From 1847 proceedings of NY Historical Society
The Librarian also presented a communication from Mr. Benj. F. Thompson, of Hempstead, L. I., inclosing
the following memorandum and original narrative of
The Battle of Ticonderoga, 1758.
In the Presbyterian burial ground at Hempstead, is the grave of Dr. James Searing, who died at the age of sixty-
two years, Sept. 29, 1802. He studied medicine with Dr. Jacob Ogden of Jamaica, L. I., and at the age of nineteen
years volunteered as surgeon of a regiment, in the disastrous expedition against Ticonderoga in the month of July,
1758. The following account in his own hand writing, preserved in the family, has been handed to me for peru-
sal, and liberty granted to copy it for publication.
This brief narration is written with great clearness, but is not essentially different in its facts, from that in the
third volume of Macauley's history of New York. The brave and patriotic Lord Howe, who fell in the engage-
ment, was the eldest son of Sir E. Scrope, second, Lord Viscount in Ireland. He appears to have been a gentleman of
much worth and the idol of the troops, for i'l him says Mante, *' the soul of the army seemed to expire." Indeed
so highly was his memor}^ cherished by the Colony of Massachusetts, that she afterwards erected a monument to his
fame, in Westminster Abbey, at an expense oi\£2.
Major Putnam, who was with the army, tried to dissuade his lordship from perilling his hfe in the expedition, who
nobly replied to him : '' Fvtnam, your life is as dear to you, as mine is to me. lam determined to go" He fell in the com-
mencement of the engagement.]
The manuscript is as follows :
" His Excellency, Gen. Abercrombie, having assembled together an army, consisting of about 5000 regulars, 10,-
000 provincials and a train of artillery, to wit : 4 iron eighteen pounders, 6 brass twelve pounders, 6 brass six
pounders, 4 eight inch brass howitzers, 13 inch iron mortar, and 2 inch do., with 8 brass royals and about 200
rounds to each ; embarked with the whole in 900 batteaux and 150 whale boats, from Lake George to Ticonderoga,
July 5th, 1758.
As the situation of the enemy was but little known (no prisoners having been taken, nor any deserters come in for
some time before our departure,) it was thought probable, that some batteries might be erected to intercept our pas-
sage through the Narrows or Straights, as there was a very difficult place between us and our destination. In order
to alleviate this, three redeaus or floating batteries were prepared, two upon batteaux and one made of timber ;
upon each of which were mounted two field pieces, as well to cover us from being annoyed by armed vessels, as
from ambuscades and lodgments.
The great spirits of the troops, although obliged to row the batteaux, all deeply laden with men and provisions,
brought us to the advance guard of the enemy, at about
four miles distance from the fort, the sixth instant, at six 11 o'clock in the morning; and here we landed Gen. Gage's
regiment of light infantry and some batteaux men.
A small party of the guard was advanced from the rest ; but upon the appearance of the whole army, who
were pretty nigh, they retired to their body, and all went off in the greatest precipitation, after setthig fire to some
few tents and other things at their encampment.
This advantage being gained, our troops marched forward toward the enemy on the same side of the lake, on
which the fort stands, as it was imagined the fort could be invested the same evening. But by the time of land-
ing and forming so great a body, they had not by 3 o'clock in the afternoon, got farther tha.n two miles, when they
were attacked by a reconnoitering party of French regulars. The light infantry received the weight of the firstfire,
but being sustained by the whole line, who were on the march, the enemy were soon put to the rout, the greatest
part of them being either killed or taken prisoners.
In this skirmish fell our brave Lord Howe, with no other considerable loss ; but night coming on, and as no
road or path could be found, being full three miles from the place we landed at, we having gone the direct
route, it was thought proper to draw off the army, till the next day. The prisoners taken in this affair were one
captain, three subalterns and about one hundred and sixty men ; from whom we had the intelligence, that the enemy's
garrison consisted of five regular regiments well supplied with all things necessary for a siege — that the whole were
commanded by the Marquis De Mont Calm, who with eight battalions of regulars, a body of Canadians and some In-
dians, exclusive of the garrison, (the latter not numerous, but expected to be made up to 1200), were all encamped
within half a mile of the fort.
