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opened fire on the exposed stonework of Fort Oswego, the walls crumbled under the onslaught. The garrison, whose cannon were all pointed away from the river (not expecting enemy fire to come from that direction), eventually turned their guns around, and the French fire was returned to some effect. However, Montcalm had ordered Rigaud to lead some men across the river upstream from the fortifications, and these men, who made an unopposed crossing under somewhat difficult conditions, appeared on the edge of the clearing outside Fort Oswego about the same time that
Colonel Mercer was struck and killed by a French shell. After a short council Lieutenant Colonel John Littlehales, who took over command from Mercer, raised the white flag.
183:
153:
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826:, where Loudoun ordered them to stay to prevent further French advances. Loudoun spent significant effort over the following months to pin the blame for the loss on William Shirley. He was cleared of all formal charges in an inquiry, but numerous irregularities were highlighted. Shirley's political connections in London enabled him to acquire other desirable posts later in his career.
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703:, which occupied Fort Oswego) consisted of an incomplete wooden palisade fort that lacked even loopholes through which defenders could fire, and was occupied by 150 New Jersey militiamen. The latter two forts did not have very much shelter for the occupying garrison, and there were only a few cannon for the entire complex of defenses.
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prevent further killings, although he claimed it would "cost the King eight or ten thousand livres in presents." He then ordered the destruction of all the supplies the French did not take, as well as the boats under construction, after which the entire company, including the prisoners, traveled to
Montreal.
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Immediately capitalizing on this, Montcalm occupied the fort and began the construction of batteries on the western edge of the height, where they could reach Fort Oswego's exposed east side. Moving with all speed, the French had nine working cannon established by the morning of August 14. When these
810:
Amid the confusion some of the
British tried to escape, and were tomahawked and killed by drunken French or Indians. Colonel Littlehales was seized by a group of Abenakis and badly beaten because "he was a coward and had behaved ill." General Montcalm, shocked by the behavior, was eventually able to
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Montcalm, as a professional officer exquisitely sensitive to the etiquette of surrender, judged that the brief
British defense had been insufficient to merit magnanimity. Her therefore refused to offer Littlehales the honours of war -- to have granted them would have allowed the British to depart
757:, landing about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Fort Ontario early on August 10. Their stealth in movement was successful, and the British did not discover them until a small patrol boat spotted them the next morning. Larger boats sent by the British were driven away by the French field artillery.
780:
On the night of August 11–12 the French opened siege trenches and began working toward Fort
Ontario. The fort's defenders exchanged cannon and gunfire with the French colonists and Indians until late in the day on August 13, at which point, under orders from Mercer, they abandoned the fort even
699:, and was in fairly good repair. Fort Oswego was on the west side of the river, and had a central structure of stone and clay surrounded by earthworks to the south and west, but fully exposed to Fort Ontario, across the river. A recently constructed Fort George (called "Fort Rascal" by one of
694:
The complex of defenses at Oswego consisted of three separate forts. On the east side of the Oswego River lay Fort
Ontario, a log fortification which was constructed in 1755, was sited on a rise overlooking the mouth of the river. It was garrisoned by 370 men from
807:, as he felt that Littlehales had failed to earn them by not putting up more of a fight. When the fort was opened to the Canadian militia and Indians, they rushed in and began plundering the fort, opening the barrels of rum and getting drunk on the contents.
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watershed. In the successful attack, they destroyed many provisions intended for the Oswego garrison, and effectively ruined
Shirley's plan to attempt the expedition against Fort Niagara in 1756. Following orders of the Governor of
640:
to see to its defenses. Vaudreuil meanwhile began massing troops at Fort
Frontenac for a potential assault on Oswego. Following favorable reports from the raiding parties, Montcalm and Vaudreuil decided to make the attempt.
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with their colors, personal possessions, and a symbolic cannon, in return for the promise that they would not return to active service for a specified period -- and instead insisted on taking the entire garrison prisoner.
