the best of the matter, acknowledged that they saw some fifty
corpses scattered on the ground, but this does not include those
murdered in the fort and camp.

Probably the total number killed was about two hundred, and besides
these must be counted the two hundred prisoners carried off to be
tortured by the Indians. The greater portion of these were purchased
from the Indians, in exchange for rum, by Vaudreuil, the governor at
Montreal; but to the eternal disgrace of this man, he suffered many of
them to be carried off, and did not even interfere when, publicly, in
the sight of the whole town, the Indians murdered some of the
prisoners, and, not content with eating them themselves, forced their
comrades to partake of the flesh. Bougainville, one of the
aides-de-camp of Montcalm, was present, and testified to the fact, and
the story is confirmed by the intendant Bigot, a friend of the
governor.

The ferocity of the Indians cost them dear. They had dug up and scalped
the corpses in the graveyard of Fort William Henry. Many of these had
died of smallpox, and the savages took the infection home to their
villages, where great numbers perished of the disease.

As soon as their Indian allies had left, the French soldiers were set
to work demolishing the English fort, and the operation was completed
by the destruction, by fire, of the remains. The army then returned to
Crown Point.

In view of the gross breach of the articles of capitulation by the
French, the English government refused also to be bound by it, and the
French prisoners in their hands were accordingly retained.

Colonel Monro himself was one of those who survived. He had made his
way through the savages back to the fort, to demand that the protection
of the French troops should be given to the soldiers, and so escaped
the massacre.

Upon his arrival at Albany, James reported, to the officer in command
there, the reason which had induced him to quit the fort with his
company. These reasons were approved of, but the officer advised James
to send in a written report to General Webb, and to march at once to
Fort Edward, and place himself under that officer's directions.

When he reached the fort, the fugitives were coming in from the woods.
James at once reported himself to the general, and handed in his
written statement. At the same time he gave his reasons, in a few
words, for the course he had taken. Webb was far too much excited by
the news of the terr