Fort Carillon
Encyclopedia
Fort Carillon was constructed by Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada, to protect Lake Champlain from a British invasion. The fort was not far from Fort Saint Frédéric. It was built to prevent an attack on Canada and slow the advance of the enemy long enough to send reinforcements. Preoccupied by the fact that Fort Saint Frédéric was incapable of resisting a constant threat by the English
to the south, Michel Chartier de Lotbinière began construction of fort Carillon in a place where Lake George (prior Lake St. Sacrement) joins Lake Champlain by a river called La Chute
. The construction of the fort began in October 1755.
and north of Lake George
, a natural point of conflict between the French forces who were deplacing themselves south of Quebec
through the Richelieu River
towards lake Champlain Valley and the Hudson Valley, and the British forces who were hoping to move north. The fort is surrounded by water on three sides, and on half of the fourth side by a moat. The portion remaining was strongly fortified by high tranches, sustained by three batteries of cannons, and in front of the fort, blocked by trees which had been cut down and the ends strengthen by fire, creating a formidable defensive system. The area was chosen so as to control the southern point of lake Champlain
as well as the Hudson Valley. Handicaped by corruption, the construction continued at a slow pace. By mid-July 1756, 4 bastions with cannons were placed at a height of 5,5m. Two of the bastions were directed to the northeast and northwest, away from the lake. They were the Reine and Germaine bastions, with two demi-lunes further extending the works on the land side. The two other bastions provided cover for the landing area outside the fort. They were the Joannes and Languedoc bastions, which overlooked the lake to the south. The walls were seven feet (2.1 meters) high and fourteen feet (4.3 meters) thick, and the whole works was surrounded by a glacis
and a dry moat
five feet (1.5 meters) deep and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide. The fort was armed with cannon
s brought in from Fort St. Frédéric and Montréal.
By Fall, the fort was still not terminated when an important discovery took place. As soon as the trees of the peninsula were cut, the French realised that the location they chose does not join well with the junction between the two bodies of water. The fort was not constructed in the proper location! To correct this error, a second but smaller fort was built, closer to the lake, known as Redoute des Grenadiers. By January 1757, the fort was still not terminated and composed of earth and motts, mounted by 36 cannons waiting for an attack that the French were anticipating. But the French and the Canadians did not want to wait passively for the British, and decided to attack first. In April, eight thousand men, under the command of Marquis de Montcalm
, reunited at Fort Carillon and Fort Saint Frédéric. In August 1757, they crossed lake George to take Fort William Henry
. The operation was a success and Montcalm brought back his men to Fort Carillon for the summer.
It was important to construct batteries for the lower town and the earth was taken not far away from the fort.
In 1759, when orders were given to set fire to the town on July 22nd, the Indians could not believe their eyes that the French and Canadians would abandoned what they had worked so hard in building. A heavy smoke rose from the two hospitals, the hangars of the lower and upper town, and the soldier's barracks. All had to be abandoned to the advancing British army. None of the buildings were ever reconstructed as was the case in Louisbourg, Cape Breton
.
sent from France to America. They were disciplined and well trained. At Fort Carillon in 1758, these troops were made up of the second bataillions of seven regiments sent from different regions of France. The regiments represented in the garrison were those of La Reine
(345 soldiers), Guyenne
(470 soldiers), Berry
(450 soldiers), Béarn
(410 soldiers), La Sarre
(460 soldiers), Royal Roussillon
(480 soldiers), and Languedoc
(426 soldiers). The Berry regiment also had a second bataillion, but their numbers were not known. The essential white uniform of the French regular infantry is likely to have been similarly modified. The uniform of the Régiment de Guyenne and Régiment Berry was a bit like the Régiment de la Reine: a white-grey coat with red reversed sleeves with three ornate buttons: red vest, white-grey pants; black shoes with metallic buckles. However, contrary to La Reine, the tricorne was black felt with a gold galon. The uniform's of the other regiments had blue vests and blue cuffs, except for Régiment de La Sarre which had red vests and blue cuffs. The French musket was of a smaller calibre to the British.
were led by Chevalier de Lévis
with 150 Canadians. There were also about 250 Indians at Fort Carillon, for a total of 3,500 soldiers, comprising 400 Canadians. The French and Canadians often made use of guns emplaced on the walls of the fort. However, at the battle of Carillon, because the fighting took place 3/4 of a mile from the fort, it was essentially a battle of musket and bayonet.
