ing been gathered we proceeded under Abercromby up
the Lake to attack Ticonderoga. I thought at the time that so many men
must be invincible, but since the last war I have been taught to know
different. There were more Highlanders, Grenadiers, Provincial troops,
Artillery and Rangers than the eye could compass, for the Lake was black
with their battoes. This concourse proceeded to Ticondaroga where we had
a great battle and lost many men, but to no avail since we were forced
to return.

The British soldiers were by this time made servicible for forest
warfare, since the officers and men had been forced to rid themselvs of
their useless incumbrances and had cut off the tails of their long coats
till they scarcely reached below thir middles--they had also left the
women at the Fort, browned thir gun barrells and carried thir provisions
on their backs, each man enough for himself, as was our Ranger custom.
The army was landed at the foot of the Lake, where the Rangers quickly
drove off such small bodies of Frenchers and Indians as opposed us, and
we began our march by the rapids. Rogers men cleared the way and had a
most desperate fight with some French who were minded to stop us, but we
shortly killed and captured most of them. We again fell in with them
that afternoon and were challenged Qui vive but answered that we were
French, but they were not deceived and fired upon us, after which a hot
skirmish insued during which Lord Howe was shot through the breast, for
which we were all much depressed, because he was our real leader and had
raised great hopes of success for us. The Rangers had liked him because
he was wont to spend much time talking with them in thir camps and used
also to go on scouts. The Rangers were not over fond of British
officers in general.

[Illustration: 33 THE STORMING OF TICONDEROGA]

When the time had come for battle we Rangers moved forward, accompanied
by the armed boatmen and the Provincial troops. We drove in the French
pickets and came into the open where the trees were felled tops toward
us in a mighty abbatis, as though blown down by the wind. It was all we
could undertake to make our way through the mass, and all the while the
great breast-works of the French belched cannon and musket balls while
the limbs and splinters flew around us. Then out of the woods behind us
issued the heavy red masses of the British troops advancing in battle
array with purpose to storm with the bayonet. The m