guard upon his lips that will inspire him with courage in the field, with probity on the bench, and with truth at the bar.

An Hiftorical Account of American Affairs with a particular Journal of the Siege and furrender of OswE

GO.

IN our laft regular journal of the military proceedings in America, an ac· count was given of the erection of two new forts on the river Onondago, from which it became probable that General Shirley intended to winter with his army at Ofwego, that he might more expeditionfly proceed to action the next fpring. We are forry that the inaction of our forces there has prevented the continuation of this journal, and that we can now resume it only to record our loffes, and the maifmanagement which has produced them.

Tie grifion content fine fer

jeants, four hundred and eighty one rank and file of his majesty's fiftieth regiment of foot; twenty two officers, twenty eight ferjeants, and three hundred and ninety rank and file of the fifty first regiment; feven officers, ten ferjeants, and one hundred and twenty three rank and file of the New Jerfey regiment, commanded by Col. Schuyler, including the fick of thefe corps; together with one Captain, one Lieutenant, and 16 private of the royal regiment of Artillery: The remainder of the regiments being posted at the Oneida Carrying-Place and other paffes, between Schenectady and Ofwego, for guarding the magazines there and keeping open the communication between thofe two places. The works confifted of three Forts, viz. the Old Fort or Trading Houfe which was in a ruinous condition, not defigned at firft, or ever capable of refifting artillery, built feveral years ago, at the entrance into the harbour from Lake Ontario, and com

manded to the eastward by a high point of land; about the distance of 500 yards on the oppofite fide of the river, and to the westward by another eminence at about the fame distance on the land fide, and two new Forts erected on the aforementioned eminences. The Fort Ontario to the eastward unfinished, the other to the westward fcarcely begun, and which was evacuated the 13th of June 1756. The day the Battoe Guard was cut off on the E. fide of the river, a furprize being apprehended from the enemy who were frequently in great numbers about us, and not one of thefe Forts being tenable againft artillery, fo that the garrifon depended wholly for its defence upon a naval force on the Lake, fufficient to prevent the French from bringing artillery against the Forts, which could only be done by water carriage.

The naval force confifted of one

new Brigantine mounted of one

carriage guns 6 and 4 pounders, and 14 fwivels, a new Sloop mounted with 6 carriage guns 4 and 3 pounders, and 12 fwivels, a Sloop and fmall Row-Schooner (both built last year) the former mounts 6 carriage guns 4 pounders, and 12 fwivels; and two Haubitz and the latter with 12 fwivels: One large Snow intended to carry 18 fix pounders and a number of fwivels, and a Schooner capable of carrying eight 4 pounders with fwivels both ufelefs, as they had neither men nor guns for them.

On the 10th of Auguft a few of the enemies Indians appeared under Fort Ontario, and fcalped a man of Pepperel's regiment who were garrifoned in the Fort. On the th in the morning a fmall Schooner was order'd out to view the coat to the eastward of the garrifon, which very foon returned and fired a gun (the fignal appointed for the dif covery of the enemy) upon this an officer of the 50th regiment was fent out in a Whale Boat to reconnoi

tre

tre;

who on his return reported, that he discovered an encampment fufficient for 1500 men, but that he believed their whole force to be between 4 and 5000 (as they were regulars who were encamped on the Beach, and he fuppofed the irreguJars to be concealed in the woods;) this account we afterwards found to be pretty exact, as the enemy had 1750 regulars, and 3,500 Canadians and Indians. Two floops of 6 and 4 pounders, were upon this report ordered out to annoy the encampment of the enemy, but were foon obliged to bear away as they were fmartly fired upon from a battery of twelve pounders, and moft of their hot took place. The afternoon of the fame day, the Canadians and Indians began to fire on Ontario Fort with their fmall arms; which they continued till dark, which was brifkly returned from the Fort. That night the enemy open'd their trenches and began their parallel to the northward of the Fort, at the diftance of about 250 yards, under the cover of a rifing ground. On the 12th at day break, about 200 of the enemics Battoes were difcovered coming round a point about four miles to the eastward of Ontario: Their fire from the mufquetry was warmer than the day before. On the 13th at day break the fire from the mufquetry re-commenced, and the enemy were plainly difcovered at work, their cannon bringing up, and a battery ready to open upon the Fort, without a poffibility of disturbing them; which was attempted by a few Recochet Shot, and throwing all our fhells, but without effect as their works were greatly elevated above ours. The garrifon was pent up in a piquetted Fort, too weak to admit of making a fortic, and but one entrance to the Fort, with a ditch begun but not compleated: The piquets of this Fort, which were 14 feet high, were below the level of a little hill to the eastward about 80