, in command of the French troops at Fort Carillon decided to attack Fort William Henry
from Fort Carillon. On August 9, 1757, Montcalm, with an army of of 7,000 men consisting of French soldiers, Canadian militia, and Indians from various tribes, took Fort William Henry, situated at the southern point of Lake George. The Indians, who thought that an agreement had been made without their consent, revolted. What ensued were violent combats by the Indians intoxicated by alcohol. There were, according to sources, between 70 and 150 people killed, scalped, and decapitated. After this massacre, the French soldiers accompagnied the survivors to Fort Edward
to avoid further bloodshed.
After his victory, Montcalm could have taken Fort Edward, but he took the destroyed Fort William Henry
and returned to Fort Carillon. The British had been humiliated and Montcalm had shown the compassion of a great general bv stopping any further bloodshed by the Indians and acompanying the survivors. However, Montcalm knew that he had to withdraw because of the anger and loss of his Indian allies. There was also a shortage of provisions.
In 1756, New France
had suffered a disastrous crop failure. Montcalm was forced to release the Canadian militiamen who made up more than half of his force. The Canadians were urgently needed to return home for the harvest. However, in 1757, disaster struck again and the harvest was the worst in Canadian history. Conditions were particularly bad around Montreal
, which was "the granary of Canada." By late September, the inhabitants were subsisting on a half-pound of bread a day, and those at Quebec
on a quarter-pound of bread. A month later, there was no bread at all. "The distress is so great that some of the inhabitants are living on grass," Bougainville
wrote. There was a feeling of dispirited despair in the colony and the conclusion was that its military prospects would soon become indefensible.
After a string of French victories in 1757, the British were prompted to organize a large-scale attack on the fort as part of a multi-campaign strategy against Canada. In June 1758, British General James Abercromby began amassing a large force at Fort William Henry
in preparation for the military campaign
directed up the Champlain Valley. These forces landed at the north end of Lake George
, only four miles from the fort, on July 6. The French general Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
, who had only arrived at Carillon in late June, engaged his troops in a flurry of work to improve the fort's outer defenses. They built, over two days, entrenchments around a rise between the fort and Mount Hope, about three-quarters of a mile (one kilometer) northwest of the fort, and then constructed an abatis
(felled trees with sharpened branches pointing out) below these entrenchments. Abercromby's failure to advance directly to the fort on July 7 made much of this defensive work possible. Abercromby's second-in-command, Brigadier General George Howe
, had been killed when his column encountered a French reconnaissance troop. Abercromby "felt [Howe's death] most heavily" and may have been unwilling to act immediately.
1757 was therefore a bad year for the British in North America. Not only because of their defeat in northern New York, but as well in the Ohio Valley and in Nova-Scotia. That year, British Prime-Minister William Pitt
named General James Wolfe
commander of the British troops in North America.
The British regiments were in their customary red coats
with the exception of Gage’s light infantry which wore grey. The soldiers were armed with musket
s, bayonets, hatchets or tomahawks and knives. The standard battle issue for British soldiers was 24 rounds. Probably Howe required his soldiers to carry as many rounds as they could.
The British Regiments were the 27th (Inniskilling)
, the 42nd Highland
, the 44th
, 46th
Regiments of Foot: 2nd Bn, the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
, the 55th: 2nd Bn, the Border Regiment
, the 1st and 4th battalions of 60th (Royal American) Regiment
, and Gage’s Light Infantry
.
The provincial regiments wore blue but extensive modification of uniform was made to suit forest warfare with coats being cut back and any form of headgear and equipment permitted. Rogers Rangers may have worn their distinctive green. Along with Roger’s Rangers, there were regiments from New York
, Massachusetts
, Rhode Island
, Connecticut
, and New Jersey
.
