, and his men climbed
over the rampart and drove the French to flight in every
direction. The wounded Dieskau was made prisoner and
borne to the camp of his enemy. Johnson's leg had been
pierced by a bullet, and in this condition he was carried
to his tent.

As the two generals lay helpless on their litters, several
redskins entered the tent and scowled upon the recumbent
Dieskau. 'These fellows have been regarding me with a
look not indicative of much compassion,' said the French
commander. 'Anything else!' answered Johnson, 'for they
wished to oblige me to deliver you into their hands in
order to burn you, in revenge for the death of their
comrades and of their chiefs who have been slain in the
battle.' Then he added: 'Feel no uneasiness; you are safe
with me.'

This affair at Lake George was only an opening battle in
the Seven Years' War between France and England which
was waged in three continents and closed in America with
the fall of Montreal in 1760. For his victory over Dieskau
William Johnson was made a baronet, and thus became Sir
William Johnson. He continued to offer his services until
the war ended; and during the memorable campaign of 1759,
while Wolfe and Amherst were operating in the east, he
was sent with Brigadier Prideaux to effect, if possible,
the capture of Fort Niagara. The expedition ascended the
Mohawk in June, crossed over to Oswego, and thence followed
the south shore of Lake Ontario to its destination. The
French fort stood at the mouth of the Niagara where it
enters Lake Ontario, and was under the command of Captain
Pouchot. No sooner had this officer heard of the English
approach than he sent to Presqu'Ile and other points in
the west asking that reinforcements should be dispatched
with all haste for his relief.

The English investing army consisted of twenty-three
hundred regulars and provincials, together with nine
hundred Indians from the tribes of the Six Nations. At
the very outset Prideaux was accidentally killed by the
premature bursting of a shell from a coehorn and Johnson
had to take command. Acting with vigour he prosecuted
the siege until July 24, when firing in the distance told
that help for the besieged would soon be at hand.
Straightway Johnson selected one-third of his men and
marched to meet the relieving force, which was led by
Captain D'Aubrey and comprised eleven hundred French and
several hundred redskins from the western tribes. The
conflict which ensued