yards, on which their battery was raifed, fo that we could not bring one gun to bear upon the enemy: This was immediately reported to Col. Mercer, with the opinion of the officers thereupon; which was, that they could not hold out above an hour or two after the opening of the enemies battery. Col. Mer cer, agreeable to this opinion, made a difpofition, and fent orders for the evacuation of that Fort, which was performed in good order about four o'clock in the afternoon without the lofs of a man. The fame night the enemy took poffellion of the Fort, and began a battery to the westward of it, which they had in forwardnefs, and opened with eleven pieces of cannon at day break the 14th inftant, at which time the cannonading began and continued very hot for fome hours. About eight o clock we difcovered the enemy fording the river about a mile above us, in three columns, and have reafon to believe they had paffed over five or fix hundred the night before. About 7 o'clock our men were obliged to quit our works (except the officers and men on the platforms and go into the Ditch, as we were enfiladed by the enemy's battery wtihout any cover, our guns re vers'd on the platforms, and the parapets intended for our defence were in our rear, and the whol of our works fo overlook'd, that th feet of our men ware plainly to b feen from the enemy's battery, fom of our fick lying in their tents wer killed by their fhot. Befides th guns that were revers'd on thei Platforms, we had a Battery of guns which played on the enemy made of pork barrels, three bar barrels in height and 3 in breadth Thefe three guns were all difmoun ted thro' the badnefs of the carria ges, remounted on fresh carriage in the midft of the enemy's h and difmounted a fecond time whic rendered them ufelefs, having

more carriages for them. During the fire our 7 inch mortar burft and our magazine which was only covered with plank and turf fo far from being bomb proof was not proof against a 6 pound fhot.

About ten o'clock we discover'd the enemy to the amount, as we afterwards learned, of 3,500 filing off and furrounding us, and the Marquis de Montcalm, with the regulars on the east fide of the river, ready to pass over to make a general affault. Col. Littlehales, upon whom the command devolved upon Col. Mercer's being killed, then called a council of war, and demanded the opinion of the engineers as to the ftate of the garrifon, which they declared was not tenable, upon which the chamade was beat, and an officer was fent over with a flag of

truce.

The fituation of affairs after the lofs of Ofwego will beft appear from Ld. Loudon's letter to the governors of the provinces, dated

Albany, Oct. 20. S by accounts I received laft

A night, his majefty's fort and gar

rifon at Ofwego, together with the naval armaments and ftores, have, by a feries of bad circumftances, fallen into the hands of the French; and as, from the condition and number of the troops left to me when I came to my command, I can fcarce hope to do more than to refift French power in that quarter; I must earnestly recommend to you, to confider without delay, how far the provincials, now in arms, are expofed to the weight of the French in the parts towards Crown Point, and the dangerous event of any accident happening to them in confequence of thefe circumftances; and what forces you can fend immediately to reinforce them, as it seems abfolutely neceffary to do, for the fecurity and fafety of the country.

Therefore, in confequence of the power given to me by his majesty's

commiffion under the great feal; and of his orders fignified to you by his fecretary of ftate, I do demand of you an aid of as confiderable a body of men, with arms, as you can fend off, as fast as raifed; and alfo a number of carriages or ox-teams, wherewith I may be able to tranfport provifions, as this province alone is not able to supply all. LOUDON.