, commander of French forces in Canada, to rely on Indians, and although traditional French allies like the Nipissing
, Algonkin
, and Abenaki contributed a thousand warriors, it was not enough. Determined to capture both Fort William Henry
and Fort Edward
, Governor Vaudreuil also recruited a thousand warriors from tribes around the upper Great Lakes but the huge variety of tribes meant that there were not enough interpreters, as well as potentially dangerous rivalries to be smoothed over. Dealing with Indians was never an easy matter, but these Indians did not see themselves as subjects of New France
, just temporary allies in search of loot. However, even traditional French allies had scalped wounded British
when the garrison at Oswego
surrendered and then forced the French to buy back a number of English prisoners.
While Montcalm and Vaudreuil were raising an army, American rangers proved to be too few to stop Indians from raiding the area around Fort William Henry to their hearts’ content. In late June, a powerful Indian raiding party discovered that the road between the two forts was basically unguarded. The French had a clear picture of the strategic situation, but six separate scouting parties in June were unable to penetrate the Indian screen to learn anything more detailed than there was a large force at Fort Carillon.
The destruction of Fort William Henry should have guaranteed the safety of Fort Carillon, but the British government had made North America the priority, while France had not, so another attempt was made at Fort Carillon.
. The actual officer in charge of the land operation was Brigadier-General Lord Howe
. On July 8, 1758, the British army of General James Abercromby with 16,000 men, (6,000 British soldiers and 10 000 colonials) and their allies the Mohawks (who did not participate in the battle), attacked fort Carillon commanded by Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
with 3,600 soldiers, (400 Canadians from Lévis) and 300 Abenakis. Abercromby was determined to go ahead with his advancement before he lost the advantage. The British
however faced a well fortified position. While the fort was still under construction, the French forces had dug high tranches flanked by 3 batteries of cannons. The fort was defended by a line of pointed trees pointed towards the exterior and intertwined with branches and spikes which were installed during the night on the orders of Montcalm. Part of the French forces were dispersed in the adjoining forest. The land around the fort gave way to only one opening, since the fort was surrounded on three sides by water and by half of the rear by a moat.
Abercromby could have gone around the French, but wanting a quick victory, he decided against this maneuver. Informed by his lieutenant that it would by possible to take the French by assault, he opted for a massive frontal attack. However the French defenses proved to be well prepared and they were not in danger of enemy fire. The French were at ease to decimate the British ranks with cannon fire. (The French were lined up in 3 rows: the first row fired while the third was reloading their rifles, permitting a strong even fire).
The soldiers had to climb on each others shoulders in order to reach the top of the trenches. Obviously for the French, it was easy for them to repulse each man as they arrived near the summit of the defenses. Only one time were the British capable of breaking through the French defenses, only to be repulsed by a charge of bayonets. The British tried to take the fort, but were driven back time and time again by the French artillery. Abercromby sent his men to assail the fort several times. He lost 551 soldiers, 1,356 were wounded and 77 disappeared. They retreated to Fort William Henry
. As for the French and Canadians, they had 104 killed and 273 wounded.
), the fort saw no more significant action in the war. After the war, the British garrison
ed it with a small numbers of troops and allowed it to fall into disrepair. Colonel Frederick Haldimand
, in command of the fort in 1773, wrote that it was in "ruinous condition".
, and the Flag of Carillon
; have long been a source of pride for French Canadians and to the people of Quebec
. The Flag of Quebec
was modeled after the Carillon flag and the Fort and its history brings honor to a nation which was recognized by the Canadian government in 2007.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to the south, Michel Chartier de Lotbinière began construction of fort Carillon in a place where Lake George (prior Lake St. Sacrement) joins Lake Champlain by a river called La Chute
La Chute River
The La Chute River is a short, fast-moving river, near the Vermont-New York State border, now almost wholly contained within the municipality of Ticonderoga, New York, connecting the northern end and outlet of the long Lake George and the southern end of Lake Champlain through many falls and...
. The construction of the fort began in October 1755.