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in May 1756 to lead the French army troops. He and
Governor Vaudreuil took an immediate dislike to one another, and disagreed over issues of command. Concerned over the massing of British troops at the southern end of
663:, only arrived in Albany in late June, and Shirley spent the intervening time shoring up the supply line to Oswego in anticipation of leading an expedition against the French forts on Lake Ontario. In June
726:, reaching Montreal three days later. Two days later he left for Fort Frontenac, where French troops were gathering along with a large company of Indians. French forces included the battalions of
572:, were built in 1755. The planned expedition to Fort Niagara never took place due to logistical difficulties, and the fortifications around Oswego were manned during the winter of 1755–56.
742:, and colonial militia, while Indians, numbering about 250, came from all over the territories of New France. The total size of the force was reckoned to be 3,000 men. The governor's brother,
605:
279:
714:, and there had been serious discussion of abandoning the position for want of supplies. While the garrison nominally approached 2,000 men in size, less than 1,200 men were fit for duty.
750:, the vanguard of the main body spent the day there before crossing at night to Sackett's Harbor. By August 8 the entire force was assembled there, and set out the next day for Oswego.
710:
of
Pepperrell's Regiment, had overwintered there, and suffered significantly due to the shortage of supplies, especially food. Many men died during the winter from diseases such as
1253:
683:, these men successfully resupplied the forts at Oswego in July, although they were attacked by a French raiding party on their way back, suffering 60 to 70 casualties.
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746:, led an advance force of 700 to meet with Villiers' force at Sackett Harbor before the main force set out on August 4. Crossing at night to what is now called
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In addition to 1,700 prisoners, Montcalm's force seized the fort's 121 cannons. The fall of Fort Oswego effectively interrupted the British presence on
99:
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The British surrendered about 1,700 people, including laborers, shipbuilders, women and children. Montcalm refused to grant the defeated army the
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On August 9, troops under Rigaud and Villiers marched overland toward Oswego, while Montcalm and the remaining force moved close to the shore in
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The French in 1755 had the only large naval vessels on Lake Ontario, and moved freely about the lake, between Fort Niagara in the west and
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Montcalm's engineer went to survey the British defenses, accompanied by other officers and party of Native Allies. Montcalm asked
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traveled to the Iroquois headquarters at Onondaga, and successfully negotiated support for the British side with the Iroquois,
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Oswego was effectively abandoned until 1758, when the British reoccupied the area, and Bradstreet led an expedition that
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When Loudoun arrived in Albany in late July, he immediately cancelled Shirley's plans for an Oswego-based expedition.
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Significant elements of the two Massachusetts regiments, which were under the overall command of Colonel
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tactics were viable in North America when applied properly in the right circumstances and terrain.
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they learned that Oswego had fallen; after destroying the fortifications there, they retreated to
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Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766
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Crucible of War: The Seven years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America 1754-1766
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Following the beginning of open conflict between French and British colonists in 1754 with the
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began harassing the Oswego garrison from a camp on Henderson Bay (south of present-day
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military vulnerability. During the week of August 10, 1756, a force of regulars and
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The first global war: Britain, France, and the fate of North America, 1756-1775
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to continue with the work of determining how to besiege the British positions.
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and other border areas, including the frontier between the French province of
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Governor Shirley received word in March 1756 that he was to be replaced by
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nations. Part of the British plans for 1755 included an expedition to take
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and Bradstreet's battoemen toward Oswego. When these troops reached the
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608:, in May 1756 French and Indian raiding parties under the command of
494:. The battle was notable for demonstrating that traditional European
679:, men experienced in sailing and shipbuilding. Under the command of
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Linda Colley, page 180 "Captives - Britain, Empire and the World",
833:. It was used again in 1759 as a departure point for a successful
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On August 12, Loudoun finally dispatched reinforcements from the
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Montcalm left Carillon on July 16 under the command of the
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and removed it as a threat to the nearby French-controlled
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Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
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was one in a series of early French victories in the
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captured and occupied the British fortifications at
524:to further contest the disputed territories of the
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781:before the siege trenches had reached their goal.
516:, the governments of Britain and France both sent
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30:This article is about the battle during the
564:was reinforced, and two additional forts,
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1254:Pre-statehood history of New York (state)
540:that was then largely controlled by the
252:1,700 captured (including noncombatants)
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659:. Loudoun's second in command, General
583:. In March 1756 they launched a winter
1188:. Little, Brown, and company. p.
