left to be occupied by a
Maryland garrison.

The great plan of operations at the north was again doomed to failure.
The reduction of Crown Point, on Lake Champlain, which had long been
meditated, was laid aside, and the capture of Louisburg substituted,
as an acquisition of far greater importance. This was a place of great
consequence, situated on the isle of Cape Breton, and strongly
fortified. It commanded the fisheries of Newfoundland, overawed New
England, and was a main bulwark to Acadia. [In July, Loudoun set sail
for Halifax, with nearly six thousand men, to join with Admiral
Holbourne, who had arrived at that port with eleven ships of the line,
and transports having on board six thousand men. With this united
force Lord Loudoun anticipated the certain capture of Louisburg. But
the French were again too quick for him. Admiral de Bois de la Mothe
had arrived at Louisburg with seventeen ships of the line and three
frigates. The place was ascertained to be well fortified and
garrisoned. Lord Loudoun, aware of the probability of defeat and the
ruin it would bring upon British arms in America, wisely, though
ingloriously, returned to New York.

Scarce had the tidings of his lordship's departure for Louisburg
reached Canada, when Montcalm took the fort. Fort William Henry, on
the southern shore of Lake George, was now his object. Colonel Munro,
with five hundred men, formed the garrison. With eight thousand men
Montcalm invested the fort, and after an obstinate resistance the
brave Colonel Munro surrendered, but not until most of his cannon were
burst and his ammunition expended. He obtained honorable terms.
Montcalm demolished the fort, and returned to Canada.]

During these unfortunate operations to the north, Washington was
stationed at Winchester, shorn of part of his force by a detachment to
South Carolina, and left with seven hundred men to defend a frontier
of more than three hundred and fifty miles in extent. The capture and
demolition of Oswego by Montcalm had produced a disastrous effect. The
whole country of the five nations was abandoned to the French. The
frontiers of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia were harassed by
repeated inroads of French and Indians, and Washington had the
mortification to see the noble valley of the Shenandoah almost
deserted by its inhabitants and fast relapsing into a wilderness.

The year wore away on his part in the harassing service of defending a
wide frontier with an