Location
Fort Carillon is situated south of Lake ChamplainLake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
and north of Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
, a natural point of conflict between the French forces who were deplacing themselves south of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
through the Richelieu River
Richelieu River
The Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
towards lake Champlain Valley and the Hudson Valley, and the British forces who were hoping to move north. The fort is surrounded by water on three sides, and on half of the fourth side by a moat. The portion remaining was strongly fortified by high tranches, sustained by three batteries of cannons, and in front of the fort, blocked by trees which had been cut down and the ends strengthen by fire, creating a formidable defensive system. The area was chosen so as to control the southern point of lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
as well as the Hudson Valley. Handicaped by corruption, the construction continued at a slow pace. By mid-July 1756, 4 bastions with cannons were placed at a height of 5,5m. Two of the bastions were directed to the northeast and northwest, away from the lake. They were the Reine and Germaine bastions, with two demi-lunes further extending the works on the land side. The two other bastions provided cover for the landing area outside the fort. They were the Joannes and Languedoc bastions, which overlooked the lake to the south. The walls were seven feet (2.1 meters) high and fourteen feet (4.3 meters) thick, and the whole works was surrounded by a glacis
Glacis
A glacis in military engineering is an artificial slope of earth used in late European fortresses so constructed as to keep any potential assailant under the fire of the defenders until the last possible moment...
and a dry moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
five feet (1.5 meters) deep and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide. The fort was armed with cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s brought in from Fort St. Frédéric and Montréal.
By Fall, the fort was still not terminated when an important discovery took place. As soon as the trees of the peninsula were cut, the French realised that the location they chose does not join well with the junction between the two bodies of water. The fort was not constructed in the proper location! To correct this error, a second but smaller fort was built, closer to the lake, known as Redoute des Grenadiers. By January 1757, the fort was still not terminated and composed of earth and motts, mounted by 36 cannons waiting for an attack that the French were anticipating. But the French and the Canadians did not want to wait passively for the British, and decided to attack first. In April, eight thousand men, under the command of Marquis de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...
, reunited at Fort Carillon and Fort Saint Frédéric. In August 1757, they crossed lake George to take Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It is best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by Indians against the surrendered British and provincial troops following a successful French siege in 1757, an event which is the...
. The operation was a success and Montcalm brought back his men to Fort Carillon for the summer.
Lower and Upper town of Carillon
By 1758, Fort Carillon and its surroundings were composed of a lower town, an upper town, two hospitals, hangars, and barracks for the soldiers. The lower town itself took the form of a triangle with the fort as its northern tip and the lower town the southern part of the triangle. There, taverns with wine cellars for the soldiers, bakeries, and nine ovens were located.It was important to construct batteries for the lower town and the earth was taken not far away from the fort.
In 1759, when orders were given to set fire to the town on July 22nd, the Indians could not believe their eyes that the French and Canadians would abandoned what they had worked so hard in building. A heavy smoke rose from the two hospitals, the hangars of the lower and upper town, and the soldier's barracks. All had to be abandoned to the advancing British army. None of the buildings were ever reconstructed as was the case in Louisbourg, Cape Breton
Cape Breton
-Geographic locations:*Cape Breton Island, a Canadian island on the Atlantic Ocean coast*Cape Breton, a cape located at the eastern tip of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island*Cape Breton Highlands, a mountain range in northern Cape Breton Island...
.
Les troupes de terre
The troupes de la terre were composed of professional soldiers of the French ArmyFrench Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
sent from France to America. They were disciplined and well trained. At Fort Carillon in 1758, these troops were made up of the second bataillions of seven regiments sent from different regions of France. The regiments represented in the garrison were those of La Reine
Régiment de la Reine
The Régiment de la Reine was a French Army regiment active in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the North American theatre.-History:...
(345 soldiers), Guyenne
Régiment de Guyenne
The Régiment de Guyenne was a French Army infantry regiment in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the North American theatre.-History:...
(470 soldiers), Berry
Régiment de Berry
The Régiment de Berry was a French Army regiment active in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the North American theatre.-History:...
(450 soldiers), Béarn
Régiment de Béarn
The Régiment de Béarn was a French Army regiment active in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the North American theatre.-History:...
