t the hands of the
Indians. Montcalm captured Fort William Henry, at the southern end of
Lake George, in August, a year after the taking of Oswego. Fort William
Henry was the most advanced English post in the direction of Canada. The
place had been left weak, for the Earl of Loudoun, Commander-in-Chief of
the British forces in America, was using his resources for an expedition
against Louisbourg, which wholly failed. Colonel Monro, the brave
officer in command at Fort William Henry, made a strong defense, but was
forced to surrender. The terms were that he should march out with his
soldiers and the civilians of the place, and should be escorted in
safety to Fort Edward, about eighteen miles to the south. This time
the savages surpassed themselves in treachery and savagery. They had
formally approved of the terms of surrender, but they attacked the long
line of defeated English as they set out on the march, butchered some of
their wounded, and seized hundreds of others as prisoners. Montcalm did
what he could and even risked his life to check the savages. But some
fifty English lay dead and the whole savage horde decamped for Montreal
carrying with them two hundred prisoners.

Montcalm burned Fort William Henry and withdrew to Ticonderoga at the
north end of the lake. Why, asked Vaudreuil, had he not advanced further
south into English territory, taken Fort Edward--weak, because the
English were in a panic--menaced Albany itself, and advanced even to New
York? Montcalm's answer was that Fort Edward was still strong, that he
had no transport except the backs of his men to take cannon eighteen
miles by land in order to batter its walls, and that his Indians had
left him. Moreover, he had been instructed to hasten his operations and
allow his Canadians to go home to gather the ripening harvest so that
Canada might not starve during the coming winter. Vaudreuil pressed at
the French court his charges against Montcalm and without doubt produced
some effect. French tact was never exhibited with more grace than in
the letters which Montcalm received from his superiors in France, urging
upon him with suave courtesy the need of considering the sensitive pride
of the colonial forces and of guiding with a light rein the barbaric
might of the Indian allies. It is hard to imagine an English Secretary
of State administering a rebuke so gently and yet so unmistakably.
Montcalm well understood what was meant. He knew that some intrigue h