Battle of Carillon in the French and Indian War

The Battle of Carillon was fought July 8, 1758, during the French Indian War (1754-1763). Forces Commanders British Major General James AbercrombieBrigadier General Lord George Howe15,000-16,000 men French Major General Louis-Joseph de MontcalmChevalier de Levis3,600 men Background Having suffered numerous defeats in North America in 1757, including the capture and destruction of Fort William Henry, the British sought to renew their efforts the following year. Under the guidance of William Pitt, a new strategy was developed which called for attacks against Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Fort Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio, and Fort Carillon on Lake Champlain. To lead this last campaign, Pitt desired to appoint Lord George Howe. This move was blocked due to political considerations and Major General James Abercrombie was given command with Howe as brigadier general (Map). Assembling a force of around 15,000 regulars and provincials, Abercrombie established a base at the southern end of Lake George near the former site of Fort William Henry. Opposing the British efforts was Fort Carillons garrison of 3,500 men led by Colonel Franà §ois-Charles de Bourlamaque. On June 30, he was joined by the overall French commander in North America, Marquis Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. Arriving at Carillon, Montcalm found the garrison insufficient to protect the area around the fort and possessing food for only nine days. To aid the situation, Montcalm requested reinforcements from Montreal. Fort Carillon Construction on Fort Carillon had begun in 1755 in response to the French defeat at the Battle of Lake George. Built on Lake Champlain, near the northern point of Lake George, Fort Carillon was situated on a low point with the La Chute River to the south. This location was dominated by Rattlesnake Hill (Mount Defiance) across the river and by Mount Independence across the lake. Any guns emplaced on the former would be in position to bombard the fort with impunity. As the La Chute was not navigable, a portage road ran south from a sawmill at Carillon to the head of Lake George. The British Advance On July 5, 1758, the British embarked and began moving over Lake George. Led by the industrious Howe, the British advance guard consisted of elements of Major Robert Rogers rangers and light infantry led by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage. As the British approached on the morning of July 6, they were shadowed by 350 men under Captain Trà ©pezet. Receiving reports from Trà ©pezet regarding the size of the British force, Montcalm withdrew the bulk of his forces to Fort Carillon and began building a line of defenses on a rise o to the northwest. Beginning with entrenchments fronted by thick abatis, the French line was later strengthened to include a wooden breastwork. By noon on July 6, the bulk of Abercrombies army had landed at the northern edge of Lake George. While Rogers men were detailed to take a set of heights near the landing beach, Howe began advancing up the west side of the La Chute with Gages light infantry and other units. As they pushed through the wood, they collided with Trà ©pezets retreating command. In the sharp firefight that ensued, the French were driven off, but Howe was killed. Abercrombies Plan With Howes death, British morale began to suffer and the campaign lost momentum. Having lost his energetic subordinate, Abercrombie took two days to advance on Fort Carillon, which normally would have been a two-hour march. Shifting to the portage road, the British established a camp near the sawmill. Determining his plan of action, Abercrombie received intelligence that Montcalm possessed 6,000 men around the fort and that the Chevalier de Là ©vis was approaching with 3,000 more. Là ©vis was approaching, but with only 400 men. His command joined Montcalm late on July 7. On July 7, Abercrombie dispatched engineer Lieutenant Matthew Clerk and an aide to scout the French position. They returned reporting that it was incomplete and could be easily carried without artillery support. Despite a suggestion from Clerk that guns should be emplaced atop and at the base of Rattlesnake Hill, Abercrombie, lacking imagination or an eye for terrain, set upon a frontal assault for the next day. That evening, he held a council of war, but only asked whether they should advance in ranks of three or four. To support the operation, 20 bateaux would float guns to the base of the hill. The Battle of Carillon Clerk again scouted the French lines on the morning of July 8 and reported that they could be taken by storm. Leaving the majority of the armys artillery at the landing site, Abercrombie ordered his infantry to form with eight regiments of regulars in the front supported by six regiments of provincials. This was completed around noon and Abercrombie intended to attack at 1:00 PM. Around 12:30, fighting began when New York troops began engaging the enemy. This led a ripple effect where individual units began fighting on their fronts. As a result, the British attack was piecemeal rather than coordinated. Fighting forward, the British were met by heavy fire from Montcalms men. Taking severe losses as they approached, the attackers were hampered by the abatis and cut down by the French. By 2:00 PM, the first assaults had failed. While Montcalm was actively leading his men, sources are unclear as to whether Abercrombie ever left the sawmill. Around 2:00 PM, a second attack went forward. About this time, the bateaux carrying guns to Rattlesnake Hill came under fire from the French left and the fort. Rather than push forward, they withdrew. As the second assault went in, it met with a similar fate. Fighting raged until around 5:00 PM, with the 42nd Regiment (Black Watch) reaching the base of the French wall before being repulsed. Realizing the scope of the defeat, Abercrombie ordered his men to fall back and a confused retreat ensued to the landing site. By the next morning, the British army was withdrawing south across Lake George. Aftermath In the assaults at Fort Carillon, the British lost 551 killed, 1,356 wounded, and 37 missing against French casualties of 106 killed and 266 wounded. The defeat was one of the bloodiest battles of the conflict in North America and marked the only major British loss of 1758 as both Louisbourg and Fort Duquesne were captured. The fort would be captured the British the following year when Lieutenant General Jeffrey Amhersts advancing army claimed it from the retreating French. Following its capture, it was renamed Fort Ticonderoga.

