The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-08

and murmuring. Who would have thought?' He died a few days later, at Great Meadows. 50 miles away. whither he had been carried after his terrible defeat. He is buried in the road. and all traces of his grave are effaced, lest the Indians should find and mutilate his body. Thus perish ed Edward Braddock. He neglected the advice; of Franklin and Wash ington. Less than half of the original command were led to safety by Col. Washington. The French were vic torious; they are masters of the Ohio; 1t looks as if they are yet to be mas ters of the American Continent.
 Fall of Oswego.
 Tt is now 1756. France is trium- phant in the New World. There now appears on the scene one of the bravest and noblest men who ever barred his arm to strike for France in any country or century-the superb Montcalm. He was not of my faith nor of my blood; but I should be blood were I not willing to give due honor to heroic soul, whatever his faith and whatever his blood. I omit his full name, as we are more fami- liar with simply at Montcalm. This distinguished French general was Chateau of Candiac. near Mines, February 29. 1712. At the age of 14. he had a good knowledge of Latin. Greek, and history. He then entered the army. and when but IS he was a captain. He served in Italy and in Germany, and was wounded at the battle of Piacenza. where he received five saber cuts. two of which were in the head; he was also made prison CT. In May 1756, we see him leaving France for America. His parting from his wife. mother, son. and daughter was touching in the ex- treme. His letters to his family are among the noblest examples of af- fectionate epistolary correspondence an the page of any history. His voy- age was extremely rough. He went to Canada to be associated with such men as Vaudreuli, Rigaud, Bigot, and Cadet. Vaudreuil was governor Montcalm arrived. A Canadian by birth, Vaudreuil loved the colony and despised France. Some of these men hated Montcalm with a perfect hat red. They plotted against him. and often defeated his wisest plans. His CT of words to describe. We soon find him attacking Fort Ontario, at Oswego. New York. As early as 1724 Oswego was a military station and trading post. In 1755, Colonel Mercer built here two strongs forts. FOrC W1ll1amS ana Fort Bull. With great bravery Montclam attacked and subdued these forts and captured 1,700 English prisoners. It is interest ing that in 1759 Oswego was the cen tre of military operations for a wide reach of country. From Oswego, General Amherts started with 10000 men to support Wolfe in his attack on Quebec.
 Fort William Henry.
 we are now hastening toward the decisive events in the history of the war between France on the one side, and Great Britain and the Colonists on the other side for the possession of Canada, and the territory over which the American flag now flies. France is virtually master of Niagara at the west and Frontenac at the north. Ontario is thus French lake. It seems weIl-night certain that France is to be master of the New World. The destiny of nations in regard to civil and religious lib: erty will soon be determined. In 1755,- at the head of Lake George, Sir William Johnson erected a fort which was called Fort William Henry This was an important strategic point in this war. It is now the spring of 1757. Rigaud, at the head of a French force, made a successful at tack up this fort. later Montcalm at the head of 5000 men. including fortunes camp rapidly to La Sale.
 Continued on Page 7.)