(410 soldiers), La Sarre
Régiment La Sarre
The Régiment La Sarre was a French Army regiment active in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the North American theatre.-History:...
(460 soldiers), Royal Roussillon
Régiment Royal Roussillon
The Régiment Royal Roussillon was a French Army regiment active during the late 17th century and 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the North American theatre.-History:...
(480 soldiers), and Languedoc
Régiment de Languedoc
The Régiment de Languedoc was a French Army regiment active in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the North American theatre.-History:...
(426 soldiers). The Berry regiment also had a second bataillion, but their numbers were not known. The essential white uniform of the French regular infantry is likely to have been similarly modified. The uniform of the Régiment de Guyenne and Régiment Berry was a bit like the Régiment de la Reine: a white-grey coat with red reversed sleeves with three ornate buttons: red vest, white-grey pants; black shoes with metallic buckles. However, contrary to La Reine, the tricorne was black felt with a gold galon. The uniform's of the other regiments had blue vests and blue cuffs, except for Régiment de La Sarre which had red vests and blue cuffs. The French musket was of a smaller calibre to the British.
Les troupes de la Marine
The Troupes de la MarineTroupes de la marine
See also Troupes de Marine for later history of same Corps.The Troupes de la Marine , also known as independent companies of the navy and colonial regulars, were under the authority of the French Minister of Marine, who was also responsible for the French navy, overseas trade, and French...
were led by Chevalier de Lévis
Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis
François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , born in Ajac, Aude, was a French noble and a Marshal of France. He served with distinction in the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession, and served as a capable second in command to Louis-Joseph de Montcalm in the defense of New...
with 150 Canadians. There were also about 250 Indians at Fort Carillon, for a total of 3,500 soldiers, comprising 400 Canadians. The French and Canadians often made use of guns emplaced on the walls of the fort. However, at the battle of Carillon, because the fighting took place 3/4 of a mile from the fort, it was essentially a battle of musket and bayonet.
Fort Carillon 1757
Louis-Joseph de MontcalmLouis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...
, in command of the French troops at Fort Carillon decided to attack Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It is best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by Indians against the surrendered British and provincial troops following a successful French siege in 1757, an event which is the...
from Fort Carillon. On August 9, 1757, Montcalm, with an army of of 7,000 men consisting of French soldiers, Canadian militia, and Indians from various tribes, took Fort William Henry, situated at the southern point of Lake George. The Indians, who thought that an agreement had been made without their consent, revolted. What ensued were violent combats by the Indians intoxicated by alcohol. There were, according to sources, between 70 and 150 people killed, scalped, and decapitated. After this massacre, the French soldiers accompagnied the survivors to Fort Edward
Fort Edward
Fort Edward could refer to:* A historic site located in Windsor, Nova Scotia* A temporary fort in South Africa, ca. 1901. It was established in 1901 by British forces during the Boer War...
to avoid further bloodshed.
After his victory, Montcalm could have taken Fort Edward, but he took the destroyed Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It is best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by Indians against the surrendered British and provincial troops following a successful French siege in 1757, an event which is the...
and returned to Fort Carillon. The British had been humiliated and Montcalm had shown the compassion of a great general bv stopping any further bloodshed by the Indians and acompanying the survivors. However, Montcalm knew that he had to withdraw because of the anger and loss of his Indian allies. There was also a shortage of provisions.
In 1756, New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
had suffered a disastrous crop failure. Montcalm was forced to release the Canadian militiamen who made up more than half of his force. The Canadians were urgently needed to return home for the harvest. However, in 1757, disaster struck again and the harvest was the worst in Canadian history. Conditions were particularly bad around Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, which was "the granary of Canada." By late September, the inhabitants were subsisting on a half-pound of bread a day, and those at Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
on a quarter-pound of bread. A month later, there was no bread at all. "The distress is so great that some of the inhabitants are living on grass," Bougainville
Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of James Cook, he took part in the French and Indian War and the unsuccessful French attempt to defend Canada from Britain...
wrote. There was a feeling of dispirited despair in the colony and the conclusion was that its military prospects would soon become indefensible.
