Soldiers only, they shall retire to Fort Edward, escorted by a Detachment of French Troops and by some of the Officers or Interpreters attach'd to the Savages, and to march To morrow Morning early.

II. The Gate of the Fort shall be delivered up after the Capitulation is signed, to the Troops of his most Christian Majesty, and the retrenched Camp immediately on the Departure of the British Troops.

III. All the Artillery, warlike Stores, Provision, and in general every Thing, except the Effects of the Officers and Soldiers, shall upon Honor, be delivered to the Troops of his most Christian Majesty, as is already specified in the first Article: and for that Purpose there shall be delivered with the Capitulation, an exact Inventory of all the Stores mentioned in this Article: provided always, that this Article shall extend to the Fort, Retrenchment, and Dependencies.

IV. The Garrison of the Fort, Troops in the Retrenchment, and Dependencies, shall not serve for the Space of eighteen Months, to commence from this Day, neither against his most Christian Majesty, or his Allies. And there shall be delivered with the Capitulation, an exact State of the Troops, in which shall be specified, the Names of the Officers, Staff Officers, other Officers, Engineers, Artillerists, Commissaries, and all employed.

V. All the Officers, Soldiers, Canadians, Women and Savages, which have been made Prisoners by Land since the Commencement of this War in North-America, shall be delivered in the Space of Three Months at Carillon; and according to the Receipt which shall be given by the French commanding Officer, to whom they shall be delivered, an equal Number of the Garrison of Fort William Henry shall be incapacitated to serve, agreeable to the Return given in by the English Officer of the Prisoners he has delivered.

VI. An Officer shall be given as an Hostage till such Times as the Detachment returns, which shall be given as an Escort to his Britannick Majesty's Troops.

VII. All the Sick and Wounded that are not in a Condition to be transported to Fort Edward, shall remain under the Protection of the Marquis de Montcalm, who will take proper Care of them, and return them as soon as recovered.

VIII. Provision for the Subsistence of the British Troops, shall be issued for this Day, and To-morrow only.

IX. The Marquis De Montcalm being willing to shew Col. Monro and the Garrison under his Command, Marks of his Esteem on Account of their honourable Defence, gives them one Piece of Cannon a Six Pounder.

Done in the Trenches before Fort William Henry, 9th August, 1757. at Noon. GEO. Monro, Lieut. Col. of the 35th Regiment, and Commander of his Majesty's Forces in and near Fort William Henry.

Agreed to in the Name of his most Christian Majesty, agreeable to the Power invested in me, by the Marquis De Vaudreuil, his Governour General and Lieut. General of New France.

MONTCALM.

The Articles being signed on both Sides, the French took Possession of the Fort, and the English (agreeable to the Articles) were preparing to move off, when some Chiefs of the Indians went and accused the French General with having deceived them, in that he had promised them the Plunder of the English, which they found they were now deprived of by the Capitulation: And the unfortunate Garrison had scarcely cleared the Fort, e'er the voracious Blood-Hounds fell to stripping and plundering them of all their Clothes, Arms, and Baggage, killing and scalping every one that resisted, not even sparing the Wounded or Sick, and privately carrying off Prisoners all such as they could, notwithstanding all the Opposition of the French to the Contrary. Many of the English, seeing their Danger, took to their Heels and fled: and of this Number upwards of 600 arrived soon after at Fort-Edward, giving out, that they supposed all who did not escape as they did, were either massacred, or carried off by the Indians: But 300 and better, perceiving the Cruelty of the Indians, chose to surrender themselves; and accordingly returned to the French, who not only protected them, but did their utmost to rescue such of the others as were taken, or going to be carried off by the Indians: All these were preserved there by the French five Days, in which Time both French and Indians were employed in destroying the Fort, and such Things as they could not carry off. The Oxen, the Indians destroyed in general; but the Provisions, Stores, Negroes, and Horses found there, they carried off to Ticonderoga. This being compleatly finished, they dismissed their English Prisoners, with one Piece of Cannon, and then embarked in order to return, telling some of the People, they intended to be Back to Quebec Time enough to receive Lord Loudoun. Our People soon after got safe into Fort-Edward; and we hear, as yet, that no higher Officer than the brave Captain Waldo, was killed either during the Siege, or in the Indian Slaughter. About 120 English were killed in the Siege, and near as many more wounded, most of which latter were killed and scalped by the Indians; but their Names, or to what particular Companies, or Country they belong, we have not yet obtained. As to the Prisoners, Mon. Montcalm promised to use his utmost Endeavours to recover all that were carried off by the Indians, and to restore them. What Number the French lost, no Certainty can be procured; but, moderately computing, they could not have lost less than 800, or 1000 Men. Thus fell Fort-William-Henry.

It is said there were but little better than 2000 Men in our Fort at the Time of its Surrender. Some of the French told the English, that of the Party under Col. Parker, which had been surprized and routed on Lake George the 23d of July last, (which is hinted at by Montcalm in his Letter) upwards of 100 of those missing at that Time, were taken Prisoners and sent to Montreal, amongst which they described, 'tis thought, both Capt. Shaw, and Capt. Hunt of the Jersey Forces.