List of British Forces
The following table shows the British Forces at Fort Carillon according to Francis Parkman and Q.
| Francis Parkman | Q |
| Command | |
|
General James Abercromby Brigadier-Lord Howe, d. 6 July |
General James Abercromby Brigadier-Lord Howe, d. 6 July |
| Regiments of Foot | |
|
27 42 Highland 44 46 55 80 |
27 under Blakeney 42 Black Watch Highlanders 44 under Abercromby
55 under Howe
|
| Provincial Regiments | |
|
Fitch & Lyman's regiments in blue Massachsetts Connecticut New York New Jersey Rhode Island
|
60 or Royal Americans in two battalions
|
| Other Forces | |
|
Rogers' Rangers Gage's Light Infantry Bradstreet's boatmen and soldiers |
Starke's Rangers Gage's Light Infantry Bradstreet's axemen Johnson's 500 Iroquois Indians
Note: Corporal Hugh McQuarters of 42 Highlanders |
| Total: 15,000 | |
Battle of Fort Carillon
The Battle of Fort Carillon of Ticonderoga took place on 8 July, 1758. There follows a brief summary of Parkman’s account which is found in Chapter XX of Montcalm and Wolfe (1884). Q appears to have followed this but with certain added details.
Disposition of French forces behind the defences
| Left | Centre | Right |
|
La Sarre, Laguedoc Bourlamaque
|
Berry, Royal Roussilon Montcalm |
La Reine, Bearn, Guienne Levis |
8 July
am: British advance from their camp at the saw mills but Abercromby remains behin.
1pm: First attack
Various attacks
5pm: 2 columns including the Highlanders attack the Bearn and Guienne on the French right
6pm: Another attack
7pm: Final attack
Casualties
British 1,944 officers and men killed, wounded and missing
French 377 “
9 July: British retreat from Ticonderoga
The Ticonderoga Campaign
There follows a summary of the Ticonderoga Campaign of June and July, 1758 as related in Fort Amity.
June
A British and provincial force under General James Abercromby assemble at the southern extremity of Lake George, not far from the ruined fort of William Henry (see Parkman, 1884, Chapter XV).
A French force under the Marquis de Montcalm assemble at the northern end of Lake George and at Fort Carillon on Crown Point, a peninsula formed by an unnavigable river running from Lake George to Lake Champlain.
The disposition of French forces
1. Ticonderoga or Fort Carillon, the Berry battalion
2. Saw Mills at the river falls, the main force under Montcalm
3. Crossing Place, the trackway between Lake George and the Saw Mills, a small force under Bourlamaque
4. Bourlamaque’s advance unit at the landing-place on Lake George
Montcalm had yet to decide where to meet the British but Fort Carillon is refortified in case of need.
4 July
The British prepare a flotilla on the southern shore of Lake George.
5 July
Dawn: British troops embark and sail.
Langy reports embarkation to Montcalm.
10am: Flotilla enters the Narrows.
5pm: Soldiers disembark at Sabbath Point.
11pm: British re-embark.
6 July
Dawn: British land at the northern end of Lake George and the French advance party under Langy are driven off westwards to the Indian Path and Trout Brook.
12 noon: British advance along the river connecting lakes George and Champlain, with Howe, Putman and the Rangers in the van.
Where the Trout Brook enters the connecting river Howe is shot by one of Langy’s party. News of Howe’s death is conveyed to the British camp on the southern shore of Lake George and on to Albany.
The British bivouac in the forest, apparently lost.
7 July
Dawn: British retreat to the Landing Place and re-route along the Carrying Place to the Saw Mills by the Falls, from which Montcalm had retreated towards the refortified Crown Point.
8 July
Dawn: British advance to Fort Carillon.
Noon: The French Pickets are driven in.
The fort is observed as impregnable to frontal attack but is overlooked by Rattlesnake Mountain, a perfect artillery position. Abercromby assumes a French retreat and orders a frontal attack without having reconnoitred the battlefield.
1pm: First British attack
pm: various attacks.
5pm: The Guienne and Bearn are attacked by the Highlanders, who penetrate the abattis and climb the breastwork, only to be defeated on the inside.
7pm: The final attack during which John à Cleeve is wounded and captured at the furthest point of penetration.
Evening: The British retreat to the northern shore of Lake George and return to the original assembly point near the ruins of Fort William Henry.
The Voyage of John à Cleeve from Fort Carillon, July 1758
Flotilla carrying the wounded leave Fort Carillon and sail northwards up Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River to the St. Lawrence River and then to Montreal.
The Indian canoe
- Sergeant Joachim Barboux of the Bernais regiment, carrying a secret message from Montcalm to the Marquis de Vaudreuil (Chapter XVI)
- Jean Bateese Guyon (le Chameau or the Camel) a hunchback
- Two Highlanders, Corporal Hugh McQuarters and a younger one who dies
- Two Ojibway or Ojibwas chiefs from Michillimackinac on Lake Huron, Menehwehna and Muskingon
- John à Cleeve of 46th Regiment
Route
- Fort Carillon
- Lake Champlain
- Canoe leaves convoy probably in the place where Richelieu now stands for a tributary to the west
- At the headquarters of the tributary the canoe is beached. Barboux, à Cleeve and the Indians go on ahead, while Bateese and McQuarters bring the luggage (Chapter VII)
- Climb through forest to a pass on the main ridge
- Discover the body of a ‘Canayan’ or Canadian coureur de bois, then hear the sounds of a second killing, M. Armand of Boisveyrac
- Bateese and McQuarters retreat back to the Richelieu: Richelieu River – Sorel – Montreal – Boisveyrac – Fort Amitié. McQuarters remains at Montreal
- Advance party descends towards the St. Lawrence
- John à Cleeve tries to escape to the Iroquois, allies of the British, but is knocked unconscious by Muskingon
- Attacked by Iroquois, Muskingon is killed through the cowardice of Barboux, but the party escape. Menehwehna kills Barboux in revenge
- John à Cleeve and Menehwehna arrive at Boisveyrac