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841:'s army as it moved toward Montreal.
831:captured and destroyed Fort Frontenac
479:, located at the site of present-day
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1234:Battles of the French and Indian War
1150:History of Canada: part1, New France
798:John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun
657:John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun
291:Seven Years' War in North America:
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1147:Lucas, Charles Prestwood (1901).
299:, St. Lawrence and Mohawk theater
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1041:. Knopf Doubleday. p. 153.
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1244:Battles involving Great Britain
835:expedition against Fort Niagara
234:, colonial militia, and Indians
1164:. Greenwood Publishing Group.
1:
558:Province of Massachusetts Bay
1213:Battle of Fort Oswego (1756)
1185:Montcalm and Wolfe, Volume 1
40:Battle of Fort Oswego (1814)
27:French and Indian War battle
18:Battle of Fort Oswego (1756)
1249:Battles in New York (state)
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34:. For the raid during the
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744:François-Pierre de Rigaud
632:, Montcalm first went to
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514:Battle of Jumonville Glen
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296:The French and Indian War
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1239:Battles involving France
1158:Nester, William (2000).
650:Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
621:Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
610:Louis Coulon de Villiers
202:Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
1124:Anderson, Fred (2001).
1037:Anderson, Fred (2007).
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457:North American theatre
372:Conquest of New France
196:Commanders and leaders
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1006:Anderson, pp. 152-153
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769:Battle of Fort Oswego
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697:Pepperrell's Regiment
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508:French and Indian War
453:Battle of Fort Oswego
242:Casualties and losses
115:43.46167°N 76.51417°W
57:French and Indian War
50:Battle of Fort Oswego
32:French and Indian War
1215:at Wikimedia Commons
1099:Parkman, pp. 419-420
985:Parkman, pp. 422-423
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937:Parkman, pp. 407-409
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865:Parkman, pp. 334-338
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534:province of New York
232:troupes de la marine
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579:at the head of the
419:Pointe-aux-Trembles
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1259:1756 in New France
1153:. Clarendon Press.
856:Lucas, pp. 232-235
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247:30 dead or wounded
237:1,100 British army
79:August 10–14, 1756
1229:Conflicts in 1756
1211:Media related to
1171:978-0-275-96771-0
1132:. Vintage Books.
955:Nester, pp. 20-21
837:, and in 1760 by
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550:Lake Ontario
546:Fort Niagara
526:Ohio Country
518:regular army
511:
488:Lake Ontario
485:
483:, New York.
465:New France's
452:
450:
384:Fort Niagara
324:
212:
207:James Mercer
148:
143:Belligerents
55:Part of the
677:"battoemen"
630:Lake George
623:arrived in
566:Fort George
562:Fort Oswego
477:Fort Oswego
404:St. Francis
325:Fort Oswego
315:Lake George
118: /
89:Fort Oswego
36:War of 1812
1223:Categories
1139:0375706364
845:References
602:New France
589:Wood Creek
520:troops to
502:Background
414:2nd Quebec
409:Sainte-Foy
399:1st Quebec
106:76°30′51″W
103:43°27′42″N
95:, New York
789:Aftermath
320:Fort Bull
1182:(1897).
728:La Sarre
673:Delaware
648:General
625:Montreal
619:General
542:Iroquois
469:Canadian
431:Montreal
394:Beauport
225:Strength
84:Location
755:bateaux
732:Guyenne
669:Shawnee
459:of the
213:†
1168:
1136:
1069:
1045:
761:Battle
734:, and
712:scurvy
671:, and
530:Canada
481:Oswego
250:80–150
209:
186:
159:France
156:
131:Result
93:Oswego
38:, see
736:Béarn
496:siege
310:Frogs
1166:ISBN
1134:ISBN
1067:ISBN
1043:ISBN
568:and
451:The
76:Date
1190:410
636:on
587:on
1225::
1192:.
1104:^
1051:.
1020:^
999:^
960:^
738:,
730:,
604:,
1174:.
1142:.
281:e
274:t
267:v
42:.
20:)
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