siege fort siege fort conducted august french general british held fort william henry fort located southern end frontier new_york canada garrisoned poorly supported force british regulars provincial militia led lieutenant colonel days bombardment surrendered force included nearly indians large number tribes terms surrender included withdrawal garrison specific terms french military protect british indians withdrew area notorious incidents french indian war indian allies violated agreed terms surrender attacked british column deprived ammunition left fort killed significant number soldiers took captives women children servants slaves slaughtered sick wounded prisoners early accounts events called massacre implied people killed unlikely people british fighting strength actually killed massacre exact role french leaders encouraging defending actions allies total number casualties incurred result actions subject historical debate memory killings influenced actions british military leaders especially british general remainder war background french indian war started territorial disputes north american colonies france great_britain areas western pennsylvania upstate new_york years war gone particularly british major expedition general ended disaster british military leaders unable mount campaigns following year major setback french indian army led general captured garrison destroyed fortifications august july earl arrived command british forces north_america replacing temporarily assumed command death british planning plan campaign submitted government london september focused single expedition aimed heart new france city quebec called purely defensive frontier including contested corridor hudson_river albany new_york montreal following french begun construction known near southern end british built fort william henry southern end hudson_river miles south fort william henry area wilderness dominated historian described military left opposing cannons days apart plan depended expedition timely arrival quebec french troops opportunity targets frontier instead needed defend province canada saint lawrence river political turmoil london progress seven years war north_america europe resulted change power elder rising control military matters consequently receive feedback london proposed campaign march feedback arrived developed plans expedition quebec worked provincial governors develop plans coordinated defence frontier including militia province instructions finally reached march called expedition target atlantic coast known affect planning expedition significant consequences frontier french forces saint lawrence far support consequently free act assigned best troops expedition placed command new_york frontier given regulars primarily 35th 60th regiments provinces supply militia french planning following success assault seeking opportunity deal british position fort william henry provided british launching point attacks fort initially hesitant commit limited resources fort william henry knowing disposition british forces intelligence provided spies london arrived spring indicating british target probably suggested troop levels british frontier low attack fort william henry feasible idea supported french questioned captives taken periodic scouting raiding expeditions sides conducted including resulting january battle early december new france governor began process recruiting indians following summer campaign fueled stories circulated indian participants capture drive highly successful drawing nearly warriors pays remote regions new france montreal june indians recruited tribes lived closer saint lawrence british preparations fort william henry built fall roughly square fortification corners design intended repel indian attacks necessarily sufficient withstand attack enemy artillery walls feet thick log surrounding filling inside fort wooden barracks stories high built parade ground magazine northeast hospital located southeast fort surrounded sides dry moat fourth sloping lake access fort bridge moat fort capable housing men additional troops entrenched camp yards southeast fort near site battle lake george winter garrisoned men 44th foot major march french sent army attack fort command governor brother composed primarily colonial marine militia indians heavy weapons besieged fort days destroying large number retreating men replaced lieutenant colonel 35th foot spring established headquarters entrenched camp men located french preparations indians assembled montreal sent south joined french regiments combined marine militia companies arriving indians force accumulated amounted men french leadership difficulty controlling behaviour indian allies stop group forcing british prisoner run group stopped observed prisoner french authorities frustrated ability limit indians taking allotted share rations aide observed attempts curb activity resulted loss forces prelude things come large number prisoners taken july managed convince indians instead send captives montreal sold slaves prelude commanded area base fort edward received intelligence april french accumulating resources troops news continued french activity arrived captive taken mid july following attack work crew near july travelled party connecticut rangers led sent detachment lake reconnaissance returned word indians islands lake miles fort rangers secrecy returned august sent lieutenant colonel regulars massachusetts militia reinforce garrison raised size garrison ill smallpox siege indian allies begun south advance force french troops departed july command travelling overland western shore expedition boats carry entire force remaining forces sailed day met night bay night camped miles fort william henry far early morning august canadians blocked road edward recently arrived massachusetts militia summoned surrender refused sent south indicating dire nature situation requesting reinforcements feeling threatened refused send estimated men north stood french albany wrote august negotiate best terms possible communication intercepted delivered meantime ordered begin siege operations french opened trenches northwest fort objective bringing artillery bear fort northwest august french guns began firing fort yards spectacle large indian contingent day second battery opened