Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-02-23

was seated tranquility at the door of my
tent where saw our troops deile, when an
Abnaks came to disturb my tranquility. He
said to me without ceremony, " My father you
gave us your word that even at the peril fyour
life you would not hesitate to furnish us the
aids of your ministry. Could our wounded ones
come to seek you here across the mountains,
which separate you from the place of combat!
We go, and we expect the falGllment of your
promises
An apostrophe so energetic made me forget
my fatigues. mended my pace, passed through
the regular troops, and at last, after forced
march arrived on the ground where my people,
at the head Of all the corps, awaited the com
bat, deputed on the spot some Of them to
assemble those whowsse dispersed Iprcpared
myself to suggest to them, the religious acts
proper in their circumstances, and to give them
general absolution at the approach of the
enemy; but they did not appear.
NJ. de Montcalm in order not to lose the ex-
pense Of the march, devised stratagem, which
would have been able to bring about the action
we had come to seek at so great a cost. He
proposed ordering the French and Canadians to
engage in feigned combat; the savages con-
cealed in the wood to face the enemy, who would
not fail to make a vigorous sally. The expedi-
cnt suggested to our Troquois was an admirable
invention, but they did not undertand it, as the
day was too far advanced. The rest of the saw
ages appealed from this judgment; the excuse
was deemed current, and accepted. Thus each
one returned to his post without having seen
more than she preparations for battle.
The next day, being the eve of st. Lawrence,
and the seventh day of our arrival, the trench
spread itself to the garden, where we had de-
signed to establish our third and last battery
From our proximity to the fort, we hoped in
three Or four days to be able to make general
assault by reasonable breach; but our enc
mics spared us the trouble and danger by hang
ing out the French flag, and demanding a capit-
ulation.
We now come to the surrender of the place
and the bloody catastrophe that followed. No
doubt every corner of Europe rang with this
sad scene, as one perhaps of which the odium
rebounds upon the nation and furnishes it. Your
Judgment may decide whether an imputation SO
clamorous is founded on any other principles
than ignorance or malignity. shall not relate
ON nfh f.ntc thar, tboua thot, x,ubl,a
thentic, and 80 well attested that should be
able, without fear of contradiction, to support
them on the testimony even of the English Off
GERS, who were both the witnesses and the VIC
tins. The Marquis de Montcalm, before listen
ing to terms, thought proper to ask the advice
OF all the savage nations, in order to soften
them by this condescenson, and to render the
treaty inviolable by their agreement. He Assem-
bled all the chiefs, and communicated to them
the conditions of the capitulation which al
lowed the enemy to leave the place with all the
honors of war, and imposed on them the obliga-
tion not to serve for eighteen months against his
most Christian Majesty, and to restore to liberty
all the Canadians taken prisoners in this war.
All these articles were universally applauded.
Having the seal of general appreciation, the
treaty was signed by the generals of both King
doms. In consequence the French army in bat
tie array, marched towards the place to take
possession of it in the name of his most Chris
tian Majesty; whilst the English troops, ar
rayed in beautiful order, went out to shut them
selves up in the entrenchments till the next day.
Their march was not marked by any infraction
of the laws of nations; but the sayages were
not slow to violateit. During the military cere-
mony which accompanied the taking possession,
they had penetrated into the place, by the en-
brasures of the cannons, in order to plundcr
what was agreed to be abandoned to them.
But they did not confne themselves to plandcr
There remained in the easements some sick,
whose state did not permit them to follow their
compatriots in the honorable retreat accorded to
their yalor. These were the victims on whom
they barbarously threw themselves, and whom
they sacrificed to their cruelty. was witness
of this spectacle. saw one of these savages
come out of the easements, where nothing but
an Unsuitable thirst for blood could have taken
him, so insupportable was the infection which
it exhaled. He carried in his hand human
head from which flowed streams of blood, and
which he exhibited as proudly as if it had been
the most beautiful prize he could have seized
This was only a trihing prelude to the crue
tragedy of the next day.
From early morning the savages assembled
around the intrenchments. They began by de
manding of the English the goods, provisions
and in word all the riches which their covetou
! eyes were able to see their demands were mad
: in tone that announced an attack of thei
} spears as the price of refusal. They stripped
themselves and gave up every thing, SO tina
they were reduced to purchase at least thei
lives by universal deprivation. This condescen
J sion should have softened their spirits
: but the heart of a savage seems not to be mad
as that of any other man. You will say that
by nature the seat of inhumanity. They wer
no less disposed to go to the greatest extremite'
I The corps of four hundred French troops des
/, tined to protect the retreat of the enemy al
Y rived, and arranged themselves in the hedges
The English commenced defiling. Unhappil
0 was it for all those who closed the march, @
e those stragglers whom indisposition, or som
n other reason, separated ever so little from th
: troops; there were as many dead men who's
/. corpses soon strewed the ground and covered til
n circumference of the intrenchments. Th
q butchery, which at first was only the work
d some savages, was the signal which turned a
n most all into SO many ferocious beasts. The
|, struck right and left with their hatchets tho