HISTORY OF THE WAR.
29
land forces in this expedition ; Ad- miral Holborne the navy. The for- . . mer left New York with a J ^°* body of 6000 men, and failed to Halifax, where he was joined by the latter, who had failed from Corke on the 7 th May with a confiderable fleet, and much the fame number of land forces, which his lordfhip had brought from New York. When the united armies and fleets were on the point of depart- ing for Louilbourg, news arrived at Halifax that the Brelt fleet, confift- ing of feventeen fliips of the line, be- fldes frigates, with great fupplies of military (lores, provifions, and men, were arrived at the harbour which they were preparing to attack. This iiews immediately fufpended their preparations. Councils of war were held one after another. The refult of the whole was, that as the place was fo well reinforced, the fleet of the French ratlier fuperior to our navy, and the feafon fo far advan- ced, it was the more prudent courfe to defer the enterprize to a more favourable opportunity. This re- iblutionfeems to have been the moil eligible in their circumflances, be- caufe the council of war was almoll unanimous in it.
Lord Loudon returned to New York, and the admiral now freed from the care of the tranfports fet fail for Louifbourg, in hope, as it wasfaid, of drawing the French fleet to an engagement. But upon what grounds this hope was conceived, I confefs I cannot fee; as it could not be imagined, that the French fleet, having no fort of occafion to light in order to prote£b Louifbourg, would chufe out of a bravado to bring on an unneceflary battle. However it was, the EngliOa fquadron con- tinued to cruife off that harbour until the 25th of September, when ihey were overtaken by a terrible
llorm, in which one of our fliips was loft, eleven difmafted, and the refl; returned to England in a very fliat- tered conditioti. This was the end of the expedition to Louifljourg, from which fo much was expeded. But it was not the worft confequencc which attended it.
Since Ofwego had been taken, the French remained entirely mailers of all the lakes, and we could do no- thing to obftrudl their colledling the Indians from all parts, and obliging them to a(5l in their favour. But our apprehenfions, (or what fhall they be called f) did more in favour of the French than their conquefts. Not fatisfied with the lofs of that important fortrefs, we ourfelves abandoned to the mercy of the enemy all the country of the Five Nations, the only body of Indians who preferved even the appearance of friendfliip to us. The forts we had at the Great Carrying Place were demoliOied; Wood Creek was induftrioufly flopped up and filled with logs ; by which it became evident to all thofe who knew that country, that our communication with our allied Indians was totally cut oft"; and what was worfe, our whole frontier left perfeftly unco- vered to the irruption of the enemies favages, vvho foon availed them- felves of our errors. For after the removal of thefe barriers, and the taking of Fort William-Henry, of which we fliall fpeak prefently, they deftroyed with fire and fword the fine fettlements which we pofleflcd on the Mohawks river, and on thofe grounds called the German flats. Thus with a vaft increafe of our forces, and the cleareft fuperiority over the enemy, we only abandoned our allies, expofed our people, and relinquiflied a large and valuable tradl of country. The French foon
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