fire feet trench creating effect garrison return fire limited driving french guards trenches fort guns burst stress use august sent fort truce flag deliver intercepted dispatch fort walls breached guns useless garrison taken significant casualties day bombardment french trenches approached yards raised white flag open negotiations massacre terms surrender british camp followers allowed withdraw french escort honours war condition refrain fighting months allowed muskets single symbolic cannon ammunition addition british authorities release french prisoners months agreeing terms tried sure indian allies understood chiefs undertake men process complicated diversity indian camp included warriors spoke languages understood european present british garrison evacuated fort entrenched camp french camp indians entered fort plundered wounded sick british left french guards posted entrenched camp somewhat successful keeping indians area took significant effort prevent initially planned march prisoners south following morning seeing indian decided attempt march night indians aware british getting ready large number camp causing leaders march morning morning british column began form march indians renewed attacks largely british indians entered fort housing wounded british supposed care french doctors killed complained terms capitulation violated contingent forced surrender baggage order able begin march marched harassed indians grabbing weapons clothing pulling away force resisted actions including women children servants slaves men left war sounded contingent warriors seized number men rear column french officers attempted stop attacks explicitly refused provide protection british point column dissolved tried escape indian onslaught actively tried defend massachusetts colonel reported stripped clothing repeatedly threatened fled woods reach august great difficulty troops got sooner fell rear killing order halt great confusion soon knew rear pressed forward confusion continued till came advanced guard french carrying away officers women children later kill road scene blood slaughter obliged officers apply protection told woods shift estimates numbers killed wounded taken captive time vary widely compiled estimates ranging detailed reconstruction siege aftermath indicates final tally british missing dead ranges surrendered aftermath afternoon massacre indians left heading homes able secure release captives taken took french remained site days destroying remained british works leaving august returning unknown reasons decided follow victory attack reasons proposed decision including departure indians shortage provisions lack draft animals assist hudson need canadian militia return home time participate harvest word french movements reached influential british indian agent august unlike acted arrived fort edward august militia indians infuriated johnson refused allow advance fort william henry apparently believing french report french army men strong attempt relief futile given available forces return captives august wrote letters behaviour indians attempting justify captives taken montreal indians eventually repatriated prisoner exchanges negotiated governor september small british fleet left quebec carrying exchanged prisoners taken variety actions including fort william henry fleet arrived halifax people captured fort william henry returned colonies fleet continued europe captives released eventually returned colonies consequences general recalled actions wrote englishman knew lord recalled occurred primarily failure expedition colonel died november historians suggested caused anger failure support lord upset event delayed implementing release french prisoners promised terms surrender general succeeded commander chief asked members 35th foot void agreement free serve went serve successful british expedition presided surrender montreal refused surrendering garrisons montreal normal honours war french failure uphold terms capitulation action legacy british later americans rebuilt site lay ruins years 1950s excavation site eventually led reconstruction fort tourist destination town colonial accounts time focused indians fact resisted killed words like massacre casualty numbers uncertain later releases captives receive level press coverage events battle subsequent killings depicted novel film adaptations book cooper description events contains numerous work descriptions event early historians like led belief people died actually wrote people carried hopeless captivity captured killed captured eventually freed historians disagree assign responsibility indian actions contends anticipated going happen deliberately ignored happen stepped atrocities way opinion account left montreal night august present massacre written protect vigorous defence claiming french officers prevent atrocities powerless stop onslaught notes primary accounts dominate historical record record compiled including terms surrender letters received wide publication colonies french british europe second publication book explorer served massachusetts militia present siege according originated supporting analysis justification idea people killed prisoner widely popular work president history published posthumously apparently coined phrase massacre fort william henry based work book likely influences cooper tended fault indian adopts nuanced view underlying cause massacre french leaders repeatedly promised indians opportunities glory trophies war including taking captives aftermath captives taken meaning indians visible trophies terms surrender fort william henry effectively denied indians significant opportunities war provisions claimed french army personal effects british stay leaving indians according bred resentment appeared french enemies british friends indians leaving promised war trophies participating indian nations according historian large number tribal nations present siege represented individual warriors individuals estimated travel miles join french coming far away mississippi_river claims atrocities included murder sick individuals digging bodies resulted indians infected smallpox carried communities devastation wrought disease following years notable effect indian participation french campaigns following years tribes lists
Siege of Fort William Henry