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80 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. I.
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& required him to surrender as Your Ldp will see by his
Letter in the inclosed Gazette. As the Commandant paid no
Regard to the Summons the Enemy proceeded to open their
Trenches & before the next Morning they had compleated
two Batteries of 8 Guns & a Mortar each. General Webb
was at this time with about 1500 Men at Fort Edward which
is built on Hudson's River 14 Miles from Fort William Henry.
He had been advised of the Enemy's Approach as soon as
they appeared in Sight & had thereupon sent Expresses to the
Governors of the several Northern Provinces for Assistance
but as the Militia were slow in their Motions he thought
proper to send a Letter to Colo Monro on the 4th of Augst
wherein he intimated that he was afraid it would not be in his
Power to raise the Siege. Inclosed I send Your Ldp a Copy
of this Letter which fell into the Enemy's hands but was by
them sent with a Flag of Truce to the Fort in hopes that it
would induce the Commandant of the Garrison to surrender,
the Fort however held' out till the 9th of August when Colo
Monro capitulated on the Terms mentioned in the inclosed
Paper, the two 32 Lbrs. the two 18 Lbrs one of the 12 Lbrs,
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p. 308
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the 6 Lbr, & the two Mortars that were in the Fort were
bursted during the Siege & when it was given up there was
only Ammunition enough left for 7 or 8 Rounds. Your Ldp
will observe that both the Officers & Men that were in the
Fort & with Colo Young were to be permitted to take away
their Baggage but the Morning after the Capitulation was
signed & just as the Garrison was about to march out the
Indians got in & plundered the Barracks, they then pro-
ceeded to plunder the Soldiers & to scalp all them that were
sick & wounded & afterwards to strip the Officers among
whom was the Gentleman who gives me this Account who
with many others was carried by the Indians into the Woods
& there left entirely naked. We have not yet received any
authentic Account of the Numbers that were killed on either
Side during the Siege but it is said that our Loss was pretty
considerable. We were alarmed with an Account of the
Enemys having since invested Fort Edward, but I am now
informed by a Letter from Albany that their whole Army is
returned to Crown Point having first entirely destroyed the
Fort that they had made themselves Masters of. Your Ldp
will naturally conclude that this Accident threw all the North-
ern Colonies into the greatest Consternation, their Militia
were in Motion & a considerable Body of them joined General
Webb but not till several Days after the Enemy had executed
their Plan & gone off. It is supposed by some that the Ap-
prehensions of Lord Loudoun's being designed agst Quebec
hindered General Montcalm from prosecuting his Success,
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