angled in the trees, a terrific fire
opened upon them. The English pushed up close to the breastwork, but
they could not pass the bristling mass of sharpened branches, which
were swept by a terrific crossfire from the intrenchment. After
striving for an hour, they fell back. Abercromby, who had remained at
the mill a mile and a half in the rear, sent orders for them to attack
again.

Never did the English fight with greater bravery. Six times did they
advance to the attack, but the task set them was impossible. At five in
the afternoon, two English columns made an assault on the extreme right
of the French, and, although Montcalm hastened to the spot with his
reserves, they nearly succeeded in breaking through, hewing their way
right to the very foot of the breastwork, and renewing the attack over
and over again, the Highland regiment, which led the column, fighting
with desperate valour, and not retiring until its major and twenty-five
of the officers were killed or wounded, and half the men had fallen
under the deadly fire.

At six o'clock another desperate attempt was made, but in vain; then
the regulars fell back in disorder, but, for an hour and a half, the
provincials and rangers kept up a fire, while their comrades removed
the wounded. Abercromby had lost in killed, wounded, and missing 1944
officers and men, while the loss of the French was 377.

Even now, Abercromby might have retrieved his repulse, for, with 13,000
men still remaining, against 3300 unwounded Frenchmen, he could still
have easily forced them to surrender, by planting cannons on the
heights, or by cutting off their communication and food.

He did neither, but, at daybreak, re-embarked his army, and retired
with all speed down the lake. Montcalm soon received large
reinforcements, and sent out scouting parties. One of these caught a
party commanded by Captain Rogers in an ambush, but were finally driven
back, with such heavy loss that, from that time, few scouting parties
were sent out from Ticonderoga.

In October, Montcalm, with the main portion of his army, retired for
the winter to Montreal; while the English fell back to Albany.

While Abercromby was lying inactive at the head of Lake George,
Brigadier General Forbes had advanced from Virginia against Fort
Duquesne, and, after immense labour and hardships, succeeded in
arriving at the fort, which the French evacuated at his approach,
having burnt the barracks and storehouses, and blow