After a string of French victories in 1757, the British were prompted to organize a large-scale attack on the fort as part of a multi-campaign strategy against Canada. In June 1758, British General James Abercromby began amassing a large force at Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It is best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by Indians against the surrendered British and provincial troops following a successful French siege in 1757, an event which is the...
in preparation for the military campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
directed up the Champlain Valley. These forces landed at the north end of Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
, only four miles from the fort, on July 6. The French general Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...
, who had only arrived at Carillon in late June, engaged his troops in a flurry of work to improve the fort's outer defenses. They built, over two days, entrenchments around a rise between the fort and Mount Hope, about three-quarters of a mile (one kilometer) northwest of the fort, and then constructed an abatis
Abatis
Abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a term in field fortification for an obstacle formed of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy. The trees are usually interlaced or tied with wire...
(felled trees with sharpened branches pointing out) below these entrenchments. Abercromby's failure to advance directly to the fort on July 7 made much of this defensive work possible. Abercromby's second-in-command, Brigadier General George Howe
George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe
George Augustus Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe was a career officer and a Brigadier General in the British Army. He was described by James Wolfe as "the best officer in the British Army"...
, had been killed when his column encountered a French reconnaissance troop. Abercromby "felt [Howe's death] most heavily" and may have been unwilling to act immediately.
1757 was therefore a bad year for the British in North America. Not only because of their defeat in northern New York, but as well in the Ohio Valley and in Nova-Scotia. That year, British Prime-Minister William Pitt
William Pitt
William Pitt is most likely to refer to:* William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham , Prime Minister of Great Britain 1766–1768; often known as William Pitt the Elder...
named General James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
commander of the British troops in North America.
British force sent against Fort Carillon
The British force sent against Fort Carillon was made up of regular British regiments and provincial regiments.The British regiments were in their customary red coats
Red coat (British army)
Red coat or Redcoat is a historical term used to refer to soldiers of the British Army because of the red uniforms formerly worn by the majority of regiments. From the late 17th century to the early 20th century, the uniform of most British soldiers, , included a madder red coat or coatee...
with the exception of Gage’s light infantry which wore grey. The soldiers were armed with musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s, bayonets, hatchets or tomahawks and knives. The standard battle issue for British soldiers was 24 rounds. Probably Howe required his soldiers to carry as many rounds as they could.
The British Regiments were the 27th (Inniskilling)
27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot
The 27th Regiment of Foot was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1689 and amalgamated into The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881.- History :...
, the 42nd Highland
42nd Regiment of Foot
The 42nd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Originally the 43rd Highlanders they were renumbered the 42nd in 1748.- Early history :...
, the 44th
44th Regiment of Foot
The 44th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in the British Army. After 1782 the regiment became known as the 44th Regiment of Foot. The lineage of the 44th transferred to the Essex Regiment in 1881...
, 46th
46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
The 46th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1741 and amalgamated into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1881.-History:...
Regiments of Foot: 2nd Bn, the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
, the 55th: 2nd Bn, the Border Regiment
Border Regiment
The Border Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 34th Regiment of Foot and the 55th Regiment of Foot....
, the 1st and 4th battalions of 60th (Royal American) Regiment
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
, and Gage’s Light Infantry
80th Regiment of Light-Armed Foot
The 80th Regiment of Light-Armed Foot was the first light infantry regiment in the British Army.-History:The regiment was created in 1758 by Colonel Thomas Gage, and was known as Gage's Light Infantry or "leathercaps"...
.
The provincial regiments wore blue but extensive modification of uniform was made to suit forest warfare with coats being cut back and any form of headgear and equipment permitted. Rogers Rangers may have worn their distinctive green. Along with Roger’s Rangers, there were regiments from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Early preparations to the Battle of Carillon (1758)
Although the French government knew that the British had dispatched eight thousand men to North America, Canada had only received eighteen hundred men, most of whom were assigned to Louisbourg. The army's small size forced Major-General Louis-Joseph de MontcalmLouis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...