On the 7th, the march through the woods was not pursued, but Col. Bradstreet, with the 44th Regiment and six
companies out of the first battalion of Royal Americans, and as many provincials, as made up his command to six
thousand, were ordered to establish a post at the sawmills, about two miles from the place, on the opposite side
of" the lake ; a situation that a considerable body of the enemy had occupied till that time — but on the appearance
of this party, they retired without the least resistance, and the general with the rest of the army, marched and joined
Cob Bradstreet in the evening.
The lake becoming extremely narrow here, a bridge of logs was made over it, and the engineer went in the even-
ing to reconnoitre the enemy.
Whatever report was made of this reconnoitering, is not known to the public — however it was determined to attack the enemy the next day, and orders were sent to the commanding officer of the Artillery, for what was necessary from that branch, which was agreed on, viz : 4 light brass twelve pounders, 2 eight inch brass howitzers, and four royal do. This evening we were joined by Sir William Johnson and thirty-five Mohawk Indians, who having met the French prisoners on the lake, in their way to Albany, were in the highest spirits, and were no sooner landed, than they joined the general, with which re-inforcement our body of Indians became 400.
Major Proby, our famous partizan, being looked upon as a person best acquainted with the ground, with his rangers, some batteaux men and a detachment of light infantrv, (the whole amounting to 2000 men), were ordered to advance on the Sth instant, about 10 o'clock in tlie morning, so nigh the enemy as to draw on them some of their fire, and also to discover if any parties lay concealed to
observe our motions.
As this precaution had its full effect, with some loss to the enemy, but none to us, and as the enemy's party were retired to the breastworks, the whole line marched up to sustain the advance, about 11 o'clock, and continued moving on till they came within 120 yards of the enemy's works ; which from thence became almost inaccessible by reason of underwood and timber that had been felled for the purpose.
As a farther precaution and in some measure to divide the enemy's force, Sir William Johnson was ordered, with the Indians, to cross the lake, and make the Indians hollow, about the time that the general attack should begin. This attempt produced no other effect, than to force back a small party, who were without the breast- work.
The situation now being free from trees, there was nothing to intercept our view of the works, which appeared to be made of square logs, well fitted together, with slits left open between them at a proper height, for loopholes — and made so high as to come above their heads. There were small boughs stuck in to prevent our view of the loop holes, and to prevent our climbing over. The
whole well flanked with two bastions and two redeaus, and nearly extending to the lake on both sides the neck of land on which the fort stands. A little advance from the principal work, was a sort offence made of loose logs which served to cover the out parties, the line being formed with a front extending the whole length ofthe work.
Major Proby advanced with the piquets in the centre ofthe work, between the two bastions, being sustained by Col. Haldi-
man at the head of the lines. The enemy received us with a very heavy fire, which we returned when we came within fifty yards of them. At 12 o'clock, by the directions of Mr. Gierke, engineer, in pursuance of his reconnoitre, two redeaus with two six pounders each, and one royal how^itzer, was ordered down the lake towards the fort : the orders given to the officer who commanded, were to
repair down the lake undercover ofthe bank, till he came to an open place as described by the engineer, and there to enfilade the enemy's works in reverse. But after going down, till both shot and shells were fired at them from the fort, they could find no such place as described — so concluding the intelligence to be false, he turned about to regain the lines.
The artillery on the 7th, in the evening, did not arrive at the saw-mills, till half an hour after 10 o'clock, on the 8th, at which time the army had marched above an hour and began the attack. Neither had the enemy acted with their usual caution in cases of this kind, for they had not one piece of cannon in their work, and many of their muskets loaded only with buckshot. During all this time
the guns were got off the redeaus, and being drawn into the road, his majesty's army stood exposed to the heaviest fire imaginable lor the space of three hours, when having lost most of our principal officers, nearly 80 others, with about 2000 men killed and wounded, and there being no prospect of forcing the enemy from their lodgment, a retreat ensued between four and five o'clock in the afternoon, soon after which an Aid-de-camp was sent to the landing- place, to order the heavy artillery and stores, that were on
shore, to be re-embarked for Fort William Henry, with all expedition.
From the extent of the enemy's works, and the opposition we met with, it is conjectured to contain 3000 regular forces. The night was spent in getting the stores on board, and the post at the saw-mills abandoned by day-light, except by a small party of rangers and hght infantr}'', left to destroy some provisions, tools and a few whale boats, which had passed portage to tow the redeaus, with the two six pounders in the morning. July 9th, the principal part of the batteaux arrived at Fort Wil-
liam Henry, about 7 o'clock in the evening, and again encamped."