Dr. Franklin’s Island by Ann Halam - 1513 Words

The gasping creatures cautiously circle each other, searching for any weakness, hoping that their next blow will end this eternal battle for power. Their identities indistinguishable, both dripping with the excess of their efforts, fatally wounded from years of endless onslaughts, this is the tireless struggle between man and nature. For centuries, man and nature have come to a point where only one could survive, causing the two to become opposing forces and fight till the death. This idea of dominance between the two leading forces of earth inspires many works of literature and art such as Dr. Franklin’s Island, The Iliad, The Horse Tamers, and current events of attacks as well. Everything has been fought for in this world, from bustling cities to abundant forest, the world a battlefield of clashing ideas and opposing forces, forcing all to be a part of this great battle. The theme of man and nature clashing on the battlefield of life, constantly struggling for supreme domina nce is most prominent in the novel â€Å"Dr. Franklin’s Island,† the epic poem â€Å"The Iliad,† the famous sculptures â€Å"The Horse Tamers,† and the current event involving a small child of Ottawa, Canada attacked by a pit-bull. In Dr. Franklin’s Island the main characters are constantly put through trials where they must fight against their most primal animalistic feelings and those that are grafted into their DNA when they are transformed into animals through the devious test by Dr. Franklin. Semi and MirandaShow MoreRelatedEssay on Dr Franklins Island by Ann Halam2243 Words   |  9 PagesDr Franklins Island by Ann Halam The book I am going to be writing about is called Dr Franklins Island by Ann Halam. The book is about 3 kids, Semirah (Semi), Miranda and Arnie. They won a science competition by Planet Savers to go to Quito. During the journey on the plane, the plane crashed and only Semi, Miranda and Arnie survived. They ended up on the island where they were about to be the next victims of genetic engineering because of two evil scientists called

Gay Rights Free Essays

Gay Marriage in the United States Gay marriage has divided the American people for over a decade. Yet such a sharp divide has occurred recently. Only a decade ago, gay marriage was nothing but an afterthought on the plates of many U. We will write a custom essay sample on Gay Rights or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. leaders. Many Liberal Democrats did not even support or condone the idea that same sex couples should be able to marry. However in early times, same-sex marriage was not considered exotic and in many cultures, it was encouraged. It was not until the rise of Christianity that a negative attitude towards same-sex marriage upraised. The turn of the 21st century has rought a new life and perspective onto this issue, and at this moment in time, a substantial majority of the American people actually supports same-sex marriages (Karaim, 2011). Marriage should be viewed as the union of two people based upon love and commitment. Marriage is an expression of our desire to create a social partnership, to live and share life’s Joys and burdens with the person we love, and honoring these desires in all people strengthens society’s bonds (Karaim, 2011). A marriage consisting of two males or two females is Just as natural as a marriage between a man and a woman. After many years of fghting this battle it is time for the U. S. federal government to enact a nationwide law granting civil right to marriage for everyone including the homosexual community. State legislatures have been deeply involved in the public debates about how to define marriage and whether the official recognition of marriage should be extended to same-sex couples. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia currently have laws that allow same-sex marriages. While other states are facing court challenges to keep same-sex marriages banned or to ban gay marriage from happening. In 2013 seven U. S States all through legislation and federal court decisions adopted the â€Å"Freedom to Marry’ and now allow same-sex couples to marry. These states are Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Delaware, Minnesota, Rhode Island and California. Out of the sixteen total states that recognize same-sex marriages, ten states and the District of Columbia have acted through legislation, five through court decisions, and one through public initiative. The debate for same-sex marriage became noticeably public in the late twentieth century; it was not until 1993 during a case in Hawaii, that the issue became national news. The ruling of the case stated that the restriction of marriage and its benefits to opposite-sex couples were unconstitutional. The Hawaiian case, declared that no state would be required to recognize a same-sex marriage from another state, and also defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman† (Axel-Lute, 2002, p. l). By the end of that same year, a majority of states passed laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. Since then, states have defined their own definition of marriage, the Defense of Marriage Act stating a marriage is between a man and a woman has been struck down as well. On a more recent note Hawaii’s House of Representatives heard 56 hours of public testimony over five days. And on November 1 lth 2013, the House passed the marriage y a 30 to 19 vote . This made Hawaii the titteentn state to legalize same sex marriage in the Unites States. Earlier this year this same-sex marriage bill hit legislative roadblocks. It wasn’t until the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the federal Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. Governor Neil Abercrombie then called this piece of legislature back into special session to pass a compromise easure that added rights for religious figures who oppose same-sex marriage. The most influential reason against same-sex marriage is based on religion, and the â€Å"traditional† marriage is known as the social contract between a man and a woman. How to cite Gay Rights, Papers