, commander of French forces in Canada, to rely on Indians, and although traditional French allies like the Nipissing
Nipissing
Nipissing may refer to the following places in Ontario, Canada:* Lake Nipissing* The Nipissing First Nation** Nipissing 10, reserve of Nipissing First Nation* Nipissing District, a census division...
, Algonkin
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
, and Abenaki contributed a thousand warriors, it was not enough. Determined to capture both Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It is best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by Indians against the surrendered British and provincial troops following a successful French siege in 1757, an event which is the...
and Fort Edward
Fort Edward
Fort Edward could refer to:* A historic site located in Windsor, Nova Scotia* A temporary fort in South Africa, ca. 1901. It was established in 1901 by British forces during the Boer War...
, Governor Vaudreuil also recruited a thousand warriors from tribes around the upper Great Lakes but the huge variety of tribes meant that there were not enough interpreters, as well as potentially dangerous rivalries to be smoothed over. Dealing with Indians was never an easy matter, but these Indians did not see themselves as subjects of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, just temporary allies in search of loot. However, even traditional French allies had scalped wounded British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when the garrison at Oswego
Oswego
Oswego is a word from the Iroquois language, meaning "The Outpouring". The word may refer to:-Place names:In the United States:*Oswego, Illinois, a village in Kendall County*Oswego, Indiana, an unincorporated place in Kosciusko County...
surrendered and then forced the French to buy back a number of English prisoners.
While Montcalm and Vaudreuil were raising an army, American rangers proved to be too few to stop Indians from raiding the area around Fort William Henry to their hearts’ content. In late June, a powerful Indian raiding party discovered that the road between the two forts was basically unguarded. The French had a clear picture of the strategic situation, but six separate scouting parties in June were unable to penetrate the Indian screen to learn anything more detailed than there was a large force at Fort Carillon.
The destruction of Fort William Henry should have guaranteed the safety of Fort Carillon, but the British government had made North America the priority, while France had not, so another attempt was made at Fort Carillon.
Battle of Fort Carillon
The British were alarmed by the outcome of losing Fort William Henry, which was their fort furthest north. They decided to prepare for a massive attack against Fort Carillon. Close to 16,000 men (the largest troop deployment ever united on the North American continent) was united under the orders of General James Abercromby, commander in chief of the British forces in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The actual officer in charge of the land operation was Brigadier-General Lord Howe
George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe
George Augustus Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe was a career officer and a Brigadier General in the British Army. He was described by James Wolfe as "the best officer in the British Army"...
. On July 8, 1758, the British army of General James Abercromby with 16,000 men, (6,000 British soldiers and 10 000 colonials) and their allies the Mohawks (who did not participate in the battle), attacked fort Carillon commanded by Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...
with 3,600 soldiers, (400 Canadians from Lévis) and 300 Abenakis. Abercromby was determined to go ahead with his advancement before he lost the advantage. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
however faced a well fortified position. While the fort was still under construction, the French forces had dug high tranches flanked by 3 batteries of cannons. The fort was defended by a line of pointed trees pointed towards the exterior and intertwined with branches and spikes which were installed during the night on the orders of Montcalm. Part of the French forces were dispersed in the adjoining forest. The land around the fort gave way to only one opening, since the fort was surrounded on three sides by water and by half of the rear by a moat.
Abercromby could have gone around the French, but wanting a quick victory, he decided against this maneuver. Informed by his lieutenant that it would by possible to take the French by assault, he opted for a massive frontal attack. However the French defenses proved to be well prepared and they were not in danger of enemy fire. The French were at ease to decimate the British ranks with cannon fire. (The French were lined up in 3 rows: the first row fired while the third was reloading their rifles, permitting a strong even fire).
The soldiers had to climb on each others shoulders in order to reach the top of the trenches. Obviously for the French, it was easy for them to repulse each man as they arrived near the summit of the defenses. Only one time were the British capable of breaking through the French defenses, only to be repulsed by a charge of bayonets. The British tried to take the fort, but were driven back time and time again by the French artillery. Abercromby sent his men to assail the fort several times. He lost 551 soldiers, 1,356 were wounded and 77 disappeared. They retreated to Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It is best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by Indians against the surrendered British and provincial troops following a successful French siege in 1757, an event which is the...
