the conquest of new france-第29章

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Montcalm　instructions　so　ambiguous　that　if　he　failed　he　would　be

sure　to　get　the　discredit；　while；　if　he　succeeded；　to　Vaudreuil

would　belong　the　glory。



War　is；　at　best；　a　cruel　business。　In　Europe　its　predatory

barbarity　was　passing　away　and　there　the　lives　of　prisoners　and

of　women　and　children　were　now　being　respected。　Montcalm　had　been

reared　under　this　more　civilized　code；　and　he　and　his　officers

were　shocked　by　what　Vaudreuil　regarded　as　normal　and　proper

warfare。　In　1756　the　French　had　a　horde　of　about　two　thousand

savages；　who　had　flocked　to　Montreal　from　points　as　far　distant

as　the　great　plains　of　the　West。　They　numbered　more　than　thirty

separate　tribes　or　nations；　as　in　their　pride　they　called

themselves；　and　each　nation　had　to　be　humored　and　treated　as　an

equal；　for　they　were　not　in　the　service　of　France　but　were　her

allies。　They　expected　to　be　consulted　before　plans　of　campaign

were　completed。　The　defeat　of　Braddock　in　1755　had　made　them　turn

to　the　prosperous　cause　of　France。　Vaudreuil　gave　them　what　they

hardly　requiredencouragement　to　wage　war　in　their　own　way。　The

more　brutal　and　ruthless　the　war　on　the　English；　he　said；　the

more　quickly　would　their　enemies　desire　the　kind　of　peace　that

France　must　have。　The　result　was　that　the　western　frontiers　of

the　English　colonies　became　a　hell　of　ruthless　massacre。　The

savages　attacked　English　settlements　whenever　they　found　them

undefended。　A　pioneer　might　go　forth　in　the　morning　to　his　labor

and　return　in　the　evening　to　find　his　house　in　ashes　and　his　wife

and　children　lying　dead　with　the　scalps　torn　from　their　heads　as

trophies　of　savage　prowess。



For　years；　until　the　English　gained　the　upper　hand　over　the

French；　this　awful　massacre　went　on。　Hundreds　of　women　and

children　perished。　Vaudreuil　reported　with　pride　to　the　French

court　the　number　of　scalps　taken；　and　in　his　annals　such

incidents　were　written　down　as　victories；　He　warned　Montcalm　that

he　must　not　be　too　strict　with　the　savages　or　some　day　they　would

take　themselves　off　and　possibly　go　over　to　the　English　and　leave

the　French　without　indispensable　allies。　He　complained　of　the

lofty　tone　of　the　French　regular　officers　towards　both　Indians

and　Canadians；　and　assured　the　French　court　that　it　was　only　his

own　tact　which　prevented　an　open　breach。



Canada　lay　exposed　to　attack　by　three　routes　by　Lake　Ontario；　by


Lake　Champlain；　and　by　the　St。　Lawrence　and　the　sea。　It　was　vital

to　control　the　route　to　the　West　by　Lake　Ontario；　vital　to　keep

the　English　from　invading　Canada　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain；　vital

