companies were assigned. At the desire of lord Loudon, they were continued in the service during the winter as well as summer. They were so eminently useful in ranging the woods, procuring intelligence, and skirmishing with the advanced parties of the enemy, that they were put in the pay of the crown & after the war were allowed half pay on the British establishment. †

AMONG the officers of the ranging companies, major Putnam, whose name became so much celebrated in the American war, was at that time much distinguished for his activity and bravery. General Webb had formed a high idea of his military character and enterprise, and had assigned to him the command of a party of two hundred men, who had been selected to escort Webb from fort Edward to William Henry. Webb wished to examine the state of the fortifications at lake George, and to procure intelligence of the strength of the enemy at Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Several attempts had been made in the night by major Rogers, who was then at the head of the ranging companies, but they had not succeeded. Putnam proposed to proceed in the day time, take with him but five men, land at the Northwest bay, send back his boats, and tarry himself till he could discover the state of the enemy's troops and fortifications at Ticonderoga. Webb thought this would be too dangerous an experiment, but permitted him to proceed with eighteen men in thrce whale boats. Putnam set out with his volunteers, but before he arrived at the Northwest bay, he discovered a body of

+Belknap's Hist. New Hampshire, vol. 2. p. 297.

men on one of the islands in the lake. Leaving two of his boats to fish at a distance, that they might not occasion any alarm, he returned himself with the information. The general saw him rowing back with great velocity in a single boat, and concluded that the other two had been captured; he sent orders to Putnam to leave his men in the boat, and come ashore alone. Putnam informed him of the discovery he had made, and urged the necessity of returning immediately to make further discoveries, and bring off the boats, Webb reluctantly consented, and Putnam hastened to secure his boats; having joined his men, he pressed further on till he discovered a large army in motion, and was seen by the enemy. Several of their canoes pursued him, and though nearly surrounded at times, by the most vigorous exertions he escaped. On his return, he gave to general Webb, a minute account of all that he had seen and added that the army of the enemy must undoubtedly be designed against fort William Henry. General Webb enjoined the most absolute silence upon the subject, and directed him to put his men under an oath of secrecy, and prepare immediately to return to the head quarters of the army at fort Edward. Wishing to be engaged in surprising the enemy on the lake, Putnam made this remark," He ho. ped his excellency did not intend to neglect so fair an opportunity of giving battle, should the "What do you enemy presume to land."

think we should do here," replied the general. The next day, Webb returned to fort Edward, escorted by Putnam; and the day after, colonel

Monro was ordered with his regiment to reinforce the garrison at lake George. Aware of the siege that was about to commence, Putnam advised colonel Monro not to carry his costly baggage & camp equipage; but Monro,uot apprised of the intelligence which had been given to Webb, disregarded the advice and marched on without any apprehension of immediate danger. †

THE day after Monro had arrived and taken the command, the lake appeared to be covered with boats; and a large army of French and Indians were swiftly approaching towards the fort. Montcalm effected a landing with but little opposition, and immediately began the siege. A small party of the garrison had a skirmish with some of the advanced parties of the enemy, and some that had been taken prisoners, had been murdered and scalped by the Indians with circumstances of the most inhuman barbarity. Montcalm wished to avail himself of this event, and endeavoured to pursuade the garrison to an immediate surrender. On the day in which he invested the place, he' sent a letter to colonel Monro, stating that he thought himself bound in humanity to urge him to surrender before any of the Indians were slain, & their savage temper should be further in-. flamed by a resistance which could not be availing. "A detachment of your garrison, says. he, has lately experienced their cruelty; I have it yet in my power to restrain them, and oblige them to observe a capitulation, as none

+Humphrey's life of Putnam, p. 37..

!

of them hitherto are killed. Your persisting ' in the defence of your fort, can only retard its fate a few days, and must of necessity expose an unfortunate garrison, who can possibly receive no relief, considering the precau'tions I have taken to prevent it. I demand a decisive answer, for which purpose I have sent the Sieur Funtbrune, one of my aides'du camp. You may credit what he will in 'form you of, from Montcalm."

COLONEL Monro was an officer of distin guished honor and fortitude. He returned a very proper and spirited answer, announcing to the French general, that as the fort had been entrusted to him, his honor and his duty would lead him to defend it to the last extremity. Aware of his danger, he sent one express after another to Webb, informing him of his own situ ation, and the strength of the enemy, with the most pressing solicitations for immediate succour. The garrison consisted of about two thousand five hundred men; the whole of which, animated by the hope and expectation of receiving relief from fort Edward, made a gallant defence.

GENERAL Webb had an army at fort Edward of four thousand men, which had been considerably augmented by the troops under the command of Sir William Johnson, and by the militia. It is generally supposed that he had private intelligence of Montcalm's designs and motions; and it was in his power to have called in a large number of provincial troops from New York and New England; and these were in fact the best soldiers in a war with the

Canadians and Indians. But he neither seem. ed to have any apprehension of danger, or to make any exertions to prevent or avoid it; but remained rather indifferent or passive amidst all the alarming scenes that were taking place. Such however were the representations from Monro, and the solicitations in his own camp, that on the eighth or ninth day of the siege, general Johnson was suffered to march with all the provincial regiments, the militia, and Putnam's rangers. They had not proceeded three miles before the order was countermanded, and the troops directed to return. Webb then wrote

to Monro that he could not afford him any relief, and advised him to surrender on the best terms that he could obtain.

MONTCALM was provided with a good train of artillery, and had been accelerating his approaches to the fort with all the expedition in his power. When Johnson began his march, some of the Indians who were employed as runners, saw the movement and gave the inform tion to Montcalm, that a large force was approaching towards the lake. Being questioned respecting the numbers, they answered in their figurative manner, "If you can count the leaves of the trees, you can count them, &c." In eonsequence of this intelligence, the operations of the siege were suspended; and Montcalm was preparing to give battle, or retreat, as circumstances might dictate. Another Indian runner put an end to the apprehensions of the French, by the welcome tidings that the English army had returned to fort Edward. From the * Putnam's Life, p. 38.