ck to the landing place, Montcalm's
whole army set to work. Thousands of trees were hewn down, and the
trunks piled one upon another, so as to form a massive breastwork. The
line followed the top of the ridge, with many zigzags, so that the
whole front could be swept by a fire of musketry and grape. The log
wall was eight or nine feet high, and the upper tier was formed of
single logs, in which notches were cut to serve as loopholes. The whole
space in front was cleared of trees, for the distance of a musket shot,
the trees being felled so that their tops turned outwards, forming an
almost impenetrable obstacle, while, immediately in front of the log
wall, the ground was covered with heavy boughs, overlapping and
interlaced, their points being sharpened. This position was, in fact,
absolutely impregnable against an attack, in front, by infantry.

It was true that Abercromby might have brought up his artillery, and
battered down the breastwork, or he might have planted a battery on the
heights which commanded the position, or he might have marched a
portion of his army through the woods, and placed them on the road
between Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and so have cut off the whole
French army, and forced them to surrender, for they had but eight days'
provisions. But Howe was dead, there was no longer leading or
generalship, and Abercromby, leaving his cannon behind him, marched his
army to make a direct attack on the French intrenchment.

In the course of the night Levis, with 400 of his men, arrived, and the
French were in readiness for the attack. The battalions of La Sarre and
Languedoc were posted on the left under Bourlamaque, Berry and Royal
Roussillon in the centre under Montcalm, La Reine, Beam, and Guienne on
the right under Levis. A detachment of volunteers occupied the low
ground between the breastwork and the outlet of Lake George, while 450
Canadian troops held an abattis on the side towards Lake Champlain,
where they were covered by the guns of the fort.

Until noon, the French worked unceasingly to strengthen their position,
then a heavy fire broke out in front, as the rangers and light infantry
drove in their pickets. As soon as the English issued from the wood,
they opened fire, and then the regulars, formed in columns of attack,
pushed forward across the rough ground with its maze of fallen trees.
They could see the top of the breastwork, but not the men behind it,
and as soon as they were fairly ent