Lake George

What started as a French victory ended in an overwhelming and decisive British victory. In late summer, William Johnston, British agent to the Iroquois, led a force to attack French Fort St. Frederic at Crown Point. The French responded by launching a raid on Johnston’s command at Fort Edward. The 1,500-man French force (roughly half Native Americans) reached Fort Edward on the evening of September 7. Daunted by the fort’s cannon, the French Indians balked at attacking. In the meantime, Johnston sent a force (1,000 colonial militia and 200 Mohawk Indians) to reinforce Fort Edward’s 500-man garrison. The French ambushed the colonial militia in what later became known as “The Bloody Morning Scout.” Despite the heavy losses, including the deaths of both the colonial commander and the Native American leader, a rearguard stopped the supremely confident pursuers.

The loss of the French field commander (Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre) caused great consternation among the Indians who balked at Baron Dieskau’s orders to continue fighting. The frustrated French commander hoped to shame his Indian allies by forming his 200 regulars six abreast and personally leading them in a frontal assault against Johnston’s remaining troops—now behind hurriedly constructed barricades that also sported three cannons. As the French grenadiers came forward, British gunners, according to historian Fred Anderson, cut “lanes, street and alleys” through their ranks. When Dieskau fell wounded, the French abandoned their attack. Meanwhile, the British commander at Fort Edward (Colonel Joseph Blanchard) saw smoke from the distant fighting and sent a 120- man force of colonial militia that captured Dieskau’s baggage and ammunition wagons and inflicting heavy casualties.