to　guard　the　St。　Lawrence　and　keep　open　communications　with

France。　Montcalm　first　directed　his　attention　to　Lake　Ontario。

Oswego；　lying　on　the　south　shore；　was　a　fort　much　prized　by　the

English　as　a　base　from　which　they　could　attack　the　French　Fort

Frontenac　on　the　north　side　of　the　lake　and　cut　off　Canada　from

the　West。　If　the　English　could　do　this；　they　would　redeem　the

failure　of　Braddock　and　possibly　turn　the　Indians　from　a　French

to　an　English　alliance。



The　French；　in　turn；　were　resolved　to　capture　and　destroy　Oswego。

In　the　summer　of　1756；　they　were　busy　drawing　up　papers　and

instructions　for　the　attack。　Montcalm　wrote　to　his　wife　that　he

had　never　before　worked　so　hard。　He　kept　every　one　busy；　his

aide…de…camp；　his　staff；　and　his　secretaries。　No　detail　was　too

minute　for　his　observation。　He　regulated　the　changes　of　clothes

which　the　officers　might　carry　with　them。　He　inspected　hospitals；

stores；　and　food；　and　he　even　ordered　an　alteration　in　the　method

of　making　bread。　He　reorganized　the　Canadian　battalions　and　in

every　quarter　stirred　up　new　activity。　He　was　strict　about

granting　leave　of　absence。　Sometimes　his　working　day　endured　for

twenty　hoursto　bed　at　midnight　and　up　again　at　four　o'clock　in

the　morning。　He　went　with　Levis　to　Lake　Champlain　to　see　with　his

own　eyes　what　was　going　on　there。　Then　he　turned　back　to

Montreal。　The　discipline　among　the　Canadian　troops　was　poor　and

he　stiffened　it；　thereby　naturally　causing　great　offense　to　those

who　liked　slack　ways　and　hated　to　take　trouble　about　sanitation

and　equipment。　He　held　interminable　conferences　with　his　Indian

allies。　They　were　astonished　to　find　that　the　great　soldier　of

whom　they　had　heard　so　much　was　so　small　in　stature；　but　they

noted　the　fire　in　his　eye。　He　despised　their　methods　of　warfare

and　notes　with　a　touch　of　irony　that；　while　every　other　barbarity

continues；　the　burning　of　prisoners　at　the　stake　has　rather　gone

out　of　fashion；　though　the　savages　recently　burned　an　English

woman　and　her　son　merely　to　keep　in　practice。



Montcalm　made　his　plans　secretly　and　struck　suddenly。　In　the

middle　of　August；　1756；　he　surprised　and　captured　Oswego　and　took

more　than　sixteen　hundred　prisoners。　Of　these；　in　spite　of　all

that　he　could　do；　his　Indians　murdered　some。　The　blow　was　deadly。

The　English　lost　vast　stores；　and　now　the　French　controlled　the

whole　region　of　the　Great　Lakes。　The　Indians　were　on　the　side　of

the　rising　power　more　heartily　than　ever；　and　the　unhappy

frontier　of　the　English　colonies　was　so　harried　that　murderous

savages　ventured　almost　to　the　outskirts　of　Philadelphia。

Montcalm　caused　a　Te　Deum　to　be　sung　on　the　scene　of　his　victory

at　Oswego。　In　August　he　was　back　in　Montreal　where　again　was　sung

another　joyous　Te　Deum。　He　wrote　letters　in　high　praise　of　some

of　his　officers；　especially　of　Bourlamaque；　Malartic；　and　La

Pause；　the　last　〃un　homme　divin。〃　Some　of　the　Canadian　officers；

praised　by　Vaudreuil；　he　had　tried　and　found　wanting。　〃Don't

forget；〃　he　wrote　to　Levis；　〃that　Mercier　is　a　feeble　ignoramus；

Saint　Luc　a　prattling　boaster；　Montigny　excellent　but　a　drunkard。

The　others　are　not　worth　speaking　of；　including　my　first

lieutenant…general　Rigaud。〃　This　Rigaud　was　the　brother　of

Vaudreuil。　When　the　Governor　wrote　to　the　minister；　he；　for　his

part；　said　that　the　success　of　the　expedition　was　wholly　due　to

his　own　vigilance　and　firmness；　aided　chiefly　by　this　brother；

〃mon　frere；〃　and　Le　Mercier；　both　of　whom　Montcalm　describes　as

inept。　Vaudreuil　adds　that　only　his　own　tact　kept　the　Indian

allies　from　going　home　because　Montcalm　would　not　let　them　have

the　plunder　which　they　desired。



Montcalm　struck　his　next　blow　at　the　English　on　Lake　Champlain。

In　July；　1757；　he　had　eight　thousand　men　at　Ticonderoga；　at　the

northern　end　of　Lake　George。　Two　thousand　of　these　were　savages

drawn　from　more　than　forty　different　tribesa　lawless　horde　whom

the　French　could　not　control。　A　Jesuit　priest　saw　a　party　of　them

squatting　round　a　fire　in　the　French　camp　roasting　meat　on　the

end　of　sticks　and　found　that　the　meat　was　the　flesh　of　an

Englishman。　English　prisoners；　sick　with　horror；　were　forced　to

watch　this　feast。　The　priest's　protest　was　dismissed　with　anger：

the　savages　would　follow　their　own　customs；　let　the　French　follow

theirs。　The　truth　is　that　the　French　had　been　only　too　successful

in　drawing　the　savages　to　them　as　allies。　They　formed　now　one…

quarter　of　the　whole　French　army。　They　were　of　little　use　as

fighters　and　probably；　in　the　long　run；　the　French　would　have

been　better　off　without　them。　If；　however；　Montcalm　had　caused

them　to　go；　Vaudreuil　would　have　made　frantic　protests；　so　that

Montcalm　accepted　the　necessity　of　such　allies。



Each　success；　however；　brought　some　new　horrors　at　the　hands　of

the　Indians。　Montcalm　captured　Fort　William　Henry；　at　the

southern　end　of　Lake　George；　in　August；　a　year　after　the　taking

of　Oswego。　Fort　William　Henry　was　the　most　advanced　English　post

in　the　direction　of　Canada。　The　place　had　been　left　weak；　for　the

Earl　of　Loudoun；　Commander…in…Chief　of　the　British　forces　in

America；　was　using　his　resources　for　an　expedition　against

Louisbourg；　which　wholly　failed。　Colonel　Monro；　the　brave　officer

in　command　at　Fort　William　Henry；　made　a　strong　defense；　but　was

forced　to　surrender。　The　terms　were　that　he　sh