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The precaution of marching only at night and of entering rivers when halting by which we wereconcealed, had till then hid our advance from the enemy. It was announced to them only that sameday by the Indians who went even to the foot of the fort to fire. Three armed barks which sailedat noon from the River Chouaguen came cruising in front of the Camp, discharged some pieces ofartillery, but the fire from our battery forced them to sheer off. Since then, they cruised only at a ~3considerable distance.
On the 12 th at day break Bearn’s Regiment arrived with the batteaux of artillery and provisions.These batteaux were forthwith unloaded in presence of the English barks which cruised in front ofthe Camp. The battery on the beach was increased—the park of artillery and the depot of provis-ions established, and Sieur Pouchot, Captain in Bearn’s Regiment , who had successfully begun afortification at Niagara, received orders to act as Engineer during the siege. Arrangements weremade to open the trenches that very night; Sieur de Bourlamaque superintended them. Six picketsof workmen, fifty men each, were under orders for that night; two companies of grenadiers andthree pickets to support them.
Notwithstanding the greatest possible diligence, the work at this trench could not be begun untilmidnight. It was rather a parallel of about 100 toises 1 , the front opened at 90 toises from the ditchof the fort through ground embarrassed by obstructions and stumps of trees. This parallel finishedat five o’clock in the morning was completed by the day labourers who cut the lines of communica-tion and commenced erecting batteries. The enemy’s fire which had been very brisk since the breakof day ceased about eleven o’clock at night, and it was perceived that the garrison evacuated FortOntario and passed over to that of Chouaguen at the opposite side of the river. They abandoned inretiring 8 pieces of cannon and four mortars. The fort having been immediately occupied by thegrenadiers of the trench, the workmen were commanded to continue the communication of theparallel to the river side where at nightfall was commenced a large battery placed so as to batterFort Chouaguen, the road from that fort to Fort George, and take the entrenched camp in the rear.Twenty pieces of cannon were conveyed during- the night in men’s arms, a labour which occupiedthe whole army, with the exception of the picquets and the camp guard.
On the 14 lb , at daylight, the Marquis of Montcalm orderd Sieur de Rigaud to ford the river to theother side with the Canadians and Indians, to occupy the woods and harrass the communication withFort George where the enemy appeared making considerable preparations. 3 At six o’clock we hadnine pieces ready to bear, and though the fire of the besieged, up to that time was more brisk thanour’s, they hoisted the White Flag at ten o’clock and sent two officers to demand a Capitulation.
The celerity of our operations in a soil which they considered impracticable, the erection of our bat-teries completed with so much rapidity, the idea these works gave them of the number of the French troops, the movement of the corps detached from the other side of the river, the dread of the sava-ges, the death of Colonel Mercer, commandant of Chouaguen who was killed at eight o’clock in theMorning, 3 doubtless determined the beseiged to a step which we had not dared to expect so soon.
The Marquis de Montcalm sent Sieur de Bougainville, one of his aids de camp as a hostage and topropose articles of Capitulation which were to the effect that the garrison should render themselvesprisoners of war and that the French troops should forthwith take possession of the Forts . The ar-
1. A toise is a French measure of six feet.
2. “ Sieur Rigaud executed this order forthwith. Though there was considerable water in that River and the currentwas very rapid, he threw himself in and crossed over with the Canadians and Indians ; some swimming, others in the wa-ter up to the waist or to the neck and arrived at their destination without the fire of the enemy having been able to stop asingle Canadian or Savage .”—Another account.
3. This officer was gazetted, 7th Oct. 1754, Lieut . Col. of Sir Wm. Pepperells, or the 2nd American, Regt. He had beenpreviously on half pay.