We have alfo fuffered another confiderable lofs in fort Granville, in Cumberland county, the particulars of which have been thus related. in a letter from Philadelphia, dated Auguft 19. That on the 30th of July, Captain Ward marched from the fort, with his enfign, and all the men belonging to it, except 24 under the command of Lieut. Armftrong, to guard fome reapers in Shearman's valley: That foon after he left the fort it was attacked by about 100 French and Indians, who took Juniatta creek, and creeping under its banks to a gut about 12 feet deep, came within 30 or 40 feet of the fort, where the fhot from our men could not hurt them, and there by gathering together pine knots, and other combuftible matter, they made a pile and fet fire to the fort. The enemy called to the befieged, offering them quarter, if they would furrender; on which one John Turner immediately opened the gates. and gave them poffeffion; twentytwo foldiers, three women and five or fix children were made prifoners, of which the French took the young men and women, and the Indians the older men and children; and having loaded them with flour, &c. they let off in triumph; but when they had marched a little way, the French commander ordered Capt. Jacobs back to burn the fort, which he did.

Since the lofs of Ofwego, we have had various accounts from America. We were once flattered with hopes that the regular troops under Lord

Loudon

Loudon, would have been immediately employed in retaking it, or in poffeffing our pofts to the weftward of Albany; and by that means preferving the friendship of the Six Nations, and keeping in our power a communication with lake Ontario. We were rather induced to hope this would be the cafe, from the demand lord Loudon immediately made upon the feveral governments to the eastward, of an aid of as confiderable a number of men as they poffibly could fend for the reinforcement of the provincial troops under the command of Gen. Winflow, which were then about 7000 men. But inftead of any attempt that way, upon the first information that Ofwego was taken, our only communication from the Mohawks river to the Oneida lake was fopped up, by filling the Wood Creek with great logs and trees for many miles together. A few days afterwards, the forts at the Great Carrying Place, which was then become our moft advanced poft into the country of the Six Nations (and where there was at that time above 3000 men, including 1200 battoemen, and which still gave the Six Nations fome hopes that we would defend their country against the French) were abandoned and deftroyed; and the troops which were under the command of Gen. Webb, retreated to Burnet's field, and left the country and the Six Nations to the mercy of the enemy. The French immediately after the taking of Ofwego, demolished all the works there, and returned with their prifoners and booty to their army at Trinonderage, to oppose our provincial army under general Winflow, who has been kept from attacking Crown Point, while the enemy were weak and in our power to have beat them. The confequences of the deftruction of our forts at the Great Carrying Place, and general Webb's retreating to Burnet's field, is apparent to every one acquainted with American af

fairs. The Indians of the Six Nations will undoubtedly look upon it as abandoning them and their country to the French! for they will fee that we have now no ftrong hold near them, from whence we might fuccour them, and that (by the Wood Creek's being ftopped up) we cannot, if we would, afford them any affiftance at Onondago, Cayago, and in the Seneca's country, which are their chief caftles: that the forts begun by us in thofe countries are left unfinished, and therefore can be of no use to them; and which, if we had kept the Carrying Place we might have finished, and given them fill hopes of our being able to defend.

The fine country on

the Mohawks river, down to Albabany, is by this ftep left open to the ravages of the enemy, and an eafy paffage opened to the French and their Indians into the province of Penfylvania and New Jersey, by the way of Sufquahanna and Delawar rivers, which were before covered by our fettlements on the Mohawks river and the Six Nations. To conclude, it leaves the French without the leaft fear of our being able to give the leaft interruption in their paffage thro' lake Ontario and lake Erie, to the frontiers of Penfylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and all the fouthern country.

[To be continued.]

Old Christmas Day exploded.

GENTLEMEN,

T is the obfervation of a great wri

Iter, that nothing is more dificult,

than to eradicate from men's minds opinions they have been long habituated to; error itfelf, when grown grey and venerable by time, has more advocates than truth, and there is a kind of pride and obftinacy in the generality of mankind, which prevents them from being convinced they are in the wrong: Of this the behaviour of numbers of people in many parts of England, in