. As for the French and Canadians, they had 104 killed and 273 wounded.
British capture
Jeffrey Amherst, now commander in chief of the British forces in America with 12,000 soldiers, prepared to move against Fort Carillon on July 21st, 1759. On July 22nd and 23rd, Bourlamaque left the fort with 3,600 men and left 400 soldiers to set fire to the two hospitals, hangars, barracks, and to the lower part of the town. During four days, from July 23rd to 26th, the British bombed the fort, using emplaced artillery, where Captain Hébécourt and his men were retrenched. On July 26th, they left at 10 PM, and at midnight, the explosives demolished most of the fort. They then moved out to Fort Saint Frédéric with the regiment of Hébécourt, captain of the La Reine regiment. Bourlamaque did the same to Fort Saint Frédéric on July 31. After that, they moved up to Isle-aux-Noix where Amherst declined to advance against them, preferring to consolidate his forces in the lower Lake Champlain area. In withdrawing, the French used explosives to destroy what they could of the fort and spiked or dumped cannons that they did not take with them. The British then moved in on July 27th. Although the British worked in 1759 and 1760 to repair and improve the fort (which they renamed Fort TiconderogaFort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
), the fort saw no more significant action in the war. After the war, the British garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
ed it with a small numbers of troops and allowed it to fall into disrepair. Colonel Frederick Haldimand
Frederick Haldimand
Sir Frederick Haldimand, KB was a military officer best known for his service in the British Army in North America during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War...
, in command of the fort in 1773, wrote that it was in "ruinous condition".
Legacy of Fort Carillon
The importance of Fort Carillon, the Battle of CarillonBattle of Carillon
The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War...
, and the Flag of Carillon
Flag of Carillon
The flag of Carillon was flown by the troops of General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm during the Battle of Carillon, which was fought by the French and Canadian forces against those of the British in July 1758 at Fort Carillon....
; have long been a source of pride for French Canadians and to the people of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The Flag of Quebec
Flag of Quebec
The flag of Quebec, called the Fleurdelisé, was adopted for the province by the government of Quebec, during the administration of Maurice Duplessis. It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada, first shown on January 21, 1948, at the Parliament Building of the National Assembly...
was modeled after the Carillon flag and the Fort and its history brings honor to a nation which was recognized by the Canadian government in 2007.
See also
- Battle on Snowshoes (1757)Battle on Snowshoes (1757)The 1757 Battle on Snowshoes was a skirmish fought between Rogers' Rangers and French and Indian troops during the French and Indian War on January 21, 1757...
- Battle on Snowshoes (1758)
- Fort ChamblyFort ChamblyFort Chambly is a historic fort in the Canadian La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec. The fort is designated as a National Historic Site. Fort Richelieu was part of a series of five forts built along the Richelieu River. Fort Richelieu is at the mouth of the Richelieu River....
- Fort Île-aux-Noix
- Fort Saint Frédéric
- Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)Fort Saint-Jean is a fort in the Canadian La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec located on the Richelieu River. The fort was first built in 1666 by soldiers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment and was part of a series of forts built along the Richelieu River...
- Fort Sainte ThérèseFort Sainte ThérèseFort Sainte Thérèse is the name given to three different forts built successively on one site, among a series of fortifications constructed during the 17th century by France along the Richelieu River, in the province of Quebec, in Montérégie....
- List of French forts in North America
- Military of New FranceMilitary of New FranceThe Military of New France consisted of a mix of regular soldiers of the French Army, French Navy and Canadien volunteer militia units.Prior to 1690 most French troops were sent from France, but localization meant by 1690,...
External links
- Visit to Fort Carillon 2008 http://www.lestafette.net/t1760-vv-86-visite-au-fort-carillon
- Béarn regiment at Fort Carillon http://reconstitution.fr/histoire_fort_carillon.html
- Photo of Fort Carillon in 1759 http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/FortCarillon.html